Scarves, anyone?

I have some ADORABLE scarves for sale, and even better, I had a great scarf model who had a great attitude...for most of our "session." 

These scarves are super soft and just plain good looking.  For $15.00, you can't beat the price and it makes a great gift for your daughter, teacher, friend, sister, mom, etc.  Made from polyester, they feel like cashmere and won't scratch your neck like a wool scarf. 

Here is my model, showing off a few different patterns:

This is a lovely gift all by itself OR you can couple it with a pair of cute earrings!

I have more patterns in addition to these above.  If you'd like to see them or order any of the ones above, email me. 

Here is a picture of Brooke towards the end of our session.

Full of Thanksgiving

I hope you had a wonderful Thanksgiving holiday.  We sure did, but as always, it went by too quickly.  We were at Whispering Pines Farm, where we have spent Thanksgiving for more than a decade.  The kids' cousins were also there which added to the fun and excitement.  What a great time they had riding the 4-wheeler, petting the horses, coming in for a quick snack and heading back out to play a game of after-dark manhunt.  They love being together and because of our busy lives, it just doesn't happen as much as it should, so we savor times like Thanksgiving when they can play and be together.   

It was fun to wake up Thanksgiving morning - we were a houseful with 5 adults and 7 children.  Allison and I enjoyed a lovely walk around 9:00 in the morning.  We had a chance to be alone and catch up a bit. Our walk was less than an hour and we have HOURS more to catch up on, but hey, we'll take what we can get!  Time with her is so precious - when our kids were little, we spent a TON of time together, time on the fly.  It's a different story now with kids ranging from almost 13 down to 1.  School and activities now dictate when we can hang out.  So, our walk was great, but too short.  When we got back, it was time to put the turkey in the oven and get things cranking for the big meal.

Mimi made her famous oyster dressing - mmm mmmm.  This is my very favorite dish of all.  I made corn pudding, a first time recipe for me, and it was delicious!  I'd call it a real crowd pleaser for kids and adults (recipe below.  I would serve this as a side dish on any night with chicken or pork)!  I also made Paula Deen's cornbread dressing.  My mom usually brings her dressing, but they didn't come up this year.  So when I asked my  mom what recipe she uses to make her dressing (so that I could make it), she replied, "Well, I really don't use a recipe.  I take a little of....."  She lost me after the first sentence - I'm not so good at the "little of this, little of that."  I googled cornbread dressing and combed through about a dozen or so before arriving at Paula Deen's Cornbread Dressing.  It was delicious!!!  The only problem was that it made a HUGE Pyrex filled to the top of dressing, and at the farm, we work with one small oven.  While everything else was ready, the cornbread dressing was not, so we got to enjoy that with our leftovers the next day. 

Here are a few pictures of our spread - homemade cranberry sauce, turkey, sweet potato casserole, squash casserole, green beans, corn pudding, oyster dressing, olives, rolls.... Delicious!

And here we are sitting at our big table...

The farm is such a lovely place because of its beauty and purity.  The beauty comes from the trees, the horses grazing out in the pasture, the big expanse of the blue sky - and the purity comes from the silence (no traffic noise), the fresh farm air, the escape from all that we know, living in the city.  It's really about the basics at the farm in that it doesn't matter what you wear, who you know, what time it is.... It's such an escape from our busy lives.  And to the see the kids running around to their hearts' content - no homework, no organized sports... man, is it refreshing!!  Take a look at this picture - THIS is the farm...

And the kids LOVE enjoying this beautiful place on their 4-wheelers. 

After Thanksgiving lunch, Papa cleaned up the dishes.  Way to score some brownie points, Papa!

We went outside and Brooke took a million steps. 

The kids wanted to play a game of manhunt.  Manhunt is a combination of hide-n-seek and tag, played in groups.  One group hides, the other group tries to find and tag those who hid, before they touch home base.  The kids wanted it to be them and Papa versus the adults (me, Matt, Allison and Andy).  Talk about exhilaration!  It was thrilling!  We found a great place between some railroad ties and the tennis court fence.  We did an army crawl to get to our spots.  I took a picture of Allison and Matt...

