My Family's Favorite Cookies

As you can tell from past posts, you probably know that a passion of mine is baking.  With that being said, I've decided to share one of my family's favorite cookies....Chocolate Chip Peanut Butter Cookies.
 
The complete recipe is at the end.  I made a quarduple batch of cookies.  In a house with 9 people, there isn't much sense in only making a single batch of anything.  Through trial and error, we have found that making the dough and allowing it to set in the refrigerator overnight produces a better tasting cookie.  We usually make 2 sheet pans of cookies when the dough is first made, and then bake the remaining dough in the next day or two.
 
The first thing that I like to do is make my own brown sugar.  It's very easy, and this way I never have to worry about whether the box or bag of brown sugar in the cabinet has become a brick bat.  For a cup of brown sugar, measure 1 1/4 cups of granulated sugar with 1 Tbsp. of molasses.  If you prefer dark brown sugar double the molasses to 2 Tbsp.

Next, add in the white sugar and the softened butter.  Cream well.

 

Next, I crack the eggs into a cereal bowl and add in the vanilla.  Then I use my kitchen scale to weigh out the peanut butter.  This is much easier for me than spraying a measuring cup with non-stick spray or worrying about getting all of the peanut butter out of the cup.  Honestly, I want every drop of the crunchy peanut butter in the dough.

Add the eggs, vanilla, and crunchy peanut butter to your creamed mixture of sugars and butter.  Blend well.

While that's mixing, measure out your dry ingredients, and have the chocolate chips handy.

Once everything is creamed well, add in the flour/oat mixture in 1 cup batches.  When you have about one cup of flour/oats remaining in the bowl, pour the chocolate chips into it.  Stir to coat.

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.

Line your cookie sheets with parchment paper, and using a small scoop or two spoons measure out into 1 inch balls.

Bake for 10-12 minutes.  Pull parchment sheets of cookies onto cooling racks.  Allow to cool at least 5 minutes before eating.

Here is the recipe.  I hope that you and your family enjoy making and eating these as much as my family does.

May God bless you and yours abundantly!

Ingredients:

• 1/2 cup butter, softened
• 1/2 cup sugar
• 1/3 cup packed brown sugar
• 1/2 cup chunky peanut butter
• 1 egg
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1 cup all-purpose flour
• 1/2 cup old-fashioned oats
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1 cup (6 ounces) semisweet chocolate chips

 

Directions:

• In a bowl, cream butter and sugars; beat in peanut butter, egg and vanilla. Combine flour, oats, baking soda and salt; stir into the creamed mixture. Stir in chocolate chips.
• Drop by rounded tablespoonfuls onto ungreased baking sheets. Bake at 350° for 10-12 minutes or until golden brown. Cool 1 minute before removing to a wire rack. Yield: 2 dozen.



All Eyes are Upon You (part 1)

With the rising temperatures comes the time to start thinking about what to plant in the garden this year.  Today, I made my annual trip to Bidwell's for some seed potatoes, lettuce and radish seeds, and red onion sets.

Red potatoes are one of our family favorites since we can do so many things with them.  There is nothing better then a freshly dug red potato, washed, dried with a paper towel, lightly coated in olive oil and salt, wrapped in foil, and cooked on a charcoal fire.  DROOL!!

 

The choice of mixed mesclun and buttercrunch lettuce seeds are so that our fresh garden salads have wonderful flavor!  Throw in some thinly sliced radish for added crunch.

75 red onions should be enough for our garden, but I'm personally hoping that our neighbor trades a few of his yellow onion sets for some of our reds.

In order to plant the potatoes in the garden you don't have to wait until the temperatures are at a warm temperature.  We have found that as soon as you can till the soil, the potatoes are ready to be planted.  Today I'll walk you through what it takes to get the potatoes ready for their trip to the garden.  The tools you will need are a sheet or foil pan for each type of potato you will be cutting, a sharp paring knife, and a cutting board. 

