CHOCOLATE CHIP ZUCCHINI CAKE AND TIME TO KILL!

QUESTION:  When you get bored, do you take photos of yourself in your full-length mirror, like this?.......................

I actually loathe pictures of myself, but I wanted to show my daughter my new larger than normal hoop earrings I bought yesterday.....she and her friends have an utterly charming expression (I can't believe I'm telling you this) that goes a little something like this : "The bigger the hoop, the bigger the ho!"....isn't that just lovely? Well, I'm here to tell you that I'm no "ho", but I have been buying bigger earrings lately, to somehow offset my shorter - than - normal but oh - so - necessary haircut (lots of hair thinning from chemo /  immuno-suppressant drugs). I think they look fun and funky, especially on an almost 50 year old!

FACT:  I'm kinda bored because I feel like a shut - in, due to that annoying Irene....Hurricane Irene, that is. What a week it's been....first our earthquake, which is so very strange in the East, and now this. We are, fortunately, not even close to the coast, but we are experiencing heavy rains and winds, and so I'm typing feverishly to get this post in before our power zaps out. Big Daddy and I are actually going out of state for a few days later on this week, so this will most likely be my last post for a week or so....BUT, I have my friend Carrie's Gluten Free Muffin recipe to share with you upon my return.......so, Y'all come back now, ya hear?

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If you have your own vegetable garden, you probably have an over- abundance of these bad boys lying around, 'bout now................

Now I know there are soooo many things you can do with Zucchini, like Zucchini bread, latkes, stuff like that. But, have you ever heard of Zucchini Cake? I hadn't either, and wasn't sure what I thought of the concept. Hmmmm....but I gotta think, pumpkin is a squash, and it tastes so good in sweet baked goods, and then there's carrot cake, for goodness sakes! You probably aren't thinking about the actual carrots when you're enjoying each bite of that delicious cake, but they sure add a nice flavor. Well, same goes for this recipe.....the cake is super moist, and there's a lot of chocolate in it, so that just makes everything okay, no?

Go ahead and grate up about 2 cups of your zucchini..............I grated mine into a strainer, because you won't believe how much water comes out.....

Cream together your sugar, butter and oil. .....................

Add 2 eggs, some vanilla and REGULAR sour cream........C'mon, live a little!..........

In a separate bowl, mix together flour, cocoa, baking powder, baking soda and salt..............

Add this dry mixture to your wet mixture. Beat well, then stir in grated zucchini and chocolate chips (I used dark chocolate chips....wow!)............Bake in a greased bundt pan for 45-50 minutes....................

I served mine with freshly whipped cream, but the cake would also be fabulous with ice cream!........................

YUM! Here's the recipe.....

CHOCOLATE CHIP ZUCCHINI CAKE

Cream together:

 1 and 3 / 4 cups sugar
1 / 2 cup butter, softened
1 / 2 cup oil (I used canola)

Add:

2 eggs
1 tsp. vanilla
1 / 2 cup sour cream

In a separate bowl, mix together:

2 and 1 / 2 cup flour
4 tblsp. cocoa
1 / 2 tsp. baking powder
1 tsp. baking soda
1 / 4 tsp. salt

Add dry mix to wet mixture. Beat well then stir in:

2 cups grated zucchini
3 / 4 cups chocolate chips

Bake in a greased bundt pan at 350 degrees for 45 - 50 minutes. Test with a toothpick.

TODAY I'M SO GRATEFUL FOR......

***Word thus far that so many of our friends who have homes / second homes on the Atlantic ocean are fine. So far, most of the damage is from downed trees and flooded basements.

***Strong Starbuck's French Roast coffee...the drug of success!

***Good books, especially for plane travel.

SPICE-RUBBED STEAK WITH WHITE BEANS AND CHERRY TOMATOES, AND ONE AMAZING BOOK!

I can't wait to share a new fast and easy dinner recipe with you, but FIRST I must force myself to put down this book I've been reading! And noooo, this isn't the first time I've read it...it's my third. And I never, ever do that (read a book more than once or twice, that is), but I am obsessed with the message that author Geneen Roth so eloquently spells out here.....in a nutshell, here it is:

***You will never, ever again have a weight problem or have to diet again, for that matter, IF you eat only when you're hungry, and stop when you're full (so very common sensical, I know, but so hard to do!)