While it looks here like Allison is calmly laying on the ground, I assure you, she could feel the blood rushing through her veins.  IT WAS SO FUN!!  The kids spotted us from the other side of the court and we got up as fast as we could (keep in mind that we had just finished our Thanksgiving meal an hour earlier).  I'm not sure any of us made it back without being tagged.  You know, you think you're in good shape - you run a few times a week and do some strength training here and there - but then you get chased by 10-12 year olds and it makes you realize that you're not as "in shape" as you thought you were.  Boy, was it fun, though, to play like a kid again! 

The kids enjoyed the swing.  Here is a picture of sweet little Davis, my nephew. 

And here is Champ on the homemade balance beam....

The highlight of Thanksgiving may have been one of the many farm dogs running around.  It almost appears to be a dog shelter at times.  Whispering Pines is a lovely place to end up because you'll likely get taken care of and fed, such is the rumor traveling around in the dog circles.  Here is a picture of Palomo, the farm dog.

Can you say, "Yo quero, Taco Bell?"  This little dog takes a million or more steps everyday.  He chased the kids, the 4-wheelers, the other dogs.... What a SWEET dog he is!!  He has such a cute personality.  The kids all really took to him.  My boys took to him so much that he was outside our door on Thanksgiving night shivering.  We tried to bring him inside (had he spent the night, I would have been forced to bathe him), but he wanted to go outside.  Next thing I knew, I looked out the front door and there were Matthew and Champ, Palomo, and some paper towels and masking tape.  They were trying to make him a "sweater" of sorts to keep warm.  I wanted to take a picture but I was laughing uncontrollably - so much so that I couldn't pull myself together to run and grab the camera. 

The boys were delighted to find out the next morning that he had survived the night and was ready to play again.  It's these fun memories - stories - times together - that make holidays so much fun, isn't it?

Every Thanksgiving is one we won't forget - full of love, happiness, freedom, thankfulness for each other, and fun.  I'm already looking forward to next year's celebration. 

Sunday morning at church we volunteered to help with the canned food drive.  We woke up tired from the week's festivities - by we, I mean my boys.  You know how that is.  They were grumbling about not wanting to go to church - telling me they didn't feel well... I just smiled and moved us right along into the car.  We went to church and then met our volunteer group to get our specific assignments.  The Davis family was to go to the loading dock where we pre-sorted all of the canned goods.  The kids were still unsure about this at this point - still tired, fighting with each other.  Once we got to the loading dock and were versed on our roles, it was time to get to work.  Almost instantly, the boys' bickering ceased and they rose to the occasion - taking their roles very seriously.  What a WONDERFUL experience this was for us. 

Here they are in their volunteer shirts.

God worked on us and through us Sunday morning through these two hours of service.  It was amazing to be working with my family on something that will ultimately feed hundreds during this season.  I am so thankful for our church - for all that Matt, I, and our kids take away each Sunday.  I'm thankful for how easy they made it for us to serve and volunteer our time. 

I am sooo thankful for so much in my life - my family, our good health, my friends, our experiences, the kids' schools, our church, the fact that I can put a meal on the table for my family on a daily basis; I'm thankful for the clothes on our backs, our cars that run well - I could go on and on for days.  I'm thankful for our God who loves us and has a plan for us.

On that note, let us be fully present each and every day during this Christmas season.  It's going to be a GREAT one, but it goes by too quickly.  Let's slow down and savor every bit of it. 

Corn Pudding

1 can whole kernel corn, drained

1 can creamed corn
1 stick butter, melted
1 (8 oz.) pkg. sour cream
1 box Jiffy corn bread mix

1 1/2 cups sharp cheddar cheese, shredded

 

Mix everything together except for the cheddar cheese.  Bake 45 minutes at 350 degrees.  Take out and sprinkle with cheddar cheese - put back in the oven for 10 minutes.

