Merry Christmas!

Merry Christmas from our home to yours!

I will be starting my Christmas break today. I am looking forward to time with my family and enjoying our first Christmas with our Megan. What a Christmas this will be for us! I will be returning after the first of the year. I wish everyone a very Merry Christmas and the best for a healthy and happy New Year!

Glass Ball Picture Ornaments

I have been busy finishing up last minute Christmas gifts. This year one of the gifts for my step mother-in-law is ornaments with pictures of the grandkids. This is what you need to make the ornaments: glass ornaments balls (purchased at Michaels 4 for $2.94), shredded paper (purchased at Wal-Mart for 0.94 cents), ribbon and scrap scrapbook paper (if you want to make a tag), and pictures of your choice.


Cut your picture into a circle.(I cut out circles on scrap paper to get the correct size I needed.) Then roll your picture up so you can slide it through the top of the ornament. Once inside it will pop back open. You may need to play with it a little to get it in the correct position. I used my cake tester and a pair of tweezers to help out as needed. You then put shredded paper behind the picture to cover the backside of the picture. Attach a ribbon for hanging and a tag if desired. I just wrote Merry Christmas 2007 on my tags.

Sorry for the quality of the picture. It was hard not to get a glare when taking a picture of a glass ball! These ornaments are simple and inexpensive to make. Who wouldn't love to receive a gift with a picture of their little ones!

Snow Fun

We have been having snow fun for last few days. Megan isn't so sure about walking in the snow. She keeps falling over! It is very funny to watch.


Since it is to cold to stay outside for long, I brought the fun inside. I filled some bowls with snow and added some spoons and measuring cups. All the fun of snow in the warmth of our kitchen. Megan loved this! She played with the snow for almost 45 minutes!

Another First!

For dinner the other night we were eating corn on the cob. Megan keep eyeing the corn and we could tell that she really wanted it. I wasn't certain that I wanted to give it to her since I worried that she might not be able to digest corn yet. After several times of reaching for our corn and saying "I need" We decided to let her have a taste.

We could hardly get the cob away from her. She keep saying "no" when Daddy tried to take the corn away. Everything was cleaned up from dinner and she was still hanging onto her corn! Needless to say she loved it!

Cookie Time!

This weekend my sister and I gathered at my mom's house for our annual cookie baking. Each year we usually try a new recipe. This year we tried the Neiman-Marcus Cookie.

2 cups butter
24 oz chocolate chips
4 cups flour
2 cups brown sugar
2 tsp baking soda
1 tsp salt
2 cups sugar
1 8 oz chocolate bar, grated
5 cups blended oatmeal
4 eggs
2 tsp baking powder
2 tsp vanilla
3 cups chopped nuts

Measure oatmeal and blend in blender to a fine powder. Cream butter and both sugars. Add eggs and vanilla, mix together with flour, oatmeal, salt, baking powder and soda. Add chocolate chips, grated chocolate and nuts. Roll into balls and place two inches apart on cookie sheet. Bake for 10 minutes at 375. Makes 112 cookies.

I made the entire batch, but I would suggest you half this recipe. It makes lots of cookies and the mixer wasn't so happy with the amount of cookie dough. I will be making these again. I really liked the texture the ground oatmeal gave these. A nice twist on the standard oatmeal cookie. Enjoy!

Banana Bread in a Jar

2 2/3 cup sugar
2/3 cup vegetable shortening
4 eggs
2/3 cup buttermilk
2 cups mashed, ripe bananas
1 t vanilla
3 1/2 cup flour
1/2 t nutmeg
1 t cinnamon
2 t baking soda
1 t baking powder
1 t salt

Grease jars with vegetable shortening.

Cream sugar and shortening. Add eggs. Add buttermilk and vanilla. Mix well. Mix dry ingredients in a large bowl. Add wet ingredients to dry ingredients. Mix well and then add bananas.

Use 1 cup batter for pint jars and 2 cups for quarts. Makes 7 pints. Do not overfill your jars to prevent spillage. Bake at 325 for 45 minutes. (I found that it needed a longer baking time.)

I finally did it! It turned out very well. The bread is very moist. It takes a little bit of maneuvering to get the bread out of the jar. Even with the wide mouth jar it is a little tight. All in all I call it a success and think these will make cute gifts!

Love a Great Deal!

