August 31

Yesterday, I had to have a serious conversation with my refrigerator.

I pulled out 2 sticks of butter for today’s TWD recipe, that Donna of Life’s to Short Not to Eat Dessert First picked, so it could come to room temp.

Donna picked Espresso Chocolate Oatmeal Spice Shortbread Cookies.

I usually pull out butter and eggs(if called for) about a half an hour before I make a recipe so they will be room temp.

Then I play a game or ten of Bejeweled Blitz on Facebook.

This time I pulled out the butter and it was already room temp.

I was most displeased.

Not only did I miss my game of Bejeweled Blitz, but refrigerator….you are new!

I checked the thermometer.

It read 55º.

Poop!

Then I checked to make sure it was indeed plugged in, (check) that the outlet was working(check), that the temperature thingie inside the fridge was at the right place(check).

So I just turned the thermometer colder, and prayed that that was the problem and I had solved it.

This morning everything is cold again.

Fortunately for the fridge, my ‘talk’ worked.

It doesn’t realize that I would have had to move on to more desperate measures like calling a repair man, and it would have had to be taken apart.

My fridge is just a wee bit prudish and doesn’t want anyone to see her innards.

I tweaked this recipe, because I am not a huge fan of espresso…but I am a huge fan of shortbread.

I used quick oats instead of old fashioned oats because I wanted to keep the texture of the cookie very fine.

I only put in cinnamon and freshly grated nutmeg, because I didn’t want the fabulous short bread flavor to be overwhelmed with ginger and clove.

These cookies are fabulous, and my fridge is fabulous, and I am fabulous!

The end.

August 30

This past weekend, the girl and I went around town and took some Senior pictures.

I still have some in my camera…and they are my favorites.

But here are some that I won’t be printing because of the lighting.

I thought I’d share anyway.

Goofy face and bad lighting.

I like this one.

I like the angle on this one better.

I wish the lighting was better on this one.

I love this one…but the lighting…argh!

I’ll be doing my favorites today.

August 29

Today I am thankful for…

♥  The fun that the girl and I had taking her Senior pictures.

♥  Being able to host Andrew, Ita,

and their two lovely boys, Mikey and Nathan, this past Tuesday.

Andrew and Ita are Missionaries from Brazil.

They are with Baptist Mid-Missions, and are here on furlow till April of next year.

♥  Spending time with friends

♥  Good news.

August 27

It is Friday, Internet, and I am nosy.

Today I’m taking a different route.

I’m gonna make you think a bit.

1.  Something you hate about yourself.

2.  Something you love about yourself.

3.  Something you have to forgive yourself for.

4.  Something you have to forgive someone for.

5.  Something you hope to do in your life.

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1.  Something I hate about myself?   There really isn’t anything that I don’t like about myself.    I like who I am.   Would I change things….oh yeah…but I’m pretty content with who I am.

2.  Something I love about myself?   That I tend to be loyal..almost to a fault and when I love someone…they know it.

3.  Something I have to forgive myself for?   For my mouth.   It doesn’t seem to want to connect with my brain and even when I work very hard and keeping it shut…it flies open.

4.  Something I have to forgive someone for?  There are a lot of people that I have had to forgive for a lot of things, but what is important is that the forgiveness is there.

5.  Something I hope to do in my life?  Honestly…I’m doing it.    I always wanted to be a wife and mother.   And I am.   I also wanted to be an OB nurse, but that will never happen.

August 26

When my dad became a preacher, eons and eons ago, we moved around a lot.

But we always had family and friends over.

One of the things that I can remember dad making is poor man’s steak.

Mom would mix it up and dad would fry it.

And I would be standing beside him, watching his every move.

Scooping the squares with a black handled spatula.

Plopping them in flour, and talking to me the entire time.

I loved learning at my dads side.

So, on Tuesday afternoon I called dad to make sure that I was making this correctly because the years that have passed since I last saw him make this are many.

And the brain.

It is learning what middle age is all about.

Middle age, I don’t like you.

This recipe has only 5 ingredients, which is good for a middle age brain,  and very economical, which is good for the wallet.

If there are any leftovers it is perfect to make into a Shepard’s pie.