Bass Thumping

Yesterday was the championship game for the Littles football league.  Let me tell you that this was the Superbowl for our family and for every family on our team, if I may speak for them for a moment.  The entire day was about rest and fuel in the way of food and drink for the Seminoles.  If I had a dollar for everytime I heard, "How many hours til game time," I could buy three lattes from Starbucks. 

Everywhere we drove, we listened to the awesome team CD on which was everything from Eminem to Bon Jovi.  Our team mom, Julie, the BEST team mom EVER, compiled the songs (every football player submitted his favorite song) and she even added a few of her own.  It iss one rocking CD, let me tell you!  While Matthew and Champ listened to songs like, "Mary had a Little Lamb" and "Jesus Loves Me," Brooke jams to a little Bon Jovi, Usher and Lady Gaga. 

Monday was a bit of a dreary looking day; dreary translated into DRAMATIC for us.  We'd listen to the CD really loud in the car and the leaves were blowing as our feelings of anticipation of game time welled within us.  Folks, I know this is little league but for us, it was BIG time.  I as a parent was so pumped up and excited about it!  Just before I dropped off Matthew for pregame, he said, "Mom, I'm so nervous."  I said, "Oh, it's just a game - you've made it this far - go out there and have fun - win or lose, you've done great and your team has done great." All the while inside I was thinking, "Dam* right you're nervous - you have to ANNILATE those Jackets and show them who is boss."  Instead I just smiled, said goodbye, and rolled out of the parking lot blaring some rap song with the bass booming.  Yep, that was me. 

Game time came around - people filled the stands.  It was awesome!   The adrenaline was rising - songs were blasting - spectators filed in by the dozens.  Here is a picture of Mimi, Austin and my mom, Anna. 

And here is Matt holding Brooke just minutes before game time.

I had to laugh at the whole scene prior to the game.  Jackets on one side - moms were donning matching GT shirts - they had a huge spread of hor derves on their bright yellow tablecloth.  Seminoles on the other side - it made me laugh.  If we had friends on the opposite team, we were not friends during the game.  The tension was thick.

So, the game was a close, hard fought game, and unfortunately, the Seminoles lost.  Boo hoo.  12-6.  But what an invigorating season it was for the players and parents.  It was truly the first sports season out of all of the ones (in all sports) that Matthew has been a part of that I felt illustrated what I've heard all my life or seen in the movies.  Think of Hoosiers, We are Marshall, etc. - the camaraderie, the heart, the intensity.  The Seminoles coaches were phenomenal - they knew the game of football and inspired my son to play from his heart.  The boys really came together as a team as the season progressed and I know that it'll be a season that Matthew remembers forever.  I'm so happy that he had this experience.

The season may be over, but mama isn't going to take this rockin' CD out of my car just yet.  So, if you see a mommy-mobile with the bass thumping, it's probably me :).

$82.26

This is what I paid to put gas in my car this morning.  Can you believe that?  I don't even drive a huge gas guzzling SUV.  I drive a mid-size SUV and was SHOCKED at how much I paid for gas.  That is a record for me.

It made me reflect on how expensive it is to just LIVE these days, especially during a time when our economy is really suffering.  And now the holidays are approaching, which means we spend even MORE on buying things for our loved ones.

Christmas for me growing up was amazing - the anticipation, the lights, the music, our warm cozy house, the togetherness of family and friends.  My brother and I used to sleep in the same room on Christmas Eve and we always begged our mom not to unplug the little fake candle in the window because we loved the soft glow that filled the room.  Kurt and I would talk and laugh and eventually tiredness would trump our excitement and we'd fall asleep.  It's these things I remember - the EXPERIENCES - much more than what we got.  Sure, I remember many of the great gifts, but as I go through the holiday season and reminisce, it's the experiences and meaning of the holidays that fills my heart and thoughts.  So, I've got some really cute inexpensive ways of saying, "Happy Holidays" to your loved ones, friends, neighbors, teachers, etc. - more on that in a future post.

