Christmas Eve 2009

So I think I did the snow dance enough.....We are finally getting SNOW!  This totally caps off a great day of being with Big Grasshopper's family.  The girls really enjoyed their presents they got from Nana and Papa, I am excited to report I got bowling lessons (see post from a week ago....I just need shoes now....and an outfit), dinner was lovely and good as usual (prime rib, potatoes, green beans, Yorkshire pudding, salad, cookies, fudge....YUMMO!), and now it is SNOWING!!!! WOOHOO!  Now we are just waiting on Santa to land his sleigh on our roof (hope it doesn't miss in this snow storm we are having) and the girls enjoy tomorrow.  Hopefully we wake up to a winter wonderland and lots of presents....MERRY CHRISTMAS!

Not Your Momma's Meatloaf

This is one of my favorite meals and my momma asks for it every time she comes over.  I have had two very similar recipes over the years and this is my version.  Thanks Aunty Helen and Mrs. McGregor!

1-1 1/2 pounds hamburger meat
2 slices stale bread (I use the heals and tear them into little pieces)
1 small onion well chopped
1 egg
1 14-16 oz can tomato sauce (halved)
1 tsp salt
1/4-1/2 tsp pepper (I use a grinder and eye ball it)
4 Tbs brown sugar
4 Tbs mustard
4 Tbs apple cider vinegar

Heat oven to 350 degrees.  Lightly spray a casserole dish with Pam or the like.

Meat -   Mix together the bread, onion, egg, half of the can of tomato sauce, salt and pepper in a bowl first before adding the meat.  After everything is mixed up, mix in meat lightly.  Place in casserole dish.

Sauce - Mix together the other half of the can of tomato sauce, brown sugar, mustard and apple cider vinegar.  Pour mixture on top of meat.

Bake for 90 minutes.  I serve with mashed potatoes and green beans. 

Chocolate Chip Cookies

Here it is.  My famous and secret (until now) chocolate chip cookie recipe.  It is super simple and the cookies are the absolute best.  The secret is the Crisco.

1 stick butter (I use Imperial Margarine)

1 scant cup Butter Flavored Crisco (I use a whole cup)

1 cup white sugar

1 cup brown sugar

2 eggs

1 tsp each salt, baking soda, vanilla

3 cups flour (some days I have to use a wee bit more)

1 bag semisweet chocolate chips

Heat oven to 350 degrees.  Combine butter and Crisco until it is fluffy and there are no lumps (like 5 minutes).  Add sugars and mix until everything doesn't look grainy and it is fluffy (like 3 minutes).  Add eggs, salt, baking soda and vanilla.  Make sure everything is combined well and you scrape the bowl.  Add flour 1 cup at a time mixing well in between.  Hand mix in chocolate chips.  Place cookies on ungreased cookie sheet and bake in the oven for 10-12 minutes until just brown.  Makes at least 5 dozen on a good day (if you don't eat them while making). 

Fast Times at Fast Lanes

Today my mother-in-law and I took the girls bowling.  Big Girl has decided she loves bowling and wants to go bowling daily or play it on the Wii.   Every time we drive by Fast Lanes she asks if we can go.  I have learned some things the couple of times we have gone.

1.  I am a terrible bowler.  The first time we went we bowled 2 games and my scores were something like 75 and 100.  This time I scored 82.  This is not good considering my mom used to bowl league.  I should have some bowling skills from that I think.  Can you learn to bowl through osmosis?

2.  My girls are ready to go after 8 frames.  This would be fine if bowling were 8 frames but it is not. The last two frames I had to bowl for Little Lady.  This was a wee bit interesting because I got to bowl with the bumpers....I only hit pins during those times because I had the bumpers (see #1).

3.  I am jealous of the girls because they get to use the ramp and the bumpers.  I want bumpers!  I might bowl better (see #1).

4.  I am thinking it is the shoes that makes the bowler so I want pretty pink shoes.  I could coordinate my outfit to always match my shoes.  If I can't bowl well I can at least look pretty while doing it.

5.  My mother-in-law is very competitive.  She almost does a dance when she does well.

6.  My girls excitement should become my excitement.  They are so cute jumping up and down just at hitting a few pins.  Why can't life be that simple and that sweet?