Yes, I realize that in the picture above, there's a large white plastic platter...improvise, you'll get the item back in a day or so and since the platter was just sitting on the shelf I figured hey, why not!  Next, you'll notice that the potatoes look pretty much like the ones you buy from the grocery store.

From left to right there are Yukon Gold (yellow colored flesh), Red Pontiac, and Kennebec (also know as russets).  Do you notice all of the eyes on the potatoes??  Here...how about a closer look...

All of those divots in the potatoes, some are easier to see than others, are called the eyes of the potatoes and play a crucial role when you're cutting them into pieces for planting.  To have the best results, each piece of potato needs to have a minimum of 2 to 3 eyes for each piece.  I'll be you're thinking that the larger potatoes will give you more pieces, well I found out tonight that this isn't always the case.  With some of the smaller potatoes, I was able to get a minimum of 3 pieces.  The same thing happened with most of the larger potatoes.  As I was cutting our potatoes into pieces tonight, I thought back to growing up in Indiana and watching my Dad cut pounds and pounds of potatoes into pieces.  He had several 5 gallon buckets lined up for the pieces.  I could sit for hours and watch him cut those potatoes.  It may sound silly, but it was like watching an painter working on a masterpiece!

Make sure to cut your potatoes and allow them to air dry overnight.  Tomorrow we will be planting the potatoes, and I'll post more pics and information on next steps.  Stay tuned!

Wishing a blessed evening to you.  May God bless you and yours abundantly!

 





Warmth....

The word warmth can have so many meanings.  Initially someone may think of having a nice warm home, or a steaming cup of coffee that warms you up and takes off the chill.  It could also be that special warmth that is felt when you're snuggling with your almost 3 year old under a nice fuzzy blanket.  That's warming the heart for sure!

In my house, we try to understand that those special cuddles, hugs, or the unexcepted 'I love you!' are truly Gifts from God.  Those precious Gifts instantly remove any bad feelings and are pretty much guaranteed to put a huge smile on your face!

See....doesn't that complete silliness just make you smile?!! Then there are the warming temperatures that are bringing the crocuses and daffodils into bloom.

Spring and fall are my two favorite seasons.  With all of the beautiful colors, and the bouquets that are brought inside...and the scents that fill the air.  Before we know it, the lilacs will be in full bloom, the windows will be open, and God will fill the house with that beautiful smell.  Aaaahhhh!!

With the season of spring also brings about the births of animals and babies.  Also, fair season is quickly coming our way and the Big East beef show is coming in May.  With that comes a LOT of work (months of mud and muck stuck to a beef cow) to remove the mud and muck, buy the flannel print shirts and black jeans that are needed, just for starters.

I'm sure there are many more things that I could add to my list of warmth...but I would have to say that God's Love is first.  Next are the gifts from God...the Catholic Faith, my wonderful husband, and our children and grand-children.

May God bless you and yours abundantly!

In time.....

 

As I sit here staring at a screen with only the above picture on it, I'm wondering what exactly it is I should be writing about today...

 

 

Do I share with you all of the struggles I personally had during the past Lent, that an abortion doctor is currently on trial and the mainstream media isn't covering it, the current gun bills that the legislature of my state are trying to pass in the dark of the night (remind you of any Particular Individual?), or how our rights are American citizens are being stripped away from us each day.



 

Even with the personal struggles with my health during Lent the need for direction from God about future choices was always in the forefront of my mind.  On Easter Sunday, I went back on Facebook (something I've been 'giving up' for the past few years) and found out something that troubled me deeply.  A young lady that who goes to the same Church as my family had changed her name to a masculine name and her profile picture showed her dressed as a young man.  It broke my heart!

 

My first instinct was to comment on her wall, yet my two daughters counseled me against it.  That a personal message would be best.  Right then and there, the decision was clear.  Delete my account.  In less than 2 minutes that followed, it happened.

 

There are many friends I have made through facebook, yet I thank God for all of the other modern technologies that are at our disposal....long distance phone calls, texting (so very thankful that my five siblings are just a text away!), cell phones (to take great pictures or make an impromptu phone call), email, or writing a blog....in this way, we're still able to keep in touch without too much drama.