Just in time for holiday baking I was able to purchase each 5 oz can of Carnation Evaporated Milk for .25 cents a piece at my local Big Lots. I had been purchasing a store brand for .44 cents a can. Since they don't expire until October 2008 I might be heading back to stock up a little more. I thought some of you might want to check out your local Big Lots. Thanks for the tip Mom!

Checking In

I just wanted to check in and let everyone know that all is well at my home. Just very busy! We spent Sunday at my sisters. They needed to replace their water heater. It started to burn, but luckily the breaker flipped and it wasn't able to catch fire. However, my sister did wake to the smell of something burning at 4 that morning. Very grateful that the breaker flipped!

Monday morning I went out to do some shopping and them hurried home for nap time and do work on some much needed laundry. My sister-in-law is home for Christmas from Hawaii. Last night went went out to dinner at Olive Garden (Yum!) with family and then back to the in laws to visit. We got home just in time for bed!

Today I have an endless supply of children needing care. I have my niece (23 mos) and nephew (4 mos) from 6:30 -4 and then my occasional afternoon kids are coming this morning also. (Dad is a police officer and was needed in court this morning.) I will have two of my sister's children this afternoon. They are 4 & 5 so they should be helpful with the little ones.

As you can see life is moving along swiftly around here. I hope to be back to posting very soon. Until then... Have a great day!!

Question of the Day

Has anyone ever make bread in a jar? I found some recipes for quick bread, such as banana bread that you bake in a mason jar. You all know how much I love mason jars and my hubby loves banana bread. I thought this might make really cute gifts.

I have added bananas to my shopping list. Unless I hear this is total flop I plan to give it a try.

First Snowfall!

A couple of pictures from my back porch this morning! We only have maybe 2 inches with a couple of more expected today. It finally feels like it should be Christmas!

This is Megan's first snowfall. I can't wait to take her outside. Waiting for Daddy to return home is going to be so hard!

Marshmallows

2 1/2 T unflavored gelatin
1 1/2 c sugar
1 c light corn syrup
1/4 t salt
2 tbs pure vanilla
powdered sugar

Combine gelatin and 1/2 c cold water in bowl of electric mixer with whisk attachment. Let stand for 30 minutes.

Combine sugar, corn syrup, salt and 1/2 c water. Dissolve sugar over low heat. Once dissolve wash down side of pan with wet pastry brush to dissolve sugar crystals on side of pan. Attach candy thermometer. DO NOT STIR. Let cook until reaches 244 degrees (full ball stage). Remove from heat.

Turn mixer on slow. Slowly and carefully add to gelatin. Bring mixer to fast speed. Let mix until triple in size. About 15 minutes. Add vanilla.

Pour marshmallow into pan that has been sprinkled with powdered sugar. For thick marshmallows use a 8x8 pan. I want thin marshmallows so I spread them on a baking sheet. Allow to sit overnight to stiffen up.

Snow is in the forecast for tonight. What a treat it will be to sit back with a cup of hot chocolate topped with a homemade marshmallow and watch the snow fall!

Fudgy Problems

I made peanut butter fudge yesterday. I would like to say it was yummy, but I can't! This frustrates me to no end! I can not make a good batch of fudge. To me it always taste gritty, like the sugar is not dissolved. Last year I made it exactly like the instructions, and this year I let it boil a little long, with the same results! Mom and my sister use the same recipe and their fudge turns out creamy and delicious.

Sorry, no picture to show. Chuck said it is okay and took the fudge to work. Those guys will eat anything! Part of me thinks that I should admit I am a fudge failure, but the other part of me will be in the kitchen trying a new batch today! What can I say, I am a glutton for punishment or maybe just a little persistent!

Any ideas on how to get rid of that gritty taste?

Bucket Head

This is Megan's new thing.




She puts this bucket on her head then runs around with the giggles. Just a typical evening at our home. Who needs television when you have a 16 month old for entertainment!

Kid Crafting Fun: Christmas Trees

A couple of afternoons a week I watch a 16 month old little boy and a 4 year old little girl. Most days I am busy with the two little ones and the 4 year old doesn't always get to do something special. With Christmas around the corner I thought it would be fun to something special for her.

I am going to have a craft afternoon one day a week until Christmas. To make it even more fun for her I decided to invite over my 4 and 5 year old nieces. They were very excited.


We made Christmas trees by gluing a green triangle and a brown rectangle onto a piece of red card stock. To decorate the tree I had cut tissue paper into squares and balled it up. The girls then glued the tissue paper onto their trees. To top it off I used some star garland and cut the stars apart.

