The Stone Rabbit

What Day is THIS?

 

 

 

I knew that today is *TUESDAY, May 15th, but I did not know, until my friend Jill shared on her Face book wall, that it's also NATIONAL CHOCOLATE CHIP DAY!!!!

I was doubly excited to know that because I am actually prepared to celebrate the greatness of chocolate chips in style.   You see, for some reason. . .I  whipped up a batch of one of my favorite cookies last night!  COWBOY COOKIES!!!  And yes, they contain CHOCOLATE CHIPS!!

Years ago, I found the yummy recipe in the newspaper. . . .one of those  amazing strokes of good luck that become a "go to" in our recipe files!!

 

I've made them over and over for various events and once in a while. . .I make them just because I'm craving them!!!

Such delectable little creations. . . filled with chocolate chips and oats and pecans and BUTTER!!!  

 

The problem is. . . when I make them. . .I can't stay away from them!!!  

Oh, well, NATIONAL CHOCOLATE CHIP DAY just comes once a year. . .right?

Go ahead. . .you can have some, too!!!  :)

COWBOY COOKIES!

1 C shortening.......I used softened butter!!

1 C brown sugar

1 C white sugar

2 eggs

1 teaspoon vanilla

2 C flour

1 teaspoon baking soda

1/2 teaspoon baking powder

1/2 teaspoon salt ....... I omit this....trying to stay healthy!  ;-)

2 C regular rolled oats

6-oz package of chocolate chips

1 C pecan pieces

Cream shortening/butter and sugar;  add eggs and vanilla and continue creaming;  In a separate bowl, mix flour, soda, baking powder, salt, oats, chips and nuts;  add to the creamed mixture and mix well.  Drop by spoonfuls  on cookie sheet.  Bake 10-12 minutes at 350 degrees or until lightly browned.  Makes 3-4 dozen.

Note:  I used one of those Pampered Chef cookie scoop thingies. . .so the cookies are pretty large. . . only 12 fit on the sheet at a time and it does take closer to 12 min. for them to cook the way we like them. . .all tanish, but still a little gooey in the middle when they first come out of the oven.

Rats. . . all of this posting about those cookies is setting my salivary glands into action.  Bye. . .I'm off to snag another one for my afternoon "snack"!!!  :)

 

Enjoy NATIONAL CHOCOLATE CHIP DAY!!!!

 

DANA

* Thanks to Melanie and Martha for pointing out that I had originally  posted it was Wednesday!!!  Whew.....I thought this week was flying by a little too fast!! 

CRANBERRIES ARE PINK-ISH!!

 

 

I am involved with my Spring Sale this weekend...and of course I am down to the wire getting ready for it....and it just dawned on me (at a bit after midnight on Friday morning) that I didn't have my Pink Saturday post ready.....in any way, shape or FORM!!

SOOOOOO....a quick look at some of my old photos brought to mind a WONDERFUL dessert I made a couple of months ago. . . and THANKFULLY, I had snapped some photos!  

It was an APPLE-CRANBERRY CRISP that was so danged delicious!  Cranberries are pretty much a dark PINK...don't you agree?  :)  

OK....I'm sorry.  I'm stretching that PINK this week, but I'd appreciate it if you'd just go along with me this time!!  I'm a desperate Pink Saturday Woman!!!

Here's the little 8"X8" dish full of apples and cranberries...all ready for the "crisp" topping!

 

 

And here it is.....after baking away...and finding itself in a bowl...all ready for MY first glorious bite!!

 

Of course, THE STONE RABBIT had his own bowl of this amazing treat, too.  

Then I had another.

And another.

And another.

And it was GONE!!!

 

And that's why I can't fix that dessert very often.  I have NO will power against crisps.  They have complete and total control over me as long as they are in the house!!  :) 

This is such a scrumptious and easy treat. . . .and you can find that recipe right HERE  !!!

For another  treat. . . please visit Beverly's blog, HOW SWEET the SOUND.  She will have a very long list of bloggers who have lots of PINKS to share with you this week!!

