Busy Weekend

Thursday we left for a marriage retreat in Town Creek, AL.. Bought and paid for by the Army... Thank You Uncle Sam. As often as I bitch about you... you can give me something good every once in awhile. It was also sort to speak our last Hooah since it won't be long until Rick retires. Our accomidations were at the Doublehead Resort. In the mornings we had class and in the afternoons we were free to do whatever we wanted. They provided us with meals and it was so nice :). Skylar enjoyed the free time with the other kids and of course getting to run all over outdoors on a nice 70 degree weekend. (its back to being cold now) Saturday we tried to go horseback riding but they were booked up and we couldn't do it as a family so I decided against it. Skylar and I will do it when she is a little bigger. Thats more important to me. Rick decided we should take a short trip to  Tuscumbia, Alabama to see Ivy Green. Which is the birthplace and childhood home of Helen Keller. Beatrix Potter, Amelia Earhart, and Helen Keller are some of my favorite women of history. None of them stuck to what was expected of them but went on to make new expectations of others. As Marilyn Monroe once said. Well Behaved Women Rarely Make History...
It was interesting to walk the steps she took. It was interesting to see the cradle from the stories, The dining room where she had a food fight with Annie Sullivan. Of course the Water Well that we all know so well too!
During the Lessons of the Marriage Retreat I really enjoyed Chaplain Fisher and his wife Sara's stories. His teaching style kept me interested and of course I felt like maybe I talked too much haha! I always have input! The first day we dug in deep to the seven love languages. We even talked about what potential love languages the children have. We went over a little of Dave Ramsey's Total Money Makeover. We are currently enrolled in his class now. We did "The Seven principles for Making Marriage Work" by John Gottman and its not religous based as so many of the other books are. I still have SO many questions but I don't know if Chaplain Fisher has the answers for me. Oh well leave it to me LOL.. But overall it was a great experience.
Rick and I laughed about it on Sunday but they were doing hunting on the resort and we thought mixing that with PTSD was a bad idea haha. I would have liked more socializing as a group. I know its a marriage retreat so it was encouraged that the families spend time with their own but a BBQ or a Bon Fire on the last night would have been nice :)

Wordless Wednesday

Vintage Pearl Giveaway

Jennifer @ A Day in the Life of a SAHM is offering a generous give away with Vintage Pearl. Check out her blog and the beautiful items at Vintage Pearl. I like the Dainty Drops, I love you to the Moon and back and the baby spoons :) What's your favorite piece? Would you believe Pam @ TroopPetrie also wants to win? LOL hit her up too!

Tempt My Tummy Tuesdays

http://blessedwithgrace.blogspot.com/

This momma is sick with a bug of some type or a killer cycle. Anywho I think I am going to take it easy on my stomach and just make some chicken soup from a box hehe and enjoy it and let my favorite Soldier take care of the lil ones.

I wanted to bake a Cinnamon Tea Cake. Its a yummy thing my "adopted mom" used to make me and I never put two and two together to make it for myself. Then one day at our Dave Ramsey Class there it appeared and the taste was like a reminisce of YUM. I asked the baker for the recipe (she was also taking the class) She got short with me and told me NO I couldn't have the recipe it was her prize winning cake and she planned on opening a bakery with this signature cake. HA!

Alrighty then. So I googled it and I am going to give a try. But today my stomach isn't up to par. I am under quarantine and just taking a half of a day off. Maybe Saturday if I am not busy or Monday afternoon once Skylar comes home from school.

My mom used to make Chicken and Rice when I was real little and we didn't have a lot of money. I asked as an adult what she did and my mother is one of those cooks that doesn't do recipes she doesn't measure she is just like auto pilot... All she said was take some chicken breasts into a pan with a little water and rice and it will cook up... I know there is more too this but WHAT? I want some!

What's tempting your tummy this Tuesday?

What's for dinner?

Do you want to share a recipe?

If you blog be sure to click the link and join the Blog Carnival...

    http://blessedwithgrace.blogspot.com/

"Not Me Monday"

 It wasn't me that HAD to have the Shark Steam Mop and I am sadly disappointed in it and would sell it for about $40 to anyone who wanted it LOL.

