Chocolate Chip Cookies

This is a new photo, not leftover from the "leftovers" post. I've had some requests for the cookie recipe and since I made them again today, here goes.

Chocolate Chip Cookies
1 c. white sugar
1 c. packed brown sugar
1 c. butter
1 cup Wesson oil
1 beaten egg
1 Tbls. milk
1 tsp. cream of tartar (I heap it a bit)
1 tsp. baking soda
1 tsp. salt
1 tsp. vanilla
3 3/4 to 4 cups flour
1 -12 oz. pkg. chocolate chips (my favorite are the mini semi sweet chips)
Beat oil, butter, and sugars until fluffy. Add milk and egg. Add rest of other ingredients except chips and mix. Then add chips. Drop by spoonful onto cookie sheet. Bake at 350 degrees for 12 minutes.

I also whipped up some oatmeal cookies with white chocolate chips and craisins. Max tells me they are good.

"Mhmmm, Mhmmmm, delicious", comments Blake. His mouth was full so I'm not exactly sure what he said but he likes them.

On a Positive Note

photo courtesy of Fox News

Malia and Sasha Obama looked very sweet in their wool dress coats today. I love little girl dress coats and their choices were very pretty. I think it is nice that their Grandma is going to help with the transition. I wish them the best.

Gardening in the House

After the holidays I like to bring some Spring into the house. We've miles to go of Winter but I am starting to think about the garden. Not really dying to get out there and go crazy yet, but thinking about it. I start the paper whites, buy some bulbs and cut tulips and feel better about everything.
Yesterday the weather was so sunny that Hubby and I did some gardening. Not really Spring gardening, more like Fall and Winter clean up. It felt good and got me thinking about what I want to do this year in the gardens. Hubby and I both have vision and can play off of each other with ideas.
In the meantime, I like it that we don't really have to start all of these projects yet but that we can come in and sit by the fire and enjoy Winter for a few months yet.

Pots of daffodil bulbs on the mantle.


Cut tulips with blue beach glass on the dining room table.


My paper whites are getting a bit unruly. Pretty much bloomed out. The scrappers that visited Friday evening commented that they made my home smell like the back row of an old woman's funeral. Whatever!

Besides gardening, scrapping, doing laundry this weekend I also started our tax returns.

Yay! Friday!

Love Fridays.
*I made scones for no good reason this morning. Scones are sometimes a Sunday morning treat, not a weekday breakfast. Pictures show no presentation was included, just yummy scones. Butter, whipped cream, jams and lemon curd. I picked up the lemon curd at Barb's in Quincy, WA over the holidays. Really good.

*Sam and Max are on their way to Mt. Baker this morning. Max left an hour ahead of Sam. Max is more like me in that way. I always tried to be on the first chair and the last chair of the day. Sam and his friends head up the mountain at a more relaxed pace. He takes his camping stove and top ramen and does the cooking for lunch for his friends.

*Hubby and I are home alone today...

*Some sisters and a new friend are coming to do some scrapping tonight. Some serious, a novice and Becky, Becky is from MO and when she lived in MO, she scrapped with Brad Pitt's Mom, now she scraps with me. So, I guess that makes me three degrees from Brad.

*The thing about scrapping is that the gals need good light. So, this is not entertaining without cleaning. No dimmer switches saving my bacon tonight.

*"Something's Gotta Give" with Jack N. and Diane K. The movie I watched last night. I haven't seen more than ten movies in three years. Until 2009. I am laying around watching movies like I have nothing better to do. It's great.

*Goals, word of the year, 365 photos, yep, it is in the back of my mind, while I am watching movies. Denial people, it's great!

*Boot camp- still going. Have you ever bear crawled across a gymnasium? And back? Try it. You'll die.

*I made buttermilk brownies last night. To eat while I am watching movies...

*Hubby and I are still pricing snowshoes for each others Christmas gift. Any opinions on brands, styles etc.? He did leave me a pretty gold starfish charm for my necklace in my stocking. To remember Hawaii 2008. Oooh, I miss looking forward to Hawaii. Have to get back to the beach...Hey, that's a goal.

*It is sunny! The long lost golden orb is back! Makes me want to have the guys wash cars, do yard work, clean the garage.

*Have a great weekend!

Ski or Board

Here in the Pacific Northwest there are those that ski and those that snowboard. Sam and friends ski. Max and friends board. What is the better sport, who meets the most snow bunnies, which is most extreme?

Just ask, they'll tell you.

After begging, borrowing and renting, the guys got new gear today.
Max is trying everything out in the house.

I love Sam's ski boots- red, like my favorite shoes! His skis are pretty too.

Friday they will be on the slopes, but not together, after all, different sports and different friends... Same mountain though.

Leftovers

Saturday evening we had some friends, old and new, to our home, for leftovers. A spur of the moment party, although I assured the friends that they aren't leftovers!
Holiday leftovers, not the stuff in fridge since Christmas, (throw that out! ICK) but the leftovers in the pantry and freezer. The appetizers you didn't make over the holiday season but had bought the ingredients for... I had meatballs, pigs in a blanket, some dips, tons of crackers, some bars and cookies in the freezer. We pooled our resources and had a feast. Amazing things showed up.
We also played BINGO with leftover gifts. Bingo can be a lot of fun and competitive. Does anyone know of a local Bingo hall?
I used leftover napkins from all the holidays in 2008. Used them up!
Baked cookies with semi sweet mini morsels, butterscotch morsels and milk chocolate morsels. Used all the leftover chips from holiday baking.

Leftovers can be delicious! They have been given a bad reputation and I think we turned it around. Throw a leftovers party. It's fun.