 

DANA

 

 

FINDING PINK AT THE "SOUP PARTY"

 

Right off the bat I have to apologize for the poor quality of these photos.  They were taken with my "dropped-one-too-many- times" point and shoot camera.....just as the sun was about to call it quits on a recent early October evening in Missouri.

One of the annual Fall Events that our family looks forward to is: The Soup Party.

The Soup Party is hosted by a couple who have been our friends for a VERRRRRY long time.  In fact, the husband and my husband have been friends since childhood days. . . so that tells ya how long this friendship has been around!

I am sorry that I have forgotten which "annual" this year's soup party was.. . .but I have to say, there have been MANY. . . and I my husband and I have attended nearly every one of them.

Over the years, The Soup Party has evolved into a spectacular event, filled old and new friends and with the most wonderful variety homemade soups!

 

The guests are encouraged to bring a pot of soup or a side dish. . . usually a bread or a dessert.

As you can see, the soups are labeled and arranged atop this amazing metal grate.... which hovers above a bed of coals.

 

 

 

 

This year, I had a fall sale on the day of The Soup Party, so my hubby took charge of our food offering for the evening.

I was sooo impressed with his "beef stew" contribution!  He totally made this delicious dish himself! (however, I'm pretty certain sodium and saturated fat levels were not a concern for him as he prepared it.  :)

His concoction was a hit.   I observed many of the men really enjoying his beef stew. . . and I also have to say, I enjoyed it, too!  Great job!!

 

 

Once guests have dined on their fill of soups, breads and desserts, they gather around the "camp fire"!!

This photo shows just a small portion of the crowd that attended The Soup Party 2011.  Actually, folks are all around the entire periphery of the camp fire. 

As much as I love the camp fire, the challenge has always been to be on the side that does not get nailed with the smoke!  :)

Did you notice the tee-pee in the  upper left section of the photo?  It's authentic .

 

Our friends live on about a huge lot. . .so there's lots of room for The Soup Party to spread out.  The event is situated in the back yard area. 

I don't recall when they added this amazing group of musicians to the evening, but I have to say, their soft and soulful blues music just puts the frosting on the night!  

The name of this group is the KC RAIN DOGS.   You would really enjoy going to their web site (CLICK HERE) and listening to the video sampling of some of their work----then just imagine them singing outdoors on a glorious fall evening!  It's a slice of heaven!!

This year, The Grand Girl was so taken by their music that she spent quite awhile spontaneously dancing and moving as The Rain Dogs entertained us.  In fact, after the set ended, the lady with the wash board came over and put it on her,declaring how much they enjoyed watching HER experience their music!

 

And speaking of The Grand Girl. . . she was wearing PINK sparkling nail polish on the night of The Soup Party!

That little one knows how to add just a bit more fun to an already fantastic evening!!

 

I have to say that I am not an expert soup maker.  In fact, the food I always contribute to The Soup Party is a dessert or a bread.  However, my hubby raised the bar this year with his great beef stew, so from now on. . . he's the one in charge of "what we're bringing to The Soup Party"!

On the other hand, I do have to say I make a mighty fine chicken noodle soup. . and it is pretty healthy, too, as I keep the sodium  and saturated fat levels down pretty low.

Earlier this week, I had a bit of a tummy bug (fortunately I didn't have it as bad as my son, DIL, grands and daughter did!!!).  THE STONE RABBIT, who helped me create this great soup recipe, took it upon himself to cook a batch. . . cuz he knew it would help me feel better.

And it did!!!

 

Be sure you put a visit to Beverly's blog, HOW SWEET THE SOUND, on your "to do list" this week!!  She will have loads of other bloggers all set to share their great PINKS with you!!  

Happy Pink Saturday!!!

DANA

Why oh WHY?

 

Why oh WHY do we have such a cute little neighbor girl who was so excited when she came running across our yard and rang our doorbell and waved her order form in front of my hubby's face because. . . .

 

she was selling. . . .

 

THESE!!!!

