Another year has come and gone and with that I like to look back on the resolutions I have made and see how many I have accomplished and how many I have failed miserably at lol
Did you make any resolutions/goals for 2013? If so did you accomplish most of them or did you fail miserably like I seemed to do lol
Regardless, 2013 is over and with 2014 comes another year to make new goals, new memories, and a whole new chance to improve on things you may have not accomplished in 2013.
I love simple recipes, the kind that takes only a matter of minutes to throw together but produces amazing results every time. Even better, a recipe that can make a variety of cookies using only 1 dough. I have shared this recipe in the past on my blog, but thought I would share it again and all the amazing types of cookies that this one basic recipe can produce.
Ingredients Needed: 3/4 cup sugar 1/2 cup packed brown sugar 1/2 cup peanut butter 1/4 cup shortening 1/4 cup butter 1 egg 1 1/2 cups gluten free Bisquick Add Ins -mini peanut butter cups -Hershey Kiss -M&M's -Sugar for rolling dough in
You can also choose chocolate chips/chunks, peanut butter filling, reese pieces, butterscotch or peanut butter chips, peanut butter m&m's, etc
Directions:
Preheat oven to 375 degrees
***Steps 1-3 are for all cookies
1. Mix sugars, peanut butter, shortening, butter, and the egg in a bowl until combined.
2. Gradually add in the Bisquick until combined
3. Refrigerate dough for 60 min (if in a hurry just pop in the fridge for 10-20 min, your dough will simply be a little softer when you roll into balls, but will turn out fine)
3. Roll your dough into balls (I like to use a mini ice cream scoop to do this step) and then roll into granulated sugar
**This is where the recipe differs for each type of cookie you are making
For the Reese Cup Cookies:
Place your dough balls in a mini muffin tin and bake for 8-10min or until brown
Once cookies are done, immediately press a Reese Cup into the cookie
Once cookies have cooled, remove from muffin tin
For the Hershey Kiss Blossoms:
Place your dough balls on a cookie sheet and bake for 8-10min or until brown
Once cookies are done, immediately press a Hershey kiss into the cookie
Once cookies have cooled, remove from cookie sheet
For Peanut Butter Cookies:
Place your dough balls on a cookie sheet and bake for 8-10min or until brown
Once cookies have cooled, remove from cookie sheet
For Peanut Butter Cookie w/ Add Ins (choc chips, m&m's, etc)
Place your dough balls on a cookie sheet and gently press in add ins
Bake for 8-10min or until brown
Once cookies are done press in more add ins if needed
Once cookies have cooled, remove from cookie sheet
So there you have it folks, 4 easy cookies all from 1 simple recipe. This is a real time saver when you need to bake cookies but are crunched for time. You get 4 cookies without the mess of 4 recipes and not only will you save money but save time too!
So what are for you waiting for, go eat those cookies you just made!!!
For whatever reason, this year it just does not feel like Christmas. I am still amazed that Christmas is right around the corner. With that being said, the stores seem to be busier then ever with last minute shoppers struggling to find the right gifts for those on their Christmas list.
So, I thought I would help out all you last minute shoppers with a couple budget friendly gift ideas. You can watch the video here to see two very easy movie themed gift baskets OR check out the list below for some more budget friendly gift ideas.
Here is my Top 10 budget friendly gift ideas that can be grabbed last minute and would be great for anyone on your list.
