My dad is visiting us here in the desert—and where my dad goes, Sam goes, too.   Sam is my dad’s black lab, and he is a top-notch pooch…  ~in a canine class of his own!

There are no big dogs in my immediate family, so I have to ask…  What’s with the slobberin’?  And that smell?  What have you been rollin’ in you big hunk of love? 

Gootchy  gootchy, goo…   Your comfort here is important, so please, take a doggy nap on every couch, chair, or piece of furniture that you’d like, Sam…  Dog hair in the pasta? No biggie-- you’re so damn cute! Toilet bowl—punch bowl—they’re pretty similar…  Those big brown eyes, that wagging tail, just one little tip:  my lap is not a face towel…   
 
"Dogs are our link to paradise. They don't know evil or jealousy or discontent. To sit with a dog on a hillside on a glorious afternoon is to be back in Eden, where doing nothing was not boring -- it was peace." --Milan Kundera

Stacy from Stacy's Random Thoughts surprised me with this wonderful award!  It's the lemonade award.  The rules state that I bestow it on blogs that display great attitude or gratitude!   She might know that I love LEMONS, so this award REALLY makes me SMILE!  THANK YOU STACY! 

Even though the rules do state that I pass it on to 10 bloggers, what I really want to do is give it to one that I think really shows great attitude and gratitude in every blog post I read of his. 

This is particular blog makes me smile every time I stop in...  If you've read Dad to Two, you know what I'm talking about...  Even through a few weeks of being crazy sick, he still managed to add light-hearted posts on his blog.  When I read his writing, he makes me laugh and giggle because of his cute stories and because I can tell how much he loves his family.  So Dad to Two--this one is for you!  The rules say that I pass it on to 10 bloggers as well--but you all know that I have a rule-breaking streak--so there! 

Thanks again, Stacy--I love this award!

Oh, these cookies are dangerous!  Dangerously good... (Num-ums as my daughter would say.)  The dough has no eggs, so I could just sit and eat a bowl of the dough at once... But I won't.  Not today, anyways...

THIN AND CRISP!  Great for dippin' in the coffee or milk or for a quick snack.  I used mini-chocolate chips--absolute perfection!

Here is the never fail recipe for thin and crisp chocolate chip cookies to continue my series on the best ever chocolate chip cookie made just right for you!

What goes in 'em!

1/2  cup  butter
1/2  cup  firmly packed brown sugar
1/3  cup  granulated sugar
3 tablespoons water
1 and 1/2  teaspoons  vanilla
1  cup  all-purpose flour
3/4  teaspoon  baking soda
1/2  teaspoon  salt
1  cup  semisweet chocolate chips (I used mini-chips--pictured above)
1/2  cup  chopped walnuts or pecans--if you'd like!


Couldn't be easier to prepare...

1.  Beat butter, brown sugar, and granulated sugar until well blended. Beat in 3 tablespoons water and the vanilla until smooth.

2. In another bowl, mix flour, baking soda, and salt. Stir or beat into butter mixture until well blended. Add chocolate chips and nuts.

3. Drop dough in 1-tablespoon portions onto buttered baking sheets.

4. Bake in a 300° oven until cookies are lightly browned--18 to 20 minutes.




But maybe you like chocolate, and you want a healthier alternative... I have a recipe for you, too!

Here is an awesome healthy recipe prepared with GOOD fats found in coconut oil and dark chocolate!

Coconut Chocolate Chip Oat Cookies

3 large, ripe bananas, well mashed
2 teaspoons vanilla
1/4 cup coconut oil--room temperature
2 cups rolled oats
2/3 cup almond meal
1/2 cup coconut, unsweetened
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon sea salt
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 to 1 and 1/2 cups chocolate chips or dark chocolate bar chopped

Preheat oven to 350 degrees

1. In a large bowl combine the bananas, vanilla, and coconut oil.

2. In another bowl blend the oats, meal, shredded coconut, cinnamon, salt, and baking powder almond.

3. Add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients and stir until combined.

4. Next, fold in the chocolate chunks/chips.The dough is a bit looser than a standard cookie dough; go with it!

5. Drop dollops of the dough, one tablespoon, an inch apart, onto greased  baking sheet--I used just a dab of coconut oil.

Bake for 12 - 15 minutes.

These do taste very  banana-ish--I'm going to try making them with applesauce next--if you beat me to it, drop me a note and let me know how they turn out!

Waiting for Godot , (ehem…)  I mean waiting for the doctor…

I’ve spent a good amount of time loitering at the doctor’s office over the past three years; I’d say I’ve graduated to be expert  “lingerer.”

Waiting-room-limbo does have its perks-- I do get caught up on People, Time, Newsweek--the typical doctor's office magazines…  I’ve also read all the brochures on Botox, prevention medicine, travel… 

But today, I was ill prepared (oops), and I had Katie with me.  It’s not good to dilly-dally with a three year old.
 
I really wish that they would tell you when you check in that it is going to be an hour or more—I could take a little walk, or well, somethin'...  I can’t believe it took me two hours just for 8 minutes of the doctor’s time. 

What do you think?  Is it alright to make patients wait for an hour and a half or even more for their appointment? They did call in advance and warn that I had to be 20 minutes early for my appointment—so I was on time…   I was so close to leaving, but I knew that I’d have to reschedule somewhere else and then potentially have to wait that long again…   Two hours?  REALLY?  Any fellow lobby-loiterers or doctors out there that want to weigh in?

