C is for cookie....

...that's good enough for me. C is for cookie...that's good enough for me. C is for cookie...that's good enough for me. OH! Cookie, cookie, cookie starts with C!


Is that song stuck in your head now, too? Thank you, Cookie Monster. LOL!

I've been following a new blog called I Was Born to Cook. Melissa is on the message board that I go on and she is always very helpful and generous with sharing recipes. I am so happy that she has finally started her own blog.

I saw this recipe for Hidden Kisses on her blog and just had to make them. The only thing that I did differently was that I didn't sprinkle the cookies with confectioners sugar but only because I forgot to. They were still delicious!

Ricotta Cookies

Melissa's blog is quickly becoming one of my favorites. I already have several things I want to make.

I originally saw the recipe for Ricotta cookies posted on the message board that I frequent. I had bookmarked it and then forgot about it until I saw that Melissa had blogged about it.

I really loved how simple these cookies were to make. My husband is not really into sweets but he really enjoyed these since they weren't too sweet. I think these cookies will be made every year for Christmas. Click here for the recipe.

Brownie Covered Oreos

Doesn't that sound like a brilliant idea? Let me write it again.....brownie covered Oreos....MMMMMM.

As soon as I opened up the email from Picky Palate I knew I was going to make these for Christmas. They were easy and delicious and not just for Christmas! Click here for the recipe.

Merry Christmas Eve!

Merry Christmas!!

I still have a lot of things that need to get done before my family gets here. I wanted to post the recipes for cookies that I made but that will have to wait a few days since I'm a bit behind. I just wanted to post quickly and wish you all a Merry Christmas!

At the Rockefeller Christmas tree

I have to pimp out this fic

You all know how much I love my FanFiction. But in lieu of the holidays I have cut back on reading new stories and am keeping my addiction to reading fics at bay but reading the updates to stories that are still in progress.

The Plan was being recommended on my message board and it sounded so interesting that I decided to read it.

Summary: Obsessed but unnoticed for over a year, she puts a plan in motion to catch the eye of corner-office Cullen. That's her plan. Fate has another planentirely. B/E Rated M for a reason. DAILY UPDATES until complete - often more than 1 a day.


Even though it is currently up to Chapter 49 the most of the chapters are very short so you can get caught up quickly. The author is planning on wrapping up this story by the end of the year.

You must read this story.

Trust me.

Went to a taping of The View

I am so annoyed with myself for not bringing a camera!

I submitted a request months ago for tickets and then forgot all about it. Then about 2 weeks ago I received tickets in the mail for December 14. I went with my mother while Alberto stayed with the girls.

It was FREEZING yesterday and we had to stand in line outside of the studio. They started letting us into the building in groups of about 20 at about 9:15am. We were checked in and then had to pass though security. We were also given waivers that we "may" receive gifts in excess of $75 and if it exceeds (I think) $600 we had to report it to the IRS. I immediately get excited because I just know that we were going to get some free stuff!

After going through the metal detectors we stand in line. For a long time. It was already 10:15 am and were still standing there. (The shows airs live at 11am.) One of the interns explained that Diddy was still rehearsing. About 15 minutes later they began calling out numbers that were on out tickets to be brought upstairs to the studio. They started with 1 - 15. My ticket was 152. More standing for me.

We were finally brought upstairs and were given cookies and juice. The set is so much smaller than it looks on TV. We were seated on Whoopie's side about 3 rows up from the floor. I was disappointed that Whoopie, Elisabeth and Barbara did not interact with the audience at all. Sherri and Joy came out a couple of times to chat with people.

My loot from The View


We were fortunate enough to be at a taping where a few things were given away. Our first gift came just before the the first commercial break.



And a $100 Amazon gift card! I already have a Kindle so I am giving mine to my BFF that was supposed to go to the taping but got there late.

Then Diddy (Sean Combs) came out to be interviewed and were given his cologne for men.

This makes Alberto smell yummy!


After another commercial break Diddy performed "Coming Home" from his new cd which we were also given.

My daughter got this cd.


Before the hosts ended the show Joy gave away this DVD. .




My mother and I had a very good time at the taping and would love to do it again soon. If you click on the link below it should bring you this episode. You can see me in the audience when the Kindle is given away. I am wearing a blue/green shirt with a scarf.

Happy Blog Anniversary to Me!!!

