tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-72793465003839119912024-03-05T04:50:39.855-06:00Miscellaneous, etc.A Blog Full of Randomness!Sarahhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11595456085581691738noreply@blogger.comBlogger66125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7279346500383911991.post-40027106943923959422016-03-29T10:30:00.000-05:002016-03-29T10:30:40.195-05:00A Corner of My RoomFor the past couple years, my Dad and I have been working to renovate the upstairs of the barn that's attached to our 1850s parsonage, turning it into a bedroom for me. Dad did a lot of the work, with some help at the end from a couple contractor friends...and I did the decorating. :)<br />
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The room is still a work in progress - for example, I'm using a sheet of foam insulation as my door, and there are a few other pieces of trim and furniture we're still working on. <br />
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Eventually, when the room is completely done, I may do a longer blog post showing off some of the fun details...but for now, I decided to take a couple pictures of one of the parts that is finished.<br />
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I've been in the room almost a year now, and it's definitely nice having my own space. :)Sarahhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11595456085581691738noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7279346500383911991.post-60024497361773688462014-05-09T14:42:00.000-05:002014-05-09T14:42:15.897-05:00April Showers...<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjtCedeR5rxzSL3eR3mvJ3Tz9KTiNCk-JuiEdV3hkiSwO5MuR4tOUN3elZT4q85z9LPFZBe0VQu2bDTW86IBcQecZpohLbdBFh24uEI1vQV497VJU8WJe7Sfe4Ur0UJozMix3Uw5MHbjlTU/s1600/DSC_0008b.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjtCedeR5rxzSL3eR3mvJ3Tz9KTiNCk-JuiEdV3hkiSwO5MuR4tOUN3elZT4q85z9LPFZBe0VQu2bDTW86IBcQecZpohLbdBFh24uEI1vQV497VJU8WJe7Sfe4Ur0UJozMix3Uw5MHbjlTU/s1600/DSC_0008b.jpg" height="400" width="343" /></a></div>
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...Bring May Flowers. :)</div>
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I hope everyone is having a lovely Spring so far...I know I'm enjoying watching the leaves unfurl and the grass turn green again. These little violets pop up in a corner of our yard every year, and they always bring a smile to my face. I hope this one made you smile too.</div>
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Happy Friday! :)</div>
<br />Sarahhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11595456085581691738noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7279346500383911991.post-14917875564529986412014-04-27T16:54:00.002-05:002014-04-27T16:54:46.234-05:00No Bake Creamy Nutella Cheesecake Pie<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
If you're a fan of Nutella, then you may enjoy this recipe - it's quick, delicious, and SUPER easy! In fact, it's so easy that you may only need to look at this recipe once or twice before you get the idea. :)</div>
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Here's what you need: </div>
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-Pie Crust (I used graham, but any kind you like)</div>
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-One 8-oz. brick Cream Cheese</div>
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-One 8-oz. tub Whipped Topping</div>
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-One jar Nutella (I believe the jar is around 13 oz.)</div>
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For a garnish, you can pick from the following options: more whipped cream (<i>pictured)</i>, hazelnut truffles (<i>pictured</i>), ice cream, drizzled chocolate, drizzled Nutella, whole hazelnuts, chopped hazelnuts, chocolate chips...need I go on? :)</div>
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Soften the cream cheese in the microwave.</div>
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Add the Nutella - the whole jar!! You have my permission to lick the spoon.</div>
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Mix the cream cheese and the Nutella together, using a hand or stand mixer, until smooth and creamy. You can lick the beaters, too - although I recommend detaching them from the mixer first. ;)</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjUoNWNQFQY1IcPXYYA14lmOTyAhmYLhZbeUanyxYLmOAlk6lU8lLOFHpaagTLbFCLCMYE-WYt8C1eBrdMttOMZrwhmBl8IOKl5jXQ5Ax09bVlV7UhXQbRWr8oqQqdBly38-3J9YO7yLazk/s1600/DSC_0037.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjUoNWNQFQY1IcPXYYA14lmOTyAhmYLhZbeUanyxYLmOAlk6lU8lLOFHpaagTLbFCLCMYE-WYt8C1eBrdMttOMZrwhmBl8IOKl5jXQ5Ax09bVlV7UhXQbRWr8oqQqdBly38-3J9YO7yLazk/s1600/DSC_0037.JPG" height="263" width="400" /></a></div>
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Plunk in the whole tub of whipped cream and fold it in. Folding in the whipped cream will take a couple minutes; when it's done, it'll look like this:</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEilKggQXbs0CmRJgsV70YoLBLE4IsKFwxMKDOMKLYC9yr3zCUYoAW8oVDcHQAXjLP55ZYFLMDNV5uexD_WqTFnuaMA-1LuFDOJv6ieBf8CPdx-uWHB4kvyJU3Cq9gbwWn0-RotFGKZyMUqK/s1600/DSC_0039.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEilKggQXbs0CmRJgsV70YoLBLE4IsKFwxMKDOMKLYC9yr3zCUYoAW8oVDcHQAXjLP55ZYFLMDNV5uexD_WqTFnuaMA-1LuFDOJv6ieBf8CPdx-uWHB4kvyJU3Cq9gbwWn0-RotFGKZyMUqK/s1600/DSC_0039.JPG" height="263" width="400" /></a></div>
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Spread the mixture into a pie crust. I used a store-bought graham crust, which was very good. I think that an Oreo crust would also be yummy, and undoubtedly a homemade crust would be even better, if you don't mind making one.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiDILFPjq2fYCjIGn3FSvsmq8mRtySJ9cN_t14T02pQDeY-Gx8enSvCFls9PAI4OegPITAAzLqi6oiI2X6_ZiaiPoyiUziWo8SqfUgq0ZItfT5ee3e_Hlx8bHhIIi1O8wWp_velm94ok6IO/s1600/DSC_0040.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiDILFPjq2fYCjIGn3FSvsmq8mRtySJ9cN_t14T02pQDeY-Gx8enSvCFls9PAI4OegPITAAzLqi6oiI2X6_ZiaiPoyiUziWo8SqfUgq0ZItfT5ee3e_Hlx8bHhIIi1O8wWp_velm94ok6IO/s1600/DSC_0040.JPG" height="263" width="400" /></a></div>
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Cover the pie and refrigerate for at least a couple hours or overnight. It will firm up a bit (I cut the piece below before the pie was chilled, and you can see that it was NOT firm!), and the flavors will all blend together nicely. I do think it's better the second day.</div>
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Yummy! The pie turned out extremely rich, creamy and decadent. You'll want to start out with a SMALL piece of this stuff - it's powerful!</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgaaimjpIHuZdKjx5gNjHVwAL4lLdZKLb0Gyqx2XaESTTuiHJ9PUxGIqbnLzBygUrG4jThz4xGb5_2_KAgp1ATeZbb2qdPJF4hI0rmhX_bZ2cM7P-jTn2luHjfN96KbS4X6qhceXxzkFlrl/s1600/DSC_0043b.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgaaimjpIHuZdKjx5gNjHVwAL4lLdZKLb0Gyqx2XaESTTuiHJ9PUxGIqbnLzBygUrG4jThz4xGb5_2_KAgp1ATeZbb2qdPJF4hI0rmhX_bZ2cM7P-jTn2luHjfN96KbS4X6qhceXxzkFlrl/s1600/DSC_0043b.jpg" height="248" width="400" /></a></div>
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So there you have it - Creamy Nutella Cheesecake Pie! :) </div>
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One really nice thing about this recipe is its adaptability - last week, I used the same formula, except that instead of Nutella, I used a jar of Pumpkin Caramel sauce, which was also an amazing pie. Probably you could substitute any number of other things - peanut butter, pumpkin puree, raspberry jam, etc. Hmm...now I want to experiment more! :)</div>
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Well, I hope I've given you some food for thought (Ooh, a pun! No applause necessary, thank you). Until next time, happy baking!!</div>
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<i>*Note - I am not affiliated with whoever makes Nutella; I'm just using their product. :)</i></div>
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Sarahhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11595456085581691738noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7279346500383911991.post-14151753570760523312014-03-18T12:12:00.003-05:002014-03-18T12:12:45.982-05:00A Coconut Treat: Grandma Inez's Impossible Pie<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
I've made this recipe two or three times - if you're a coconut fan, you'll really like this! It's similar to a coconut cream pie, but SO much easier!</div>
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To give credit where credit is due, I got this recipe from Tasty Kitchen - follow <a href="http://tastykitchen.com/recipes/desserts/grandma-ineze28099s-impossible-pie/" target="_blank">this link</a> to see the original.</div>
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I do make one slight modification - I add quite a bit more coconut than the recipe calls for. You'll have to experiment and see which way you prefer it. :)</div>
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So...here are the ingredients below...you probably have most of these already! Eggs, sugar, butter (or margarine), vanilla, milk, Bisquick (or generic baking mix) and sweetened coconut flakes.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiYesdtF7jBXf4oMxfRSIaCaJXGODjNTl5qvkBrJbEx0FBgk8XbvV81wpk5YsglUA9qj8h3uqJYwlVFB4SEgihBLfo9wjYYdq55M2mE73IXzmNt_QZicCKr_ConBSl8u0TlxH3O8hfMzW_j/s1600/DSC_0018.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiYesdtF7jBXf4oMxfRSIaCaJXGODjNTl5qvkBrJbEx0FBgk8XbvV81wpk5YsglUA9qj8h3uqJYwlVFB4SEgihBLfo9wjYYdq55M2mE73IXzmNt_QZicCKr_ConBSl8u0TlxH3O8hfMzW_j/s1600/DSC_0018.JPG" height="273" width="400" /></a></div>
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Preheat your oven to 350 degrees F, and mix all the ingredients together. </div>
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Pour into a greased 9" pie plate (my pie plate was 9.5").</div>
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Bake for 30 minutes. It shouldn't be jiggly, and a knife should come out clean. Broil for 2-3 minutes if you want the top to be toasted. </div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj3OdNzXSut5ybtn_PMyKuovadgXC8gDrOD34sxjvXGTn3j3B9qgYciUFxbNc1fWa9lxAvMxiDllMBJai4tPcKGP_51kkZuYztjVREhx29j3w_ROIdjC7AcCfhnP0jjNkbJ_gmKpz7-t3zt/s1600/DSC_0022.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj3OdNzXSut5ybtn_PMyKuovadgXC8gDrOD34sxjvXGTn3j3B9qgYciUFxbNc1fWa9lxAvMxiDllMBJai4tPcKGP_51kkZuYztjVREhx29j3w_ROIdjC7AcCfhnP0jjNkbJ_gmKpz7-t3zt/s1600/DSC_0022.JPG" height="258" width="400" /></a></div>
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This is yummy eaten right away, but a zillion times better the next day. (I know, because I tried it both ways!) It has a slightly creamy, custardy texture that goes super well with whipped cream.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhdNVjRTS8NHa0TyrG5Egilbp9UXFd1rNr3mdNpCNnanFis1-MocIdSiuVLvJKi4rchJtngo35zTfilsNNrb4c1b2TjozXeddu9ZpyJ7fBW_pl2A3lzNFIK5x3cMgsrCp-CakKGpjf_Ph9K/s1600/DSC_0023b.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhdNVjRTS8NHa0TyrG5Egilbp9UXFd1rNr3mdNpCNnanFis1-MocIdSiuVLvJKi4rchJtngo35zTfilsNNrb4c1b2TjozXeddu9ZpyJ7fBW_pl2A3lzNFIK5x3cMgsrCp-CakKGpjf_Ph9K/s1600/DSC_0023b.jpg" height="276" width="400" /></a></div>
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So, the main modification that I made was to add more coconut than the recipe calls for. I put in 3 cups, and it may have increased the baking time and made the pie not keep its shape as well - but it was still absolutely delicious!</div>
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Here's the full recipe:</div>
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<b>Grandma Inez's Impossible Pie</b></div>
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<i>2 eggs, beaten</i></div>
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<i>1 c sugar</i></div>
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<i>3 T butter, melted</i></div>
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<i>1 tsp. vanilla</i></div>
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<i>1 c milk</i></div>
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<i>4 T Bisquick</i></div>
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<i>3 1/2 oz. sweetened coconut flakes (I used 3 cups)</i></div>
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<i>Mix ingredients well. Pour into a greased 9" pie plate. Bake at 350 deg. F for 30 minutes, then broil for 2-3 minutes if desired. Cool and serve with whipped cream.</i></div>
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Enjoy!! :D</div>
Sarahhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11595456085581691738noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7279346500383911991.post-34883233148946318192014-02-11T13:22:00.002-06:002014-02-11T13:22:33.436-06:00Our Family's #1 Cookie Choice: Outrageous Chocolate Chip Cookies<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
Are you sick and tired of the same old chocolate chip cookie recipes? Yearning for a cookie that has a peanut-buttery depth to it and a solidity that only oats can bring, tied together by plenty of chocolate chips? Well, my friends, you've come to the right place...this recipe will keep you busy sneaking back to the cookie jar for just...one...more...ohhh...well, time to bake some more Outrageous Chocolate Chip Cookies!!!</div>
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Anyway, moving on from the melodramatics, this recipe has been in our family for years, and it is definitely the number one choice if we're in the mood for cookies. These cookies are moist and chocolatey, and the peanut butter and oats give them a little something extra special.</div>
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To give credit where credit is due, I should note that we did not develop the recipe - my Mom says that she got it off the back of a bag of flour.</div>
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<i>*Disclaimer: In this post, I do not intend to cast aspersions on normal chocolate chip cookies, which certainly have a well-earned place in life!</i></div>
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So...you're waiting to find out how to make these delectable delights...read on, and I'll show you the process!</div>
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Below, you can see the ingredients: sugar, brown sugar, margarine, peanut butter, vanilla, egg(s), flour, oats, baking soda, salt and chocolate chips.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhVD4XMx5ZLLbwyr9t5x54LIu7rzmqdw8feIExU710-OvPQUcw9N4T9CU1GO2dYlH4-Em9D5CW7zguIWHA1PtqFp8etl6JIxxySCgEqvoqw1E68kU6uAyyloff88SeGX3kDnVGl2ot11-0E/s1600/Cookies+and+Baby,+etc+001.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhVD4XMx5ZLLbwyr9t5x54LIu7rzmqdw8feIExU710-OvPQUcw9N4T9CU1GO2dYlH4-Em9D5CW7zguIWHA1PtqFp8etl6JIxxySCgEqvoqw1E68kU6uAyyloff88SeGX3kDnVGl2ot11-0E/s1600/Cookies+and+Baby,+etc+001.JPG" height="263" width="400" /></a></div>
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First, preheat your oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit. Then melt your margarine.</div>
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Add the peanut butter...I have to say that, taken out of context, this photo would probably look really gross!</div>
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Followed by the vanilla. I feel like I should point out that I don't normally bake left-handed, but it's nearly impossible to use my camera left-handed, so I made it work. :)</div>
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The egg(s) come next. I always put them in a separate dish first to make sure no shell bits get into the baked product...there's nothing worse than finding a crunchy bit in something that's not supposed to be crunchy!</div>
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That's all the wet ingredients...stir 'em up!</div>
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In a separate bowl, Mix together the dry ingredients. First, the sugar.</div>
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Next, add the brown sugar. I love adding the brown sugar - it's so fun how it keeps its shape. :) </div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg49mfzW6SwIA3Q2jraGEt6IU2l0FDQkawcHB0oOuzHBd0QqR-wWsmq5Xmsqpbh56agjus1rsk62QXQHfRbefpJw-OTQQtdenSIy8e8qJNqJSmLVdOEz6j7SDbFKF__9gHaconlKIXC9Hxb/s1600/Cookies+and+Baby,+etc+012.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg49mfzW6SwIA3Q2jraGEt6IU2l0FDQkawcHB0oOuzHBd0QqR-wWsmq5Xmsqpbh56agjus1rsk62QXQHfRbefpJw-OTQQtdenSIy8e8qJNqJSmLVdOEz6j7SDbFKF__9gHaconlKIXC9Hxb/s1600/Cookies+and+Baby,+etc+012.JPG" height="263" width="400" /></a></div>
