The word you never want to hear your Grandpa say...

OK, so every Thursday for about eleven years, my Grandma and I, along with my kids, get together to eat lunch and usually go to the park or something. Yesterday, I call to tell her I am running late, as usual, (because I was baking cookies to take to her; check out the recipe and pictures below; they were YUMMY!!) and she had already left for the restaurant, so I got their answering machine. The message, in Grandpa's voice, was as follows: "Petals are falling off of the flowering trees, but we are still ERECT, so please leave a message after the beep and we will return your call." Leave a message??? After hearing my Grandpa say the word "erect"?!?!?!?!?? Sheesh. I could hardly drive, let alone think to leave a message. And, what does the word "erect" even really have to do with flowers on trees anyway? Sort of like he was looking for a sentence to use the word "erect" in. OK, enough; I am trying to cleanse my brain of the trauma now.


Big Fat Chewy Chocolate Chip Cookies
3/4 cup butter, melted
1 cup packed brown sugar
1/2 cup white sugar
1 egg
1 egg yolk
1 Tblsp. vanilla
2 cups flour
1/2 teas. baking soda
1/2 teas. salt
2 cups chocolate chips

Cream first six ingredients until real fluffy. Add next three. Stir chips in by hand. Drop 1/4 cup size dough balls about 2 inches apart on cookie sheet. Bake at 325 degrees for 15 to 17 minutes. Edges will just be turning brown. Remove to cooling rack. Makes 18 cookies - really BIG, chewy cookies.

Weird quotes from the wee ones, Part 1 (and a few great recipes, too!)

OK, so there are certain things as a mother that make you stop and think, "Wow, only a mother ever hears/says/thinks a statement/question/order like that." Like hearing yourself say out loud, "Sweetie, blow your nose real hard and maybe the rock you shoved in there will come out." (yes, I had the opportunity to say this last week with our almost-3 year old, and yes, the pebble did come shooting out as anticipated) So, anyway, I am taking the kids (ages 9 and 10) to school this morning and the silence is broken when my 10 year old daughter says in a sad, sad voice, "I'm glad you're my mom, but I sure wish you were an Origami master." Huh? I guess she has a new Korean friend at school whose mom rocks because she IS an Origami master. So, anyway, I can't do Origami, but I did make some awesome homemade soft pretzels today and am going to try and post a picture of one of them. The kids are begging me to make caramel corn to eat while we watch American Idol tonight, so I may end up doing that later, too. These pretzels taste similar to those at Auntie Anne's, but they are much better, if I must say so myself! For dinner, I have our favorite roast in the Crock Pot, so I will try to post that recipe as well.

Aunt Annie's Pretzels

Preheat oven to 550 degrees. Grease a baking sheet.

Mix together: 1 1/2 tsp yeast
1/2 tsp brown sugar
Dash of salt
1 1/2 cups warm (110°)water
Let sit for 5 minutes.
Add:4 cups bread flour..Knead well and then let rise for about 1 hour.Take a piece of dough and roll and shape into pretzel. Easiest way to shape--roll into a rope, whatever size you prefer, pinch ends of rope then bring ends of rope to other side of circle.Dip in mixture of warm baking soda and water (2 tsp baking soda and 2 cups warm water). Sprinkle coarse salt on top if you wish. Place on prepared baking sheet.Bake at 550 degrees for approx. 8 minutesWhile still hot brush them with melted butter & honey (approx 2 tbsp honey to 1/2 lb butter). (note: I just used melted butter)


Here is the roast recipe - it ROCKS!:

DIE FOR CROCK POT ROAST
1 beef roast, large enough to fit in your crockpot
1 pkg. Hidden Valley Ranch Dressing Mix
1 pkg. brown gravy mix
1 pkg. Italian dressing mix
1/2 C. warm water

Place roast in crockpot. Mix all three envelopes and sprinkle on top of roast. Pour water in the bottom of the crockpot. Cover and cook on low 6 to 7 hours. The gravy is phenomenal!!