What's In This Box?? Game Time!!

I love playing games. Board games, trivia games, mind games...you name it. Sam is a sucker for any game too...he watches the Gameshow Network more than any other kid I know. We're both pretty competitive, which can lead to some poor sportsmanship (he can't beat me at Scene It and I can't beat him at tennis!), but mostly we just love to be goofballs and have fun with it!

It all started when I was a kid. My mom would buy a big grocery bag FULL of treats and prizes. We'd all invite a friend over, and we'd play Bingo all day long! Nothing was more fun than winning and picking out of the prizebag, only you couldn't look. You had to reach in and take what you got...although if you didn't like what you got you could always trade it with a friend.

When the boys were old enough, I started doing it with them. Colin LOVED it. After he fell ill, it was really one of the only things he could do with the other kids and actually enjoy it. I was always the Bingo Caller...I cheated so many times to make Colin win! I would just peek to see what number he needed for a bingo, and call it. He was always the luckiest kid playing bingo, and yet no one ever caught on. He always had the biggest prize pile. It was one of the only things he could excel at, and I was going to make sure he did.

So I decided that I want to play a game once a month or so here at the blog! It might be a bit silly, but that's what I like about it. We all have a silly side because that's what makes life fun!

So, the game is pretty simple. I have this big, red box with something inside. The object inside is the mystery.....It's a bit like 20 questions. Here's how it works:

?????????????????



1. In the comments section below this post, ask me a question about the object that can be answered with "YES", "NO", "MAYBE", or "SOMETIMES".

2. Each person can only ask one question per day! Be creative with your questions!

3. I'll read your questions and answer them in the post as they come. Once we have 20questions, everyone can take a stab at guessing what the object is by posting their answer once again in the comments section. If someone gets it right (and is the first to post it), they are the WINNER! (Don't post your guess until AFTER we have 20asked questions!)

4. The object in the box is not the PRIZE. The PRIZES for this round will be a little mixed bag of goodies to honor my excitement for the Fall season soon to come. They consist of:


3 Fall Cookie-Cutters (an apple, ghost, and cat). I collect cookie cutters and just love these. They also have a fun recipe attached to them:


2 pretty cloth napkins, because you know how I love napkin origami!


4 Fall Yankee candle votives. Fall scents are the best!


These cute recipe cards...handwritten recipes are the best. I still love looking at old recipe cards Grandmothers or Great Aunts wrote in their own handwriting:


And also this kitchen towel with these embroidered ducks. Not really fitting with the Fall theme, but I think it's cute:


5.The object in the box can be anything...Sam actually picked it this round. It can be small or it might fill up the whole box. The box is 18"L x 12"W x 6" deep.

6. The winner will have 2 days to email me their info/if that doesn't happen I will randomly pick another winner.

7. Knowing me, I probably forgot something, so feel free to ask any questions! Most of all, I hope YOU enjoying playing this game as much as I enjoy hosting it! Man I have fun doing stuff like this...I'm easily excited, can you tell?

PS-The mystery object is not an item from "Red Envelope" as the box shows! Oh, and don't forget to tell your friends to take a guess too! Remember, don't start guessing until after I post the first 20 questions!

What are you waiting for....start asking questions!!

Canoe Date

I want to say THANK YOU to everyone who took the time to rate my blog! It is great to see what people really think, and thank goodness those of you who voted think highly of it....that really made me smile!!! Also, in the last few days I've found so many great new blogs through comments left here. It's so much fun to visit them and my bookmarks folder is packed!

In the midst of a hectic week and with summer winding down, Rich and I decided to take a canoe trip down the river last night. We considered it our "date night" for the week, so to say. We try to do something alone a couple of times a month because it really helps us refocus as a couple and it's just plain nice to do. Canoeing down this beautiful and peaceful river is the perfect setting.

It was a gorgeous night weather-wise. The sun was breaking through the trees, but not over-whelming. There was a slight breeze pushing us down the river and some really quaint yet beautiful sites to see:

I love lily-pads. They always look like they just came out of a fairy-tale storybook or something. Some of them had these big, white flowers on them with electric blue dragonflies buzzing in and out of them. It's sort of magical to float through them:





Rich was such a gentleman, rowing us down the river. I must say, he's good with a paddle:


I love watching him fish. He works in the fishing industry and he's really, really good at it. There's so much more to it than my girly knowledge knows. He makes it look like an art with his perfect casts. He seems to know exactly which fish will be where and what kind of lure (he has so many it's insane!) to use in every kind of weather and water condition.I have to say that it's actually quite fun to watch the fish bite and take the bait...it's awesome to watch a big fish being pulled in!