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Then the flour...</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi_jHorEQPMlFCgoafMimMCD4TtqSqYxgVBYkBvjBeez2WFisS79XkR_mQSHu9N4vep03NXa-wnQpK2z9ZUL6glXetZF31s27zST9zRY6w37lggAJDd5I19U0D5gzaIYeATTlwKn6x9aYUv/s1600/Cookies+and+Baby,+etc+014.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi_jHorEQPMlFCgoafMimMCD4TtqSqYxgVBYkBvjBeez2WFisS79XkR_mQSHu9N4vep03NXa-wnQpK2z9ZUL6glXetZF31s27zST9zRY6w37lggAJDd5I19U0D5gzaIYeATTlwKn6x9aYUv/s1600/Cookies+and+Baby,+etc+014.JPG" height="263" width="400" /></a></div>
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...and the oats...</div>
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...followed by the baking soda...</div>
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...and the salt!</div>
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Mix the dry ingredients together.</div>
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Add the dry ingredients to the wet. I'm glad I used the very large white bowl - I don't always have such foresight. ;)</div>
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Mix the dry and the wet ingredients together. </div>
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And finally, the part you've been waiting for all this time - add the chocolate chips!! If you're a chocoholic like me, feel free to toss a few extras in for good measure!</div>
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Stir the chocolate chips in, and your batter is ready!</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg4kK4izbw6bGBaSn_Os7hnIAKY773228e4rSXDrpU9bB8BT8kRz5h5xaWCnZwvLJ11cUTz2sjpi-EazZK-Utyxk9ReW7emFtjatSQXCQBPchlCdt2yRuXxQf9ByNHHXQ0EVIWP-VERxrg8/s1600/Cookies+and+Baby,+etc+025.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg4kK4izbw6bGBaSn_Os7hnIAKY773228e4rSXDrpU9bB8BT8kRz5h5xaWCnZwvLJ11cUTz2sjpi-EazZK-Utyxk9ReW7emFtjatSQXCQBPchlCdt2yRuXxQf9ByNHHXQ0EVIWP-VERxrg8/s1600/Cookies+and+Baby,+etc+025.JPG" height="263" width="400" /></a></div>
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Scoop them onto a greased cookie sheet, and bake for 10-12 minutes.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgzTOTHLU_yS_1GRT_QC9XlBy6Dltl5sqcuslRQYYmfpLRSqwHc8aBZmsr57sOLpZdCa0ewfK28_4kTvvqZxOJixyXjJ85HSu2DfRr29rTU7ocSUlCy3brp9Gv3-13KTdf3Jc_-ds5HPGFz/s1600/Cookies+and+Baby,+etc+026.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgzTOTHLU_yS_1GRT_QC9XlBy6Dltl5sqcuslRQYYmfpLRSqwHc8aBZmsr57sOLpZdCa0ewfK28_4kTvvqZxOJixyXjJ85HSu2DfRr29rTU7ocSUlCy3brp9Gv3-13KTdf3Jc_-ds5HPGFz/s1600/Cookies+and+Baby,+etc+026.JPG" height="263" width="400" /></a></div>
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These are spectacular while warm, and nearly as amazing after they cool...they will keep for several days in a sealed container - assuming they don't all get eaten before then. :) </div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh9MBuvolA2lAUQ60xoxtrqNNxcXnrLLU8ptXl2P0RQDbP2krGHHNUzepxD7wd1wawRaklyRJjeivfTAEmrvByg7KwSxYvGhvw3JUBA_63EfhI37Zj4sY7ArlaDGPKpYffaX-k6ft5FAiKa/s1600/Cookies+and+Baby,+etc+032.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh9MBuvolA2lAUQ60xoxtrqNNxcXnrLLU8ptXl2P0RQDbP2krGHHNUzepxD7wd1wawRaklyRJjeivfTAEmrvByg7KwSxYvGhvw3JUBA_63EfhI37Zj4sY7ArlaDGPKpYffaX-k6ft5FAiKa/s1600/Cookies+and+Baby,+etc+032.JPG" height="263" width="400" /></a></div>
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You will find the complete recipe below. Please note that I tripled the recipe when I made it for this blog post, so the amounts you see in the photos will be a little different than the recipe.</div>
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You can also find a printable version of this recipe by following <a href="http://tastykitchen.com/recipes/desserts/outrageous-chocolate-chip-cookies/">this link</a> to my post on Tasty Kitchen.</div>
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Thanks, as always, for stopping by my blog! :)</div>
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<b><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">Outrageous Chocolate Chip Cookies</span></b></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">1/2 C sugar<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">1/3 C brown sugar<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">1/2 C margarine, melted<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">1/2 C peanut-butter<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">1/2 tsp. vanilla<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">1 egg<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">1 c flour<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">1/2 C quick oats<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">1 tsp. B. soda<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">1/2 tsp. salt<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">1 (6 oz.) pkg. chocolate chips<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">Pre-heat oven to 350.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">Melt margarine in a bowl and then add all other wet ingredients. Mix thoroughly. Mix dry ingredients separately and then add to wet ingredients. Mix. Stir in chocolate chips.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">Place by spoonfuls onto greased cookie sheet. Bake for 10-12 minutes.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="color: #a50021;">Tip: </span>When a recipe is doubled or tripled you may find that you need more flour than the recipe calls for. If your first batch spreads out too thin, add more flour before spooning out the next cookie sheet full.</span><span style="font-size: 14.0pt; language: EN;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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Sarahhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11595456085581691738noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7279346500383911991.post-89744597467437832422014-02-03T14:00:00.000-06:002014-02-03T14:00:19.278-06:00My Top 5 Most Viewed Posts...Hmm...Can You Sense a Theme?<div style="text-align: center;">
It's been a very long time since I've done a blog post...sorry to anyone who's been lurking out there in the internet waiting impatiently for my next post. ;P</div>
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I've found it very interesting to view the statistics for my blog and notice which posts have had the most views. I suppose that I shouldn't be surprised by the results, but with just one or two exceptions, the posts that get the most views are recipes. </div>
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So...due to the apparent popularity of food-oriented posts, perhaps I'll try to have my camera handy more often when there are cooking/baking things going on around my home, and share some of the deliciousness with you! :)</div>
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Now that I've told you these posts are so popular, I thought I'd share my TOP FIVE MOST VIEWED POSTS...OF ALL TIME!!! (Well, since I started this blog in 2008, anyway...)</div>
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All right, are you ready? Here we go!</div>
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<b>In the Number 5 position, with a total of 58 views, we have...<a href="http://sweetcherry-ramblings.blogspot.com/2010/12/yummy-one-peanut-butter-cake.html">Peanut Butter Cake</a>!!!</b></div>
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<img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjzSAh27MJsTfxzE67TK_Lb-nNO1M0zd3-ukh3vAtJNQhh_9Tra5YBLfrKkk2wE87wV4BxTvlQCBmlTnx-K7FOIvGFAqIWxtEzbnJ5BVCDPn2xD28wzJoe2naC_1o3s7HrxCy-i7g6-aOqj/s400/Peanut+Butter+Cake+002b.jpg" /></div>
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I've actually posted this one on my blog twice, it's so good! It's creamy, moist and peanut-buttery, without being overwhelmingly rich (in my humble opinion). </div>
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<b>Moving on to our contender in 4th place, with a grand total of 78 views, we have...<a href="http://sweetcherry-ramblings.blogspot.com/2012/09/simple-and-delectable-microwave-custard.html">Microwave Custard!</a></b></div>
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<img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgUfStjHtSIqppgkatO-gKZHCPBEgmkKCqdaC8kXAR3DKjbJWBwwqgiCWhfmsztvV9I1zVWYeZuPKoAiaxM-AutsWcK4s_WNQpnWgp55NbyaMQdD6lnVYxwpG2s5R3SE23ssXe9T6ZHxBrN/s400/Custard,+etc+011b.jpg" /></div>
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This recipe is simple and quite yummy, and has been a family favorite for many years!</div>
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<b>In the Number 3 position, with a jump up to 190 views, we have...<a href="http://sweetcherry-ramblings.blogspot.com/2011/01/unique-and-yummy-orange-chocolate-chip.html">Orange Chocolate Chip Cookies</a>!!!</b></div>
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<img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEihmXWvMDFq7fvvjbF9_ozU1zOWXL1a6zXwFwe1GFZ1q-WMNMvfb63eUDkppDu-l5YgRxX-dcp-WxulK0-F6gqr_DjPqYUWCbFFxDsfRbb08kKhwB6f3ne22_JsuHrS6MDWv9Mo5IuBDxxL/s400/Cookies+and+Walk+042b.jpg" /></div>
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These cookies may be pale, and they may take more time to prepare than your average chocolate chip cookies...but one bite may change your entire life from this day forward. Make these - today, if possible. You will not regret it.</div>
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<b>Number 2, with 194 views, brings us to the famous <a href="http://sweetcherry-ramblings.blogspot.com/2009/10/something-yummy.html">Coffee Toffee Bars</a>!!</b></div>
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<img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhdCJdA71piwqX3U4e7akJsFuI3bU-eIAYEW_ozTtD235j8nzOO4gjWU7uZ4iC0OI4TU98IMRsVik2U93o0yk5Aoix-CQ6YbGDQwQIWc7kUQg8qdItKT3qiKLmna09WPKb0IKbiVCTxvgNv/s400/Walk+and+Coffee+Toffee+030b.jpg" /></div>
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These bars are rather unique, with almond extract and instant coffee bringing in some different flavors than your typical chocolate chip cookie kind of recipes. They're super easy, too, making this one of my family's go-to recipes when we're in the mood for something baked!</div>
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<b>Finally, in the Number One position on my blog, with a total of 212 views...we have <a href="http://sweetcherry-ramblings.blogspot.com/2009/08/delicious-diversion.html">Applesauce Bread</a>!!</b></div>
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<img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgIPuvbzqSPU5-3_X9qe2-jOIEcjer26xuFOK-rSLgexZxXui4OXuGloEDg37ADZ2dbB5gfMdPTcLswiFJQgIGrjAwHFydPF1Vb5xTjrRIpdABVlgRQeEK0_YoM421TvOPWWi9xrRRnR8Ys/s320/Applesauce+Bread,+lake,+etc+041.JPG" /></div>
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I have to admit that I was surprised that this recipe has the most views...I think it's partly because it's one of my oldest posts, and therefore more views have accumulated over time. In any case, this is a basic, yummy quickbread recipe that can undoubtedly be adapted to fit many different things you have around your house - applesauce, banana, pumpkin, chocolate chips, etc. :) Let me know if you come up with any creative ways to adapt this recipe!</div>
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I should add that I did not personally come up with any of these recipes, though I (or my family) may have adapted them from their original state.</div>
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I'll try to post some new recipes soon, so keep your eyes open!! :)</div>
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Thanks for stopping by!</div>
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Sarahhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11595456085581691738noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7279346500383911991.post-12601610729867739232013-07-24T15:35:00.002-05:002013-07-24T15:35:45.694-05:00Recipe Redux <div style="text-align: center;">
So, yesterday I was flipping through my Mom's recipe book looking for something good to bake, and I came across <a href="http://sweetcherry-ramblings.blogspot.com/2010/12/yummy-one-peanut-butter-cake.html">this recipe</a> that I had posted on here about 2 1/2 years ago. I remembered writing how good it was, so I made it again, and I definitely wasn't disappointed. :) It's <i>so </i>incredibly moist, and it's rich and peanut-buttery, but not overpoweringly so.</div>
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It's so good, in fact, that I thought I'd share it with you again! Here's the (slightly edited) original post below:</div>
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<b>December 31, 2010</b></div>
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Here's a recipe that's worth checking out if you're a peanut butter fan! I got this from a Gooseberry Patch book and modified it very slightly. It's called the <b>Peanut Butter Texas Sheet Cake</b>. Here's the recipe (check your fridge for margarine/butter before starting this - the frosting calls for butter too!)</div>
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2 c all-purpose flour</div>
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2 c sugar</div>
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1/2 tsp salt</div>
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1 tsp baking soda</div>
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1 c butter (I used margarine)</div>
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1 c water</div>
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1/4 creamy peanut butter</div>
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2 eggs, beaten</div>
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1 tsp vanilla extract</div>
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1/2 c buttermilk (or make your own - a scant 1/2 c milk with 1 1/2 tsp vinegar, let sit 5 minutes)</div>
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Combine flour, sugar, salt and b. soda in a large bowl, set aside. Combine butter, water and peanut butter in a saucepan over medium heat; bring to a boil. Add to flour mixture and mix well, set aside. Combine eggs, vanilla and buttermilk; add to peanut butter mixture. Spread into a greased 15"x 10" jelly-roll pan. (And sprinkle on a few chocolate chips if your little heart so desires!!!) Bake at 350 degrees for 15-20 minutes, until it springs back when gently touched. Spread Peanut Butter Icing over warm cake. Makes 15-20 servings.</div>
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<b>Peanut Butter Icing:</b></div>
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1/2 c butter</div>
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1/4 c creamy peanut butter</div>
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1/3 c plus 1 T milk</div>
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16 oz. pkg. powdered sugar</div>
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1 tsp vanilla extract</div>
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Combine butter, peanut butter and milk in a saucepan over medium heat; bring to a boil. Remove from heat, stir in powdered sugar and vanilla to spreading consistency. (I ran out of powdered sugar and simply added more peanut butter to thicken it up - my Mom's idea. It worked!)</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjzSAh27MJsTfxzE67TK_Lb-nNO1M0zd3-ukh3vAtJNQhh_9Tra5YBLfrKkk2wE87wV4BxTvlQCBmlTnx-K7FOIvGFAqIWxtEzbnJ5BVCDPn2xD28wzJoe2naC_1o3s7HrxCy-i7g6-aOqj/s1600/Peanut+Butter+Cake+002b.jpg" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5556852344447776018" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjzSAh27MJsTfxzE67TK_Lb-nNO1M0zd3-ukh3vAtJNQhh_9Tra5YBLfrKkk2wE87wV4BxTvlQCBmlTnx-K7FOIvGFAqIWxtEzbnJ5BVCDPn2xD28wzJoe2naC_1o3s7HrxCy-i7g6-aOqj/s400/Peanut+Butter+Cake+002b.jpg" style="cursor: pointer; display: block; height: 268px; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; width: 400px;" /></a><br />
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This recipe may take a tiny bit more work than some, but it's definitely worthwhile - it's moist and rich and peanut-buttery. Enjoy!!!</div>
Sarahhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11595456085581691738noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7279346500383911991.post-5169593216179817372013-04-21T15:54:00.000-05:002013-04-21T15:54:37.267-05:00Most Amazing Cookie Ever: Choco-Caramel Delights<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
So a few weeks ago, I randomly remembered these cookies, which we hadn't made for YEARS - my Mom wasn't even sure if she still had the recipe around. She told me to email my amazing aunt (hi, Aunt Kathy!!), who quickly responded with the recipe and allowed me to fulfill my craving. </div>
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These cookies are truly <i>spectacular</i>. They take a bit more work than your average cookie, but the instant you bite into that warm, gooey, chocolatey-caramelly goodness, you'll know that it was totally worth it!</div>
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If you have the ingredients and want to whip these up right now...keep in mind that the preparation time will be extended because the dough needs to chill for a while after you mix it up.</div>
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And, to give credit where credit is due, apparently this is a Hershey recipe.</div>
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So, here's what you need:</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhT-itBKwCO8SfM0MPGvld9ldcWR29wnoqDBxdZQlCFYvlVKcrJ7hg3ei36iTEX8rkxINf4p2ty10dRSJdl-H6OYz6gjZOpxtdvyAOx1t0esgDQwvkoeTVW0w4RrMfX1VnkOxTI7VFvzMhJ/s1600/DSC_0474.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="263" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhT-itBKwCO8SfM0MPGvld9ldcWR29wnoqDBxdZQlCFYvlVKcrJ7hg3ei36iTEX8rkxINf4p2ty10dRSJdl-H6OYz6gjZOpxtdvyAOx1t0esgDQwvkoeTVW0w4RrMfX1VnkOxTI7VFvzMhJ/s400/DSC_0474.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>
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Butter/margarine, sugar, an egg, milk, vanilla, flour, cocoa powder, salt, pecans or walnuts, caramels, cream, chocolate chips and shortening.</div>
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First step: melt the butter. Gotta love the vintage Tupperware bowl - I'd have to ask my mom, but I think this might be older than I am! :) </div>
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Next comes the sugar.</div>
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Just the egg yolk - set aside the white for later.</div>
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A dash of milk.</div>
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Ah, here's the egg white...not sure why this picture is all the way down here. :) Anyway, set it aside and save it for a later step.</div>
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Add the vanilla.</div>
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In a separate bowl, mix together the flour, cocoa and salt (I apparently decided that that process was not photo-worthy) and then add it to the wet mixture.</div>
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Stir it up and admire the promising chocolatey-ness! </div>
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Now, sadly, you must depart from the cookie dough for a little while. It needs to chill so that it will be firm enough for you to roll later. If you tried to roll it now, you would be sorely disappointed, and would have to lick all the gloppy, uncooked dough (or is it batter? I can never remember...) off your fingers. While that would probably still taste delectable, it's not quite what we're going for here. So, anyway, stick your batter in the fridge for a bit.</div>
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<b><i>One hour later...</i></b></div>
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Once the dough is chilled, you're ready for the next step. Preheat your oven and get out a dish to put the nuts in. It doesn't have to be as pretty as this one; most any shallow bowl will do. :)</div>
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Dump some walnuts or pecans in. Now, here's where you can learn from my mistake - I should have chopped these even smaller. They would stick better and probably cover more cookies, which would be good, since nuts are <i>expensive</i>! </div>
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Roll a little bit of the dough into a ball - these can be quite small, since they will be very rich by the time you're done with them. Oh, and here's the egg white again. It's finally time for it to fulfill its purpose in life.</div>
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Roll the cookie dough in the (slightly beaten) egg white - this will help the nuts stick.</div>
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Roll the egg-white-coated cookie dough ball in the chopped nuts, then set it on the pan and press your thumb into it to make an indentation.</div>
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See how the nuts are kind of big in proportion to the cookies? Oh well - they still tasted good! :)</div>
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If you're quick and clever, you can make the caramel while the cookies are baking. You should probably have the saucepan ready to go before you put the cookies in the oven, though. You need just a bit of cream and 14 caramels - the kind you can get at the grocery store. </div>
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Melt them over low heat, stirring often.</div>
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Getting there...</div>
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And...done! Nice and smooth and creamy. Take it off the heat - but you'll want to get it on the cookies fairly quickly, because it will start to firm up a little bit as it cools.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhdefnxD8xmyv53wbkoiStf82tiz_kw8rrN8M6nYK7jVrQF_q-vUQ9Kx_c1Ir6o-349IgGCXtxxEQEFcP3j9kygHr4rWOZveF3XehW-vuq8qSIY4A-JQbitBvqyaiO-jBsrQbwXqi_w1mW0/s1600/DSC_0509.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="263" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhdefnxD8xmyv53wbkoiStf82tiz_kw8rrN8M6nYK7jVrQF_q-vUQ9Kx_c1Ir6o-349IgGCXtxxEQEFcP3j9kygHr4rWOZveF3XehW-vuq8qSIY4A-JQbitBvqyaiO-jBsrQbwXqi_w1mW0/s400/DSC_0509.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>
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The cookies are done. Make sure the indentations haven't lost their depth - I used the end of a pizza cutter handle to smoosh the cookies again. The recipe says to use your thumb, but, um...these cookies just came out of the oven...? So, unless you have a thumb of steel, I recommend using an alternative for this step.</div>
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Spoon in a bit of the warm caramel sauce. Wow, this is kind of a weird photo. Anyone else having trouble figuring out what's happening here? Oh well. The caramel itself looks nice...</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjqFidiOMGpeHsjceeLQdzZzkIm50YiN0PQ2cfhipj4bZJS1BSD2gV4Vdr0B0cwbcZ_ytzyI0n_T3jUSu_q8Y8PaL1_2-KD9Hwr82nPsLYErI8HlmN7YeF2IzP9XFnJCE-Y07nq3PDESD2T/s1600/DSC_0512.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="263" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjqFidiOMGpeHsjceeLQdzZzkIm50YiN0PQ2cfhipj4bZJS1BSD2gV4Vdr0B0cwbcZ_ytzyI0n_T3jUSu_q8Y8PaL1_2-KD9Hwr82nPsLYErI8HlmN7YeF2IzP9XFnJCE-Y07nq3PDESD2T/s400/DSC_0512.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>
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Don't they look amazing?</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgyDavhaedoWEJPRF0RCjAF_tAjxDVLkZFFw80Nd-fpGpNse6XnlAB_rivZZyTBz4w8eP7Dc6b4ExBDNSwSfsdpbbMAPqWqrK_VPuME5cPY2YsT5kjmJdU1_i6ODM-o3AlNbrDwfGMxJcro/s1600/DSC_0513.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="263" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgyDavhaedoWEJPRF0RCjAF_tAjxDVLkZFFw80Nd-fpGpNse6XnlAB_rivZZyTBz4w8eP7Dc6b4ExBDNSwSfsdpbbMAPqWqrK_VPuME5cPY2YsT5kjmJdU1_i6ODM-o3AlNbrDwfGMxJcro/s400/DSC_0513.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>
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Yummy!!! But as phenomenal as theses would be now, they're not quite done yet - there's one more step of deliciousness to add. So grab your chocolate chips and get ready for the final touch!</div>
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Add a little bit of shortening to the chocolate chips and stick it in the microwave for a minute, then stir. If it's not smooth, you can do additional 30-second increments until it is smooth, or just let it sit for a few minutes, and it'll keep melting.</div>
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This is what it'll look like when it's ready.</div>
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Drizzle away! If you wanted to be really fancy (or more even, anyway), you could probably put the chocolate in a plastic bag and cut the tip off, but I like to just put a big blob on a spoon and swing it back and forth.</div>
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Now you finally get to sample one of your amazing cookies. Go ahead - take a bite while the caramel is still warm and gooey. Just be careful you don't eat the whole batch all in one sitting!! :)</div>
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Here's the complete recipe, with a few minor details such as oven temperature and ingredient quantities...that might come in handy, huh? :)</div>
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<b>Choco-Caramel Delights</b></div>
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<i>1/2 cup butter or margarine, softened</i></div>
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<i>2/3 cup sugar</i></div>
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<i>1 egg, separated</i></div>
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<i>2 tablespoons milk</i></div>
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<i>1 teaspoon vanilla extract</i></div>
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<i>1 cup all-purpose flour</i></div>
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<i>1/3 cup baking cocoa</i></div>
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<i>1/4 teaspoon salt</i></div>
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<i>1 cup finely chopped pecans or walnuts</i></div>
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<i>*Caramel Filling (3 T whipping cream and 14 caramels)</i></div>
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<i>1/2 cup chocolate chips</i></div>
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<i>1 teaspoon shortening</i></div>
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In small mixer bowl (or just using a spoon), beat butter, sugar, egg yolk, milk and vanilla until creamy. Stir together flour, cocoa and salt; blend into butter mixture. Refrigerate dough at least 1 hour or until firm enough to handle.</div>
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Heat oven to 350 deg. F. Beat egg white slightly. Shape dough into 1-inch balls. Dip each ball into egg white; roll in nuts to coat. Place on lightly-greased cookie sheet. Press thumb gently in center of each ball. Bake 10-12 minutes or until set. Press center of each cookie to make indentation.</div>
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Immediately spoon about 1/2 teaspoon Caramel Filling in center of each cookie. Remove from tray, cool on wire rack or sheet of waxed paper. Drizzle chocolate chip mixture (melted in a microwave-safe bowl for 1 minute, then stirred smooth) over top of cookies.</div>
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Makes about 2 dozen cookies.</div>
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<b>Caramel Filling</b></div>
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<i>In small saucepan, place 14 unwrapped light caramels and 3 tablespoons whipping cream. Cook over low heat, stirring often, until caramels are melted and mixture is smooth.</i></div>
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Enjoy!!! :)</div>
Sarahhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11595456085581691738noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7279346500383911991.post-14928656331339769372013-01-21T15:45:00.000-06:002013-01-21T15:45:57.034-06:00A Change<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
Well, things have finally slowed down at work. I had today off and ended up tackling a project that has needed to be done for a while: this wall over my bed. Here's a "before" shot. I'm not sure what I don't like about it, but it has been bugging me for quite some time. </div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgdXmVyMaylvyjAF3-NNnnF1Cfp3ESOEiMQcM5XHwiDWQwbIyB4Qz0oftvSyMSIJq9iViwhFFW7zfQFIvoAiMsmtfVYd6B2wSTc5F5QPoZnxJ-Dsppu_Wfvs0_U4pLsB-OB48gOSoJKDbTc/s1600/Wall+002.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="263" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgdXmVyMaylvyjAF3-NNnnF1Cfp3ESOEiMQcM5XHwiDWQwbIyB4Qz0oftvSyMSIJq9iViwhFFW7zfQFIvoAiMsmtfVYd6B2wSTc5F5QPoZnxJ-Dsppu_Wfvs0_U4pLsB-OB48gOSoJKDbTc/s400/Wall+002.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>
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I singlehandedly used up most of the empty picture frames in the house, but I'm pretty happy with the results. (See the "after" picture below.) In particular, I'm glad that I was able to cover up a section of cracked paint in the bottom left corner.</div>
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Here's a closer shot. I used a painting I bought last year, a couple framed Bible verses and lots of photos I've taken. It's nice to actually be displaying these photos instead of keeping them tucked in a drawer! </div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgqyBh4ly3m3avvDcIizDDNgCXfZQdGriAPO4Amc6OXNVcBjEpa6THyJlauh3MDzPJzKLFS5oyGQ66E_m7hAaiZCPRKRs7foNHcIT3KlEqTuJ6GjFZokAuPKSyhCLpZ0OKkyn-9ZQaW_plj/s1600/Wall+005.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="263" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgqyBh4ly3m3avvDcIizDDNgCXfZQdGriAPO4Amc6OXNVcBjEpa6THyJlauh3MDzPJzKLFS5oyGQ66E_m7hAaiZCPRKRs7foNHcIT3KlEqTuJ6GjFZokAuPKSyhCLpZ0OKkyn-9ZQaW_plj/s400/Wall+005.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>
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Anyway, that's all I have to say for today...I hope everyone is having a nice start to the week!</div>
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Sarahhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11595456085581691738noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7279346500383911991.post-10462694192628906472013-01-03T11:19:00.000-06:002013-01-03T11:19:09.168-06:00A Sweet Treat: Jam Thumbprints<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
Can you believe it's 2013 already? The final few days of the year really flew by for my family as we headed out of town the day after Christmas for my brother's wedding. When we got home on the 30th, we were all rather disoriented and felt like 2012 couldn't possibly be over yet...but here we are, 3 days into a new year! </div>
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Well, I'm guessing all your Christmas cookies are probably gone by now, so here's a sweet treat for you to try out. This is an old family favorite called Jam Thumbprints - I'm not sure if they're classified as shortbread or sugar cookies, but I can tell you that they're delicious! :)</div>
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The ingredients, as pictured below, are pretty simple: sugar, margarine (or butter, of course), eggs, vanilla, flour, baking powder and salt.</div>
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Melt the butter and mix in the other wet ingredients.</div>
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Mix the dry ingredients together in a separate bowl.</div>
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Add the dry to the wet...</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhsSwgyiaYVT5MHX7lGZZrO-Xv-eLxb6QoqQl_zZ7fXAZQQ-odfU20l0SzxRIN1AwuAu8YiAJ0-jpPbhu_ozEZ16NdA3HM1H8OV17bROSIkzvtblnr_AwYbU0B1Ic_vkgbnBm_WYAb-Htxc/s1600/Jam+Thumbprints,+etc+028.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="265" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhsSwgyiaYVT5MHX7lGZZrO-Xv-eLxb6QoqQl_zZ7fXAZQQ-odfU20l0SzxRIN1AwuAu8YiAJ0-jpPbhu_ozEZ16NdA3HM1H8OV17bROSIkzvtblnr_AwYbU0B1Ic_vkgbnBm_WYAb-Htxc/s400/Jam+Thumbprints,+etc+028.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>
