One of Everything Cookies

One of Everything Cookies

1 cup sugar

1 cup brown sugar

1 cup oil

1 cup butter- softened

1 egg

3 1/2 cups flour (okay, maybe not one of EVERYthing, but close!)

1 tsp. cream of tartar

1 tsp. baking soda

1 tsp. salt

1 tsp. vanilla

1 cup Rice Krispies or corn flakes cereal

1 cup coconut

1 cup chopped nuts (my guys don't like nuts in their cookies so I never pollute cookies with nuts)

1 cup oatmeal

1 cup chocolate chips

Cream together the sugars, oil and butter.  Add the egg.  Mix until fluffy.  Add the flour, soda, salt, tartar and vanilla and mix.  Then add the other ingredients.  Use your cookie scoop and bake at 350 degrees for 10 to 12 minutes.

I mixed these cookies up during the Seahawks game because I get so nervous that I can't sit still.  I baked them last evening and I think this recipe is a keeper.  I used mini and regular semi sweet chocolate chips and threw in a few extra as I was not adding nuts.

Enjoy!

Some Stuff and SNOW

 *Last January I actually used a Pinterest idea and put the Christmas cards we received into a book.  I already have the 2012 cards punched and on rings.  I just have to make a cover.  This is one of the best ideas from Pinterest that I have actually used instead of just pinning.

 *I am organizing, going through shelves, drawers and cupboards to prepare for the BiG painting project I have planned for 2013.  I'm also collecting paint swatches and making decisions.  Some paints have such great names I'd almost choose them based on their name.  I better consider the color though.

 *In my quest for organization I am finding new uses for old things.  The boys had marble and rock collections in old candy containers.  I'm taking them back for ribbon and craft supplies.

Don't worry Sam, I'm keeping your rock collection.

*It feels good to have projects and purpose in the new year.  I've always loved lists and goals and there are many this year.

*I talked to Danny yesterday.  He is busy with double shifts at work, putting his resume together and spending time with Jess.  

*Sam is supposedly going to be moving to Fort Lewis this summer.  He will be on the west coast instead of the east coast and that is the good side.  He may deploy and that is the bad side of this move.

*Max is taking 23 credits this quarter and has 7:30 a.m. classes every day.  That is a heavy load and a busy schedule.

*Next week is the Seattle Gift Show.  I had planned to take the train but mudslides are making that tricky.

*Snow is in the forecast!  I love snow!  And best of all it's not just a flake at the end of a ten day forecast but it's this week.  Rufus says it's coming but there are many variables so we will just have to wait and see.  Rufus did use the word, significant.  And I'm doing the SNOW dance...

If you're a hater I don't even want to know.

*If the Seahawks win on Sunday I am going to be on the hunt for Seahawk t-shirts to send to my out of state guys.  Seahawks are worth bragging about this year.  Isn't winning fun?

*We saw Les Mis on Saturday and both of us enjoyed it.  I don't usually like musicals.  Some of you know I have an uncomfortable, awkward, uneasy feeling when people sing.  Not groups, but individuals. 

Sadly, my boss knows this and so yes, Troy sings.  Awkward.

*It really hit me on Saturday that we are empty nesters.  We went to the 3:20 p.m. matinee.  I wasn't at Bender fields, in a gym, doing a pile of laundry, baking for the week.  

Hubby and I were doing our own thing.  It's fun.

Have a good day!  I'm off to the museum and organizing at home.  Oh, and doing the SnOw dance.

The January Scenerio

I have untrimmed the museum, our friend Adelene's place, and most of our home.

The tree in our living room took me most of Tuesday.  The picture of the tree is AFTER I had removed and packed away 200 of the ornaments.  Poor naked little tree...

 Our bedroom tree is still up.  I enjoyed that tree more than any of the others.  I turned off the lights as I fell asleep every night. It was dreamy.

 I'm also stalling on taking down the shiney silver wreath in the sitting room.  I love the sparkle.  It's hard to part ways with that shimmer, however; I will store it in the attic this weekend.

