Would You Like Chocolate With That? ~ Gettin' Real

Welcome to Chocolate Friday! That means the weekend is here - Woo Hoo!

Well, today I wanted to talk about chocolate but in a different way than I usually do. A while back, I was inspired by Kimba's post at A Soft Place To Land about being real. She wanted to make sure that people knew that even though she creates so much beauty in her home, things are not perfect - she's got messes just like the rest of us.

I thought it was time I get real too! I hope that people don't get the wrong impression when they stop by and see pictures of yummy chocolate recipes.

Does it make you think I'm always baking homemade goodies for my family? I don't. I only make goodies for potlucks, special events, to give to friends, or to blog about - LOL! I have no willpower and can't have those yummy things around.

Are you intimidated by how fancy some of the desserts look? Don't be. I prefer fairly easy recipes and all I do is follow the instructions. Also - remember that you only see what I show you through the camera lense. You're not getting the full picture with flour spilled on the floor, dirty dishes piled in the sink, stains on the recipe card, and cupboards half-emptied. Why do you think the pictures are usually taken on my dining room table? Because my kitchen is too much of a mess by the time I'm done!

And you should know that not every recipe I try is a success. I recently had a couple of failures - always disappointing, but it does help to keep me humble! One was a Chocolate Walnut Bread - oh it sounded good, but turned out dense and rubbery. Hubby tried to eat it - saying he didn't mind a "hearty" bread as long as there was some butter on it. We still ended up throwing some away (and that is a really bad sign 'cause I don't like to throw away any sweets, no matter how old or stale - LOL).

And how about this? Doesn't it look scrumptious?

It wasn't. I couldn't even finish that cup. It was a Chocolate Chai Drink - seemed like a good idea, but it tasted like really really weak hot chocolate.

And here's where I am gettin' really real - my favorite go-to cookies to take somewhere or for my son are none other than these:

Yup! It's true - it's a mix. Everybody always loves them too - I get compliments - LOL!! Aaahhh...I feel better now that you know. See? I'm nowhere near perfect (Um, you probably already knew that).

I'm just another busy mom trying to enjoy some chocolate! So - obviously I need you to link up some chocolate posts today! Remember, you don't even have to link up a recipe (though chocolate recipes are always greatly appreciated) - it can be anything about chocolate or you can get real with me! For more info on Would You Like Chocolate With That?- click here.

I'm sure you can post something or find something in your archives - come on back and link it up!

Have a "real" chocolate Friday! I think that a "real" woman isn't afraid to have chocolate for breakfast! :) Are you a "real" woman like me?

Beware of Dog

Good morning or afternoon or evening - whenever you happen to be reading! I realized that I had posted this video on newbaby.com and facebook, but didn't have it here. And I just know it will make your day to hear our dog howling - LOL!!

Here he is - our "ferocious" basset hound!



Or you can click on this link to go watch it at www.newbaby.com. Did you know you don't have to have a baby to sign up at newbaby.com? You can upload your private and public videos there - it's fun!

Hope you enjoy our funny dog! Have a wonderful Thursday!

Don't forget to come back tomorrow for Would You Like Chocolate With That? Link up your chocolate posts! Find more info here or look at last week.

Works-For-Me Wednesday: momfaves.com

It's Works-For-Me-Wednesday today, but now it's hosted by Kristen at We Are THAT Family! Be sure to stop by there to say hello and see all the other great WFMW tips!

What's working for me right now is one of my favorite new sites. I heard about it on twitter after finding out that some bloggers actually do live nearby! It's www.momfaves.com. You should definitely check it out - you don't need to be a blogger at all!

I really like the couple behind it and their vision for it. You can learn more about it from the video here:

The Story Behind MomFaves.com from MomFaves.com on Vimeo.



I am already on momfaves faving stuff I like and submitting new faves. Yeah, I faved chocolate - don't worry! And my blog is listed on there if you want to go and fave it! It's easy to set up a profile and get started. I can also find out what moms like that are in my local area, which is great. It will become a great resource to find out places to go and products to try based on what moms like me prefer.

So, go check out www.momfaves.com! Also, go say thanks to Kristen for hosting WFMW!

Tea For Two-sday ~ Luscious Lemon Bars...Again

I ran this recipe back in June, but wanted to rerun it now that I have a photo. Also, it's a great recipe for everybody - it's fairly easy. Enjoy!

