Jumbo Peanut Butter Polka Dot Cookies

... or Polka Dot Peanut Butter Jumbos from the Favorite Brand Name Recipe Cookbook.  We always called them Jumbo Peanut Butter Polka Dot Cookies at my house.  My Mom used to make these and send them with us in our lunch box for school lunch.  My brother would sell them to other kids during lunch, they were so popular!

Ellie made them today to give to her AWANA leader tomorrow for her appreciation exercise in her handbook. 

Here's the recipe:

1 cup margarine (or butter, we only use butter at our house)
1 cup peanut butter
1 cup granulated sugar
1 cup firmly packed brown sugar
2 eggs
2 cups flour
1 teaspoon soda (baking soda)
1 and 1/2 cups M & M's Plain or Peanut Chocolate Candies

Beat together margarine (or softened butter), peanut butter and sugars until light and fluffy; blend in eggs.  Add combined flour and soda; mix well.  Stir in candies.  Drop dough by level 1/4 cup measure onto greased cookie sheet about 3 inches apart.  Bake at 350 degrees F. for 14 to 15 minutes or until edges are golden brown.  Cool on cookie sheet 3 minutes; remove to wire rack to cool thoroughly. 

Makes about 2 dozen 4-inch cookies

You can make them smaller if you like and just lessen the cooking time.  Last time Ellie and my Mom made these cookies, they used leftover Peppermint M&M's (from my Christmas candy stash) and butterscotch morsels, because I didn't have enough M&M's in my stash.  Today, we ran out of peanut butter and Ellie didn't want to add sunflower seed butter to make up the difference (Wyatt is allergic to peanut butter, so I keep sunflower seed butter on hand for recipes that he will eat...and I like it just to make sandwiches for me).  Anyway, we made up the difference of peanut butter with nutella.  It was a yummy chocolaty addition, not a huge change, but a subtle hint.  With all the different kinds of nut butters and M&M's, the possibilities are many!

Strawberry Cake

This is a recipe from my sister's in-laws.  I made it for two of my friends who also have birthdays in September a couple of years ago.  If you like strawberries and cake, you will like this cake!

Strawberry Cake
Ingredients:  White cake mix
                    3 Tbl flour
                    1/2 cup milk (or water)
                    1/2 cup oil
                    1 small package strawberry jello
                    3 eggs
                    1/2 the juice from 12 (or 16) oz package of frozen strawberries, thawed
                     (plus some strawberries that will pour in when draining the juice)

Mix all together and pour in prepared pan (greased and floured, 11 x 13 or large rectangle pan with tall sides works best... you need room to pour the icing/glaze on when hot).  The pan should look like it barely has any cake mix in it.

Bake at 325 degrees for 35-45 minutes.

Icing/Glaze Directions:

1 stick melted butter
3 and 1/2 cups powdered sugar
Rest of the thawed strawberries and juice

Mix well and pour over cake when it is hot.

My pan is really smaller than I should have used.  I believe I used multiple round pans before, but I forgot when I was making this cake for Thomas's birthday this month.

Making Your Home a Haven: Week 3

I really wasn't sure I was going to get anything done on the Making Your Home a Haven Challenge this week because this was our "vacation week".  My hubby took the whole week off from work and he had plans for Monday and Tuesday, but we went to visit my cousin on Wednesday and didn't come home until today.  The challenge for this week was to de-clutter an area of our homes and make a plan to keep things de-cluttered.  Also, to look for anything that is cluttering up our spiritual lives.  That is adding to burning a special candle, playing soft music and praying for peace in our homes.

With getting things ready to leave, etc., I really didn't think I was going to do any more than just cleaning the house and doing the dishes.  Then I actually found myself with the want to for de-cluttering and not really time, but I made that time for de-cluttering.  I really love to have a clean and organized  home, but I have found that a difficult task since I have had children (almost 10 years now).  My new plan for keeping things de-cluttered is to make sure I pick up at least one thing that doesn't belong every time I leave a room and head towards where that thing does belong. 

I chose my "new" buffet to de-clutter.  The buffet is a catch all in the kitchen (along with the "old" buffet, but I wasn't sure I could accomplish that area, too).  I'm constantly telling the kids or my husband to "put it on the buffet".  So, here is what the buffet looked like before:

I sorted and threw things away and put things where they actually belong.  Now you can see my pretty new recipe basket that my Mom and Dad got me for my birthday.  I can get to things again.  And our "dirty mouth" bucket is empty and ready for coins, just in case anyone is not letting their yes be yes or their no be no (Matthew 5: 37 and James 5:12).  Here is the after:

This made me feel so good, that I decided to clean off the old buffet.  Sorry I don't have a before picture of this, if you imagine it about half as bad as the new buffet, you'll get the idea.

I know I was enjoying this because I love how everything looks and function when it's all neat and organized.  I was also enjoying the work because I pulled out one of my favorite candles; a red white and blue cinnamon scented candle the my sister-in-law Therese gave me.  I had a God Rocks! cd in my juke box and I was singing along with the Bible verses.  If I had already been packed and ready for our trip, who knows what I might have accomplished?!

