It's Christmas.

Can't you just feel it?!?!

The Father/Daughter Banquet

Monday night was the Father/Daughter Banquet out at my church last night and my dad took my sister and I. It was a good time and here are a few pictures of us trying to take a self portrait...

"Just stick your chin out dad."

Also, I would just like to mention the best tissue to use when your nose is running and feeling rather raw...Puffs with lotion. Their slogan says it all: " A nose in need deserves Puffs indeed." Let me tell you, this stuff is worth the extra dollar or so when your nose can't take another square of toilet paper or regular tissue. It feels like feathers and does a great job of cleaning up the mess. Just thought I would share that with you. Totally random, I know, but hey, that should be no surprise on this blog. :)

Check out...

...this Nike commercial. Not only does the kid have an amazing talent, it's filmed in the best city in the USA: Portland!

My new favorite cookie

Everyone, let me introduce you to the Peanut Blossom...

These are just delicious, I can't even tell you. The recipe calls for hershey kisses but since my cookies looked so teeny I went with big chocolate chips instead. And you can practically feed an army with the amount of cookies this batch makes.

My new favorite word

Scuttlebutt...isn't that a fun one?
According to Dictionary.com
1. Nautical. a. an open cask of drinking water.
b. a drinking fountain for use by the crew of a vessel.
2. Informal. rumor or gossip.

Wikipedia says: Scuttlebutt in nautical terminology is a water fountain or water cask on a ship. It is now more commonly used as slang for "information" or "gossip". It also is the name of a competitive event at many Sea Scout regattas.

On sailing ships, water for immediate consumption was conventionally stored in a scuttled butt: a butt (cask or small barrel) which had been scuttled by making a hole in it so the water could be withdrawn. Since sailors exchanged gossip when they gathered at the scuttlebutt for a drink of water, scuttlebutt became Navy slang for gossip or rumors.

Some things never change do they? Then it was called a scuttlebutt, now it's called a water cooler. Tomato, TomAto.

A baby and his cookie

The original recipient of the Cocoa Fudge cookies I made last weekend was Lisa Pietzold. Here is little Zach helping his mommy enjoy said cookies.

more baking...

My favorite food reviewer Linda, enjoying my Butterscotch Blondies.

Here are a few items I made this weekend for the 8th grade lunch bible study that Blake and Mandy do on Mondays. You are looking at a tray of Butterscotch Blondies and Cocoa Fudge Cookies. Mine didn't turn out quite like the pictures but thats okay, they never do.

Anyway, they are both easy and delicious recipe's to make so print the recipe and make 'em up tonight. :)

Christmas questions

Welcome to the "Christmas Edition" of getting to know your friends. Okay, here's what you're supposed to do and try not to be a SCROOGE!!! It's the season to be cheerful!!!

1. Wrapping paper or gift bags? I do a little bit of both. I don't really care about either I just love watching people open the gifts.


2. Real or Artificial tree? I love real but have an artificial tree right now. I would totally kill a real one if I had one.


3. When do you put up the tree? I try to get it up the weekend after Thanksgiving but if that doesn't happen then as soon as possible.


4. When do you take the tree down? Oh, I don't know, after Christmas sometime. No deadline, just when I get the time. Definitely NOT before New Years though.


5. Do you like Eggnog? Eh, not a huge fan...or a small one for that matter.


7. Do you have a nativity scene? Yep, a little cheap thing from the Dollar store. But at least I have one. :)

8. Hardest person to buy for? I think I have to say my dad. He's not really that super hard to buy for but like most dad's, when my dad wants something, he just goes and buys it for himself. That makes things slightly difficult...I think we got him all figured out this year though. Yay!

9. Easiest person to buy for? Mom. With her, the rule of thumb is Starbucks gifts cards, she LOVES THEM! Can't get enough.

11. Christmas Cards....Snail mail or E-mail? Snail mail, but I don't really do Christmas cards. :) Sorry friends.

12. Favorite Christmas Movie? Muppet Christmas Carol. I know almost all the words and all the songs. Please don't hate me if or when we watch the movie together, I will probably be annoying. :) My second (cause who can choose just one) is White Christmas. My third is Ernest Saves Christmas. My fourth is The Santa Clause. My fifth is...

13. When do you start shopping for Christmas? I don't know, it just sort of happens when it happens.

14. Have you ever "recycled" a Christmas present? I don't know that either. I really don't think I have but I can see myself doing that. Hmmm...

15. Favorite thing to eat at Christmas? Cinnamon rolls from Pillsbury with orange icing. We eat it every Christmas morning. Yummers!

16. Clear lights or colored or both on the tree? I prefer white lights but am not opposed to colored.

17. Favorite Christmas Song? Do not have one. I will say this though. I love the WHOLE Carpenters Christmas Portrait album...every last song. LOVE IT!!

18. Travel at Christmas or stay home? Well, I'm not opposed to traveling, but Santa (which means my parents) needs to be near by to be able to put my stocking on my bed for when I wake up Christmas morning.

20. Do you have an Angel or a Star on top of your tree? I have a star. For the longest time my parents had an angel that my dad and I called the Angry Angel. We made it together at some military family Christmas party way back in the day and when my dad drew the face, he gave her sort of angry eyebrows so she looked like she was always scowling down on us. So funny.

21. Open the presents Christmas Eve or Christmas Morning? One on Christmas Eve and the rest on Christmas morning. If my mom had her way we would open one every hour to make them spread out longer. Too bad mom, your vetoed.

23. Shopping...Mall or on-line or both? Mall, online, little boutiques, Fred's, you name it, I'll go.

24. Do you decorate outside for Christmas or just inside (or at all?) both inside and outside

25. Favorite Christmas cookie? I love them all!!

26. Do you own Christmasy clothing or jewelry? Nope, not a thing. And I'm okay with that, thank you.

27. Do you believe in Santa Claus? No. And I was not brought up believing in Santa. My parents never lied to me about it, probably from birth. In fact, once I told my friend (I was probably in 1st grade or something) that Santa wasn't real. She told her parents what I had said and her dad, who just happened to be my dad's ranking officer (his boss), called my dad and kinda sorta chewed him out. hehehe, I love that story.


Here are a few of the questions I couldn't think of answers for at this moment. I didn't change the numbers, sorry.

10. Worst Christmas gift ever received?
6. Favorite Gift you received as a child?
22. Most annoying thing about this time of the year?
19. Can you name Santa's Reindeer?


Now, go out and blog your own answers friends!!

"feels like cashmere"

That is what Linda said as she was eating my newest baking creation, Pumpkin Bread.

My sisters made this a few weeks ago and it was so delectable that I just had to make it myself. It's so moist (I know, that's not the best word but it is to describe the bread). And, just so you know, I only used half of the all purpose flour that the recipe called for and used whole wheat for the rest (the credit for that goes to my sis, who told me that she did when she made it and it totally worked great).

I wonder what I'll try next? Any recommendations?