I think anything lemon goes well with tea. This lemon cake is cut into bars and such a yummy treat. I found this recipe in a cookbook that collected recipes from B & B's all over the country. I served these for a tea that had a lemon & lime theme, but made it in a pan of little flower-shaped molds and brushed the glaze on each one. They looked so cute!

Another great reason to serve this for a tea? (or any other time!!) It's so simple to make, you might already have all the ingredients on hand, and you can make it ahead of time.

Luscious Lemon Cake

1-1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1 cup sugar
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 eggs
1/2 cup vegetable oil
Grated zest of 1 lemon

LEMON GLAZE:
Juice of 1 lemon
1/3 cup sugar

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Mix together all ingredients and pour into greased, 7x11 in. baking pan. Bake for 30 minutes, or until golden brown.


For glaze, mix together lemon juice and sugar and pour on top of hot cake. Sprinkle with confectioners' sugar and top with thin slice of lemon to garnish, if desired. Yields 10 servings. (I usually spread it out thin in a 9x13 pan - might be good to make a little extra glaze to spread that far - makes way more than 10 bars - you decide how big or little to make them!)

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I hope you get to try these out and sit and enjoy them with some tea...

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Have a lovely Two-sday today!!

Motivate Me Monday ~ Simplify

It's Motivate Me Monday over at Like a Warm Cup of Coffee. WELL, I just stopped by over there and maybe there won't be a MMM post, but it sure is a great Monday! Sarah Mae had her baby girl Saturday night!! Congratulations and many blessings!!! :) Please stop by her place and tell her congrats!

I feel motivated lately by the idea of simplicity. It has been coming up again and again. I've seen many a blogger taking a break, scaling back, or trying to find balance with real life. I just talked to my hubby a couple of days ago (I am so blessed that he does not want me to stop blogging!) and he suggested that perhaps I am overdoing it a bit on my blog. What that means is that my household is still not in order - hubby kindly puts up with my housecleaning/organizing issues while hoping for better days ahead - and the behind-the-scenes time that I put in for my blog eats into the household-running time.

I'm not talking about daily posting. I'm talking about baking things late at night just to get a photo for a post or the time spent putting together a giveaway and especially the hours it takes for me to put together my theme weeks. Don't get me wrong - I LOVE doing all those things because I want my blog to be fabulous and fun! But when I put all my effort into those things, I neglect my household.

I need to simplify things. Of course I am all about simplifying my household - it's not all that complicated anyway. But right now, I need to simplify things a bit with my blog so I can focus on my household and be a blessing to my family. I'm not going anywhere - I will still be posting Monday thru Friday and reading blogs and commenting as I have time (and an occasional "tweet" or two!).

Right now, I'm just scaling back on some of the plans that I had for my blog over the next couple of months. I really wanted to host a virtual girls' night this month - sorry, just can't do it. And I had planned another theme week for March (a week of cakes - yum!), but I will have to postpone that. I still want to do it, but it will have to wait until late April or even May. But that just gives you more time to get some cake recipes gathered to link up!

I will be having my 1-year blogaversary in April, so that will be a fun day and will probably involve chocolate - LOL!

Whew - I feel a bit of relief in that. Watch out - I will be on the hunt for as much good info on household systems and organizing as I can find - and may even come up with a way to post about my progress to help myself with accountability. I also ask for your prayers - I really want to be the best homemaker I can be (I'll never be perfect!) and I am capable of so much better!

Thanks for letting me ramble a bit! What's motivating you today?

Show & Tell Saturday ~ Favorite Kitchen Gadget

Well, it's still Saturday and I managed to get this post up before the day is over! My friend Kim at Homesteaders Heart hosts Show and Tell Saturdays. This week's theme is your favorite kitchen gadget. Stop over at Kim's to see what everybody else liked!

Kim had lots of great kitchen items and I do agree that my Kitchen Aid Mixer is one of my favorite things. I've had it just over a year and can't believe that I baked and cooked so many years without one!