Of course, my hubby selected the kind he and I both love. . . and, if I hadn't been dealing with a teeny touch of a stomach bug, I would have devoured both boxes in no time at all !!!

 

So, when I moaned "Why oh WHY" one more time, THE STONE RABBIT gently reminded me of the kind neighbors who, when our kiddos were little, were always there to buy the endless amounts of popcorn, Christmas wreaths, coupon books, trash bags, etc. from them!

I'll quit moaning and simply try to resist these temptations for as long as I possibly can.

 

 

It won't be long. . . I fear I may be ripping one of those boxes open pretty danged soon!!   I'm salivating just looking at the pictures. . .and the boxes are in the OTHER room

If I was smart. . .I'd hide them!!!  Right?

Who said I was smart.

DANA

A HOLIDAY FAVORITE

 

I recall coming into work one day in the early 70s to find this  dessert on the table in the teacher's lounge.  There were always terrific treats on that table, but on that particular day, I was about to come face to face with a dessert that I would find myself making nearly every Thanksgiving and Christmas for years and years to come.

The dessert recipe I'm sharing has since made its way into nearly every fundraising cookbook created since that time.  Digging deep into my memory, I recall my co-worker who had made it, said she had found the recipe in a "Woman's Day" magazine.  

The reason I'm not all that crazy about them anymore is that they are kinda  a pain to make.  Well, "kinda a pain" is actually an understatement.  They are a ROYAL PAIN to make.  However, because my DIL loves Pumpkin Cake Rolls, I will happily continue to make them as a  part of our holiday desserts! 

The recipe starts off by requesting that three eggs be beaten for FIVE minutes!!  When the only decent mixer one has is a vintage Sunbeam handmixer, being pinned down for FIVE minutes of egg  beating seems like a cooking eternity!! 

The next part isn't so bad.  By now, the eggs are beaten and added to the pumpkin pie mix and vanilla, so we're ready to fold the dry with the wet ingredients.

Did ANY of you notice my PINK spatula?  :)

 

 

The pan I put the cake mixture in is one my mom gave me several years ago.  I pretty much only use it for Pumpkin Cake Rolls and an occasional brownie batch.  

 

 

For some reason, adding the chopped pecans to the cake batter just before baking is a step I've inadvertently missed many times over the years......only to remember what I'd done  about 10 minutes into the baking time.  Then, I'm madly yanking the pan out of the oven and sprinkling the nuts over the top, followed by very carefully pushing them into the nearly baked cake!

 

Whew!

 

 

 

I didn't capture the MOST delicate and yet dreadful moment of baking a Pumpkin Cake Roll. . . . the ejection of the cake from the pan...in ONE PIECE!!

Once the cake seems to be done, one must remove the pan from the oven, and let it set just a few minutes.  Then,  it must be turned out onto a towel that has been covered with powdered sugar.

This "timing" thing is critical.  If you start to remove it too soon from the pan. . . it's a disaster.  If you wait too long, it's really a disaster!!  The definition of "disaster" is:  when the cake is flipped from the pan, it STICKS. . . . that is, it is "ejected" in sections. . . not one whole piece !

This is the "beauty" I made for our recent Thanksgiving Feast.  

I like to use paper towels, covered with powdered sugar, on to which I turn out ( or flip!) the cake.  On that particular day. . . that baby came out in ONE.....I said ONE piece!!  

Once the cake is on the towel, just roll it up, jelly roll style. . . and wait for it to cool!! 

 

While the cake is cooling. . . make the cream cheese filling!!  (My personal favorite part of the cake roll! )

 

I usually have to have a teensy little sample. . . just to make certain it is edible for my DIL!!

 

 

When the cake is cooled, it needs to be unrolled . . .  

 

then the cream cheese filling is spread all over!!! 

I like to be creative at this point. . . .but no one will notice cuz the next step. . . .

 

involves spreading the  filling  over the cake,  then  ROLLING  IT BACK UP!!!

Often times, I've had the cake  "fall apart" at this point, BUT NOT on this day!!! 