 
I should have gotten the Hoover!

It wasn't my child who was banging it on the floor mopping his bathroom with it. When I tried to explain you use it like when you steam clothes with an iron that he had never ironed clothes before. 22 years old and never used an iron? Say WHAT? I looked at Rick and said your in BIG trouble!

a busy day

This week Tots 2 Teens Consignment and MOMSmart consignments. 2 outfits 2 rompers 2 t-shirts, 3 toys for William and an outfit for Skylar $35 at MOMsMart Spring Consignment Sale, !! I found it 15 minutes before they closed. 6 outfits + 2 shirts and the fishbowl toy for William = $30  @Tots 2 Teens. Great deals in my opinion. Nothing extra special but it helps. I am also working on listing clothes of my own I need to sale. Girls clothes from baby up to size 6 and boys from Newborn up to 6 months and other extra stuff. You an look here. Just comment on the stuff your interested in. I try to list 50 new items a day. I gotta go back up tomorrow and check Tots 2 Teens again tomorrow. We looked at Target for a few must haves that I've been putting off along with some soccer stuff for Skylar. I have been looking for clothes for Alex and church clothes for Rick. So we stopped at the PX to see. Then I went to the mall to get my hair cut again. We found some good deals for Rick at Dillards and Gymbo is having a pretty good baby sale. Didn't do too much but it seemed to take all day. Now I have cranky children and cranky husband. I would love a shopping buddy and just leave everyone at home haha.

Hi all

Sorry to all my readers that I haven't post lately. I will try and change that. We are currently busy with our lives. Rick is retiring from the Army May 1st So he is looking for a civilian job. I am being the mom and I need to step up my game. I have been trying to loose weight by exercising on my Wii fit. Not getting much of anywhere. Alex will be home this spring for R&R. James & Skylar are doing well. William is growing leaps & bounds!

My lonely twitter http://twitter.com/Armyknightslady
My busy facebook www.facebook.com/armyknightslady

Project 365

Saturday we took James to work then went to the mall. Rick got a hair cut while I did some shopping. I went to Children's Place and got William and Skylar Christmas Pajama's for next year, Skylar a hat and William a pair of blue jeans then I went to Gymboree and got two t-shirts for William, a pair of shorts, and another pair of pajama's for Skylar for a total of $3.00 and change. Then we met my neighbors at a place we have never been before called Southerlands they have train sets, collectable dolls, play mobile sets, Melissa & Doug brand toys, doll house & castle play sets, baby stuff, crafts, art supplies, puppets, dress up stuff, Christmas villages... Etc Then we went to sci-quest the science museum. Today we need groceries and playing hookey from church because Rick has surgery tomorrow.

http://www.southerlandstation.com/

http://www.sci-quest.org/home/

William is 5 months old today

http://anotherrecruitontheway.blogspot.com/

His update coming soon on his blog

My hubby was such a trooper today and through it all he was still worried about not being able to take care of me. His tests came out 99% clear there is no short term danger thankfully. I am proud of him and love him. What a day we had.

New Years Goals

My new years goals (not resolutions)
Are to Blog more! (along with that scrapbook more if I can afford it) No excuse I can find cheap ways to do it too I did it before in Georgia
Work with my Flylady routine. Do Wii Fit or Walking everyday for 30 minutes.

Project 365

Project 365 is taking one photo each day for the whole 2009. There are several sites on the web encouraging and helping the ones who have decided to give the project another chance, I wanted to do it for the first year of the baby's life but my camera broke so I had to wait till Christmas to ask Santa for a new one.

My friend asked me for a recent picture of William who is two days from being Five Months old.

Skylar was playing with him in the floor. I strip him down to feed him solid foods to keep the stains away and shortly after this Rick took him for a bath.

Thank you to some of hte most awesome neighbors. It really meant alot to Rick believe it or not. They gave Rick this balloon and a PC game. That was so thoughtful. He would have been happy with another 5 lbs of Fudge though LOL. Rick had a great birthday doing what he desires. I got him a power mat with adaptors for his Nintendo DS and Ipod. Skylar got him Scene it for Star Trek. We went to Longhorn for Dinner. Happy Birthday to hubby!

