tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-80433475019067362482024-03-21T16:38:20.233-08:00The Souls of my ShoesLiving a charmed and sometimes chaotic life.DeeDee*http://www.blogger.com/profile/01258328303592480760noreply@blogger.comBlogger248125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8043347501906736248.post-80914429600884138332011-09-12T11:16:00.001-08:002011-09-12T11:22:32.156-08:00491<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhRoETxL-5lvgqTlg-wByJZIudL3EZa9BVky6qjgzC-PVocmhLjPRxOQLLX1-a9dyOG2w2j_efakuwS2Bn7X93Lk9mEXyKNwLc9ukfVphp1Wg6lHyxKSsx14RNEzFKJf7HJCn5ZjhVEXfM/s1600/CSC_0140.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhRoETxL-5lvgqTlg-wByJZIudL3EZa9BVky6qjgzC-PVocmhLjPRxOQLLX1-a9dyOG2w2j_efakuwS2Bn7X93Lk9mEXyKNwLc9ukfVphp1Wg6lHyxKSsx14RNEzFKJf7HJCn5ZjhVEXfM/s320/CSC_0140.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"><span style="background-color: white; color: purple;">Jumping back in. Its been a long <strong>491 days</strong> since I've last posted, & lots of changes on the homefront. I have the most amazing <u>brown-eyed boy</u>, whom just celebrated his <u>1 yr. Birthday</u>, & will soon be hearing<em> another set of tiny foot steps</em> in our home. </span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"><span style="background-color: white;"><span style="color: purple;">Its good to be back...more to come. </span></span></span><br />
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<a href="http://www.mylivesignature.com/" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;" target="_blank"><img src="http://signatures.mylivesignature.com/54487/225/C6A51A3BA186A036677718F27F393506.png" style="border: 0px currentColor;" /></a>DeeDee*http://www.blogger.com/profile/01258328303592480760noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8043347501906736248.post-56114100527374927792010-05-09T23:08:00.003-08:002010-05-09T23:10:19.227-08:00Springtime<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhPdQRPLhBjja-txfg2gAKNvIjEpYJtZPXw28d69jeXsCl8q3L0h0-yCxo83MQDv5ITKnBwrJ7YjblCpvZytUqqd37VB1KXlAsz5_L5JbaeplTIx9b0v1ffXkOFESFn9awrnZJ60kDHgNM/s1600/P5073588.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhPdQRPLhBjja-txfg2gAKNvIjEpYJtZPXw28d69jeXsCl8q3L0h0-yCxo83MQDv5ITKnBwrJ7YjblCpvZytUqqd37VB1KXlAsz5_L5JbaeplTIx9b0v1ffXkOFESFn9awrnZJ60kDHgNM/s320/P5073588.JPG" tt="true" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><span style="background-color: white; color: #38761d; font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">Spring has finally arrived in Alaska, the beautiful blue skied days have been reaching temps in the low 60's, & it's almost time to start planting flowers outdoors. This year, I started begonias & peonies indoors, & have already purchased fuschia starts as I had a hard time finding them last year. Our yard is still brown, but their are little shoots coming up in my flower beds. We have approx. 16 1/2 hrs of daylight, & I've been finding it difficult to sleep when the bright sun is shining in the bedroom window at 6am! </span><br />
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<span style="color: #6aa84f; font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;">My fuschia starts are enjoying the sun with some peonies (I use cut up milk jugs to temporarily grow them in until there ready to go outdoors), & my crazy begonias. I started the Salmon & Yellow begonias the end of March, from tubers, & it looks like they're ready to go outdoors as they've gotten very large!</span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #6aa84f; font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;">My sweet Lucy is enjoying the sunshine. All of the Pugs love being outside when the weather is warm. And, I purchased a hydrangea plant last year & weathered it in the house over the winter. Little blooms are finally starting to appear!</span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #38761d; font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">I recently celebrated my 30th Birthday (wowza!)...sometimes I still feel like a teenager, time sure flies by. Mother's Day took on a whole new meaning this year as a mom-to-be. We can't wait until the big d-day in August to finally meet our little one! Kyle has been thrilled these last couple of weeks as he has been able to hear the heartbeat with a fetal monitor, & then he felt/saw several kicks a couple of days ago. </span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #38761d; font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">Between working & housework, it seems there is just not enough time in the day. Im planning a freezer food list for the first month, after the baby is born, so that we really won't have to worry about food planning & preparation. Most of the meals will be easy enough to toss in the oven for an hour or two and then, viola, dinner is served :-) So far the dinner menu consists of; lasagna, meatloaf, enchiladas, salsbury steak, porcupine balls & rice, and chicken & rice. Breakfast and lunch will be more convenient items such as muffins, cereal, canned soups/chili, sandwiches, & salads. </span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #38761d; font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">Hoping that your Spring days are fantastic. </span><br />
<span style="background-color: white; color: #38761d; font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">Im looking forward to an exciting summer...until next time :-)</span><br />
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<a href="http://www.mylivesignature.com/" target="_blank"><img src="http://signatures.mylivesignature.com/54487/225/C6A51A3BA186A036677718F27F393506.png" style="background: none transparent scroll repeat 0% 0%; border-bottom: 0px; border-left: 0px; border-right: 0px; border-top: 0px;" /></a>DeeDee*http://www.blogger.com/profile/01258328303592480760noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8043347501906736248.post-33437546582475155422010-04-08T22:22:00.002-08:002010-04-08T22:24:29.808-08:00Catching up<span style="color: #38761d; font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">Always something interesting to see; I spotted these two giants in the parking lot next to work. They weren't too fazed by people, but seemed content to munch on the trees in the area, they actually eat bark in the winter, weird huh! And yes, that is how it currently looks outside. </span><br />
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<span style="color: #38761d; font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">Its been fairly quiet around the house, but with spring around the corner, I have been itching for summer & all the glorious sunny days that we have here in Alaska. Yes, sadly its still winter"ish" here. Lots of snow on the ground and highs in the upper 30's. We officially don't have the <em>all clear</em> to plant outside until memorial day weekend, which has always been considered the first frost free days here in Alaska. On a happy note, our days are getting longer & its still light out at 9:30 pm, during the summer solstice, it will still be light out at 2-3am...<strong>love it</strong>! </span><span style="color: #38761d; font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">This years plants, that I've started indoors, include yellow & salmon begonias, & pink peonies. As we will be quite busy this summer, Im going to keep my starter plants to a minimum & pick up most of my flowers at a local nursery. </span><br />
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<span style="color: #38761d; font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">We have an array of household tasks to complete before late summer that include insulating the crawl space, refinishing our large redwood deck, drywall & paint in our living room as well as a bathroom remodel in the master bedroom. The living room & bathroom work is the result of a leak from our jacuzzi tub, definitely not a planned project & we were upset to find out that only the barest of cosmetic work is covered by insurance whereas the replacement of the tub, tile work, flooring, sub flooring, & cost of hiring a plumber will fall to us to take care of. This being our only insurance claim in nearly 10 years, it makes you wonder just why you pay insurance when they aren't there when you need them...I could go on & on !</span><br />
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<span style="color: #38761d; font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">With the heavy load I've been carrying lately, I seem to run out of steam quickly and find that my evenings after work are normally filled with a nap or soak in the tub, followed by making a quick dinner & watching an episode of 24 with Kyle, then off to dream land. I never imagined that a few extra pounds would be such a pain, but when its centrally located, I can see first hand just what a couple of pounds does :-) Yes...I am pregnant, we are expecting the end of August! After trying for several years, we feel extremely blessed, <strong>god is good</strong>. </span><br />
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<a href="http://www.mylivesignature.com/" target="_blank"><img src="http://signatures.mylivesignature.com/54487/225/C6A51A3BA186A036677718F27F393506.png" style="background: none transparent scroll repeat 0% 0%; border-bottom: 0px; border-left: 0px; border-right: 0px; border-top: 0px;" /></a><br />
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</span>DeeDee*http://www.blogger.com/profile/01258328303592480760noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8043347501906736248.post-88301381310991783532010-04-08T21:02:00.004-08:002010-04-08T21:15:02.240-08:00My little friend...<span style="color: #444444; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><span style="color: black; font-size: small;">I'd like to introduce you to my newest little friend.</span> </span><br />
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</div><span style="color: black; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Well...he's not <em>completely</em> new, as we've been buddies for many, many years. Tucked away safely, I do forget about him from time to time, & then I stumble upon this...</span><br />
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</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="color: #444444; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span style="color: black;">Kyle & I celebrated this years Valentine's Day at a local Italian Restaurant, & I was surprised by a sweet heartfelt gift from Kyle.</span> </span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjZsrqb8uaR56xLZtyyvTCCkk3xLniNMwNAzQ6CEZxiJ8n1TR-PXf7G0OTmRB4VUpSNjW1zCRg7IF0zBIRDq5svvoGq-kH3lnzWdVl12U6nmH3OYUYRg3H250Vh0iZJOYW80S3jIofm998/s1600/DSC_2070.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjZsrqb8uaR56xLZtyyvTCCkk3xLniNMwNAzQ6CEZxiJ8n1TR-PXf7G0OTmRB4VUpSNjW1zCRg7IF0zBIRDq5svvoGq-kH3lnzWdVl12U6nmH3OYUYRg3H250Vh0iZJOYW80S3jIofm998/s320/DSC_2070.JPG" wt="true" /></a></div><br />