 

 

 

 

Miracle of miracles. . . the Pumpkin Cake Roll. . . 

 

 turned out to be one of my best!!!  

That's the amazing thing about making Pumpkin Cake Rolls. . . when they "work". . they really work!!  :)

 

 

 

 THE STONE RABBIT loves Pumpkin Cake Roll. . . especially when I give him the frosting spatula!!   :)

 

 "PUMPKIN CAKE ROLL"

The Cake!  

Beat 3 eggs on high speed for 5 minutes.

Add 1 C sugar....beat!

Add 2/3 C pumpkin and 1 t lemon juice, mix.

 

SIFT TOGETHER:

    3/4 C flour

    1 t baking powder

    2 t cinnamon

    1 t ginger

    1/2 t nutmeg

    1/2 t salt (optional)

Fold dry ingredients into pumpkin mixture.

 

Spread into greased 15" X 10" X 1"  pan.

Top with 1 cup chopped nuts.

 

BAKE at 375 for 15 mn.

 

Turn out on to  sprinkled with powdered sugar.

 

Starting at narrow end, roll towel and cake together (jelly roll style).

 

COOL until lukewarm to touch.

 

Unroll and fill with

"The Filling"

 Combine:

1C powdered sugar

1 8 oz. pkg cream cheese

4 T butter, softened

 1/2 t vanilla

Beat until smooth. Spread on cake.  Roll and chill! 

 

 

For more Pink Saturday fun, please visit Beverly of HOW SWEET THE SOUND!!

DANA

 

A RECIPE FOR PINK!

Among the many yummy dishes my daughter-in-law served at my grand boy's recent first birthday extravaganza, was Beet Hummus!

Under her direction, she let me whip up a batch of this healthy and tasty dish!

Starting with fresh beets and garlic. . .  

 

that are roasted, then peeled and  chopped. . . 

then placed in a food processor with great northern beans and a bit of olive oil, lemon juice and salt. . . .

you end up with this amazing PINK treat. . . which is so great when served with pita chips!

 

NOW, this is what you get when you take a normally squeaky clean little birthday boy and a serving of Beet Hummus. . . .  

 

well, what more can I say?   

OK, I'll say it. . . . TOO CUTE FOR WORDS!!!! :)

 
 
   Here is the recipe for this dish.  You can find it on this link (here) for "WEELICOUS".

Red Beet & White Bean Hummus (Makes 3 Cups)

1 Medium Beet
1 15 Oz Can White Beans, rinsed and drained
1 Large Garlic Clove, unpeeled
Juice of 1/2 Lemon (about 1/2 Tbsp)
1/4 Cup Olive Oil
1 Tsp Salt

1. Preheat over to 400 degrees.
2. Wash beet well and place with garlic clove on a sheet of foil. Bring up sides of foil and fold to make a packet leaving room for heat to circulate inside the packet containing the beet and garlic.
3. Bake for 45 minutes or until beet is tender when poked with a knife.
4. Remove skin off of the garlic and the beet (I use a zip lock bag on my hand and slip the skin off so my hand doesn’t turn red).
5. Place all the ingredients in a food processor and puree until smooth.
6. Serve.

THE STONE RABBIT isn't fond of beets, so he went on line and found a delicious recipe for. . . 

 

     CARROT HUMMUS!!!!!  

Here he is, getting ready to send it out to all of this rabbit friends!  He also said that if you want a copy, just go to this link at EVERY DAY HEALTH !!!

 

I hope you enjoyed this little PINK recipe. . . I KNOW you will enjoy lots of other pinks at HOW SWEET THE SOUND!  Beverly will have a long list of bloggers, just waiting for your visit!!!

 

 Oh, one more thing. . . .our very own Pink Saturday Lynn, of THE VINTAGE NEST, is having an amazing giveaway!!!  Please be sure you visit her and sign up for the chance to win the outstanding treasures that talented gal has pulled together!!!!

DANA

HOW DO YOU KEEP COOL?