***You can eat whatever it is your body is craving, IF you only eat when you're hungry, and stop eating when you're full.

***IF you are eating when you're not hungry, well, therein lies the problem. See, compulsive eating (which by her definition is eating when we're not hungry) has the same makeup as alcoholism or any other addiction. It's born of the need to escape, to numb ourselves out from our reality, to (as Roth words it) "bolt" from our bodies! So, the answer is....when we find ourselves reaching for food when we're not hungry, to ask ourselves, "Hey, am I really hungry?", and if the answer is "no", then we need to feel the emotions we're trying to escape from. For example: let's say I am sad. Food is comforting. I reach for, say, some marshmallow cream and Nutella (I know it's strange, but it's my weakness!) to comfort myself. Which might work, but only while I'm eating it. After that...it's good ol' remorse time, sistahs! So instead, I need to LET MYSELF FEEL THE SADNESS. Which sounds quite scary, doesn't it?

I've been trying to practice her theory for the past 6 months or so, and I have to say, it really works! I'm putting my fork down at meals when my plate is not empty (HUGE for me--I hate waste!). I'm asking myself at least 3 times a day, "Hmmm...am I really hungry for these cheese doodles?". And most of the time, I'm not...just bored, or nervous, or something.

I'm down 28 pounds, but I must confess that most of that weight loss is not because of my newly found self-discipline, but due to medical reasons (very little appetite plus no alcohol... who'd a' thunk?). BUT, I can truly say that I don't know one woman in my life, including myself,  who has not battled weight, or some other form of addiction, for at least some period of their lives. Geneen's book is a bright little ray of sanity in our diet crazed culture....worth reading, in my humble opinion! And, best news ever....it's now available in paperback.

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If you've read my blog for any time at all, you know that we Willards are not huge red meat eaters. BUT, occasionally we crave a piece of good old fashioned American beef, just like the next guy! I found this recipe in an old Gourmet magazine about 5 years ago, and whenever we have a hankering for steak, out it comes from my recipe binder. Normally, Big Daddy would grill the meat outside for us, but on this particular night it was raining cats and dogs, so I used my stovetop grill pan.

To get started, mix chili powder, cumin, crushed red pepper and oregano.....

Sprinkle spices, salt and pepper all over steak (girls, gotta rub that meat!)........

Heat olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat; cook steak to desired doneness (about 5 minutes per side for medium rare).................

Transfer to a cutting board. Add a little more oil to the skillet; add cherry or grape tomatoes and saute for 1 to 2 minutes. Stir in garlic and additional cumin. Add drained beans and heat until through......

Slice steak; serve with beans and tomatoes. I also had some lovely fresh asparagus, so we had that, too. Simple, nutritious and delicious!............

Here's the recipe.....

SPICE RUBBED STEAK WITH WHITE BEANS AND CHERRY TOMATOES

Serves 4

2 tsp. chili powder

1 1 / 2 tsp. ground cumin, divided

1 tsp. dried crushed red pepper

1 tsp. dried oregano

Coarse kosher salt

1 and 1 / 4 lb. top sirloin steak (about 1 inch thick)

2 tblsp. olive oil, divided

1 pint container cherry or grape tomatoes

2 garlic cloves, pressed

2 15oz. cans white beans, rinsed and drained

Mix chili powder, 1 / 2 tsp. cumin, crushed red pepper, and oregano in small bowl. Sprinkle spices, salt, and pepper all over steak. Heat 1 tablespoon oil in large skillet over medium-high heat. Cook steak to desired doneness, 5 minutes per side for medium rare. Transfer to cutting board. Wipe out skillet; add 1 tablespoon oil. Add tomatoes; saute 1 to 2 minutes. Stir in garlic and 1 teaspoon cumin. Add drained beans; stir until heated through, adding water by the tablespoonfuls if dry, about 3 minutes. Slice steak; serve with beans and tomatoes.

TODAY I'M SO GRATEFUL FOR.....