<span style="color: #444444; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">I<span style="color: black;"> was my little friend! </span></span><br />
<span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">He's now more fit as an adult gift, but I still love my original Thumper :-) I'm such a softie, I actually cried! </span><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Somethings, no matter how old you get, still hold a lot of sentiment in them. My dearest Thumper is made from Swarovski Crystal, & his little nose it pink, how cute!</span></span><br />
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<span style="color: black; font-family: Verdana;">Now, I just need to get working on a curio case to display my treasures...</span><br />
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<a href="http://www.mylivesignature.com/" target="_blank"><img src="http://signatures.mylivesignature.com/54487/225/C6A51A3BA186A036677718F27F393506.png" style="background: none transparent scroll repeat 0% 0%; border-bottom: 0px; border-left: 0px; border-right: 0px; border-top: 0px;" /></a>DeeDee*http://www.blogger.com/profile/01258328303592480760noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8043347501906736248.post-55289676401961296262010-03-17T22:57:00.002-08:002010-03-17T22:58:40.068-08:00Celebrating St. Patrick's Day<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEijHqrGniGWfQR-MhjnPbJzas5TN-EpEryVRuIYZzpv_1zPfKrNXOTgBT2yRpNntpZkn2ZUiXu7zZ_Y26tPYjAu_dy8cSrkB4Jjaz88M5dfZ-IHlSjCcoQdRkAKupLV7xgcNP9pNwHcPCQ/s1600-h/DSC_2085.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEijHqrGniGWfQR-MhjnPbJzas5TN-EpEryVRuIYZzpv_1zPfKrNXOTgBT2yRpNntpZkn2ZUiXu7zZ_Y26tPYjAu_dy8cSrkB4Jjaz88M5dfZ-IHlSjCcoQdRkAKupLV7xgcNP9pNwHcPCQ/s320/DSC_2085.JPG" vt="true" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><span style="color: #274e13; font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">We celebrated our St. Patrick's Day a bit early this year. A family get together on Sunday was a great way to share my love of the traditional holiday meal of Corned Beef & Cabbage. Below you will find my recipe for Corned Beef, which is something that is made year round in our home. And, a new recipe that I developed this year, for a green punch.</span><br />
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<strong>Corned Beef with Potatoes & Cabbage</strong><br />
4 lbs Corned Beef Brisket<br />
8-10 C Water*<br />
Seasoning packet (packaged seperately from the corned beef)<br />
6 Beef Bouillion Cubes<br />
4 Whole Cloves<br />
2 Tbsp. Worchestershire Sauce<br />
8-10 Medium Potatoes, cut in half (Reds, & Golden Yukons work best)<br />
1 Lg Head of Green Cabbage, cut into 8th's <br />
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In large pot, place brisket in bottom, & cover with at least 8 C water. Bring the water up to a boil, skim the surface removing any foam. Add in seasoning packet, bouillion cubes, cloves, & worchestershire. Turn heat to medium, cover with a lid, & let simmer 2 - 2 1/2 hours. <br />
Add in potatoes, cover with lid, & let boil 20 minutes, check for doneness. Continue to boil if potatoes are still under cooked, but don't exceed 30 minutes. <br />
Remove potatoes & corned beef from pot, & place on a platter, keeping everything warm in a 200 degree oven. <br />
Add cabbage wedges to boiled water, cover with lid, & let cook 5-8 minutes. <br />
Slice brisket against the grain & serve everything piping hot!<br />
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*If your cooking corned beef that is over 4 lbs, use more water when boiling*<br />
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<strong>Green Punch</strong><br />
2, 2 Liters Sprite, or 7up (Diet also works well)<br />
4 Cans Frozen Limeade<br />
1 Liter Mountain Dew<br />
5-6 Drops Green Food Dye<br />
Lime Slices<br />
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Combine sprite, limeade, mt. dew, & green food dye in a large pot. Keep chilled. When ready to serve, pour into glasses with some ice & a couple of lime slices.<br />
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</div>Our platter of Corned beef, potatoes, & cabbage. And a nice big glass of green punch!<br />
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<a href="http://www.mylivesignature.com/" target="_blank"><img src="http://signatures.mylivesignature.com/54487/225/C6A51A3BA186A036677718F27F393506.png" style="background: none transparent scroll repeat 0% 0%; border-bottom: 0px; border-left: 0px; border-right: 0px; border-top: 0px;" /></a>DeeDee*http://www.blogger.com/profile/01258328303592480760noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8043347501906736248.post-33889189340021192122010-02-25T23:08:00.001-09:002010-02-25T23:15:13.731-09:00Warm Lava Cakes<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><span style="color: black; font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I like making one special dessert a week, this doesn't always happen, but I like having something to indulge in throughout the week, & helps me look forward to the weekend when I can make a new sweet recipe! </span><br />
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<span style="color: black; font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I love making these when I need a chocolately fix. Due to the massive amount of eggs the recipe calls for, you can half the recipe and still make quite a few cakes. I like to serve these with a scoop of Vanilla Ice Cream, but there equally as tasty with a scoop of Caramel Ice Cream!</span><br />
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<span style="color: black; font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">You can find my recipe for Lava Cakes, </span><a href="http://souls-of-my-shoes.blogspot.com/2008/11/tasty-treats.html"><strong><span style="color: black; font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">HERE</span></strong></a><span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="color: black;">.</span> </span><br />
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<a href="http://www.mylivesignature.com/" target="_blank"><img src="http://signatures.mylivesignature.com/54487/225/C6A51A3BA186A036677718F27F393506.png" style="background: none transparent scroll repeat 0% 0%; border-bottom: 0px; border-left: 0px; border-right: 0px; border-top: 0px;" /></a>DeeDee*http://www.blogger.com/profile/01258328303592480760noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8043347501906736248.post-33771656762210879522010-02-14T00:31:00.006-09:002010-02-14T00:38:47.086-09:00Lovely Sugar Cookies<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEifzkpPkpMk4SENVN2HlHuuvZAG5a9GWgsw2e04XAje4jWgOWnnJ3I0HrKZzLwtDmKX8Uzw-tCqHQgYWcrUh_rGO1TMlKDZKxJSARncmp2efK0PBYPG4HdMpQIcz8PimlVrJ_1CvxT8oo4/s1600-h/DSC_2005.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" ct="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEifzkpPkpMk4SENVN2HlHuuvZAG5a9GWgsw2e04XAje4jWgOWnnJ3I0HrKZzLwtDmKX8Uzw-tCqHQgYWcrUh_rGO1TMlKDZKxJSARncmp2efK0PBYPG4HdMpQIcz8PimlVrJ_1CvxT8oo4/s320/DSC_2005.JPG" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><span style="color: #990000; font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;">Mom & Dad,</span><br />
<span style="color: #990000; font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;"> I am thinking of you today & how you always made Valentine's Day special for us when we were growing up. Childhood memories & mom's Sugar Cookie Recipe were the inspiration for today's post.</span><br />
<span style="color: #990000; font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;">With most of my recipes, I eventually modify them somewhat, but with this one, it has remained unchanged. I cheat when it comes to "rolling out" the dough, see below. </span><br />
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<strong><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;">Mom's Sugar Cookies</span></strong><br />
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;">1 C Shortening</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;">1 1/2 C Granular Sugar</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;">2 Eggs</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;">2 Tbsp. Milk</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;">1 Tbsp. Vanilla Extract</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;">2 1/2 C All Purpose Flour</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;">1/2 tsp. Baking Powder</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;">Cream shortening & sugar together. Add in eggs, milk, & vanilla, stirring well between each addition. In a medium bowl combine flour & powder, then add into shortening mixture. Stir well to combine. </span><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;">Wrap up, in log shape, & chill overnight for best flavor.</span><br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjd4QnOgUlpdShxgwESkO4iFtll8mYBeJIYVlzzXIfLh21loyC1ndoA1I2jaqHYlI1Vh2hEQ_WYDkd28GRuZmz_HZI8ApVPfKoeASuz1FzzVxcTfbObyGrINB5x2DvR8vCk8a-x_PDhThE/s1600-h/DSC_1973.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; cssfloat: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" ct="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjd4QnOgUlpdShxgwESkO4iFtll8mYBeJIYVlzzXIfLh21loyC1ndoA1I2jaqHYlI1Vh2hEQ_WYDkd28GRuZmz_HZI8ApVPfKoeASuz1FzzVxcTfbObyGrINB5x2DvR8vCk8a-x_PDhThE/s320/DSC_1973.JPG" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEitWedWgSLP1Vvi1gXnPeqk8niP8gikK7nfd7idtazobs05quZtnhhMMCoPsVZZuqA_diBCM53e_o3cSmcu4M1vUmPlfe8oUwdLngDuoxKJIfN4DrYMnOI4Rl9dc_LMevmmxzv1MvkMOkY/s1600-h/DSC_1969.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; cssfloat: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" ct="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEitWedWgSLP1Vvi1gXnPeqk8niP8gikK7nfd7idtazobs05quZtnhhMMCoPsVZZuqA_diBCM53e_o3cSmcu4M1vUmPlfe8oUwdLngDuoxKJIfN4DrYMnOI4Rl9dc_LMevmmxzv1MvkMOkY/s320/DSC_1969.JPG" /></a></div><br />
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS;">When ready to bake, slice into uniform pieces, & round out the sides. I use a creme brulee dish bottom dipped in flour to push them into evenly round shapes. You could use a glass or even a measuring cup to do this.</span><br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiAeVElRT5ifCF7aztMKqPIVUImvSuUP5P2khdM4RkO2AnNTEqzoBVZI2NynAjWSMMh2oSveIlRUnL5_V3OgRrwh0bg4iUTh1AkYnufsLiTRpuKrAYQMIiHl5db7nKcGsHV_N-D49RDhz8/s1600-h/DSC_2000.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; cssfloat: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" ct="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiAeVElRT5ifCF7aztMKqPIVUImvSuUP5P2khdM4RkO2AnNTEqzoBVZI2NynAjWSMMh2oSveIlRUnL5_V3OgRrwh0bg4iUTh1AkYnufsLiTRpuKrAYQMIiHl5db7nKcGsHV_N-D49RDhz8/s320/DSC_2000.JPG" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjarW8KLmxhr1FKBq1HJmF2xDg6JScugDG8UZ4OAbd1aeplq8jQsURc_qC1PdeMkIF3ru1DqiBO6X95ELlGgoQziG4R6Aj0jR0T7dNUNEmKdfeY0QWyiGUwrFPH5WR5vRHcg9GcA2fKiFk/s1600-h/DSC_1989.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; cssfloat: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" ct="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjarW8KLmxhr1FKBq1HJmF2xDg6JScugDG8UZ4OAbd1aeplq8jQsURc_qC1PdeMkIF3ru1DqiBO6X95ELlGgoQziG4R6Aj0jR0T7dNUNEmKdfeY0QWyiGUwrFPH5WR5vRHcg9GcA2fKiFk/s320/DSC_1989.JPG" /></a></div><br />