Here is a trick from my old days of teaching preschool: pour glue into a cup, then let the kids use a paint brush to apply the glue. They love this because they feel like they are painting and you no longer have half of the bottle squeezed out on the paper!


There you have it, a simple easy craft that the girls loved!

Meeting Santa

Fun with Candy Canes

Here are the directions:

Place candy canes on a foil lined cookie sheet. Be sure top and bottom of candy cane are touching. Bake at 240 for 5-7 minutes. Allow to cool for about 2 minutes and remove to cooling rack. (if you allow to cool too long on cookie sheet it will be difficult to remove) You can then clear coat them to prevent them from becoming sticky.

My first thought was to use these as these as tie ons for gifts. After making them and realizing how cute they are I am now thinking about attaching a picture to a piece of thin cardboard and gluing it onto the back. I think these would make cute picture ornaments for grandparents! Any other ideas?

Mail Call!

I usually mail out my Christmas cards the day after Thanksgiving. This year I missed my Friday deadline, but I had them ready to deliver to the post office on Saturday. I love getting Christmas cards. For me it is one of the best things about Christmas!

Happy Thanksgiving!

My day started later than anticipated due to a restless little one last night. We hurried off to the grocery this morning and are now in full swing with baking.

I just wanted to take a couple of minutes to wish everyone a Happy Thanksgiving! I will be back on Monday. Don't forget to count your blessing, I know I have lots to be thankful for!

Cinnamon Pancake Mix & Morning Sunshine Syrup Mix

3 cups flour
4 T sugar
2 T baking powder
4 1/2 t cinnamon
1 1/4 t salt


To make pancakes:



Mix together 3/4 cup milk, 1 egg and 2 T oil. Then add 1 1/2 cups of pancake mix. Makes 10 5 inch pankcakes.



These are my all time favorite pancakes. I love the flavor the cinnamon provides.





Morning Sunshine Syrup

1/4 c brown sugar
2 T cornstarch
1/4 t allspice
1/8 t nutmeg

Add mix to saucepan; stir in 1/3/4 cups apple cider. Heat over medium heat until mixture begins to thicken and is bubbly. Makes 1 3/4 cups.

Sisters' Swap: Cozy

I received my swap package on Friday. Let me just say that I was so excited. I pulled my shoe box out of the box and saw that it was a black shoe box size photo box wrapped in a red ribbon with snowflakes on it. Very cute and I have so many uses for the box!

Thanks to a box loaded with newspaper Megan was having a blast and I had some time to go through my box.

Look at all those goodies. I received a feathered bird, delicious smelling candles, a snowman dishtowel, socks, the cutest tea. One says Christmas Eve tea and the other Christmas Day tea! Very clever! A grow your own Christmas tea kit. Three Christmas ornaments, a cute little guy sitting on a bell, a bell that says "Jingle with Joy for Jesus" and little snowman that was made by Amy's mom. Very creative! Some orange simmer, filled with dried oranges, cinnamon sticks and such. I could not wait to try this out. It smells wonderful! And to finish it off there a large bell shaped cookie cutter that I will be trying it out very soon! Amy thank you very much for your thoughtful package!

This what I included in my package to Amy.

Two of my favorite magazines, Country Sampler and Country Home. Some handmade thank you cards. Two cinnamon apple candles, which are my favorite! Cinnamon Pancake Mix and Morning Sunshine Syrup mix. (I will post the mix recipes later.) A book, The Twelve Blessings of Christmas. A fall dishtowel with a pumpkin on it and a pumpkin scented sachet. Since Amy and I both like snowmen I made sure to include a snowman figure.

I am not sure if it was more fun sending or receiving! A huge thank you to Monica and Carrie for all the hard work they put into this swap!

Stop by to visit Carrie to see more wonderful swap packages.

Prayers Needed

When I checked my e-mail before turning in last night there was one with a plea for prayer. Currently there is a family in China adopting their first child and tragedy has struck. The family received their daughter, Hannah and finalized their adoption with China. Before they were able to secure the visa to bring their daughter to the US the father died. He had some complications due to diabetes and passed away in a local hospital. If losing your husband isn't bad enough this lady might loose her daughter!

Our government is declining this lady a visa to bring her daughter home. They state that since the family structure has changed she would have to re-file paperwork and they can not guarantee the outcome! Their return flight was scheduled for Saturday and the mother is currently stuck in China. There have been thousands of calls logged into her home state of Michigan pleading for help. They are asking that no more calls be placed to the government of Michigan. Her senators office is working on this. The only thing left to do is pray that little girl gets to return home with her Mommy!