I'd like to share with you one expense that I don't mind as it has become tradition in our home.  A few years ago, I tasted Jay's fried turkey that he fried himself.  Jay is the husband of my dear friend, Kerri, and the food he cooks can bring you to tears - it's so good!!!  Talk about delicious - his fried turkey was SOO good!  Thanksgiving turkey has always been something I put on my plate because I had to - after all, what's Thanksgiving without turkey?  Well... when I tasted the fried turkey, my whole opinion of turkey changed.  And you know what they say....once you go fried, you can never go back.

Enter - Popeye's Chicken.

Yep, Popeye's Chicken.  Shortly after tasting Jay's fried turkey, I noticed the big signs in the windows at Popeye's - CAJUN FRIED TURKEY HERE!  Now for many of us, our memories of the Thanksgiving bird are mom or grandma wearing an apron, stuffing the turkey, prepping the turkey for its few hours in the oven...
Not in my house.  The kids and I pile into the car and make our way up to Popeye's where we order our turkey right at the drive-through window.  Matt accompanied us this year.  We pulled into the parking lot and I said, "go to the drive-through" to which he said, "the drive-through?"  We ordered it and here you can see them passing to Matt.

And here are the boys proudly holding the turkey.

The boys were so excited about it!  It is the most delicious meat.. so tender and moist.  Frozen when we get it, it goes right into the freezer.  Three days prior to Thanksgiving, I put it into the fridge to thaw.  Thanksgiving morning, it goes into the oven and cooks for a few hours - and out comes a super moist, wonderfully flavored turkey.  We hardly ever have leftovers because we all keep going back for seconds and thirds.

This is our tradition and while it's not me in an apron plucking feathers from a live bird, it's about togetherness (and deliciousness).  This is a tradition I hope to continue for many years!

We usually eat around 2 in the afternoon - so that means breakfast followed by a few light snacks.  My friend, Megan, introduced me to this cashews recipe - soo flavorful and a nice little snack to have out in bowls.  We know that nuts are full of protein so a small handful goes a long way - so in my opinion, it makes for a nice snack over the holidays - one that may help prevent getting so hungry that we overeat.



Sweet and Spicy Cashews

4 cups raw cashews (Fresh Market has gorgeous BIG cashews  - I buy them raw and unsalted)
2 TBS chopped fresh rosemary
1 TBS butter, melted
2 tsp dark brown sugar
2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp cayenne

Roast raw cashews at 375 degrees for 10-12 minutes.  Stir together rest of the ingredients.  Add hot cashews and toss.  Divide into a few serving bowls and serve!

Pumpkin Crisp

Burr.... What a perfect night for football.  Cold weather screams football, doesn't it?  I left Brooke at home happily playing with Mimi in our warm house.

I enjoyed the beautiful sunset during the game...

The boys ran through the coolest banner - so cool, I almost hated for the boys to run through it!

The Seminoles pulled out a win and advance one more round in the playoffs.  They play again Saturday morning.  I'm looking forward to taking lots of pictures in all of the natural light.

We're having dinner with friends this weekend and I am taking dessert.  I'm taking Pumpkin Crisp (I know, I know - enough of the pumpkin already! I promise this will be my last pumpkin recipe of 2011).  This is a SUPER easy recipe that I serve with vanilla ice cream (sprinkled with cinammon). 

First, stir together 1 can of pumpkin, evaporated milk, sugar, vanilla and cinammon. 

Pour into a 9x13 pan and sprinkle one box of dry vanilla cake mix over the top.

Drizzle 1 stick of butter over all, bake at 350 for one hour, and serve with vanilla ice cream! 