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...and stir together into a lovely cookie batter! :) </div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhEuYOVXWzCKpWGYilqmdjY_YDNPlSvlL5X90hqqwWAcI-JJ3E9SzrL6G0nhk1rSig0JZLZEEJ8Oyh3t1-T_qCkNDgPL7-RtDfCoXrVLIn32whEUlRd88PPGL6ZVrfztFv9OdCor-9IB2Rf/s1600/Jam+Thumbprints,+etc+031.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="265" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhEuYOVXWzCKpWGYilqmdjY_YDNPlSvlL5X90hqqwWAcI-JJ3E9SzrL6G0nhk1rSig0JZLZEEJ8Oyh3t1-T_qCkNDgPL7-RtDfCoXrVLIn32whEUlRd88PPGL6ZVrfztFv9OdCor-9IB2Rf/s400/Jam+Thumbprints,+etc+031.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>
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Spoon onto a greased cookie sheet and press your thumb into the middle of each cookie. Add a dab of your favorite jam or jelly. We always use raspberry preserves, but probably almost any flavor would be delicious!</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjliFWH0v3ZjQCYcOMLBe9qNhWxyw3XB16Bo_xmJLmu2c5YYIewLCoVBAw9hNbqQ34Df9sbtBliiyFL8A3bjhrxewEkn62ZnYXXZp8_VAzVC812qwIAdPFXNNBgzRn2B0riSazn3pmK8Y7h/s1600/Jam+Thumbprints,+etc+038.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="265" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjliFWH0v3ZjQCYcOMLBe9qNhWxyw3XB16Bo_xmJLmu2c5YYIewLCoVBAw9hNbqQ34Df9sbtBliiyFL8A3bjhrxewEkn62ZnYXXZp8_VAzVC812qwIAdPFXNNBgzRn2B0riSazn3pmK8Y7h/s400/Jam+Thumbprints,+etc+038.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>
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Bake in a 350 degree oven for about 10 minutes. They'll flatten out a bit but will still be pretty pale.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiEMmz_dqC5g9caIp2hrVlIWjtj6igHfEU1_7sUr7w6RGD69wURSSoGiQQWLdD6m2O5ilYqlQKDijdOHGl1552uWTjRvq5EgZOdEQBx3k9T8e_PaahlGj3hwx96Qzme_Bpya3snFUAsGoV2/s1600/Jam+Thumbprints,+etc+040.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="265" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiEMmz_dqC5g9caIp2hrVlIWjtj6igHfEU1_7sUr7w6RGD69wURSSoGiQQWLdD6m2O5ilYqlQKDijdOHGl1552uWTjRvq5EgZOdEQBx3k9T8e_PaahlGj3hwx96Qzme_Bpya3snFUAsGoV2/s400/Jam+Thumbprints,+etc+040.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>
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Dust with confectioner's sugar - just be careful you don't inhale any of the powdered sugar while you're eating the cookies! ;P</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhjahVXjZpjQa5vRuhmEAqBwNs5SUmSdCZ1mUrvWLc1fivx-LAI9AT6MfR9rr9EdRErQ5isE6J8CELVimGjSn12oJmJkAKaC6-NF4401AGtVfMqnGZpJv9ow-H_TVGUaPAGubJttXxdMOSP/s1600/Jam+Thumbprints,+etc+042.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="265" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhjahVXjZpjQa5vRuhmEAqBwNs5SUmSdCZ1mUrvWLc1fivx-LAI9AT6MfR9rr9EdRErQ5isE6J8CELVimGjSn12oJmJkAKaC6-NF4401AGtVfMqnGZpJv9ow-H_TVGUaPAGubJttXxdMOSP/s400/Jam+Thumbprints,+etc+042.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>
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And there they are - one batch of deliciousness!</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEggIW_9cVF29cQpcZfVuqX2Swc7rdtrmAnMRoLqZjUHqb0aomqRix-NR6d0UKqlpvQ-cYYPSCSBWNTrC8w8TszlgP6V9K-D5M7uKeOzIkqQxV6VeusLk4Y_GRhA4FIZc55mEP4JQbASAM80/s1600/Jam+Thumbprints,+etc+043.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="265" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEggIW_9cVF29cQpcZfVuqX2Swc7rdtrmAnMRoLqZjUHqb0aomqRix-NR6d0UKqlpvQ-cYYPSCSBWNTrC8w8TszlgP6V9K-D5M7uKeOzIkqQxV6VeusLk4Y_GRhA4FIZc55mEP4JQbASAM80/s400/Jam+Thumbprints,+etc+043.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>
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Whoops! Well, you know what they say - the baker must try one cookie from each batch...I hear the test cookie is calorie-free, too... ;P</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEioimONBCmGXe49-XJS7-ddhK6dweWCqNbNPrLd0EdNm6Wj-VCbgJXE6mnnbwE1wInqZaCFxiEhiLAgOVKJX-a-fqH34ZfKCsHWOm2uVIKh8pcCeJsRHJDPjnEwWuUJbRCnnolvHH35qloh/s1600/Jam+Thumbprints,+etc+044.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="265" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEioimONBCmGXe49-XJS7-ddhK6dweWCqNbNPrLd0EdNm6Wj-VCbgJXE6mnnbwE1wInqZaCFxiEhiLAgOVKJX-a-fqH34ZfKCsHWOm2uVIKh8pcCeJsRHJDPjnEwWuUJbRCnnolvHH35qloh/s400/Jam+Thumbprints,+etc+044.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>
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"Hot cookies - come and get them!!" That is what we shout when we're done baking, and this is the result:</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgSbI6WdhqiD7jyJ5Xn5SbYAIuDj_j9kOmDYj_iIX92CRsATb7gEu4XOqm9TwKFv_7oPDvCNJLh7uWR2G9CHdmXDiipmPV46f6cgZL2soARD_TzoH3hFheYk2JWEzBB8JWOQI9qvdBzNXTR/s1600/Jam+Thumbprints,+etc+045.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="265" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgSbI6WdhqiD7jyJ5Xn5SbYAIuDj_j9kOmDYj_iIX92CRsATb7gEu4XOqm9TwKFv_7oPDvCNJLh7uWR2G9CHdmXDiipmPV46f6cgZL2soARD_TzoH3hFheYk2JWEzBB8JWOQI9qvdBzNXTR/s400/Jam+Thumbprints,+etc+045.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>
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This is why we usually double or triple the batch in our household. :)</div>
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Here's the complete recipe:</div>
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<span style="font-weight: bold;">Jam Thumbprints<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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1 C sugar<o:p></o:p></div>
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1 1/4 C margarine<o:p></o:p></div>
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2 eggs<o:p></o:p></div>
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1/2 tsp. vanilla<o:p></o:p></div>
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3 1/4 C flour<o:p></o:p></div>
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1/4 tsp. B. powder<o:p></o:p></div>
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1/2 tsp. salt<o:p></o:p></div>
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Melt butter and mix in other wet ingredients. Mix dry ingredients in separate bowl and then stir into wet mixture. Spoon 1-2 T. onto greased cookie sheet and then press you thumb into the center to create a spot for the jam. Spoon jam flavor of your choice into the cavity. Bake at 350 for 10 minutes.<o:p></o:p></div>
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Once the cookies have baked, remove from the tray to cool. After a few minutes (while still warm, but not piping hot) sprinkle confectioner’s sugar over the cookies. </div>
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<b>Happy New Year!!! :)</b></div>
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Sarahhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11595456085581691738noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7279346500383911991.post-66915665056664466282012-11-16T21:02:00.000-06:002012-11-16T21:02:55.149-06:00Easy and Inexpensive = the Perfect Gift!<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
Well, autumn is rapidly passing us by here in New Hampshire - it seems like the temperatures are becoming more wintry every week! It's the perfect time of year to curl up with a cup of hot cocoa and a good book - but to do that, you also need a snuggly blanket! :) Here's an easy way to spiff up a couple of ordinary fleece blankets and turn them into something a little more special. Just be careful - you may need to make more than you planned since you might want to keep one for yourself!</div>
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What you need: </div>
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So simple - just two fleece blankets (mine were less than $3 each at Walmart) and a pair of scissors. I borrowed my Mom's special cloth scissors, but any sharp pair will do. Now, I like the combination of a pattern with a solid, but you can do whatever floats your boat. :)</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhjguz8ff2uSFW8EFm_HXFTCHty9bb_Ur2d1rv-HBDFbSSHqKcXNVm1Px8MoybKfSmo9Ge_gNNBoF6gpU5_RE_Y2YfeC8qimoN4S83uvrZ39YFEz61yAs3U6EDZBo4DtgcY3yOFW-rXjJj1/s1600/red+and+plaid+blanket+001.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="265" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhjguz8ff2uSFW8EFm_HXFTCHty9bb_Ur2d1rv-HBDFbSSHqKcXNVm1Px8MoybKfSmo9Ge_gNNBoF6gpU5_RE_Y2YfeC8qimoN4S83uvrZ39YFEz61yAs3U6EDZBo4DtgcY3yOFW-rXjJj1/s400/red+and+plaid+blanket+001.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>
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Lay your blankets on a countertop or tabletop, smoothing them out and aligning the edges as much as possible - and make sure that the "right" sides are facing OUT. (Hi, kitty!)</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhlOe6P72wzNTgUHppv34t4YLc0YdZY-SrxCrd1tlekNYKXhCorDi2YpIgnXyxl_bfFa-uq-jcYw7enFDIa0SxgYAdfMAGyJPc5YMA5I9AEZ5OOhc48x_r-YJh4SysGB5h_NsYEI8E3kmUb/s1600/red+and+plaid+blanket+002.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="265" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhlOe6P72wzNTgUHppv34t4YLc0YdZY-SrxCrd1tlekNYKXhCorDi2YpIgnXyxl_bfFa-uq-jcYw7enFDIa0SxgYAdfMAGyJPc5YMA5I9AEZ5OOhc48x_r-YJh4SysGB5h_NsYEI8E3kmUb/s400/red+and+plaid+blanket+002.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>
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Trim off the edges, removing the stitching - you won't need it!</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgJF1dMrd7GibfoOtDiyTbB3TIJYHryihyJPNSg0egVQUDag9kzNRvKCMh5pSvKqBnKOoR40O8R-KWIepquVwF6hfSTkuvnE-joYUspH1XdybPwUQ63j2yCObsaorTBrFzlP49pXsACF5Gz/s1600/red+and+plaid+blanket+005.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="265" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgJF1dMrd7GibfoOtDiyTbB3TIJYHryihyJPNSg0egVQUDag9kzNRvKCMh5pSvKqBnKOoR40O8R-KWIepquVwF6hfSTkuvnE-joYUspH1XdybPwUQ63j2yCObsaorTBrFzlP49pXsACF5Gz/s400/red+and+plaid+blanket+005.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>
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Next, cut about a 6 inch square out of each corner - it looks weird now, but once you start tying, it works out nicely. If you skip this step, as I did the first time I tried this project, your blanket will be all weird and blumpy around the corners. Nobody wants a blumpy blanket!</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEheEsIIANedsr9FNndInoFuP89kdQp_xhdZWYJx7JMf_Uihu3E1ja4RhWgilG7F-o87TkTmFsHm7o6ivZt8QM0pteObIqvsHALv_ZMokmX9LyeWs_VKpRGCr4js0y2V6GTEaz_XwRit_FR7/s1600/red+and+plaid+blanket+007.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="265" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEheEsIIANedsr9FNndInoFuP89kdQp_xhdZWYJx7JMf_Uihu3E1ja4RhWgilG7F-o87TkTmFsHm7o6ivZt8QM0pteObIqvsHALv_ZMokmX9LyeWs_VKpRGCr4js0y2V6GTEaz_XwRit_FR7/s400/red+and+plaid+blanket+007.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>
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After that, work your way ALL the way around the blanket, cutting 1" wide strips through both layers, about to the depth that you cut the square from the corner (see below). Try to keep the blanket layers aligned through this process - not usually a problem due to static! :)</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEicpmDSYSp1QKPm8LPrzAYQctbUrH6o30fDjnIvXaXBMAS9M3E7FUo2kxAy9oA_Oj0YJPCBRmV4cPgdq9q4yOKnPg_59FIV7yA0J1o5iCzeAp3P7sJM2VaOvnFdMKJ5Vk7JL38qt4FXl3T0/s1600/red+and+plaid+blanket+008.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="265" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEicpmDSYSp1QKPm8LPrzAYQctbUrH6o30fDjnIvXaXBMAS9M3E7FUo2kxAy9oA_Oj0YJPCBRmV4cPgdq9q4yOKnPg_59FIV7yA0J1o5iCzeAp3P7sJM2VaOvnFdMKJ5Vk7JL38qt4FXl3T0/s400/red+and+plaid+blanket+008.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>
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And finally, the step you've been waiting for - the end is in sight! Start tying the two layers of your tassels together, making sure to double knot them. This will take you a while, but it's not bad once you get into the groove - although I have to admit that when I was tying this blanket, I suddenly forgot how to tie a knot when I was on the third-to-last one...that was interesting. I fumbled through it somehow, though. :)</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgvTtFQdpBJqRtfuQs8GXC4pUs66-_RGGFjxMOb6wSFNUXlaf5sxI9VBEIHX42my2db3LJcy8gQ_U2PaTvXKHOwILwawTAciG9YznDLLGkFKk2FIQ8SMaa-kuwGtLU_un86jDp4tj9sViTc/s1600/red+and+plaid+blanket+009.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="265" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgvTtFQdpBJqRtfuQs8GXC4pUs66-_RGGFjxMOb6wSFNUXlaf5sxI9VBEIHX42my2db3LJcy8gQ_U2PaTvXKHOwILwawTAciG9YznDLLGkFKk2FIQ8SMaa-kuwGtLU_un86jDp4tj9sViTc/s400/red+and+plaid+blanket+009.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>
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Ta-da! Admire the finished product below - a doubly snuggly blanket. I should've timed myself...I think this took me over an hour, but I'm sure that with practice I could whittle it down to 30-45 minutes. In any case, this is an easy, satisfying project that makes a great gift - whether it fills a spot on your Christmas shopping list or is just a gift for yourself! The variety is endless, too - I only showed you this one color combination, but I have lots more waiting to be tied: leopard print with solid brown, zebra print with black, polka dots with purple, blue snowflakes with white...</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEia7hy6jmVG0dM3MNwq-7ucMpsVp3xy0DboAxww7XK3kaesQJd3-ponINFh25RuHU330T4jesiy2yILE_eVOkMGrwE_7fGzk3Hy71PVxh1Jrh3rRDdUfvzDr61o8jFdRDcUkEzM3KIU0y-L/s1600/red+and+plaid+blanket+013b.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEia7hy6jmVG0dM3MNwq-7ucMpsVp3xy0DboAxww7XK3kaesQJd3-ponINFh25RuHU330T4jesiy2yILE_eVOkMGrwE_7fGzk3Hy71PVxh1Jrh3rRDdUfvzDr61o8jFdRDcUkEzM3KIU0y-L/s400/red+and+plaid+blanket+013b.jpg" width="347" /></a></div>
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Hopefully this idea (which, by the way, is not original to me; I have merely adopted and modified it) will help you to enjoy the colder months a little bit more - everyone needs a snuggly blanket or two (or three or four)! :) Have a great weekend!!</div>
Sarahhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11595456085581691738noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7279346500383911991.post-44123153590957954082012-10-09T10:06:00.001-05:002012-10-09T10:06:52.041-05:00My Etsy Shop and a Giveaway!<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
A few months ago I started <a href="http://www.etsy.com/shop/MiscellanyEtc">an Etsy shop</a>. If you haven't heard of Etsy, you should check it out - it's full of neat handmade and antique items, and anyone can start their own shop. Their listing fees and commission are very reasonable, and I've listed several items over time. Here are some samples from my shop:<br /><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><img alt="Handmade Cloth Scented Apples "Jeans Go With Everything Collection" Set of Three" height="268" src="https://ny-image1.etsy.com/000/0/6768338/il_570xN.312977861.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" width="400" /></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">I made these cute scented cloth apples last year, and still have a few left.</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><img alt="Hand-stitched Leather Credit / Business Card Pouch - Rustic Chestnut" height="270" src="https://ny-image2.etsy.com/002/0/6768338/il_570xN.362436082_29q8.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" width="400" /></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">I have TONS of these little leather pouches available, in all sorts of different colors. I hope to add some new styles soon, maybe with buttons to secure the flaps.</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><img alt="Hand-tied Red and Black Reversible Throw Blanket" height="400" src="https://ny-image2.etsy.com/000/0/6768338/il_570xN.313101590.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" width="267" /></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">These hand-tied blankets are very cozy! I'll be listing more of these soon, in different patterns and colors.</td></tr>
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And finally, I just posted these wooden "HOME" letters a couple weeks ago. My mom has had a set of these in the living room for years, and I've always thought that they would be a great thing to make, either to sell or to use in my own home someday. I finally got around to it...and the best part is that I saved one set for one of YOU! :) </div>
