FAMILY, AND SOME GOODIES....

Darling Ella and Sophia wearing some cute little
vests given to them by their aunt Lisa L. They
are pretty happy about all the lip glosses too!

Some pillows and some baby things that I have been making.
We are due to get another grand child in November! Our
daughter Lindsey is going to have a little boy!

Claire spending some "huggie time" with her grandpa Ron.

So cute!

We have had a ton of rain, all of a sudden it will get all
black and rain like crazy, then it is all beautiful again.

My cat Sage, as you can see, she lets me shave her! She
loves it and then goes to sunbath herself on the rug!

Looking out my window, clear as a bell after a ton of rain.

Megan, all ready to go inside and see the new
Brigham City (Mormon) Temple. She got all dressed up in her
lovely white dress, everyone told her how pretty she looked.

The new Brigham City Temple... Anyone
can go inside and tour it before it is dedicated. We
went with our son Darin and his family. It is so very
beautiful inside too.

My great great grandfather, Jeppa Hans Jeppson, was in
charge of this beautiful tabernacle being built in the 1800's.
His Swiss handwork is in the carved wood inside, it is so
beautiful!

The temple and the tabernacle face each other and it is
such a beautiful sight! I am pretty sure that my grandfather
is very happy about this new temple.

Ron and Julie enjoying the day at the temple.

Darin and his family...

We so love the holy temples.
We serve in the Manti Temple each week and it
truly blesses our lives. I love going and feeling so close
to the Lord and his sacred works and ways.

~Now a few recipes for Fall~

PUMPKIN DOUGHNUT DROPS

Heat 3 to 4 inches of oil to 375' in a deep fat fryer or heavy saucepan.

Combine: 1 1/2 C. flour... 1/3 C. sugar...2 tsp. baking powder...1/2 tsp. salt
1/4 tsp. cinnamon...1/4 tsp ginger...1/4 tsp nutmeg. Blend together well.

Combine: 1/2 C. canned pumpkin...1/4 C. milk...2 T. oil...1 tsp. Vanilla...1 egg.
Stir into dry ingredients just until moistened. Drop by teaspoonfuls into hot
oil, 5 or 6 at a time. Fry for 1 to 2 minutes on each side til golden brown. Drain
on a paper towel.... Roll warm doughnuts in cinnamon & sugar.

CARROT CAKE BARS

Pre-heat oven to 350' and grease a 15x10 1" pan


Combine: 1 package Yellow cake mix...1/4 C. milk...
1/2 C oil...1 tsp Vanilla...2 tsp. ginger...2 eggs...Beat to combine.

Stir in: 1 C. finely grated carrots...1/2 C golden raisins & nuts...
Pour into pan and spread out. Bake for 22 minutes...cool.

FROSTING
Combine: 4 oz. softened cream cheese
1/4 C. softened butter...1/2 tsp vanilla.
Cream together...add2 to 3 C. Powdered
sugar...beat...frost...nuts on top!

TAFFY APPLE PIZZA

Shape one 18oz. Sugar cookie dough into a ball and
place it in the center of a large pizza baking stone. Roll dough
out to a 14" circle about 1/4" thick. Bake at 350' for 16-18 min.
Cool and loosen the cookie from the stone.

Combine: one 8oz. softened, cream cheese...1/2 C brown sugar
1/4 C. peanut butter...1/2 tsp Vanilla, mix well.Spread onto cookie.

Peel, core and slice 2 Medium Granny Smith apples, arrange evenly
on top of cream cheese.

Microwave: 1/4 C. Caramel topping for 30 seconds and then drizzle it
evenly over the apples. Sprinkle chopped peanuts on top and a bit of
cinnamon. Cut into wedges and enjoy!

Our pretty MaKayla and her new school hair cut.

Oh my, how did Caleb go from that baby duck-haired
baby to such a handsome pre-school boy?!

One more shot of Claire...I think she is grandma's
girl with that chocolate covered finger in her mouth!

Life is passing by way too fast...but
Life is good, so good, because of FAMILY.


ALL MY LOVE TO ALL

I AM LOVING...THIS GOOD OLD SUMMER TIME.

I remember as a child, just laying on the grass and looking up at the big puffy
clouds. I could do that for hours and not be bored. I am sure you did it too, it was
so fun imagining I could see all kinds of critters up there, it was magical. I hope
we don't loose that just because we are grown ups now, it's still just as magical for
me even now...and yes, I have been doing just that and it was wonderful.

Last post it was Bobby on the bench...I guess they decided today that it was
Samantha's turn because she got up there and didn't move for hours!

Well, I can't blame her...it is the good old summer time!

And they seem to know that, and are enjoying it as much as I am.