We will open the book. Its pages are blank. We are going to put words on them ourselves. The book is called Opportunity and its first chapter is New Year's Day.

busy holiday

   Santa came to visit us on Saturday. Santa dropped by and left Barnaby our Elf on a Shelf and a note for Skylar when she wakes up along with William and her Christmas Build a Bears...

A note from Santa about Barnaby our Elf on the Shelf. Elfontheshelf.com

Barnaby and his story... (also has a work book)

Frosty the Snowman build a Bear

This is Curly Chris the Family Santa Build A Bear

This is Snow Bell. She has a part time job as Santa's elf off season she's an ice skater.

This is Skylar's BAB. She actually picked this exact bear out but it was too busy to build her that day.

Juneau William's first Christmas polar bear BAB. Off season he's an astronaut to match William's room.

Saturday we had Operation Christmas Bear. Operation Christmas Bear is a thing put on by several groups to support our troops and those who have husbands deployed as a civilian or in the military

Operation Christmas Bear Pictures [x here x]

We've been to the Galaxy of Lights put on by the Huntsville Botanical Gardens.

Its a drive through light displays

Galaxy of Lights Pictures [x here x]

We've had breakfast with Santa

Breakfast With Santa Pictures [x here x]

We went to the Christmas Tree Lighting at Bridge Street

Pictures are [x here x]

We had a snow day and it might snow again on Saturday wow two weekends in a row lol

Snow Day Pictures [x here x]

Oh and if you want to see my tree's and the rest of my decorations :) The Pictures are [x here x]

If you want to know how I make ornaments the blog is [x here x]

We have his, hers and ours tree's LOL. I married Rick almost 3 years ago so some of the stuff we brought into the marriage. He has his Charlie Brown Christmas Tree. I have my old 7 foot tree I used to decorate when I was younger and I begged and fought for (actually I did LOL)

Last year with the Hero's at Home program sponsered by Sears we got to purchase new tree because mine is showing signs of wear finally. Missing about two branches & sheds like mad which isn't good for a baby or our cats.

The one in the living room is my Supercalifragilisticexpialidocious Smörgåsbord of ornaments. Old Ornaments, Hand me decorations from all the kids except William (his is coming), We paint balls every year, we also each get a special ornament that represents us that particular year, I am always looking for Army type ornaments and a yellow ribbon, plain balls, fancy balls, some things I got when I had nothing which are going to be paying it forward next year, and white lights with an old angel on top which is going with the ornaments that I am giving away)

 Have a tree the same size in my large loft is a mixture of Santa Ornaments and painted balls etc.

The Santa tree. 15 feet in the air (I climbed the ladder), The loft is 14 feet long x 4 feet wide. You can see the wreath above the door & the molding. lol

 

Then I have a small Charlie brown USA Tree in the small loft.

I have a 1 ft tree with tiny ornaments and lights on it someone sent me when I had nothing and I sent it to Iraq while he was deployed

My daughter has a pink Princess tree in her room.

Don't mind the short curtains. My cat was being naughty when they were all the way down.

bye bye now!

quiz

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Trait 0255075100 Raw Percentage

Openness 75%

Conscientiousness 63%

Extraversion 63%

Agreeableness 75%

Neuroticism 56%

Last updated: 13 December 2009 (Update Now)

Answered 20/336 questions (Answer More) (Answer Comprehensive Test)





Trait Explanations

In order to interpret your raw trait scores, they were compared to the first 350,000 people to complete the full MyPersonality Big Five questionnaire. This allows the way that you described yourself to be put in the context of how other people respond to the questionnaire. You should remember that there are no fundamentally good or bad personalities, as each trait description has potential advantages and disadvantages. To help you reflect on these, you have also been given some questions which ask you to consider the implications of your trait descriptions. Other people viewing your personality profile will not be able to see these.



