A FEW DAYS OF GRAND BABY LOVE...

Hi to all grandma's bloggy friends!

I love to go to my grandma's house, she loves me and she lets me do anything
I want to do. Like... ride her dog.. he's not real but I like him a lot because
he doesn't buck me off!

Grandma has been saying all weekend that I am "such a doll"

do you think she's really talking about me?!

This one is my favorite...I love to give her lots of loves!

"I feel Pretty...Oh So Pretty!"

Speaking of dolls...look at little Ella, or is it little Shirley Temple?
Her mommie got her all dolled up for church..such a little beauty!

Sophia and grandma...love at first sight!

Sophia with her two favorite ladies.

Grandma loves my bath time...and me!

I got to bath in grandma's old fashioned soaker tub,
it was so fun..Grandma says I am a lucky little duck.

She even let me bath her old Cupie doll...she looks like me I think!

I know how to charm the socks off my grandpa too...it's easy!

Lots of Pistachio cupcakes to enjoy too...YUM!

It snowed this past weekend...Cougar loves to be near us when we are in the kitchen, so he hangs out in this... "too little for him"... chair, and watches us through the window.

Our kitties Sammy and Bobby..they love to snuggle up together in their garage bed, that is when they are not catching mice and leaving them at our back door for us..such nice kitties! ;D

And you can always find Mr. Bo Jangles keeping a

close eye on Cougar, making sure he behaves himself!

This is Bobby...he was at a motel we stayed at a couple of months ago. He was outside in the cold winter weather, freezing and nearly starved to death, I have never heard a kitty cry so long and loud before. We brought him home and took him to the vet and tamed him. He was so sick for a month and we wondered if he would make it but he did.

He and Sammy have bonded..and look at them go!

They are loving the dry grass to play on...hopefully it will be green soon now!

I found this sturdy little stool for $5.00 and I am going to paint it red.
With as many grands as we have, we can always use another stool!

I got this vintage glass and pitcher set too...love them!


We had a great weekend, I hope you did too. Our kids just left and I always feel a little blue when they go home. I miss them and I miss the sweet little grands that come and fill up our lives with such warmth and such love! Nothing like family...nothing like family!

Have a great week my friends!

A RECIPE...PETS...WAITING 4 SPRING~

We had the best meat loaf the other night for dinner! It was so good that I have been having meat loaf sandwiches now for two day. Wanted to share it with you, I hope you will love it too!

GLAZED BACON WRAPPED MEAT LOAF


Mix all of this together:

1 1/2-2 lbs. hamburger
1/2 c. cracker crumbs
2 beaten eggs
1 (8oz.) can tomato sauce
1 envelope dry onion soup mix

Mix and shape into a loaf, lay it
onto a Pam sprayed broiler pan.
This way, as it cooks, the grease
drains away from the meat and it's
not being baked in grease!

Lay thick sliced bacon over the top
of it, tucking the ends under the loaf.

Now, prepare your sauce.

SAUCE
1/2 c. brown sugar
1 T. dry mustard
1 tsp. tomato paste
2 T. water

Mix this together and then
brush it over the top of the
bacon on the meat loaf.

Bake it at 350' for...1 hour and 15 minutes.

Look how beautiful it is when it's baked, YUM
all crusty and sugary glazed and not sitting
in a pool of grease, so much more healthy this way.

I had my daughter and her kids for dinner that night and her daughter said; Grandma, does this have brown sugar in it?" I told her it did in the sauce and she laughed and said; yup, Mom said that you put brown sugar in everything you bake!" And I do love my brown sugar...it is always my secret ingredient!

We also had a delicious chocolate cream pie!

The recipe for that you will find as you scroll down a couple of past posts...it is so yummy!

Whenever I am in the kitchen cooking, I have a couple of helpers.

Our dog Cougar and his kitty. He has a couple of little buddies like this one...Bobby and Sammy. They all sleep together, the kitties curl up under Cougars chin and tummy or on top of him. They all wander the property together...such sweet friends. Every Golden we have had has been just like that..they are the best!

And then there are these two little house puppies!

They are always standing guard watching over the sheep way out in the field. Watching to see if Cougar comes peeking in the windows, making sure to reprimand him for that! Naughty little butts!

Yes Zak is spoiled...

And so is Mr. Bo Jangles...

Who me?! Yes you!
But we all go for our 4 mile walk each day and we all love that!

I guess Spring is on her way...our grand daughter MaKayla getting ready for soccer.