I can't believe that I actually survived an entire year of writing this blog. Sure, I don't keep up with it as often as I'd like but the fact that it hasn't been completely abandoned yet is an accomplishment in and of itself.

Ok...I am done patting myself on the back. I have some more FanFiction recommendations for you.

If a banner has been made for a story I will use that as the link for the story. Just click on the pic and it will bring you directly to the story. I will also add a summary for the story. (Look at how fancy I'm getting with this whole blog thing!)

I really really loved this story!

Jasper Hale, 21, is the son of a popular televangelist in Phoenix, and he couldn't be any further from a church-going goody two shoes. His attitude toward work, attending class, or contributing positively to society is lackadaisical at best. He drinks, smokes, and has a penchant for deflowering teenage girls. Bella attends private school with Edward Cullen, a senior who she's been in love with since ninth grade, when he moved to Phoenix. Too bad Edward is dating the most beautiful girl at St. Mary's, and doesn't even know Bella exists. But when Jasper sets his sights on Bella, Edward can't help but take notice. Will he protect her from girlfriend Rosalie's impious older brother? AH/AU/OOC and all that good stuff.

~~//~~

Another great story!

The perfect person appears at the worst possible moment, and one unforgettable encounter changes everything. AH

~~//~~

I really had high hopes for this. It started out so cute and funny but then it just too weird for me and I didn't find it very funny at all. It's only 9 chapters long if you want to give it a shot.

Accidents happen. Sometimes you die and meet God. Sometimes you live and meet SexGod. B&E. AH. AU.

~~//~~

I really enjoyed this!

Half of Hollywood’s most famous couples are faking it. That’s how Bella Swan’s publicist convinces her to pretend to date troubled Hollywood bad boy Edward Cullen. And she'll do anything for her band and her music.

~~//~~

I liked this one a lot, too.

Um. Hi. I don’t really know how to say this, but I have your kids with me, and I was thinking maybe you would like them back. So yeah… call me.

~~//~~

Love this story! This one is HOT! HOT!! HOT!!! It's still in progress and I squeal in delight when I get an email notification that there is a new chapter up.

Bella Swan has spent a lifetime putting everyone else's needs before her own. Could a chance encounter with a mysterious stranger begin to change all of that? AU/AH

~~//~~

I can't find a banner for Boy in the Red Sweater. I really liked this story and love Sweaterward!

Laced in silence and bound by his black web of a backpack, the new boy dressed in the faded red pullover is driving Bella insane with curiosity. Don't judge a boy by his sweater. AH. M for future chaps, language, dark themes.

~~//~~

Mr. Horrible was another cute story. A bit weird but I enjoyed it.

They meet at a gallery, from two different worlds. Watch as they learn... oh, who am I kidding here? They meet. They are opposites. They attract. Rated M for serious potty mouth and scenes of the citrus variety.

That's all for now. Happy reading!!

Pumpkin Pie

I forgot to take a picture of the pumpkin pie. It's a Paula Deen recipe and I followed it exactly. It was delicious and was quickly devoured by my family. It was a bit soft and after reading some of the reviews some people stated that instead of 2 cups of canned pumpkin it should be 2 cans. I may try it with 2 cans next time to see if it's firmer. But it was still amazing.

Pumpkin Pie

• 1 (8-ounce) package cream cheese, softened
• 2 cups canned pumpkin, mashed
• 1 cup sugar
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1 egg plus 2 egg yolks, slightly beaten
• 1 cup half-and-half
• 1/4 cup (1/2 stick) melted butter
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
  
• 1/4 teaspoon ground ginger, optional
• 1 piece pre-made pie dough
• whipped cream, for topping

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.

Place 1 piece of pre-made pie dough down into a (9-inch) pie pan and press down along the bottom and all sides. Pinch and crimp the edges together to make a pretty pattern. Put the pie shell back into the freezer for 1 hour to firm up. Fit a piece of aluminum foil to cover the inside of the shell completely. Fill the shell up to the edges with pie weights or dried beans (about 2 pounds) and place it in the oven. Bake for 10 minutes, remove the foil and pie weights and bake for another 10 minutes or until the crust is dried out and beginning to color.