Poor Man’s Steak

• 3 pounds ground beef
• 1 sleeve crackers, crushed~~you can use saltines or ritz type
• 1 onion, diced finely
• 1 c. water
• 3 cans cream of mushroom soup

Mix first 4 ingredients together, along with whatever seasoning you like.   I use salt, pepper and garlic powder.   Pat out in a 10×15 pan and refrigerate over night.   Cut into squares.   Dust with flour and fry in a small amount of oil.   Take 3 cans of cream of mushroom soup and mix with one can of water.   Pour about 1/3 of the mixture in the bottom of a 9×13 pan.   Layer meat and sauce, ending with sauce.   Cover with foil and bake for 1 hour at 350º.

August 25

Not many people know how expressive my girl is.

Most look at her and see a shy young lady sitting by herself and don’t think twice about engaging her in conversation.

But I am here to change your mind.

My girl does not like to touch raw meat, and I like to torment her at every turn about this fact.  I do this because…Hellooooo! Mother of the Year.

We were working in the kitchen together this past week and I had her mix up some poor man’s steak~~which I will blog about tomorrow~~.

Please note the gloves on her hands and the utter disgust on her face.

When I laughed at her disgust,

She whined something like… “Your so meeeeeean!”

Which made me laugh all the more.

Then we moved on to the struesel topping for the peach tart.

And she got ‘sugar under her naaaaails’.

Then I laughed at her, and she got just a bit sassy.

But I sass so much better than she could ever dream of.

August 24

Hey there TWD’ers.

Long time no bakie.

Because I have had a severe case of the lazies, I cohoursed begged pleaded asked bribed made my girl come spend some time with me in the kitchen.

Then I had to listen to her complain and whine about ‘sugar under her nails’.   But it was worth it because I love my girl.

Another thing about the lazies is that I didn’t feel like blanching, peeling and slicing fresh peaches.

So, I opened a can of sliced peaches and made a pretty design, because even in my lazies I want things to look pretty.

Isn’t it lovely?

Lovely underneath all that struesel, and beyond easy.

Especially when one has their daughter getting sugar under her nails instead of you.

Thank you to Rachel of Sweet Tarte who picked today’s recipe of Crunchy Custardy Peach Tart.

August 23

My girl spent the weekend camping at Tappan Lake with our youth group.

She isn’t the talkative sort, so I have to look for clues to see if she had a good time.

The clues say she did.

The sun kissed cheeks say she wasn’t hiding inside all day long.

The tired smile says she didn’t sleep much, so she must have been up giggling all night.

The grungy hair says she didn’t take time out to wash it.

She also informed me that she didn’t brush her teeth all weekend.   This is huge, Internet, because my girl is anal about brushing her teeth.

But don’t tell anyone I told you this.   She would kill me if she knew I was telling you.

I know you can keep a secret.   This is the Internet, right?

August 22

Today I am thankful for…

♥ Oreo’s.   Specifically double stuffed Oreo’s that are used to eat ice cream with.   No spoon necessary!

♥ My girl.   She sings with me in the car at the top of her lungs.   If you ever pass by a black Honda CRV and a girl is holding her cell phone to her mouth and the driver is holding a chalk board eraser to her mouth, it is us.

♥  Rain.   It makes dry crunchy grass softer to walk on in your bare feet.

♥  My smelly dog.   She loves me.

August 20

Hey there Internet.

It is Friday and I am nosy.

1. How picky are you about toothpaste?
2. What’s the best food you’ve had that included mint?
3. How far would you have to go from where you are right now to get a breath mint?
4. Got any gum?  What kind?
5. What’s something you keep in mint condition?

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1.   I’m not to picky about toothpaste, but I much prefer a gel than a paste

2.  Mint ice cream

3.  I would have to go to the store for a breath mint…so that would be about 3 miles.

4.  Yes, I have gum…that is unless the girl has chewed it all….AGAIN.

5.  Everything that I purchase, I purchase it to be used.   Although my dad always taught me to take care of your things and they will take care of you.   So I do take care of my things so that they will last longer.

How about you???

August 19

Once the boy got married, I began to make immediate plans for his my room.

