So What Wednesday...

So what if I am borderline completely obsessed with Brown Sugar Cinnamon Pop Tarts.  They may be stalling the loss of that last 5 pounds but they are soooo tasty...

So what if I have to get up in the middle of night to stoke my fire and keep my house warm.  The interruption of sleep, followed by not being able to go back to sleep makes me realize that I am glad I am a parent to teenagers and not a crying baby.  I would NEVER survive...

So what if the end of the Sons of Anarchy is already making me sad.  I will admit that inappropriate television completes my life...sorry...it just does...

So what if Friday is our annual Black Friday shopping experience and I'm not super excited about it.  The fact that most stores are now open Thanksgiving night is just wrong and ruins it for me...

So what if  I feel like postponing Christmas for the year.  Can't we just skip it and resume in 2014??

So what if in the last week I baked 8 pies, 1 cheesecake, 1 cake, 5 dozen decorated sugar cookies, 2 dozen chocolate chip cookies, a batch of both lemon & pecan bars, 3 pumpkin rolls and none of it was for me.  I hope Darb & his family are fine with me bringing a package of Oreos (Golden...of course) tomorrow...

So what if I never realized how much I love my electric blanket until only part of it gets warm.  Freezing while you attempt to sleep is such a great time to remember the good ol' days when it worked...

So what if my kids have spent the last week fighting over one Iphone charger.  I love having both kids yelling at each other and me in the bathroom while I shower every morning.  It is EXACTLY how I want to start my day..

So what if the other night I dreamt of spiders and woke up to a giant one in my shower which made me wonder if I was really dreaming.  I can only think of two words...NOT COOL!!

There you have it.  Sweet WHAT-

Thankful Tuesday...

I know it isn't Thursday yet but tomorrow I have a riveting edition of So What Wednesday and you won't hear from me on Turkey Day.  So I decided to go ahead and finish it out today.  The truth is that I feel a little ungrateful that I only post what I am thankful for in November.  I am blessed in so many ways and I need to be more aware of that throughout the entire year. 

November 22nd-I am Thankful for my Bunco ladies.  Being silly and having a great time with them is something I look forward to.

November 23rd-I am Thankful for quiet nights with my Darb.  My favorite guy, a glass of wine and quiet is a PERFECT way to spend Saturday night!!

November 24th-I am Thankful for my Papa Leo.  He brightens my day and life.

November 25th-I am Thankful for my oven.  I realize we all have one but mine has been working overtime...it needs a shout out.

November 26th-I am Thankful for my readers.  All of you make doing this so rewarding. 

November 27th-I will be Thankful that I am almost done with Thanksgiving baking.  I will only have a cheesecake and apple strudel bars to go.  Come on Wednesday.

November 28th-I am Thankful that I get to spend Thanksgiving with Darb and his family. 

I want to take a moment and wish all of you a VERY Happy Thanksgiving.  It is my favorite holiday of them all!  Sweet thankfulness-

Thankful Thursday...

November 15th-I am Thankful for my Tales.  Tonight she & I rocked it and got so much done at home.  She is such a great helper (when she wants to be) and too much fun!!

November 16th-I am Thankful for Saturdays.  I look forward to them, live for them, love them!!

November 17th-I am Thankful for my family.  Sometimes having such a large family can be a real pain but it is so nice to have so many people who believe in you, stand behind you and help you.

November 18th-I am Thankful for the values that my parents instilled in me.  I hope to pass them on to my babies.

November 19th-I am Thankful for the drive I have in life.  It is constantly pushing me and making me want to do more.

November 20th-I am Thankful for the memories I have of Grandma Anna Mae.  I feel like the last few weeks have been the hardest for me but the memories make it easier.

November 21st-I am Thankful for my Tater.  Even though parenting a 16 year old can have its challenges he really makes it pretty easy. 

Sweet thanks-

So what Wednesday...

It was so much fun last week that I decided to do it again...and here we go...

So what if buying a business is making me crazier than normal.  I think Darb and kids are really enjoying me being an airhead freak of nature...

So what if my cell phone is the oldest one in Lake County and maybe even the world.  It works most of the time and I am cheap...