He had many bites, but only pulled in one small mouth bass:


If you're woman who likes biceps and triceps, then you too would enjoy watching him fish:


Despite our efforts to have a date night all ALONE, and at first we did have the river to ourselves, these pesky critters decided to break into our moment of romantic wandering down the river:


And this guy used this giant rock for a neck-scratcher for a good 10 minutes. Entertainment for the night!:


I'll be back later to post that fun blog game!

Marshmallow Balls (Porcupine Delights!)

I'm sure that by now, you aren't coming to my blog to find nutritious recipes for your children! I promise that my son eats a well-balanced diet full of all the good stuff as well! However, as a family we do love to bake and try fun recipes. Frankly, these recipes are just more fun to blog about and we all know they are WAY more fun to eat! I have a rule....there has to be a plate of home baked goodies sitting on the counter at all times, just like our Grandmas did. You never know when guests will stop in!

This recipe is really yummy, and I think that kids really enjoy making these too. We put some on sucker sticks just because they are easier to eat and look cute. Sam re-named these "Porcupine Delights". I guess they sort of look like a porcupine....

Porcupine Delights

Melt together in medium saucepan:

1-14 oz. pkg. caramels. The kids get to take off the wrappers (and sneak a few too):

Along with 1/2 c. butter
1 can sweetened condensed milk:

Melt it over low-to-medium heat, stirring often or it will start to scorch!

Take one bag of large marshmallows and a box of these (or you can just use the vanilla or chocolate flavors alone):



Put a marshmallow on a sucker stick (or pierce with a fork if not using sticks) and cover it in the caramel sauce, which should now be removed from the heat:

Then roll it in the cereal:

Sam got a little carried away with the caramel on his, hence the big gobs of cereal!


Lay them on a cookie sheet covered in wax paper, and transfer to the fridge or freezer when done. These taste great right out of the fridge or freezer and are the perfect bite-sized snack!

We have a busy week ahead. My step-sister's wedding is this weekend, and I'm a bridesmaid. It is in Madison, which is a 5 hour drive for us. I'm really looking forward to it! On top of getting ready for that, we have football, dentist appointments, and school shopping to do! I start back to work on the 29th....I can't wait! I'm looking forward to the busy days and seeing the kiddos again. I really missed them!

I'm planning a fun blog game for later this week, so make sure to check back! Also, I'm excited to be a part of a really cool website called Delightful Blogs. It features a ton of great blogs. The fun part is that you can rate them! So, if you are willing, please click here and rate mine! I really love to see what people think, and this is a great way to see. Here's the link: RATE ME . Thanks to each and every one of you who stops here and takes the time to leave me a comment. I just get giddy like a kid when I read them, and I love visiting your blogs too!!!

Drying your Garden Herbs: Part 1

This will be one picture loaded post! Sam is at football practice and Rich is out of town for work, and I sit here all alone...so I'm piling on the photos tonight! My garden is just beautiful this year. It's small, but so abundant.



I'm using fresh herbs almost daily, but it's also time for me to start drying some of them out for winter use. I also want to make a fall wreath and some potpourri bowls with some of them, so I have to dry them first for that as well.

Some herbs air dry better than others, and the ones that don't air dry well can be frozen. However, I like to give them all a try because I have so many and what can it hurt?

Right now my house smells like an organic feast of flavors! Lavender, thyme, oregano, mint and more. It's potpourri, without the chemicals. I love it. Start off by clipping your herbs in the morning after the dew dries (don't clip them wet). If they are dirty, you'll have to wash them and gently dry them. Remove all the brown or dying leaves.

You don't want those brown guys left on:


Put them in bunches of 6-10 stems, and cut them so they're even at the bottom. Secure with a rubber band:




Essentially you can hang them in just about any way that works for you, but I use an old pie board to hang mine altogether. So on each rubber band, put a twistie-tie through it:


Then twist the herb bunch around a slat on the board (you could use nails or hooks if you don't have this type of board:


Then I put a tag on each bundle with the herb name and date (I'll be adding more bundles on later days):


The herbs need to be hung in a well-ventilated, dry area that doesn't get direct sunlight. I use my breezeway/mudroom. They'll need to hang up to 2 weeks. If I notice certain types dropping lots of leaves, I'll put a paper sack around it, making sure they still have room to air out inside. I'll have a part 2 coming in a couple of weeks to show the progress.


If you're growing tomatoes, this is just a simple little tip: To ensure you get big, juicy tomatoes, cut off the "sucker" branches. These are the branches that don't flower, therefore not producing any fruit. They are using up water and minerals that could be going to the fruit, and aren't needed:

See how this branch is flowerless/fruitless...