Looking forward to next weeks challenge!

50's Night at AWANA

Last week the kids AWANA club had 50's Night. They all dressed up like they were going to a Sock Hop.  We checked out the thrift stores for skirts, but didn't find anything for Ellie.  We also checked out my Mom's house, because she made a bunch of poodle skirts years ago for her job.  We had no luck.

We researched the 1950's and clothing online.  Then I started searching through my material.  A bunch of my material was from my Mom's leftovers.  As I was searching, I came across half of a pink cut out poodle skirt!  Then I found the other half!  Well, I only needed half, because they were adult size and Ellie is not adult size yet.  So, I sewed up the side together then rolled down the top and made a casing for elastic.  I had Ellie search for poodle silhoettes.  She printed her favorite and I cut it out of black felt.  Then I sewed on the poodle by hand (why by hand? I don't know!).  Then I found a length of gold beading that my grandmother had given me.  I cut that and glued it on with hot glue for the poodles collar.

These are the leftovers.

I found my almost-like-saddle shoes, my pink sweater with my intial embroidered on it and a black and white polk-a-dot scraf.  Here is Ellie's finished look:

Wyatt was even easier to fix up.  Aren't boys usually easier in the clothes department?  We did have to go to Walmart (nothing at the thrift store, again), because my son doesn't wear jeans.  He wear slacks and sports pants.  He also didn't own a white shirt, because they usually get stained.  I explained to him how he had to roll up his pants and his shirt sleeves; and he (and Ellie) had to tuck in his shirt.  Not tucking in his shirt would have been sloppy and just not done in the 1950's.  We bought some "wet look" gel  to "grease" his hair with.  I think he looks pretty cute as a greaser.  He promised to dress up like this when we go on our date (and he did!).

Making Your Home a Haven: Week 2

This weeks Making Your Home a Haven Challenge was to keep lighting the candle and also add playing soft music in your home.  I'm glad Courtney clarified that she wasn't specifying classical music necessarily, but more mood setting music.  I like classical, but I am really more of an oldies (original rock 'n' roll) kind a girl.

Our favorite music right now is by the God Rocks!.  I know the cd covers look like a children's cartoon.  Definitely not music that grown ups are going to like!  Wrong!  God Rocks Bibletoons actually is a children's cartoon.  A children's cartoon with Bible lessons mixed in, where Bible verses are set to music that reminds you of Elvis, the Beach Boys, and the Beetles.  Anyway, I LOVE singing and hiding God's word in my heart.  The picture is of my God Rocks! music collection. I own all their cds.  I'm also teaching their curriculum in my Sunday School class.

The kids even put on one of my God Rocks! cds when I was working on staining our deck.  I was so proud.  I was listening to my music outside on my mp3 player with speakers.

Music makes such a difference in our lives.  If you've ever switched listening from popular music to Christian music, I'm sure you can attest to a positive change in your attitude.  I know making the switch made a difference for me when I was in 8th grade.  And at times I went back to listening to more popular music, but I didn't like the mood it put me in.  I do still occasionally listen to other music, but 90% or more of my listening is Christian music.  Be careful little ears what you hear!

I'm still not lighting my candle, but just using the candles as a reminder to pray for my home and family.  Honestly, I really haven't needed the candle.  Last week has gotten me on a roll. I've been pretty much a pray anytime anywhere person for a long time (or at least it feels like a long time), but I've been more conscience of my praying since last week and that has just spilled over into this week. 

Praying anytime, all the time, any where and every where reminds me of last Friday's episode of Faithville.  Speaking of kids shows that are really great adult shows, if you haven't seen Faithville, you should check it out.  Faithville is a program set in the 40's with actors (vs. the God Rocks! Bibletoons) and is really a series on discipleship.  The last program I watched the newest neighbor in Faithville could not believe that people were praying in public!  One of the greatest things about adding the digital boxes to our old television sets was getting the Smile of a Child network, a Christian network where we found God Rocks! and Faithville.

I'm really enjoying this challenge.  Next week is de-cluttering...and boy do I need some of that!

What's In Your Closet? Homemakers Challenge

This weeks Homemakers Challenge was to create three new outfits and not spend any money doing it.  You could use those unknown treasures in the back of your closet, trade clothes with someone else, or find another creative way to make new outfits for nothing.  Well, I found a way to get one new item for nothing. Honestly, it was the best part of the challenge for me. 

I found this purse on sale at Walmart for $5.00.  I had an art set I had bought for myself from Walmart and never used.  So, I bought the purse and returned the art set!  Purse is now free!  I am really picky about my purses.  They always end up heavy, and I have scoliosis, so I am not packing a heavy purse on one arm. I love backpack purses, but they make the skin on my shoulders break out.  That means I have to have a purse that goes across my chest.  The purse I had been using was denim and packed full was round and looked frumpy all by itself.  This is taller and flatter and holds things stiff.  It also has a pocket on the side to hold my cell phone!

