[peanut butter fingers]

This is my mother-in-law’s recipe (that right there should say it all, she is AMAZING). It is so easy and sooooo good they are dangerous (which is rather unfortunate for my waistline, but so worth it).  my little rascals gobble them up.  They’re even better the 2nd day.

Peanut Butter Fingers

 2 eggs

½ c shortening

½ c peanut butter

½ c sugar

½ c brown sugar

1 tsp vanilla

¼ tsp salt

½ tsp soda

1 c flour

1 c rolled oats

 1 6-oz pkg chocolate chips (I use ½ milk chocolate and ½ semi-sweet, and I might sometimes use a little more, ahem)

 ¼ c peanut butter

2 c powdered sugar

a little milk

Mix first 10 ingredients (I know seems crazy, but really do it!).  Spread on cookie sheet.  Pat gently, just so it’s flat, but they are good no matter what!  Bake at 375 12-15 min. Cool slightly.  Spread chocolate chips over warm cookies and let melt.  Mix remaining ingredients to make frosting. Spread on slightly cooled peanut butter brownie.

Delicious!

[Cherry Blossom Wreath]

I’ve been drooling over cherry blossom wreaths for over a year, but the $40.00+ price tags and petite sizes (I had a hard time finding the white larger than 10”) kept me from purchasing these whimsical beauties.  Then it occurred to me that I could … maybe …. possibly … make my own wreath.  So, off to the local craft store for an 18 inch grapevine wreath, some cherry blossoms stems (I ended up needing 6) and some floral wire.  Surprisingly, the blossoms were 50% off and I had a 40% off coupon for the wreath (I also remembered I had floral wire at home from another project, whoohoo!).

Total cost $13.00 and I got the size of wreath I wanted.  $27.00 saved (which Mr. Charming would probably point out is not saving money if you spent money…..yeah, I don’t get it either), not bad for an afternoon of spontaneity.

[Remember These Moments] #1

JJ goes to preschool 3 times a week, and it has taken its toll those he has left behind.  Both Tay and Macey (our dog) wander around a little aimlessly.

Yesterday, Tay was walking around with her FAVORITE pink blanket from Nana.  The blanket was trailing behind her, looking a lot like the many things Jay tempts Macey with.

Macey (who has learned that Tay is a bit more “fragile” than Jay  and therefore doesn’t roughhouse with Tay) had a momentary lapse in judgement and started tugging on Tay blanket.

Tay:  “Macey, don’t pull on my blanket.”

Macey:  Tug, tug.

Tay:  “Macey, if you do that again, I will put you in your timeout chair.”

Macey:  Tuuuug, tug

Tay:  “Okay Macey, you didn’t listen to me.”

Me:  Turning around to see what Tay had in mind, was just in time to see Tay picking Macey up to put her up on a kitchen chair.  “Oh, Tay, Macey doesn’t understand.” I said as I took Macey out of her arms.

Tay:  “Now she does.”

Apparently she did, Macey hasn’t touched the blanket since.  Way to follow through Tay!!

[Photo Blocks Gift]

A little anniversary gift for my husband…

Supplies needed:

  • 1 –  small chalk board
  • 6  –  2” wood blocks
  • 5  –  4×6” pictures cut into 2” squares
  • 1  –  4×6 sheet of patterned paper
  • blue paint
  • mod- podge
  • Rub-Ons

I wanted to make a little “puzzle” that he had to arrange to see the hidden message and pictures.

I had 6 2” blocks that when I put them together would fit 4×6 pictures.  And then I realized I needed something on which to put the 6 blocks.  I found a small chalkboard at a local craft store that had an opening that was exactly 4×6, so the 6 2” blocks fit inside the edges perfectly.

I painted chalkboard edges with blue acrylic paint (make sure to mask off the inside so it doesn’t get painted) and used rub-ons to decorate the inside of the chalkboard.

I cut 5 – 4×6 pictures into 2” squares and mod-podged (is that a word????) them to the 2” wooden squares. I had to trim a couple of the pictures after I had glued them on because the blocks were a little off so I just clipped them off with scissors.  I wrote a note on a 4×6 piece of coordinating patterned paper and cut it into 2” squares and mod podged it to the squares also.  Let dry, arrange on the chalkboard and tied it off with a ribbon.