I do have a favorite little gadget that doesn't seem that exciting, but I love it. Here it is:


A can opener? You're thinking - OK, this chick is really boring. But it's not just ANY can opener! It's a Pampered Chef can opener (oooh, aaaah) and it works totally different from a standard one. (I do not sell Pampered Chef and they are not paying me and I didn't even get this free, but I would not be opposed to them sending me a whole bunch of free items...hee,hee)

It cuts the cans around the side, just under the top so the gross top of the can never comes in contact with your food. Also, the cut edges aren't sharp! And you can carefully place the top back on the can and store it in the refrigerator if you need to. It really is best with a demonstration and I will try to get a video demonstration uploaded here tonight or tomorrow.

I can never go back to regular can openers - LOL!

What is your favorite kitchen gadget? Don't forget to stop by Kim's to see all of hers!

Would You Like Chocolate With That? ~ Chocolate Oatmeal

Finally - Chocolate Friday again! Seems like it has been a long week.

This time, I thought you could use a little chocolate for breakfast! I don't think you have it often enough. I know I don't! :)

I found this in my little book of chocolate recipes and decided to give it a shot. I enjoyed it - creamy with a subtle chocolate flavor. Here it is - Chocolate Oatmeal.

It looks yummy, doesn't it? And yet...it seems like it could use just a little something...


Oh YEAH! Much better - LOL! C'mon now, all I did was add cream to oatmeal - a perfectly natural thing to do.

Chocolate Oatmeal

1/2 cup milk
2 teaspoons cocoa
2 teaspoons sugar
1/2 cup quick oats
1 teaspoon semi-sweet chocolate chips (I used mini chocolate chips)

In microwavable bowl, microwave milk on high for 2 to 2 1/2 minutes. Mix in cocoa, sugar, and oats. Microwave on high for 1 minute. Let stand for 1 to 2 minutes. Sprinkle with chocolate chips. ( I did have to add a little extra milk at the end as it was really thick.)

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Time for you to share some chocolate here. Link up your chocolate-themed post with Mr. Linky below - you can do it, I believe in you! You can find more info here or take a look back at last week.

Have a fantastic chocolate-filled day!!

Hello, My Name Is...

My friend Kim at Homesteaders Heart is always having a good time over at her blog! I just had to join in the Name Game with her. I like to be in on the fun!

You can play along too. Just copy and paste and replace with your answers. Do tell me if you decide to do it as I want to laugh with you!

Here we go:

I). YOUR ROCK STAR NAME (first pets name and current car)---Sneakers CR-V (Sneakers Honda?) Sigh - no future in that one, I'm afraid.

2). YOUR GANGSTA NAME (favorite ice cream flavor and fave cookie)--- Rocky Road Snickerdoodle (Sounds reeeal tough)

3). YOUR FLY GUY/GAL NAME (first initial of first name, first three letters of your last name)---L-Wat (peace out)

4). YOUR DETECTIVE NAME: (favorite color, favorite animal)---Red Tiger

5). YOUR SOAP OPERA NAME: (middle name, city where you were born)---Marie Helena (I think that one works - maybe there is a new career for me)

6). YOUR STAR WARS NAME: (the first 3 letters of your last name, first 2 letters of your first)---Wat-Li

7). SUPERHERO NAME: (”The” + 2nd favorite color, favorite drink)--- The Navy Blue Frappuccino (Rescuing corporate America from boring coffee...hee,hee)

8). NASCAR NAME: (the first names of your grandfathers)---Edward Bernard

9). DANCER NAME: ( the name of your favorite perfume/cologne/scent, favorite candy)--- Happy M & M's (had to stay the same as Kim here!)

10). WITNESS PROTECTION NAME: (mother’s & father’s middle names ) --- Marie Herman (But don't tell anybody or I'll never be able to safely use it.)

11). TV WEATHER ANCHOR NAME: (Your 5th grade teacher’s last name, a major city that starts with the same letter)---Park Portland (predicting patterns positively)

12). SPY NAME/BOND GIRL: (your favorite season/holiday, flower)--- Summer Daisy

13). CARTOON NAME: (favorite fruit, article of clothing you’re wearing right now + “ie” or “y”)
Grape Sweatsy

14). HIPPY NAME: (What you ate for breakfast, your favorite tree)--- Cereal Redwood

15). YOUR ROCKSTAR TOUR NAME: (”The” + Your fave hobby/craft, fave weather element + “Tour”)
The Blogging Sunshine Tour (Contact me later for dates - you won't want to miss it - LOL!)

Now wasn't that fun? Well, if not, wasn't it at least a little break from thinking about anything stressful?