So what if I can't stand the fact that there are already Christmas movies on the Lifetime channel.  Just call me Scrooge.  But seriously...am I the only one who thinks that it is WAY too soon??

So what if my son drives one block to school everyday.  I'm pretty sure it is common knowledge that once you get your license your legs are broke...

So what if I haven't made a square meal in months.  Who has time for that and its the thought that counts anyway...

So what if I am an old lady and drink hot tea all day long.  I'm preparing myself for the future...

So what if "family meetings" never really get me anywhere.  I'm pretty sure that anything I say must get absorbed by Iphones or lap tops...

So what if my wood pile is STILL not stacked.  I'm beginning to come to terms with the fact that I may NEVER park under my car port EVER again...

So what if my daughter likes to hoard her dirty clothes until she has about 500 loads.  I mean doing laundry is what I live for (YA RIGHT)...

So what if smut TV makes me happy.  I must not be the only one or Bravo wouldn't have 5 different versions of the "Real Housewives"...

There you have it.  Peace out!! Sweet crazy-

Weekend Love...

Our weekend was a little more low key then usual which was not only welcomed but enjoyed!!

 

Tales played two games of basketball at Honker Court.  She and her team have improved so much from last year.  I love watching them grow together.  I look forward to this season and the years to come.

 

Tater longed for his golf clubs but survived...barely.  His football award banquet was last night.  He lettered and was awarded with the Scholar Athlete certificate.  As always, I was a proud mama!!

 

The best part of my weekend was being able to spend a little time with this guy...

 

Love him more than anything!!  It was a great way for Tales and I to finish our weekend.

Hope all of you had a great weekend too!! Sweet love-

The best sugar cookie frosting...

I will admit...I have been a real blogger flake this week.  I don't really want to make excuses but trying to get everything together and ready for the Happy Horse, working full time, baking, kids, finding time for my Darb, keeping my house up (which I am failing miserably at) and what seems like 10 thousand other things...I'm COMPLETELY wiped.  To say that I am overwhelmed would be an understatement (although I truly wouldn't have it any other way and I am completely grateful for all of it).  But enough with all that...lets get to what you came here for...

This week my only baking order was 4 dozen decorated sugar cookies for my sister Aimee and a football banquet she was going to.  There is nothing better than a cute and tasty sugar cookie in my book.  My cookie recipe has cream cheese in the dough and stays soft and delicious for days.  Here is a look back at my Sugar Cookie recipe.  In fact if I were to pick my top 5 recipes that one would definitely make the list but lets face it...frosting can either make or break even the best sugar cookie recipe.

For years I felt like I didn't have a good icing recipe for my cookies.  That was until I found this
Glace icing tutorial on one of my very favorite blogs, Our Best Bites.  I love it because it hardens and you can stack them easily.  All other recipes I had used just didn't set up as nicely as this one.  It is also really easy to work with and only has 4 ingredients.

Here is a look & terrible photo of the football and jersey cookies that I did...

I have decorated a lot of cookies and this frosting is the only one I will EVER use now.  Sweet icing-

Thankful Thursday...

November 8th-I am Thankful that my children work hard in school.  Conferences last night went awesome!!  Good job Tater and Tales!!

November 9th-I am Thankful for roll bars.  I have never really thought much about them before but when Darb rolled his tuff truck I was sure glad he had one.

November 10th-I am Thankful that I was able to attend my aunt and uncles 50th wedding anniversary party.  Man I love those two!!

November 11th-I am Thankful for the Veterans.  Without their sacrifices the United States would not be a such a wonderful place to call home.  Thank you doesn't even begin to describe the gratitude I have for each and every one of you.

November 12th-I am Thankful for this town.  It can be a real pain sometimes to live in such a small town but today as I was making a list of people to bring my pregnant friend dinner after the baby arrives I had two weeks filled up in less than a day.  Thank you everyone!!

November 13th-I am Thankful for Awesome Friends.  I am lucky enough to have a handful of friends who I couldn't love more if I tried.  They laugh with me, cry with me and support me in whatever life throws my way.

November 14th-I am Thankful for my home.  Home is truly where my heart is.  The warmth, love and laughter that happen there is undeniably amazing.

