Chocolate Chip Cookies and Tear Jerking Movies

I know I've said this before but THIS is the best chocolate chip cookie recipe ever. I'm constantly looking for the ultimate chocolate chip cookie recipe and so I seem to always be on the quest. I stumbled upon this recipe today and decided to give it a go. OH MY GOODNESS!! So far, this is the best! I found it on this wonderful blog called Kaitlin in the Kitchen. Check her out. She has the most amazing, comforting, recipes I've seen. I guarantee you will bite into some soft, chewy goodness when it comes out of the oven!

I decided not to fix the whole batch of cookies and froze the rest of the batch. To do this you simply drop your dough on your cookie sheet as if you're going to pop it into the oven but instead you pop it into the freezer. You can freeze uncovered for an hour to overnight. Once crystals have started forming on the dough balls you can now drop them into a zip lock and freeze until you're ready to use!

Lemme tell you I am so glad I made these cookies tonight because I watched the movie Hachi, A Dog's Tale. I have never bawled so hard in my life!! I mean not just tears rolling down my face....but deep, emotional crying. It's a true story about a dog named Hachiko that took place in Shibuya, Japan. You can read more about the story here. It's a wonderful story of love and loyalty and I warn you a box of tissues isn't enough. :) I had to eat a couple of cookies afterwards while still crying, mind you.

Hope you all had a wonderful weekend!

Staying clean the less expensive way!

Okay, I really didn't know any other way to title this post or maybe the creative side of my vocabulary was on vacation today. Lol! This past week I had to buy a few things that I ran out of, hand soap, shower gel and lotion. Now I'm one of those gals that loves shopping at your fancy bath and body stores in the mall but with the economic crisis going on right now, I just couldn't justify spending a fortune on bath goodies. So, here are a few alternatives and places to go that offer less expensive products but still fancy enough to make you feel good and feel like you spent millions! :)

I bought this shower gel at my local TJ Maxx and aside from the beautiful, romantic design on the label, it smells so refreshing and, I kid you not, lathers JUST as well as any other you buy in a fancy store. I only spent $3.99 for this big bottle. Sorry for the bad lighting. Bathroom lighting is hard to work with.

This may sound familiar if you've gone to those fancy stores in the mall but, yes, it's a knock-off and might I add JUST as good as those other ones and for this humongous bottle I spent $5.99. I bought this at our local Fred Meyer.

Now I swear this hand soap is the best hand soap I have experienced or smelled. Yep, better than any of those you buy in the markets or, let's say it altogether, those fancy stores in the mall. I bought this at TJ Maxx also and spent only $3.99.

So, in these economic hard times, give these less expensive, but just as good, brands a chance. Great places to look are Ross, TJ Maxx, CVS, Fred Meyer and Marshalls. I'm sure these stores are booming with business right now. So, be smart, save money and enjoy great finds like these!

Finally!

Man I thought my tomatoes were never going to turn red. I hear some homemade salsa calling my name very soon! My tomatoes kinda look like pumpkins. I have no clue what kind of tomatoes I have. My girlfriend, who is a master gardener, sent me home with these tomatoes that weren't doing to well...but the tag was gone so I have no clue what kind it is. Anyone know? :)

I still have babies popping up too!

This is what life is all about per Quincy.

Relaxing. He looks a little high though. Perhaps too much catnip? Lol!

Ah yes, the kitties are all still doing great. Mocha is even holding her own at almost 14 1/2 with her medical issues.

One little scare recently though. Emma somehow got out and spent the night in a bush only a few condos up from ours. My friend Bryan came and looked everywhere with me at midnight (after looking most of the evening) with no success. That night I had a dream that Emma came home with another cat friend! Arrgghhh!! I was so hoping that wouldn't be true. So the next morning I took another walk calling Emma's name out, combing the bushes and shrubs. All of a sudden, the cat that came home with Emma in my dream popped out of a bush to say hello. Yep, the cat looked exactly the same! We said our hellos and I continued on my way. "Emma!"...."Emma!"....and then a little high pitched squeaky meow came from a very low bush. Out crawled Emma, dusty from laying in the dirt and happy that her mommy found her. I carried her all the way home and let me tell you, she was one happy cat after she got in the door. Good thing mommy saved the day. Now I just have to figure out how the heck she got out. Sometimes the kitties are in the garage exploring and she may have slipped out when I was taking the trash out. Either that or Mocha shoved her out the door without me looking. See, Mocha has had this ongoing scheme of getting rid of Emma and Quincy.