Let me know what name I should be using and if you decide to play!

Have a lovely Thursday!!

Works-For-Me Wednesday: Homemade Ranch Dressing Mix Packet

It's the last Works-For-Me-Wednesday at Rocks In My Dryer! Don't worry - it's not going away, it will be hosted at We Are THAT Family (another of my favorite blogs!) from now on (starting next week).

I needed a packet of Ranch dressing mix recently for a recipe, but didn't have one on hand. Then I remembered that I had a book of mix recipes! I checked and sure enough - there was a recipe for it. I already had the ingredients, so tried it out. Worked for me! And frugal too!

Here's the recipe:

2 teaspoons instant minced onion

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/8 teaspoon garlic powder

1 tablespoon dried parsley flakes

(Recipe also calls for 1/2 teaspoon monosodium glutamate, if desired - none for me, thanks!)

Combine all ingredients in small bowl until evenly distributed. Store in air-tight container and use within 6 months. Makes 2 tablespoons mix (about equal to one packet from the store).

To make dressing:

Combine 2 tablespoons mix with 1 cup mayonnaise and 1 cup milk until well blended. Chill until serving.

To make dip:

Combine 2 tablespoons mix with 1 cup mayonnaise and 1 cup sour cream until well blended, Chill until serving.

And stop by Kalyn's Kitchen for a Southwest Chicken Salad recipe with a yummy Chipotle Ranch Dressing that you can make using your new homemade Ranch mix! It's one of our new favorite salads.

Can you believe it's that easy? And those packets are starting to get pricey, so this is a great money-saving idea.

Making your own mix so you know exactly what's in it and so you save money at the same time really works for me! Go on over to Rocks in My Dryer for lots of great Works-For-Me-Wednesday ideas!

Have a blessed day! :)

Tea For Two-sday ~ Lovely Tea Links

I hope you are having a lovely Tuesday so far! I thought I would share some fun tea links with you. Enjoy!

When Susie from Susie's Homemade told me that her next Cupcake Competition had a tea theme, I couldn't wait to see what she came up with. Stop by and see her adorable tea cupcake - it turned out so cute!

Alice from Tea In My Cup has gobs of great tea party ideas and recipes. She had a great idea last year for a really simple tea party to have after the holidays. Perfect after all the fuss and calories we've just experienced, right?

Do you need more tea blogs to read? Tea Guy Speaks has a huge list of tea blogs. I'm sure you'll be able to come up with a new read, or two, or three! :)

How about a super cute centerpiece idea? I will definitely be using this idea shown on Rachael Ray's site! And Martha Stewart had another good idea using tea tins.

Have a tea-lightful day and have fun finding some new places to stop by for tea ideas!

It Is Monday

How's that for a catchy title?! Mondays have always been hard for me, but are even harder when it's cold and gray and rainy. It truly makes me want to hibernate. So here I am trying to be alert and trying to write a post at the same time - not sure what will happen - LOL!

First of all, I should say Happy President's Day to all! Many of you are enjoying a holiday today - have a great one! My son is home today - no school - but he is currently amusing himself with Wii Fit. And perhaps if he does it enough, I will get some of the benefits through osmosis. Go, son, go!!

Do you need help getting going on a Monday? I can suggest a couple of places to start.

Stop by Like a Warm Cup of Coffee for Motivate Me Monday. I'll be stopping by there later to get motivation from some ladies who are trying to spend more time with the Lord.

Stop by Organizing Junkie for Menu Plan Monday. I could use some new meal ideas and if I get my menu set for the week now - I'll feel like I'm starting off on the right foot.

These quotes seem to apply to me today:

"Work fascinates me" - I could look at it for hours.

From Steven Wright: The sooner you fall behind, the more time you'll have to catch up.


That's it from me today because, after all, It Is Monday.

I hope to be back on track and caught up by tomorrow!

Would You Like Chocolate With That? ~ Valentine's Desserts

Happy Chocolate Friday to you! And Happy Almost Valentine's Day!

Here's a little valentine video for you!

When Valentine's Day rolls around, chocolate naturally comes to mind. It's everywhere! Sure, you could get the usual box of chocolates, but wouldn't it be nice to enjoy a rich homemade chocolate dessert? I have posted many different chocolate desserts that would be rich enough and fancy enough for Valentine's Day with your loved ones (or would be good to make for yourself and hide - hee, hee). At least 2 of these recipes are really easy, too!