We're experiencing some REALLY HOT weather here in the mid-west- - -  98 degrees predicted for our high today!    Like you guys, I've been doing what I can to keep our home comfortable while not putting too much additional stress on our overworked air-conditioner.

I keep the thermostat set at 80.  It's not too bad. . . unless I have to do something that requires getting up and moving around- - - like vacuuming or cleaning bathrooms!!!  Those activities can just wait until our weather cools down!! :)

The ceiling fans, while not a decorator's delight, have been wonderful in keeping the cooled air circulating!

 I even place fans in strategic spots to help pull  air around.  Twiggy loves them!

Patty and I were talking yesterday about how our homes almost feel like "caves" because we keep our blinds closed during these extremely hot days.  The plus about that is. . . you don't see the dust!!
 
 I try to do our laundry early in the morning and  hang as much up to dry as I can - - -INSIDE the house.  We don't have a clothes lines outside. . . as we did when I was growing up.   Mom truly believed in the solar method of drying clothes!  For years, that was the only way we had to dry clothes. . . all through the year!  I remember many a frozen towel or sock hanging on the line in the winter!

 

I also try to serve meals that require little, if any, heat to prepare .  For instance, this was my lunch today.

Bonnie introduced me to these great thin bagels.  I keep the package frozen and only take out what I need .  Once the bagel thaws, I toast it a bit in the toaster (that doesn't heat the kitchen up too much), then. . . 

 today I added a small amount of mayo to each slice, some spinach leaves, avocado slices, tomatoes, fresh mozzarella cheese and some of my very own homegrown basil!!

It was  a delicious, filling, cheap, healthy and "cool to prepare" meal!

This summer, I've also been using my electric roaster to cook chicken. When it wasn't too warm, yet, I placed it on our back patio.  Now that it's really hot out there, I put the roaster in the basement, where the temperature is really cool.  Baking that way certainly helps keep the heat out of the kitchen. . . plus I get some exercise going up and down the basement stairs, checking on it!!  :)

 

THE STONE RABBIT and I like to take advantage of the solar heat to make sun tea, too!  The iced tea we make from it has such a good flavor. . . and the power we used to heat the water was free!!!

  Of course, one of our favorite ways to keep cool is by enjoying a tasty little ice cream cone!

 

AND. . .  it appears that "the master of the house" enjoyed quite a bit of that yumminess last night after supper!!!  Guess we won't  be having much of a cool treat today!! 

Better add that to my grocery list!

 

Hope you are keeping cool where you are. . . any good suggestions to pall along?

 

DANA

 

A HEALTHY PINK SATURDAY BREAKFAST

So, you're familiar with the saying, "You can't teach an old dog a new trick". . .well, THE STONE RABBIT  and I aren't youngins, but I have to say, the Grand Girl and her mom taught us a new and healthy trick!  In fact, we're so crazy about it, we're gonna share it on Pink Saturday today! 

Our post  is a way to get lots of terrific nourishment packed into a simple breakfast. . . or snack!

THE STONE RABBIT is posing by what we are going to share, but first, we have to show you the process it took to end up this way!

We assembled our ingredients and headed out to the patio.  Sadly, it was dark and misting this morning, so the pictures don't meet my usual impressive standards of photography skills!  (OK, you know I'm kidding!) 

 

I've always liked yogurt and I knew it was good for me.  The problem is, my idea of a "good for me" yogurt was one that contained an artificial sweetener. . . typically Aspartame. . . because that meant less sugar (I thought).   I was so hung up on the Fat Free part of the yogurt, (also good for me) I overlooked the artificial sweetener aspect.  Then, my DIL entered my life.  Since I've known her, she has been an "anti-artificial sweetener" advocate for herself.   I  started paying attention to items that contained that dreaded ingredient and I tried to avoid serving them when she was at our home.

When my DIL was telling me how much our Grand Girl loved yogurt. . . but not the "kind" that we ate at our house, I couldn't figure out "WHY"!!   She loves the kind I show in the photo below. . . plain, non-fat, no sugar added!

EEEEEEWWWW, I thought.  I'd tasted that before and it caused my tongue to curl up.  I wondered how she got her girl to eat it that way.