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS;">Bake at 425 Degrees for 5-9 minutes.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;">Once in the oven to bake, I take a flexible cutting board & place it under the cooling rack (to collect crumbs, keep down on the mess). This batch took 8 minutes to bake, you can see how they look on the tops & bottom. </span><br />
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<strong><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;">Icing</span></strong><br />
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;">1 C Powdered Sugar</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;">4+ Tbsp. Milk</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;">Combine ingredients, add more milk if too dry. I prefer my icing on the thick side so that it doesn't run. </span><br />
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<a href="http://www.mylivesignature.com/" target="_blank"><img src="http://signatures.mylivesignature.com/54487/225/C6A51A3BA186A036677718F27F393506.png" style="background: none transparent scroll repeat 0% 0%; border-bottom: 0px; border-left: 0px; border-right: 0px; border-top: 0px;" /></a>DeeDee*http://www.blogger.com/profile/01258328303592480760noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8043347501906736248.post-64682093176159885802010-02-13T14:25:00.000-09:002010-02-13T14:25:05.944-09:00Around the house<span style="color: black; font-family: "Courier New", Courier, monospace;">So, what have I been up to, you ask?!?</span><br />
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</div><span style="color: #990000; font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">Making ribbon heart streamers for my dining room chandelier. My inspiration for this decoration can be found <strong><a href="http://littlebirdiesecrets.blogspot.com/2010/02/heart-strings.html"><span style="color: #660000;">HERE</span></a></strong>. </span><br />
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<span style="color: #990000; font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">I also made a batch of Valentine's Day themed sugar cookies, the recipe will be posted tomorrow, 2-14!</span><br />
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<span style="color: #bf9000; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Making more homemade butter, yummy! You can find my tutorial/recipe <a href="http://souls-of-my-shoes.blogspot.com/2009/01/beautiful-homemade-butter.html"><strong><span style="color: #bf9000;">HERE</span></strong></a>.</span><br />
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<a href="http://www.mylivesignature.com/" target="_blank"><img src="http://signatures.mylivesignature.com/54487/225/C6A51A3BA186A036677718F27F393506.png" style="background: none transparent scroll repeat 0% 0%; border-bottom: 0px; border-left: 0px; border-right: 0px; border-top: 0px;" /></a>DeeDee*http://www.blogger.com/profile/01258328303592480760noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8043347501906736248.post-73843726669144970852010-02-01T22:00:00.001-09:002010-02-01T22:15:40.341-09:00Valentine's Decorations<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg0YyLs3b17MLdrsGmV34NLnYC7L_TDjYI1dn-fox7FnbGi1erMhfyFsY1jzWrJrG9R0XKIfZq-XyNoUIlz4NZN-bg7jqhsO_x3bY9I4wCFYsDgkXOpKEiQJF76wGgGZNHFqEkNLYvvXrc/s1600-h/hearts2a.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="232" kt="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg0YyLs3b17MLdrsGmV34NLnYC7L_TDjYI1dn-fox7FnbGi1erMhfyFsY1jzWrJrG9R0XKIfZq-XyNoUIlz4NZN-bg7jqhsO_x3bY9I4wCFYsDgkXOpKEiQJF76wGgGZNHFqEkNLYvvXrc/s400/hearts2a.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><br />
<span style="color: #e06666; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">I made these cute hearts to decorate our fireplace for Valentine's Day. I purchased the foam hearts in various sizes, along with the cute love phrases, at Jo-Ann's. Then added some colorful buttons, & hot glued everything onto some red ribbon. Finally, a couple of red heart candles added to the mantle, & voila, all decorated!</span><br />
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<span style="color: #e06666; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">I convinced Kyle to help me decorate them :-)</span><br />
<span style="color: #e06666; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">A more detailed look of the hearts, aren't they cute!!!</span><br />
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<span style="color: black; font-family: Verdana;"><span style="font-size: x-small;"><span style="color: #e06666;">*I took my inspiration from these felt hearts at the</span> </span><a href="http://littlebirdiesecrets.blogspot.com/2010/01/simple-felt-heart-garland-tutorial.html"><span style="color: #660000; font-size: x-small;">Little Birdie Secrets.</span></a></span><br />
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<a href="http://www.mylivesignature.com/" target="_blank"><img src="http://signatures.mylivesignature.com/54487/225/C6A51A3BA186A036677718F27F393506.png" style="background: none transparent scroll repeat 0% 0%; border-bottom: 0px; border-left: 0px; border-right: 0px; border-top: 0px;" /></a>DeeDee*http://www.blogger.com/profile/01258328303592480760noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8043347501906736248.post-40930503283921497752010-02-01T21:52:00.009-09:002010-02-01T22:11:00.596-09:00Cheesy Polenta with Tomato Chile Sauce<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg4bvOPb2WuuGp_-qh9x50lAS3AlxtkJncJQLTyH0zw-6D1u6OyRMsMRwh87FLWV6BL87vvkhCPss50k20cWu_EkCwjtG8ldI_kxE0xUXJkTFHVEZ0oND6qTSpSscpdL4yuHxdngFefcQ8/s1600-h/healthy+cooking.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" kt="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg4bvOPb2WuuGp_-qh9x50lAS3AlxtkJncJQLTyH0zw-6D1u6OyRMsMRwh87FLWV6BL87vvkhCPss50k20cWu_EkCwjtG8ldI_kxE0xUXJkTFHVEZ0oND6qTSpSscpdL4yuHxdngFefcQ8/s320/healthy+cooking.jpg" width="240" /></a></div><span style="color: #990000; font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">Yummy! Yummy! Yummy!</span><br />
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<span style="color: #990000; font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">While attending Culinary School, I purchased a lot of cook books which most of them I have gotten rid of due to lack of interest. During the school year, there were intensive weekend courses that I would attend, they would last 4 weeks, at 6 hrs each Saturday, & would encompass the same work load as a full semester course. One of my favorites was a Healthy Cooking class aimed at tasty dishes that were healthier than their traditional recipes.</span><br />
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<span style="color: #990000; font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">My favorite recipe in the book was a dish that included beef tenderloin set atop cheesy polenta, & garnished with chile sauce. I modified the recipe a bit to use some leftover pulled pork & tamed the heat of the sauce by omitting the cayenne powder. </span><br />
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<strong><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;">Polenta</span></strong><br />
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;">4 C Chicken broth or stock</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;">6 oz. Yellow Cornmeal</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;">1/4 C Grated Parmesan (I used a blend of parmesan & cheddar) + more for garnish</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;">2 tsp. Salt</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;">Heat broth/stock to a simmer in medium saucepan. Gradually pour cornmeal into broth, while stirring constantly to avoid clumps. Cook over low heat, stirring nearly constantly, with a wooden spoon, until the polenta pulls away from the sides of the pan, approx. 25 minutes. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;">Remove from heat, stir in cheese & salt.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;">Brush sides & bottom of 9x9 pan with water & add polenta to pan. Spread evenly, cool, & cover with plastic until ready to serve. </span><br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhmzlJ_jEV2JS6NPKV74cs6hWJX1QihyphenhyphenRJ-tuacD_Ncv3BR3RGMl6bkOpcY5gp2-gQFIo4lnSVY59UGjpCSnEqdc9172GJUNl6-RgmZsnKIKIdfBhYbkMm31bEDdkYrCxQ_zzsW6XoArUI/s1600-h/DSC_1874.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; cssfloat: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" kt="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhmzlJ_jEV2JS6NPKV74cs6hWJX1QihyphenhyphenRJ-tuacD_Ncv3BR3RGMl6bkOpcY5gp2-gQFIo4lnSVY59UGjpCSnEqdc9172GJUNl6-RgmZsnKIKIdfBhYbkMm31bEDdkYrCxQ_zzsW6XoArUI/s320/DSC_1874.JPG" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEimMK4T1kLHB_N4vGo3TSigzhApKUe3Lswvh83G_gtUJSVIeblWRxT-WeNRO70CIPIgFmpLdjB4gCzIas9xc2X3-AtqRjp7EdGDAL0NmgxsoJaz6WO1cxhn3ovDgKxEETrKbT3rgTXmQsI/s1600-h/DSC_1870.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; cssfloat: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" kt="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEimMK4T1kLHB_N4vGo3TSigzhApKUe3Lswvh83G_gtUJSVIeblWRxT-WeNRO70CIPIgFmpLdjB4gCzIas9xc2X3-AtqRjp7EdGDAL0NmgxsoJaz6WO1cxhn3ovDgKxEETrKbT3rgTXmQsI/s320/DSC_1870.JPG" /></a></div><br />
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<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;">The first picture shows the cornmeal just added to the chicken broth/stock. The next picture shows the finished product after it has cooked 25 minutes & all of the liquid is absorbed.</span><br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiNMNfzqFaNYwADfayBdkwLIizcKv48VRdx1uTmhBhyphenhyphengAzY9IDOwyxDNAA7EncI7jwbkDcfTGpP-oCTuJwwj8eNnHTKdQm1XZpFaBHUzup3BjqOo-_gz6HOL9yRqKkzZuUvYd4u1TF87yA/s1600-h/DSC_1876.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" kt="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiNMNfzqFaNYwADfayBdkwLIizcKv48VRdx1uTmhBhyphenhyphengAzY9IDOwyxDNAA7EncI7jwbkDcfTGpP-oCTuJwwj8eNnHTKdQm1XZpFaBHUzup3BjqOo-_gz6HOL9yRqKkzZuUvYd4u1TF87yA/s320/DSC_1876.JPG" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;">The Polenta is spread in a 9x9 pan. You can use a 9x13 pan for smaller slices of polenta. </span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
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</div><strong><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;">Tomato Chile Sauce</span></strong><br />