Off they go. I don't take the branches from the top of the plant, though, because they haven't necessarily had time to flower yet. The plant will look funny, but you'll get bigger, better tomatoes!


Here are some more photos of garden goodies around the yard:

Garden fresh cukes are one of my very favorite things in the world..



Maybe we're weird, but Sam and I LOVE picking beans!


I love how these pole beans are growing up the lattice around this old birdhouse:


Pansies, so sweet:



Some variety of poison-berry tree in our backyard. It's full of these vibrant orange berries and is really pretty:



Hydrangea are my favorite flower ever. This isn't my favorite variety, but it's one of the few that grows well in our soil:

And finally, here's Sophie staring out my (obviously needs to be cleaned) french door window wondering why she can't come out when mom's taking pictures.

Peanut Butter Surprise Cookies

Surprises are fun aren't they? The best part of a surprise, assuming it's a good one, is that it usually requires that the person providing the surprise had to put some thought into it, which shows you how much they were thinking about you and care about you. I think that's why people are so touched when someone truly surprises them!

So these cookies aren't an exciting surprise, but they are a tasty one. They look like a normal chocolate cookie, and then when you bite into it, you get the surprise of a peanut butter middle. You may have read about my weakness for any and all things that combine chocolate and peanut butter. I could live on those two things alone. For real. So it's no "surprise" that this cookie is made, intended for ME! :)

Peanut Butter Surprise Cookies
Cream together:
3/4 c. creamy peanut butter
3/4-1 c. confectioners sugar

Roll the mixture into small balls, about the size of a large marble. Cover with wrap and refrigerate for at least 30 minutes:




With a mixer, combine:
1/2 c. softened butter
1/4. c. peanut butter

Add to it:
1 egg white
1 t. vanilla extract




Combine in a separate bowl:
1/2 c. granulated sugar
1/2 c. packed brown sugar
1-1/2 c. all-purpose flour
3/4 c. baking cocoa
1/2 t. baking soda


Slowly add the dry mixture to the butter mixture. As the dough gets stiffer, stop using the electric mixer and stir in the rest of the mix by hand. The dough will be stiff and look like this:


Form this chocolate dough into 1-1/2" balls.

Remove peanut butter balls from fridge. On a lightly floured surface, flatten one of the chocolate dough balls with your hand:


Put a peanut butter ball in the middle:


Wrap the chocolate dough around the peanut butter ball, sealing all edges and making it back into a ball shape.

Place the dough balls on a lined cookie sheet. Dip the bottom of a small glass in water, then in some sugar. Push down on each ball, flattening it, but not completely:






Bake in a preheated 350 degree oven for about 10 minutes. Tops will become slightly cracked.


Eleven years ago today, I married a man who turned my life around in a wonderful way. Before I met him, I was in a situation I knew wasn't meant for me. My heart knew it, but I felt stuck. Along came Rich, not on a white pony, but in teal Chevy truck!

The first time I saw him, my heart literally flip-flopped. I'll never forget how good he looked in his khaki pants, dark hair, tan skin. What stuck out most, though, was his distinguished demeanor and laid back personality. Then he spoke...he has such a sexy voice, really. Every part of me was attracted, not just to outer, but to inner. I was smitten. He was much older, but that suddenly did not matter to me in the least. I knew I had to be with him and that I would be with him.

Ours is an unusual romance. We didn't do things in the traditional way. We jumped in head first and never looked back. Since then, life has thrown us some major "surprises". Some have been awesome, and others, horrible. I'm sure there are quite a few onlookers who just KNEW that our marriage would not make it-the odds were so stacked (age difference, death of a child, etc.)....yet I think that one day spent with us has proved them otherwise. People can feel our bond when we're together. He continues to keep my heart, and now in such a deep way that no petty disturbance or major life happening can take it from us.

I still get excited when I see him walk in a room and I still want to impress him in every way a woman can. Eleven years is just the beginning....I think that even better times must wait around the corner for us!

Chicken Tenders (More Food For the Tweens and Tots)

Every single time we go out to lunch or dinner at a restaurant, no matter how trashy or classy the place, Sam orders the same thing: Chicken fingers/tenders with french fries. It sort of drives Rich and I nuts because there are always so many other options on the menu that are better! However, that's what he wants. So, I figured that if I started to make them more at home, he'd want something different when we go out!

Chicken Tenders
6 boneless, skinless chicken breast
1-1/2 sleeves Ritz crackers
3/4 c. Top of Tater or sour cream
milk
Parmesan cheese, freshly grated
salt/pepper to taste
1/4 c. melted butter
dipping sauce (ranch, BBQ, honey mustard, etc.)