**Dinner out tonite with the fun girls! Billy's Italian-American restaurant will never be the same....

**Feeling pretty darned good today!

**A future filled with surprises!

MOM'S FISH TACOS, THE BLUES, AND COUNTING MY BLESSINGS, BIG TIME!

I was just having one of those days, yesterday; you know, kinda blue. Blue for a few reasons, starting with..............

***Pudding cups. The kind that Jello makes that are in all the stores, and are prominently displayed right now on the grocery store's end-caps, because it's back to school time, and pudding cups are popular in kid's lunch boxes. Lunch boxes...hmmm, don't hafta pack those anymore....which made me sad the other day, and is making me tear up, writing this. Maybe this is what happens to moms - of - only - children......the kids just grow up too fast, and them WHAM, they're gone, and we're left with nobody else to mother but the family dawwggg. Sigh. I know this happens to all moms (well, if we've done our jobs correctly and set our children free to explore this wonderful world we live in, anyways), but it's all just happened so FAST. And that's all I'm sayin' on this subject, for now anyways.

***Methotrexate. Or, more specifically, how Methotrexate is failing me, which led to my rheumatologist just looking at me and shaking her head, pitifully. Because it seems we've tried everything else, and everything else just hurts my liver too much to take it anymore. And Methotrexate is just making me MORE sick--sheesh, like I NEED that! So I'm running out of options, except to go back to that horrible / wonderful Prednisone, which I hate / love.

***The state of the economy, and how it's affecting us all. Because even though Big Daddy is so blessed with his wonderful job, we've lost soooo much money, like everyone else, in our retirement account, which just makes me sick to my stomach. Not to mention our real estate--it's no secret our house is on the market, again (which TOTALLY exhausts me), and we're probably "under water" at this point, because we built when prices were at their absolute highest (2004, before the "crash"), and now it seems that we'll just have to give our wonderful home away. I'm just getting too old for this! Hey, anybody wanna buy a house?.................

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Enough of that blues nonsense. Despite it all, I really do try to always look on the sunny side. Because that's just how I roll! My one little pity-party day was Friday, and well, by Friday night I was over the MOON with happiness and gratefulness, because.......

***This movie opened...................

Am I the only one who has been counting the DAYS until opening night? Big Daddy and I got to our beloved STRAND THEATRE bright and early, for fear of the flick being sold out, and let me tell you that this was one of the best movies we've seen in a long, long time; it's not everyday that you laugh, you cry, AND the entire audience applauds at the ending. The bestselling book was awesome, and the movie did it justice--another rarity, I know!

***This came in the mail, just for me..................

A delightful little chicken pitcher, to add to my chicken pitcher collection (doesn't everyone have that collection, I ask?)...sent by my dear friend Marianne, who owns this shop.............

If you've been reading this blog for long, you know this is my favorite shop in the whole wide universe, Old and Everlasting, in Cazenovia, New York. You should check out Marianne's website and blog.....I will be making another pilgrimage to her shop very soon for her Fall Open House. Nirvana, absolute Nirvana!!! Thank you Marianne--your thoughtfulness and great timing are so heartfelt to me!

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As you may remember from my last post, Abbie requested Fish Tacos for her "last supper" (doesn't that sound so dramatic and final?). So of course I made them....they're my mom Carol's recipe, and we LOVE LOVE LOVE them to death! Best thing about her fish tacos? They come together lickity split--you can actually use frozen and breaded fish filets, straight from those cute little Gorton's Fishermen! How great is that?

To start, you'll need to assemble your cabbage mixture. Combine shredded cabbage (if you want to get really fancy, use red AND green!), cilantro, chopped red onion, lime juice and salt.............just look at this COLOR!!.............

Refrigerate cabbage mixture until ready to use. For the avocado topping, mix together 1 very ripe mashed avocado, salt and sour cream..............

Also refrigerate this mixture until ready to use. Bake your fish filets until crispy (Mom says if you don't want to use the frozen fish filets for dietary reasons, you could use several pieces of any mild white fish, sprinkled with lemon and pepper seasoning and baked until done). Cut filets into chunks............

To assemble tacos, place several chunks of fish filets into each tortilla. Top with avocado mixture, cabbage mixture, Jack cheese and maybe some hot sauce, if desired. Absolutely delicious....thanks, Mom!