Openness

This trait refers to the extent to which you prefer novelty versus convention. Approximately 58% of respondents have a lower openness raw percentage than yours. From the way you answered the questions, you seem to describe yourself as someone who is aware of their feelings but doesn't get carried away with their imagination either. You might say that you embrace change when it is necessary while still resisting it when you think it is not, and that beauty is important to you, but it's not everything.



Reflective question: When do you think that tradition is important, and when is it time for change?



Conscientiousness

This trait refers to the extent to which you prefer an organised, or a flexible, approach in life. Approximately 54% of respondents have a lower conscientiousness raw percentage than yours. From the way you answered the questions, you seem to describe yourself as someone who is random and fun to be around but that you can plan and persist when life requires it. From your responses it appears that depending on the situation, you can make quick decisions or deliberate for longer if necessary.



Reflective question: How do you go about organising your workload?



Extraversion

This trait refers to the extent to which you enjoy company, and seek excitement and stimulation. Approximately 50% of respondents have a lower extraversion raw percentage than yours. From the way you answered the questions, you seem to describe yourself as someone who enjoys and actively seeks out social occasions, but would say that they're not everything. You might say that sometimes it is nice to step back for a while and have a quiet night in.



Reflective question: What role do you tend to play in a team? (at work or in social activities)



Agreeableness

This trait refers to the way you express your opinions and manage relationships. Approximately 75.8% of respondents have a lower agreeableness raw percentage than yours. From the way you answered the questions, you seem to describe yourself as someone who people get along with easily. Your responses suggest that you would say you are considerate and friendly, and think that other people are generally honest and decent.



Reflective question: Is your co-operative preference ever taken advantage of by others?



Neuroticism (Emotional stability)

This trait refers to the way you cope with, and respond to, life's demands. Approximately 78.8% of respondents have a lower neuroticism raw percentage than yours. From the way you answered the questions, you seem to describe yourself as someone who is generally calm. Based on your responses, you come across as someone who can feel emotional or stressed out by some experiences, however your feelings tend to be warranted by the situation.



Reflective question: Which situations make you feel under pressure and which situations do not

Christmas Ornaments Homemade

Every year I buy several boxes of different types of clear ornaments from Hobby Lobby. We paint them together as a family and its fairly simple even the youngest member can do it or at least help.

You need a clear glass ornament box, acrylic paint, and rubbing alcohol.
Rinse the inside of the ornaments with rubbing alcohol. Let dry for at least a day upside down. The opening facing down. I would let dry longer our paint didn't stick real well last year for some reason.

Then your going to take a few different colors of the paint and drip down different colors down the side making sure that they don't really mix unless you want them to. Cover the mouth of the ball with a paper towel. Shake REAL hard and swirl hard as well. Making the paint swirl around the inside of the globe.

Again let dry mouth facing down so the paint can drip out. Clean off the top and replace the cap and hook, once its dry. I may repeat steps if the paint runs again this year. How do you make homemade ornaments? Do you have any traditions?

Thoughts of a Dysfunctional Veterans Wife

We saw this on a patch once and we joked whether it meant I was dysfunctional or was he the dysfunctional one. I decided to leave it up to the reader of the patch.

Watching my husband march a few weeks back in the Veterans Day Parade I got a little emotional. Emotional for the pride that I have. I am so so proud of him and Alex too. Both of them are so brave and don't even realize it. Emotional over the times I had to say goodbye as he went to Iraq. Alex going to Afghanistan. Feelings and emotions that an Army Wife can't explain to anyone else. Feelings and emotions she should HAVE to feel. At hte same time I am glad I did. I am thankful for what my love for him has taught me surviving and thriving during his deployment. I learned the true meaning of inner and emotional strength. I learned survival and tough love like no one could ever teach me only I could teach myself.

I had a fabulous time at New Moon with my dear friend and old neighbor Danielle. There was a preview for a movie coming out called Dear John. Again seeing a Soldier deploying and doing what he was taught to do brought me to tears. Duty, Honor, Country... Words I still don't grasp, But I know they are everything to Rick. Sacrafice. If I were to ask you what have you sacraficed this month? Does your answer seem so petty compared to a soldier who says my life for your freedom. I can betcha that alot of Soldiers can say they sacraficed hearing their child's first cries, first words or first steps. I betcha a lot marriages that would have lasted decades broke apart due to a Soldiers Duty. Do we even want to pretend to understand how it feels for them to not comfort us wives and our children during one of the hardest trials of our lives?