There is a lot of reality going on these days...here's a bit of it that I thought was
cute. I just love the Pickles cartoons in the newspaper. (Click on it to see it better)

This little one with her mom & dad dropped in for a short visit yesterday.
They had been camping and Sophia was so excited about everything that
she wouldn't go to sleep until 12:30 that night. Needless to say, the next
day she was so tired, so she took a little nap on grandma's bed for awhile,
then we all went to lunch and played at the park...a fun short visit for me.

I have been thinking a lot about this saying above, especially with our home for sale.
We will be a bit sad to sell it and move on, but this saying is really true, and as we have
prayed about it and pondered our future we have realized that there is so much more
to a real life than just having a beautiful home. There are others to help and love and
an eternity that will come faster than we can imagine and I want to be ready for that.

I want to walk into the next life hand in hand with my husband, knowing that...yes,
this is who I want to spend eternity with and knowing that we have done all we can
do to live as we should, as followers of Jesus Christ. So we go forward, putting it on
the market, preparing to downsize big time. I have heard that, "love grows best in little
houses" and that is what we are looking for. We are so excited to be making this "leap

of faith"...and praying that miracles will happen for us as we seek to serve the Lord.

Before I went to bed last night, I snapped this picture of the moon.
Way up there in the sky but peeking into my window....beautiful!

And yes, our home and property is for sale, I guess this makes it official!
If you or anyone you know might be interested go to my side bar at the top
and you can get more details on it.

My washer finally gave out on me the other day...she was getting pretty old. I
am excited to get a new one though...I thought this was cute, decals that you can
put on a washer, very cool. By the way ladies....what is the best brand to buy???

Just sharing this...love this cake because I love bees, I just think it is so cute!

And this...what a fun idea here. Sew 5 pillow cases together
and then stuff them with pillows! I think any child would just love
this. Hum... with 20 grand children, do I dare? Might take awhile!


And now a cookie I love

" CRANBERRY PISTACHIO COOKIES "

Take 1 pouch of Sugar Cookie Mix
1 (3.4 oz) Pistachio instant pudding mix
1/4 cup flour...stir together.

Add:
1/2 cup butter, melted
and 2 eggs

Add:
1 cup dry roasted pistachio nuts, chopped
1/2 cup dried cranberries, chopped
(optional, a tiny bit of green food coloring)
I didn't add any to these though.

Bake for 8-10 minutes at 350'
take from oven and let them set on the
cookie sheet for 2 minutes, then rack to cool.

Makes two dozen delicious cookies!


Don't forget go lay in the sun today, we all need a bit of real
vitamin-D. Take some cookies with you and a friend, big or little
and enjoy this heavenly Summer time my friends.

~My love to all~

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

LOVE IS IN THE AIR.....

Imagine me and you, I do I think about you day and night, it's only right.
To think about the girl you love and hold her tight, so happy together.

I can't see me lovin' nobody but you for all my life. When you're with me,
baby the skies'll be blue, for all my life.

Me and you and you and me, no matter how they toss the dice, it has to be.
The only one for me is you and you for me, so happy together, so happy together.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

It's that time of year.... love is in the air and it's time to break out the love songs and
the love poems, and the goodies to share with our loved ones. I just love Valentines Day!

I want to share with you a couple of delicious recipes, they are just right for Valentines Day!

PEANUT BUTTER CUP MINI-BROWNIES

Spray 40 mini-muffin cups
Prepare a box of brownie mix according to it's directions.

Spoon 1 heaping tsp. into each muffin cup. Bake at 350' 14 min.
Take out of oven when top is set but slightly wet inside, wait for
centers to fall a bit as they start to cool.

Place 3/4 cup of peanut butter in microwave for 45 seconds,
then stir. While brownies are still warm, spoon about 1/2 tsp. of
peanut butter into center of brownie. Top with chocolate and
peanut butter chips. Cool


AND

LEMON POUND BUNDT CAKE

Cream together:
3 cups of sugar
1/2 tsp. salt
2 sticks softened butter
1/2 cup Crisco

Beat in 5 eggs, one at a time.

Add:
2 T. Lemon extract
1 cup Milk
3 cups flour
1/2 tsp. baking powder
(alternating flour and milk)

Pour into a Pam sprayed bundt pan.
Bake 1 hour at 325"

"ICING"

Mix together;
1/2 stick softened butter
the juice and zest from 2 lemons
1 box powdered sugar (3 c.)
Spread over cooled cake.

Or you can also do 2 loaves instead of a bundt cake

I hope you are getting...In The Mood...to celebrate this love filled holiday.

It seems that February is really when winter hits us hard, so I always
welcome Valentines Day because it seems to bring a warm break to all
the dreariness.

I think Valentines day is such a fun day, we get to really celebrate all the loves in
our lives, from a spouse, to our children, our dear parents whether here or gone on.

I hope you will think about all that love and let it warm your heart real good,
it just might get us through to Spring! HAPPY VALENTINES DAY to each of you!