Sweet Thanks-

So What Wednesday...

Just because I am feeling sassy...here we go...

So what if my son thinks he is dying because his precious golf clubs were left in Medford.  They will be back Saturday and there is enough wood to stack from now until then and still not be finished...

So what if I was tired and went to bed at 9:30 last night instead of baking.  Cause today I feel so accomplished...I baked 4 dozen cookies before 7:30 this morning...

So what if the thought of Christmas shopping is giving me hives.  What do you get two teenagers who have everything...need nothing...and yet still want it all!!!!  The older my kids get the more I think that Christmas shopping isn't fun anymore...

So what if my Halloween decorations are still up.  It has only been two weeks and I'm thinking that they may just have to stay there for a while...

So what if I have 5 million projects that I need to start for my new business venture.  I can find the time somewhere...right??...

So what if sometimes living in Lakeview can be a pain because it can also be wonderful.  I was able to get 2 weeks worth of meals for a friend who is having a baby at the end of the month in less than 24 hours.  Where else would this ever happen??...

So what if it was cold yesterday morning and I decided to build a fire, only to have it be 72° by 5 p.m. and we almost died.  If I hadn't built a fire then a cold front would have settled in...

So what if I'm overly excited that Tales basketball is in Lakeview?  Single handily supporting the fuel company is not something I like to do or can afford...

So there you have it...Sweet so what-

Busy weekend...

Like always (and like all of you), I had a crazy weekend.  It is hard for me to be away from home because I have about 9 million cords of wood that needs stacked (have you seen my carport? crazy!), 7 thousand loads of laundry to put away (we are living off the dining room table & not our dressers), 30 gazillion bags of garbage to get to the dump (we are messy peeps) and 1,563,000000 projects (that I can't wait to dive into) that I need to get busy on for the Happy Horse (HH).  So really...I may have exaggerated a tiny bit but when I have all of that hanging over my head it feels like it is that big.

So instead of getting the important things done...I decorated and delivered a wedding cake on Saturday morning (I take that back...this was important).  And like any great blogger...the memory card for my camera was left in my computer at home!!  Why must I do this ALL.OF.THE.TIME!!  So darn annoying!!

Then I hopped in the car and headed to Bend, did a little shopping, saw a precious boy, ate some good food...you know...the required business that needs handled when out of Lakeview.

Then I hopped in the car again and only went a few miles to Redmond to watch my Darb and his dad tough truck it up.  I may have been near heart failure when Darb rolled his truck but luckily he was fine and it was fun.

Barely had enough time to rest our eyes and Darb & I were on the road again to Vancouver, Washington to celebrate my Uncle Rono (Captain Ron to you) and Auntie Paula's (EOA...to me) 50th wedding anniversary.  My cousin Shannon and her husband Brad did such an amazing job in planning the celebration and making a table full of AMAZING treats!!

It was so awesome to be able to see family that I haven't seen in years and drive 300+ miles to be with the ones who live here (funny how that works)...loved it!!

After a little time with the fam and a nights rest (notice I didn't say good nights rest) Tater (who had rode with my mom up there), Darb and I hopped in the car AGAIN and drove all of the way home.  Are you as tired as I am?

So basically what I am leading to is this....If you don't see or hear from me in a few days...I will be sleeping!!  Thank goodness Tales basketball is in Lakeview this weekend!!  The end. :)  Sweet travels-

Pumpkin Sugar Cookies...

I stumbled across a recipe similar to this one early in October and filed it somewhere in my crazy brain.  It wasn't until the other day that I thought of it again and knew I wanted to try it.  The cookie sounded so soft, delicious and perfect for the holiday season.  Now, I realize that everywhere you look there is a new pumpkin recipe guaranteeing to be the best you ever had but this recipe is uniquely different right down to the ingredients.

I have never made a cookie recipe that called for both butter and oil or both granulated sugar and powdered sugar.  To be honest when I began combining the ingredients I was skeptical.  I am a creature of habit and even a strange recipe can throw me off. 

But believe me...do not let the ingredients stop you...this cookie is so yummy and perfect for this time of year.  I love that the dough does not have to be chilled.  You can be baking cookies in just a few minutes.  To me the most important part of this cookie is the glaze.  DO NOT leave this out!!  It takes this cookie over the top.

