So Proud...

Ok, one of my dreams is to author a cookbook. Not compile a bunch of recipes created by others-an actual cookbook of recipes that I have written...such an exciting dream, eh? Anyway, I talked with Marke about this back in September and I'm proud of announce I've created my first one! It's a cookie recipe, and I've been working on it for quite awhile-figuring out what works, what doesn't...etc, etc. So, here ya go...if you're a baker-make 'em and let me know what you think!

1/2 cup butter (salted), at room temperture
1/2 cup white granulated sugar
1/2 cup brown sugar (firmly packed)
1/2 tsp. baking powder
1/4 tsp. baking soda
1 egg
1 tsp. PURE almond extract (splurge, it's worth it!)
1 cup all-purpose flour
1/4 cup wheat flour
1 cup rolled oats (any style oatmeal will work)
1/2 cup flaked sweetened coconut
1 cup chopped dried fruit (cranberries, peaches, apricots, dates...you get the idea)
1 cup white chocolate chips

1. In a medium mixing bowl, beat the butter with an electric mixer (or you can use a stand mixer with the paddle attachment) for 30 seconds. Add the sugars, baking powder, baking soda; beat until combined. Beat in the egg and the almond extract. Add flour, mix until combined. Mix in oatmeal, coconut, and dried fruit. Fold in white chocolate chips.
2. Drop dough by a rounded teaspoon 2 inches apart on a cookie sheet lined with parchment paper.
3. Bake cookies in a 375 degree oven for 8-10 minutes, until very light brown. Remove from oven, let cool on sheet for a few minutes, then transfer to a wire rack (note: I don't own a wire rack, I've never used one and my cookies turn out fine. I just lay 'em out on the counter, or on a piece of foil)

Recipe yields 2 dozen cookies-but I make them large. If you use an actual rounded teaspoon, you're bound to get more!

::Drool::

I've made this cookies really big before and added more oatmeal for a thicker dough-resulting in more of a granola bar style cookie. I used to send them in Marke's lunch for a quick breakfast or snack, since they're not overly sweet.

100 Things...

Inspired by Pastor Ryan and the movie The Bucket List...here is a list of 100 things that I want to accomplish in my lifetime (might not think of them all right now) and at least 10 that I want to accomplish in 2009. Wanna make a list with me?

2009:

• Read the Bible cover to cover
• Read 100 books
• Lose 20-30 pounds, the healthy way
• Pay off all but one credit card
• Work with "To write love on her arms" in some capacity
• Host 6-10 Extreme Tour events
• Have an operating "Open Door" policy at my house. Anybody in need, anytime.
• Fast for 1 day
• Go beyond the Horizon Church walls-grass roots ministry
• Start a Children's Worship Ministry at Horizon
• Homeschool Dakota for Kindergarten

In General:

• Travel to Italy
• Travel to England
• Travel to Ireland
• Go backpacking in another country for at least a few days
• Take a backpacking trip at least once a year
• Start drinking beer (so I can enjoy it with Marke, instead of making faces)
• Read every work of Shakespeare
• Learn to play a musical instrument
• Have a thriving garden
• Work in a bakery
• Author a cookbook
• Have a "pro" kitchen
• Give my children the best education I can, whether that's through me or someone else
• Take a formal dance class
• Have one year of buying nothing new
• Give without setting limits
• Finish my tattoos (2 full sleeves, 1 side/rib tattoo, around my hips, and back/side of neck)
• Run/walk a marathon
• Go snowboarding
• Teach a yoga class
• Teach a cooking class
• Give away my stuff
• Raise loving children
• Be married for 50+ years
• See my Dad, Mom, sister and brother come to Christ
• Type 60 words a minute
• Climb Mt. Baldy w Marke
• Speak fluent Spanish
• Learn to swim well
• Visit New York
• Visit Chicago
• Visit Seattle
• Learn to fence
• Become proficient in the use of a firearm
• Become familiar with classical compositions

That's all I can think of for now-that's exhausting!

Laughing Wild

While talking to my pastor's wife earlier this evening, I was reminded of my time spent in drama class in high school...I decided to look up the monologue I performed. Since I'm too lazy and/or cheap to buy the entire script, I found the single monologue online and here it is! (Ahem, the following does contain strong language)

Woman: I want to talk to you about life. It’s just too difficult to be alive, isn’t it, and try to function? There are all these people to deal with. I tried to buy a can of tuna fish in the supermarket, and there was this person standing right in front of where I wanted to reach out to get the tuna fish, and I waited a while, to see if they’d move, and they didn’t—they were looking at tuna fish too, but they were taking a real long time on it, reading the ingredients on each can like they were a book, a pretty boring book if you ask me, but nobody has; so I waited a long while, and they didn’t move, and I couldn’t get to the tuna fish cans; and I thought about asking them to move, but then they seemed so stupid not to have sensed that I needed to get by them that I had this awful fear that it would do no good, no good at all, to ask them, they’d probably say something like, “We’ll move when we’re goddam ready you nagging bitch” and then what would I do? And so then I started to cry out of frustration, quietly, so as not to disturb anyone, and still, even though I was softly sobbing, this stupid person didn’t grasp that I needed to get by them, and so I reached over with my fist, and I brought it down real hard on his head and screamed: “Would you kindly move asshole!!!”And the person fell to the ground, and looked totally startled, and some child nearby started to cry, and I was still crying, and I couldn’t imagine making use of the tuna fish now anyway, and so I shouted at the child to stop crying—I mean, it was drawing too much attention to me—and I ran out of the supermarket, and I thought, I’ll take a taxi to the Metropolitan Museum of Art, I need to be surrounded with culture right now, not tuna fish.