For the filling, in a large mixing bowl, beat the cream cheese with a hand mixer. Add the pumpkin and beat until combined. Add the sugar and salt, and beat until combined. Add the eggs mixed with the yolks, half-and-half, and melted butter, and beat until combined. Finally, add the vanilla, cinnamon, and ginger, if using, and beat until incorporated.

Pour the filling into the warm prepared pie crust and bake for 50 minutes, or until the center is set. Place the pie on a wire rack and cool to room temperature. Cut into slices and top each piece with a generous amount of whipped cream.

Green Bean Casserole

This is a super easy dish and a staple for most Thanksgiving dinners. I did not cook this but my 12 year old did. She was very proud to be able to contribute a dish.

French's Green Bean Casserole

1 (10 3/4 oz.) can CAMPBELL'S® Cream of Mushroom Soup

3/4 cup milk

1/8 tsp. black pepper

2 (9 oz. each) pkgs. frozen cut green beans, thawed*

1 1/3 cups FRENCH'S® Original or Cheddar French Fried Onions

1. MIX soup, milk and pepper in a 1 1/2 -qt. baking dish. Stir in beans and 2/3 cup French Fried Onions.
2. BAKE at 350°F for 30 min. or until hot.
3. STIR. Top with remaining 2/3 cup onions. Bake 5 min. until onions are golden.

Classic Stuffing

I like basic stuffing. I'm sure that there are a lot of yummy recipes out there but as far as stuffing goes I like it simple. It may be simple but it is delicious and it was a HIT!



Classic Stuffing

16 cups of seasoned bread cubes (I used Arnold Stuffing)
1 stick of butter
2 cups of onion, diced
2 cups of celery, diced
3 cups of chicken broth
1 tbsp poultry seasoning
salt and pepper

1. Melt butter in large skillet.
2. Add onions, celery, poultry seasoning, S&P and cook about 5 minutes.
3. Add chicken broth and bring to a simmer.
4. Add bread cubes and mix thoroughly.
5. Transfer to buttered baking dish and dot with butter.
6. Cover and bake at 375 for 30 minutes. Uncover and cook another 30 minutes until golden brown.
   

Haven't posted in a while

I can't believe that I haven't posted in such a long time. I really meant to post something...anything...but I kept being sidetracked. Between my crazy kids, Thanksgiving and my addiction to reading FanFiction this lame-o-blog has suffered.

I did manage to do some cooking for Thanksgiving and bring it over to my dad's house.

First up is the bird. Isn't it pretty?? My recipe is loosely base on a few recipes that I found on allrecipes.com.




Roasted Turkey

1 whole turkey (mine was 20 lb)
8 tbsp of butter, softened (1 stick)
2 cups of warm water
2 packets of chicken bouilloun
1 tbsp poultry seasoning
salt & pepper

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Rinse and wash turkey. Discard the giblets, or add to pan if they are anyone's favorites.
2. Place turkey in a Dutch oven or roasting pan. Separate the skin over the breast to make little pockets. Mix the poultry seasoning and S&P with the softened butter. Spread the butter all over the the outside of the bird and under the skin between the skin and breast meat. This makes for very juicy breast meat.
3. In a medium bowl, combine the water with the bouillon. Pour over the top of the turkey. You can add more seasoning over the bird at this point if you wish.
4. Cover with foil, and bake in the preheated oven 3 1/2 to 4 hours, until the internal temperature of the turkey reaches 180 degrees F (80 degrees C). Remove the foil so the turkey will brown nicely and continue cooking for remaining 45 minutes or so.

*I choose to not stuff my bird with stuffing. Instead I stuff mine with quartered onions, halved garlic cloves, halved lemons and fresh herbs.

Fan Fiction Recs

I just realized that it has been almost a month since I last posted some Fan Fiction recommendations. I have been very busy reading some fan fiction and also managed to read a real book!

My first rec is The Best Man. Oh how I loved this story. It made me laugh and it made me cry. I cried so much and I still get sad thinking about it. But it is a must read.

I am currently reading Emancipation Proclamation. I don't know how to describe this story to do it justice. It is long compared to other fictions that I have read but so damn good. My only complaint is that I can only read it on my laptop. I can't read it on my Kindle or on my Blackberry. The author used Google Docs and neither of my devices support it. I would probably be further along in the story if I were able to read it wherever I was. There is even a fan page on Facebook for this story. Please take the time to read this one.

