Here’s whats cooking in my kitchen today.

Contest Winning Recipe
Chocolate Truffle Cookies

From Taste of Home

“Here’s a snack for serious chocolate lovers. These enticing cookies are crisp on the outside and soft on the inside, somewhat bittersweet and very chocolaty. I usually make them to share at get-togethers…otherwise, I’d eat them all myself! I’m always asked for the recipe.”
-Delaine Fortenberry, McComb, Mississippi

INGREDIENTS

* 4 squares (1 ounce each) unsweetened chocolate
* 2 cups (12 ounces) semisweet chocolate chips, divided
* 1/3 cup butter
* 1 cup sugar
* 3 eggs
* 1-1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract
* 1/2 cup all-purpose flour
* 2 tablespoons baking cocoa
* 1/4 teaspoon baking powder
* 1/4 teaspoon salt
* Confectioners’ sugar

DIRECTIONS

In a microwave or double boiler, melt unsweetened chocolate, 1 cup of chocolate chips and butter; cool for 10 minutes.
In a mixing bowl, beat sugar and eggs for 2 minutes. Beat in vanilla and the chocolate mixture.
Combine flour, cocoa, baking powder and salt; beat into chocolate mixture. Stir in remaining chocolate chips. Cover and chill for at least 3 hours.
Remove about 1 cup of dough. With lightly floured hands, roll into 1-in. balls. Place on ungreased baking sheets.
Bake at 350° for 10-12 minutes or until lightly puffed and set. Cool on pan 3-4 minutes before removing to a wire rack to cool completely.
Repeat with remaining dough. Dust with confectioners’ sugar. Yield: about 4 dozen.
Copied from tasteofhome.com Dec 21, 2007
Copyright Reiman Media Group, Inc © 2007

Reposted in honor of Rachel

I love all my sister’s friends. Since we married, moved out and moved on. Amy and my lives have went in separate ways. Even through the distance I have somehow been connected to her friends. I remember when she started attending Evangel one of her new friends got my number off her fridge and started calling me for advice on boys. I don’t recall who she was now but I remember our only connection was Amy. I’m not sure if we ever even met in person.

Today, I can count a number of friends I’ve met only once or twice but could sit down and have conversation with as if we’d know each other for years. When I went to visit Amy last year I ran into quite a few of these ladies. Most I didn’t recognize at first as I’d never seen their faces or heard their voices, it seems strange to know someone with out really knowing them. Odd, isn’t it? Maybe not, these ladies are souls who touch my twin sister’s heart, a heart I’ve known from the beginning of mine own. It only makes since we’d be connected. I appreciate each one, I pray for them daily and I am blessed to have such lovely women caring for my Amy. To all my sister’s friends; I love you and thank you.

originally posted Sept’ 06

Hey Mom, I forgot to tell you that you need to bring the stuff for our class party tomorrow. Oh, and you’re the only mom who’s bringing stuff. Oh, and you need to get there early to set up. Oh, and bring goodie bags too. . .

Grrrrr
Would have been good to know this a little bit sooner. Maybe before I went to Amarillo yesterday or perhaps before I drove to Dumas this morning. Sometime before Joshua threw up on me in Wal*Mart would have been ideal.

Whats worse than being vomited on by your 5yr old in the produce aisle?
The produce being vomited on as well.
What does one do?
Do you buy 10 lbs of pomegranates?
What do you do? What would you do?

The fabulous happenings of today reminded me of previous puky posts. Remember the fun had back in November 05′ I’ll never forget…

Mommy doesn’t feel good

Volumes of Vomit

Clean up on Aisle 6

Be Prepared: Charleigh took along lots of books, colors and fun things to do while she waited.

A bit nervous before the first blood draw

It wasn’t so bad. Now we wait an hour to drink the sweet stuff…

30 minutes after finishing the drink we get ready for another run

A waiting we will go. . .another 30 minutes

Here we go again for #3

Another hour another needle. What a brave girl!

It’s Christmas time in the waiting room. Lets dance one more hour away

#5

An hour later we did one last needle then said good bye to our new friends Charles and Charity.

Charleigh wants to write a bit about her glucose/ insulin tolerance test later. We’ll put her thoughts right here when she gets them ready.

Joshua hair pics coming soon. . .

Great News!
Back in March I encouraged readers to write a letter of encouragement to Pastor Van Thong who was being imprisoned for having attended a Christian service. Thanks to the Persecution Blog for informing us of his and his friends December 6th release.

Speaking of yummy treats, these weeks Carnival of Recipes: Holiday Gift Giving Edition is being hosted at Jennie’s Rambles

In the spirit of the carnival I thought I’d offer up a few click-thru giftings

For Nae I give Chai Tea Mix
For Kurt and Dad a dozen or soDouble Chocolate Cherry Thumbprints
For Julie a few of Kelly’s Super Yummy Sugar Cookies for decorating
For Mom a few of these beautiful homemade tea packages
For Joshua a bowl full of Mushroom Dumplings mmmmmyummmy I’m going to have to spend a little more time perusing over at Katy’s Sugarlaws

Check out the carnival’s home page for future themes and dates.

Next week we’ll have a Christmas Tea over at Everything and Nothing. You can submit your own post to recipe.carnival@gmail.com