 

I am truly thankful for my faithful, hardworking, and God fearing husband, and our children.  Each of them are truly a blessing in my life that I do not deserve.

 

May God bless you and yours abundantly!

 

 

Out of Touch...

I have been more than a little out of touch with writing on my blog.  While being blessed to spend two weeks this past summer with my Mom, Dad, and siblings in Indiana...my Mom commented about how I've stopped writing.  My initial goal in writing this blog was for my family.  Then it turned into adding in my passion for cooking and baking.  Ultimately, I want it to reflect God in me.  So, "While I'm Waiting," I've come to the realization that I need to be more thankful for what God sends me each and every day.  I just looked at what I started writing back on June 15 of this year.  Lots of wonderful memories that I still want to share...so here it goes....

Old Draft from June 15, 2012:  The crocuses are long gone, turkey season is coming to a close this Saturday, and the trees are all filled with luscious green leaves. What does all this mean...for me it means so many memories, and much to be thankful for.  On April 23, I received a wonderful gift.  Picture it, the second Junior Hunting Day before the opening day of turkey season.  David and I are out of the rack before 4 that morning, to meet our friend/guide for a fun filled morning.  We went to at least half a dozen private land spots that John had to choose from.  At our first spot, we heard gobblers in the roost, and once they hit the ground (at approximately 5:30 am) it sounded like they were headed in our direction.  Nope, they found a hen and she took them away. That's the way it goes sometimes!  So, off we go to another spot.  At a few places, we would basically be running and gunning (ie, walking along an area we think there may be turkeys, give a couple hen calls with a mouth call, and wait...wait to see if there was an interested gobbler out there....if we don't hear anything, then we move on.) Yes, we got a workout on that early April 23 morning! As the morning progresses, we walked into a tree farm and were talking over where or it we're going to set up.  To our surprise.....all of a sudden we hear a gobbler strutting his stuff, and looking for love. Off we go, to the edge of the woods, get situated, and start calling.  Tom makes his way across the field (out of our sight), but gobbling all the while.  After a couple minutes, David whispers loudly to me, "There he is, Mom! Right over there!"  This was a very smart gobbler, for he always stayed just far enough out of range for David to take a shot. As the time got closer to 9:30 that morning, after all of our attempts at David getting a turkey (remember, it's Junior Hunting Day, which means that only hunters under 16, that have successfully passed the Conservation Education Firearms Safety program, and have a current turkey hunting license for the property type you are hunting on {private or state land}, so this is just for the kids, and us grown-ups just sit back and take it all in!) seemed to lessen.  I could tell he was getting a bit discouraged, but our friend, John, had one more trick up his sleeve. So we started heading back to his house, and came to a farm where John had received permission to hunt.  As we drove to the back of the property, he saw a gobbler running to the east.  We turned the car around, and headed about 500 yards down the road, parked the car, grabbed our stuff, and quickly walked up the hill to see if Mr. Gobbler had any interest in meeting us. {WINK!} David and John each took turns using their mouth calls.  To our surprise, there were 3 turkeys just behind where we had set up.  Each time John or David would call, they would answer but never came in.  We could tell that they were getting closer, but never close enough for us to actually see them.  We figured out why quite soon.  The gobbler we had seen running across the field was a dominate bird.  This means that younger birds will stay away, unless they want to fight for the hen.  Off in the edge of the treeline we saw Mr. Gobbler in full strut and looking for this hen that had called him all the way through the woods. Slowly he made his way toward up, came up a small hill, and puffed up making ready to fight the jake decoy. Before he got the chance, David took him out.  Here are a couple pictures of the proud hunter...

Back to present day...October 11, 2012...