I think back on my short time as an Army Wife. I look at Army Wives who've stuck by their husbands through decades of service, 4 or more deployments, countless times where they didn't come home to tuck in their children. Countless times the wives kept watch over their child who is sick in the hospital... alone. Although compared to me I have never had to PCS and move to a different city except this once. I never had to drive days just to get to him. I never gave birth without him by my side. Those are the true Army Wives. The true Military Wives. While the average person complains that her husband can't come home for dinner, or he didn't take out the garbage, or remembered their birthday... at least he was there. I am selfish too... my husband had CQ Duty twice this week and I complained (not too much I knew I had to suck it up, but it sucked none the less) at least my husband came home from his deployment, he came home from Korea the two years before that. He comes home to me every night that he's not pulling duty for the Army. At least he comes home. So many families won't ever have a Holiday with their loved one again. I just missed one Thanksgiving, One Christmas, One birthday... just one. So I try to remember how selfish I am and calm down and just suck it up. I miss him much but he will always come home to me and that should be enough. Shouldn't it?

If you really think about it. The emotions over come you. They do with me and I lived it.

Be Thankful that your husband comes home most nights. If he's gone working be thankful he has a job and is willing to support your family. He works hard and he is always thinking its just not enough. Be thankful this Thanksgiving your husband is there to watch football with his buddies LOUDLY. Some wives would give anything for that sound. Be Thankful you have a wonderful family some of us Military Wives haven't seen our families in years.

Please be sure to remember what you should be Thankful for our freedom to celebrate Thanksgiving a soldier gave us that right. Be thankful for the chaos of Black Friday and be gracious to each other. Pray for our troops serving over seas and their families who are worried about them.

Finally

thought I would share something I wrote about the simple fact that this deployment is almost over...I hope you like it and please leave a comment....

Finally
2009

Awaiting in the crowd
I listen to the roar
It’s finally time
Our heroes are home
Watch them march in
Looking for that one face
So many in uniform
To many to find that one single face
Dismissed is yelled
Over the roaring crowd
All hell breaks loose
Like a dam breaking down
A flood of people rush pass
I’m all in tears
Holding hands of the little ones
We’re waiting to alleviate our fears
We watch people hug and kiss
We keep looking for ours
Standing still in the mist of ciaos
We watch as the sea of people part
We first hear the familiar footsteps
Then we look and see
There’s our hero
Our soldier
A husband
A dad
A head long rush into his arms
We’re all crying tears of joy
Our hero is finally home
Home safe and sound
Standing proudly with us
In the mist of other heroes
Who safely made it home

Written by Heather Floyd

Fun Halloween Recipes

Dead Grasshoppers

In a medium saucepan, melt 1-6 ounce package butterscotch chips over low heat, stirring constantly. [To microwave, place pieces in a micro-wave safe dish and cook on medium-low heat for about 1 minute. Stir well. If necessary, continue to heat chips, 20 seconds at a time, until they are melted. Be sure to stir chips each time you heat them.] Remove chips from the heat and stir in 1 cup salted peanuts and 3 cups chow mein noodles. Drop by teaspoons onto waxed paper and cool.

 

Makes: 30-40 grasshoppers

 