PUMPKIN CRISP

1 can pumpkin
1 cup evaporated milk
1 cup sugar
1 tsp vanilla extract
1/2 tsp cinammon
1 box vanilla cake mix
1 1/2 sticks butter, melted

Mix together pumpkin, evaporated milk, sugar, vanilla and cinammon. Pour into a 9x13 pan.  Sprinkle cake mix over all.  Drizzle with melted butter and bake at 350 degrees for one hour.  Serve with vanilla ice cream. 

Enjoy!

Buy one, get one FREE at Starbucks!



Holiday time - treat yourself and your kiddos to a Starbucks treat!  Tara just told me that from November 17-20, from 2-5 p.m., buy one holiday drink, get one free - offer valid at all Starbucks locations! 

http://bcove.me/0poh6n8i

What a fun after school treat - yummy hot chocolate for the kids, decaf pumpkin spice latte for yourself!  Temperatures are supposed to take a dip tomorrow, so treat yourself!

Jewelry, Brooke's New Shoes and My Latest Obsession

http://www.pinterest.com/

Pinterest dot com is my  latest obsession.  Crafts, recipes, cool pictures, organizational tips, fun quotes, great clothing...Anything goes on this online pinboard.  I've only known about it (thanks to my friend, Emily) for about 6 hours but I've checked it 4 times already  - and copied down some great recipes and fun craft ideas.  Enjoy but please beware of its addicting pull - you'll want to check it again and again....and then again.

I'm placing another order for bracelets (available in black and turquoise, black and black, and black and white) and earrings!  If you want to pre-order anything, please email me!  I'll even wrap them up in cute Christmas (cloth) wrapping and deliver them right to your front door! 

And finally, check out Brooke's new kicks (and her first lollipop).  If these aren't the cutest little sneakers you've ever seen, I don't know what is!  She has been sporting her Converse for 2 days straight and stomps around like she owns the place.  Oh, the joys of pink!

And a picture of her first haircut...

These are a few of my Favorite Things....

Alright, so this won't be as exciting as one of Oprah's Favorite Things episodes - and no, I'm not giving away a car or a trip to Australia or anything like that - just me telling you what I find pretty groovy these days.

Thanks to my friend, Erika, I am addicted to Coconut Oil....for my face.  Before I get to that, though, I'd like to plug Erika's blog.  Erika has been blogging about her 100 + pound weight loss journey for almost two years now.  She is smart, funny and extremely open and honest.  I encourage you to check it out and follow her journey.  She is a remarkable woman!

Back to the Coconut Oil.  Erika turned me on to it. 



It is my new night time facial moisturizer.  Publix, Fresh Market, and Whole Foods sells it for around $9.00.  The first time I used it, I have to admit that I felt a bit strange.  I was rubbing oil, meant for cooking, on my face.  Contrary to what you might think, I have not experienced one single breakout!  It's solid in the jar, and I just dip my fingers in just as I would do to a true moisturizer, and spread it around my face!  My skin drinks it up at night, so when I wake up, my skin feels moisturized - not greasy.  Having worked for a skin care company many moons ago, I know how expensive good skin care products can be.  I must say that this coconut oil is just perfect for my skin and for $9.00, it's going to last me about a year.  You can't beat that! 

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I ran out of my face cleanser a couple of months ago.  Usually I would have had a bottle on reserve but with 2 boys, a baby and not living in my own house, ordering skin care products was not high on the priority list.  I needed to wash my face so I looked around my bathroom and spotted Brooke's baby wash.

This is what I use when I bathe Brooke - it's gentle and it's 100% soap free - so it cleanses without drying (this is what the writing on the back tells me).  Months later, it remains my facial cleanser of choice!  It's not harsh or drying yet it foams up and leaves my skin super clean.  I just bought a HUGE bottle of it for $6.00 and I anticipate it lasting me for MONTHS! 

