Season's Greetings to All.............

Merry Christmas to each and everyone of you.

Blessings,

Barbara

National Cookie Day

Good Morning Everyone.....

Today is National Cookie Day, so I'm posting a bar cookie recipe that is so good.

Praline Cookies

Graham Crackers (enough to line a 15 x 10" cookie sheet, must be a 15 x 10 pan)
1 cup butter
1 cup light brown sugar, packed
1 cup chopped pecans

Line 15 x 10" cookie sheet with whole crackers. Bring butter and sugar to a rolling boil for 2 minutes. Remove from heat, add nuts, and spread over crackers. Bake at 350 degrees for 10 minutes (no longer, no less). Cool and cut into 1" squares.

These are very simple, easy to make cookies and taste wonderful.

Have a Great Day,

Blessings,
Barbara

A Day off..........

We took the day off yesterday from all the painting, cleaning, and the mess we have here, and went shopping! I stopped at Hobby Lobby and found the cutest Christmas tree, its only 24" tall, in a pot wrapped in burlap, but the ribbon on it is ugly, so I am going to put something different around it, also picked up some DMC threads, cardstock paper, small ornaments for the new tree, a couple pieces of fabric and a packet of needles. Went next door to CATO and purchased 3 new tops and a sweater set all for myself. Then we made a stop at Bed Bath and Beyond, where I purchased new hot mats for my new kitchen counter tops. Picked up 3 in a packet of cork hot pads and a couple of silacone hot pads, a small cutting board, a Christmas scented candle, and a bag of Limited Edition Ghirardelli Holiday Chocolates. I love Ghirardelli chocolates!



Then Wayne wanted to stop at the plumbing supply house for some items and he picked up another grab bar for my bathroom, which he says I need getting in and out of the shower/tub. So that's okay with me.



We went to Mazzio's for pizza, where we usually go on Tuesday evenings (its old people night!). Then home to a nice warm, cozy fire as it was very cold last night, but we got up to 55 degress this a.m. Weather is strange, I think Mother Nature is undecided about what she wants!



Today is back to painting and trying to finish up before Monday, when they come to put in the new carpeting. I will be so glad when all this is finished, and I can get up, sit in my chair and drink my coffee, without having to worry about painting and cleaning out something.

A forlorn little tree without any decorations, but hopefully soon some will be added. At least there are chocolates to eat!

My new hot pads for the new counter tops. Click on the photo to get a little better view of the counter tops.

I hope everyone is having a wonderful day.

"Being happy is something that comes into our lives through doors we don't even remember leaning open." Rose Lane

Blessings to All,
Barbara

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

A very complete Thanksgiving.........

Today was a very quiet Thanksgiving for Wayne and I. We painted this morning, went to Joplin for lunch, and ate way tooooooooooooooo much! We ate buffet at Golden Corral and it was good. Of course, it was not as good as you get at home, but still good.

We heard from our son and DIL stationed in Germany, and from our grandchildren in Mississippi. I also visited with my mom, my half-sister, and two of my aunts, so day has been complete.

I hope everyone enjoyed your day. Now on to Christmas............................and I will continue with this never ending remodeling project!

Blessings,
Barbara

Still remodeling.............

We are still in remodel mode here! I was beginning to think it would never end, until yesterday when they installed new Quartz kitchen counter tops. They are beautiful, but we can't put the back splash up until tomorrow and the counter tops have to seal to the cabinets with the product they use. I don't even have a kitchen sink to use, the sink is sitting in the cabinet, but the new faucet and disposal are not installed and hooked up! But, tomorrow they will be and the back splash will be put up, then we get to wait another day for the glue to stick! Tomorrow we will also paint the walls in the kitchen. But it is all worth the effort and it will be beautiful. I also have a RED HOT wall in what will be my new sitting area. I love that RED wall. We have almost everything out of the house, except for the large pieces of furniture that DH and I can't move. The carpet will be coming on December 8 (the day got changed!), and I told them they had better come on the 8th or else!

But, I want to wish everyone of you a Very Happy Thanksgiving and I hope your day is pleasant, where ever you may be and what ever you may be doing.

Blessings,
Barbara

Remodeling..........

Dear Friends,

I'm going to be away from my Blog for a few weeks. We are finally in remodel mode here in our home. A wall is coming down, new counter tops in the kitchen, new floor covering in every room of the house, painting each room, moving furniture from one room to the next to make living more comfortable. After 35+ years it's time for a change. Photo's will come when we are finished, whenever that will be.

Our son and DIL will be coming stateside for Christmas this year. Gordon is stationed in Germany with the Air Force, and has been there for 2 1/2 years now, so time for a visit home. They will be with us a week, December 19 - 26, after spending a week with DIL's mother in Iowa. We are really looking forward to this visit. When they return, they will have another 2 years to be there. Because of chronic health issues with my DH, we are unable to make a trip to Germany. The only sad thing about Christmas this year, is our grandchildren will not be with us.

So until I return, I hope everyone has a wonderful Thanksgiving season, and I hope to "see" you before Christmas, with many photo's of our new look.

Blessings,
Barbara