How am I thankful for what God sends me each day....I'm thankful that my husband turned a 4 day visit to see my Mom, Dad, siblings, cousins, and friends in Indiana to a 2 week trip.  I'm thankful that my husband said "YES" to my going to San Antonio, Texas for an additional week to see our daughter, Beth, and to go to my first ever ACTS (Adoration, Community, Theology, Service) Retreat.  I'm thankful that I got to see my Mom and Dad for two weeks.  I'm thankful for the family that my daughter Beth has adopted as her second family.  I'm thankful that Beth is in San Antonio, which I know is an answer to the many prayers that have been offered, and continue to be offered, for her.  I'm thankful we were able to go the Alamo, the Riverwalk, and the Tower of Americas.  (Although, I'm not so thankful for the feeling of fear when you're 750 feet off the ground and looking out at the city.  Can you tell I'm not a heights person?!) I'm thankful that our washer broke down for 2 weeks so that I was able to spend some great quality time with both of my daughters.  Yes, it may seem crazy saying that, but Beth was visiting us for just over a couple of weeks.  Beth, Laura, and I had to make a trip to the laundromat twice during her trip. We had some great pizza, laughter, and lots of smiles!  So, for all of that I'm truly thankful.  I'm thankful that my husband wasn't seriously hurt on his way to work yesterday when his tire went flat.  We found out that the struts were completely shot on the car, and the mechanic was amazed that the car has been driven this long without something going seriously wrong.  I'm thankful for marrying the most loyal, honest, trustworthy, faithful, hard working mad in the world.  I'm thankful for my beautiful children that God has blessed our marriage with.  I am thankful that our bills are paid, we have a roof over our heads, clean clothes on our backs, and food to eat.  Most importantly, I'm thankful for the unselfish love I receive from my children.

Thank you, God for this beautiful day....and Your many beautiful gifts!  They help to make our lives more bearable.  May God bless you and yours abundantly!



My husband sent this to me the other day.  He came across it while looking over one of his favorite websites: http://www.economicnoise.com/

This was too close to home to ignore....

Please pay special attention to Scenario #6, after Obama's announcement today with regard to amnesty to all the illegal aliens.

HIGH SCHOOL — 1958  vs. 2012 

   
Scenario 2:
Johnny and Mark get into a fist fight after school.
1958 - Crowd gathers. Mark wins. Johnny and Mark shake hands  and end up buddies.
2012 - Police called and SWAT team arrives — they arrest both Johnny and Mark.  They are both charged with assault and both expelled even though Johnny started it.

Scenario 3:  
Jeffrey will not be still in class, he disrupts other students.
1958 - Jeffrey sent to the Principal’s office and given a good paddling by the Principal. He then returns to class, sits still and does not disrupt class again.                 
2012 - Jeffrey is given huge doses of Ritalin.  He becomes a zombie. He is then tested for ADD. The family gets extra money (SSI) from the government because Jeffrey has a disability.  

Scenario 4:
Billy breaks a window in his neighbor’s car and his Dad gives him a whipping with his belt.                 
1958 - Billy is more careful next time, grows up normal, goes to college and becomes a successful businessman.  
2012- Billy’s dad is arrested for child abuse, Billy is removed to foster care and joins a gang. The state psychologist is told by Billy’s sister that she remembers being abused herself and their dad goes to prison. Billy’s mom has an affair with the psychologist.   

Scenario 5:
Mark gets a headache and takes some aspirin to school.
1958 - Mark shares his aspirin with the Principal out on the smoking dock.
2012- The police are called and Mark is expelled from school for drug violations. His car is then searched for drugs and weapons.                  
Scenario 6:
Pedro fails high school English.
1958 - Pedro goes to summer school, passes English and goes to college.
2012 - Pedro’s cause is taken up by state. Newspaper articles appear nationally explaining that teaching English as a  requirement for graduation is racist.  ACLU files class action lawsuit against the state school system and Pedro’s English teacher. English is then banned from core curriculum. Pedro is given his diploma anyway but ends up mowing lawns for a living because he cannot speak English.                   