5. A warm throw/blanket, I suggest a fun holiday print, like this one ($8.88 at Walmart)
6. A soft pair of slippers, I suggest these, they are the softest slippers EVER ($26.99 at Target)
7. A gift card, I suggest one from Amazon, that way the recipient can buy what they want. Amazon even has a cool feature where you can email the recipient the gift card (e-gift card) or you can choose the option to print one out yourself. You can also find Amazon gift cards at most stores that sell gift cards, ie. Walmart/Target, etc
8. Home made cookies, muffins, or loaves of bread.
(Tuck a homemade loaf of bread in a basket with some jam/jellies
OR
Pop some homemade muffins in a basket w/ a bottle of champagne and orange juice and add some wine glasses and you have a cute morning breakfast for a couple (you can find wine glasses at the dollar store)
9. Stationery Kit, for those who love writing letters and cards. Snag a cute stationery kit like this one ($4.97 at Target) Add in some nice quality pens and a book of stamps (usually $9)
10. A nice photo album, everyone likes to take photos. I suggest something like this OR this one ($10.79 and $15.99 at Target)
I recently teamed up with Jen from How Jen Does It and we decided to share two amazing recipes that would make wonderful breakfast ideas for Christmas morning.
My recipe, a cinnamon roll cake, takes on the sweeter route while Jen's is more a traditional breakfast. Both would make a delicious breakfast that anyone would love to wake up to on Christmas morning.
The breakfast I chose was a recipe I had seen floating around Pinterest and really wanted to try. You can find the full recipe for the cinnamon roll cake HERE.
Check out my video, where I share how to make an ooey gooey and delicious cinnamon roll cake
Check out Jen's video where she shares a delicious sausage egg casserole that is a passed down family tradition that she makes for her family every year on Christmas morning.
Do you make your family something special for breakfast on Christmas morning?
UPDATED: The winner has been chosen, and a big congrats to Lisa Jones. Winner has been notified via email. Thank you to all who entered. I look forward to 2014 and hosting more giveaways!
Giving back is the true meaning of Christmas and something I enjoy doing each year. However, I understand that many people, like myself, have a budget to keep in mind. However, I have found that doesn't mean you can't give back.
In this video I share 3 ways to give back during the holidays that don't cost a ton of money.
...and while were at it, here are 10 more ways you can give back without breaking the bank.
1. Bake some cookies for your neighbor
2. Give toys or clothes your kids outgrew to someone in need
3. Volunteer at your local soup kitchen or food pantry
4. Volunteer at your local human society (you can also drop off pet food, toys, or blankets to help keep the animals warm during the winter months)
5. Babysit for a friend so they can run errands without having to bundle up a child and take them into crowded stores.
6. Make a freezer meal for someone (this is great for new parents, or a neighbor)
7. Volunteer at a retirement home (sometimes sitting and talking with someone can really brighten their day)
8. Pay it Forward (pay for someones coffee or meal when standing in line or going through a drive through)
9. Leave coupons by products in a store for someone else to use (aka coupon fairy)
10. Join the Big Brother or Big Sister program and volunteer your time with a child
It is important to remember that it is not always about the BIG things.
Sometimes the smallest things, the ones that are given with an open heart and full of love, matter even more.
I hope you enjoyed my last segment where I showed how to create cute and inexpensive gifts for everyone from your mom, to your best friend, to the cute kid you babysit for. Are you ready for even more d.i.y gift ideas? If so toss on an apron and step into the kitchen, it is time to make some edible gifts.
All items needed to make the following 5 gifts can be found at your local dollar store or already in your home
Gift #1: Brownie Mix in a Potholder
Items Needed:
-pot holder
-cookie mix (or any mix of your choice)
-spatula (or any kitchen utensil of your choice)
-cookie cutter
-ribbon
Total Cost: $4
GIFT #2: Hot Cocoa in a Cute Mug
Items Needed:
-Cute mug of your choice ( I chose a festive Santa one)
-Hot Cocoa packet
-Candy Canes
-Marshmallow dipped in white chocolate and candy cane pieces (optional)
Total Cost: $3 approx.