Well, here's how. . .the power is in this little honey bottle!!

Yep,  a little drizzle of honey over that plain yogurt is what gives it just enough "sweet" to make it taste great!  I'm sure you've all read about the amazing health benefits of honey- - - so that ingredient seemed to be an  additional health bonus to the already healthy yogurt.

 

I like to add fresh fruit to my yogurt concoction at this point. . . blue berries or peaches or strawberries!!  All of those are in abundance right now.

  Now, the second secret my DIL and Grand Girl taught me was about the most powerful ingredient of this treat- - -  ground flaxseed!!!

Look at that package!!!!  Flaxseed is rich in FIBER, OMEGA-3 FATS and LIGNANS!  Well, I know about the importance of fiber and Omega3 fats, but I'd never heard of "LIGNANS" so I did what any of us would do. . . I Googled!  WOW!  LIGNANS are amazing!!!!  Along with other health benefits, they can act as antioxidants and  are phytoestrogens, as well. . . they can help balance our hormones!  Now that's an AMAZING plus in my book!

SO, bring on the ground flaxseed, please!

I keep our ground flaxseed in a quart canning jar.  For a bowl of yogurt (about one cup), I use two tablespoons of that yummy and healthy ingredient!

So, by now, many of you may be thinking YUCKY!!! 

But don't!!!
 

That bowl of goodness contains: 

one cup of yogurt, (locally made)

1 t honey (locally produced!)

2 T ground flaxseed (produced in USA!!)

strawberries  (not local, but from USA)

The approximate nutritional value of this powerful meal:

2400 mg of Omega-3  !!!!   HUGE!!

  15 g of protein

  18 g sugar

  40% of your daily Calcium needs!

I'm not a dietitian , but I realize that 18 g of sugar isn't wonderful (based on a 2000 cal. a day diet, we shouldn't take in more that 50 g sugar).  SO 18 g is quite a chunk, however, as with any other aspect of nutrition. . .I live by the motto:  it's all about moderation.  Also, the amount of sugar in a 6 oz. container of Yoplait, Light, Fat Free yogurt. . .14 g!!!   And on top of that, there's Aspartame in it!!  

As long as I watch the rest of my daily sugar intake,  and I exercise, I feel the other benefits of this healthy dish out weigh the sugar issue. . . at this time at least!

 

So, there you have the Healthy Pink Saturday Breakfast. . . thanks to my DIL and Grand Girl! 

I didn't forget about the PINK. . . it was the gorgeous PINK oil cloth I used for the table covering.   My friend Bonnie and I picked this up while on our Canton, Texas, trip.  We still haven't made totes out of it, but I enjoy using it on my patio table!!

THE STONE RABBIT enjoys it, too!  He thinks it puts a little color in his cheeks!!

I hope you have a wonderful and healthy PINK SATURDAY!! 

I know you will love to visit Beverly's blog,  HOW SWEET THE SOUND!! It will be filled with lots of great places to visit. . . all with  PINKS to share, too!!

DANA

PS  I have to confess, however, while I try my best to avoid artificial sweeteners  . . I still love my DIET PEPSI!  I know, I know. . . there are horror e-mails out there about that!  I only have one a day. . . and I've found, lately, there are many days that I don't even have ONE!   So, I'm working on that area, too! :)

MEMORIES OF CHRISTMAS Part 3.....an amazing holiday brunch!

I know I am dragging out my MEMORIES of CHRISTMAS posts. . . however, I do want to complete my goal of sharing hi-lights of the season .   Mainly, as I said before, I'm doing it for me. . . and for my friends and family.  However, I also hope that you, my blog readers,  enjoy it a bit as well.

My pictures from this near mid-December day, do not do justice to what or whom I was photographing. . . but please bear with me.  You will be impressed. . .  inspite of the poor quality of my pictures. . . you will be impressed!

So today, in this third installment of my Memories of Christmas 2009,  I am introducing you to a very special friend AND family member AND hostess extraordinaire! 