Here's the recipe.............

MOM'S FISH TACOS

1 package of 6 Gorton's Breaded Fish Filets, frozen

6 or 8 flour tortillas

Salad topping:

Shredded green cabbage and / or

Shredded red cabbage (about 2 cups shredded cabbage, total)

1 / 2 bunch cilantro, chopped

1 / 2 small red onion, chopped

1 / 2 lime, squeezed

1 / 2 tsp. salt

Avocado mixture:

1 very ripe avocado, mashed

lime juice

salt

1/ 4 cup sour cream

Jack cheese

Hot sauce, optional

Combine all salad topping ingredients. Refrigerate until ready to use. Combine all avocado mixture ingredients. Refrigerate until ready to use. Bake fish filets per package instructions. Cut into chunks. Heat tortillas and place several chunks of fish filets into each tortilla. Top with avocado mixture, cabbage mixture, Jack cheese and hot sauce, if desired.

BECKY'S OUTRAGEOUS 5 STAR CARROT CAKE!

Summer's officially over. Well, for me anyways, because Little Miss Things's gone and left the nest, flying away on her little fairy princess wings, once again. You'd think we'd be used to it--she IS a junior in college, after all, but for some reason Big Daddy and I get more and more weepy as the years go by! Oh sure, Abbie's happy as a clam--has her first cute little apartment, mere blocks from campus, and has a great part-time job lined up. No boyfriend this semester (yet, anyways), but she has 4 super cute and fun roomies to hang out with, and she's very excited about her classes this year. Oh well, at least we have "Facetime", the greatest invention known to man, on our I-phones! In fact, I just hung up with her, after she gave me a virtual tour of her apartment decorating efforts thus far...thank goodness for modern technology!

Before Abbie left, she requested, for her "last supper", her favorite fish tacos (I'll share the recipe in my next post) and our friend Becky Wendler's super awesome 5 Star Carrot Cake. Becky is a member of the club my husband manages--you might remember her name from my number one viewed post of all time, Becky's Enchiladas Suizas. Becky is an amazing mom and an amazing cook....I look forward to more recipes from her in the near future!

So of course for Carrot Cake you need to grate some carrots.....you'd think I'd use my grating attachment on my food processor for this task, but I wasn't into washing the whole contraption afterwards, so I just used my old fashioned grater.....gotta watch those knuckles!............

Spray and flour the bottom and sides of THREE cake pans (Becky uses parchment, but I was out, and the flour technique worked just fine). Sift together baking soda, salt and cinnamon into a medium bowl.............

In your mixer, beat eggs and sugar at medium speed for 3 minutes, or until thickened and light in color. Check out these action shots!.................

Beat in oil at low speed. Stir in flour/cinnamon mixture until blended............

Stir in carrots, pineapple, coconut and 1 cup walnuts until blended.....

Divide batter evenly among 3 pans and bake for 25 minutes...turn pans in oven and bake additional 10 minutes. Cool in pan on rack for 15 minutes--invert and let cool completely on racks............

For the frosting, beat cream cheese and butter in mixing bowl on medium speed for 3 minutes....beat in vanilla......

Add powdered sugar; beat at low speed for 1 minute or until smooth. Frost in between layers (about 1 cup in between each)..............

Spread top and sides with a thin layer of frosting. Coat again with a smooth layer. Press chopped pecans onto sides of cake (I got a little funky and put mine on top this time)..............

This makes a HUGE HUGE cake, enough for a large crowd. You won't believe how moist this cake is, either--must be the pineapple in the recipe. In the end, we each ate a slice, and then I sent the rest over to my neighbor's house, because they always have a buncha teenagers around who will eat anything..............

So absolutely moist and delicious....definetely worth the work! Enjoy!.....

Here's the recipe.....

BECKY'S OUTRAGEOUS 5 STAR CARROT CAKE

3 cups flour
2 tsp. baking soda
1 tsp. salt
1 tblsp. plus 1 tsp. cinnamon
6 eggs
2 and 1 / 2 cup sugar
1 and 1 / 2 cup canola oil
2 and 1 / 2 cup finely grated carrots (about 6)
2 8oz. cans crushed pineapple in juice, well drained
1 cp shredded coconut
1 cup finely chopped walnuts

Frosting:
12 oz. cream cheese, softened
1 cup unsalted butter, softened
2 tsp. vanilla
4 cups powdered sugar
1 and 1 / 2 cup finely chopped walnuts.

