Beautiful Day!

I have that U2 song "Beautiful Day" rolling around in my head. Yesterday was, in fact, a beautiful day. It had to be 56, wicked sunny with just a soft breeze. To make the day even more perfect was the fact that I got to spend the whole day outside. I helped my friend, John, who co owns and operates The Paper Moon Puppet Theatre, with a bank opening in Clifton.

We "walked" the marionettes around, he and Jody performed two puppet shows, and John and I worked on finger puppet crafts with the kids. It was fun! True, it was a long day with an hour ride up and an hour ride back- and when I got home I was bone tired - but it was fun!

To make it an even more perfect day - when I got home my hubby said "Let's go to the Diner". Music to my ears! Because, as we all know, food tastes even better when some one else cooks it and places it in front of you!

Oatmeal Raisin Cookies with a Chocolatey Kick

I remember making plain regular oatmeal raisin cookies when I was younger. I remember the mid 70's and winning the local girl scout cookie bake off with this recipe. I remember the thrill of going to the Sear's store in the next town and having to bake the cookies all by myself for the bake off. It was thrilling!

Flash forward to 2000. Needing my chewy oatmeal raisin cookie fix. Needing some chocolate. Chocolate? Raisins? (Listen for the aha music - light bulb sound clicking on) Let's put some Raisinets in these puppies.

Flash forward to...today! Standing in the candy aisle at Harmon's trying to rationalize a purchase of you guessed it - Raisinets. Wait-- do I see DARK chocolate Raisinets? Isn't dark chocolate good for our hearts? (Slight pause) Isn't oatmeal good for our hearts? Yes, yes it is.

I took the proactive heart healthy step, purchased the Raisinets ,ran home (exercise ) and baked up a batch of these delicious cookies. I will feel so healthy when I eat them tonight with a big glass of skim milk! (LOL)

Ingredients:

1 cup butter, 1 cup firmly packed brown sugar,1/2 cup granulated sugar, 2 eggs, 1 teaspoon vanilla, 1 1/2 cups all- purpose flour, 1 teaspoon baking soda, 1 teaspoon cinnamon, 1/2 teaspoon salt, 3 cups Oats, 1cup (1bag -let's face it whatever makes it into the bowl) of Raisinets.

Directions:

Heat oven to 350 degrees. Beat together butter and sugars until creamy. Add eggs and vanilla; beat well. Add combined flour, baking soda, cinnamon and salt. Mix well. Drop by rounded tablespoons onto ungreased cookie sheet. Bake 10 - 12 minutes or until golden brown. Cool 1 minute on cookie sheet; remove to wire rack.

Enjoy! (I know I will).

Paper Moon Puppet Theatre

My dear friend John and his partner Jimmy own and operate Paper Moon Puppet Theatre. They are two of the most creative people I know. The shows there are absolutely incredible!

Jimmy makes all of the marionettes and stages and performs all of the shows. John has been going out on the road with the traveling puppet show. I offered to help with the craft portion of the puppet show this weekend. John and I have been cutting out little shapes for finger puppets and tomorrow I am going to glue them together so that they can just be decorated on Saturday.

I am going to take pictures of the performance to post (fingers crossed) but in the meantime if any one is interested please check out my link at the bottom to the theatre!

My Little Grey Cat

I have the cutest little grey cat. Her name is Jasmine. (Lovingly named after the Disney princess by my daughter) She is only about 5 pounds. We have been together for about 14 years.

I remember searching shelters and going to adoption fairs for kittens. My daughter, who was young at the time, couldn't understand why we just didn't pick any old cat. I remember telling her that we were waiting to find the perfect cat for us.

One winter afternoon we went into PetSmart and there was an adoption fair going on and there she was.... small, grey, with beautiful green eyes. When I looked at her I knew she was THE one.

We have been together for many years, She has been such a comfort tome in so many ways. If I wasn't feeling well or feeling down she would curl up in my lap or just lay down next to me and offer whatever comfort she could. When she wasn't well I would pick her up and carry her like a baby.

Jasmine has the biggest meow going. If you just heard her meow and didn't see her you would think she was a 20 pound cat. When she jumps down from the couch and runs across the floor she sounds like a herd of elephants. Nope, just a teeny tiny cat.

A teeny tiny cat with a great big heart.

Old Fashioned Buttermilk Donut Recipe

I just bought the best little (and I mean litle) donut pan to use to bake donuts. Not only do the sell the little pan but there is also a slighgtly larger one that is also available. This recipe produces the tastiest, most moist donuts I have had in a while.

Donuts

Ingredients:

3 cups all-purpose flour, 1 cup white sugar, 2 teaspoons baking powder, 1 teaspoon baking soda, 1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg, 1/4 teaspoon ground cloves, 1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon, 1cup buttermilk, 3 eggs, 1/2 cup butter, melted.

Directions:

Preheat oven to 325 degree. Lightly grease the donut baking pan. Mix all dry ingredients flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda, nutmeg, cloves, and cinnamon. Mix buttermilk, eggs and melted butter in a separate medium bowl, and stir into the dry ingredients. Fill each donut cup approximately 3/4 full. Bake 10-12 minutes in the preheated oven, until donuts spring back when touched.Allow to cool slightly before removing from the pan.

The following glaze is very simple and really tasty. Just make sure that it is thick enough to coat the top of the donut and not so runny that it will slide off of it.

Glaze Recipe

Ingredients:

1 cup confectioner's sugar, 2 tablespoons HOT water, 1/2 teaspoon orange (or any flavor you like) extract.

Directions:

Blend confectioner's sugar, hot water and orange extractin a small bowl. Dip cooled donuts in the glaze before serving.

Raised Bed boxes

My mom and dad came over today and helped me to buld two more raosed bed boxes for my garden. I already had 2 8x8 boxes and 1 2x6 and 1 8x4. I really wanted to have 2 smaller ones to do some Square Foot Gardening. We built 2 4x4 boxes.

I really need to ge a hold of someone who can deliver about a dump truck full of dirt. I need to add the dirt to my boxes and I really need to level the land off in and around my boxes.

I was also able to straighten out my fencing and get a really good idea of how much more I need to buy. I am also going to look online to see about building a garden gate.

Tomorrow I want to go out and take a picture of the garden before I start to do all of the work and then every time I finish a task - take another picture. Kind of documenting the progress of my garden.

Jury Duty Over

Jury Duty is officially over. The case I was closed, we deliberated, and now it is over. It was actually aggravating for me to sit on this case. Suffice it to say that it was about a minor car accident and it was completely frivolous.

I know all about Tort Reform and I can't say that I agree with that scenario. I don't think that a one size fits all approach is the way to go. That being said, there has to be some way to discourage the filing of frivolous lawsuits. I feel that the last five days were a waste of  time and taxpayers' money, not to mention the money that the defendant in this case had to lay out.

A good idea, though probably not feasible, if a case is decided in favor of the defendant and it is determined to be a frivolous case then the plaintiff should have to reimburse the defendant for court costs. 

I don't know that there is any solution to this problem. I can just say that I am glad this is over!