GIFT #3: Snowman Soup
Items Needed:
-Cellophane bag of some sort (Ziploc bag will work as well)
-Candy Cane
-Hot Cocoa Packet
-Mini Marshmallows, Hershey Kisses, or M&M's (optional)
-Snowan Soup Topper (I found mine HERE but there are plenty online or make your own)
Total Cost: Varies. but we will say under $1
GIFT #4: Homemade Chocolate Covered Pretzels
Items Needed:
-Festive Tin (mine fit 4 pretzel rods perfectly)
-Pretzel Rods
-White Chocolate Chips or Chocolate Bark
-Candy Canes Crushed
Total Price: Varies but we will say under $3
GIFT #5: "Gourmet" Treats
Items Needed:
-Pretty box or Tin
-Mini Muffin Liners
-Graham Crackers
-Marshmallows
-Chocolate chips or Chocolate bark
-Candy Canes crushed
-Additional Extras: I used coconut and crushed pretzels
-Mold (I used a heart mold that I picked up at the dollar store during Valentines Day)
Total Cost: Price varies depending on how many you make and what toppings/extras you choose
Mine Cost Approx: $3-4
Well there you have it, 5 cute, edible, but very inexpensive gifts that you can make yourself for family and friends. These are great gifts to have a child help with, especially crushing the candy canes and pretzels and drizzling/dipping with the chocolate.
I would love to hear from you what your favorite edible gift ideas are OR what has been the best food related gift you have received?
Alright everyone, it is time for some more baking. So bust out the Christmas music, toss on a festive apron, and lets make some cookies!
Ingredients Needed:
Cookies:
-1 cup softened butter
-1/2 cup granulated sugar
-2 egg yolks
-2 tsp vanilla
-2 1/2 cups flour
1/2 tsp salt
Icing:
-1/2 cup powdered sugar
-1/2 tbs water
-food coloring (optional)
***Add more water or sugar to get the right consistency. It shouldn't be too runny nor too thick but a nice medium. Remember you can always add more but you can not take away.
Directions:
Preheat oven to 350 degrees
For the Cookies:
-Cream butter and sugar together until fluffy
-Add egg and mix
-Add vanilla and mix
-In a separate bowl combine flour and salt
-Add dry ingredients to wet ingredients a little at a time and mix
-Chill dough for 10 minutes
-Roll dough into balls (I used a Tbs to form my balls but you can use your hands)
-Place balls onto greased cookie sheet
-Bake for 10-12 minutes (until bottom of cookies start to brown)
-Immediately after taking the cookies out of the oven, use your thumb or the back of a measuring spoon, to form indents in the center of all cookies.
-Once cookies are cool, fill with icing and let icing harden. ENJOY!
For the Icing:
-In a bowl mix together the powdered sugar, water, and food coloring. Add more water or sugar if necessary until you reach desired consistency.
Trying to stay on a budget? Not sure what to get for a co-worker or neighbor? Maybe you are going to a party and want to bring a hostess gift or your child wants to give a gift to a friend. Try out these 4 d.i.y gifts that cost under $5. All supplies needed can either be found at the dollar store, or ones you probably have on hand already.
GIFT #1: HOMEMADE LAUNDRY SOAP
Supplies Needed: Borax, Washing Soda, & Bar Soap
Combine 1/2 cup borax and 1/2 cup washing soda
Add in 1 bar of soap (grated)
Mix together and pour into sealed container
Use 1 tbs per load
GIFT #2: BATH BEADS MIXED DRINK
Supplies Needed: Drinking Glass of Choice, Bath Beads, Loofah, Straw
I am your Kitchen Angel I'll watch over all you do, Baking all those goodies, And snitching one or two! And if you ever tire of me, Or some help is what your wish is, Just untie my little ribbons, And I'll help you with the dishes!
GIFT #4: HOMEMADE PLAY DOUGH
Supplies Needed: Flour, Salt, Cream of Tartar, Boiling Water
Oil (I used Vegetable), & Food Coloring (optional)
I hope you enjoyed these 4 easy gifts you can make for the holidays and that you give them a try.
Here are a few ideas for how to give them as a complete gift:
1. Along with the homemade laundry soap, you could include homemade all purpose cleaner, a homemade glass cleaner, some pretty rags & place everything in a cute basket.