This is Eloise. 

She is pictured in front of her fireplace on the day she hosted the most delicious and impressive Christmas Brunch!

Eloise is my niece's mother-in-law and a co-worker of one of my other friends.

She and I clicked from the moment we met. . . she is not only an amazing addition to our family, but she has become a very dear friend.  

Eloise, like me, loves to decorate for Christmas.  However, I pale in comparison when it comes to collections of seasonal items.

When she decided to have her brunch, I knew everything  would be over the top. . . . from decorations to food. 

I was right!   Just settle back and enjoy the tour!

This picture shows one of the many groupings Eloise displayed of her collectible SIMPICH characters.

She also had several decorated trees in her home.  This smaller one, in her family room, had a patriotic theme!

Eloise  has collected many  Department 56 houses and had them displayed around the fireplace area of her family room.  This photo shows some of the houses from the NORTH POLE series.

She also collects the DICKENS series of Department 56 houses, as shown in this photo.

THE STONE RABBIT wanted me to show you where my five Department 56 DICKENS houses spent this Christmas . . . and last Christmas.  

It's so sad that I didn't take the time to get them out, because I truly love them.  I fondly recall how excited I was when I had saved the money to purchase my first little Christmas house! 

NEXT YEAR!!!

 

Somewhere in my many boxes of Christmas decor, I have two or three nutcrackers that haven't seen the light of a holiday since we moved here five years ago.  Mine aren't  nearly as beautiful as Eloise's German made fellows, but they do have special memories.  I need to be sure I find a place to display them for Christmas 2010.

Eloise displayed her Hallmark "Santas from around the World" ornaments on  a wreath near her fireplace!

I did a terrible job taking a photo of her large family room tree.  I took several pictures and they all turned out blurry and tilted.  Normally, I would not put such a poor quality picture on a post, but I wanted you to get the idea of how full that tree was with special decorations.   Decorations that Eloise has gathered . . . .

as mementos of her travels. . . . such as this one from a trip to Washington DC.

She also had many ornaments that are part of the official White House Historical Society series.  I didn't even know there was such a thing. . . . and they are beautiful.

 

Eloise has an impressive collection of Royal Copenhagen Christmas plates displayed in her family room.
   

This picture shows the tree  in her formal living room.

  

It is full of hand made ornaments that artist, Lois Buck, created from goose eggs.  You can see the tremendous amount of detail in the designs.

In addition, there were ornaments from the same SIMPICH family who made the wonderful characters I featured earlier and. . . . .

these in this lovely nativity set. 

Next. . . the dining room!

On a previous visit to Eloise's home, I had seen these beautiful items.

I did not know, however, until the day of the brunch that Eloise had painted them!  They are spectacular.

In one corner of the dining room is another little tree.  This one was full of small baskets and topped with an angel that Eloise had created.

 She had her table set in the loveliest fashion.

The runner on a table in the entry, was made by one of her sisters.

 

In the kitchen, there was a little shelf with more SIMPICH characters and a few of the gingerbread men that are in abundance in that room.

She also had a sweet little tree in the kitchen . . . .  decorated in her gingerbread men theme.  I have to apologize again for the poor quality of my picture.

We were treated to this outstanding array of food that Eloise had prepared for our brunch. 

Wow!  What a feast!

Not only did everything look picture perfect. . . it all tasted amazing. 

Eloise has a large collection of one of my favorite things . . . vintage RODNEY KENT hammered aluminum pieces. 

Didn't they looked great filled with Christmas goodies?

Here we are, ready to fill our plates and enjoy a great meal and a long visit while gathered around Eloise's dining room table.  Pictured, L to R:  Mary, Mary Ann (she works with Eloise), me, Eloise, Beth and Laura.

Thank you Eloise for your gracious hospitality. . . it was so much fun and certainly appreciated.  There's nothing better than taking the time to spend with great friends. . . especially at Christmas!

 

As we headed out the door from Eloise's lovely home, she had gifts for us.   We each received a sweet Christmas hand towel and a great bottle of holiday scented hand soap.