My first outfit includes a black t-shirt that I wear all the time.  I mostly like to wear black t-shirts with pearls and dark jeans.  I paired the t-shirt with my stone washed denim, that I usually leave as "back up" jeans in the bottom of my closet shelf.  I don't think I've ever owned anything completely orange (besides a 01 General Lee t-shirt)  until my friend Brandy gave me this sweater for my birthday this year.  I had not worn it till today.  This is my "date night" outfit.  Tonight was Daddy-Daughter date night and Mommy-Son date night.  Which meant Wyatt got to be my photographer for most of these pictures.  He got a little wild on some of them, and not all of them are in perfect focus.  But thanks to my little photographer, because otherwise I would have had to set up the tripod and set the timer.  I wore my favorite black boots.  I haven't worn them much in the past couple of years, but I really like them.

Is orange my color?  I don't know.

 

I just like this one, even though I'm looking down.





Here's one with the new purse!



This is better of the deck than me, but you can see the boots better than the other pictures.

 Wyatt helped me with the rest of my outfits.  Except for this one.  The manager at my part-time job was cleaning out her closet and asked if I wore dresses.  I do, so she passed me on some of her old ones.  And I do mean old ones, we are talking some vintage 80's dresses.  This was the best one.  Actually, I really like it.  It is a shirt style dress with pockets!  I love dresses with pockets!  I changed up my glasses for this dress, too.  The boots are some old ones again.  I love boots, especially with dresses. Red is my favorite color.  The belt is an old.  Wyatt actually did pick that out for me.  I had elastic belts like that when I was a kid in the 80's.

Outfit number three is from the reaches of my closet.  The jean skirt is one I bought on sale because I thought it was cute and my sister had made one from old jeans of hers like this.  Then I never wore it.  Well, I wore it once to church.  The sweater is old, too. I pulled it out this last week for Ellie to wear to 50's night at AWANA.  I don't wear my penny loafers very often, but the loafers kind of gave this a 50's look.  I took the belt off the skirt that came with it and I might actually wear it like this.

I have a bonus outfit because my photographer and fashion consultant did not approve of the red dress.  He really liked this outfit with the bracelet he made for me a year or two ago and the scarf he took off a different shirt.  The pants are hand-me-downs from my sister, that I'm pretty sure she got at the thrift store.  They are old J-Crew, polyester and plaid (hard to see in the picture), but really pretty comfy and a nice length.  I paired them with the penny loafers, too. I love my white button up shirt, but I don't wear any white shirts very often because I get stains on them...or the children stain me.  I didn't like scarf at first, but Wyatt really liked it and it does look good in the pictures.

So, the thing I learned from this challenge is that I need some exercise.  I was looking at this pictures and at myself in the mirror.  I don't have the good excuse the Amy Bayliss has for having extra pounds... an adorable new baby boy.  So, Amy, if/when you read this, here's my idea for the next challenge:  Making a Routine for Exercise...or something like that!  I think the ladies at my church are starting a Zumba class and I'm a bit nervous about joining a group of ladies to exercise, but I'm thinking these pictures are making me a lot more needy and less nervous.

Thanks to my two photographers, my sweet kids, Ellie and Wyatt.

Encourage me judges!



Mice or Rats?

My husband informed me this morning that we needed to buy some sticky traps because we had a little mouse in one (a sticky trap we already had)  in the garage and he saw a big mouse that the cat was not going after.  Well, all day from time to time I heard squeaking noises coming from the corner of the garage.  Mice seriously creep me out, so I was not investigating.  I did see a little one, baby looking, that appeared to be dead near the garage door.  I decided to leave it for my dear, darling, wonderful, manly husband to deal with because he would be home soon.  Well, when he got home, he pulled everything out of that corner of the garage and discovered SEVEN baby mice.  Well, he and the kids think they are mice.  My first thought was that they are field mice from the field across our driveway, but they seem awfully big to me.  I don't know, they could be rats.  Ellie and I looked up images of baby rats and mice on the net and there is not a big difference in the pictures.  Yuck, yuck, yuck! 

I took a picture because the kids decided they were cute, and not so creepy.  They chased away our dog when she tried to go after them.  Then they put them in a shoe box out by the tree we always take pictures at in front of our house. 

I told my mom about them, and she suggested taking them way back to the back of our property (six acres). I suggested that to Thomas and the kids.  They agreed it would be good to let them be free and whatever happened to them in nature would happen.  Wyatt thought it was good to give them a chance at life and not just kill them our let the dog eat them.  He was speaking so eloquently about the creatures, I was moved by his compassion and slightly less grossed out by the rodents (though I'm still grossed out).

Our garage is cleaner and neater than it's ever been.  I guess the momma rodent decided we would make a good place to deliver her babies.  I hope the dog and cat keep any other mommas away.

Thomas was threatening to get another cat, because ours wasn't mousing anymore.  The cat tried to redeem himself though.  While I was staining the under side of our new deck, our cat brought a nice fat shrew over to show me and chew on a bit.  I think sometimes that  he's offering to share when he brings his kill over like that.

Well, life couldn't get much more basic than that.