Evenly space racks in oven and preheat to 350 degrees. Spray bottom and sides of 3 baking pans and line bottom with parchment paper; spray parchment. Sift flour, soda, salt and cinnamon into medium bowl. In a large bowl, beat eggs and sugar at medium speed for 3 minutes, or until thickened and light in color. Beat in oil at low speed. Stir in flour mixture until blended. Stir in carrots, pineapple, coconut and 1 cup walnuts until blended. Divide batter evenly among 3 pans and bake for 25 minutes. Turn pans and bake an additional 10 minutes or until toothpick inserted in center comes out clean, and cake starts to pull away from the sides of the pan. Cool in pan on rack for 15 minutes; invert and remove parchment and cool completely. For frosting, beat cream cheese and butter in a large bowl on medium speed for 3 minutes. Beat in vanilla. Add powdered sugar; beat at low speed for 1 minute or until smooth. Place 1 layer on serving plate; spread 1 cup frosting. Repeat. Top with remaining layer. Spread top and sides with a thin layer of frosting. Press chopped walnuts onto sides of cake. Make cake up to 2 days ahead and refrigerate, or up to 3 weeks ahead of time and freeze.

TODAY I'M SO GRATEFUL FOR.....

**Safe airplane travel

**My in-laws, Al and Marilyn, who do so much for our daughter, including lining up a new mattress, new bookshelf and table, AND for the shopping spree at Target! We couldn't do this cross-country college thing without you two!

**Cream cheese frosting. It makes my whirled go round!!!

CAROL'S SALMON CAKES AND SOME RANDOM THOUGHTS ON SUCCESS.......

 How do you define the word "success"? I've been giving this word a lot of thought lately, and have been driving my family craaaazzzzyyy, asking them their beliefs on the subject. I guess this all came to be when I heard somebody say recently that this person they know is "just beautiful, and VERY successful". I mean really, I want to know, what does that even MEAN?? In our society, success can be defined in a variety of ways, such as.....

***Money. He who has more in the bank is thought of as being very successful, financially anyways.

***Stuff. Expensive cars, houses, second homes, boats, country club memberships--these are all things that people acquire to tell the world (and themselves!) how very successful they are.

***Education. The pricier (and to be fair, the more rigorous - to - get - into - schools) the education, the more respect we give someone who graduates from such an institution who charges the steep tuitions. And the more we expect someone who graduates from such an institution to BECOME "successful", in the long run.

When I think about my one and only life, I have to wonder, have I been successful? I am  a 48 year old housewife who lives in a small town right smack in the middle of "nowhere". I do have a 4 year degree in business, and I have run small to mid-sized businesses "successfully" in my life, but this was many, many lifetimes ago. I am in a stable and healthy 24 year old marriage (Happy Anniversary, Big Daddy!). I am the devoted wife to a happy man who has risen to the top of his chosen career path and the mother of a daughter who excels in everything she puts her mind to. I have raised a happy, healthy and well adjusted child who is smart, loving, funny and kind. I am a good daughter to my parents and a good sister to my brother and sister--well, as good as I can be, living all the way across country from most of them (thank goodness for phones and computers and Facebook!). I am a great friend--I truly value my friendships, and have maintained a precious few for over 25 years. I take good care of 4 small and furry creatures who dwell in our home, and dote on my little cottage garden which, thankfully, has thrived this year. Do those efforts make me a successful woman?

 By our society's standards, prolly not. I have never earned more than $18,000 a year in my life. I drive a used station wagon with 125,000 miles on it. My clothing of choice these days is yoga pants, flip flops and oversized t-shirts. Sometimes (SHHHH!) I even shop at Wal Mart!