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<img alt="Rustic Handmade Wooden HOME Letters" height="222" src="https://ny-image3.etsy.com/008/1/6768338/il_570xN.379486547_rkyu.jpg" width="400" /></div>
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That's right - if you would like to be entered in a giveaway for one set of these "HOME" letters, just post a comment saying so. I'll accept entries until Sunday evening (the 14th), when I will draw a random comment number to select the winner. Family members are welcome to enter if they would like! :) </div>
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The letters each stand about 5" tall and look great lined up on a shelf or windowsill or staggered on a staircase - and even if they don't fit your decor, they make a great gift!</div>
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Thanks for visiting, and I hope everyone is having a great week!! :)</div>
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Sarahhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11595456085581691738noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7279346500383911991.post-83260806191282997282012-10-02T09:28:00.001-05:002012-10-02T09:28:55.281-05:00Applesauce!<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
Fall is my favorite season (although spring comes pretty close!) with its crisp air, colorful foliage and yummy desserts! I love fresh apples, especially Cortlands and Macs - they have a little zing to them! :) I've already made apple pie and eaten someone else's apple crisp - and last week I made applesauce.</div>
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This year I actually picked the apples from the trees I have in my yard - we've had them growing for several years, but have never sprayed them, so the fruit tends to get pretty chewed up by bugs. I had to cut out a lot of bad spots - but hey, on the plus side, I guess I can say my apples are organic! :) (These pictures are from last year, though, so you're seeing orchard apples here.)</div>
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So...to make applesauce, guess what you need first - apples! :D Who would have guessed? This is a respectable amount of apples here, and will make a very big bowlful - you'll see pictures of our big white bowl later on that will give you an idea of how much applesauce to expect. Oh, and don't forget to clean your sink before dumping the apples in!</div>
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Rinse your apples, then chop them. The really nice thing about applesauce, at least with the method that I use, is that you don't need to peel or core them, and you can leave the chunks fairly large! The smaller you cut them, the faster they'll cook, but unless you're in a big hurry, quartering the apples usually works fine.</div>
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Toss the pieces in a pot that has a little bit of water in the bottom - the amount in this picture is probably a bit too much, actually. :) I ended up with very wet applesauce last year...</div>
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You can fill the pot quite full - the apples will take up less room as they get soft. Just make sure you can still stir it!</div>
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Lids are a good idea - they speed up the process and keep the moisture in. I forgot to use a lid this year, and my applesauce turned out rather thick. Stir frequently, getting all the way to the bottom of the pot so the apples don't burn and stick to the pot.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgu9L1petFXYkNAR2XxGWi2PnBTUIi-yKtW8mU-ZjaT2CR9DldFfYgByT0b_fvMYLj-zFTLH5PVO8AQ_LqE5lhcsgYxoyB4Pyo8t-mHsWKK7wyBZhhA6LSDEaRqf-eOua716_zItDidljYG/s1600/Applesauce,+Fair,+etc+011b.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="206" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgu9L1petFXYkNAR2XxGWi2PnBTUIi-yKtW8mU-ZjaT2CR9DldFfYgByT0b_fvMYLj-zFTLH5PVO8AQ_LqE5lhcsgYxoyB4Pyo8t-mHsWKK7wyBZhhA6LSDEaRqf-eOua716_zItDidljYG/s400/Applesauce,+Fair,+etc+011b.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
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In the picture below, the apples are just about done - very soft. See how much they've reduced?</div>
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I use a food mill to make applesauce. I think there are other methods, but the food mill will separate the skins, cores and seeds from the applesauce, so you don't have to peel or core the apples - which saves a LOT of time! Just hook the food mill over the edge of a bowl, dump some of the cooked apples into the top, and spin the handle. Occasionally reverse direction to scoop up bits that get shoved off to the side. It presses the applesauce through little holes in the bottom, leaving the skins and stuff in the top.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgtFKtBmxlwwQ99bv23ZZlCvy-kKotFkeyLSk7M52Ed1nFXxahJWCjE9hzI-AV9I0fh7qXiCkDwOPRR47Gd1MnKIntRlxIneac1N8tMcZcieGG9DbTJDYV9gakEU8jfMRkoNcPywSwCkm83/s1600/Applesauce,+Fair,+etc+014b.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="333" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgtFKtBmxlwwQ99bv23ZZlCvy-kKotFkeyLSk7M52Ed1nFXxahJWCjE9hzI-AV9I0fh7qXiCkDwOPRR47Gd1MnKIntRlxIneac1N8tMcZcieGG9DbTJDYV9gakEU8jfMRkoNcPywSwCkm83/s400/Applesauce,+Fair,+etc+014b.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
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You'll have to empty out the skins and cores now and then, as all the apple is pressed out into the bowl below - just make sure you scrape the underside of the food mill when you lift it up, as there will be applesauce underneath. You don't want to waste any! :)</div>
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When you're done, add brown sugar and cinnamon to taste. I'm generally not allowed to do this, as I tend to have a rather heavy hand with the sugar and spices. :) A sinkful of apples will fill this big white bowl. See the containers behind it? Those go into our chest freezer; where they will keep until we want one during the year. No need for canning if you have room in your freezer!</div>
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The process takes a little while, but it's totally worth it when you eat a warm, fresh spoonful of homemade applesauce! </div>
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P.S. - Try it (warm) over pancakes or biscuits! :)</div>
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P.P.S. - Check out the newest items I've listed on my Etsy shop (<a href="http://www.etsy.com/shop/MiscellanyEtc">http://www.etsy.com/shop/MiscellanyEtc</a>). I may even do a giveaway of one of the items in an upcoming blog post, so be sure to keep checking back! </div>
<br />Sarahhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11595456085581691738noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7279346500383911991.post-35777728197848741132012-09-21T09:14:00.001-05:002012-09-21T09:14:36.309-05:00Simple and Delectable: Microwave Custard<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
We've been using this recipe for years, and it's a real family favorite! It only takes a few minutes to put together and uses ingredients you probably have on hand. Check out the recipe below:</div>
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<b>Microwave Custard</b></div>
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1 1/3 cup Milk, heated for 2-3 minutes</div>
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3 Eggs</div>
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1/4 cup Sugar</div>
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1/4 tsp. Salt</div>
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1/2 tsp. Vanilla</div>
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1/4 tsp. Almond Extract</div>
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dash of Nutmeg</div>
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While the milk is heating, mix together the eggs, sugar, salt, vanilla and almond extract. You'll want the eggs to be pretty well beaten so that the custard will be smooth. Add in the milk and divide into four custard cups (or any small, microwave-safe bowls). Sprinkle with nutmeg.</div>
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Arrange the bowls in a circle in the microwave and cook on medium-high for 4-7 minutes, until the custard resembles soft-set gelatin. </div>
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Chill for several hours (the longer it chills, the better it tastes!).</div>
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Serve this as a side dish, dessert or just as a yummy snack! It really is quick, easy and delicious, and if you don't want to eat it right away it will last a couple days in the fridge - and improve in flavor all the while!</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgUfStjHtSIqppgkatO-gKZHCPBEgmkKCqdaC8kXAR3DKjbJWBwwqgiCWhfmsztvV9I1zVWYeZuPKoAiaxM-AutsWcK4s_WNQpnWgp55NbyaMQdD6lnVYxwpG2s5R3SE23ssXe9T6ZHxBrN/s1600/Custard,+etc+011b.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="253" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgUfStjHtSIqppgkatO-gKZHCPBEgmkKCqdaC8kXAR3DKjbJWBwwqgiCWhfmsztvV9I1zVWYeZuPKoAiaxM-AutsWcK4s_WNQpnWgp55NbyaMQdD6lnVYxwpG2s5R3SE23ssXe9T6ZHxBrN/s400/Custard,+etc+011b.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
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Now I want to make this again... :)</div>
Sarahhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11595456085581691738noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7279346500383911991.post-64459204710000709912012-07-04T13:17:00.000-05:002012-07-04T13:17:04.232-05:00Yumminess: Turkey Stacks<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
Happy Fourth of July, everyone!! :) I hope you're having a delightful holiday so far. Sadly, I have to work tonight - on the Fourth, the general store where I work is usually packed wall-to-wall with people - but I should still get to see the fireworks afterward.</div>
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Here's an interesting recipe for you. They used to make this occasionally in the dining hall at the college where my sister and I attended, and we attempted to recreate it this past Sunday evening. They're called Turkey Stacks. (Sorry for the bad picture - it was rather dark in the room.)</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEib8MfVDrOSOqiJzCqtSBKjDqMrWG3cxS-0BBTK6mEr3n9MsGpfVpngHM7Mmyea9IfHgoY4_s-TBd3EPUkH1OfMfNLf-745gWjousQyE-RBrts_7SMGkDJASMmT55nSFm6ePylCGIXrF09-/s1600/Turkey+Stacks,+etc+012b.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="315" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEib8MfVDrOSOqiJzCqtSBKjDqMrWG3cxS-0BBTK6mEr3n9MsGpfVpngHM7Mmyea9IfHgoY4_s-TBd3EPUkH1OfMfNLf-745gWjousQyE-RBrts_7SMGkDJASMmT55nSFm6ePylCGIXrF09-/s400/Turkey+Stacks,+etc+012b.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
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<b>Turkey Stacks (we served 8 people)</b></div>
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<i>You will need:</i></div>
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-Italian bread (we used 2 loaves)</div>
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-Spicy dressing (we used spicy Ranch)</div>
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-Deli turkey meat (we probably used 1 1/2 pounds)</div>
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-Cooked bacon (1 slice per sandwich)</div>
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-Swiss cheese (1/2 slice per sandwich)</div>
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<i>What to do:</i></div>
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Cut your bread to the desired thickness and lay the slices on a greased sheet pan. Put your turkey in a greased skillet at a low temperature to heat it up a little bit (you will broil the sandwich later, but this helps the meat get heated all the way through). Broil the bread for a minute or two to toast it slightly, then remove it from the oven and spread on your spicy dressing. The warmed turkey goes on next; we did about 2 slices per sandwich. Then the bacon (one piece ripped in half to make two shorter pieces) and finally the cheese. Then pop the tray into the oven under the broiler and keep a close eye on it; when all the cheese is bubbling and the edges of the bread are getting toasty, your Turkey Stacks are ready! Serve right away.</div>
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<i>The Verdict:</i></div>
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With these ingredients, we ended up with over 20 Turkey Stacks, which was plenty for 8 people. They were delicious, but I would really love some input on this recipe as the deli meat especially made it slightly on the more expensive side. Any clever ideas on keeping the cost down? Or ideas to make the assembly less complicated? </div>
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Thanks as always for reading, and have a spectacular Independence Day!!!</div>
<br />Sarahhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11595456085581691738noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7279346500383911991.post-56834407515289292922012-06-30T09:33:00.000-05:002012-06-30T09:33:35.556-05:00The Art of the Sentence<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
Some years ago, Mom bought these magnetic fridge letters. I'm not sure if she knew at the time how much mileage we would get out of them, but they have certainly been worth the money. In fact, we recently replenished the supply with a couple tubs of fresh, bright, clean new letters. It's nice to be able to spell longer things. :) </div>
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Anyway, my dad is the master of the fridge sentence - most of the following examples are his work. We've begun keeping a record of them because they're so intriguingly random. (By the way, when Dad was a kid, he read the dictionary for fun...can you tell?)</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiNsII8xMw9vjL5RbV8_hFoITotjo7GjkRrjGV7vUGSkhTFHloQkzXqvXc2_WKgfqH21fHCWcmqEdV-TY_yZB_cWvA06QX_r-uX-yEc_EIk-8iB_aattZrhh1Pg1cHQRbGzkg2MUDPlscmf/s1600/MD+Adoption+095b.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="312" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiNsII8xMw9vjL5RbV8_hFoITotjo7GjkRrjGV7vUGSkhTFHloQkzXqvXc2_WKgfqH21fHCWcmqEdV-TY_yZB_cWvA06QX_r-uX-yEc_EIk-8iB_aattZrhh1Pg1cHQRbGzkg2MUDPlscmf/s320/MD+Adoption+095b.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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T'weren't so! T'weren't so! averred the Eye of Magrib. He licked his lips and looked askance at the bars on the window.</div>
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Chosen for his ability to communicate with leeches, Ruak kept watch on the swamp.</div>
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William cracked his knuckles nervously as he awaited the start of the third annual all-terrain mowing competition. (Actually, I wrote this one...after I spent 2 hours mowing our entire lawn.)</div>
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The Border Barons of Nueh swallowed nervously when Vem came to Madrang.</div>
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Bonding with wolverines is a hard, painful process.</div>
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Those sneaky Ramilit breached the Ooligechis' dike and flooded their barley fields.</div>
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When the Council of Kreead censured Rugor, Vlod's son, he yelled seven times.</div>
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The loyal King's Own Hussars looked Death in the eye and laughed.</div>
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Beyond the Silver River, over the Weygan Hills, lies the small duchy of Manterhome, where dwell the proud Gupaxhaqua Clan.</div>
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Bored with his accounting job, Ewan decided to become a rattlesnake herder.</div>
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Sliding down the embankment, Relf struggled to free his wolf repellent from his belt.</div>
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So...there you have it - a selection of fridge sentences to edify you this weekend! :) Hope you enjoyed, and if you ever stop by, feel free to write your own sentence! Stay cool this weekend...and keep your wolf repellent handy - you never know when you might need it.</div>