2. Place a magazine, some lotion, and a candle along with the bath beads mixed drink.
3. Include some kitchen utensils, a cute cookbook, and the dishtowel angel to make a complete gift OR how about some fresh baked cookies or bread included with the dishtowel angel.
4. Make the homemade play dough in multiple colors. Include a small rolling pin and some cookie cutters.
Stay Tuned for more D.I.Y gift ideas. Next week I will be sharing D.I.Y food related gifts!
It's that time of year again! Time for some Holiday baking. So, lets bake some (non-traditional) but still yummy browned butter cookies with a fluffy delicious caramel icing.
Ingredients Needed:
Cookies:
-1/2 cup butter (NOT Margarine)
-1 cup brown sugar
-1/4 cup milk
-1 egg
-1 3/4 cup flour (I used Gluten Free Pantry All Purpose Flour)
-1/2 tsp baking soda
-1/8 tsp salt
Caramel Icing:
-1/2 cup butter (NOT Margarine)
-1/2 cup brown sugar
-1/8 cup milk
-1 cup powdered sugar
Directions:
Preheat oven to 400 degrees F
-Melt butter in a saucepan over medium heat
- Continue to cook and stir constantly until butter is a light brown/ amber color *
(Mine took about 4 minutes, but be careful not too cook too long or it will burn)
-Transfer to a bowl and let cool about 10minutes
-In a large mixing bowl combine brown sugar, milk, egg, and browned butter. Stir until combined.
-Stir in flour, baking soda, and salt
Drop dough by rounded tablespoons (or use a small cookie scoop) onto a greased cookie sheet.
-Bake 9-11 minutes or until edges start to turn brown (mine took about 9 minutes)
(rotate cookies half way through baking)
-Cool for 2 minutes on cookie sheet before removing to wire rack to cool completely.
-Once cookies are cool add the caramel icing. ENJOY!
*Butter is browned when it turns a light brown/amber color and will have a slight nutty smell to it. Be careful not to burn. When butter starts to turn color take it off the heat immediately as it browns pretty quickly once it starts turning color.
For the Icing:
-In a saucepan melt butter over medium high heat.
-Once butter is melted, stir in brown sugar
-Heat to a boil and add in the milk
-Bring the mixture back to a full boil
-Remove mixtue from heat and pour into another bowl
-Let cool at least 30 minutes
-Slowly stir in powdered sugar
-Ice your cookies!
**Any remaining icing can be store in the fridge for 3-4 days or frozen for later use
It seems like yesterday I only had a handful of subscribers and now I have over 2,000 subscribers on my youtube channel TheNotSoOrdinaryWife. It is amazing how many people watch my videos and I truly appreciate each and every single person who follows my channel. I absolutely love interacting with everyone and to show my appreciation, I wanted to give a little something back.
This past week hubby and I walked to get groceries yet again. However, this time we shopped for a week and somehow still managed to only have 3 bags to carry home :) I figured I might as well go ahead and share with you our weekly meal plan. Keep in mind, my meal plans are always just a rough plan of what I "hope" to make and my meals do often change if we decide we would prefer a different meal instead. However, all items purchased for the week are used in some way or form.
Check out what we bought at the grocery store for these meals!
I'm Back! See I promised I was alive and would return soon.
So what has been happening lately.
For those of you who follow my youtube videos, you may already know that we currently do not have any cars yet again. It seems like after we had my car towed to the scrap yard everything started going wrong with hubby's car. Currently hubby's firebird is the only car that we own. We have been trying to find a new car for me, but haven't had too much luck. One BIG reason relies heavily on the fact that hubby's car has not been too reliable lately, nor drive-able. So, you can see where this is headed.
We need to purchase a car for me, but in order to purchase said car, we need a reliable drive-able car in order to go look at cars. So with hubby's car out of commission, looking for a new car keeps getting postponed farther and farther back.