Hidden Treasures   Ingredients: 2/3 cup Golden Crisco Shortening 3/4 cup granulated sugar 1 egg 1 tbsp milk 1 tsp vanilla 1-3/4 cups all-purpose flour 1 tsp baking powder 1/2 tsp salt 1/2 tsp baking soda 48 Maraschino cherries, well drained White Dipping Chocolate: 1 cup white melting chocolate, cut in small pieces 2 tbsp Golden Crisco Shortening Dark Dipping Chocolate: 1 cup semi-sweet Hershey's Chipets 2 tbsp Golden Crisco Shortening Finely chopped pecans Shaved white chocolate 2/3 cup Golden Crisco Shortening Directions: Pre Heat oven to 350°F (180°C). 2. Cream Golden Crisco Shortening, sugar, egg, milk and vanilla in large bowl at medium speed of electric mixer until well blended. 3. Combine flour, baking powder, salt and baking soda. Beat into creamed mixture at low speed. 4. Press dough in very thin layer around well-drained cherries. Place 2 inches (5 cm) apart on ungreased baking sheet. 5. Bake at 350° F (180°C) for 10 minutes. Cool one minute on baking sheet. Remove to cooling rack. Cool completely. 6. For dipping chocolate, melt chocolate of choice and Golden Crisco Shortening on very low heat or 50% (Medium) power in microwave. Stir until smooth. 7. Transfer chocolate to glass measuring cup. Drop one cookie at a time into chocolate. Use fork to turn. Cover completely with chocolate.* Lift cookie out of chocolate on fork. Allow all excess to drip off. Place on wax paper-lined baking sheet. 8. Sprinkle chopped pecans on top of white chocolate cookies. Sprinkle white chocolate on dark chocolate cookies while chocolate is wet. 9. Chill in refrigerator to set chocolate. Hint: Dip pretzels or potato chips in any leftover melted chocolate for a special treat