Since I received this e-mail last night I have not been able to get this family off of my mind. I don't know them personally, but my heart breaks for them. Please pray for them!

You can find out more here.

***Update***

Several people are posting that Hannah has been issued a travel visa. They should be leaving China with the rest of their travel group on Saturday!

Chocolate Chip Muffins

2 cups all-purpose flour
1/3 cup light brown sugar
1/3 cup sugar
2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp salt
2/3 cup milk
1/2 cup butter; melted and cooled
2 eggs; beaten
1 tsp vanilla
12 oz chocolate chips (6 oz of mini chips is all I had on hand)

Mix flour, sugars, baking powder and salt. In separate bowl beat eggs and add rest of your wet ingredients. Make a well in your dry ingredients and add wet ingredients. Mix until just combined. Add chips. Bake at 400 for 15-20 minutes. Enjoy!

This and That

I have lots of things swimming around in my head. My list of things to accomplish keeps getting longer and honestly I have been less then motivated to get things done. Do you ever have times like that?

Here are some of the things on my list:

*Clean the living room and hallway carpet.
*Call my mother-in-law to see what I need to bring for Thanksgiving dinner.
*Work on Christmas craft projects.
*Clean out the craft/coat closet so I can find things for craft projects.
*Make my Christmas baking list and make list of ingredients needed.
*Decide where to safely put Christmas tree. (I am not worried about Megan, but I watch a 15 mo old boy a few afternoons a week, he is a handful!)
*Wrap Christmas gifts.
*Print out Christmas card address lablels.
*Pick out picture to go in Christmas cards.

After I wrote it out it does not seem so overwhelming. Let's just see if I can actually make myself do these things!

What's in Your Fridge?

Megan loves it when I open the refrigerator. She always toddles right over to have a look inside. The other day when I turned to set something on the counter she must have decided she needed a break. You never know what you might find in the fridge!

Celebrating: Veteran's Day

Yesterday Chuck was off work to celebrate Veteran's Day. It is always nice to have him home for an extended weekend. I had several things planned to celebrate the day. Things did not work out the way I planned. For no reason except life. Oh well, there is always next year.

We did celebrate some. I made a card for Chuck thanking him for his service to our country and then cut brownies into the shape of stars.

My family has a tradition of serving our country. My dad during Vietnam, Chuck during Desert Shield/Desert Storm, my brother-in-law served in Bosnia, I have another brother-in-law currently in Afghanistan, not to mention several cousins on active duty. A big thank you to our past, present and future men and women who serve our great country!

Brown Paper Dispenser

Remember this post about the brown paper Chuck brought home from work? Last night he called me into the garage and surprised me with this:

A dispenser for the very large roll of brown papers! What a thoughtful thing for him to do. This will make it so much easier to use this!

Great Find

Has anyone checked out Crystal's new blog, MoneySavingMom.com? If not, you should. She posted about a new program that Kroger and their affiliates have. You are able to download coupons onto your Kroger card. When you check out you scan your card to use your uploaded coupons and you can also use paper coupons (which they double up to $0.50)!

Here is what I was purchased last night:

Cascade on sale for $3.00 - $1.00 eSaver coupon + $1.00 paper coupon = $1.00

Oral B Advantage Toothbrush $2.00 - $1.00 eSaver coupon + $1.00 paper coupon = FREE

I also had a coupon to receive a $20.00 gift certificate for any new or transferred prescription (up to three). We had two prescriptions filled, so I now have $40.00 in gift cards to spend.

I have a Kroger almost directly behind my street so I am excited about this program. Thanks for the heads up Crystal!

Hard Boiled Eggs

Okay, I admit it I have a problem making hard boiled eggs. Well, maybe I should say did have. My issue has been two fold, either the yolk wasn't completely done when I cut into the egg or it was so done that it was starting to turn gray. According to Martha this is how to make the perfect hard boiled egg.

Place eggs in pan. Cover with 1 in of water and cover pan. Bring slowly to a boil over medium heat. Turn off burner and let eggs sit for 12 minutes. Remove to ice water.

That is it! For so many years I have messed this up and look how easy they are to make. I guess maybe I should have looked up the directions before now. Oh well, live and learn. Now I am off to make egg salad. Yum!