Alls well that ends well, right Emma? She's fine..the food is still here. :)

Adding a little glamour to a simple lampshade!

So my girlfriend and I decided to meet up at a local fish market to pick out what we wanted to fix for dinner. Of course, this was before we stumbled into the winery next door for some wine tasting, lol. That's when we happened upon this adorable, most irresistible store! As I was amusing myself with their fun and amazing art, I came across this sweet little lampshade. Then I realized it was simply dressed up with a gorgeous ribbon that matched the shade and a brooch! Isn't it amazing how something so simple can bring something alive?

Things have been a bit crazy here lately (in a good way) but they will soon be calm and I will be visiting you all again very soon! Hope you all had a great Labor Day weekend!

Gooseberry Patch Blog!

I'm sure you have but if you're a slow discoverer like me I wanted to share it with you. I love Gooseberry Patch and everything about it! It's just so full of down home goodness. Whenever I look at anything Gooseberry Patch it makes me want to put on my jean overalls, chew on a piece of grass and kick my legs up in a field of sunflowers.

If you haven't seen their blog, swing on over and peruse your heart out! Just click on the button above and it will take you right over there!

Eat, Pray, Love And Finding the Magic in Between

I recently saw this movie with my good friend and although I heard mixed reviews on it, I never listen to reviews. So, I saw it. I loved it and I related to Julia Robert's character in the movie so, so much! I'm sure a lot of us, in fact, can relate to her character (or should I say Elizabeth Gilbert). The journey to find yourself can be presently surprising and at the same time scary, especially when having to face your own flaws. Once we do find the happiness within, whether through spirituality or great food (as depicted in the movie) the possiblities become endless! Yea, yea, yea, this is yet another Julia Roberts sappy film but every now and then it can hit at the right time....and for me, this was the right time. So, long film and all, I loved it and I don't care what the critics say! Oh and I am definitely getting the soundtrack. I LOVED the music! What you're hearing is just a taste of it!

Have you seen it? Do tell us your opinion good or bad! :)

Trying to please everyone....

At a recent get together at my girlfriend's house. I'm holding her adorable granddaughter and trying to pet their sweet dog at the same time. Typical me.

They're just a few of the sweetest things in life. :)

Dreaming in Blue

You know, I'm not really into blues but when I saw this at Countryliving.com I thought, well, who says I can't change? :) Now, where's my bubble bath? *sigh*

A Princess Riding a Princess

Okay, funny title huh? Well, it was sort of true. I rode today with my friend Brenda who is a trainer. She'll usually call me when she needs help exercising her horses. Well, today, I rode this girl and her name is Princess, a Paso Fino-Standardbred cross who is a singlefoot registered. Yep, me a princess (sometimes) rode a horse named Princess. How ironic is that? She was a short little girl, only 14.2 so I probably looked funny on her. Lol! For being a small mare, though she had a lot of endurance and love in her despite where she came from. See, she was rescued and brought to Brenda's for a little TLC. :) She had not been ridden in almost a year and for an 11 year old getting her back on the trails was a must! She did great! I hope I get to ride her again soon!!

This is the video of her (since she is for sale now) with Mary riding her at Brenda's outdoor arena.




It's been hot, hot, hot here! Hope you're all staying cool!

My new shag rug...

What do you think? :)

Walking Bentley and Sachi Update!

Today was an awesome day. I went over to spend time with Sachi, my good friend who has cancer and who I mentioned in an earlier post. We had a nice lunch at her house with another friend of hers, who I adore now that I've gotten to know her and we just had some fun girly time. Also, I wanted to let you all know that the new round of chemo treatment she is on seems to be doing something positive! They cannot find the original tumor anymore and nothing new has surfaced so that is wonderful news! Her strength is back, she is exercising and taking walks and just looks great all around! I loved seeing her like this. Thank you all for your prayers! They are definitely helping. Prayer is a wonderful thing, isn't it?

I also had the chance to take Mr. Bentley for a walk again. I love our walks together. Today we passed by a small little apple tree and try as I might, I could only find a single green apple. It just hung there all alone...all by itself. It kept screaming for me to pick it but I was afraid that the neighbor would see and Bentley and I would have to go tearing up the street, running from the neighbor. I'm sure Bentley would have tripped me at some point and well...I settled for a picture instead.


Maybe if it's there next time I walk Bentley I'll take it and run! Hope you all are having a great weekend!

If I could.....

I would adopt every single animal that had the misfortune of suffering, in any form. No animal deserves to suffer without the chance to know true love from us. This story about Joyce brought tears to my eyes but has a happy ending. :)



If I had the means, I would have a sanctuary for homeless and abused fur babies. So if you think about it...the next time you want to bring a furry friend into your life, checkout the shelters first. Please? :)

The Fair Is Here!