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;">2 Tbsp. Oil</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;">2 Tbsp. Onion - chopped fine</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;">3 oz. Tomato Paste (half of a small can)</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;">2 tsp. Garlic - minced fine</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;">2 Tbsp. Brown Sugar</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;">2 tsp. White wine vinegar</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;">1 Tbsp. Chile Powder</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;">1 C Chicken broth or stock</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;">3/4 C Beef broth or stock</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;">Heat oil in a small pan over medium, add in the onion & saute until translucent. Add in tomato paste & cook until rusty colored (don't burn!). Add in the garlic, brown sugar, vinegar, chile powder, & chicken broth/stock. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;">Bring sauce to a simmer, let cook 20 minutes, don't forget to stir! Once thickened, add in beef broth/stock & let simmer an additional 10 minutes. At this point, you can puree the sauce if desired. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS;"><strong>For Color:</strong></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS;">1/2 Red Pepper - sliced thin</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS;">1/2 C Zucchini - sliced thin </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS;">1/2 C Yellow Squash - sliced thin</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS;">1 tsp. Salt</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS;">Saute pepper, zucchini, & squash in a small amount of oil until cooked through, sprinkle salt to finish. *This was omitted in this preparation of the recipe due to not having any of these items, they are a great color addition to the dish and complement the flavors.*</span><br />
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<span style="color: #990000; font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">To assemble I cut rounds of Polenta, use a large cookie cutter, top with a small amount of additional parmesan & cheddar mix, set under low broiler just until cheese melts (you could also melt in microwave in 15-20 seconds). Place a small amount of tomato chile sauce on the plate, top with the cheesy polenta, add on the shredded pork (or</span><span style="color: #990000; font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"> Beef Tenderloin), sauteed veggies, & garnish the top with more tomato chile sauce. </span><br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjLEKf8Icu_VuWJ67X-k-q-SI3pU9J7SoDp7trR8FXDu4v0f9AukgqKTZS8ii3ndFLJqnSexbWssYa-Hox8WGb01r6gpa8zrHz75tzqg60fx3sPtYzHVxxI03_K-1Joot14repcZtlf0zg/s1600-h/pork+polenta.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" kt="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjLEKf8Icu_VuWJ67X-k-q-SI3pU9J7SoDp7trR8FXDu4v0f9AukgqKTZS8ii3ndFLJqnSexbWssYa-Hox8WGb01r6gpa8zrHz75tzqg60fx3sPtYzHVxxI03_K-1Joot14repcZtlf0zg/s320/pork+polenta.jpg" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><a href="http://www.mylivesignature.com/" target="_blank"><img src="http://signatures.mylivesignature.com/54487/225/C6A51A3BA186A036677718F27F393506.png" style="background: none transparent scroll repeat 0% 0%; border-bottom: 0px; border-left: 0px; border-right: 0px; border-top: 0px;" /></a>DeeDee*http://www.blogger.com/profile/01258328303592480760noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8043347501906736248.post-47466766028365309592010-02-01T20:50:00.000-09:002010-02-01T20:50:00.999-09:00Wolf Moon<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjYQXoKjOdkKdEcavAXZJQ_uuizKJ5nArjot9RGuYg9wJTUc11hX34KJRhObe5rsW7OnH7DEiX0LbFKM6YY4yRoxUmtrbDx97hyphenhyphenwuzpJf01vS-1qxo9ToCp3ncwXrrVrXEp_COUE9x9XEQ/s1600-h/wolf+moon.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" kt="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjYQXoKjOdkKdEcavAXZJQ_uuizKJ5nArjot9RGuYg9wJTUc11hX34KJRhObe5rsW7OnH7DEiX0LbFKM6YY4yRoxUmtrbDx97hyphenhyphenwuzpJf01vS-1qxo9ToCp3ncwXrrVrXEp_COUE9x9XEQ/s320/wolf+moon.jpg" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><span style="color: #0b5394; font-family: "Courier New", Courier, monospace;">On Friday, we viewed a wonderful Wolf Moon which is the largest full moon of the year. The moon was within 221,577 miles of Earth, and appeared 30% larger & 14% brighter. </span><br />
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<span style="color: #0b5394; font-family: "Courier New", Courier, monospace;">Not sure how I caught this shot as this is not a time lapse photo, but interesting none the less!</span><br />
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<a href="http://www.mylivesignature.com/" target="_blank"><img src="http://signatures.mylivesignature.com/54487/225/C6A51A3BA186A036677718F27F393506.png" style="background: none transparent scroll repeat 0% 0%; border-bottom: 0px; border-left: 0px; border-right: 0px; border-top: 0px;" /></a>DeeDee*http://www.blogger.com/profile/01258328303592480760noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8043347501906736248.post-56028111773588221072010-01-23T23:47:00.048-09:002010-01-24T00:17:15.976-09:00Sleepy girl<span style="color: #741b47; font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"><em>I truly thought that my lack of posts was due to the hectic time around the holidays, but that seems to not be the case. I've been in a funk the last couple of weeks, constantly ready for a nap, & it seems like I'm always behind on housework. </em></span><br />
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</span><span style="color: #a64d79; font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"><em><strong>BUT</strong>, I had a burst of energy this weekend, & I spent most of Saturday re-arranging two rooms, going through belongings & hauling 3 boxes to the Goodwill. With all the different crafting that I enjoy, it was evident that it was time to trim my crafting supplies from 6 large rubbermade totes down to 4. Im sure that I won't miss any of it. Hopefully Sunday will be just as productive. </em></span><br />
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<span style="color: #741b47; font-family: Georgia;">I picked up some lovely dishes at the thrift store a week or so ago. We have a small amount of dishes, service for 4, and it always seems that we are in need of small plates. I found 3 plates, they are Mikasa's Blue River, made from 1975-1981 & sell for $11.99 at replacement cost. I picked them up for .49c each, not a bad investment, & I like the splash of color! </span><br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiTONBV64AkHdre4GQvEcW57XrR_G03isVBEhzFMYiouKlusTQa_K2F5pldQWrgF3fTa81xX-EIDaJRpQlNNzMGgYo7cGF5qF8KeRsG1qoo5n4QKjyvjUApoJDntkyNuduvYYTieGd38R4/s1600-h/P1223507.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" mt="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiTONBV64AkHdre4GQvEcW57XrR_G03isVBEhzFMYiouKlusTQa_K2F5pldQWrgF3fTa81xX-EIDaJRpQlNNzMGgYo7cGF5qF8KeRsG1qoo5n4QKjyvjUApoJDntkyNuduvYYTieGd38R4/s320/P1223507.JPG" /></a><br />
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<span style="color: #a64d79; font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">On the downside, my carpet cleaner kicked the bucket this week, so we will be budgeting for several months to purchase a new one. Our first cleaner lasted 6 years so well worth the $300 investment, & I couldn't imagine not having one on hand between the dog messes, our messes, & the inevitable daily grime that is brought into the house. </span><br />
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<span style="color: #a64d79; font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"><span style="color: #741b47;">The Pugs say HI!! They aren't very happy about getting kicked from the second bedroom & being relocated to the office nook, which was previously my crafting area. And now they know the second we awake in the morning & if we don't let them out pronto they wine until we do! </span></span><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi_0YLcGFcVnm5GbwyGZ_T8YWZTXexmlcvt0LgnyV1mo_nc57qCZEq7JL_Jc-fV8dIoWGe2BlMY53NhEo7rdl2-7JfOT9SqUp1tL0Och0AJ2zBEHrrXHjWU_3PH1j9RFiCVFRqvA_OVN0c/s1600-h/P1233500.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" mt="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi_0YLcGFcVnm5GbwyGZ_T8YWZTXexmlcvt0LgnyV1mo_nc57qCZEq7JL_Jc-fV8dIoWGe2BlMY53NhEo7rdl2-7JfOT9SqUp1tL0Och0AJ2zBEHrrXHjWU_3PH1j9RFiCVFRqvA_OVN0c/s320/P1233500.JPG" /></a><br />
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<a href="http://www.mylivesignature.com/" target="_blank"><img src="http://signatures.mylivesignature.com/54487/225/C6A51A3BA186A036677718F27F393506.png" style="background: none transparent scroll repeat 0% 0%; border-bottom: 0px; border-left: 0px; border-right: 0px; border-top: 0px;" /></a>DeeDee*http://www.blogger.com/profile/01258328303592480760noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8043347501906736248.post-50218439285097592702010-01-16T12:32:00.001-09:002010-01-16T12:34:23.619-09:00Banana Split Cake<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">The title says it all!</span><br />
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<strong><span style="color: #bf9000; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Banana Split Cake</span></strong><br />
<span style="color: #bf9000; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">2 1/2 C Graham Cracker Crumbs</span><br />
<span style="color: #bf9000; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">1/2 C Granular Sugar</span><br />
<span style="color: #bf9000; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">2/3 C Margarine or butter - melted</span><br />
<span style="color: #bf9000; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">16 oz. Cream Cheese - softened</span><br />
<span style="color: #bf9000; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">2 C Powdered Sugar </span><br />
<span style="color: #bf9000; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">2 Medium cans crushed pineapple - drained (you can use this juice for the Mountain Dew Salad!)</span><br />
<span style="color: #bf9000; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">6 Medium/Large Bananas - cut into 1/2 in. thick slices</span><br />
<span style="color: #bf9000; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">1 Lg. Tub of Cool Whip</span><br />
<span style="color: #bf9000; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Chocolate Syrup</span><br />
<span style="color: #bf9000; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Maraschino Cherries</span><br />
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<span style="color: #bf9000; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Combine graham cracker crumbs, granular sugar, & margarine/butter press into bottom of 9 x 13 pan. Bake 375 degrees for 5 minutes, let cool completely.</span><br />
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<span style="color: #bf9000; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">In medium bowl combine cream cheese, powdered sugar & mix until smooth. Spread evenly over cooled crust. Layer pineapple over cream cheese & top that with the banana slices. Completely cover banana slices with cool whip. </span><br />
