Toffee Brittle Drop Cookies

These are among the most boring looking cookies I've ever made. However....they're perfect for anyone who isn't a fan of super-sweet, chocolatey treats. Here is a picture of Hay's recipe.



















You may want to use mine.

2 sticks butter, softened
1 cup packed brown sugar
1 cup granulated sugar
1 tsp. vanilla
1/2 tsp. salt
3 eggs
3 1/2 cups flour
2 tsp. baking soda
2 tsp. cream of tartar (weird name for a powdered substance)
1 package Heath toffee bits

Pre-heat oven to 350 degrees. Either line cookie sheets with parchment paper or lightly spray them with Pam. Mix butter, sugars, vanilla, and salt on medium speed until blended. Mix in the 3 eggs. In a separate bowl combine the flour, baking soda, and cream of tartar. Incorporate into the sugar mixture a little at a time. Once the dry ingredients are thoroughly mixed, stir in the toffee bits.

Drop by rounded teaspoonfulls onto the prepared cookie sheets. (Side-note, I always bake one cookie sheet at a time.) Bake for 8-10 minutes. Cool for one minute, then move to cooling racks.

This recipe makes a lot. I froze 3 dozen cookies and had plenty for the fam.

Tired Kids

The above picture was taken an hour ago. Never mind Ree's discarded jeans and Prince Charming and Sleeping Beauty nearby.

Well, I think we mostly survived the first (full) week of school. 3 weeks of holiday/snow days were too much for everyone involved. Even Ree's teacher said she was more than ready to be back. All 3 kids have been tired every night and I think they're definitely ready for the weekend. The 3-day weekend!

Last night Billiam asked if we have any plans to have his Mom visit so we could go out. Which, we hadn't officially talked about. So, he says he thinks we should spend the weekend doing deep-cleaning. Maybe do 1/2 Saturday, 1/2 Sunday. He's full of fun and excitement, isn't he? Gosh, I can hardly contain my enthusiasm at the thought of sorting Ree and Hammie's toys, dusting, mopping,listening to him steam clean the carpet (I don't know why but that sound makes me crazy), etc. Even though......it's desperately needed. Maybe we can get it done fast and still do something fun.

I know I should stop whining and be grateful that he helps with the cleaning. I am grateful. Really, I am.

Still Going......

Thanks for the words of encouragement and advice about training! I'm still on track with my plan. I think my body is starting to get used to it, but it's been a little hard to adjust. I'm trying to get a feel for how my food and water needs are changing. My blood sugar got pretty low on Sunday before dinnertime and last night I could tell that the liter of water I'd had during the day wasn't enough. I think I'm slowly figuring it out, though.

My main obstacle is that there still aren't sidewalks to run on and it's dark before and after work. If there were sidewalks, I would feel semi-okay running in the dark, but the combination isn't safe. If I get up early, the treadmill will wake G up. So I'm forced to run on the treadmill right after work. That kinda throws a kink into the familial evening schedule. It'll get easier as we get closer to spring.

The Training Has Begun!

Even though I'm feeling overly sluggish today, I just did 1.5 miles on the treadmill. I've started reading anything I can find on training. It sounds like I need to start taking vitamin C (I know I should already be) and eating more green veggies. Oh and I need to check out this whole acai berry thing. I've seen it on a couple top 10 lists for healthy foods/supplements.

I have a quick, funny Ree story. It seems she enjoys turning the lights off in the gym at school. The teachers say she gets great enjoyment out of hearing all the kids squeal! She takes after her Dad. I did about anything I could to not attract attention to myself in school.

Tomorrow I will run 2 miles. I hope.

Lost My Marbles

I enjoyed running last summer and fully intended on starting back up once all the snow was gone. I've already been exercising 5-6 days a week, doing my Wii Fit, treadmill walking, and Tivo'd Fit network programs.

One of my staff asked me if I was interested in joining a group of people at work who are going to run a local 1/2 marathon. I've been waffling for a good month. Part of me really wanted to, but 14 miles? Well, yesterday the team leader sent out an email with a list of people who had verbally committed. I scrutinized the list and decided that if they could do it, so could I. He also included a very feasible looking training plan, so I went for it. I figure even if I walk half, my finishing time won't be too embarrassing.

I start training this weekend. Please pray for my sanity, because I think I've lost it. Oh, and if anybody wants to come cheer me on/drive me home/pick me up from the medical tent, I'll need all the help I can get.

Clam Chowder

I made a batch and a half of this chowder New Year's Day for Mom, Dad, Lisa, and my fam. I think it's better as a "regular" batch, but it was still good. I found the base recipe (potato soup) in a Paula Deen magazine. I added in the celery, carrots, and clams.

1 bag frozen cubed hashbrown potatoes (smaller the cubes, the better)
3 cans reduced sodium chicken broth
1 can reduced sodium cream of chicken soup
1/2 cup each diced onion, carrot, and celery
1/2 tsp. black pepper
1 - 8 ounce block reduced fat cream cheese, softened and cubed
2-3 cans clams, drained and slightly rinsed (tuna sized cans)

Combine the potatoes, broth, soup, veggies, and black pepper in a sprayed crock pot. Cook on low for 6+ hours. Add the cream cheese and clams. Cook on high for 30-45 minutes until cream cheese melts and soup becomes creamy.

Serves 6-8

New Year's Eve Hair

I decided to experiment with my old velcro curlers the other day. Quite a risky idea considering we were going to a party later. So, I put some volumizing mousse in my wet hair and went to work rolling away. My family thought I'd finally lost my mind completely. Billiam said "don't think I've ever seen you like THAT before."

Anyway, I left them in all day and took them out about 4:00. Here's the results. Likey?