Fancy Chocolate Desserts
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Chocolate Toffee Cream Cake (Easy!)

Kahlua Cake

Chocolate Chip Cheesecake

Chocolate Malt Ice-Cream Cake

Frozen Chocolate Mousse (Easy!)

Chocolate Soup

Have you tried any of these? You should pick one (or more - LOL) and go for it!

Now I ask you to share your chocolate! Do you have a Valentine's post with chocolate in it? Do you have any old or new chocolate-themed posts or posts containing pics or videos of chocolate? Come back here and link them up with Mr. Linky below! You can find more info here.

The Deep and Meaningful Post - NOT!

I'm sorry if you were looking for profound bits of wisdom today - you won't find them here - LOL!!

Just a few random thoughts...maybe we'll call it Thursday's Thoughts.

~ It's rainy here and I am not usually a fan of the rain. I know we need it; I just don't like being out in it. However, yesterday I left my car in the driveway (instead of garage) on purpose and hoped for pouring rain. The day before, I parked under a tree and my white car ended up being covered in splats of berries and bird poo. It looked like it had been attacked with a purple/brown paintball gun and there were at least 100 spots - not kidding! I tried to pretend like it wasn't there as I went through the Starbucks drive-thru, but the burst of laughter from the lady at the window brought me back to reality. Thank goodness we did get pouring rain and I am no longer an embarrassment to society! :)

~ My son's Valentine's party is today at school. We decided on mini boxes of Nerds candy to give to each kid. What kid doesn't love hardened tangy bits of sugar artificially flavored and colored? OK - sadly, I like 'em too. Did you know that Nerds don't have any of the top 8 food allergens? That's right - they are an excellent candy to hand out to classmates who have food allergy issues. Well, maybe excellent is a little strong, but they work and they're cheap - LOL!

~ I watch American Idol and Lost. Whew, admitted it. AI seemed a bit too scripted this time and some of the people that will be in the finals can't be taken seriously. I also don't appreciate them making 2 people sing against each other when they already know their decision - too fake. Still, I will be watching next week. And Lost requires a lot of my brain cells to follow. I'm still a bit confused, but those writers/producers are extremely skilled in making me think I absolutely MUST see the next episode and I can hardly wait a week and I feel like maybe I'll be able to figure out how it all fits together then! :)

~ I did my first post yesterday at Chic Critique as a new contributor. If you haven't stopped by yet, will you come by and tell me hello over there? Rather than thinking of it as shameless promotion, you can think of it as insecurity and a need for validation - LOL!

~ Chocolate Friday tomorrow! Come back here and link up your old or new chocolate-themed posts. Maybe some of you have posted about Valentine's Day - if chocolate is included, come link up! It really is best to share the chocolate!

I guess I've taken up enough of your time with all these deep thoughts! Have a wonderful Thursday, my friends!

Works-For-Me Wednesday: Honoring My Hubby

You know what really works for me? A blog carnival dedicated to honoring your hubby! I am happy to participate in Kristen's S.W.A.K. Valentine's Carnival today. You should check it out and see how other ladies are honoring their hubbies.

I am so grateful to be married to my husband. He is a godly man, a great husband and father, a good employee, and many other things. He works hard to take care of our family and still manages to smile and crack jokes frequently.

When people ask how we met, I tell them that I got him in the Men's Department in J.C. Penney! And it's true!!

When I moved to California - my first job was at J.C. Penney. On my first day of work after training, I was introduced to all the employees in the Men's Department where I was scheduled. Guess who I met? A very tall, nice young man with a kind smile and a great sense of humor. We became good friends and the rest is history. I always think it's amazing that the day he met "the new girl", he had no idea that he would be "stuck" with her the rest of his life!

I can now look back on this and see that the reason that I moved out-of-state and away from family was to meet the man that God intended for me. I am delighted to say that we have been happily married for over 16 years! Thank you Lord!

My husband may not be perfect, but unfortunately for him - neither am I! He is patient to put up with my housework struggles, my grumblings about daily life, my tendency to create large stacks of paperwork, my need for fancy coffee drinks, and my love of blogging. He is willing to help me when I ask, even if it's to kill a nearby spider or to take a photo for my blog!