CannonBall Read

UPDATED 03/27/2009 The challenge: 100 Books in One Year. There are some rules, books have to be at least 200 pages, no short stories (unless longer than 6 stories) etc. Who's with me?

Twilight
New Moon
Eclipse
Breaking Dawn
The Host
InkHeart
The Shack
The Flying Troutmans
InkSpell
Marked, a House of Night novel
Angels on Sunset Boulevard
The Tale of Despereaux
I am the Messenger
Redeeming Love-a modern day story of Hosea
Recent Updates:Midnight Sun (Yeah, I know it's not completed yet...but I read it, I don't know when it'll be finished, it was 237 pages, it counts-deal with it!)
A Woman of Worship, a study through the book of Psalms
The Glass Castle
The Hiding Place (blog to come about what God had for me in that...)
Starting: InkDeath

19 down, 81 to go...7 months to go...That's only 11 books a month! pffft...

Things that make me deliriously happy

*Fresh-picked flowers in an odd vase (think wine glass, big bowl, old tin pitcher)

*When all four children are sitting quietly, either eating a snack or watching TV (I didn't say that these would be ideal situations-don't be wagging your childhood obesity stick at me)

*The smell of wet pavement after a summer thunderstorm

*Summer thunderstorms :)

*The refrigerator being all neat and tidy

*And the pantry

*Fresh-baked goodies, that I made myself (the dishes make me deliriously UN-happy, but let's focus on the positive)

*Curling up next to Marke after an exhausting day (Betcha didn't think I'd get this sappy, huh?)

*The noise and chaos that comes when friends and family are all in the same place...admittedly, it does make my heart a bit panicky when things get that noisy, but it makes me ultimately happy

Like an old flame you never wanted to see again...

Whew, it's been awhile. Chalk up my silence here to general busy-ness, listliness, and a sense of, oh, I don't know-what do I say? What is there to write about? So many other people have said it, and said it better, the last thing the world needs is another blogger. Before I get too negative (too late) I have been inspired lately by Dooce. Unless you live in a cave (and if so, well, hello cave person...nice to meet you) you've probably heard of Heather Armstrong. I've been reading her blog for years, laughing with her, at her...and crying with her and her family. Yes, I'm the sort of crazy person who gets caught up in the emotional baggage of people I don't even know, yet I can't seem to place a phone call to my sister if my life depended on it. But I digress. She's recently been featured on well-known morning news shows (the name of which escapes me at the moment) and has been making headlines doing the very thing that I am doing. Writing about life, her family, her struggles, her love of bacon. I know without a doubt, that her blog has touched people, encouraged people, and pissed a lot of people off. I figure, if she can do it, so can I. Not for the success factor (although, to be honest? Getting paid to write would be a dream) but for the fact that if something I've gone through, can help someone else? Then my struggle has been infinitely worth it. My heart finds such peace in that.

I've jumped back on the exercise wagon, because it's been far too long. I need a change, I need to feel healthy again. Sure, losing weight is the ultimate goal, I'm no Queen Latifah and a size satisfied, I have a dream of being Heather at a size 7...but I really do want to have more energy, feel more alert, and take care of this body that I have so graciously been given. A friend burned me a copy of Yoga Booty Ballet (hello, pirating!) I tried it today for the first time and I...just can't do it. I cannot, with a straight-face, get into child's pose and consult my "inner chakra" Want to know what I did when I (finally) manuevered into child's pose? I farted. I think that says enough. Yoga, my booty, and ballet are not a match made in heaven. Onto the next one...

As usual, there's so much more to say, but my day here is picking up again so I shall be going...

Credo this

Homework Assignment

Alright Fishy, I hope I get a gold star for this one! :)

My Credo

J.O.Y (Jesus, Others, Yourself)

Let God lead the dance of my life

Kiss each baby (Dakota, Jackson, Montana, Bradyn and Marke) as often as possible. It's NEVER too much.

Keep in touch with people who love you. Even when you don't feel like loving them back.

Take showers in the dark. (Just don't shave your legs in the dark-ouch!)

Keep family traditions going, and make some new ones.

Keep my recipes a secret ;)

Pray and pray often.

Indulge myself, every once in awhile.

It's ok to not finish the TO-DO list everyday. (Not something I ACTUALLY believe in yet, but know that I should)

Discipline my children. What a disservice to them if I am their friend first and their parent second.

Submit.

Whew-my brain hurts.

--Heather's going to name it and claim it (hehe)