With hubby's car not being reliable we haven't been able to go look at very many cars. Hopefully this will change soon. His car is in the shop at the moment and should be up and running by next week.
Unfortunately, just because cars decide not to work, that doesn't mean everything else in life stops....and that means groceries still need to be bought. Our fridge was extremely bare and we needed food. So this meant walking 1.5miles to the nearest grocery store, Kroger, in order to pick up some items to last us a couple days.
I figured I would share our meal plan I came up with using what little we still had on hand and the few items we picked up.
If you want to see what items we purchased check out this video...
...and if you want to see the video where we walk to the grocery store, check this one out!
SO, with that being said, on to the meal plan
(Meal Plan for Wed 18th-Sat 21st)
Breakfast:
Bacon & Eggs
Breakfast Burrito
Eggs in a Basket
Cereal
Lunch:
Homemade Stromboli
Steak Sandwiches
Ham & Swiss Cheese Sliders x2
Dinner:
Grilled Ham, Veggie, Curly Fries
Chicken/Potato/Veggie Dish
Porkchops/Potato/Veggie Dish
Chicken Picatta, Veggie, Pasta?
So, there you have it. Our meal plan for 4 days. Our goal is to hit up the farmers market Saturday morning for some red potatoes, corn, lettuce, and tomato. Then pick up some meat at the grocery store.
We are hoping hubby's car is back in commission by Wed. at the latest and we can go back to grocery shopping like normal. But, until then we are making due with what we have, using our feet to get to places, and gaining lots of muscle from all the walking :)
I know, I know. It has been over a month since I have posted anything on this blog but I promise I will be back to posting soon. I have quite a few things I need to update you guys on and have a couple blog post ideas that need to be written. I promise they will be up soon. But, for now, know that I am alive, I am well, and I will be back with posting soon!
It has been awhile since I have posted a week in review but life has gotten in the way, things have been happening, and lets face it, I have just been slacking. So what has been happening this past week:
Doctor Appointments Awhile back I had written a post about my health issues that have been occurring, mainly the issue of constantly feeling like I have a UTI but tests were coming back negative. I finally was able to schedule an appointment at a uro-gynecologist this past Monday. We talked for awhile about my issues, my history, and I had a pelvic exam along with a pap smear. I also had a urine sample collected. My pelvic exam showed nothing abnormal and my urine dipstick showed everything was either negative or normal. We decided to go ahead and send the urine out to be cultured to see if it could grow bacteria (which would mean that I had a UTI that had either not been treated with the right antibiotics or had not been fully treated which would explain my repeat symptoms). My pap smear was also sent out to a lab to be tested for any sort of abnormality. We decided that since everything seemed to be OK, that the next step would be to schedule an ultrasound to rule out any cysts/ fibroid or any other wonky stuff going on. It is possible that I could have a cyst or fibroid that is large enough to be putting pressure on my bladder and causing my symptoms. My ultrasound is scheduled for August 5th and I should find out the results from the pap smear and urine culture then as well. Until then, I am drinking lots of water, paying attention to when my symptoms seem worse, and simply waiting to hopefully find out what is going on.
Bye Bye Mazda Protege It finally happened...my Mazda went to car heaven, otherwise known as a scrap yard. The past year or two we have been having some problems with my car on a pretty frequent basis. We knew its life was coming to an end and eventually we would have to buy a new car for me. Thankfully we have been saving money for this very reason and have $7k in our car fund. The most recent issue with my car occurred when we thought my shifter linkage was broken, we decided opposed to fixing it and putting more money into my car, we would scrap it and finally buy me a new one. The tow truck came and hauled away my car on August 2nd, and no I am not the least bit sad, quite the opposite actually. I am truly happy and excited to start looking for a new car. Until then, we are a 1 car family, which doesn't really work for us, so hoping to purchase a new car before the end of August!