I have to say, THE STONE RABBIT was really fond of that soap. . . I have never seen him so eager to wash his paws!

     

DANA

Longing for Chocolate. . . . .

I am trying very hard to get my good health habits back on track.  Besides being more consistent with good food intake, I've been trying to exercise more. 

At home, I watch Exercise TV and try to follow whatever program I've selected.  It's harder for me to exercise at home, cuz I'm the type of person who needs to be in a classroom environment. 

The gym my husband and I belong to has a wonderful and young instructor who recently ordered some BOSU balls to use in our classes or just for other members who want to include them in their own workout routines.

This image, found on Amazon, shows a really fit gal demonstrating a lunge on a BOSU ball.  She's making it look easy, but remember......that's still a ball she's stepping on and it's a real work out to maintain balance while your forward foot is wiggling all over the place and then lunge up and down by dropping the back knee.

To watch a video series of BOSU ball exercise demos  click HERE.

Now, after you've watched that, try to imagine a room full of elder exercisers trying to maintain balance while perched atop a BOSU ball.  It is NOT an easy thing to do!  Once our teacher, Stephanie, exposed us to the newest torture device for a couple of classes she started challenging us even more!  Now while using the BOSU,  we can  do squats, one foot balancing exercises, lunges, various forms of crunches, front and side planks and even push ups !  I have to say my push ups are sad, but I try!

This morning, I am feeling the affects of our workout last night. . . . some soreness is creeping up my body, but it has mainly settled in my thighs. . . . right in the area where a lot of fat settled over Christmas.   I think the squats and lunges got to me.

I'm also getting hungry.

Sadly, I am not hungry for low-fat or high protein.

Nope, right this minute, as badly as I want to be fit like that BOSU demonstrating gal pictured above, I'm having a major craving for. . . . chocolate.  I don't mean a nibble of the dark kind that's good for me.   No. . . . I'm dreaming about my signature Texas Sheet Cake.

OMG. . . . I'm drooling like crazy as I look at these photos I took of the last two pieces of the cake I made to enjoy with some friends on New Year's Day.

 

On the day I photographed this, I'd decided I wanted to have a yummy snack and enjoy one final cup of coffee from my Christmas dishes before I put them away until next year.

 

Then I slowly started digging into that square of divine sweetness.

 

Oh MY!  This is killing me!!!  How I wish I would have frozen some of that dessert. . . .saving it for a day I really, really, needed it. 

 

I really, really need it right now, but, alas. . . . . .

 

on that dayTHE STONE RABBIT hopped up and dug in too!  Yep, we polished off both pieces in short order.

I think the only way I'm going to get over this craving is to find the Exercise TV Channel and maybe do some deep breathing exercises.

Boring.

DANA

PS  Now if YOU want to whip up a batch of Texas Sheet Cake, here is the recipe I've used  for over thirty years. . . .  it's a sure fire, never fail treat!

 CAKE

SIFT TOGETHER:

2 C sugar

2 C flour

1 t baking soda

1/2 t salt

MELT IN A PAN:

2 sticks of margarine (I've never used real butter, but I imagine that would amazing!) and 4 tablespoons of cocoa in 1 Cup of water.  Bring this to a boil.  Pour over dry ingredients and mix.

ADD:

1/2 C buttermilk, 2 beaten eggs, and 1 teaspoon vanilla.  Stir. The mixture will be thin.

POUR:

into a 15X10X1 jelly roll pan that has been sprayed with Pam.

BAKE:

at 350 degrees for 15-20 minutes

FROSTING

MELT:

1 stick margarine (definitely butter!!) in a pan.  

Add 4 tablespoons of cocoa and 6 tablespoons of buttermilk.

Bring to a boil and add 1 box of powdered sugar and one teaspoon of vanilla.

Remove from the heat and continue stirring until smooth.

You can also add 1 cup of nuts.

SPREAD the frosting over the cake while it is still warm.

If you don't have this recipe in your file already. . . . you're gonna be glad you do now!  :)