To make them you will need 1/2 cup softened butter, 1/2 cup vegetable oil, 1/2 cup pumpkin puree (canned pumpkin), 1 cup granulated sugar, 1/2 cup powdered sugar, 1 teaspoon vanilla, 2 eggs, 4 cups flour, 1/4 teaspoon baking soda, 1/4 teaspoon cream of tartar, 1/2 teaspoon salt and 1/2 teaspoon of pumpkin pie spice.

In a large bowl, stir together the butter, oil, pumpkin, sugars, vanilla and eggs until it all incorporated.  Now this is the step that had me scared...look at this mess.  Don't be afraid, just continue...

Slowly mix in all of the dry ingredients until everything is mixed well.  Now that looks better...

Scoop a heaping tablespoon or use a 1 1/2" scoop to make cookies and place on greased or Silpat lined baking sheet...

With the bottom of a cup flatten the cookie to about a 1/2".  If the cookie dough is too sticky you could use a little granulated sugar like you would for a peanut butter cookie but I didn't have a problem...

While the cookies are baking in a preheated 350° for 8-9 minutes (don't over bake) you can put the glaze together.  It is so simple.  Put 3 cups of powdered sugar, 1/4 teaspoon of pumpkin pie spice and 4-5 Tablespoons of water and whisk together.  You want the glaze to drizzle but not be so thin that it slides right off of the cookie...

There it is....mmmmmmm...

 

Allow cookies to cool on cookie sheet for 3 minutes and then transfer to cooling rack.  Frost the top of each cookie with about a teaspoon of glaze...

 

Let the glaze harden for few hours or enjoy warm.  This cookie is seriously like an Autumn party in your mouth!!  Sweet glaze-

Thankful Thursday...

I had a whirlwind weekend of football in Medford, volleyball in Klamath Falls, tuff trucks (Go Darb #29) and migraines (YUCK!!)...so much fun except for the last one!!  All of this means that I am behind on my month of Thankfulness.  The fact is that there is ALWAYS something to be thankful for...no matter how bad of day you are having or how bad of a situation you are in...everyone can find something to be thankful for.  So here we go...

November 1st-I am Thankful it was Friday and that I got off work a little early to drive 3 hours and watch my Tater play is last football game.  Watching him play football makes this mama happy...happy...happy.

November 2nd-I am Thankful that my mom was such a trooper and went to the tuff truck competition with me.  It was her first red-neck sporting event ever and her facial expressions were hilarious!!  In fact she may have been more entertaining then some of the events...just sayin!!

November 3rd-I am Thankful for the shot I got in my rear end.  I realize a shot would not normally be something to be thankful for but when you think your head might explode in pain, then the relief is needed. Thank you Demerol.

November 4th-I am Thankful for basketball.  My Tales had her first practice of the season tonight and the Tater starts in 2 weeks.  It will be crazy but good.  Bring on the next 4 months...I think. :)

November 5th-I am Thankful for Darby and his girls.  1 1/2 years ago we started dating and it has been nothing short of amazing!!  I literally thank my lucky stars every single day.

November 6th-I am Thankful for running.  I know some of you are rolling your eyes right now and honestly I don't blame you but I can't quite explain the joy it brings me.  I know...I know...I may need to seek medical treatment.

November 7th-I am Thankful for my mama AGAIN!!  Today is her birthday...Happy 6?th Birthday!!

So there you have it folks.  Nothing too exciting...nothing super crazy but things to be thankful for nonetheless.  What are you thankful for today?  Sweet thanks-

Chocolate Covered Pretzel & Caramel Cookies...

This time of year makes me happy for a number of reasons...

1-Fall is a beautiful time year.

2-Football...Football...& more Football.

3-Stores carry fun baking items that aren't there any other time of the year.

 

A few weeks ago while in Medford, my sister, Jenn & I were in Walmart and I just had to look at the baking section.  This time of year there is a special area in the middle of aisles between the clothing and food section that has a number of seasonal items.  Cinnamon baking chips, gingerbread mix and caramel bits...to name just a few.  I was so excited (it's a food blogger thing) to be able to purchase the caramel bits because I have been thinking of this recipe for a while and they just wouldn't be the same without them.