Here's what this all boils down to.....Leslie Elaine Nelson Willard's definition of success. I believe that to be a true success, one has to have some inner peace. Without it, we are all just big, hot miserable excuses for human beings. I think that if we've helped even one little soul's life to be just the teensiest bit better, we've been successful. If we've made this world even the teensiest  bit more beautiful, we've been successful. If we leave this world a better place, in any way, then we've been successful. Some of the most miserable people I've ever met have been the wealthiest (and I've known a lot of "rich" people), and some of the happiest have been the poorest. Go figger! I believe that smart, successful people have learned to not care what other people think about them. And last, I believe that smart and successful people NEVER judge others--that is just not our job to perform, and we will all be judged by our maker (or whichever "maker" you might believe in), in the end.

So anyways, I'm gonna stop being so hard on my perfectionist little self and get my SUCCESSFUL butt into the kitchen, pronto.........

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One person who I think of as successful is my very own muddah - like - no - uddah, Carol, because she's such a great cook, and raised ME! Hah. But seriously, she just has a "knack" for food, and most of my favorite recipes have come from her kitchen. When I need to prepare something quick AND delicious for dinner, I like to make her Salmon Patty recipe...my family loves them, and you can use canned salmon, which is available almost anywhere. You can also substitute canned tuna or crab in this recipe--all options are just fabulous! And seriously, when I printed this recipe in my newspaper column it was THE most requested recipe, ever!

To begin, drain and flake the salmon and place in a medium size bowl with dry bread crumbs (I use Panko, but any kind will do), chopped onion, beaten eggs, light mayonnaise, lemon juice, parsley, garlic powder and salt and pepper.............

Refrigerate mixture for an hour. At this point, I like to form 4 to 5 round patties and dredge in more Panko breadcrumbs, for extra crispiness, but my mom's recipe doesn't call for this step, so you don't have to. Add oil (I use peanut) to a medium sized non-stick skillet and heat. Cook patties over medium heat until well browned on both sides.............

We like our salmon patties with a little horseradish sauce on top--super easy to prepare by mixing together about a cup of sour cream and a tablespoon or two of jarred horseradish--just keep adding until it has the spiciness you desire.........

Top your gorgeous salmon cakes with the horseradish sauce and enjoy a quick, easy and delicious supper!..................

Here's the recipe......

CAROL'S SALMON CAKES

Serves 3-4

1 14.75 oz. can pink or red salmon

3 / 4 cup seasoned dry bread crumbs

1 / 2 cup finely chopped onions (or 2 tablespoons dried onion flakes)

2 eggs, beaten

3 tblsp. light mayonnaise

2 tsp. freshly squeezed lemon juice

2 tblsp. freshly chopped parsley or 1 tsp. dried parsley flakes

1 / 2 tsp. garlic powder

1 /2 tsp. salt and freshly ground pepper.

Drain and flake salmon, leaving in bits of skin and bone in with flakes. Place into medium size bowl and add all ingredients. Mix well--mixture will be very moist. Refrigerate mixture for at least 1 hour. Add 2 tablespoons vegetable oil to medium size skillet. Form salmon into 4 or 5 round patties. Cook over medium heat until well browned on both sides and heated through.

Carol's notes: These can be turned into salmon burgers by placing on toasted hamburger buns and adding mayonnaise, lettuce and tomato. If served as an entree, top with light sour cream mixed with horseradish, to taste.

TODAY I'M SO GRATEFUL FOR.....

**The summer we've enjoyed with our daughter, who leaves for school the day after tomorrow. Lots of memories made of  sleepy coffee filled morning chats and walks in the sunshine together.

**The wonderful response I continue to receive about this blog--you all make me so grateful, every single day!

**Sleeping in this morning, then being the first one out of bed to enjoy my coffee while taking in my latest moronic television addiction, "Celebrity Ghost Stories".  I KNOW, stupid, right? But at least it's better than my old addiction, the Housewives of New Jersey!

NORMA'S POTATO CHIP COOKIES AND THE BIRTHDAY THAT JUST GOES ON AND ON AND ON AND..................

Before I share my friend Norma's recipe for  cookies made from the ingredients pictured above (the closest thing to crack cocaine I'll ever know...seriously!), I just want to express my absolute love and gratitude and appreciation for birthdays that continue on for weeks, not just days. Why, just the other day I went to my little post office box in town (we don't get mail delivery here in the sticks), and lo and behold......a surprise gift for me, from my dearest friend Lisa in California AND her mama, Sandy! This is what they made, just for me, all by hand....the prettiest table topper, EVER, in all of my favorite colors: mustard yellow, burgundy and sage green.....how did they even know that I've been looking for just the right thing for my little nightstand table for soooo long? Eerie, really. Here's a peek at their handywork.....

