And still more Birthday gifts...........

Last week brought more belated birthday gifts to me. This is fun getting gifts when least expected!

The top photo is what I received from Joni, who lives in Pennsylvania. She and I have been friends for a very long time. We both belong to a great cross stitch group of very caring wonderful ladies. She was very generous with her gift for me. She knows I love sunflowers so this gift was very much sunflower related, containing fabric with sunflowers and sunflower buttons, two sunflower scented votives, a sunflower scented car candle, and a small notebook with sunflowers on the cover. I carry the notebook in my purse, as it is just the right size. Thank you so much Joni, you are such a very dear friend.

The other photo shows what Francoise from France sent to me. Francoise does very elegant cross stitch work. Her friends and I don't think she ever sleeps, because she can stitch a chart in almost a day's time. The chart she chose to stitch is from Notforgotten Farms and it is Ruth's pocket. She also sent a bookmark, as she knows I enjoy reading, and the card she sent is in French, and I think it is a recipe for something with chocolate and cherries, but I don't read French, so I need for Francoise to translate the recipe for me. This special gift will be wonderful displayed in my new sitting room.

And yes, we are still in remodeling mode at our house. All the rooms are painted, well all most, the bedroom that is going to be my craft/sewing room won't get painted until after the new year. We still have one small closet to paint. And we need to do some touch up work in some of the rooms. The counter tops are on, the back splash is on, we need to put up a piece of paneling, where we took down a wall. Then on Monday, December 8th the people are coming to put new flooring in the kitchen, back entrance, main bathroom, and front entrance, the rest of the rooms all get carpeting. Then we can start turning this house back into a "home". My goal is to have everything back in order by December 15/16, so I can put up some Christmas decorations and do some baking, as our DS and DIL arrive on the 19th for a weeks visit.

Now, I want to share a recipe with you:


Chocolate Chip Sensation

1 (8 oz) refrigerated cookie dough
8 oz Cream Cheese, softened
1/3 cup sugar
1 pint (2 cups) cold half and half
3.9 oz. package chocolate instant pudding
1/4 cup chopped nuts (optional)

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Press cookie dough within one inch of the edge of a large round baking stone (it will be really thin..but will puff up when it bakes).

Bake 12 - 15 minutes until light brown..COOL 10 minutes and loosen cookie from baking stone with serrated bread knife (VERY important..otherwise you will never get it off the stone).

Mix cream cheese and sugar until light and fluffy. Spread on the giant cookie within one inch of the edge. Mix half and half and pudding together for 2 minutes, let it stand for 5 minutes (it will thicken). Spread chocolate mixture on top of cream cheese mixture.

Top with nuts, if using.

Enjoy!

Blessings,
Barbara