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<span style="color: #bf9000; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Let chill til ready to serve. Garnish top with chocolate syrup & maraschino cherries before cutting. </span><br />
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<a href="http://www.mylivesignature.com/" target="_blank"><img src="http://signatures.mylivesignature.com/54487/225/C6A51A3BA186A036677718F27F393506.png" style="background: none transparent scroll repeat 0% 0%; border-bottom: 0px; border-left: 0px; border-right: 0px; border-top: 0px;" /></a>DeeDee*http://www.blogger.com/profile/01258328303592480760noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8043347501906736248.post-77924603114111063622010-01-16T00:39:00.003-09:002010-01-16T12:33:28.381-09:00Another weekend<span style="font-family: "Courier New", Courier, monospace;">My...I really have no idea where the time has gone! I still haven't fully recovered from the rush of the holidays and this is the first time I've sat down to the computer in over a week. </span><br />
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<span style="color: #073763;"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;"><span style="color: #0b5394;">Our little Winston's eye finally healed and all is well with our spunky little boy. I am still administering his eye drops once a day, down from his 4x a day perscription from the vet. We will probably continue the drops for another week just to make sure.</span> </span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "Courier New", Courier, monospace;">Here are some recipes that I'll be making over our extended weekend, we have Monday off due to Martin Luther King Day. </span><br />
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<span style="color: #741b47; font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;"><strong>Surprise Pancakes</strong></span><br />
<span style="color: #741b47; font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;"> Heat oven to 450 Degrees. Put 1/4 C butter in a 9 x 13 pan, place in middle rack in oven to heat up. Meanwhile in a blender combine:</span><br />
<span style="color: #741b47; font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;">1 C All Purpose Flour</span><br />
<span style="color: #741b47; font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;">1 C Milk</span><br />
<span style="color: #741b47; font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;">1 tsp. Salt</span><br />
<span style="color: #741b47; font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;">4 Eggs</span><br />
<span style="color: #741b47; font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;">1 tsp. Vanilla extract</span><br />
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<span style="color: #741b47; font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;">Combine for 1 minute until well blended. Open oven door & pour batter into pan (don't remove pan from oven). Do Not Stir! Bake in oven 15 minutes. No Peeking! Cut into wedges & serve with butter & syrup (or fruit & whipped cream). </span><br />
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<span style="color: #38761d; font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;"><strong>Mountain Dew Salad</strong></span><br />
<span style="color: #38761d; font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;">4 C Boiling water</span><br />
<span style="color: #38761d; font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;">2 C Cold Mountain Dew</span><br />
<span style="color: #38761d; font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;">1 C Pineapple Juice</span><br />
<span style="color: #38761d; font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;">2, 6 oz. packages Lemon Jello</span><br />
<span style="color: #38761d; font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;">2 cans Lemon pie filling</span><br />
<span style="color: #38761d; font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;">2 C Cool whip or whipped cream</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;"><span style="color: #38761d;">Dissolve jello in boiling water. Stir in Mountain Dew & pineapple juice. Refrigerate until thick but <strong>not</strong> set. Once thickened, add pie filling & cool whip to jello mix. Pour into 9 x 13 pan & refrigerate</span> <span style="color: #38761d;">until set. When ready to serve, garnish with more cool whip.</span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "Courier New", Courier, monospace;">I've been slowly working on some recipes to see how freezable/reheatable they are. I am hoping to tackle some meals in advance by doubling or tripling the recipes & freezing them for future meals. I'm excited to share those recipes once I get the kinks worked out. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "Courier New", Courier, monospace;">My next test recipe involves a breakfast casserole comprised of cubed potatoes, sausage, scrambled eggs, & cheddar cheese. I have never frozen scrambled eggs before so we'll see how it goes!</span><br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh-_DdPjv7u_p247JhBu0EdmGFxm0UEJmlvI2jG0L_5NNp-BoFt_w2SHBu1ATUY6E44vBSq2XwiXeCh5ckcsHG4oFm_N270OSIDn79f5CTE_dXSOaNNgKOol-uPdtbPbxrEpWGIEATGs-A/s1600-h/DSC_1871.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" ps="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh-_DdPjv7u_p247JhBu0EdmGFxm0UEJmlvI2jG0L_5NNp-BoFt_w2SHBu1ATUY6E44vBSq2XwiXeCh5ckcsHG4oFm_N270OSIDn79f5CTE_dXSOaNNgKOol-uPdtbPbxrEpWGIEATGs-A/s320/DSC_1871.JPG" /></a><br />
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P.S. Winnie says Hi!<br />
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<a href="http://www.mylivesignature.com/" target="_blank"><img src="http://signatures.mylivesignature.com/54487/225/C6A51A3BA186A036677718F27F393506.png" style="background: none transparent scroll repeat 0% 0%; border-bottom: 0px; border-left: 0px; border-right: 0px; border-top: 0px;" /></a>DeeDee*http://www.blogger.com/profile/01258328303592480760noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8043347501906736248.post-24438868171993767202010-01-05T07:00:00.004-09:002010-01-05T07:00:06.730-09:00I'm back!!<span style="color: #073763; font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">Our family enjoyed the holiday season, with hopes that 2010 will be even better! Im slowly getting back into the grove of things so bear with me :-)</span><br />
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<span style="color: #073763; font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">It seems that there is always something going on, Winston scratched his eye & is now on a round of antibiotics as well as two different eye drops. He scratched off part of some scarring that was on his eye, at the vets they numbed his eye, & removed the loose piece. One of the meds he is on is a Serum, they draw some of his blood & spin it to separate the white blood cells from the rest, then you administer the white blood cells as eye drops. He has had allergic reactions to eye meds in the past & with the Serum there is no risk of this because it comes from his own body. He isn't sure what to think with all the fuss, below you can see just what he looks like after he gets both eye drops. If I bribe him with a treat he will follow me to get the meds, but he huffs & puffs afterwards for about 15 min. & puts on this pitiful face. </span><br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhV1a2LL75g6R2ZJ-OYiOBvZDZW3WDI5tHhsKn39IviRT9Asm7LYqf9TibZViMLhjaTrReZH7T4LS_H2bo2LwzZhuCVcvBBFX4YfmjMzbdZLaRbMguyjun0kq8EY9YI9aY7V2Z-3-duNqQ/s1600-h/DSC_1847.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" ps="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhV1a2LL75g6R2ZJ-OYiOBvZDZW3WDI5tHhsKn39IviRT9Asm7LYqf9TibZViMLhjaTrReZH7T4LS_H2bo2LwzZhuCVcvBBFX4YfmjMzbdZLaRbMguyjun0kq8EY9YI9aY7V2Z-3-duNqQ/s320/DSC_1847.JPG" /></a><br />
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</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="color: #073763; font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">Poor 'ol one eye Winnie!</span><br />
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<a href="http://www.mylivesignature.com/" target="_blank"><img src="http://signatures.mylivesignature.com/54487/225/C6A51A3BA186A036677718F27F393506.png" style="background: none transparent scroll repeat 0% 0%; border-bottom: 0px; border-left: 0px; border-right: 0px; border-top: 0px;" /></a>DeeDee*http://www.blogger.com/profile/01258328303592480760noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8043347501906736248.post-34139931554965776872010-01-04T23:22:00.006-09:002010-01-16T12:33:49.898-09:00Waldorf Salad<span style="color: black; font-family: "Courier New", Courier, monospace;">New Year, New Recipe...Enjoy!</span><br />
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<span style="color: #741b47; font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;"><strong>~Waldorf Salad~</strong></span><br />
<span style="color: #741b47; font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;">3 - 4 Medium Apples - core, chop in 1/2 inch pieces</span><br />
<span style="color: #741b47; font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;">1 1/2 - 2 Tbsp. Lime Juice</span><br />
<span style="color: #741b47; font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;">1/3 C Walnuts - rough chop</span><br />
<span style="color: #741b47; font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;">1/2 C Celery - rough chop</span><br />
<span style="color: #741b47; font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;">1/3 C Raisins <em>or</em> Craisins (optional)</span><br />
<span style="color: #741b47; font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;">3/4 C Cool Whip</span><br />
<span style="color: #741b47; font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;">1/3 C Mayonnaise</span><br />
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<span style="color: #741b47; font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;">Take prepared apples, drizzle lime juice over top & toss lightly to coat, use more lime juice if needed to coat all pieces. Add in walnuts, celery, & raisins/craisins. Combine cool whip & mayonnaise in a medium bowl, mix until well blended. Pour over apple mixture, & fold in. Serve chilled.</span><br />
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<span style="color: #741b47; font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;">*I find that if it seems there is more dressing than filling, I just chop up & add in another apple to compensate.* You could also try a blend of apples & pears!!</span><br />
