Cowgirll Cookies

I saw this cute cookie jar idea on someone else's blog. Such a cute idea.
I love her idea of changing the color of the M & M's and you totally change what or who the cookie is for.
I especially love the information she gave us about the smooth mason jar.

Start with a 1 quart smooth Ball jar. She found these at Hobby Lobby craft store.

Layer the ingredients in like this:

First: flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt
Second: oats
Third: m&ms
Fourth: chocolate chips
Fifth: brown sugar
Sixth: white sugar
Seventh: chopped pecans

Pack each level down really tightly. I mean it. Pack it in. Or else it won't all fit. Also, I added the chopped pecans last, because if the ingredients were too much or not enough, then I could add more or less pecans to adjust. I'd rather sacrifice nuts than chocolate, you know. The ingredients should be flush to the top of the lid when you seal it up.

See. There's some of the pecans peeking out from under the fabric.

To decorate the top of the jars, get a spool of suede cord and some fabric. I really wanted to find some pink western bandana fabric, but this will do.
Anyway, cut the fabric into 6 inch squares and the suede into 25 inch pieces. Place the fabric on top and tie ribbons around the lid to hold it in place.


For the labels, you'll need some card stock, a paper punch and double-sided tape.

Note: you can change the color of m&ms and give them as Halloween gifts, or Christmas gifts, too. Check out the seasonal m&ms in the candy aisle. They are usually available in special holiday colors or themes. The pink ones were in the Breast Cancer awareness bag. Also another great gift idea.

Cowgirl Cookies

1 1/3 cup all purpose flour, spooned into measuring cup & leveled
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 cup cooking oats
3/4 cup m&ms
3/4 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips
1/2 cup brown sugar, packed
1/2 cup white sugar
1/3 - 1/2 cup chopped pecans

Stir all the dry ingredients in a large mixing bowl.

Add

1 slightly beaten egg
1/2 cup butter (melted slightly in the microwave)
1 teaspoon vanilla

Mix wet ingredients into dry ingredients. Use the back of a large spoon to work it all together. You may even need to use your hands to get everything incorporated.

Then roll the cookie dough into 1 1/2 inch balls, place on a parchment covered baking sheet and bake for about 10 minutes in a preheated 350 degree oven. I got about 26-28 cookies out of these.

For more details and pictures go here: http://bakerella.blogspot.com/2009/08/mix-things-up.html

Great Bacon Commercial

My Black, White and Yellow Table

I just did a new table with my new "R" plates. I usually do a back-to school table for September but decided to try something new for fun. I love black and white anything...so this was kind of fun. I am not sure I am finished yet..I may tweek it a bit.

For all devoted spouses

Family Tree of Vincent Van Gogh:

His dizzy aunt ----------------------------------------------- Verti Gogh
The brother who ate prunes------------------------------- ------Gotta Gogh
The brother who worked at a convenience store --------------------- Stop N Gogh
The grandfather from Yugoslavia --------------------------------- U Gogh
His magician uncle ------------------------------------------- Where-diddy Gogh
His Mexican cousin --------------------------------------------A Mee Gogh
The Mexican cousin's American half-brother ------------ ------------Gring Gogh
The nephew who drove a stage coach ----------------------------- Wells-far Gogh
The constipated uncle ----------------------------------------- Can't Gogh
The ballroom dancing aunt -------------------------------- -----Tang Gogh
The bird lover uncle -------------------------------------- -----Flamin Gogh
The fruit-loving cousin -----------------------------------------Man Gogh
An aunt who taught positive thinking ------------------------------ Way-to-Gogh
The little bouncy nephew ---------------------------------------- Poe Gogh
A sister who loved disco -----------------------------------------Go Gogh
And his niece who travels the country in an RV ----------------------- Winnie Bay Gogh

I saw you smiling . . . there ya Gogh!

Elder M. Russell Ballard: Engaging Without Being Defensive

A friend sent me this article from the Newsroom of the LDS website. I thought it was really good:
http://newsroom.lds.org/ldsnewsroom/eng/news-releases-stories/elder-m-russell-ballard-engaging-without-being-defensive

Fresh Peach Shakes

I have been making these all summer with fresh peaches. You can make a shake....or just freeze and eat as ice cream.

Peach Shake by Suzie Romans

1/2 gallon peach frozen yogurt or vanilla ice cream
1/2 cup sugar
1 cup 1/2 and 1/2
1 cup milk ( any kind)
1 teaspoon vanilla
1-4 fresh peaches cut-up ( skins on)

Put in Blendar (or smoothie maker) and mix. I did half of the ingredients at a time.
You really can adjust the amount to anything you like. Serves 6-8 depending on the size of your glasses.

