Yippee!!

the countdown to Spring is on a downward trend.  It is 65 days now till spring. 

I know a lot of you like the snow and the winter weather.  Me, not so much.  I like to look at the snow and I feel all warm and fuzzy when I am safe inside and a blizzard is blowing outside.  A good book to read and something fattening to eat and I am in HOG HEAVEN for 2 or 3 days.  Then reality sets in and I start to realize that I am stuck indoors for an indeterminate period.  Winter weather started here right after the tornado on November 17th and we have had bouts of bitter cold temperatures and mega amounts of snow.  We have a winter weather mixture predicted for this afternoon.

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hog heaven

noun

: a very pleasing or satisfying state or situation

 

Full Definition of HOG HEAVEN

:  an extremely satisfying state or situation

 

Example of HOG HEAVEN

1. We had plenty of food, good wine, and beautiful weather. We were in hog heaven.

First Known Use of HOG HEAVEN

1944

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Have a wonderful day.  I hope the sun is shining where you are.  It is dreary and cloudy here this morning.

Stay safe and be happy!!

Beth

This is wonderful!!

http://www.paxtonrecord.net/news/arts-and-entertainment/community-events/2013-12-20/grand-light-display-returns-paxton.html

 

http://www.lightinguppaxton.com/

Most of you know that I spent all of my married life and my children were born and raised in the small town of Paxton Illinois.

This display is new since I sold my home and moved from Paxton over 3 years ago.  Please visit the second link and take time to listen to the music.  The lights are synchronized with the music  and it is an awesome sight!!

 

Merry Christmas to my blogging family. I will be offline for a few days!

Beth

 

Date Rice Krispie Cookies and White Marshmallow Candy

Date Rice Krispie Cookies

 

This is more like a candy then a cookie.  Jim’s sister Phyllis gave me this recipe in the 70′s.  Phyllis didn’t cook much from scratch but she had some really great goodie recipes.  I really miss her!

 

Melt 1/2 pound margarine, then add 1 pound cut up dates.  Beat 2 eggs and add with 1 cup of sugar.  Boil all ingredients together for 5 minutes over medium heat stirring constantly.  Let cool.

Put mixture in a large bowl.  Add 5 cups rice krispies.  Mix together.  With buttered hands  roll into balls and coat the balls with chopped pecans or coconut.

Posted in Cookies

And if you want another recipe to use up the Rice Krispies I have another one.

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White Marshmallow Candy

Every year at Christmas time at home I would take a tray of goodies to my dentist’s office.  Would you believe this was their favorite   My daughter gave me this recipe a long time ago. 

• 2 lbs. white bark  (Instead of the white bark you may use Nestlé’s white chocolate chips)
• 1 cup crunchy peanut butter
• 2 cups dry roasted peanuts
• 3 cups crisp rice cereal
• 2 cups miniature marshmallows (the colored ones make this candy look festive)

Melt bark and peanut butter together in microwave in a large bowl.  Stir every minute until melted. Add nuts and cereal to the melted mixture.  Stir in marshmallows.  Drop by teaspoonful on wax paper and let cool.  Freezes well so you can make this way ahead.

Posted in Candy

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I have decided the date cookie is what I am making for the cookie exchange next week.  Thanks Liz for inviting me again!!

Have a wonderful day.  Stay safe and be happy!!

Beth

It is bitter cold…

on this Tuesday morning on 10 December 2013.  There is snow on the ground, the wind is gusting at 25 miles an hour.  It is 10 degrees and the wind chill is well below zero.  I am not going out today.  I called my daughter and asked if she would bring my short handled snow shovel over sometime today and a couple of things from the store.  I have a dental appointment on Thursday and I am thinking about calling and changing that appointment.  The weather forecast is for more snow tomorrow with the bitter cold temps remaining.

Another Christmas item.  I purchased this at the Hospital Christmas Bazaar last year.

My new tin sign I purchased at Gordmans this year.  The picture is a bit blurry but you get the general idea.

I am almost to my 1000th post on this blog.  If you were to add all of the posts from my various blogs here and on wordpress the total would be in the several thousands! 

I hope the weather is nice wherever you are and the sun is shining.  Stay safe and be happy!!