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<br /></div>Sarahhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11595456085581691738noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7279346500383911991.post-51078211587734096862012-01-23T08:38:00.000-06:002012-01-23T08:38:13.468-06:00Are Other Families Like This?<div style="text-align: center;">For your edification, I've compiled parts of a couple conversations between my Dad and my eighteen-year-old brother as they sat on the couch this morning.</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: center;">Dad (picking up a short piece of straw stuck to my brother's pants): "Hey, is this one of those Indonesian throwing spears? Were you on a mission in Jakarta last night?"</div><div style="text-align: center;">T rolls his eyes and sips his coffee.</div><div style="text-align: center;">Dad (fiddling with straw): "I've never understood how they get any accuracy with these things."</div><div style="text-align: center;">T: "Well, it's just a shard."</div><div style="text-align: center;">Dad (inspecting the knee of T's pants) "Have you checked for penetration? Looks okay to me. I guess your defensive knee shield worked."</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: center;">A few minutes later...</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: center;">Dad: "If you were a penguin, what kind of penguin would you be?"</div><div style="text-align: center;">T: "A Siamese Vulture Penguin."</div><div style="text-align: center;">Dad laughs.</div><div style="text-align: center;">T: "Where's Siam? Somewhere in Africa?"</div><div style="text-align: center;">Dad: "I believe it's the old name for Thailand. It would be unusual to see flocks of penguins in Thailand."</div><div style="text-align: center;">T: "Especially Vulture Penguins."</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: center;">These are examples of a pretty typical conversation between the two of them, and they can keep going like this for hours! Some of their other favorite activities include epic Nerf battles around the house and pushing, pulling and chasing each other around on walks in the woods. It's always entertaining to see what they'll come up with next! </div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiMqhLohTr0JH1EJlP9ptLgFVftL2kvRiG4wfiScFpiYRee3y-AcQGTdng293UvL2rLlXmVyLJKm1dmzyhNo3wt5vCEBGjqk_2UP0UxhDl-98RGsdCd-raXqprnk8OSJYxd9Hda3MNSs1FJ/s1600/Asst%2527d+Dec.+Jan+147.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="267" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiMqhLohTr0JH1EJlP9ptLgFVftL2kvRiG4wfiScFpiYRee3y-AcQGTdng293UvL2rLlXmVyLJKm1dmzyhNo3wt5vCEBGjqk_2UP0UxhDl-98RGsdCd-raXqprnk8OSJYxd9Hda3MNSs1FJ/s400/Asst%2527d+Dec.+Jan+147.JPG" width="400" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: center;">I hope everyone is having an amazing Monday!!!</div>Sarahhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11595456085581691738noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7279346500383911991.post-58163133858849923882012-01-12T14:48:00.000-06:002012-01-12T14:48:44.451-06:00His Royal Fuzziness<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">Well, it's quite a winter wonderland out there today...a good day for getting back in the groove of blogging! Today I'd like to introduce you to a member of my family who I'm not sure I've mentioned before: Shamgar the cat. Hi, Shamgar!</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgl1vfF-JduLIysWU31FLrzS4yAu35B2IRrM7R_CLTs-ZwjmvHz07jcz2P7EG1d751I4vDNwGx2gygOgMA4ifOWagnG2ORMd5wKDM1wH7_kLjZBT3OgBqCYcXGb5o4pdkrOlUadNNLnhyphenhyphenzV/s1600/100_5938cropped.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgl1vfF-JduLIysWU31FLrzS4yAu35B2IRrM7R_CLTs-ZwjmvHz07jcz2P7EG1d751I4vDNwGx2gygOgMA4ifOWagnG2ORMd5wKDM1wH7_kLjZBT3OgBqCYcXGb5o4pdkrOlUadNNLnhyphenhyphenzV/s400/100_5938cropped.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: center;">I'm still not sure why he received this name, as Shamgar was a judge of Israel who killed 600 Philistines with an oxgoad (Judges 3:31), but that doesn't matter much as we rarely call him by his given name. In fact, I polled my siblings a couple days ago and we came up with six separate titles for Shamgar, not including variations! </div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjO-3ZtuuGtQZRHnNDg2RgALn1DuRwLoJgoRroEY_AjpXoaIEGDBmEXOp0pIuARKTVcXYWFq-YEX54DQI8EYNUid6lTv4MiTgJ1RqEZc7vfadPnt_gq5bce-P5dOBbspmkP6rkWFoLaNWVx/s1600/shamgar+small.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjO-3ZtuuGtQZRHnNDg2RgALn1DuRwLoJgoRroEY_AjpXoaIEGDBmEXOp0pIuARKTVcXYWFq-YEX54DQI8EYNUid6lTv4MiTgJ1RqEZc7vfadPnt_gq5bce-P5dOBbspmkP6rkWFoLaNWVx/s400/shamgar+small.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><br />
<div style="text-align: center;">He came to us as a very cute little Fuzz from the animal shelter. He was growing up into a nice young kitty, but alas, some visiting young children terrorized him and now he tends to be rather...uh, <i>moody </i>at times. In a slightly Dr. Jekyll/Mr. Hyde sort of way. But in general, he's still very cute. See the cuteness? :)</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgIYyZ0F8w2PUf6wQCfxylUh6eEaxT7C2QcKKu1Agi_ncucvuMokRggBEmrYvuLOT_SwsmW3cJoZ-kcsrVoHJCG8Nvj7oGfjyKs7fmyRYP4dMgp7UPd8EDR82U22EHmN46WdhoRKsyCaODL/s1600/December+Stuff+004.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="214" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgIYyZ0F8w2PUf6wQCfxylUh6eEaxT7C2QcKKu1Agi_ncucvuMokRggBEmrYvuLOT_SwsmW3cJoZ-kcsrVoHJCG8Nvj7oGfjyKs7fmyRYP4dMgp7UPd8EDR82U22EHmN46WdhoRKsyCaODL/s320/December+Stuff+004.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: center;">So anyway, his titles...</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: center;">1. "Hey, You!" (or "Hey, Cat!") This is mostly applied by my dad when the cat is doing something he shouldn't, as in, "Hey, You - get off the table!" </div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: center;">2. "The Jungle Kitty." A designation for when our housecat transforms into a wild, feral beast determined to kill the string (or fingers) that ventures too near. "Look out - the Jungle Kitty is lurking behind the chair!"</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiQUBTg4DkKd_fOlefQi8N-Fu2dIiiA3LcEDt7cOlIP2_Xd0wm46aGUduRcZuJ7r4XAQYsUnQf-hu90BxK7zpnk6J4rWqWaNYZfBhxVhckCL4GPX5aVcNg4pga98O3F8WaRm8GEXgVEq1KA/s1600/Around+the+House+021.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="267" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiQUBTg4DkKd_fOlefQi8N-Fu2dIiiA3LcEDt7cOlIP2_Xd0wm46aGUduRcZuJ7r4XAQYsUnQf-hu90BxK7zpnk6J4rWqWaNYZfBhxVhckCL4GPX5aVcNg4pga98O3F8WaRm8GEXgVEq1KA/s400/Around+the+House+021.JPG" width="400" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">3. "Goofball" or "Silly Kitty." As in, "Silly Kitty, do you belong on the windowsill?" And here I must interject an anecdote: We hadn't had little Shamgar for very long when he decided to see if kitties can fly - or climb ceilings, anyway. We have an indoor, second-story window overlooking the kitchen (see picture below) and our Silly Kitty leapt out, clinging to one of the overhead beams. Sadly, he did not stick to it for very long and fell two stories to the kitchen floor - and did NOT land on his feet. Thankfully his only woes were a bloody nose and some bruises, but we've never trusted him around the windowsill since then.</div><br />
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</div><div style="text-align: center;">4. "Kitty." A general designation, which can be spoken in any number of tones, from a friendly, "Hi, Kitty" to a stern warning, "<i>Kitty</i>..."</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: center;">5. "His Royal Highness/Fuzziness." For example, when meowing is heard outside our door, one of us girls might say, "His Royal Highness would like to come in."</div><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjB8RFCLB9lsG_b_z5tT4Kfuo3rdZIcM3qW2dMcT9jgorwYbK1-hEeGt8Eh8NLU4VxzX7bKk1BGVrxEskqHsCUXf00I5XoNp9M1z9yddi9dZSe838j_lTm92ukajGmGke-fcgxJN2zqjojc/s1600/Flowers%252C+B-day+Supper%252C+etc+130b.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="267" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjB8RFCLB9lsG_b_z5tT4Kfuo3rdZIcM3qW2dMcT9jgorwYbK1-hEeGt8Eh8NLU4VxzX7bKk1BGVrxEskqHsCUXf00I5XoNp9M1z9yddi9dZSe838j_lTm92ukajGmGke-fcgxJN2zqjojc/s400/Flowers%252C+B-day+Supper%252C+etc+130b.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><br />
<div style="text-align: center;">6. Finally, "Fuzz," as in, "You have a Fuzz on your bed!" or "Hi, Fuzz! How's it going?" or "The Fuzz thinks it's his supper time." This designation has settled in as our top choice, perhaps because it allows for a multiplicity of applications. For example, below we have a "Draped Fuzz."</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj_eHCB2GTGywxSucG4YxxpVx7LvF8ddlIiM2BaEKf9-ZiiP1K9MtsZBjW_UGy3gay9YJY9X7r9FDNpzhCWMCFVFtwXG9d8iW1K9USjaDJBhWM4SlNEXcvXM9ssDkaX9BVDK1kJcgX8Ia3c/s1600/Rachel%2527s+Graduation%252C+etc+009.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="267" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj_eHCB2GTGywxSucG4YxxpVx7LvF8ddlIiM2BaEKf9-ZiiP1K9MtsZBjW_UGy3gay9YJY9X7r9FDNpzhCWMCFVFtwXG9d8iW1K9USjaDJBhWM4SlNEXcvXM9ssDkaX9BVDK1kJcgX8Ia3c/s400/Rachel%2527s+Graduation%252C+etc+009.JPG" width="400" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: center;">This is an example of a "Fuzz Pretending to be a Gift."</div><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgEX33B7_B-_sfVnvVLkAhToyBOFK8PMS2CPNWcUD7PAnSDyITnKWe2N2Jm0aCZChMTQ1Mfp5ehhpvb8dwzOgGwTEbnVh1AGwb8J72Vkkpw2HIISxIViuh-HIvZsTdjP0FpvKALNmmV12MD/s1600/The+Family+20009+%2528Also+Stephen%2527s+BDay%2529+019.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgEX33B7_B-_sfVnvVLkAhToyBOFK8PMS2CPNWcUD7PAnSDyITnKWe2N2Jm0aCZChMTQ1Mfp5ehhpvb8dwzOgGwTEbnVh1AGwb8J72Vkkpw2HIISxIViuh-HIvZsTdjP0FpvKALNmmV12MD/s400/The+Family+20009+%2528Also+Stephen%2527s+BDay%2529+019.JPG" width="267" /></a></div><br />
<div style="text-align: center;">We also regularly encounter a "Hungry Fuzz," a "Sleepy Fuzz," a "Silly Fuzz," a "Grouchy Fuzz" and a "Wild Fuzz." Perhaps most memorable is the "Lonely Fuzz." This Fuzz yowls down in the far corner of the kitchen until someone sticks their head out the window and calls to him. Then he charges through the kitchen and living room and up the stairs to the girls' room in about 2.2 seconds.</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEia1SUfVOk8ljHppEtTDs3qaL0d0qo9VTx0inhpkcEUPenjPRTf9QId6FzmAB_m-ULHBo_EgcP-GF97rT-iYA4cyL5a_VoqjqzuL_s8qgu5LbHpY6sBmF1nxikCrB27kdHPqyOGqH3WXJOx/s1600/Walk%252C+Mountains%252C+etc+078b.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEia1SUfVOk8ljHppEtTDs3qaL0d0qo9VTx0inhpkcEUPenjPRTf9QId6FzmAB_m-ULHBo_EgcP-GF97rT-iYA4cyL5a_VoqjqzuL_s8qgu5LbHpY6sBmF1nxikCrB27kdHPqyOGqH3WXJOx/s400/Walk%252C+Mountains%252C+etc+078b.jpg" width="267" /></a></div><br />
<div style="text-align: center;">In conclusion, he's a Slightly Weird Fuzz, but we like him. :)</div>Sarahhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11595456085581691738noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7279346500383911991.post-26699465492153243192011-09-26T20:28:00.000-05:002011-09-26T20:28:06.080-05:00Life is Full of Surprises!<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">For example, it was just a bit of a surprise to find my brother's duct-tape armor lurking in the shower when I got home from work tonight...</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjHZ9K0iKRBj02eAbPu9hQq-M5EY_8R4h2TX2Tn7yXPiKo0qxrBD8QJhjyGHQw2BL_FdDHJ6w6xZwbpq1YA5d6MCILe8hvMfSnLcv9n7onO_fAullxVj90HZOvrjYVt6eL5eXtn-JeIp1SX/s1600/Luggage+Cart%252C+Darth+Raspin+007.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjHZ9K0iKRBj02eAbPu9hQq-M5EY_8R4h2TX2Tn7yXPiKo0qxrBD8QJhjyGHQw2BL_FdDHJ6w6xZwbpq1YA5d6MCILe8hvMfSnLcv9n7onO_fAullxVj90HZOvrjYVt6eL5eXtn-JeIp1SX/s640/Luggage+Cart%252C+Darth+Raspin+007.JPG" width="427" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: center;">Um, pleasure to meet you, Darth Raspin...</div>Sarahhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11595456085581691738noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7279346500383911991.post-41241578681339947002011-09-20T08:58:00.000-05:002011-09-20T08:58:35.091-05:00The Sky This Morning...<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">I mentioned in my last post that I now get up at 6 in the morning...well, this is one of the perks of getting up early:</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj_6_taOx_Z7RlO5yhKS2bjkj8yLWOyZXCAfU2KB57QcTAJ1yCgcbn7WEXoyodgPFjeaGS7qwWkD_Z6MjqoP_2_-LjcsX0rqaH9PYUBFud-CHqziNnnNfZhdlkbyr-PLxR31otwYHgH_uRZ/s1600/Morning+Sky+023.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj_6_taOx_Z7RlO5yhKS2bjkj8yLWOyZXCAfU2KB57QcTAJ1yCgcbn7WEXoyodgPFjeaGS7qwWkD_Z6MjqoP_2_-LjcsX0rqaH9PYUBFud-CHqziNnnNfZhdlkbyr-PLxR31otwYHgH_uRZ/s400/Morning+Sky+023.JPG" width="400" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: center;">Have a terrific Tuesday! :)</div>Sarahhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11595456085581691738noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7279346500383911991.post-63779914578145579432011-09-18T14:34:00.000-05:002011-09-18T14:34:32.023-05:00Deliciousness...<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">Well...a busy summer has shifted into a crazy autumn so far. Does this fall seem especially busy to everyone else too? The weather has been gorgeous lately, though I haven't had a ton of time to get out and enjoy it. In addition to getting between 24-40 hours a week at my regular job, I am now driving a friend's kids to school Monday-Friday. This means getting up at 6, arriving at their home by 7, helping the kids get ready and dropping them off at school/preschool, then getting back home a few minutes after 9. It's tiring, but the kids are good and I'm glad to help out...AND - I get a car!! :) Meet my new buddy:</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"> </div><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj5UxUZxKLjYWlKQbLqDc25PtZB1Phl3Edi3cUGS2Wl8BBrDwqkCkjWo78C1bugkuun0G7tGdy-e0fZ5KMw7LyUkbUvtWZtXd1sMJ_7QmRgJpDH5eQ9MmpXRYD9jvay59UyCU674OdZB3Nu/s1600/Family+Pic+2011+026.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="267" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj5UxUZxKLjYWlKQbLqDc25PtZB1Phl3Edi3cUGS2Wl8BBrDwqkCkjWo78C1bugkuun0G7tGdy-e0fZ5KMw7LyUkbUvtWZtXd1sMJ_7QmRgJpDH5eQ9MmpXRYD9jvay59UyCU674OdZB3Nu/s400/Family+Pic+2011+026.JPG" width="400" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">It's a 2004 Mazda3, and I'm having a blast driving my own car around! My friends bought this for me so I could transport their kids; I'm paying it off by keeping track of the time I watch the kids each week. By the end of the school year, it'll be entirely mine! This was definitely the Lord working, as I didn't see any way I'd be able to afford a car for at least another year or two!</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">Another big part of my life for the last several weeks has been embarking on a <a href="http://themetabolismmiracle.com/default.aspx">low-carb diet</a> with my sister. It's been about 9 weeks now, and I've lost around 21 pounds - which is SO amazing! Anyway, this diet allows nuts, so natural peanut butter has become a life-saver for both of us. Would you believe that on this diet we can have treats like this?</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhRiuqDZJ72Iec3at10Hu-9g0DHdDH57cAXH5aJxON8rdiOQZkXwz3iDjjkszayPUFT7JeoaxDufbQE-2n5MCN3w3_p3UA_upy2BOOZpcLzN0cwHXviNfP7gJFipmHVdfPzaSYE9-GUwPOC/s1600/Desserts%252C+Gardening%252C+etc+003.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="267" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhRiuqDZJ72Iec3at10Hu-9g0DHdDH57cAXH5aJxON8rdiOQZkXwz3iDjjkszayPUFT7JeoaxDufbQE-2n5MCN3w3_p3UA_upy2BOOZpcLzN0cwHXviNfP7gJFipmHVdfPzaSYE9-GUwPOC/s400/Desserts%252C+Gardening%252C+etc+003.JPG" width="400" /></a></div><br />
<div style="text-align: center;">All you need are brownies (we had ones made with soy flour), whipped cream and peanut butter cookies. A sliced-up banana is yummy too. Here's our simple peanut butter cookie recipe:</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: center;"></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="mso-pagination: none; text-align: center; text-align: center;"><span style="font-weight: bold;">“One” Peanut-butter Cookies</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-weight: bold;"> </span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="mso-pagination: none; text-align: center; text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-weight: bold;"><br />