A Little Humor for Monday

Last year I replaced all the windows in my house with that
> expensive double-pane energy efficient kind, and today, I
> got a call from the contractor who installed them. He
> was complaining that the work had been completed a whole
> year ago and I still hadn't paid for them.
>
> Hellloooo,............just because I'm blonde doesn't mean
> that I am automatically stupid. So, I told him just
> what his fast talking sales guy had told me last year, that
> in ONE YEAR these windows would pay for themselves!
>
> Helllooooo? It's been a year! I told him.
>
> There was only silence at the other end of the line, so I
> finally just hung up. He never called back. I
> bet he felt like an idiot.

Grandpa's Treat

How cute are these kids drinking their orange pop in little mini bottles grandpa bought. He even got O' Charley's to give him 3 bendable straws like he loved when he was little. Once he ordered a whole box free from one of his dad's vendors and he had a lifetime supply. He ordered anything free ( samples) related to his dad's work....then got in trouble from dad and had to stop.

Anyway....these are Denton's kids having their pop treat at out counter when they came over for Sunday dinner.
We babysat them Saturday night and they had to wait a long time to find out what the treat was grandpa promised.
But when they saw it, they were thrilled.

It is nice they are not spoiled and to know something small yet thoughtful still means something to kids...... because it means a lot to grandpa....especially the cool straws.

Turn your tablecloth into a picnic basket

Turn your Tablecloth into a picnic basket : http://www.marthastewart.com/good-things/origami-picnic-basket?&backto=true&backtourl=/photogallery/60-summer-crafts?#slide_43

Baby Boomer Songs

Some of the artists of the 60's are revising their hits with new lyrics to accommodate aging baby boomers. I thought these were so funny. They include:

Bobby Darin ---
Splish, Splash, I Was Havin' a Flash.

Herman's Hermits ---
Mrs.. Brown, You've Got a Lovely Walker

Ringo Starr ---
I Get By With a Little Help From Depends.

The Bee Gees -- -
How Can You Mend a Broken Hip.

Roberta Flack---
The First Time Ever I Forgot Your Face.

Johnny Nash ---
I Can't See Clearly Now.

Paul Simon---
Fifty Ways to Lose Your Liver

The Commodores ---
Once, Twice, Three Times to the Bathroom.

Marvin Gaye ---
Heard It Through the Grape Nuts.

Procol Harem
A Whiter Shade of Hair.

Leo Sayer ---
You Make Me Feel Like Napping.

The Temptations ---
Papa's Got a Kidney Stone.

Abba---
Denture Queen.

Tony Orlando ---
Knock 3 Times On The Ceiling If You Hear Me Fall.

Helen Reddy ---
I Am Woman, Hear Me Snore.

Leslie Gore---
It's My Procedure, and I'll Cry If I Want To.


And Last but NOT least:


Willie Nelson ---
On the Commode Again

My Watermelon Table

I put 4th of July away and out came my summer watermelon table. I actually have 5-6 choices of table decor for August:seashells, gerber daises, summer ware, lemons, ladybugs and bees. But this year watermelons seemed the best ( and the easiet to get out) I have all kinds of serving dishes I have collected over the years. And we are eating lots of watermelon every night.So enjoy the view from above......watermelons galore.

Treasures from the Attic

My girls were both here last week and I asked them to help me bring some stuff down from the attic to go to the Goodwill.
They got a whole van full....more than I was asking. They were in a purging mode. Chelsea even threw away all her trophies and childhood mementos. I was horrified. Chloe wanted them. Chelsea hadn't looked at them since she was 17.....after the fire. I thought she would want a picture of them or a video archive at least. NO. They were like OUT OUT OUT. They got rid of all the other kids stuff that has been floating in and out of there through college and beyond. Somehow things just grow up there. They multiply like the mice that are probably living there...although we didn't see any.

But i found a treasure i wouldn't let her trash. It was a soft sculpture Christopher Columbus Chelsea made as a little girl ( about Chloe's age) for a report at school. I told Chloe she could have it and do a report and tell her class that her mommy made it many years ago. It is darling. So when Chloe came with Dana yesterday on a daddy -daughter trip.... I gave it to her with strict instructions not to throw it away, even if her mom told her to. .Dana agreed and was my witness.
That thing has been through thick and thin and I am sure I had something to do with it happening in the first place.

When the weather cools off, I will be up there again trying to part with my STUFF. If my girls are anywhere in sight, it will be down the stairs and in the van before I can say ," Should I keep this?" They are heartless. They don't even want their own stuff.
How can they have my DNA?