How do you like your chocolate chip cookies?  Thin and crisp?  Thick and chewy?  Thin and chewy?  Thick and crisp?  Well, believe it or not, there is a way to get the perfect cookie every time--and depending on your taste, you can adjust your recipe to achieve the results you desire.

I'm going to start today with my favorite--thick and chewy!  YUM!

Ingredients

1  cup  butter--room temp
1 1/2  cups  firmly packed brown sugar
2  large eggs
1 1/2 teaspoons  vanilla
2 1/2  cups  all-purpose flour
1  teaspoon  baking soda
1/2  teaspoon  salt
2  cups  semisweet chocolate chips
1  cup  chopped walnuts or pecans (optional)


How easy is this?

1. Beat butter and brown sugar until well blended. Beat in eggs and vanilla until smooth.

2. In another bowl, mix flour, baking soda, and salt. Stir or beat into butter mixture until well incorporated. Stir in chocolate chips and nuts, if using.

3. Drop dough 2-tablespoon in size--2 inches apart on buttered  baking sheet.

4. Bake in a 375° oven until cookies are lightly or golden browned--depending on preference--8-12 minutes; if baking more than one pan at a time, you may switch pan positions halfway through baking.

5. Transfer cookies to racks to cool.

These are a great treat during the holidays, and a yummy comfort food all winter long--DELICIOUS!

My husband has invited several of his hombres down to the desert while urging me and my daughter to go back to our hometown for a “stay.” (YES!) I’m as excited as heck to go back to Spokane—but I do kinda feel like a little exile-ish… 

Okay, the guys want to be together to go to a game, play golf, or even play poker—but for five days?  

Our house isn’t that roomy—so I can see that he wants to have a place for the guys to hang out without the usual “Katie tantrums” and “Nicole watching The Bachelor…”  (how embarrassing)  But for reals,  I’m not going to be sitting in the boudoir with a glass against the wall…  I’m not going to let Katie run around in mismatched layers of too small clothing.  I’m not going to tag along with him and the guys to the golf course pimping myself as a caddy or even call him on his cell to pick up a kumquat on the way home.    I swear it!

To his credit, he hasn’t gone back home since we moved.  He’s been working hard, and we rarely go out—never without Kate; I can understand his need for a bout of free time—even altogether guy-time.  What I don’t get is why 5 or 6 guys getting together without women is such a sacred affair for my husband and his buddies.  It’s a month away at least, and the guys are texting each other, even talking to each other about it on Facebook—acting all giddy…    Whatever…

I did a little poking around the internet to see what other women had to say about men’s need to hang out in homogeneous groups—what I came across instead is this application for a night out with the boys—kinda funny…  And of course, an application for the girls, too…   

Oma's Popovers are a delight!  They are so easy to whip up, and they look great.  She used my cupcake sheet to bake them up--but you can use custard cups to get a taller effect.   Okay, here is the simple recipe!

Oma's Popovers

3 eggs
1 cup all purpose flour
1 cup milk
1/4 tsp salt
1 TBS vegetable oil

Beat eggs, flour, milk, salt and oil together until smooth...  It's easiest to use the blender and blend until smooth. Pour into greased cup holders...   If you use a cupcake holder, try to leave space between each, as they will rise dramatically. 

Bake in oven at 375 degrees for 50-60 minutes--until popovers have puffed and are very well browned.   They will be hollow in the middle--you can add butter, jam, or just eat them plain! I like this recipe because there is no sugar required!

YUMMY!

"We spend January 1 walking through our lives, room by room, drawing up a list of work to be done, cracks to be patched.  Maybe this year, to balance the list, we ought to walk through the rooms of our lives... not looking for flaws, but for potential."  ~Ellen Goodman


It’s the day after Christmas, and it is tradition to begin thinking about resolutions for 2009.  I’ve never been one to make resolutions, but I admire those that do and then stick to them.  To me, making resolutions conjures images of failure…  I’m doomed to break them… doomed…

Some common New Year’s resolutions? Exercise, eat better, save more money, spend time with family… You've heard these before... And I like these, but they aren’t specific enough.  This year I’m gonna get focused.  I’ve got a plan…  I want resolutions that I can keep!

I hereby “officially” resolve to:


Learn my own cell phone number…

Assume history always repeats—use my rear view mirror…

Provide a free pass for Katie: She can choose whatever she wants--including but not limited to meals, clothing, and bath time.

Pee before leaving the house.

Take responsibility for my messes—unless it’s someone else’s fault…

Protect me from myself—no more painting my toenails on the carpet…  

Never operate a motor vehicle before 7:00 a.m.

Resist trimming my own bangs without a obtaining a beautician’s license first.

Lose the saying “I told you so dumb@$$!”

Procrastinate more when it comes to dropping daily entrecards… 

Consolidate my email accounts—no one needs more than 7!

And lastly and most importantly… of course, remember to tell the ones that I care about that I love them…  (love you loyal readers!)

Have you begun to think about your New Year’s resolutions?  Any favorites you’d like to share?







 

It's finally here!  Christmas Eve!  Wishing you and yours a very happy holiday filled with joyous laughter, sweet friends, and lots of love! 

In honor of this holiday season, I am going to post a few pictures from years gone by! 

Lots of laughter!

Lots of silly friends!

(My bestest friend and her husband last year...)

Lots of presents!

Christmas trees and Santa!

Lots of love!

Martha Stewart Living:  $5







Ingredients for a double batch:  $14







Oma here to help bake:  $0

Making sugar cookies for Santa...

Truly

   Priceless! 






(and messy, too!)









HAPPY HOLIDAYS!