Getting Ready for the Holiday

It's that time of year again. Time to shop and eat. The coupons are ready for payday and the deals are circled. I hope to get the pantry cleaned up and organized. This is when I rotate and buy new baking supplies. The girls and I will be picking out our cookies choices for gifts soon.

I'm going to try a new thing this year. I'm going to enjoy myself. I don't care what the crisis of the day is.. I'm just going to let it go. Easier to say then do.. But I will try.

I had a great time last night. Working on a craft project with some new and old friends. It looks like something we maybe doing on a regular basis. The girls had a good time. Next time I hope to bring all of them.

Shaving Cream Envelopes

This is what we did yesterday while watching "Hotel for Dogs". I just love making shaving cream envelopes. I like to use Wilton's icing color(paste) because you get such vivid colors. I hope to made more this week with other colors I have. I need to do some #10 envelopes too.

Summer is upon us

This is the time of year I just hate here in Florida. In the summer we go on what I call the "vampire schedule". Which means you stay up late to sleep-in to miss most of the hot part of the day. Today has been pretty good. The older girls slept in then, they when they woke up I farmed them off to Grandma's house. Then the little girls and I have been playing computer games and going online. Nice quit day. I do love modern technology.

Well, I need to swap seats with a little one... I guess I will do some mommy things... like feed the kids...

Crazy over Post Cereal

Today was the last day for a B1G1F on some Post cereal that was $1.50 a box. After reading on the "A Full Cup" site that there was a coupon for $1 off 2 boxes. Oh... My, 25 cents a box. I knew I had to get to the store TODAY. I had only 12 coupons. After picking up a couple of other items I made my way to the cereals.
When I got there my head started to spin...
How many do I get?
Where do I put all this cereal?
Where can I hide it?
I stopped when my cart was full. 16 boxes. I did find a place for all these boxes.

Then my little brain started to think of those other coupons that I didn't use.
Then, I called a friend to see if she wanted them. She said she would be interested in them.
Now, I felt that I can let it go.....
Well, I just called her. She isn't going to use them.
So what do I do? Go back and get more or just let it go?
"To coupon or not to coupon" That will be my quote for the night.

Amish Friendship Choc/Pecan Bread

Here are the pictures of some of the recipes I have tried with my Amish Friendship Bread starter. I found the recipes at www.armchair.com This site gives you some great ideas on what you can do with your starter. Jess loved this Chocolate Pecan Bread. I think she would have liked more nuts in it.

Right now I'm a little over this starter. I do have some still bubbling up in my kitchen right now. I plan on baking a couple loafs of the Cinnamon Bread for Valentine's Day to give out as gift.

My Amish Friendship Biscuits

My husband loved these biscuits. I made a double batch to use up the starter. We had 3 dozen biscuits to eat. With this starter the biscuit were on the sweet side. A couple of the girls didn't like them at all.

My Dog Max

This is a picture of my dog Max. He is such a good boy. I Love him so much. This picture was my first attempt to load pictures from photobucket.

My mouse died and I'm cold

You never know how much you love your mouse until it stops working. I was online today doing my sweepstakes entries. I had to get off so the girls could do some homework. When I got back on the computer to find out my mouse rolling button on the top is all messed up. Boy.. can that drive you crazy. I keep trying to fix it. Now, I have to get a new mouse tomorrow or I will go bonkers all day long.

Today was cold for us here in Florida. It doesn't get cold much where we are. When we got up this morning I had ice all over my car. I think the highest it was today was 50 degrees... Brr!! Tonight it will be under freezing temperatures from 1 am until 8 am... Hello... I don't do cold. That is why I live here.... So as I'm sitting at my computer I have a jacket and socks on my feet.. Oh.. I also don't like shoes that cover my feet. Flip flops 92% of the time. I hope you are feeling sorry for me.....

Oh, I have to post pictures of my Valentine's Day tree.. It is so pretty. I will get the pictures of our Amish Friendship bread up to this weekend too. I made so much bread last Friday night. I don't know if I can eat bread ever again or until the next baking day (haha).

Amish Friendship Bread

Over Christmas break my friend gave us some starter of "Amish Friendship Bread". We keep it going for the first ten day cycle. I baked two batches of breads. Everyone loved them. I passed one along to another friend. I had my starter batch and one waiting to give to another friend. Well, Batty and Yeasty(yes, we named them) were left unsupervised on the top of the microwave oven and got real hot. We were hopeful that maybe we didn't kill them. But, by the next day they didn't have any signs of life. I contacted my friend to see if she has any starter left. Lucky for us she had two to pass on. So we brought them home tonight. Bubbles and Stinky are now being stored on the top of the refrigerator. I will be looking for a safe home for them in my kitchen to keep them happy.

This Friday our starter will be ready to bake. We are planning on doing a Lemon and Chocolate variations that we found on the Internet. If all goes well I hope to post some pictures.

This is my favorite movie of all time. I'm still trying to learn how to get pictures loaded to the blog.

Back to Entering Sweepstakes

I have been so busy this last year that I have let my sweepstakes hobby go a little dorment. Yesterday, I decided to get back to my sweepstakes ways. Most times you have to wait for the wins to come in. But I only has to wait one day. I won a $100 Visa giftcard from an instant win sweep. Now with my spirits high and money coming in I feel this year is off to a great start.