My husband is my best friend and I can talk to him about anything...except clothing, or new hairstyles, or makeup, or whether an outfit makes me look fat - Well, I COULD talk to him about those things too, but he is happier when I don't! I enjoy spending time with him, even if it's in silence. I get comfort just from the fact that he is there with me.

I love you honey and am thankful for all that you do! I am blessed to have you for my hubby!

You can honor your hubby too and link it up to the S.W.A.K. Carnival at We Are THAT Family.

And be sure to check out more Works-For-Me-Wednesday ideas at Rocks In My Dryer!



P.S. Another thing that works for me is being a new contributor for Chic Critique! My first post is up! Please stop by there and say hello so I don't feel too lonely - LOL! :)

Tea for Two-sday ~ Teacup Tales: Painted Purple

Happy Tea for Two-sday to you! Today I thought I would talk about another teacup - though it's actually a tea set with sugar, creamer, teapot, cups and saucers.

It might be a little difficult to see the colors in the picture, but the set is painted purple and gold. The insides are a pearlescent white. Very pretty! It would be a special set just for how pretty and unusual it is, but it actually belonged to my Great Aunt Catherine, who passed away a few years ago. I am honored to have it!

My Great Aunt Catherine hand-painted this Bavarian china tea set while she was in high school. They had a China Painting Class! What a lost art. I think it's fascinating. She initialed and dated the bottom of each piece. The set was painted by her in 1928!

I never knew this set existed or that she had hand-painted any china. A couple of my Aunts were going through her things before an estate sale a couple of years ago and called to see if I would like them to pick out something for me. This is the set they picked out and shipped to me. How special! My Great Aunt Catherine also had a book written during the her last year telling many stories of her life. I have a copy and it tells of the China Painting Class!

I hope you enjoyed my little Teacup Tale today. Do you have any treasured teacups in your home?

Show and Tell Saturday ~ Gift From Hubby

It's Show and Tell Saturday at Homesteaders Heart! Today's theme is a favorite gift from your husband.

My husband has given me many gifts that I have enjoyed over the years including a ring, pearl earrings, perfume, flowers, a beautiful tablecloth and napkins from India, and a Kitchen Aid mixer (yes, those are the kind of gifts you start to like after 16 years of marriage!!)! We haven't really given each other keepsake kinds of gifts over the years. But, my husband gave me the two best gifts of all!

The first gift:

1992

The second gift:

1999 (the only time in his life that my son has been chubby!)

I don't think any other gift other than our marriage and child growing in Christ can quite compare!

Do you have a favorite gift from your husband? Post it and link up at Homesteaders Heart so we can all hear about it!

Have a blessed weekend!

Would You Like Dessert With That? ~ Peanut Butter No-Bake Cookies

Friday comes fast! Instead of Chocolate Friday today, it's actually open to any chocolate or any kind of dessert! Yum! It's your chance to pull out your favorite post (old or new) with dessert or chocolate and link it up below with Mr. Linky!

I'm saving a chocolate post and giving you a non-chocolate dessert today. I think most of you have had regular No-Bake Cookies. If not, Sarah Mae has the recipe along with pics - you need to try it if you haven't. Though I love the regular no-bakes, I like a variation that I make just as often - peanut butter no-bake cookies. My son likes them even more than the ones with chocolate.

Peanut Butter No-Bake Cookies

2 cups sugar
3/4 cup butter
3/4 cup milk
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 1/2 cups peanut butter
4 1/2 cups quick-cooking oats

In a medium saucepan, over medium heat, combine the sugar, butter, and milk. Bring to a rolling boil and boil for 1 full minute. Remove from heat and stir in the vanilla and peanut butter. Mix in the oats and stir until the mixture begins to cool. Drop the mixture by spoonfuls onto a sheet of waxed paper. Allow to cool until set.

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Now isn't that simple? Yum and hey, these are practically health bars - peanut butter and milk for protein and oats for fiber - LOL! Better have another one...

Now YOU link up something! I'm waiting...c'mon...I know you have something. Let's see it! Please?? :)

This & That

It's another one of those miscellaneous kind of days! Just a few things to tell you about...

~ I got (actually won) a new Flip video camera!!! Woo-Hoo! UPS finally delivered it last night! It happened because I did this post about clothing for Blissdom - the blogging conference that many lovely ladies are heading out to starting today. Thanks to Sarah at Real Life (who hosted the contest) and www.newbaby.com - I have a video camera! I am already signed up on www.newbaby.com and hope to get a vlog up this weekend.