Wish List

While cleaning out the garage this weekend we ran across an old Christmas list I had given Chuck. This is what was on my list: kick plate for front door, flannel pj's, wishing well flower box, barn birdhouse, window flower boxes, something Americana for over our bed, and last but not least on the list was baby.

I did not receive all of these things for Christmas that year, but I did receive them all over time. The only thing on the list that had not been marked off was baby. After appearing on my wish list for many, many years we were able to mark this off!

I guess what I am trying to say is if you really want something never stop dreaming, wishing and praying for it. You never know your wish just might come true!

Carmel Apples

I recently made carmel apples. I stumbled across a wonderful product. No more peeling the wrappers off tons of carmels! The package covers five apples. There is no way we could eat all five apples, so I shared some with our neighbor.


I slid each apple into a lollipop bag (left over from this project)and added a tag with twine. "A is for Apple", "Apple a Day Keeps the Doctor Away!" and "Apple of my Eye" is what was written on the tags.

Our dear neighbors are pretty much home bound for health reasons. Not only were they appreciative of the treat, but they especially liked the visit. A great reminder that sometimes it is the gesture that matters most!

Busy Weekend

My weekend was busy, but productive. There was a lot on the To Do list and we accomplished much of it.

*Christmas cards signed. Check
*Christmas pictures scheduled. Check. For next Monday.
*Return a pair of pants. Check.
*Buy a shirt for pictures. Check.
*Patio furniture and outside toys put away. Check
*Help neighbor put their things away for winter. Check
*Put away Megan's summer/too small clothes. Check.
*Clean out garage. Partial Check, very close to done.
*Finish a project for my swap box. Check.
*Breakfast with father-in-law. Check.
*Help my sister hang wallpaper border. Check.

The only thing that was not completed was to tidy up all of the flower beds. It was too cool to have Megan outside for long. It may not get done since they are predicting a few snowflakes this week! I just love beginning the week feeling on top of things!

Grocery Day

I usually do major grocery shopping once a month. I do pop in occasionally for milk, sale items and sometimes this and that during the month. I admit that I shop at the big box store. You know the one that begins with W. It beats all of the other stores in my area for price. My local store is great about going through and marking down items that are on sale at other stores and they even price match. I do get frustrated sometimes while shopping there and if it weren't for having a tight shopping budget I would go elsewhere.

On this shopping trip I was looking for oranges. My little one is a huge fruit fan, especially oranges. I picked up the best looking oranges and the tag said "Fresh from South Africa." Hum, how fresh can they be if they are from South Africa? I opted for oranges that didn't look quite so pretty, but at least they were grown here in the states. I know I shouldn't be shocked that they are bringing in "fresh" fruit and veggies from overseas, but what happened to supporting your local farm or at least farms here in the States. Ok, that is the end of my rant!

Our Ladybug

We had great weather for Halloween. Megan went to visit a couple of our neighbors then we headed off the Grammi and Grandpa's. There we meet up with my sister and her kids. On our way home we stopped by the see Grandma for a few minutes.




Look at all this good stuff! I wonder if this taste good?

T-Shirt Bag

While watching Martha Stewart a few weeks ago I saw them make the most adorable bags out of t-shirts. They used I Love NY shirts and made them into grocery bags. I was inspired to make a treat bag for Megan to use on Halloween. I also thought I could use this idea to make Megan a library bag when she is a little older. You can go here for the instructions.

Surprise Package

I was so surprised when I answered the door and saw that the mailman had a package for me! I was even more surprised when I opened the package.
A handmade Raggedy Ann for Megan made by her Great-Aunt Lana in Texas. I love homemade gifts! Made even more special because it was from Aunt Lana! Thank you.

Pumpkin Patch

This weekend we were off to the Pumpkin Patch! It is a place that my in-laws discovered. A wonderful little place that we will be sure to return to.

Grandma and Grandpa (Chuck's mom and step-dad) introduce Megan to all the fall goodies.

Okay, enough pictures, let get the pumpkins!

This is a good one Grandpa!

Chicken & Noodles

With the chilly weather we are having I thought it was a perfect time to whip up some Chicken & Noodles.


2 cups cubed chicken
2 chicken bouillon cubes
3 quarts water
2 tbs cornstarch
salt & pepper to taste

Bring all to boil except for the cornstarch. I use boneless, skinless chicken breast. Once they are cooked I remove them to cube then add them back into the water. While the chicken is cooking I make my noodles. Add additional liquid as required to maintain 3 quarts of liquid.