I am also reading Creature of Habit since I can bring this story up on my Kindle and BB. This is my first story where the characters are vampires. I am about half way through and loving this version of how Edward and Bella meet. When I was looking for this story I found out there is a sequel. I'm not sure if it's complete but I do plan on reading it as well.

After I am done reading EP and CoH I plan on reading For You, Anything.

I also wanted to touch on one of the stories that I recommended in the past. The Appointment had so much potential to be a really good fan faction but I was so disappointed in the ending. It felt like a cop out.

That's all for now. I'm going to go into the living room with my kids and read CoH for a bit while my kids watch Sprout.

Cheeseburger Pasta

I love pasta. All kinds of pasta dishes. Especially delicious cheesy ones. This one is no exception.

I was a bit wary of using Velveeta since I had never cooked with it before. But since I always follow new recipes to a tee I trusted that it would be fine.

I found this recipe on Lauren's blog. Her blog is one of my go to blogs when I'm looking for some inspiration and I am so glad that I came across this recipe. It was mmm...mmm...good!

I did try to make this dish a bit healthier by using multi-grain pasta and ground turkey breast. This is the perfect comfort food dish to make on cold nights and snow days. And the very best part is that its a one pot dish!



Cheeseburger Pasta

• 1 lb ground turkey breast
  
• 1 onion, diced
• 2 3/4 cups water
  
• 1/3 cup ketchup
  
• 1T mustard
• 2 cups elbow mac, uncooked
  
• 4 oz reduced fat Velveeta, cubed
• salt and pepper to taste
  

Saute onions until translucent in a large skillet.

Add ground turkey breast and brown meat, drain.

Add water, ketchup, mustard, S&P and mix well.

Bring to a boil and add pasta. Simmer on med-low heat, covered, for 8-10 minutes (until pasta tender).

Stir in Velveeta and cook until melted, stirring occasionally.

Halloween Party

Yesterday my girls and I went to a Halloween party at the school where Stephanie goes to open gym and Eva and I go to Mommy and Me. The party was for the kids in the pre-k program but the teachers are fond of my girls so they were invited to join in on the festivities.

Cute pumpkin


Pretty Fairy


As usual my kids ignored me when I tried to take a picture of them together : /


A rare picture of me with my babies

Took the plunge...sort of

I needed a new cell phone since Eva banged mine on the table a couple of weeks ago and since then it's been freezing up and turning itself off. I've always wanted a smart phone but didn't need one. It seemed like a waste of money and couldn't justify the extra cost.

I was browsing through Verizon's website checking out the cell phones when I saw this.



It screamed out to me and I caved. It's the Blackberry Curve 3G9330 smartphone in fuchsia. Is it the latest and greatest model? Probably not considering the promotional price. Does it have a fancy shmancy touch screen? Absolutely not. I hate touch screens. Is it the fastest? Who the heck knows? But it's pink and I love it!

And it's mine.

My 100th Post!

For my 100th post I thought that I'd share an email that my mother sent me with some interesting facts and helpful hints.

Do you do any of the following?

DID YOU KNOW?

Peel a banana from the bottom and you won't have to
pick the little 'stringy things' off of it. That's how the primates do it.

Take your bananas apart when you get home from the store.
If you leave them connected at the stem, they ripen faster.

Store your opened chunks of cheese in aluminum foil.
It will stay fresh much longer and not mold!

Peppers with 3 bumps on the bottom are sweeter and better for eating.
Peppers with 4 bumps on the bottom are firmer and better for cooking.

Add a teaspoon of water when frying ground beef.
It will help pull the grease away from the meat while cooking.

To really make scrambled eggs or omelets rich add a couple of
spoonfuls of sour cream, cream cheese, or heavy cream in and then beat them up.

For a cool brownie treat, make brownies as directed. Melt Andes mints
in double broiler and pour over warm brownies. Let set for a wonderful minty frosting.

Add garlic immediately to a recipe if you want a light taste
of garlic and at the end of the recipe if your want a stronger taste of garlic.

Leftover snickers bars from Halloween make a delicious dessert. Simply
chop them up with the food chopper. Peel, core and slice a few apples. Place them
in a baking dish and sprinkle the chopped candy bars over the apples. Bake at 350
for 15 minutes!!! Serve alone or with vanilla ice cream. Yummm!