And me... with Easter egg colored toe nails...waiting for some nice Spring green grass to walk through. They say... "Spring is when you have winter slush in your boots but a whistle on your lips." Well, I am hoping... and I only paint my toe nails when I am ready for my flip flops and Spring and Summer...hoping still, even though the wind is wild and there was snow on the
ground this morning!


TO YOU MY FRIENDS

I'd like to be the kind of friend that you have been to me;
I'd like to be the special help that you've been glad to be.

I know I'm blessed for only God can make friends like you;
You know just how to cheer me up whenever I feel blue.

Could I but have one wish fulfilled, this is what it would be~
I'd like to be the kind of friend that you always are to me.

Have a wonderful week and weekend my friends...I send you all
wishes and prayers for peace and joy and love... to fill up your life.

KIDS TELL THE DARNDEST THINGS...

This is a true story that happened last week here where I live.

A neighboring farm boy had some friends over to play, they decided to go out to the chicken coop and play with his chickens. They went running out laughing and goofing of as boys do. This young boy always goes in through the door but for some reason, this time he peeked into the little window first.

It seemed awfully quiet...and as he looked in the window...he saw some ears sticking up! So the boys turned and ran back to the house to tell his mom. She called and got a hold of her husband who quickly came home. He got his gun and went out to the chicken coop, looked in the window and guess what he saw?

THIS

Yes a cougar ( or) mountain lion. It was in the coop and apparently had been there for awhile. It had killed 26 of their chickens and eaten a bunch of them.

What a testimony to this young boy that he had been lead by the Holy Ghost to not just rush into the coop as he usually did. But this time to stop and peek into the window first.

We are all watched over my friends...if we will just stop and listen to that still small voice.

I am hoping now that a cougar doesn't come over the field and to my house!

Do you remember the show that Art Linkletter did called;
"Kids Say The Darndest Things"

I do, I used to love to watch it when I was a little kid. I felt like I was one of those kids being interviewed. Kids still do say the darndest things too...here's an idea that would be fun to do.

How about getting your video camera out...sitting your child or grandchild down and asking them some questions? Here are a few questions to get you started...Have fun doing it!

!. What is your name? How old are you?
2. Where do you live?
3. Who is in your family? Tell me about them.
4. Do you have any pets?
5. Do you go to school?
6. Who is Jesus?
8. Do you remember when you were a baby?
9. What do you want to be when you grow up?
10. What do your mom and dad do?
11. Who is the President?
12. What is your favorite holiday?
13. What is the nicest thing anybody did for you?
14. What is your favorite..breakfast...lunch..
dinner..cookie..ice cream etc.?
15. What is your favorite book? TV show?

Write out a list of other questions or just wing it. Shorter is better, but you may be surprised at how much your child likes to be listened to. You may even learn something. It will capture your child's personality better than any missed soccer goal...an nobody will say, "Fast forward it."

What would we do without children in our lives? I love them so much! Yesterday one of my little grand children called me and we had a good talk. I cannot even begin to tell you how much it thrills my heart to hear him say: "Grandma, will you come to my house and play with me?"

Yes...stop the world and go play with a dear child in your life...it will bless you and them!

Have a good week my friends. :D

ALL ABOUT COOKIES & LIFE'S LESSONS...

These books are my favorite cookie books. They are about cookies but also about so much more. They teach the sweetest lessons about life and are wonderful to teach children or adults about some of life's very important...bite size lessons. I hope you will check these books out.

Here are just a few quotes from the books;

ENDEARMENT means: Come here, my sweet cookie, my sweet little morsel.

CONSIDERATE means: I waited until you got home so we could lick the bowl together.

SUPPORTIVE means: That when your cookies are a huge hit at the bake sale, no one is happier for you than I am.

TENDERNESS means: See how we're lifting the fresh cookies from the tray with care and gentleness? That's the same way we treat another's heart.

ADORE means: I think you're simply delicious. Oh, I could just gobble you up!

HEARTBROKEN means: My heart feels sad and hurt, like a crumbling cookie.

SELFLESS means: No, really, please, I want you to have the last cookie.

BLISS means: Oh my, the aroma! The taste! I'm in total cookie heaven.

CHERISH means: There is no where in the universe I'd rather be than here in our kitchen, baking sugar cookies with you.

COOPERATE means: How about you add the chips while I stir.

PATIENT means: Waiting and waiting for the cookies to be done...still waiting.

RESPECT means: Offering the very first cookie to your grandmother.