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<a href="http://www.mylivesignature.com/" target="_blank"><img src="http://signatures.mylivesignature.com/54487/225/C6A51A3BA186A036677718F27F393506.png" style="background: none transparent scroll repeat 0% 0%; border-bottom: 0px; border-left: 0px; border-right: 0px; border-top: 0px;" /></a>DeeDee*http://www.blogger.com/profile/01258328303592480760noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8043347501906736248.post-78934035068418830622009-12-31T07:00:00.003-09:002009-12-31T19:29:42.153-09:00Bring it on!<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgciELQBqYzpHGTDSJlwTHuqmUnZy70YiOuLLkIX9KJBXpUlPAGKESQcVVckGIItpMR9jr3JorU2s_A73gcyobn1wAN43GpDMgHqkcC2dDmMQOZB72BpF8GgGoyRtkZAcz5RQ15SDaOYdw/s1600-h/P8193127.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" ps="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgciELQBqYzpHGTDSJlwTHuqmUnZy70YiOuLLkIX9KJBXpUlPAGKESQcVVckGIItpMR9jr3JorU2s_A73gcyobn1wAN43GpDMgHqkcC2dDmMQOZB72BpF8GgGoyRtkZAcz5RQ15SDaOYdw/s320/P8193127.JPG" /></a><br />
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</div><span style="color: #351c75; font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: large;">Flying by to wish everyone a Happy New Year's Eve & Day!!</span><br />
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<span style="color: #351c75; font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: large;">Don't forget to make a resolution for the New Year. Looking forward to seeing you in 2010, with more <em>adventures</em> to come :-)</span><br />
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</div><a href="http://www.mylivesignature.com/" target="_blank"><img src="http://signatures.mylivesignature.com/54487/225/C6A51A3BA186A036677718F27F393506.png" style="background: none transparent scroll repeat 0% 0%; border-bottom: 0px; border-left: 0px; border-right: 0px; border-top: 0px;" /></a>DeeDee*http://www.blogger.com/profile/01258328303592480760noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8043347501906736248.post-26407889732261212482009-12-29T07:00:00.007-09:002009-12-30T21:02:24.198-09:00The Simple Woman's Daybook - December 29th<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjvRNOnqMQ6wum5grwtaFsEh8CZUqu_P0dg9ec_th-nVVJ8D9HsL6rz8TQ9yhFsGKT1Cyl1tn54uFPRxg_uA6S9xov_GevScxgVMml_S3stgexu8Y1NVHYPTiBLxgmukmmIvVq1QlO3lno/s1600-h/simple-woman-daybook-large.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" ps="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjvRNOnqMQ6wum5grwtaFsEh8CZUqu_P0dg9ec_th-nVVJ8D9HsL6rz8TQ9yhFsGKT1Cyl1tn54uFPRxg_uA6S9xov_GevScxgVMml_S3stgexu8Y1NVHYPTiBLxgmukmmIvVq1QlO3lno/s320/simple-woman-daybook-large.jpg" /></a><br />
</div><span style="color: #20124d; font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">FOR TODAY, Tuesday, December 29th</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"><span style="color: #20124d;"><strong>Outside my window...</strong></span> <span style="color: black;">It's finally getting cold again, the snow has stopped melting & we now have an ice rink in our driveway. Hopefully we will get more snow to cover up the ice!</span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"><span style="color: #20124d;"><strong>I am thinking...</strong></span> <span style="color: black;">That I can't believe its the end of the year, 2010 here I come :-)</span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"><strong><span style="color: #20124d;">I am thankful for...</span></strong> <span style="color: black;">My trusty SUV. I had hoped to get a new vehicle this year, but had to make other priorities instead. It's kept me safe the last 6 years. Go baby go!</span></span><br />
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</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"><strong><span style="color: #20124d;">From the kitchen...</span></strong> <span style="color: black;">The counters are over run with holiday goods, there is no way that the two of us will eat it all, so I will bring some to work to share with friends. </span></span><br />
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</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"><strong><span style="color: #20124d;">I am creating...</span></strong> <span style="color: black;">Break from crafting for a while, until I get the holiday clutter under control!</span></span><br />
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</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"><strong><span style="color: #20124d;">I am going...</span></strong> <span style="color: black;">To get ready for work, sometimes I enjoy having more time in the morning before I have to work, & other times it would be nice to have more time in the evenings. </span></span><br />
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</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"><strong><span style="color: #20124d;">I am reading...</span></strong> <span style="color: black;">Digital books on my Iphone.</span> </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"><strong><span style="color: #20124d;">I am hoping...</span></strong> <span style="color: black;">To take down the holiday decorations this upcoming weekend. We always do this after the first of the year. </span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"><strong><span style="color: #20124d;">I am hearing...</span></strong> <span style="color: black;">The microwave, heating up some water for a cup of tea. </span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"><strong><span style="color: #20124d;">Around the house...</span></strong> <span style="color: black;">We have a 4 day weekend so will put away the christmas decorations as well as reclaiming our second bedroom that has become over run with wrapping paper & boxes. </span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"><strong><span style="color: #20124d;">One of my favorite things...</span></strong> <span style="color: black;">Looking forward to a fresh start to a new year, & a new year's resolution. I've had mine planned for a while now, do you?</span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"><strong><span style="color: #20124d;">A few plans for the rest of the week:</span></strong> <span style="color: black;">Coast through work, enjoy the evenings with Kyle watching some movies, & catching up on some housework.</span></span><br />
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<span style="color: #20124d; font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"><strong>Here is a picture thought I am sharing...</strong></span><br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh_Er1IPWUkjgSKNSmeSNIdvXoFtbw9-GTpW4T_aevgW5PMAiN_JWYxUYftpugdqoaVhuyfOaXpYrVa-LP-vdFIiHB_IvNTMfJJsEvXHvBVMwGK9WoNLV-21SlnLNMg6pS6FTuf8Fep9us/s1600-h/DSC_0935.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" ps="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh_Er1IPWUkjgSKNSmeSNIdvXoFtbw9-GTpW4T_aevgW5PMAiN_JWYxUYftpugdqoaVhuyfOaXpYrVa-LP-vdFIiHB_IvNTMfJJsEvXHvBVMwGK9WoNLV-21SlnLNMg6pS6FTuf8Fep9us/s320/DSC_0935.JPG" /></a><br />
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<span style="color: black; font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">A wintery view of downtown Anchorage.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"><span style="color: #20124d;"><span style="color: black;">You can visit Peggy over at</span> </span><a href="http://thesimplewomansdaybook.blogspot.com/"><span style="color: #674ea7;"><strong>The Simple Woman's Daybook</strong></span></a><span style="color: #20124d;"> </span><span style="color: black;">for more daybook entries.</span></span><br />
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<a href="http://www.mylivesignature.com/" target="_blank"><img src="http://signatures.mylivesignature.com/54487/225/C6A51A3BA186A036677718F27F393506.png" style="background: none transparent scroll repeat 0% 0%; border-bottom: 0px; border-left: 0px; border-right: 0px; border-top: 0px;" /></a>DeeDee*http://www.blogger.com/profile/01258328303592480760noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8043347501906736248.post-55314199954923255742009-12-21T00:37:00.002-09:002009-12-21T00:39:09.775-09:00Welcome!<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhGCOnPpJvmL3ydsyqWBNpBM0VmlZ7AOOB3vflme5SN4xIpCIgRMZ9hTBVsHWZre4K3UoKzaG2Ez-0BLgfY343AMI8ON4h9vxY51QhEkNiHnr0Zf740IHHpeNQKq86W6ps7BdkQxFCHJEE/s1600-h/xmas309.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" ps="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhGCOnPpJvmL3ydsyqWBNpBM0VmlZ7AOOB3vflme5SN4xIpCIgRMZ9hTBVsHWZre4K3UoKzaG2Ez-0BLgfY343AMI8ON4h9vxY51QhEkNiHnr0Zf740IHHpeNQKq86W6ps7BdkQxFCHJEE/s400/xmas309.jpg" /></a><br />
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<span style="color: #073763; font-family: "Courier New", Courier, monospace;">Here's some Holiday Scenes from around our home.</span> <br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgjWEp-vsUaLuuhOmVAghGCRqnqdHmNz48bk05ybqCzcLlG0BCz6N-z3KYPnAa3c1PlUWUj6ynwupWX-kYzHm495d60pgFDJJW1Yl7NFYom5NdGte-WJvDYUrtv_4Uv5-flFdcxgkRSP3k/s1600-h/xmas209.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; cssfloat: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" ps="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgjWEp-vsUaLuuhOmVAghGCRqnqdHmNz48bk05ybqCzcLlG0BCz6N-z3KYPnAa3c1PlUWUj6ynwupWX-kYzHm495d60pgFDJJW1Yl7NFYom5NdGte-WJvDYUrtv_4Uv5-flFdcxgkRSP3k/s320/xmas209.jpg" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgReXNG-Zc84_A3HpyuohsJF1pgvDmf2PnTXPMCvxuQWQ9zBBzJSXAzjulfQucgazETAL0oX8fX6Cx3VvzQbrWxg4B4GxPJjv-7axkTqEUy35H-OoPYc7OaCiX3rpSM_cxjtwtZxh5tf94/s1600-h/xmas409.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" ps="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgReXNG-Zc84_A3HpyuohsJF1pgvDmf2PnTXPMCvxuQWQ9zBBzJSXAzjulfQucgazETAL0oX8fX6Cx3VvzQbrWxg4B4GxPJjv-7axkTqEUy35H-OoPYc7OaCiX3rpSM_cxjtwtZxh5tf94/s320/xmas409.jpg" /></a><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="color: #073763; font-family: "Courier New", Courier, monospace;">Close up of the door swag complete with red jingle bells. And our fireplace Mantle.</span> <br />
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</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgoStLuDQ7FpaF8xqA1z-7XBJaKrkayzfHzxZGkVKXc8PxBd40cwAAqO70pZ1UEmG0KKeGf2cwhawTeycDEF9CrruoKdEScRhTS1NC3odW-KHyg3MFYuEL7zR4nvqNxXS112DAJRkCm81Q/s1600-h/xmas109.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; cssfloat: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" ps="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgoStLuDQ7FpaF8xqA1z-7XBJaKrkayzfHzxZGkVKXc8PxBd40cwAAqO70pZ1UEmG0KKeGf2cwhawTeycDEF9CrruoKdEScRhTS1NC3odW-KHyg3MFYuEL7zR4nvqNxXS112DAJRkCm81Q/s320/xmas109.jpg" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiQs_LQy4d26D-WkIBONwx_Ti_NIBYmxocrxqwKngLtouHRTnmvFtafCjfEQpluvfqu0OeKgfexaBhH9Ny6lqiq77SWgUmzVBsTKBgtZm7jlxTYA9vN6PhTEodtAV3v-1MC-GHi_n5jt1E/s1600-h/xmas609.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" ps="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiQs_LQy4d26D-WkIBONwx_Ti_NIBYmxocrxqwKngLtouHRTnmvFtafCjfEQpluvfqu0OeKgfexaBhH9Ny6lqiq77SWgUmzVBsTKBgtZm7jlxTYA9vN6PhTEodtAV3v-1MC-GHi_n5jt1E/s320/xmas609.jpg" /></a><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="color: #073763; font-family: "Courier New", Courier, monospace;">Full view of the fireplace complete with stockings & Christmas Tree reflection. Counting down the days with our Advent Calendar.</span><br />