Beth

The day before…

Thanksgiving.  I hope you are all prepared.  I am getting ready for turkey and dressing, mashed potatoes and gravy, etc.  I am feeling better each day.  Not much energy yet but I am getting there.

10 things I am thankful for on Thanksgiving Day 2013:

1. My faith in God, He holds my hand when I need it.
2. My family.
3. My friends including my blogging family who has held me up in prayer so many times this year when I really needed it.
4. I am thankful that I was eating at the Red Lobster in Peoria when the tornado struck.  If I had been home I would have been in the kitchen as it was nearing lunchtime.
5. Healthcare insurance.  I have used it so much this year.
6. Food on the table (too much sometimes)
7. A roof  over my head as many of my neighbors do not have a roof over their heads right now.
8. A bright sunshiny day.
9. My brain is still functioning properly.
10. And last but not least, I am thankful that I was born and raised in the United States of America.  I love my country!!

My kitchen window is still boarded up, inside and out so it is pretty dark in my kitchen.  I was told that my window should be installed in a couple of weeks. 

I hope you all have a Blessed Thanksgiving.  Stay safe and be happy!!

Love,

Beth

I don’t even want to think about it…

It will take a miracle and some luck and Wacha to get us back on track.   Because I think so highly of my Boston friend I again will congratulate the Red Sox.  But only because I luv ya Paul!

I have been out a couple of times looking for fall foliage that looked good.  Unfortunately the drought we had all summer has taken its toll and there is not much to be found.  I took the following picture this morning in the Wal*Mart parking lot.  I think that is the best I can do this year.  While in Wal*Mart I purchased an electric blanket for my son in law’s birthday.

I  also stopped by Goodwill this morning dropped off some CDs and clothing. 

AND much to my surprise gas was below $3 a gallon this morning at Thorntons.  The last time I can remember that gas was $3 a gallon was  back in 2006.  I found that in one of my old blogs.

And so being the thrifty person that I am I now have a full tank of gas. 

Since I am posting this late in the day I don’t imagine it will show up on the dashboard until sometime in the middle of the night.

I hope this day is being good to you.  It is very dreary today and the temp right now is 48 degrees.

Whatever you do stay safe and be happy.  It is a lot easier on you to be happy than to be always sad.

Beth

 

Sunday…Special

I have been up early this morning.  I invited my daughter and son in law over for a meal after church.  I have a peach cobbler in the oven.  I will have chicken tenders, potato salad and 3 corn casserole.  It feels good to be back in the kitchen working but I confess that it does wear me out.

I am doing better each week with my recovery and a scan next month should let me know if I am in remission.  I am praying for that.

The weather here today is chilly but sunny.  It is 47 degrees right now and to warm into the 60s this afternoon.

Just a little catch up here on this blog as I forget to post regularly.

You all stay safe and be happy!!

Beth

Gravity….Bullock and Clooney

 

I saw this movie yesterday.  If you were to see that Sandra Bullock and George Clooney were together in a movie would you think romance.  I did?  I thought the movie was terrible.  It was 1 hour and 31 minutes of Bullock and Clooney whirling around in outer space.  It was in 3 D which was why there was so much floating around in space I guess.  My daughter loved the movie, I thought it was terribly boring.  I actually enjoyed the time I had to leave the movie for a few minutes to go to the rest room.  And that is my review of this movie.  I think it will probably appeal to the younger crowd.

Have a great weekend.  Stay safe and be happy!!

Beth

I will never forget…

I was on my computer and I had the TV in the room turned on  so I knew right away.  Jim was mowing the lawn.  I shut off the computer and TV and went outdoors and got Jim.  We sat in front of the TV in the living room all day long.  We called all of our family just to make sure they were all OK. 

The lawnmower sat right where he left it until the next day when Jim finished mowing.  In all of our many years together Jim had never left the lawnmower outside overnight.

May God Bless America!!

Beth

Marigold Festival, Pekin Illinois

The Marigold Festival will be held here this Friday, Saturday and Sunday.  I will not be attending this year.  It always draws a massive crowd and I don’t want to be in a large crowd for awhile.  Pekin is known as the Marigold Capital of the World.  http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pekin,_Illinois

http://www.pekinchamber.com/marigoldfestival.html

 

Miss Marigold, 2013

http://www.pekinchamber.com/marigoldpageant.html

 

Have a wonderful day.  Stay safe and be happy!!

Beth