While the notion that by the end of the summer I will have a job sounds appealing, it leaves hubby and I trying to decide what items that money will go towards. I have said in the past that we live quite comfortably on hubbys income alone. Being able to live on one income is an amazing thing with us only being in our 20’s and allows any income I make/may make to be extra (disposable) income.
What this means in terms of me working: Not needing my income will allow us to use the money I make for “extra” things. However, we have quite a few “extra” things we would like to take care of.
A few things we know we want to do with the income:
1. Purchase hubby’s car. We already have the money saved up to buy me a new car ($7,200) but we will not have enough to fully fund a second car for Colby. While we are hoping to keep my car under $5,000 in order to carry the remainder into hubbys car, we do know we will need at least $3-4,000 more saved up.
2. Put $10,000 in our account. While we have a sizeable amount in our account already, we want to add at least $10,000 more to it. This is mainly to help when we decide to start our family. This money in our account will act as a buffer while I stay home with our child (until they are in school) and provide us with money needed for extra expenses that come with having a child.
3. Start a house fund. Hubby and I hope within the next five years to start looking at homes to buy. However, while we would love to buy a home in five years, we are completely fine with renting until we feel we are 100% ready. Buying a home is a big commitment and while we cannot wait to own a home, we are nowhere near ready. That being said, we would love to start a house fund for when we are ready to buy. We would ultimately like to put down 20% if not more.
4. …and last but not least, we want to pay off our student loans. Hubby and I are lucky enough that our only debt is school loans and between the two of us for two degrees we owe less than $40,000. Each month we pay close to $500 towards our student loans (close to 5k for a year). We would love to free up that $500 a month to be put towards something else, like our baby or house fund.
Those are the main things that hubby and I want to do with my income once I start working. While we are able to do many of those things on hubbys income, having my income dedicated to nothing but these items will enable us to accomplish them at a much faster pace. Our main problem though seems to be figuring out which one to accomplish first.
As of right now this is the way we seem to be leaning…..
1. Buy hubby a car (he needs a car that actually goes in the winter, firebirds do not fare so well in those conditions lol)
2. Split income between putting money in bank/paying off debt (i.e. If I made $2,000 a month then 1k would go in our account and 1k would go towards debt)
3. House fund….in case you may not have realized it, our house fund is the least important item. While we cannot wait to own our own home and stop renting, we are perfectly happy as renters and would be fine with renting a house opposed to buying. This will be the last thing we use my income for most likely…..the only exception would be if we found a great deal on a house that we loved. But for now, it remains last on the list.
What would you do with extra disposable income?
Also, how many of you are a 1 income family and how does this work for you
It has been a good 3 years if not longer since I have had a Pop Tart...
I remember eating these as a kid. My favorite, strawberry iced! Although Pop Tarts probably are not the greatest thing for you, there is something to be said about eating a pastry with warm fruity filling. Ever since going gluten free I have wanted to find a gluten free version of a Pop Tart and I think I finally have.
Introducing Strawberry and Cinnamon Apple Toaster Pastries. You can find more about them HERE. I recently found mine at Walmart for $3.97 for a box of 5. My local Walmart's gluten free section has been steadily growing and expanding and I am finding new and interesting products everyday.
When I found these, hubby was with me and sadly just did not share the same enthusiasm I did over the fact that I had found gluten free Pop Tarts.
But, he laughed at my excitement as I tossed them in the cart and continued on chatting about them....and how much I had wanted them, and how happy I was that I found them. Hubby was kind enough to pretend to listen to my constant babble about said Pop Tarts...
So how do they taste,,,,,
Delicious... Amazing... Fruity... BUT best of all...they taste "normal."
I admit I was a bit skeptical, and although I wish Glutino would have made iced versions, they are still delicious and taste exactly like the ones I remember eating as a child.
This month started out as a normal month, but little did I know hubby and I would end up car-less....