Magic Center Cupcakes Preheat oven to temperature called for on 1-18 1/4 ounce package chocolate cake mix. In a small bowl, combine 8 ounces cream cheese (softened), 3/4 cup granulated sugar, 1 egg and a dash of salt. Stir in 1/2 cup finely chopped walnuts and 1-6 ounce package chocolate chips. Set aside. Mix cake according to directions on the package. Place paper liners in muffin pan. Fill each liner half full of cake batter. Drop a heaping teaspoons of the cream cheese mixture into each batter-filled cup. Bake according to package directions. Let cupcakes cool to room temperature before frosting. Decorate with candy spiders or worms.   Caterpillar Sandwich Preheat oven to 375 degrees. In a small bowl combine 1/4 cup mayonnaise, 2 teaspoons parsley, 2 teaspoons dry mustard, and 1/4 teaspoon onion powder. Stir well and set aside. Cut 1 loaf Italian bread into 10 slices without cutting all the way through the loaf. Spread mayonnaise mixture between every other slice. Fold luncheon meat in half and tuck a slice of cheese in between. Insert folded meat and cheese into every other slot that has the mayonnaise mixture in it. Wrap the loaf in foil and bake for 25 minutes. Use thin sliced celery stalks for antenna. Use olive slices with pimento in center on toothpicks for caterpillar eyes. To serve, cut the loaf in slices at the cuts you didn't fill.   Cheese Fingers Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Remove crusts from 3 slices of white bread and discard crusts. With your hands, break bread into small pieces and drop into a medium bowl. Add 3/4 cup grated cheddar cheese, 3 tablespoons grated parmesan cheese and 3 tablespoons milk. Mis well with hands, kneading the bread into the cheese, until dough will hold the shape of a ball. Roll heaping teaspoonfuls of mixture into 15 fingers and arrange on an ungreased cookie sheet. Bake for 10 to 12 minutes or until fingers begin to turn brown. Goblin Goodies   Ingredients: 3/4 cup Golden Crisco Shortening 1-1/4 cups firmly-packed brown sugar 1 egg 1/3 cup milk 1-1/2 tsp vanilla 1 tsp finely-chopped orange rind 1/2 tsp orange extract 3 cups quick oats, uncooked 1 cup all-purpose flour 1/2 tsp baking soda 1/2 tsp salt 1/4 tsp cinnamon 1 cup raisins 1 cup coarsely-chopped walnuts 1 cup orange and brown chocolate-covered candies Directions: 1. Heat oven to 375°F (190°C). Grease baking sheets with shortening. Place sheets of foil on countertop for cooling cookies. 2. Combine shortening, brown sugar, egg, milk and vanilla in large bowl. Beat at medium speed of electric mixer until well blended. Stir in orange rind and extract. 3. Combine oats, flour, baking soda, salt and cinnamon. Mix into creamed mixture at low speed just until blended. Stir in raisins, nuts and chocolate candies. 4. Drop by rounded measuring tablespoonfuls of dough 3 inches apart onto prepared baking sheet. 5. Bake one baking sheet at a time at 375°F for 10 to 12 minutes, or until lightly browned. DO NOT OVER BAKE. Cool 2 minutes on baking sheet. Remove cookies to foil to cool completely. Makes: About 2-1/2 dozen cookies Candied Apples Halloween  Ingredients: 2 C granulated sugar 2 C corn syrup 1/3C cinnamon candy 1C water 3/4 Tsp cinnamon 1/2 Tsp vanilla 1/4 Tsp cloves 3/4 Tsp red food coloring 6-7 Med apples Directions: Remove stems from apples, wash, and pat dry. Insert a wooden skewer In each apple, running through the apple from stem end to base without Protruding all the way through the bottom end. Combine sugar, corn Syrup, cinnamon candies, and water in medium-sized saucepan. Cook Until candies dissolve, stirring constantly. Be careful not to boil. Add cinnamon, vanilla, cloves, and food coloring. Mix thoroughly. Boil mixture to 300 degrees using a candy thermometer without Stirring. While mixture is boiling, generously prepare a baking sheet With cooking spray so it's ready ahead of time. As soon as mixture Reaches 300 degrees, remove it from heat and quickly dip each Apple-one by one-into the mixture until it is thoroughly coated. Set Coated apples, standing on their bottoms with skewer pointing up, on Baking sheet until mixture hardens. Let apples reach room temperature before eating.   Serving Size: 6 Blackberry Blackheads Ingredients: 1/2 pound Butter -- at room temperature 1 tablespoon Butter -- at room temperature 2/3 cup Sugar 2 Egg whites 4 cups Flour Blackberry jam -- with seeds Tools: Bowl Mixer Pastry brush Cookie sheet Spatula Wire cooling rack Small Spoon Directions: With an adult's help, preheat oven to 325F. Beat 1/2 pound butter until creamy., Add sugar, a little at a time, until all the sugar has been used. Add the egg whites and flour to the butter and sugar. Beat until the dough is well blended. Dip a pastry brush into the tablespoon of butter and lightly brush a very thin layer onto the cookie sheet. With clean hands, roll the dough into golf ball sized balls. Flatten the balls slightly, and using your thumb, Press a dime size dent into the middle of each One. Place cookies, dent size up, about 1" apart on cookie sheet. Bake aobut 12 minutes or until Allow the cookies to cool on the cookie sheet for a few minutes before moving them to a wire rack with a spatula. When the cookies are completely cooled, use a small spoon to fill the dent in each one with jam. Makes: About 3 1/2 dozen blackheads. Black Cat Cupcakes Ingredients: 1 1/4c Reduced Fat Oreo® cookie crumbs 18 1/4 ozs reduced fat chocolate cake mix 24 pcs Halloween Oreo® cookies 16 ozs reduced fat milk chocolate frosting Black string licorice Jelly beans Semisweet chocolate chips Directions: Preheat oven to 350. Prepare 24-2 1/2" muffin cups with cooking spray and flour; set aside. Prepare cake mix according to package directions; Stir in cookie crumbs. Spoon batter into prepared muffin cups. Bake for 25 minutes. Remove from pans; cool on wire rack. Make cat faces on each of the Remaining 24 cookies: Using some frosting, attach 4-1 1/2" licorice strings For whiskers, 2 jelly bean halves for eyes and 2 chocolate chips for ears. Let set at least 30 minutes. Frost cupcakes with remaining frosting. Stand cat faces on edge on each cupcake. Place 3" piece licorice string on back Half of each cupcake for tail.   Serving Size: 24   Beef In Costume For Halloween Ingredients: 1 (4 lb.) pumpkin 1 Pound lean ground beef 1 Cup chopped onion Cooking oil 1/3 Cup chopped red pepper 1/3 Cup chopped green pepper 1 Clove minced garlic 1 Teaspoon salt 1/4 Teaspoon thyme 1/4 Teaspoon pepper 1 (7 1/2 Oz.) pitted ripe olives 1 (8 Oz.) Can tomato sauce 2 beaten eggs Directions: Cut top from pumpkin; scrape out seeds and fibers. Simmer in salted water to cover for 20 to 25 minutes or until almost tender. Drain. Brown beef and onion. Add peppers and garlic. Cook one minute. Remove from heat, Stir in remaining ingredients. Spoon into pumpkin. Place "lid" on top. Brush pumpkin with oil. Bake at 350 degrees for 1 hour. Let stand 10 minutes. Cut into edges to serve. Serving Size : 1   Black Widow Snack Cakes   Ingredients: 1 package Devil's food cake mix Vegetable cooking spray Glaze: 4 cups Powdered sugar -- sifted 5 tablespoonsMilk -- to 7 tbls Decorate: 1cup Powdered sugar -- sifted 1/4 cup Unsweetened cocoa 2 tablespoons Milk Plastic spiders Directions: Prepare cake as directed on package. Pour into 2, 8" square aluminum foil pans coated with cooking spray; Bake at 350~ for 30-35 minutes or until tested done.  Cool in pans on wire racks.  Combine 4 cups powdered sugar and 5-7 tbls milk in a Large bowl; spread a thin layer evenly over each cake. Combine 1 cup powdered sugar, cocoa and 2 tbls milk; spoon into a small zip-lock bag. Close bag securely and snip a tiny hole in bottom corner of bag. Carefully pipe concentric circles onto each cake. Pipe straight lines at intervals from the inner circle through the outside circle, forming a web design. Garnish with plastic spiders.