Reheat Pizza
Heat up leftover pizza in a nonstick skillet on top of the stove, set heat to med-low
and heat till warm. This keeps the crust crispy. No soggy micro pizza. I saw this on
the cooking channel and it really works.

Easy Deviled Eggs
Put cooked egg yolks in a zip lock bag. Seal, mash till they are all broken up. Add remainder of ingredients, reseal, keep mashing it up mixing thoroughly, cut the tip of the baggy, squeeze mixture into egg. Just throw bag away when done easy clean up.

Expanding Frosting
When you buy a container of cake frosting from the store, whip it with your mixer
for a few minutes. You can double it in size. You get to frost more cake/cupcakes
with the same amount. You also eat less sugar and calories per serving.

Reheating refrigerated bread
To warm biscuits, pancakes, or muffins that were refrigerated, place them in
a microwave with a cup of water. The increased moisture will keep the food
moist and help it reheat faster.

Newspaper weeds away
Start putting in your plants, work the nutrients in your soil. Wet newspapers,
put layers around the plants overlapping as you go cover with mulch and for-
get about weeds. Weeds will get through some gardening plastic they will not
get through wet newspapers.

Broken Glass
Use a wet cotton ball or Q-tip to pick up the small shards of glass you can't see easily.

No More Mosquitoes
Place a dryer sheet in your pocket.
It will keep the mosquitoes away.

Squirrel Away!
To keep squirrels from eating your plants, sprinkle your plants with cayenne pepper.
The cayenne pepper doesn't hurt the plant and the squirrels won't come near it.

Flexible vacuum
To get something out of a heat register or under the fridge add an empty paper towel
roll or empty gift wrap roll to your vacuum. It can be bent or flattened to get in nar-
row openings.

Reducing Static Cling
Pin a small safety pin to the seam of your slip and you will not have a clingy skirt
or dress. Same thing works with slacks that cling when wearing panty hose.
Place pin in seam of slacks and ... ta da! ... static is gone.

Measuring Cups
Before you pour sticky substances into a measuring cup, fill with hot water.
Dump out the hot water, but don't dry cup. Next, add your ingredient, such
as peanut butter, and watch how easily it comes right out.

Foggy Windshield?
Hate foggy windshields? Buy a chalkboard eraser and keep it in the glove box of
your car . When the window s fog, rub with the eraser! Works better than a cloth!

Reopening envelope
If you seal an envelope and then realize you forgot to include something inside,
just place your sealed envelope in the freezer for an hour or two. Viola! It unseals
easily.

Conditioner
Use your hair conditioner to shave your legs. It's cheaper than shaving cream and
leaves your legs really smooth. It's also a great way to use up the conditioner you
bought but didn't like when you tried it in your hair.

Goodbye Fruit Flies
To get rid of pesky fruit flies, take a small glass, fill it 1/2' with Apple Cider Vinegar
and 2 drops of dish washing liquid; mix well. You will find those flies drawn to the
cup and gone forever!

Get Rid of Ants
Put small piles of cornmeal where you see ants. They eat it, take it 'home,' can't
digest it so it kills them. It may take a week or so, especially if it rains, but it works
and you don't have the worry about pets or small children being harmed!

INFO ABOUT CLOTHES DRYERS
The heating unit went out on my dryer! The gentleman that fixes things around the
house for us told us that he wanted to show us something and he went over to the
dryer and pulled out the lint filter. It was clean. (I always clean the lint from the fil-
ter after every load clothes.) He told us that he wanted to show us something; he
took the filter over to the sink and ran hot water over it. The lint filter is made of a
mesh material ... I'm sure you know what your dryer's lint filter looks like. Well ...
the hot water just sat on top of the mesh! It didn't go through it at all! He told us
that dryer sheets cause a film over that mesh that's what burns out the heating unit.
You can't SEE the film, but it's there. It's what is in the dryer sheets to make your
clothes soft and static free ... that nice fragrance too. You know how they can feel
waxy when you take them out of the box . well this stuff builds up on your clothes
and on your lint screen. This is also what causes dryer units to potentially burn your
house down with it! He said the best way to keep your dryer working for a very long
time (and to keep your electric bill lower) is to take that filter out and wash it with
hot soapy water and an old toothbrush (or other brush) at least every six months.
He said that makes the life of the dryer at least twice as long! How about that!?!
Learn something new everyday! I certainly didn't know dryer sheets would do that.