Car Issues
On Tuesday, the 2nd I decided to head out to Kroger to pick up a few items. After doing my shopping, I got back in my car and noticed my gears were shifting way too easily among each other. In putting my car intro drive I got a big surprise when my car started going in reverse opposed to forward! I quickly put my car in park and turned off my car. I decided to call my hubby who was at work at the time and let him know of the issues I was having and if I should walk home or not (it would have taken me about 1.5hrs to walk home but totally do-able). Hubby told me he had to finish up with his work and he would come out to pick me up.
About 30 minutes later, he arrived and we tested a few things out with my car, only to discover my car wasn't actually going into any gears, but instead staying only in park. We decided to head home and figure out how to have my car towed later, as it was safe and sound in a parking lot. As we were leaving Kroger, we headed up a hill directly beside it and to our surprise hubbys car started sputtering and eventually stalled. So here we were trying to get home after my car broke down and then hubbys does the same thing, only his on a hill, in a good amount of high-traffic area.....yes we were those people blocking traffic lol oops! But it would have been impossible for just the 2 of us to push it out of the way, while on a hill. Hubby called AAA and a tow truck was to be sent out, making us a top priority, as we were blocking traffic. About 30 minutes later, the tow truck appeared and we had hubbys car towed back to their shop....a good 3 miles from our home.
At first the shop thought it was hubbys fuel pump, told us it would be done the next day, gave us an estimate, and we were sent on our way. In order for us to get home, we had to walk....3 miles no biggie...EXCEPT that actually took us about an hour or two and it was close to 90 degrees out, yuck! Regardless we made it home and promptly ordered AAA for myself in order to have my car towed the very next day.
The next day we walk the 3miles to the Kroger store, about 1.5-2hr walk, and have my car towed home. My car is old, a 1998 and is slowly on its way out and is only worth about $700 according to Kelly Blue Book, so we refuse to take it to the shop. only general maintenance and inexpensive fixes for my car. If it costs more then $50 to fix, then it is not worth it, especially seeing how we do intend to buy me a new car sometime in the near future. Well hubby looks at my car and we are pretty darn sure my shifter linkage broke and I need a new one. As soon as we get hubbys car back, we will head to our local car place to pick one up.
As for hubbys car, it was originally thought to be his fuel pump and was suppose to be done on the 3rd. It wasn't and no one called. Hubby called on the 5th, seeing as how the 4th was a holiday and was told it is not his fuel pump, but a computer chip and they had already ordered the part, which would be delivered the next day (the 6th). Needless to say we were a bit ticked off, as no one had called to let us know it was a different problem or even to ask if we wanted them to fix that problem, hubby likes to do alot of car stuff himself if he can. Well as of today, the 7th his car is not fixed and we have heard nothing more from the shop. Hoping tomorrow it is fixed and we can pick it up....going a week without any cars, is pretty easy for us, seeing as how I do not work and hubby can walk to work, but not everyone is that fortunate. We will definitely not be returning to the shop we used this time and will be looking for a new one for the future.
Baking Cookies
On a lighter note, I decided to bake some cookies this week. Nothing beats a warm gooey cookie right out of the oven. I am absolutely in love with THIS recipe. Who doesn't love peanut butter and oatmeal together. It is one of my favorite combinations for cookies. Throw in some chocolate as well and I am in heaven! The main reason I love these cookies though has to do with the fact that they are flourless (they are butter-less as well). Being gluten free, I love finding flour-less recipes and not having to deal with using gluten free flour mixes. One thing I do not do that often when I bake gluten free goodies is use flours. I find it is much easier and the taste and texture is loads better when baking flour-less items opposed to using gluten free flours to try to substitute for "normal" flour.
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BIG Mushrooms ...and it wouldn't be life without some randomness thrown in here and there. On our walk to go have my car towed hubby and I noticed these HUGE mushrooms growing in the grass around our apartment complex! These mushrooms are literally the size of my hand and are growing everywhere...it is hard to walk outside without finding these beauties. Nature really is amazing sometimes with what it can create!
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