Now that they are gone, the room is mine…all mine!

muahahahahahahaha!

I have turned it into a sewing room.

I haven’t had one since we moved into this house 8 years ago.

And if I get tired of the sewing, I can take up napping.

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August 18

Because I am trying to yank myself out of the doom and gloom that has settled over me, I have been making a concerted effort to laugh.

So, here is my laughing offering for the day.

August 17

Hey there Internets.

No TWD here today.

I truly had every intention of making it, but with the depression rolling over me like a tree down a mountain I didn’t make it.

Depression took my happy and I want it back.

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August 16

Spring.

Fall.

I remember now why those are my two favorite seasons.

You can actually go outside and enjoy it.

Not drowning in your sweat the second you step outside, or drinking your air because HUMIDITY.

Not having to put on 4 layers of clothing so you don’t get frost bite or spend hours shoveling s*** just to make it to your car.

I have become a hermit in the summer.

Weather, you and I really need to talk.

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August 15

Today I am thankful for…

♥ God’s provision

♥  Applie not posting pictures of spiders

♥  My girl.   She makes me smile.

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August 13

Hey Internet.

It is Friday.

The thirteenth.

And it is my Aunt Sandy’s birthday.

Happy Birthday.

Now, on to the nosy part.

1. What’s your favorite kind of salad?
2. What’s your favorite kind of sandwich?
3. What’s your favorite kind of soup?
4. What’s your favorite kind of pie?
5. What’s your favorite kind of cake?

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1.   My favorite kind of salad is a spinach, strawberry, nut salad.   I could eat it all day long.

2.  My favorite kind of sandwich is an ultimate grilled cheese, or a good greasy cheeseburger.

3.  My favorite soup is the soup on the side bar over there.   Creamy chicken soup.

4.  My favorite pie is peanut butter pie.

5.  My favorite cake is red velvet with tons of cream cheese icing.

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August 10

Here is a little insight into the mind of Chocolatechic.

Late Sunday evening.

‘I need to check what recipe is next for TWD.’

‘Hallelujah!!   Chocolate Gnache Ice cream!!’

Late Monday morning

I pick up the book to check the recipe out.

‘bitter sweet chocolate~~check

egg yolks~~check!

sugar~~check

whole milk~~weeeelllllllll   I guess I could substitute skim.

heavy cream~~drat!   What could I substitute for that???   Doesn’t matter, I’ll figure it out.

Mix…blah…blah…blah…

Temper eggs….crud!!   I hate tempering.

Chill, pour into frozen bowl of ice cream maker.

Frozen. bowl. of. ice. cream. maker.

Oh…crap!   Crappity crap crapadoo!

So I yell….”Giiiirrrlllllllllllllllllllll!   Come heeeeeeeeerrrrrrrreeeeeeee!    Go check the basement freezer to see if the ice cream thingie is in it.”

Thirty seconds later comes a muted “no mom….want me to put it in there for ya?”

Sigh….”Sure baby”

‘Double crappity crap.crap.crap. I want some ice creeeeaaaam!’

And that, Internet, is why I have no pictures for today.  No ice cream at all.

However, I will be making it today because finally this morning the bowl to my ice cream maker is at the correct temperature.

If you’d like to make some along with me today, go check out Katrina’s blog.   She has the recipe.

August 9

A lot of people around me are having babies.

No, not the newly weds…they are putting this off for several years much to my dismay…

And while a few of them are choosing what I consider ‘normal’ names, several of them are choosing some really…uhh….errrrr…..interesting names.

Whatever happened to

Mary

or

John

or

Emily

or

David?

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August 8

Today I am thankful for…

♥  Being able to shut off my AC for the last 2 days.

♥  Electricity

♥  Clean running water

♥  My dishwasher

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August 6

Hey Internet.

It is Friday, and I am nosy.

I want to know what would you pick as your most favorite fast food meal?

Your favorite restaurant meal?

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My favorite fast food meal would be…

A whopper with cheese from Burger King, McDonalds fries and a Wendy’s frosty.

My favorite restaurant meal would be…

A rib eye from Texas Road House, sweet potato fries from the Warehouse and a piece of home made cheese cake from the English Ivy.

How about you?

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