After washing the chicken breasts, remove any pieces of skin or fat and cut them into thirds, length-wise:


Sprinkle with salt and pepper and a bit of garlic salt. In the food processor, grind the Ritz crackers to a fine crumb (or put in a bag and crush with a rolling pin):




Put the crumbs on a large plate. In a shallow bowl, mix the Top of Tater with about 3 T. of milk and whisk:


*** Top of Tater is basically a thick sour cream product with an onion and chive flavor. If you can't find it, just use sour cream and fresh chives in it's place


Make a little assembly line and it's time to start dipping. Cover a chicken piece in first the Top of Tater:


Then the Ritz crumbs:


And then onto a greased baking dish, in a single layer:



Next, shake some shredded Parmesan cheese over each tender and a shake of Lawry's seasoning salt. Drizzle the pan with the melted butter:


Bake in a preheated 375 degree oven for 40-50 minutes, or until juices run clear and cracker coating is a bit golden. Be careful that you don't overcook these or they'll be rubbery and hard! Serve with your dipping sauce and enjoy!


We had some really nice, cool weather today and it gave me a chance to do some baking without heating up the house. We also had another dog date with Noah and Tessa. Sophie is over the betrayal of the last date, and still eagerly pursues her man, even though he technically is no longer a man.

Football season started this week for Sam and our days have started to become scheduled and a bit busy again. I like it. I thrive on routine and being busy!

I got excited today when I thought about taking out my fall decor in a few weeks...I LOVE stuff like that! It always makes me sad though too...decorating for seasons and holidays was one of Colin's very favorite things to do. We always did it together and his absence is so painfully raw when I remember his excitement and eagerness.

Despite the sadness, which is now a part of me that won't ever leave, this time of year always puts my soul at a content, happy place. Things seem more hopeful and the glass is more full than empty.

Fabulous Chocolate Zucchini Cake

If you don't have zucchini filling up your house like I do, then you have to get your hands on some to make this cake! The zucchini gives it the perfect moistness and texture, making this a wonderful dessert! You would never guess that zucchini is even in it, but without it it just wouldn't be the same:

Chocolate Zucchini Cake
1/2 c. soft margarine or butter
1/2 c. vegetable oil
1-3/4 c. granulated sugar
2 eggs
1 t. vanilla
1/2 c. sour milk (see note below)
2-1/2 c. all-purpose flour
1/2 c. chocolate chips
4 T. baking cocoa
1 t. baking soda
1/2 t. cinnamon
1/2 t. cloves
1/2 t. salt
2 c. grated zucchini (not peeled)
1/2 c. chopped nuts (optional)

In a large mixing bowl, beat together the butter, oil and sugar. Add the eggs, vanilla and sour milk:

**NOTE: If you don't have sour milk on hand, do this. In a glass bowl, put 1 T. of fresh lemon juice or distilled vinegar. Add one cup of milk and let sit for about 15 minutes. It will start to curdle and become sour.


In a separate bowl, combine the flour, cocoa, baking soda, cinnamon, chives and salt:


Slowly beat the dry mixture into the wet mixture:


Stir in the grated zucchini:


Pour into a greased and floured pan (9x13, bundt, spring form, muffin, etc.). Sprinkle the chocolate chips and chopped nuts(optional, I didn't use them this time) over the top:


Bake in a preheated 325 degree oven for 45-60 minutes, checking that an inserted knife comes out clean when done.

As the last weeks of summer wind down, I'm trying to enjoy them as much as I can without stressing out or over-thinking everything. I've been doing some more organizing and cleaning, knowing I won't have nearly as much time for it once work starts again.

I was thinking today...what was my favorite part of summer? Not the laid back relaxing part (I'm never good at doing that!), not the carefree days (there isn't such a thing for me!), and certainly not the hot weather (I prefer cooler weather, but not cold!). No, the very best part of summer for me was the extra time I've had to take a look at my life and myself. What things could I be doing different? Just what do I want out of life? What's important and what isn't?

I've discovered a few things about myself I didn't care for, and I have worked to change those. I've also realized that I am the happiest when I'm focused on the simple things I love in life-family, my home, and bettering myself in many different ways. I've done so much reflecting and changing in the last year emotionally, and have come out of it a better woman. I feel like I know "me" better now, and have so much more confidence and content happiness than I did in the past. I didn't think that would be the outcome, but I'm happy it is.

How about you? What was the best part of your summer? Was it a vacation? A new love? Time with your family? Something more simple or complex? I'd love to hear all about it!!!