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If you're like me, then you have a hard time finding a good gift for your husband.  I'm always on the lookout for something fun and different.  This belt from Patagonia is fun, different and just plain cool.  We love Patagonia at our house.  Their mission statement alone is awesome:  Build the best product, cause no unnecessary harm, use business to inspire and implement solutions to the environmental crisis.

We find their products to be well made, durable and timeless in style.  They have a big sale a couple times of year and we like to make our purchases then. That said, here is one item that is extremely affordable and is a super cool gift for your husband, dad, brother, son, etc.  It's called a Tech Web Belt and it's only $25.00.  It comes in a variety of colors and looks great with khakis, jeans - really any kind of casual pant.  The buckle is actually a bottle opener which is fun - you never know when you might need a bottle opener (my baseball mom friends get what I'm talking about!).

So, if you're looking for something cool for that man in your life, look no further than this.  They also sell a cool "wrapping bags" at the checkout.  Instead of using wrapping paper, buy one of their cloth wrapping bags when you checkout.  It can be used again and again as opposed to wrapping paper, which you can only use once.

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Homemade Queso

I decided to make some homemade cheese dip earlier this week.  I grilled some skirt steak (one of my favorite cuts of beef because it's tender, easy to marinate {soy sayce} and grill and it's oh so affordable!) and roasted vegetables to eat with it.  I thought queso would taste good with that on a cold night.  My kids love "Mom's queso" - even though it's only cheese, milk and jalapenos, I'll take all the credit in the world!

I bought 1 pound of American Cheese from the cheese/meat counter at Publix. 

Then I cubed it, so that it would melt more quickly.

I added milk.  Now, we are skim milk drinkers at my house but because Brooke drinks whole milk, I happened to have some.  I used half whole milk and half skim.  No real measurements here - I just poured it in and stirred until it reached the consistency I liked.

After I added diced jalapenos, I poured it into individual bowls.

   It's just as easy to run up to Willy's and grab some cheese dip, but the kids had fun chopping the cheese and stirring - and they think it's super cool that we can make something so delicious and "restaurant like" here at home. 

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Indulge without the Bulge!

The holidays are full of magic, love, thanksgiving, excited children, tears of joy, Christmas carols.... and they are also full of peanut butter filled crackers dripped in chocolate (thank you, Chelsea!), eggnog, red velvet cake, white chocolate covered pretzels with m&m's (thank you, Allison!), peppermint candies - oh, I could go on and on!  All of this means that some of us pack on a few pounds.  I like indulging in all the holiday fare, but I don't want to end up like Charlene:

A few weeks ago during breakfast while Brooke was in her high chair, I stood up and did 20 squats.  A couple of hours later, I did 20 more, and as the day went on, I took one minute several more times to whip out 20 squats.  By the end of the day, I had done 100 squats!  I didn't sweat - I didn't have to change into workout clothes - it took no time - but I did 100 squats!  I woke up the next morning and boy was I sore!  I loved it!  So, I focused on my arms and did 12-15 push-ups about 5 times throughout the day.  Again, no sweat, hardly any time, no dedicated gym time....

How about we do something for ourselves, beginning RIGHT NOW, that will increase our strength, help prevent holiday weight gain and make us feel confident when we don a sleeveless short holiday dress?!

 Here is a day by day plan - alternating arms, legs and stretching.  I typically run 4 days a week for about 30-45 minutes.  I have realized the past few years how important it is to do some strength exercises and stretch in addition to just running.  So, for beginners, start with 20 reps 4-5 times a day; 40 reps 5-6 times a day for the more advanced. 

Monday:  chair dips

Tuesday:  squats

Wednesday: stretching (each time you stretch, pick a different body part to stretch)

Thursday:  wall push-ups or regular push-ups

Friday:  wall sits

Ways to sneak in your reps:

• waiting on your shower to heat up
• waiting on your coffee to brew
• while you're on the phone
• while you're waiting on the bus or in the carpool line (don't feel silly - be an example of health!)
• cooking dinner and waiting on that pot of water to boil?
• sneak it in before you load the dishwasher
• right before you jump into bed
• first thing when you wake up
• before or after you run an errand
• have a few minutes before that little league football or basketball game begins?
• while you're watching Modern Family, The Office, Parenthood, Once Upon a Time (my new favorite!), or whatever your favorite show...