Did you know that any of you moms can sign up on www.newbaby.com? You don't have to have a baby or even a video camera - it's a place for moms to share with other moms and you can just upload pictures and your blog feed if you want. Go check it out!

~ I will be a contributor at Chic Critique! Thank you to Jo-Lynne (also from Musings of a Housewife) for the opportunity! It became official yesterday and I will be starting soon with a post every other week there. It's all about real women sharing fashion/beauty tips, tricks, finds, reviews, etc. with the rest of us real women. I'll be sure to let you know when I have a post up there - please stop by and say hi! You should take a look over there now - you'll find some great info and some wonderful ladies!

~ Tomorrow is Friday - and you know what that means...Chocolate! Well, actually tomorrow is the first Friday of the month so we'll open it up to any kind of dessert even if it doesn't have chocolate. I'm sure you can find something yummy to link up! So get your chocolate post or a dessert post ready - old or new - and link it up tomorrow for Would You Like Dessert With That? You can find info here or take a look at last week.

I think I'll stop right there. That's enough for you to absorb right now.

What's going on with you?

Wordless Wednesday ~ Our Son Used To Be Little

I decided to look on the computer for the youngest digital picture we had of our son and this is it - taken on vacation in MT! It was over 4 1/2 years ago, shortly after we got our first digital camera.

He is so much taller and older now, but probably just as silly and just as white - LOL!!

Stop by Wordless Wednesday at 5 Minutes For Mom to see some great pictures!

Tea for Two-sday ~ Starbucks Tea Lattes

Have you tried the new Tea Lattes or Tea Infusions at Starbucks? Starbucks is finally having TeaTime!

I've had a couple of the Tea Lattes and I definitely like them. There are 3 flavors - Vanilla Rooibos, London Fog (made with Earl Grey tea), and Black Tea. All are made with Tazo teas. There are also 2 flavors of infusions (Chai tea mixed with juice) - Berry Chai and Apple Chai.

Here is what it said on my cup sleeve tonight:

Oh Starbucks - I love you! Thanks for the excellent suggestion - LOL!

I HAD to show you what the tea bag looks like. It's actually good quality loose-leaf tea packaged in a special infuser bag, much better and larger than the usual tea bag.

I tried the London Fog tonight, but it did confirm for me that I am not a big Earl Grey tea fan. I had the Vanilla Rooibos the other day and really liked it. I normally drink my tea unsweetened and these lattes automatically come with sweetened syrup (either Classic or Vanilla depending on the flavor you get) - 4 pumps in a Grande. That is a little too sweet for me personally, so tonight I asked for 2 pumps instead. It was good and let the tea flavor really come through, though I might actually like 3 pumps of syrup. And I'm sure I could ask for sugar-free syrup instead. Starbucks is nice that way - making it any way I like!

I haven't tried the tea infusions so can't give you any thoughts on those.

Have you tried any of the new tea drinks at Starbucks? What did you think?

Motivate Me Monday ~ Christian Women's Blogs

It's Motivate Me Monday over at Like a Warm Cup of Coffee - be sure to stop by for plenty of motivation to start your week off right!

There are so many lovely blogs out in the blogosphere, but the ones that motivate me the most are the blogs of other Christian women. I'm not saying that there aren't great blogs out there by non-Christian women, but I am most motivated by other women who are like me or women that I strive to be like.

I was delighted to see that Internet Cafe Devotions came up with a list of the Top 100 Christian Women's Blogs for 2008! This list was determined only by reader nominations. There are so many wonderful blogs on there - some I know and some are new to me. I plan to visit them all very soon - looking for more motivation!

I was happy, but not at all surprised to see that some of my special blogging friends made the list:

Sarah Mae @ Like a Warm Cup of Coffee
Kim @ Homesteaders Heart
Sarah @ Real Life
Melissa @ The Inspired Room
Alicia @ Confessions of a Snowflake

I encourage you to check out their blogs and say hello! I am always motivated and inspired by these ladies. (I am aware and quite shocked, but honored and humbled that I made the list as well and thank you all for your nominations.)

Click on the button to go see the list and all the wonderful blogs!



Go. Read. Be motivated!