For Noodles:

2 cups all purpose flour
3 egg yolks
1 egg
1 tsp salt

Make a well in center of flour. Mix in egg yolks and egg and salt thoroughly. Mix in 1/3 to 1/2 cup of water. 1 tbs at a time, until dough is stiff but easy to roll.

Divide dough into 4 equal parts. Roll one part at a time into paper thin rectangles on floured surface. Cut into desired length and width. I use a pizza cutter to cut my noodles. Place on towel and allow to dry for approximately 2 hours.


Add noodles to boiling chicken mixture and cook for 5-7 minutes (I made my noodles a little thick so cook according to the thickness of your noodles.) Add cornstarch to reach desired thickness.

I served this meal with a side of green beans and a dinner roll. Enjoy!

Bananas!

While grocery shopping I picked up some clearance bananas. I got about 5 lbs for $0.89 cents! I saved a few out for my banana loving daughter and have squished and frozen the rest.

The first thing I made with my abundance of bananas was Banana Streusel Muffins.

2 cups flour
1/2 cup sugar
1 tbsp baking powder
1 tsp cinnamon
1/2 tsp salt
1 cup milk
1 egg, beaten
1/3 cup vegetable oil
1 cup mashed bananas
1 tsp vanilla

Topping:
1/3 cup sugar
1/4 cup flour
1/4 tsp cinnamon
3 tbsp butter

Combine dry ingredients and make a well in the center. Mix your wet ingredients and add to dry ingredients. Do not over mix. Place in greased muffin pan.

Mix ingredients for topping. Sprinkle topping over each muffin (approx tbsp). Bake 15-17 minutes at 400 degrees. Enjoy!

Appetizers

While shopping I had a coupon for these. Once I had purchased them I had an idea of a fun dinner. This is what I made.

We had the chicken fingers, onion rings and then I made homemade potato skins. Of course we had to have dipping sauce. I did not have any sour cream so we ended up with ketchup and barbecue sauce. Not the healthiest meal, but it was yummy! It was a nice change of pace and made for a fun game night. Go Colts!

Celebrating: Chuck's New Job

Chuck applied for a new position at his company. A few days after he had his interview he called to say he had gotten the job!

To celebrate he was welcomed home by this sign. It was posted on the door from the garage to the house, so he would see it first thing.

We then celebrated with one of his favorite meals, pot roast and cinnamon strudel cake (sorry no recipe, I had little time so this is from a box) for dessert. Nothing fancy, but Megan and I wanted Daddy to know we are proud of him!

Recycle Update

Remember this post where I talked about a solutions for my recycle items? Well, this is what I came up with.


I did not want to spend any money on this project. I took a diaper box, wrapped it in brown paper, printed out a sign and presto an area that is a little more pleasing to the eyes. There is even enough room behind the box to hide an extra case of drinks!

Dinner Disaster

Yesterday was such a good day. I was able to get many things accomplished. Megan and I went for a morning walk. Went to visit my parents after nap. Then came home and took another walk. That is when disaster struck. I had put dinner in the oven before I went to my parents. Everything was fine until our last walk. We meet Daddy as he pulled in the driveway, entered the house and this is what was left of dinner. Some dried up burnt pieces of meat. Sigh!


After some teasing from Chuck the good news is that he took us out for a quick bite to eat. Sometimes it does not pay to multi-task!

Chocolate Pudding

1/2 cup sugar

1/3 cup baking cocoa

2 Tbs cornstarch

1/8 tsp salt

2 cups milk

2 large egg yolks, slightly beaten

2 tsp vanilla

Mix together dry ingredients in a 2 quart sauce pan. Gradually stir in milk. Cook over medium heat, stirring constantly, until mixture thickens and boils. Boil and stir for 1 minute.

Gradually stir at least half of the mixture into egg yolks. Stir mixture back into sauce pan until it boils. Boil and stir for 1 minute.

Remove from heat and stir in vanilla.

Cover and refrigerate for at least 1 hour.

I poured my pudding into mini graham cracker crust to make mini chocolate pudding pie. I forgot to get the finished picture, but I garnished with a some whipped cream and a few mini chocolate chips. Enjoy!

Computer Woes

Last night the power cord for the laptop decided to die. Happy... I was not! We do have a regular computer, but it is slow and old. Lots of frustration when working with blogger. The good news is that Chuck ordered a new cord today and it should be here tomorrow. Got to love UPS!! If everything goes as planned I will be back in business on Friday. Hope your day was great and Thursday is even better! See you Friday.

Future Coupon Clipper