 

 

Lightening and her reflection

My dear sweet Lightening passed away on Saturday. I only spent a small portion of her life with her, just a quarter. But she had become my cat over any other human in the house and she showed her loyalty and I swear to you she knew how much I loved her so for she was willing to do anything to please.

I am at peace with her passing but I miss her so. She lived a full life and was lucky enough to have more than nine lives. She had grown older gracefully, to a certain point she had calmed down from her rambunctious ways.

People were amazed at how spoiled I had become and how spoiled she was as well. She was the hunter of the family. You heard right she would hunt all the small toys or anything she felt like carrying upstairs to my bedroom door and called to me for acknowledgement. This interesting behavior started when I got pregnant with William. She had taken a liking to beef jerky and Rick's ice cream bowl later in her years. She would know when Rick had ice cream and beg for a taste which she almost always got. Even the Veterinarians okay'd giving her beef jerky if that's what she craved. She would often sit in a chair beside me at our dining room table and wait patiently to be served. She knew she couldn't touch the table if she wanted human food. She gotten spoiled by drinking out of faucets and has a water fountain for a water bowl that both cats like.

But I wanted to share one of the more recent stories about Lightening. When we moved into the new house here. We bought a floor length mirror and it was leaned for a short time up against a wall in the foyer till it could be placed where it belonged. Lightening was quite intrigued by this new thing in her world. YES its HER world. We just live in it! She saw the cat in the mirror silly thing didn't know it was her own reflection. She peeked around the side of the mirror because that mysterious cat in the mirror MUST be behind the mirror. Nope that cat wasn't there. She was confused so she tried looking behind the mirror on the other side. That cat was avoiding being caught! That MUST be it! The hunt for this mysterious reflection continued. Rick and I just chuckled at Lightening's discovery or lack of knowing what her reflection was as if she'd never seen her own reflection before.

On Monday we had Lightening cremated and put into her final resting place in a nice oak box with an engraving and her picture on it. I had rick place her collar on it and when its unpacked Lightening's very own boonie cap that she loved to lay on, on top of the shrunk until she got too sore to jump up that high and even more apprehensive to jump down. Now she can return to enjoy her perch above the living room on her comfy boonie cap. I found myself today reciting Skylar's spelling words today while touching the box in which Lightening's ashes lay. It felt so natural, as if I was touching her.

I believe the best way to memorialize someone is by sharing fond memories and I have been meaning to blog about Lightening's experience with her reflection but a busy kid life has taken its toll on my blogging.

I love Lightening and I am glad she is home again after being away for a few days. She will always be with me.

Pets are Angels walking around without wings...

Lightening

1997-2009