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</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="color: #073763; font-family: "Courier New", Courier, monospace;">Our most precious gifts underneath the Christmas Tree.</span><br />
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</div><a href="http://www.mylivesignature.com/" target="_blank"><img src="http://signatures.mylivesignature.com/54487/225/C6A51A3BA186A036677718F27F393506.png" style="background: none transparent scroll repeat 0% 0%; border-bottom: 0px; border-left: 0px; border-right: 0px; border-top: 0px;" /></a>DeeDee*http://www.blogger.com/profile/01258328303592480760noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8043347501906736248.post-87672700143938065862009-12-16T23:01:00.002-09:002009-12-16T23:02:28.270-09:00Let it snow, let it snow, let it snow...<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh_hiQIqMuBJq8zkne090ET1QlFm9lf82Qp6Rso0HJpGRP0Xn1reFmD7UNbX3W7rf0I_a9giYkRrUsO3Usav-FonAtvqoEotCPls7K9cBOBX9T4HH3at3pCXvH16BKHAxaPggCRNMzCRnA/s1600-h/PC153486.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" ps="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh_hiQIqMuBJq8zkne090ET1QlFm9lf82Qp6Rso0HJpGRP0Xn1reFmD7UNbX3W7rf0I_a9giYkRrUsO3Usav-FonAtvqoEotCPls7K9cBOBX9T4HH3at3pCXvH16BKHAxaPggCRNMzCRnA/s400/PC153486.JPG" /></a><br />
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<span style="color: #073763; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Enchanting snow covered trees outside my office this morning, with the falling snow twinkling in the cameras flash. Isn't it beautiful?!?</span><br />
<span style="color: #073763; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">In the last two days we've had between 17-22 inches of new snowfall. This will definitely be a white christmas :-)</span><br />
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<a href="http://www.mylivesignature.com/" target="_blank"><img src="http://signatures.mylivesignature.com/54487/225/C6A51A3BA186A036677718F27F393506.png" style="background: none transparent scroll repeat 0% 0%; border-bottom: 0px; border-left: 0px; border-right: 0px; border-top: 0px;" /></a>DeeDee*http://www.blogger.com/profile/01258328303592480760noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8043347501906736248.post-19987769647825838532009-12-15T07:00:00.006-09:002010-01-16T12:34:53.131-09:00Holiday Baking; Almond cookies<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="color: #783f04;">These aren't really a holiday type cookie, but this is the only time of year that I seem to bake them.</span> </span><br />
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<strong><span style="color: #783f04; font-family: "Courier New", Courier, monospace;">Almond Cookies</span></strong><br />
<span style="color: #783f04; font-family: "Courier New", Courier, monospace;">Cream Together;</span><br />
<span style="color: #783f04; font-family: "Courier New", Courier, monospace;"> 1 C Butter - softened</span><br />
<span style="color: #783f04; font-family: "Courier New", Courier, monospace;"> 1 C Granular Sugar</span><br />
<span style="color: #783f04; font-family: "Courier New", Courier, monospace;">Then add, mixing after each addition;</span><br />
<span style="color: #783f04; font-family: "Courier New", Courier, monospace;"> 2 Egg yolks</span><br />
<span style="color: #783f04; font-family: "Courier New", Courier, monospace;"> 1 C Almonds - ground fine</span><br />
<span style="color: #783f04; font-family: "Courier New", Courier, monospace;"> 1 tsp. Almond Extract</span><br />
<span style="color: #783f04; font-family: "Courier New", Courier, monospace;"> 2 1/2 C All Purpose Flour</span><br />
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<span style="color: #783f04; font-family: "Courier New", Courier, monospace;">Dust hands with more flour, & roll dough into 1 inch balls. Place on ungreased cookie sheets, use the bottom of a round glass to flatten balls (dip bottom of glass in flour so dough doesn't stick). </span><br />
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<span style="color: #783f04; font-family: "Courier New", Courier, monospace;">Bake 350 Degrees, 9-15 minutes. </span><br />
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<span style="color: #783f04; font-family: "Courier New", Courier, monospace;"><strong>Icing</strong></span><br />
<span style="color: #783f04; font-family: "Courier New", Courier, monospace;"> 2 tsp. Instant tea (not flavored)</span><br />
<span style="color: #783f04; font-family: "Courier New", Courier, monospace;"> 1/4 C Butter - softened</span><br />
<span style="color: #783f04; font-family: "Courier New", Courier, monospace;"> 1 1/4 C Powdered Sugar</span><br />
<span style="color: #783f04; font-family: "Courier New", Courier, monospace;"> </span><span style="color: #783f04; font-family: "Courier New", Courier, monospace;">2 Tbsp. Milk</span><br />
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<span style="color: #783f04;"><span style="font-family: "Courier New", Courier, monospace;">Cream together butter & tea. Add in powdered sugar & milk, stir until smooth. Ice tops of cooled cookies.</span> </span><br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhsFrt22TEhFfZgUqMBld8NCnmLwdxHInFu8KQez1fFhVYmk0fsmaoh9i9ev0JynT27uF9ExcH_N2i4_xP50amRyPL5aEgZ_aNHcuXdnxIjNaZPI5QsCgxtZypAiWqJRoxREiWfa_CP1gc/s1600-h/PC123463.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" ps="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhsFrt22TEhFfZgUqMBld8NCnmLwdxHInFu8KQez1fFhVYmk0fsmaoh9i9ev0JynT27uF9ExcH_N2i4_xP50amRyPL5aEgZ_aNHcuXdnxIjNaZPI5QsCgxtZypAiWqJRoxREiWfa_CP1gc/s320/PC123463.JPG" /></a><br />
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<span style="color: #783f04; font-family: "Courier New", Courier, monospace;">*If you want to be fancy, decorate the iced tops with a slivered almond or two.</span><br />
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<a href="http://www.mylivesignature.com/" target="_blank"><img src="http://signatures.mylivesignature.com/54487/225/C6A51A3BA186A036677718F27F393506.png" style="background: none transparent scroll repeat 0% 0%; border-bottom: 0px; border-left: 0px; border-right: 0px; border-top: 0px;" /></a>DeeDee*http://www.blogger.com/profile/01258328303592480760noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8043347501906736248.post-3587748200646511022009-12-13T07:00:00.004-09:002010-01-16T12:35:11.904-09:00Holiday Baking; Mexican wedding cookies<span style="color: #741b47; font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">This is an adaptation of my mothers recipe. I also call them sand dollars.</span><br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiVykvv4ANSn9Z8jgu_fs_KYQIIsqH93oEAqCK0D1GWhbUnXVRnPRiKVPmX6wvZ2KZ7VjCKrzvGvvYOpWbcW2-fMZf0KctBC7TzdDneoy_GYfCQXQzUL18v48zvh-oLKFBwJUnGXEgUQ_U/s1600-h/DSC_1787.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" er="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiVykvv4ANSn9Z8jgu_fs_KYQIIsqH93oEAqCK0D1GWhbUnXVRnPRiKVPmX6wvZ2KZ7VjCKrzvGvvYOpWbcW2-fMZf0KctBC7TzdDneoy_GYfCQXQzUL18v48zvh-oLKFBwJUnGXEgUQ_U/s320/DSC_1787.JPG" /></a><br />
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<span style="color: #741b47; font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><strong>Mexican wedding cookies</strong></span><br />
<span style="color: #741b47; font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">1/2 C Butter* - softened (no substitutes)</span><br />
<span style="color: #741b47; font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">1/4 C Powdered Sugar</span><br />
<span style="color: #741b47; font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">1 tsp. Vanilla extract</span><br />
<span style="color: #741b47; font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="color: #741b47; font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Pinch of salt</span><br />
<span style="color: #741b47; font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">3/4 C + 2 Tbsp. All Purpose Flour</span><br />
</span><span style="color: #741b47; font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">1/2 C Walnuts - chop fine</span><br />
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<span style="color: #741b47; font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Combine softened butter, sugar, & vanilla. Add in salt & 3/4 C flour. If dough is too wet, add in remaining flour. Add in walnuts, the smaller the pieces the better. </span><span style="color: #741b47; font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Let chill 1 hour. </span><br />
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<span style="color: #741b47; font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Roll dough into small balls & place on ungreased cookie sheets. Bake 350 degrees, 12-14 min., or until the tops are firm and the bottoms are golden. </span><br />
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<span style="color: #741b47; font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Take warm cookies & roll in more powdered sugar. This works well in a ziploc bag, or in a large bowl. </span><br />
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<span style="color: #741b47; font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">*If you use salted butter, just omit the pinch of salt.*</span><br />
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<a href="http://www.mylivesignature.com/" target="_blank"><img src="http://signatures.mylivesignature.com/54487/225/C6A51A3BA186A036677718F27F393506.png" style="background: none transparent scroll repeat 0% 0%; border-bottom: 0px; border-left: 0px; border-right: 0px; border-top: 0px;" /></a>DeeDee*http://www.blogger.com/profile/01258328303592480760noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8043347501906736248.post-63151874309697082032009-12-11T06:00:00.007-09:002009-12-12T02:00:33.624-09:004 Seasons<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="color: black; font-family: "Courier New", Courier, monospace;">Wow, what a crazy years its been for our household! We've had a ton of activity & it seems that the last year has breezed by. Here's a peek at our memorable moments of 2009.</span> <br />
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</div><span style="color: #0c343d; font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><strong><em>Spring:</em> </strong></span><br />
<span style="color: #0c343d; font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><strong>*</strong> Started the year with a bang *literally*, the numerous eruptions of Mt. Redoubt finally made its impact in Anchorage with a dusting or two of volcanic ash! </span><br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi8757Tq2R_XR3kG4ZXXVXmC2piJ_630HPznXKkMFCj-8WZi3_brFmPhhgz1hm02HlCcz6Dbrv8kx8sZvdJmMpesgNb_nUY8LOL_260aUUmwNPC7PUBlCunCMRpZJyQ4NEmXVQm95poSNo/s1600-h/P3271527.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; cssfloat: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" er="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi8757Tq2R_XR3kG4ZXXVXmC2piJ_630HPznXKkMFCj-8WZi3_brFmPhhgz1hm02HlCcz6Dbrv8kx8sZvdJmMpesgNb_nUY8LOL_260aUUmwNPC7PUBlCunCMRpZJyQ4NEmXVQm95poSNo/s320/P3271527.JPG" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiLE46PMfnsfoKqazp7DHq2iVqIZPA34cfnLnA0O0ZjLRzvC5d_QEKoRBdE9R_t7gwPPui890n_Po4fqLfOD3Qjckn7GYw2IdwpEgUeYmxXzOrl8oMpnQfIx78X1Tj7l2ZZGsOdbhdKqIM/s1600-h/P3271517.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; cssfloat: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" er="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiLE46PMfnsfoKqazp7DHq2iVqIZPA34cfnLnA0O0ZjLRzvC5d_QEKoRBdE9R_t7gwPPui890n_Po4fqLfOD3Qjckn7GYw2IdwpEgUeYmxXzOrl8oMpnQfIx78X1Tj7l2ZZGsOdbhdKqIM/s320/P3271517.JPG" /></a><br />