 

To make them you will need a chocolate cake mix, 2 eggs, 1/3 cup oil, 1/2 cup Caramel Bits and 1 cup of chopped Chocolate Covered Pretzels (my favorite)...

 

Mix together the cake mix, oil and eggs.  The dough will be thick...

Add and stir in the Caramel Bits.  Aren't they so cute??...

Roughly chop the Chocolate Covered Pretzels and try not to eat them all before they get added to the dough or you have to chop more... 

 

Once all of the ingredients are added then begin forming the cookies.  You could use your hands and roll them into 2 inch balls or use a scoop (like I did).  Either way works great...the scoop is just faster.  Once on the cookie sheet use the palm of your hand or the bottom of a cup to flatten slightly...

Bake at 350° for 8-10 minutes.  Don't over bake.  I know that I sound like a broken record when I say that but I promise you that it makes for a much softer cookie.  Cool on the cookie sheet for 3-4 minutes and then move to a cooling rack...

 

The result: An irresistible cookie that is both sugary and sweet (my favorite combination).  By using a cake mix the ingredient count is only 5 items...tell me...what could be better than that.  Enjoy.  Sweet & Salty-

 

Pre-Trick or Treat Dinner...Year 3

On Wednesday I gave you sneak peak at the menu for the night.  The Crock Pot Chili was an excellent idea.  It took me about 5 minutes to throw together in the morning and then it was just a matter of setting out bowls and toppings (that some of the guests brought).  So easy and so good.

 

 

The Dead Dog Muffins were easy and so good alone or dunked in chili.  Anything that kids can grab and eat in two bites seems to be a hit.  To make them I just cut Little Smokies in half and placed each piece in a mini muffin cup and poured corn bread batter over the top.  They only took about 11 minutes to bake...throw some blood (aka ketchup) on the table and watch them disappear.

 

Some of the kids favorite items are the things that I do every year.

Witches Warts (olives)...I need to remember to buy double what I think I will need...kids need one for every finger every time they decide they want some.  Ogre Toes...Dill pickles are disgustingly better when they are toes...

 

Cheeto Puffs...Cheetos are a hit on their own...name them Petrified Rat Tails and watch them get gobbled up...

 

No meal at my house is complete without dessert...

The spiders are just store bought brownie bites that I added a little frosting, chocolate sprinkles, edible eyeballs and chocolate legs to.  To make the legs I put chocolate chocolate chips in the microwave to melt and put the melted chocolate in a Ziploc bag, snipped the corner off and made a thousand (not really but it felt like it) V's on wax paper.  They need to be refrigerated to set completely.  I had planned on using thin black licorice string but couldn't find any so I had to go with plan "B" which actually turned out so much cuter.  I think they may just be my most favorite Halloween treat EVER!!

I had planned on doing marshmallow pops but decided to do donut skewers instead.  Two store bought donut holes topped off with a ghost peep is tasty and festive.  Especially when served in a clear glass with holiday candy..

 

I finally got to use my spider web tiered cake plate that I bought last year on clearance!!  I realize that I'm easily excited or at least that is what Tater told me.

 

I also decided last minute to make Candy Corn Punch...

 

It was so fun.  Fill a clear glass with ice, pour Orange Crush soda until the cup is 1/3 full, next slowly poor yellow Gatorade until cup is 2/3 full, lastly slowly pour Zero Calorie Lemonade Vitamin Water until the cup is full.  Be sure not to mix it up so that you can have the fun affect.  The layers will stay separated because the sugar content in each drink is different.  Pretty cool!!

The best part of the night is always the sweeties.  I love having them over all dressed up.  So cute...

 

Strawberry Annie...



 

 

Moss the Hunter...

 



 

Football Playin' Hannah (great team choice!!)...

 

 

Aubrey Belle...

 

 

Flapper Girl Hailey...

 

 

Scary Lanie and Punk Harley...

 

 

And a little adult entertainment...Lori is such a luck girl!! :)

 

 

I hope you all had a safe Halloween.  I can't wait until next year!!  Sweet Halloween-