</span></div><div class="MsoNormal">1 C sugar (or 1/2 to 3/4 cup Splenda)<o:p></o:p></div><div class="MsoNormal">1 egg<o:p></o:p></div><div class="MsoNormal">1 C peanut butter<o:p></o:p></div><div class="MsoNormal">1 tsp. vanilla </div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"><o:p></o:p></div><div class="MsoNormal">Mix together and place by spoonfuls onto a greased cookie sheet. </div><div class="MsoNormal"><o:p></o:p></div><div class="MsoNormal">Bake at 350 for 8-10 minutes.</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">This is a super fast, easy and tasty recipe! It made about 20 cookies with a very small scoop. The cookies are a little crumbly, which makes them perfect for crumbling over the brownies. I'm sure they'd be great on ice cream too. Random question...why is it necessary to criss-cross peanut butter cookies with a fork? Why don't we do this with other kinds of cookies? I wondered this the two or three times I made these but decided not to balk at the tradition. Any theories?</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">To finish up with the recipe, gently heat your brownie in the microwave (or better yet, make fresh ones and get a warm one out of the pan!) and squirt/dollop/glop a generous portion of whipped cream on top. Then crumble 1-2 peanut butter cookies over the top and enjoy! </div><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiermPLnBkMfgySlU7bPgpR4LlqZZVb34UqmzTnzy2jEWhsWlaCupNL2fXTqh7PH5ravjVUZkSgartOAvrAEAVVQCMLLoasbS18-AHiY7DD36PZ5JIsUjHtcaiqOdiy_9HIxQGpiwl-tR58/s1600/Desserts%252C+Gardening%252C+etc+067.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="267" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiermPLnBkMfgySlU7bPgpR4LlqZZVb34UqmzTnzy2jEWhsWlaCupNL2fXTqh7PH5ravjVUZkSgartOAvrAEAVVQCMLLoasbS18-AHiY7DD36PZ5JIsUjHtcaiqOdiy_9HIxQGpiwl-tR58/s400/Desserts%252C+Gardening%252C+etc+067.JPG" width="400" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">There are, of course, plenty of variations you could try with this...like I said, some banana slices are amazing, and we sometimes slap a little more peanut butter on top of the brownie before adding the whipped cream. For additional decadence, you could drizzle the entire creation with some hot fudge sauce...but we might be getting a little carried away now. ;) </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">I hope everyone has a fun, peanut-buttery week! </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div>Sarahhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11595456085581691738noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7279346500383911991.post-11699608100514856932011-09-02T18:58:00.000-05:002011-09-02T18:58:21.385-05:00Progress! And Archaeology!!<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">In a recent post I shared the long, sad story of the pond pit. Here it lies in its early days, pretending to be a tiger pit or a landfill or something of the like.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgZCweXkK3AUQfSg0wXqLnLR54F_iEYeS5kv64ycTwuckPJV1NMz6PGAaX0QmHKqVujTpcaBQEzu09aMJd2LxkPrY2sUZAJjdwLJhwgtP3n4PA0OWh7DaZw0M2WoLGiY7jq8bYgB9E3kx7B/s1600/Yard%252C+Room%252C+etc+010.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="267" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgZCweXkK3AUQfSg0wXqLnLR54F_iEYeS5kv64ycTwuckPJV1NMz6PGAaX0QmHKqVujTpcaBQEzu09aMJd2LxkPrY2sUZAJjdwLJhwgtP3n4PA0OWh7DaZw0M2WoLGiY7jq8bYgB9E3kx7B/s400/Yard%252C+Room%252C+etc+010.JPG" width="400" /></a></div><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">Then after a year or two or four I enlisted my brothers, the Talented Tunnelers, and with their outstanding digging skills, we soon had...a bigger pit. Complete with honeycomb caverns in the sides! As I recall, we found some mysterious metal object and were trying to trace it to its source. We never did reach the end of the thing...maybe there's even a car buried under the hill! You never know in our yard - we've found bottles, pottery shards, bricks, metal pieces, broken china, pens...you name it, it's probably buried somewhere in our yard. Evidently occupants of some previous decade or century didn't believe in going to the dump. In fact, that plastic bag in the foreground was full of glass and china shards.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhvpmtdpM7B1bpL4aDBILJVNMBUDPTF5foMt9FgqA8DdDUewy5BW8hr390i4XDYhpJHvNwpsqw_Pa_WGKt-XfNCNRvZqQhr_aicQcF7xBHPL-Cmy_IAV2pNapeb8ZhJgVFYweLBRKWYK2gP/s1600/Bekah%2527s+Birthday%252C+etc+030.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="267" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhvpmtdpM7B1bpL4aDBILJVNMBUDPTF5foMt9FgqA8DdDUewy5BW8hr390i4XDYhpJHvNwpsqw_Pa_WGKt-XfNCNRvZqQhr_aicQcF7xBHPL-Cmy_IAV2pNapeb8ZhJgVFYweLBRKWYK2gP/s400/Bekah%2527s+Birthday%252C+etc+030.JPG" width="400" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">Anyway...the work progressed after another year or two and we finally had something that was starting to look like, well, <i>something</i>. Don't you think so?</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiOTEzTnQoyH2YUSr8zzlpCRaDpMYfDfy6biL3Q16rYg4R4octG-iXBo-pxn_P5T3dZyLdooJKIVJMz89aXx-YngwlZhhBrYI8XjGUh5YHwmgR6V1KWIgt1Hm2OdabyA-HmQ56OfihjAGvl/s1600/Backyard%252C+etc+005.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="214" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiOTEzTnQoyH2YUSr8zzlpCRaDpMYfDfy6biL3Q16rYg4R4octG-iXBo-pxn_P5T3dZyLdooJKIVJMz89aXx-YngwlZhhBrYI8XjGUh5YHwmgR6V1KWIgt1Hm2OdabyA-HmQ56OfihjAGvl/s320/Backyard%252C+etc+005.JPG" style="cursor: move;" width="320" /></a></div><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">No? Well, how about <i>now</i>? Yesterday I had a day completely off - which doesn't happen often! Usually when I have a day off from my normal job, I go clean a friend's house or help another friend with heavy-duty yardwork, etc. But this day I had all to myself. So what did I do? Landscaping! I managed to cross off most of my to-do list, which is one of the most spectacular feelings ever, especially cuz that doesn't happen often in my world. :) A couple days before, Dad and my younger brother and I moved this giant rock - with the help of our trusty van, some rope and lots of levers and wedges - from where it had been sitting in the middle of the yard for several years. It is now a bench. Then we went to our handy-dandy rock pile (every home should have one!) and collected a bunch of slabs of granite, hauling them back to the pond pit. Yesterday I utilized the rocks to finish the stone wall around the pit; now I just need to fill in behind it with dirt and add some flowers. I also moved these two Dwarf Alberta Spruces from other parts of the yard and excavated the stone steps headed down the hill on the right (you can see in previous pictures that they had been reclaimed by the grass).</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjR_fiEf8xkI3Fg3tK5auCGasvZrwP-kY4N7nyJXd1qb0uun3LlkEkBcDbx-kvsN6Y5Anmf3QOFJwgOfKMw1GHG6t2g9vh-moR3yubw2qPEqyQ8LrtiE3jpmkbVoIYldM2opyKR3ykhQicq/s1600/Desserts%252C+Gardening%252C+etc+043.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="214" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjR_fiEf8xkI3Fg3tK5auCGasvZrwP-kY4N7nyJXd1qb0uun3LlkEkBcDbx-kvsN6Y5Anmf3QOFJwgOfKMw1GHG6t2g9vh-moR3yubw2qPEqyQ8LrtiE3jpmkbVoIYldM2opyKR3ykhQicq/s320/Desserts%252C+Gardening%252C+etc+043.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">I also pruned all the plants along the front of our house, raked up the debris, moved a tiny evergreen to a new place in the yard, moved a daylily to the front border, swept another stone path clean and re-piled our remaining rocks. All in all, it was a spectacular day off...and I slept very well that night! :)</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">An Opportunity: Budding archaeologists, alert! Would you like a site to rent? Come check out our place and find a treasure trove of goodies to dig up, catalog and preserve for posterity! Set up your dig almost anywhere in the yard and you're sure to strike gold (so to speak)! Hone your skills before setting off for your field of choice. Rental fees are <i>very </i>reasonable.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">Well, just kidding about coming to dig in our yard (Mom and Dad would not be happy with me!), but as I mentioned earlier, it's true about finding stuff almost anywhere. Below are pictures of two of my finds just from digging holes for those small Spruces!</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiaVqxmNnzxwJ6-GF6zfTSkQ0vd_thcCMaWJVBDKcJGuzGKwBqpSEICkEJIe80UqhSbhJ3VYHD55BYwcUlwHTLaYcRRwOYYFpmApAcUPPe1KzoRusmBK4tsLQzKHfnLtkmiTe_UqseizlIa/s1600/Desserts%252C+Gardening%252C+etc+053.JPG" imageanchor="1"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiaVqxmNnzxwJ6-GF6zfTSkQ0vd_thcCMaWJVBDKcJGuzGKwBqpSEICkEJIe80UqhSbhJ3VYHD55BYwcUlwHTLaYcRRwOYYFpmApAcUPPe1KzoRusmBK4tsLQzKHfnLtkmiTe_UqseizlIa/s320/Desserts%252C+Gardening%252C+etc+053.JPG" width="214" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgqH42Q7PO-eE4vmcP_BTtFo0sTdL1zQ0Xxo-6invCuud7RhSXmo3pAsKCcSNG3j4z22im4SZ-o68P0Dc0R5fzVZRkCpXpOaX4REA2YkYwkWJRmbRjPsusNEALmJCtdvdsi_vPJAKtvjtFj/s1600/Desserts%252C+Gardening%252C+etc+054.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="214" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgqH42Q7PO-eE4vmcP_BTtFo0sTdL1zQ0Xxo-6invCuud7RhSXmo3pAsKCcSNG3j4z22im4SZ-o68P0Dc0R5fzVZRkCpXpOaX4REA2YkYwkWJRmbRjPsusNEALmJCtdvdsi_vPJAKtvjtFj/s320/Desserts%252C+Gardening%252C+etc+054.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: center;">Well, that's it for today... join us next time for: A Decadent Dessert...Despite a Diet! </div><div style="text-align: center;"><i>There will be peanut butter...</i></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div>Sarahhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11595456085581691738noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7279346500383911991.post-21099580437884730952011-09-01T19:11:00.000-05:002011-09-01T19:11:18.443-05:00<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEixpxyoq4Z20gCMkwgtm3A7v7Gx9dVJ_roPxj6o_xUhAktBH06EKjxKX3b2pDFsseEpwBNt2C5zjztB64HjJ__WMpeci_g-5G7CfdVH-1SyDgnRBHWd7GHMM_7qVYE09BZRaIIYsym1Yi8_/s1600/Maine+Coast%252C+etc+244b.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="236" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEixpxyoq4Z20gCMkwgtm3A7v7Gx9dVJ_roPxj6o_xUhAktBH06EKjxKX3b2pDFsseEpwBNt2C5zjztB64HjJ__WMpeci_g-5G7CfdVH-1SyDgnRBHWd7GHMM_7qVYE09BZRaIIYsym1Yi8_/s400/Maine+Coast%252C+etc+244b.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">I was looking through some of my older pictures and was amazed at the power of the water in these waves! I wondered if there were any Bible verses that talked about crashing waves; here's a neat passage:</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">Psalm 93</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">The LORD reigns, He is clothed with majesty; the LORD has clothed and girded Himself with strength; indeed, the world is firmly established, it will not be moved. Your throne is established from of old; You are from everlasting. The floods have lifted up, O LORD, the floods have lifted up their voice, the floods lift up their pounding waves. More than the sounds of many waters, than the mighty breakers of the sea, the LORD on high is mighty. Your testimonies are fully confirmed; holiness befits Your house, O LORD, forevermore.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">I wonder if the psalmist was standing on the shore of the Mediterranean Sea when he wrote this?</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">I've made more progress on the stone wall around the pond pit (see previous post), but - alas! alackaday! horror of horrors!!! - I forgot my camera in the back of my sister's car! We shall soon be reunited, but I noticed that as soon as I realized the camera was gone, I had a desperate need to take a bunch of pictures. Anyway, that explains why I had to scrounge through old photos in order to put a picture in this post.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">I hope everyone is having an enjoyable beginning of September! :)</div><br />
Sarahhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11595456085581691738noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7279346500383911991.post-24705665259587347162011-08-21T20:40:00.008-05:002011-08-21T21:15:01.120-05:00Summer!<div style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div><div style="text-align: center;">Hooray - I got my Mums planted! Here is the before picture - the barrels looked nice earlier in the summer, but the pink spiky things didn't bloom for long and the marigolds had kind of thinned out. I moved the bigger plants to a different part of the garden, regrouped the marigolds and planted a couple Mums.</div><div>
<br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhvImH9YOUBBrtpeXQ3fIdleWIv38pDPN_xGMFN4yuQXHiHCv2zci2iP4TABK4peNVR3FnZ0gM0rLe4MKXmGR7qgN_BT-LyE6Et-SqRCgJacqP7fBoshqHEYxsr1ofz9WHxmOCarPHlnXTS/s400/Mums%2521+001.JPG" /></div><div style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div><div style="text-align: center;">Here's the "after" picture. Don't you just love the autumn colors? :) I was even good and mulched the barrels...now maybe they won't dry out so fast. I really don't know why I've never done that before...</div><div style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgath7BhwZipWPiL95aiOoMBALJrtm0pWPX2aeyCqg-KGl5hObicb7GnFn_YAkRz1VYgB99ABwqkiH6fb4YBisnS3z7KfkG61-MsXga-3j4G5zuibCPIonzAGziGeW6iivXxIW5kzl5sBIf/s1600/Mums%2521+007.JPG" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 268px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgath7BhwZipWPiL95aiOoMBALJrtm0pWPX2aeyCqg-KGl5hObicb7GnFn_YAkRz1VYgB99ABwqkiH6fb4YBisnS3z7KfkG61-MsXga-3j4G5zuibCPIonzAGziGeW6iivXxIW5kzl5sBIf/s400/Mums%2521+007.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5643491798795287474" /></a><div style="text-align: center;">I also spent a little time recently working on the pond hole. Now, this takes a little explanation - you see, my Dad really wants to have a small pond and waterfall in our backyard. So, probably about 5-6 years ago, we started digging a hole for a pond. Well, we didn't finish the hole or get the necessary equipment, so for a few years, we simply had a random hole in our backyard. It was a convenient spot to dump weeds, brush and whatever else we didn't want to lug a few yards further back to the treeline. It was also a convenient spot to break the legs of unsuspecting people wandering through our yard. See below for said pond hole:</div><div style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgZCweXkK3AUQfSg0wXqLnLR54F_iEYeS5kv64ycTwuckPJV1NMz6PGAaX0QmHKqVujTpcaBQEzu09aMJd2LxkPrY2sUZAJjdwLJhwgtP3n4PA0OWh7DaZw0M2WoLGiY7jq8bYgB9E3kx7B/s1600/Yard%252C+Room%252C+etc+010.JPG" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 268px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgZCweXkK3AUQfSg0wXqLnLR54F_iEYeS5kv64ycTwuckPJV1NMz6PGAaX0QmHKqVujTpcaBQEzu09aMJd2LxkPrY2sUZAJjdwLJhwgtP3n4PA0OWh7DaZw0M2WoLGiY7jq8bYgB9E3kx7B/s400/Yard%252C+Room%252C+etc+010.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5643490726192552194" /></a><div style="text-align: center;">Last summer I wrangled my brother into helping me do some more work on it. (Both of my brothers are excellent diggers - sometime I'll have to describe the Tunnel Incident!) We made some progress, but...well, this is about how it stayed for another year - with the minor cosmetic addition of a thriving colony of crabgrass. </div><div style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhvpmtdpM7B1bpL4aDBILJVNMBUDPTF5foMt9FgqA8DdDUewy5BW8hr390i4XDYhpJHvNwpsqw_Pa_WGKt-XfNCNRvZqQhr_aicQcF7xBHPL-Cmy_IAV2pNapeb8ZhJgVFYweLBRKWYK2gP/s1600/Bekah%2527s+Birthday%252C+etc+030.JPG" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 268px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhvpmtdpM7B1bpL4aDBILJVNMBUDPTF5foMt9FgqA8DdDUewy5BW8hr390i4XDYhpJHvNwpsqw_Pa_WGKt-XfNCNRvZqQhr_aicQcF7xBHPL-Cmy_IAV2pNapeb8ZhJgVFYweLBRKWYK2gP/s400/Bekah%2527s+Birthday%252C+etc+030.