I think these two women need to go into BIDNESS, lickity split, don't you? They'll surely make a mint!

Right before my birthday last week, I told Big Daddy that I would really really like some new eyeglass frames for myself.....I seem to get new ones every single year, as I am easily bored. He said sure, so off I went to my favorite eyewear store....doncha know that I wasn't in that store but two minutes when it dawned on me that what I really wanted for my birthday this year were some new everyday dishes and maybe a new rug for our living room?  Heck, isn't it a woman's perogative to change her mind, and often? Big Daddy is pretty used to my fickleness by now....if I'm happy, he's happy! So here's what I came home with........this new handmade braided rug.............

And these awesome new garden-ey dishes from Macy's..............

I know what you're thinking.....GREEN dishes????  But green truly is my very favorite color , and I think food just pops against these. Sooooo very happy! Hey, what is it about getting something new for my home that makes me want to freshen up every other thing around me? I've had these Williams Sonoma French country placemats for ions, and they've been stashed in a closet until I brought home these new dishes..... now I'm just loving them! Sisters, you know me and my roosters..............

I think the mustard yellow looks terrific against the deep green of the dishes. And while we're on the subject of decorating, check out this new burlap pillow I just finished, with a little french country pig stenciled on it....we're boning up on our french around here in anticipation of our spring 2012 trip to Gay Pareeeeeeeeeeee...........

That's right..."cochon" means pig in French! Not sure if it's Le Cochon or La Cochon, however......

Now onto my friend Norma's Crack on a Plate....ahem, I mean Potato Chip Cookies! Norma was one of my beloved Omaha neighbors (oh, how I wish I could take you on a tour of her lovelier than lovely old home, before she moved!), and that woman knew her way around a kitchen. Here's what I love love love about these cookies.....they've got that darned SWEET and SALTY thing going on. And they're really buttery. And, every single time I've made them and given them away (and I ALWAYS give them away....you absolutely do not want these babies just sitting around your kitchen unless you need to put on a few pounds, and fast!) I received nothing but glowing comments. And recipe requests--they're that good. To start with, cream brown sugar, white sugar and butter together...........

Beat into mixture eggs and vanilla, then stir together (in a separate bowl) flour and baking soda. Add flour mixture to creamed mixture, and DO NOT do what I did because I was lazy and short on time and didn't put my flour guard onto my stand mixer bowl, thus spreading flour ALL over my kitchen counters, dishwasher and floors, necessitating some cleanup time that I didn't have time for in the first place!.................

Seriously, it was much, much worse than it looks.......

Eat some chips to steady your nerves, then roll the rest in a ziploc baggie until they are coarsely smashed............

Fold the smashed chips, butterscotch chips and chopped pecans into cookie dough.......check out this bowl full o' fun!................

Drop cookies onto ungreased cookie sheets by the tablespoonful................

Bake for 12 minutes, remove from pan immediately and place on cooling rack. Place on a pretty little dish, pour yourself a glass of milk, and ENJOY!!! You deserve it.

Here's the recipe............

NORMA'S POTATO CHIP COOKIES

(Makes 5-6 dozen)

Cream together:

1 cup sugar

1 cup brown sugar

1 cup butter, softened

Beat into mixture:

2 eggs

1 tsp. vanilla

Stir together before adding to creamed mixture:

2 1 / 3 cup flour

1 tsp. baking soda

Fold into mixture:

6 oz. pkg. butterscotch chips

1 cup chopped pecans

2 cups coarsely rolled potato chips (Lays Classic are the best--don't use ripple of any kind)

Drop onto ungreased cookie sheets by small tablespoonfuls. Bake in 375 degree oven for 12 minutes. Remove from pan immediately and place on cooling rack.

TODAY I'M SO THANKFUL FOR.....

**Butter, sugar and vanilla!

**Black Eyed Susans--their sunny yellow color is just so cheerful!

**All of the positive, sunny people in my life.