Scenario 7:
Johnny takes apart leftover firecrackers from the Fourth of July, puts them in a model airplane paint bottle and blows up a red ant  bed.  
1958 - Ants die.
2012 - ATF, Homeland Security and the FBI are all called. Johnny is charged with domestic terrorism.  The FBI investigates his parents – and all siblings are removed from their home and all computers are confiscated. Johnny’s dad is placed on a terror watch list and is never allowed to fly again.                  

Scenario 8:
Johnny falls while running during recess and scrapes his knee.  He is found crying by his teacher, Mary. Mary hugs him to comfort him.  
1958 - In a short time, Johnny feels better and goes on playing.                 
2012 - Mary is accused of being a sexual predator and loses her job. She faces 3 years in State Prison. Johnny undergoes 5 years of therapy.
Scenario 1:
Jack goes duck hunting before school and then pulls into the school parking lot with his shotgun in his truck’s gun rack.
1958 - Vice Principal comes over, looks at Jack’s shotgun, goes to his car and gets his shotgun to show Jack.
2012 - School goes into lock down, FBI called, Jack hauled off to jail and  never sees his truck or gun again. Counsellors  called in for traumatized students and teachers.

Memorial Day

On this Memorial Day, I would like to share with you parts of a speech that I was honored to deliver at the Memorial Day Ceremony on May 29, 2006.....

 "I, do solemnly swear that I will support and defend the Constitution of the United States against all enemies, foreign and domestic; that I will bear true faith and allegiance to the same; and that I will obey the orders of the President of the United States and the orders of the officers appointed over me, according to the regulations and the Uniform Code of Military Justice.  So help me God."

The words I just read to you are the Oath that is recited by an individual enlisting in the United States military.  Many young lives have been sacrificed to sanctify this oath.

On this special day, I wanted to share the History of Memorial Day, and what this day means to me.  Memorial Day, originally called Decoration Day, is a day of remembrance for those who have died in our nation's service.

This day is about reconciliation; it is about coming together to honor those who gave their all.  Memorial Day was officially proclaimed on May 5, 1868 by General John Logan, National Commander of the Grand Army of the Republic, in his General Order No. 11, and was first observed on May 30, 1868, when flowers were placed on the graves of Union and Confederate soldiers at Arlington National Cemetary.

The first state to officially recognize the holiday was New York in 1873.  By 1890, it was recognized by all of the northern states.  The holiday changed from honoring just those who died fighting in the Civil War to honoring Americans who died fighting in any war after World War I.  It is now celebrated in almost every state on the last Monday in May, though several southern states have an additional separate day for honoring the Confederate war dead.

 In 1915, inspired by the poem In Flanders Fields, Moina Michael replied with her own poem:

          We cherish too, the Poppy red
          That grows on fields where valor led;
          It seems to signal to the skies
          That blood of heroes never dies.

Flag etiquette for the day is half-staff until noon.

United States Marine Corporal Stephen Bixler (from Suffield), age 20, was killed on May 4, 2006, while conducting combat operations against enemy forces in Al Anbar Province, Araq.  His Battalion Commander, Lt. Col. James Bright said of this young Maine, "He died fearlessly leading and willingly sacrificing his own safety for those around him."  The closing words of Stephen's pastor, Rev. Michael Dolan, at graveside should be heralded from shore to shore: "Do not squander the time given to you by God or the freedom preserved by this Marine's life."

As is tradition, at Marine Corporal Stephen Bixler's interment at Arlington, a Final Roll was called.  Three times his name was called out.  Three times it was met with silence.  His final farewell was the trumpeting of "Taps," the traditional words of which I quote:

Verse 1: Day is done, Gone the sun, From the lakes, From the hills, From the sky, All is well, Safely rest, God is nigh.

Verse 2: Fading light, Dims the sight, And a star, Gems the sky, Gleaming bright, From afar, Drawing nigh, Falls the night.

Verse 3: Thanks and praise, For our days, Neath the sun, Neath the stars, Neath the sky, As we go, This we know, God is nigh.

May we take a moment in prayer today to remember those who have sacrificed unselfishly for this great country of ours, as well as their families who are left behind.  We are the land of the free, because of the brave!  Thank you.

God bless America!