Happy Birthday to the best friend a girl could ever ask for!!

Meet Staci, my best friend.   Have I ever told you our story?  Staci and I met waaaaaaaaaaaaayyyyyyy back at Frank Borman Elementary School (you know, in the dark ages).  She is a year older than I am, that’s important for you to know.  I AM YOUNGER.  Anyway, we were mere acquaintances back in elementary school and junior high, but when we reached high school and had a class together we became inseparable, going to school, working together at Godfather’s Pizza and hanging out in our spare time.  A few months after high school graduation Staci moved to California to live with her mom.  We kept in touch for a while, but then she moved and forgot all about me.  She never wrote anymore, (I mean we had to write with pen and paper as email had not caught on yet) and we lost touch.  (Totally all her fault)  Years went by and I would think about Staci often, wondering where she was and what she was doing.  Several times I tried to find her, but it never worked out in my favor.   I thought she was lost forever. 

Fast forward to earl 1994:  I started working for Maritz Travel Company, Apple Computer was our contract. 

Rewind to 1987-1988: Staci worked for Apple Computer for a long time during HS and after.  Prior to 1994 Staci and I had both lived in many different cities and states.

Fast forward again, back to 1994.  When I started working for MTC, I was working on email and thought I saw Staci’s name on the contact list, I was busy at the time and thought I would go back to it later. I forgot for a few weeks, and when I went back to check it out, I could not find her name.  Now, it is November or December 1994, I was in the cafeteria at Apple having a nice little lunch when I saw a familiar face across the room……you guessed it, it was my good friend Staci!  I couldn’t believe it; I jumped from my seat, started running towards her, yelling her name with my arms open wide ready to embrace her. She looked like a deer in headlights as this freakishly gorgeous woman (her words, not mine J ) started running towards her.  Once she realized it was not a crazy woman about to attack her, she was thrilled to see me.  As it turns out, the name I saw on email was her name, but before I returned to check it out, she had gotten married and had changed her name. 

Now almost 14 years since our reunion at Apple Computer we are still best friends.  We have both moved numerous times, but have managed to keep our friendship in tact.  Many times over those 14 years we have lived just a few hours apart (no, her hubby is not military).  Staci is a best friend anyone would love to have.  Staci, thanks for always being there for me.  The past couple of years, you were my one constant.  You put up with me during the hardest time of my life (when Hubby was in Iraq for 15 months).  You let me and the kids live with you for the summer, you took care of my children when I needed a break, you cared for me when I was sick, you were there for me when I didn’t feel like I could take one more day of Hubby being in a war zone.   You took my little boys when I had to make an emergency trip to Colorado while Hubby was in Iraq, not only did you take them you drove over 2 hours to get them.  Thank you for that.   Thank you for being you, the best friend I could ever ask for.  

Top things I miss about Staci……

·          Talking on the phone  with 3, 4, sometimes 5 times a day
·          Going shopping
·          Spending weekends together
·          Having a scrap booking partner
·          Going shopping with her
·          Chick-fila
·          Bushes chicken
·          Going shopping with her
·          Talking late into the night
·          Playing games
·          Going shopping with her
·          Cooking with her
·          Drinking basil lime martini’s with her
·          ROAD TRIPS!!
·          And did I mention I miss GOING SHOPPING with her?!

HAPPY 40th Birthday! 

I love and miss you!

Go to this website to find Boy 3!  There is a photo strip in the middle left side of the screen (it takes it a little while to load), just scroll down on it, roll your mouse over the pictures and you should be able to find him.  He is in about 5 or 6 shots.

OH BABY, these were GOOD!!!  I got them off this website, she labeled them as "Possibly The Best Lemon Squares" & I am here to tell you, she might be right.  They are the best lemon squares I have ever made, not that I have ever made them before.  J  You should try them.

The Crust
¾ cup plus 2 TBL flour
1/3 cup powdered sugar plus extra for garnish
2 TBL corn starch
Pinch of salt
6 TBL butter cut into pieces 

The Filling
2 large eggs
2/3 cups sugar
1 ½ TBL flour
1 tsp lemon zest
1/3 cup fresh lemon juice
3 TBL heavy cream
Pinch of salt

Don’t preheat the oven yet.  Line an 8 inch square pan with foil & spray the foil with cooking spray

Pulse flour, powdered sugar, cornstarch & salt in food processor.  Add butter and process to blend, about 10 seconds, then pulse till course.  Pour the very dry mixture into pan and press over bottom.  Refrigerate for 30 minutes.  While it chills make the filling.

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.  Bake chilled crust for 20 minutes or till edges are very lightly brown

Filling:  With a fork, lightly beat eggs, sugar and flour together in a bowl, add lemon juice, lemon zest heavy cream and salt, mix well.

Reduce oven temp to 325 degrees F.  Pour filling over warm crust.  Bake for 20 minutes or till filling no longer appears wet and shaky. 

Set on wire rack and cool to room temperature.  Lift from pan, place on cutting board, cut into bars then sprinkle with extra powdered sugar.

 

I love passing by guys selling things out of the back of their trucks.  Often times I stop and by fresh fruit from them. I assume it is ok, because I see locals doing it as well!