While I am at work, I try to do a set once an hour every hour - right at my desk. 

Dr. Vall provided me with a nice list of exercises that I will share after the first week or so. 

So, here's to a leaner, stronger body this holiday season!

Pumpkin Muffins and Special Dinners

Mmmm... my favorite time of year - if not for the holidays, than for the pumpkin muffins.  Full of pumpkin and chocolate chips, these muffins don't hang around for long. 

My pantry is ALWAYS stocked with cans and cans of pumpkin.  Last year, someone told me that there was a pumpkin shortage. I don't even remember now where I heard that, but you better believe that the next time I went to the grocery store, I put every last can of pumpkin (to the tune of 15 cans) into my grocery cart.  I felt privy to this secret information - smiling as I was pulling one can, two cans, three cans into my cart.  Everyone else might not be cooking or baking with pumpkin, but I would be!  I know, I know - enough of the pumpkin talk already!  Let's just say that someone must have been yanking my chain because there was no shortage.  The prankster of all pranksters was pranked herself.  But I am still enjoying those cans of pumpkin this year!

The pumpkin muffin recipe fills your kitchen with the smells of the holidays!  First, you mix the can of pumpkin with eggs, applesauce, and oil.

Then you mix the dry ingredients together.

You then add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients and add the chocolate chips.

Pop them in the oven for 15 minutes and out comes deliciousness!

My kids eat them for breakfast, as a snack and sometimes for dessert!  I always contribute to the holiday teacher gift fund, but my kids enjoy giving the teacher a little something in addition to the group gift.    Last year I wrapped two in plastic wrap and tied them up in a bow with a little rolled up holiday kitchen towel - a nice gesture to give a teacher before the holidays.

Pumpkin Muffins

Wet ingredients:
4 eggs
1 15 oz can pumpkin
1 cup oil
1/2 cup applesauce

Dry ingredients:

3 cups flour
2 cups sugar
2 tsp. baking soda
2 tsp. baking powder
1 tsp. salt
1 tsp. cinnamon

2 cups chocolate chips

Mix wet ingredients.  Mix dry ingredients.  Pour dry into wet and mix well.  Add chocolate chips (I use only 1 cup). Pour into greased muffin tin and bake at 350 degrees for 15-20 minutes.  Enjoy!

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We had a very delicious and special dinner last night.  Mimi cooked in the kitchen all afternoon while we watched Champ play in his first and final playoff game.  The Eagles played a great game but couldn't quite pull out the win.  Bad news is - the season is over.  Good news is - the season is over.  We'll actually get a three week break before basketball starts.  I love the gift of time!

We grilled steaks that we bought from a top steakhouse in Atlanta, and to go with those, Mimi had prepared an artichoke casserole, caesar salad, and toffee brownies.  We lit candles on the kitchen table.  We poured ice water in wine glasses for the kids.  Just before dinner was served, Mimi went back to her room and fancied up her outfit with a dressy vest;  she said that a dinner like that was worth dressing up for!  Matthew disappeared and came down dressed in a golf shirt and khakis.  Champ and Papa each donned a sport coat and I wore a dressy top and put a big obnoxious flower in my hair.  Matt just smiled at the sight of us.  We had a ball at the dinner table!  It was a goofy thing to do but it made us all smile and it'll be a meal that we'll never forget.  I think we may do a theme dinner every now and then to add to our wonderfully fun memories.

I'm working on a NO EXTRA HOLIDAY POUNDS blog which I hope to post sometime tomorrow.    I love indulging around holiday time and am determined not to put on ANY extra pounds this year.  I think I have a plan that will help those of us who are interested, combat this annual occurrence.