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<span style="color: #0c343d; font-family: Arial;"><strong>*</strong> We watched the ceremonial start of the 36th Annual Iditarod Sled Dog Race. </span><br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhT5ezAbr3odXnngeo33kO31Sse3H_tBrmhqFYHzqnhgh-k29LuImK57z2K0TX6WlNwBT4qVx3BcNpXI9kZAp7iKF_xIdJu5ZG3aK2icmUEZpMS_fsqwTZQFFg6EBI0xkqFX-ZGeMrxWP8/s1600-h/DSC_1040.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; cssfloat: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" er="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhT5ezAbr3odXnngeo33kO31Sse3H_tBrmhqFYHzqnhgh-k29LuImK57z2K0TX6WlNwBT4qVx3BcNpXI9kZAp7iKF_xIdJu5ZG3aK2icmUEZpMS_fsqwTZQFFg6EBI0xkqFX-ZGeMrxWP8/s320/DSC_1040.JPG" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgpQimlxaCzR6qSL-kmZQH3-FucjH_QBiSkVHx7Z9LLrmRx6FAqybACenSg6EKflfMFv-HDttSzI8GIwV0117oDqTKnr_2Fbnmr8zP-m9KvV1hX-46REDUJu2vkNj7pHYUl5TDl34yuZ0M/s1600-h/DSC_0978.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" er="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgpQimlxaCzR6qSL-kmZQH3-FucjH_QBiSkVHx7Z9LLrmRx6FAqybACenSg6EKflfMFv-HDttSzI8GIwV0117oDqTKnr_2Fbnmr8zP-m9KvV1hX-46REDUJu2vkNj7pHYUl5TDl34yuZ0M/s320/DSC_0978.JPG" /></a><br />
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</div><span style="color: #0c343d; font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><strong>* </strong>We took our spring pilgrimage to Valdez, its become an annual tradition, & our visit always falls on Memorial Day weekend & early enough in the year so that we can still enjoy the many waterfalls that dot the mountainsides around Valdez.</span><br />
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<span style="color: #0c343d; font-family: Arial;"><strong>* </strong>Kyle had to take a business trip to Seattle & I was able to join him for several days & extend the trip into a few leisure days of fun. </span><br />
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<span style="color: #073763; font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><strong><em>Summer:</em> </strong></span><br />
<span style="color: #073763; font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><strong>* </strong>A short day ride south of Anchorage, we travelled the tram to the top of Mount Alyeska for a view of the seven glaciers surrounding the resort. It was a nice afternoon trip & I am hoping next year to paraglide from the top!</span><br />
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</div><span style="color: #073763; font-family: Arial;"><strong>* </strong>Just two weeks later we travelled to California for a mixture of business & leisure. We spent 4 days in Anaheim then travelled, for work purposes, to Apple Valley for another 5 days.</span><br />
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<strong><span style="color: #20124d;">Fall:</span></strong><br />
<span style="color: #20124d;"><strong>*</strong><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> We squeezed in a trip to the U-pick farm. We were rewarded with warm weather & a bountiful variety of fresh fruits & vegetables.</span></span><br />
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<span style="color: #20124d; font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><strong>*</strong> The perfect weather for picking berries in Arctic Valley! We were a bit slow to harvest, but enjoyed the trip nonetheless. </span><br />
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<span style="color: #4c1130; font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><strong>Winter:</strong></span><br />
<span style="color: #4c1130; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><strong>* </strong>Time for celebrating with parties & lots of tasty food! </span><span style="color: #4c1130; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Our company Christmas Party. Always enjoyable, a fun evening of food & entertainment, & a reason to get all dolled up. I kept the pics to a minimum, between socializing with co-workers, I thought it would be a bit rude to walk around taking a bunch of pics, so you'll just have to believe me when I say it was a great party!</span><br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjZXwP8JdUNOq98uVQAu3GO5Mruwxy127PeGSWnOpY_SDLketolkiVAlWTuNpzxyC-CLVlm0UJqg7l4ntzJjDwW3wcQuU99nDqRiiO4H7blbnq6I8rZKQP-RPOjY-iNjKIugKigj00F2G0/s1600-h/PC043427.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; cssfloat: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" er="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjZXwP8JdUNOq98uVQAu3GO5Mruwxy127PeGSWnOpY_SDLketolkiVAlWTuNpzxyC-CLVlm0UJqg7l4ntzJjDwW3wcQuU99nDqRiiO4H7blbnq6I8rZKQP-RPOjY-iNjKIugKigj00F2G0/s320/PC043427.JPG" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgUTyLVP1DHw8N6LHcKwq5f87O7Sp9slGjeZ1HA2is26GywFc2lU5HXBEYpg7S6WZoqtsJJsqcZKNRdeZ7io2OHMPojWuzkv5oS1cFcQYLfbAQMLLe1HW9GJGNpKLJl8LSkdsuIilBBZg0/s1600-h/kylendeedee+12-09.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; cssfloat: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" er="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgUTyLVP1DHw8N6LHcKwq5f87O7Sp9slGjeZ1HA2is26GywFc2lU5HXBEYpg7S6WZoqtsJJsqcZKNRdeZ7io2OHMPojWuzkv5oS1cFcQYLfbAQMLLe1HW9GJGNpKLJl8LSkdsuIilBBZg0/s320/kylendeedee+12-09.jpg" /></a><br />
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<a href="http://www.mylivesignature.com/" target="_blank"><img src="http://signatures.mylivesignature.com/54487/225/C6A51A3BA186A036677718F27F393506.png" style="background: none transparent scroll repeat 0% 0%; border-bottom: 0px; border-left: 0px; border-right: 0px; border-top: 0px;" /></a>DeeDee*http://www.blogger.com/profile/01258328303592480760noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8043347501906736248.post-16070068763234988352009-12-10T08:00:00.010-09:002009-12-10T08:00:03.706-09:00Pouting!<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgjxwvfYc_yQ4rbZ15dpeziZPH9G62zOHjDHncAfqTSfa2jyaYOxhLIbLXKUHW9ylWi-caL37O7Za5UlIIbwTdCLSujUwdJTV39uGT6cZ-TwCANh55e1KyeJNDBqgtBtSr4vQ-ppv9nY0U/s1600-h/lucy+12-09.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" er="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgjxwvfYc_yQ4rbZ15dpeziZPH9G62zOHjDHncAfqTSfa2jyaYOxhLIbLXKUHW9ylWi-caL37O7Za5UlIIbwTdCLSujUwdJTV39uGT6cZ-TwCANh55e1KyeJNDBqgtBtSr4vQ-ppv9nY0U/s320/lucy+12-09.jpg" /></a><br />
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</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="color: #990000; font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">Haha...what a little pouter! Here's Lucy stealing my computer chair, she is <em>notoriously bad</em> for taking your warm seat, & her cute little face just begs for any treats that you may have on hand. </span><br />
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</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="color: #990000; font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">And yes, I normally give into her sweet little begging <strong> <span style="font-family: Times, "Times New Roman", serif;">:-)</span></strong></span><br />
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<a href="http://www.mylivesignature.com/" target="_blank"><img src="http://signatures.mylivesignature.com/54487/225/C6A51A3BA186A036677718F27F393506.png" style="background: none transparent scroll repeat 0% 0%; border-bottom: 0px; border-left: 0px; border-right: 0px; border-top: 0px;" /></a>DeeDee*http://www.blogger.com/profile/01258328303592480760noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8043347501906736248.post-65092040777730448392009-12-09T07:00:00.001-09:002010-01-16T12:35:30.047-09:00Holiday Baking; Applesauce cookies<span style="color: #990000; font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">Woohoo, I'm starting off my holiday baking with one of my grandmothers recipes! </span><br />
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<span style="color: #990000; font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"><strong>Applesauce Cookies</strong></span><br />
<span style="color: #990000; font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">1 C Shortening</span><br />
<span style="color: #990000; font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">2 C Packed brown sugar</span><br />
<span style="color: #990000; font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">2 eggs</span><br />
<span style="color: #990000; font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">1/2 C Coffee - cold</span><br />
<span style="color: #990000; font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">3 1/2 C Flour - sifted</span><br />
<span style="color: #990000; font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">1 tsp. Baking Soda</span><br />
<span style="color: #990000; font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">1 tsp. Salt</span><br />
<span style="color: #990000; font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">1 tsp. EACH; Cinnamon, Cloves, & Nutmeg</span><br />
<span style="color: #990000; font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">2 C Applesauce - well drained</span><br />
<span style="color: #990000; font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">1 C Raisins <em>or </em>Chocolate chips</span><br />
<span style="color: #990000; font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">1/2 C Walnuts - chopped (optional)</span><br />
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<span style="color: #990000; font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">Combine shortening, sugar, & eggs. Add in coffee, & whisk until it starts to pull together. Stir in sifted flour, soda, salt, & spices. Stir well. Add in applesauce (I used my homemade apple butter), raisins/chips, & nuts, stirring between each addition. Cover & let chill 1 hour. </span><br />
<span style="color: #990000; font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">Heat oven to 400 degrees, bake on ungreased cookie sheets 8-12 minutes. </span><br />
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<a href="http://www.mylivesignature.com/" target="_blank"><img src="http://signatures.mylivesignature.com/54487/225/C6A51A3BA186A036677718F27F393506.png" style="background: none transparent scroll repeat 0% 0%; border-bottom: 0px; border-left: 0px; border-right: 0px; border-top: 0px;" /></a>DeeDee*http://www.blogger.com/profile/01258328303592480760noreply@blogger.com