 The dining room table looks bad but it is the command center for the the reorganization that is taking place at the Stone House.  There are  paint chips, bills being paid, ideas from magazines, new light recipes, calendars being updated, vacation plans being made, labels being printed and lists galore.

It's so exciting to have a new year and a blank slate!  Isn't life grand?

Grace in 2013

Why yes, yes it is still a BiG mess here.

I'm making my way slowly through Christmas decor, reorganizing storage, and putting all of the bits into a spot where they belong.

All of the beds got stripped yesterday, the shiney brite tree is undecorated, the fridge is cleaned.

I have two more trees to take down, a job to go to today and lots of laundry.

The good news is... I have time to do it.

I am not going to panic about getting it all finished in a day.

It's a new year and while I have lofty goals I am going to give myself grace.

I will not have everything sorted  and neat in a day.

I won't have Christmas decor down and organized at home, the museum and at Adelene's by tonight.

I will not prep and paint two rooms by the weekend.

I will not lose 20 pounds in a week.

I won't be reading the entire Bible by next month.

I won't have my closet clean by next Tuesday.

I will not organize the 99 gallon tote of photos by Spring.

The upstairs doors won't be replaced by tomorrow.

And they won't be painted either.

All in due time, enjoying the projects, completing the projects, but no unrealistic deadlines here.

Post Christmas Saturday

 Yesterday I was so happy to have two of the guys planted on the sofa.  They were playing games, texting, checked out but still, on the sofa, at home.  There was some Wii golfing, baseball, tennis and bowling too.  

I made a fat boy breakfast, more chex party mix and Hubby made kettle corn.  

So, they stayed.

 Meanwhile, I started to take down Christmas decorations.  It started in the kitchen, suddenly I could not take one more minute of clutter.  It went from there...  Until everything was down except for the trees, the eddie bauer snow globes and the wreaths.  It is going to stay that way for a few days.

I'm not ready for the lights to be gone and the darkness of January.

 Hawley sat by the fire.  Hubby helped me, played Wii with the guys and eventually made me a g & t.

 I have a head cold.  Of course.  Christmas always ends badly for me.  I push and push until I get rundown and the germs attack.  If I drink an alka-seltzer cold plus as soon as I get up it's all good.  This morning I waited until it was too late.  It's catching up now.  Take two excedrine + alka-seltzer PLUS =  a functioning  cold vs. a non-functioning/laying on the sofa cold.  No one paid me to share this cure for the common cold symptoms.  Trust me.  I don't get paid to write this stuff.  Oh, and I am not a doctor.

Besides drugs for the common cold I have Hubby, who ironed our sheets and pillowcases yesterday.   You know how when you have a cold even your skin hurts?  Clean, crisp bed linens really help alleviate that cold symptom.  Yep, he's the best.

 In the mess of taking down Christmas I am trying to organize by bin.

 The landing doesn't appear to be very organized now but there is a method to my madness.

And there is a narrow path through the chaos.

By next week all that will be left are the blooming paper whites.  I am not putting anything back on the walls or on the flat surfaces until I have painted a few rooms and cleaned every square inch of the house.

Lofty goals here at the Stone House.  I'll keep you posted...

A Cook-A-Rama

 Max wanted me to make him some casseroles to bring to Walla Walla for his and Thomas' freezer.  Max always wants enchiladas.  Always.  I think they are one of my least favorite things to make but I love the kid so we made two big pans of beef and bean enchiladas.  He helped by running to the grocery store, grating cheese, mixing sauces and being sassy.  An entertaining afternoon for me, thanks to Max.

We made the enchiladas and a pan of ham and rice with broccoli casserole and a double batch of potato casserole.  Max and Thomas sometimes go to friends for dinner so they'll share the potato casserole when they have friends over for ribs in January.

 The potatoes didn't all fit in one pan so I froze a small loaf pan for Hubby and I to enjoy later.

The pan was so tiny Max wondered why we even bother.  Honestly, with the two of us there will probably be left overs.  There will be no leftovers with Max and Thomas.