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.

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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.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

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.