Bowling.....yup....lessons, shoes, and cute outfits....that's what I think will make me better.  If not, maybe I can just remember to have fun.  After all....I am with my girls.

iGet2Give

Before iGet2Give I was actually hoping not to get a gift.  I am not one to know people who are generally in need and I am not the most creative with coming up with ideas about how to help others other than giving to food pantries and donating old clothes to the Salvation Army.

Sometimes God has other plans....I "won" a gift.  It was a simple gift of a gift certificate to World's Gym, a couple of T-Shirts, and a Bagel Bucket from Einstein Bagels.  When I received the gift I worried about what I was going to do with these two things that don't really go together.  After much thought, I decided to split up the gift.

Last night I decided today (Wednesday) was the day to go bless others.  I set the alarm for 5:15 and closed my eyes hoping I wouldn't over sleep.  I guess I was so excited I kept waking myself up and I actually had to calm my self down a couple of times just so I could go back to sleep.

At 5:14 I woke up, turned off the alarm that hadn't even gone off yet and got up to get ready.  At 6:30 I set off on my adventure.  My first stop would be the World's Gym that is 1 minute from my house.  I walked in and was greeted by the guy at the counter.  After I explained my "surprise" I think he was a little perplexed.  I am still not sure he understood what I wanted him to do or who I wanted him to give the present to but I am praying that whoever the gift certificate and T-shirts go to it will completely make their day.

Now for the bagels.  I knew the moment I got the bagels I wanted to bless some teachers at a school.  I wasn't sure what school but I know teachers are really stressed out this time of year and a bagel or donut really does go a long way in making a teachers day.  First stop was Krispy Kreme Donuts for a couple of dozen donuts and then on to Einstein Bagel's.  After I picked up my donuts and bagels I decided on going to Central Park Elementary.  It is the closest school to my house and I thought I should bless the teachers who serve so many around me.

After getting to the school, finding the office and stopping a teacher who was walking through, I set up the donuts and bagels in the teachers lounge.  I pray that they lift their day and fill their bellies as well as their spirits.

I have learned a lot from this experience.  We all can and should do more to make someone's day.  It might be simple like a donut or bagel or it could be more complex that is more time consuming.  Whatever it is, giving more is truly getting more.

To learn more about iGet2Give go to www.iGet2Give.org

Going Postal

Up until today I have never understood what the big deal is with going to the post office.  Usually I go in, get my stamps from the machine, put the stamps on my letter(s), put them in the slot, and then turn around and leave.  Most of the time I have the girls with me so this makes for a much more time consuming adventure than is needed.  I rarely go up to the counter and therefore rarely need to interact with another human other than other citizens using the post office like myself.

Today I was more than fortunate to interact with one of those lovely postal workers behind the counter.  A few weeks ago I decided I needed to update my passport.  While in the post office getting my usual stamps I got the needed forms to do this updating after talking to one of those lovely people behind the counter about which form I needed, what identification I would need, and how much this adventure would cost.  At no point did the nice lady behind the counter (with nice hair) explain what color ink was needed to fill out the form. 

Over the past week I filled out the form (which I swear means I am going to be cloned now since they know everything about me other than my blood type, my weight which I would lie about anyways, and true color of my hair) and gathered the necessary paperwork to prove I am indeed a citizen of the U.S.A.  After dropping off the girls this morning at school and working out (Yay! for me!) I drove over to the lovely, extremely busy post office to send off my paperwork to be cloned.  After waiting in line for 15 minutes behind a family of 6 who apparently have decided to go somewhere exotic (or missionary don't don't which) I got to the front of the line. 

As I hand the lady behind the counter my paperwork I am feeling quite good about myself.  I have found my old passport (with what I have decided has an awful picture of me and I am glad to see it go), birth certificate, marriage license, and drivers license and have it all in hand along with my form to be cloned.  The lady behind the counter (which has nice hair) takes my paperwork and says I am sorry you have had to wait this long and I am sorry that I should have had you fill out the paperwork again.  "What?"  "Yes," She says.  "You can't use blue ink."  "Huh?"  "The government is only taking forms at this current time filled out in black ink."  "Oh," I say.  "Here is your form you can step over there and fill it out again."  "No, I have to have my hair done."  Going Postal?  Yup....over blue ink.