UNFAIR means: You get a bite of this cookie...and I get the rest!

PESSIMISTIC means: How awful, how dreadful, I have only half my cookie left.

OPTIMISTIC means: This is great! I still have half my cookie left.

CONTENT means: Sitting on the steps...just you, me, and a couple of cookies.

MY FAVORITE PEANUT BUTTER COOKIE

1 cup shortening
1 cup brown sugar
1 cup white sugar
2 eggs
1 tsp. soda
1 cup peanut butter
1 tsp. vanilla
2 1/2 cups flour
1/2 tsp. salt

optional to add in:
1 cup chocolate chips
or butterscotch chips
or chocolate kisses

Mix all ingredients together, batter will be stiff.
Roll a small scoop into hands, place on cookie sheet,
press cookies with fork tines to flatten and create a
cross-hatch pattern. Dip fork in flour each time.

Bake until golden brown at 375' for 8 to 10 minutes.
Let cool, remove to rack

BROWN SUGAR FROSTING

2 T. shortening
1 cup brown sugar
1/4 cup cream

Boil 3 minutes, cool,
add 1 cup powdered sugar
1 tsp. vanilla
Frost and dip in ground peanuts.

I LOVE making these cookies even the dough smells delicious!

Oh! And then the adding of the chips...one of the crowning events of cookie making!

And the other crowning event is...that first bite of a warm cookie...YUM!

I love them this way too...oh, there are so many good things to do to this cookie!

A COOKIE AND A KISS

A house should have a cookie jar, for when it's half past three
And children hurry home from school as hungry as can be!
There's nothing quite so splendid in filling children up,
As fluffy, fresh warm cookies and sweet milk in a cup.

A house should have a mother waiting with a hug,
no matter what the child brings home..a puppy or a bug!
For children only loiter when the bell rings to dismiss,
If no one's home to greet them with a Cookie and a Kiss.

I love this little book too. I love that when you give him a cookie,
he requires even more care. He needs a glass of cold milk to go with
that cookie, and then he needs a little nap because he is now so full
and so tired...and it goes on an on.
****

I think I just LOVE cookies...how about you, are you in the mood now?!
I hope so...get making some cookies ladies and sharing the warmth with your
loved ones..or friends..or neighbors..or even a stray mouse or two! LOL

SO GRATEFUL FOR LIFE...AND A GOODIE

A year ago, I took a ride on one of these. Now before you think, wow lucky!

It wasn't my choice... or just for a joy ride, it was to save my life. I had had a
surgery and two weeks later I started to hemorrhage. It's a long story that I
told in post last year...it took a long ride in an ambulance to get me from where I
was, to one of these, and then to be flown on a 1 1/2 hour flight to get to where
I could get medical help to save my life.

My point in telling this is...today...this day...I am
so very grateful to be alive. To have your life handed back to you so you can live
on, is a great.. great blessing. So I just want to say; "I am so thankful for my life!"

I just had to share this with you...our darling little grand daughter Sophia
loves to wrinkle her nose and stick her tongue out...they call her M.J.
Humm...I wonder why?! LOL

This is our cute little great, grandson Tracen...just had to share him
with you today. I love his little plaid shirt and his overhauls..so cute!

I bought this little dress for Sophia...I think she likes it don't you?

She is a darling little girl and we sure do love

her... as we do all of our little grandchildren.



~A St. Patrick's Day recipe for you~

SHAMROCK PISTACHIO CUPCAKES

Preheat oven to 375' and grease muffin cups or use paper liners.

Stir together:

1 3/4 cups flour
1 (4oz.) Instant Pistachio pudding
3/4 cup of mini- chocolate chips
2/3 cup of sugar
2 1/2 tsp. of baking powder
1/2 tsp. salt


In a small bowl combine:

2 beaten eggs
1 1/4 cup milk
1 tsp. vanilla
1/2 cup veg. oil

Stir into flour mixture, just to blend.

Fill muffin cups 2/3 full. Bake 18-20 min.
Cool on wire rack...frost, recipe below.

SHAMROCK FROSTING

1/2 cup butter, room temperature
1 (8oz.) Philly Cream cheese, room temp.
2 to 3 cups of Powdered sugar
1 tsp. Vanilla

Combine the above and frost cupcakes.
Sprinkle green colored sugar etc. on top.

These are really good!

****
Have a great week my friends...
If you don't see me around visiting as much,
it's because my wrist is hurting, but just please
remember that I love you and am reading
your wonderful posts....every one of them!