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5643490270354868834" /></a><div style="text-align: center;">Now we're getting somewhere! We have random piles of granite around our yard - we're in the Granite State, after all - and I spent a recent afternoon picking away at the infamous pond hole! Mind you, this isn't going to be the actual pond; this is simply the backdrop for it. Maybe eventually we'll actually dig a hole in the middle of this area and fill it with water - so that we have a pond to go in our pond hole! :D But at least it's finally starting to look like something...right?</div><div style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiOTEzTnQoyH2YUSr8zzlpCRaDpMYfDfy6biL3Q16rYg4R4octG-iXBo-pxn_P5T3dZyLdooJKIVJMz89aXx-YngwlZhhBrYI8XjGUh5YHwmgR6V1KWIgt1Hm2OdabyA-HmQ56OfihjAGvl/s1600/Backyard%252C+etc+005.JPG" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 268px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiOTEzTnQoyH2YUSr8zzlpCRaDpMYfDfy6biL3Q16rYg4R4octG-iXBo-pxn_P5T3dZyLdooJKIVJMz89aXx-YngwlZhhBrYI8XjGUh5YHwmgR6V1KWIgt1Hm2OdabyA-HmQ56OfihjAGvl/s400/Backyard%252C+etc+005.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5643489729260029170" /></a><div style="text-align: center;">Random question: can anyone tell me what kind of artwork this is? Does this style of painting have a specific name? I might try my hand at this style if I can find more examples to study.</div><div style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiQ8sDKWUxMCVK2eINLxsZBRfO2igCoRSywCRwaWMGFe8afXLIfVHdVm8GUkN2q3KdYM59g4NmdHyn5F_k-RqOzuiXCe_8KZ0i6GbThKVurlkw8MSQZYvQusAbguywHqVJc3g67mLlTTP44/s400/Random+001.JPG" /></div><div style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div><div style="text-align: center;">Finally, be sure to check out <a href="http://www.etsy.com/shop/theenchantedtree">my Dad's online woodworking shop</a> - even if you've been on it before, make sure you check back because I've been adding new things periodically! Here's one of the pens I just listed a couple weeks ago; I'll be putting up a bunch more treenware soon.</div><div style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><img src="http://ny-image1.etsy.com/il_570xN.261486589.jpg" alt="Spectacular Curly Maple Pen" /></div><div style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div><div style="text-align: center;">Have a spectacular week!!! :D</div><div style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>Sarahhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11595456085581691738noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7279346500383911991.post-50710587221226183782011-07-28T19:18:00.016-05:002011-07-28T20:23:07.959-05:00What's Going On...<div style="text-align: center;">Well, life has been busy since my last post! The long-awaited graduation has occurred, as evidenced by this photo as I shake hands with the president of Northland Baptist Bible College:</div><div><br /></div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEglgFCAUvWtq9NfRJNRPrMpId245SuFCc5curHujeEqI9Q8Q87IEMHKradbzGMkHrKwnc8hYYYFgGPlmm2LPXk8qGPqvAblOwG2476zUgarZKj8ad5Q1NTwi9eImCWVh6go98DB-zJJs7iS/s1600/Graduation%252C+etc+015.JPG" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 268px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEglgFCAUvWtq9NfRJNRPrMpId245SuFCc5curHujeEqI9Q8Q87IEMHKradbzGMkHrKwnc8hYYYFgGPlmm2LPXk8qGPqvAblOwG2476zUgarZKj8ad5Q1NTwi9eImCWVh6go98DB-zJJs7iS/s400/Graduation%252C+etc+015.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5634568705806030626" /></a><div style="text-align: center;">I got to keep the cap, tassel and honor cords, but the robe and hood were just rentals. Good riddance, in my opinion! They were terribly hot and complicated!</div><div style="text-align: center;">My family made the trip all the way from NH to WI to see me graduate - well, part of my family. Two of my siblings were already at college with me as a freshman and sophomore. So, shortly after the big event, all 7 (eventually 8, as we picked up a friend in WV!) of us packed into this rented RV, where we would remain for the next 10 days or so. </div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiPCe8Ieufr4AIOqrm0HC-LaX2nQ4uc3bFpkpfQAgtf0NQFKCRnkgAbDfix4WdOMNMt1zKKMabrPuImYPbCz1vuRcOMtet42RCiVxYSTNtkiwIn0y1qYtZrc8f6uk58ND6yCTRvPs5ZcN4i/s1600/Graduation%252C+etc+043.JPG" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 268px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiPCe8Ieufr4AIOqrm0HC-LaX2nQ4uc3bFpkpfQAgtf0NQFKCRnkgAbDfix4WdOMNMt1zKKMabrPuImYPbCz1vuRcOMtet42RCiVxYSTNtkiwIn0y1qYtZrc8f6uk58ND6yCTRvPs5ZcN4i/s400/Graduation%252C+etc+043.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5634568299797229250" /></a><div style="text-align: center;">Quarters were plenty tight, but it was a fun and very different experience for us! We turned the trip into a (rare) family vacation and stopped at the Mall of America, a Medieval Times Restaurant and the Creation Museum. We all really enjoyed the Creation Museum - it's definitely worth a stop if you're ever anywhere in the area! I have plenty of pictures from the trip, but I love this one of a peacock at the Museum petting zoo. I had never thought that I would get pictures of a real peacock, but this one was very cooperative! :)</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjrMbQb-cWcV58xoHgGmpdreLMf6pp6hdVu6a_s3tTrmKk9flYVmWkJozhUtSTT3JNBpH876Kx3isPdAp0_Y_nd9isvmxMjMgtN1EBCFVZuoB4e0AkaQaIO_-_aLWFKb8I1xGEjg5IfCE_p/s1600/Asst%2527d+Trip+Pics+101.JPG" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 268px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjrMbQb-cWcV58xoHgGmpdreLMf6pp6hdVu6a_s3tTrmKk9flYVmWkJozhUtSTT3JNBpH876Kx3isPdAp0_Y_nd9isvmxMjMgtN1EBCFVZuoB4e0AkaQaIO_-_aLWFKb8I1xGEjg5IfCE_p/s400/Asst%2527d+Trip+Pics+101.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5634567801270370354" /></a><div style="text-align: center;">The day after we got home from our trip, Dad and I went to return the RV and took a roundabout route home so that I could take pictures of the rocky Maine coast. The purpose - a cover for his book!! Check it out - <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Winds-Nnim-Ramhammer-Saga-ebook/dp/B0055Q856U/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1311900977&sr=8-1">The Winds of Nnim</a> is a Kindle ebook on Amazon.com! It only costs a few dollars to download, and even if you don't have a Kindle, you can get a free download of Kindle for PC (there's a link on the side of the Amazon page). This is really a fantastic read! He even put up the sequel, <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Forest-Kingdom-Ramhammer-Saga-ebook/dp/B005ECMWR8/ref=sr_1_2?s=digital-text&ie=UTF8&qid=1311901134&sr=1-2">The Forest Kingdom</a>, just a few days ago, so you won't have to wonder "What happens next??" for very long! :) (And let me tell you, you <i>will</i> be wondering what happens next!)</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhpmoDxi-2I90MvnebiGW_DRl6wV2s_B-Rup4EZ0RX8umRCIT5mLU_ZxVHie8dDPOy0jroDM5n87otcmxPI9adko9wIknW6YFf8v0MCUHMOad7x1A84ziHso1SyUwCdZSB1FwChupPGzkIt/s1600/Maine+Coast%252C+etc+221.JPG" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 268px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhpmoDxi-2I90MvnebiGW_DRl6wV2s_B-Rup4EZ0RX8umRCIT5mLU_ZxVHie8dDPOy0jroDM5n87otcmxPI9adko9wIknW6YFf8v0MCUHMOad7x1A84ziHso1SyUwCdZSB1FwChupPGzkIt/s400/Maine+Coast%252C+etc+221.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5634567316689959362" /></a><div style="text-align: center;">We took our friend from WV out on a moose-spotting expedition, and we were not disappointed! Here is a bull moose; you can just see the start of some antlers. Maybe I'll go looking for him again this fall when he's got a full rack!</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEguVkyxbaCkv9aAjiNSTOz-MxsYcjKZ-u-5Y4iuuhZoH6VmEICK7puomljN81AYIbwKgRK3H7ojxQ9i_IBMGp49Ja5d-qMk0ZqWO8-qW6VedXcIIO_Xmpdw9cSHJsF__tw_GUkLQRgFcc23/s1600/Moose+Expedition+003.JPG" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 268px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEguVkyxbaCkv9aAjiNSTOz-MxsYcjKZ-u-5Y4iuuhZoH6VmEICK7puomljN81AYIbwKgRK3H7ojxQ9i_IBMGp49Ja5d-qMk0ZqWO8-qW6VedXcIIO_Xmpdw9cSHJsF__tw_GUkLQRgFcc23/s400/Moose+Expedition+003.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5634566978602399458" /></a><div style="text-align: center;">I have completed a few projects around the house and yard, some of them more random than others. For example, we girls repainted our bedroom tan last year, and I made my corner of the room kind of rustic, with lots of antique wood decorations. This white-plastic edged corkboard didn't exactly fit...so I fixed it!! This is before...</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjmGF9jA6e0R9_b2hZYlO-jtuhNmNih6TrZBmaTV4oscx2tDfxyx3mjr614jNQYLpQG2Jp9pS_DjrGdFMiEP2p7tBYWsCUzmzveom7N25g8bOJkKCk1CrMwaOwl8bnt1Li-tWD7ymM5tU2L/s1600/Corkboard+project%252C+garden%252C+etc+002.JPG" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 268px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjmGF9jA6e0R9_b2hZYlO-jtuhNmNih6TrZBmaTV4oscx2tDfxyx3mjr614jNQYLpQG2Jp9pS_DjrGdFMiEP2p7tBYWsCUzmzveom7N25g8bOJkKCk1CrMwaOwl8bnt1Li-tWD7ymM5tU2L/s400/Corkboard+project%252C+garden%252C+etc+002.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5634566477288496370" /></a><div style="text-align: center;">And after!! :) I edged it with strips of thin wood held on by mounting tape. I'm very easily pleased! :)</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgUr_2vpaojwuu3thA2GpK5ePLDidD7xJZTCt73qWu8-C7b22hS8V3uVwFuT8V-gb466Z_A8gy0tt5Uqr27fvH1hIxBnPjBaKlwpQ6L_sR4K3_goERgCg6hqQ7FCCzNLlBLLb8IRZFaUA6t/s1600/Corkboard+project%252C+garden%252C+etc+013.JPG" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 268px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgUr_2vpaojwuu3thA2GpK5ePLDidD7xJZTCt73qWu8-C7b22hS8V3uVwFuT8V-gb466Z_A8gy0tt5Uqr27fvH1hIxBnPjBaKlwpQ6L_sR4K3_goERgCg6hqQ7FCCzNLlBLLb8IRZFaUA6t/s400/Corkboard+project%252C+garden%252C+etc+013.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5634565981982082802" /></a><div style="text-align: center;">Oh, and here's an important life lesson that I learned! This is just to the right of the corkboard and is above my bed, so I see it every day. The lesson: when you repaint, make sure you scrape rough spots and spackle them if necessary before putting on your new paint. In other words, don't take lazy shortcuts like me!! :P</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiIofrDy1vpgaqff6HNzzubPvSTTIS9pwFgOjGPfbk2RcDzHeG9v6t0cCPAj2heJ7TNJl-G3okHFAmSYhotkVlayOpYL7PD2cMeeyK1MGINmO1g4v1aMH9qMfzxrVrg0_3o-jU74HWfUCME/s1600/chipped+wall+002.JPG" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 268px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiIofrDy1vpgaqff6HNzzubPvSTTIS9pwFgOjGPfbk2RcDzHeG9v6t0cCPAj2heJ7TNJl-G3okHFAmSYhotkVlayOpYL7PD2cMeeyK1MGINmO1g4v1aMH9qMfzxrVrg0_3o-jU74HWfUCME/s400/chipped+wall+002.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5634565529303693362" /></a><div style="text-align: center;">Here's another project I helped (does taking pictures count as helping?) with. Our light fixtures on the porch...um...needed help, to put it lightly. There are supposed to be metal and glass pieces surrounding this light bulb; it looks like there are only a couple left by this point. Plus, the metal was pretty worn and we wanted to switch to black appliances anyway, so...</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhkMW5-HHDK0Ar7KolD0kahBKkmXoJfnBO9vSZrPNKvnOCmNsHiDRya3e1MV_q84GhPXuignkMFUpfr1tRFGbPBOg10NUvgJ-7ZvknukfaDAfA5wk7ozgwQZSm2-aTo6Rt8ZtN7bQaAXlSG/s1600/Ministry+Center+Project%252C+etc+156.JPG" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 268px; height: 400px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhkMW5-HHDK0Ar7KolD0kahBKkmXoJfnBO9vSZrPNKvnOCmNsHiDRya3e1MV_q84GhPXuignkMFUpfr1tRFGbPBOg10NUvgJ-7ZvknukfaDAfA5wk7ozgwQZSm2-aTo6Rt8ZtN7bQaAXlSG/s400/Ministry+Center+Project%252C+etc+156.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5634565032382237714" /></a><div style="text-align: center;">Yay! And it wasn't even that hard! Especially because I mostly just watched and helped put in a couple of the little screws at the end. :D</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhzOS6pnG7HQ2EeE0vdId74uXukFnesSzQW0vx-d4LcNnAYoRi_qwSksvGCgFXahw4saiDOuHIUEJK_Db72gqoouQO5LvpB5X-P0hqWUxc1otxBpG4YI5FrECzVwGIgtZWtQNfRZr-4nQJX/s1600/Ministry+Center+Project%252C+etc+164.JPG" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 268px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhzOS6pnG7HQ2EeE0vdId74uXukFnesSzQW0vx-d4LcNnAYoRi_qwSksvGCgFXahw4saiDOuHIUEJK_Db72gqoouQO5LvpB5X-P0hqWUxc1otxBpG4YI5FrECzVwGIgtZWtQNfRZr-4nQJX/s400/Ministry+Center+Project%252C+etc+164.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5634564675991884994" /></a><div style="text-align: center;">I also listed some of my Dad's spectacular woodwork online. You can view a sampling of his stuff <a href="http://www.etsy.com/shop/theenchantedtree">here</a>. This below is an example of his treenware, very cool little things that come in all shapes, sizes and colors! </div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi0OjBSemm1VpD-isS5Cyk7aLh97m9lZXE4NcieTXfLVR7kNyCFEZlk-nLWlOcF8TIo9YQtHtxZLCIlk8agxdFFxdxjSk6sPiqhS5GzT9ntG1kwiRaCyTW7iGynQj9E9JM8zOorzcvkXb_r/s1600/Woodwork+003b.jpg" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 268px; height: 400px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi0OjBSemm1VpD-isS5Cyk7aLh97m9lZXE4NcieTXfLVR7kNyCFEZlk-nLWlOcF8TIo9YQtHtxZLCIlk8agxdFFxdxjSk6sPiqhS5GzT9ntG1kwiRaCyTW7iGynQj9E9JM8zOorzcvkXb_r/s400/Woodwork+003b.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5634564101736261426" /></a><div style="text-align: center;">I visited friends for the day a couple weeks ago and got to spend a while in a kayak, which is always enjoyable. The most exciting part, though, was getting to see a whole family of loons! This may even have been the babies' first time away from the nest, as we had been watching the parents earlier in the day and they didn't have the babies with them then. In any case, this was definitely the highlight of the day!</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgfKTxmpq31eEryIdgES0QKxsefaXgFBaUyk7V5vFl9vcTae2k3O5Jp-0vHtlK3ax0kMoeDTpe_SpBa7wdLGwv0TpuHsSTC6dl5tNAZ_83MC7igEjRq6ViMGaizvcn7R1CqQX0GFqlUIlrc/s1600/House%252C+Lake%252C+etc+144b.jpg" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 268px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgfKTxmpq31eEryIdgES0QKxsefaXgFBaUyk7V5vFl9vcTae2k3O5Jp-0vHtlK3ax0kMoeDTpe_SpBa7wdLGwv0TpuHsSTC6dl5tNAZ_83MC7igEjRq6ViMGaizvcn7R1CqQX0GFqlUIlrc/s400/House%252C+Lake%252C+etc+144b.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5634563817198127810" /></a><div style="text-align: center;">Yesterday morning there were some stormclouds in the west, up over the Moat Mountains, and after a little while a rainbow showed up. I like where it ends! :) Gold at the end of the rainbow indeed! That is <a href="http://firstbaptistnorthconway.org/">our church</a> steeple you can see, and it's actually copper, but hey, whatever.</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiI0PkiDskQIgUWp8ob7phD8HYtzJSSqdUU6nku0iw9zG8a_G2qtt5ISjLWVD13R2DDedX1INoWbb36ZA8qr1496uqc2RVienMcQLSs9UTFnO-a4zdnWGOo9GMInE1ABhmlaet8OxswqzBh/s1600/Asst%2527d+007.JPG" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 268px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiI0PkiDskQIgUWp8ob7phD8HYtzJSSqdUU6nku0iw9zG8a_G2qtt5ISjLWVD13R2DDedX1INoWbb36ZA8qr1496uqc2RVienMcQLSs9UTFnO-a4zdnWGOo9GMInE1ABhmlaet8OxswqzBh/s400/Asst%2527d+007.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5634563299552180386" /></a><div style="text-align: center;">And I will close with a toad. What better way to end a blog post? My siblings and I went on a walk in good old Whitaker Woods yesterday, which doesn't happen very often anymore with our assorted and sundry work schedules. It was very fun to be out again! </div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg05Ol308DQTQG4U0fTVon6X_Maa1SSU1k_BIVSVIjhlCX5WYPGHgh_UfRKX0Nx56WU06Wge5V9NnoIb57uclrYU3z5HuzcZfoejvf9R5S7oFifczP8AMkPixWBgaeeOSMtz_4vfRHFJxzg/s1600/Asst%2527d+039.JPG" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 268px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg05Ol308DQTQG4U0fTVon6X_Maa1SSU1k_BIVSVIjhlCX5WYPGHgh_UfRKX0Nx56WU06Wge5V9NnoIb57uclrYU3z5HuzcZfoejvf9R5S7oFifczP8AMkPixWBgaeeOSMtz_4vfRHFJxzg/s400/Asst%2527d+039.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5634562262159098066" /></a><div style="text-align: center;">Well, until next time! I hope everyone is having a fabulous summer so far!!!</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div>Sarahhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11595456085581691738noreply@blogger.com0