This past Saturday I was able to go to the fair with one of my best friends and have some really good junk food and see the animals. What better of a combination, right? :))

Are you surprised this handsome guy won first place?

These were some of the best curly fries I've ever tasted!

Isn't this corn dog beautiful? Lol! The batter was oh so cakey!

And my friend had this de-licious Philly!

I gotta go fix dinner now! I'm starving! Lol!

I have a secret....

I finally had my chance to try on a real cowboy hat. Whadda ya'll think?

And I owe it to this handsome cowboy for letting me wear it.

Thanks Urban Cowboy (a true gentleman). ;) Hoping to see that hat and that smile again soon.

Now girls...don't start getting carried away. Lol!

Ahhh...the sweet smell of lavender is in the air!

My lavender has finally dried and I'm storing it in a jar for future use! There's something about the intoxicating smell of lavender that makes me wanna...oh...what's the word....RELAX. Do you all remember that word or verb I should say. :) Well it definitely relaxed me while I pulled the lavender buds off the sprigs.




Have you ever heard of lavender lemonade? While I haven't tried it yet, I heard about it on the Oprah Winfrey show. Now, ya gotta trust Oprah, right? It sounds refreshing to me so I'm gonna give it a go before the end of summer!

Lavender Lemonade

Ingredients:

•3 cups sugar
•7 sprigs lavender (stems and buds), plus additional for garnish*
•2 cups fresh lemon juice (from about 12 lemons)
•1/2 cup fresh lime juice (from about 5 limes)

Directions:

In a large saucepan, bring one gallon of water and the sugar to a boil. Remove from heat; add 7 lavender sprigs and lemon and lime juices. Cool to room temperature, strain, and chill. Serve on ice, with additional lavender for garnish.

**Recipe courtesy of www.oprahwinfrey.com**

A Gift I Will Cherish Forever

Yesterday I went to visit my good friend, Sachi (Sue is her given name but all her friends call her by her nickname Sachi...meaning "child of joy" in Japanese). Sachi is my friend who is going through chemo and I have to say she has never looked better! We think this round of chemo is doing a better job! Thank you all for your prayers!! Anyway, she blessed me with a gift I will cherish forever. She gave me her two vintage hats from the 1940's. I was beside myself! You all know how much I love the 40's and that era. I even tried them on. *sigh* The green one has a tag inside of it that says Macy's, New York (even MORE beside myself)!

I will be thinking of the perfect place to display them aside from the times when I'm alone and playing dress-up and pretending I lived in the 40's. Lol!






Thank you SO VERY MUCH, Sachi! I will cherish them forever and ever and ever!!! What a special gift from a very special friend. xo

How Sweet It Is To Be Loved!

This was too sweet not to grab my iPhone and take a picture. Emma was curled up next to me while I was on the computer and in one swift movement she stretched and tenderly laid her arm across mine. I mean how much sweeter does it get? Oh and I swear my arm isn't really that fat! Pictures lie, I swear! Geez, I lose ten pounds in the last five months and all I get out of it is this picture with a fat arm. Nice.

Also, if you can all send some prayers again for Mocha. She had a bout with an infection and stopped eating for a day and a half. After a vet visit and antibiotics she is eating like a pig again but still very thin. I'm hoping she will put some weight back on. On this visit with a new vet, however, she did not feel a mass like her former vet did but it still could be something more serious than Irritable Bowel Disease. Stabilizing her is all I'm asking for. :) I call her my Energizer bunny. Lol! Thank you!

Perhaps She Came From Hogwarts?

I recently stumbled upon new blog and I am so happy I did. It's enchantingly called I Hope They Have Pudding. This delightful and whimsical blog is charmingly written by Miss Cellar Door. In reading her new blog and the way she writes, she reminds me of a student that has just left Hogwarts in pursuit of discovering the magic of life! She recently responded to my last post with a delectable recipe of Blueberry Mead, compliments of her Great Aunt Driven. What a wonderful recipe it was, indeed! I urge you to check it out if you have a chance by clicking here. Thank you Miss Cellar Door for gifting me with this recipe and for starting such a great blog! I hope to see a lot more posts in the near future. I thoroughly enjoy your writing!

Another garden surprise!

And you can imagine I was as blue as Violet from Willy Wonka when I saw it! My first blueberry that has finally turned blue! The big question is, will the others cooperate?

Have a great weekend everyone!