Last night Boy 3 came into our room around 1:30AM, he crawled in our bed where he laid for about 5 minutes, got up and went back to his bed.  About 10 minutes later he was back in our bed.  After much tossing, turning & kicking me in the back I took him back to his room tucked him in.  About 10 minutes later he was back in our room.  I made a spot on the floor for him & put him there.  During all of this, there was never a word spoken, all was done in silence.  10 minutes later he was back in our bed, this time he whispered in my ear "monster" - oh, my poor baby, this time I put him on my chest and let him fall asleep. 

Everyone loved these cookies and they are very easy to make!  (Kathie, even you can make them) They are best if eaten warm right out of the oven, if you can't eat them right out of the oven, just pop them in the microwave for about 15 seconds to heat them up.

1 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips
1 ½ TBL butter
1 egg
¼ cup sugar
¼ tsp salt
½ tsp vanilla
½ cup flour
¼ tsp baking soda


Melt chips and butter in microwave, heat 30 seconds, stir, heat 30 more seconds, stir, repeat till melted.  Set aside.

Beat egg & sugar about 3 minutes or till light and fluffy, beat in salt and vanilla.  Gradually add melted chocolate & mix until well combined.  Add flour, baking soda, slowly.  Batter will not be stiff.  Chill batter in fridge for about 30 minutes. 

Preheat oven to 375 degrees F and line a cookie sheet with parchment paper. 

Spoon batter by rounded tablespoonfuls and make 8 equally sized cookies.  Bake for 12 minutes, cool on cookie sheet for about 3 minutes, then transfer to cooling rack.  Eat warm!

 

Seriously, I'm not kidding it is that good.  Try it & give me your opinion.


T's Top Shelf Margarita
2 cups sweet & sour (recipe follows)
1 cup triple sec
1 ½ cups Patron tequila (I used Silver)
1/3 cup Grand Marnier
Limes for garnish, cut into wheels

Combine all ingredients in a pitcher & mix.  

Prepare margarita glasses, to do so, pour salt onto a small plate, use either margarita salt or kosher salt.  Rub the rim of the glass with a lime, and then press the glass into the salt, fill glass with ice, then margarita & garnish with a lime wheel.  Sip slowly, these are so good you will want to drink them fast, but be cautious, you will feel loopy in no time!

 Makes 8 

 SWEET & SOUR MIX

1 cup sugar
1 cup water
1 cup fresh squeezed lime juice
1 cup fresh squeezed lemon juice

Combine sugar and water in a bowl, heat in microwave for 30 seconds, stir, heat for another 30 seconds, stir again.  Sugar should be completely dissolved by now.  Add lime juice and lemon juice to sugar water, & mix.   You will have more S&S than you need, you can make extra margaritas, or you can save your S&S mix in an air tight container in the fridge.

This is one of the side dishes we get at the little Mackerel restaurant we go to. We (Hubby and I) love this dish, but we really have no idea what we are eating.  It is a bit spicy and tastes a little fishy.  If you know what we are eating and please let us know!  

Call me boring if you wish, but my favorite cookie is the chocolate chip cookie.  I have tried and tested many different types of chocolate chip cookies, and I do have my favorite recipes,  someday I will share them with you.  However today is not that day, today we are going to focus on the Maple Gingersnap Cookie which caught my eye a few weeks back.  I found it out there in internet land however I can't figure out where I printed the recipe from,  I do remember the blogger had made homemade peach ice cream, (I am now kicking myself for not bring my ice cream maker to Korea) and Maple Gingersnaps.  Oh baby, the combo looked great together and I was drooling, but since I have no ice cream maker with me, I opted just to make the cookies.  These cookies were a big hit with the entire family, and I dream of the day I can have them with the fresh home made peach ice cream.

The recipe….

2 ¼ cups whole wheat flour
2 tsp ground ginger
½ tsp allspice
1 tsp cinnamon
2 tsp baking soda
¼ tsp white pepper
½ tsp salt
¾ cup sugar
½ cup light brown sugar
1 cup butter, room temp
1 egg

¼ cup + 2 TBL pure maple syrup, if you can find Grade B use it, if not Grade A is fine

In a bowl mix together first 7 ingredients (through salt) and set aside.

Cream butter and ½ cup sugar, and the brown sugar together for 2 minutes, or till light and fluffy.  With mixer running on medium, add the egg, then the syrup.

 Turn mixer down to low and add dry ingredients.

 Refrigerate dough for at least 30 minutes. 

While dough is chilling preheat oven to 350 degrees F.

 Roll dough into ¾ inch balls and roll in the remaining ¼ cup sugar.  Place balls on baking sheet lined with parchment paper about 3 inches apart.  Bake about 15 minutes, or till cookies are golden around the edges and but still a little soft in the middle.  Let them cool on the baking sheet for 5 minutes before you transfer them to a cooling rack….if you don’t wait, they will fall apart – trust me, I know from experience! 

This past weekend we were very busy....too many things on our plate.  One of the more fun things we did was Boy 3's birthday party. I know it was a week late (that just makes the birthday seem longer), but you do what you can and not a birthday can pass in our house without a party!  A fun time was had by all, even thought Mommies planning was a little (a LOT)  behind this year.  I did no go overboard at all, like I do on most birthday parties, it kills me that my reputation might be shot as the “overboard birthday party mom”. (The real title goes to my friend Lara, but she is in a way different league than even I.)  

All the children enjoyed decorating their own mini train car. 

And they had fun playing with playdough, building giant choo-choo tracks, popping balloons with their bottoms and hitting a (firetruck - not choo-choo) pinata.

He will never know this party was planned in less than a week....well, that is until he figures out how to read.......