Whole Wheat Chocolate Chip Cookies

This is my families favorite cookie recipe. I use applesauce instead of butter or margerine to cut down on the fat. You could also use banana instead of applesauce, I have tried bananas in my brownie recipe and it is delicious. Now keep in mind that this will not taste anything like a sticky sweet white flour choco-chip cookie. BUT if eating healthy is your goal then this is the cookie for you. I prefer to put them in the freezer as soon as they cool to keep them fresh, we don't even thaw them to eat them they are delicious right out of the freezer. A silicone baking sheet is a great tool to have on hand, I don't have to grease it and my cookies never stick.

Thrifty!

Wow! did being thrifty pay off for me today. I don't normally go shopping on Sunday's (its my official-nap after church day) but I needed a few things and I could not resist checking out the Volunteers of America thrift shop while I was out. As I was walking around, I spotted this wheat grinder. I immediatly went into slow motion, as I got closer everything outside of my direct view blurred. I had visions of someone getting closer than I and taking it home to be thier treasure. The price said $4.99 and I looked around expecting there to be a crowd, someone I would have to compete with. But there was no one......Hooray......but me stairing dreamily as I embraced this chunk if plastic. My husband and I have been on the look out for a good used grinder, but this far exceeds anything I could have dreamed of, we had done our homework and Wheat grinders are expensive $250.00 for a good quality one new. I paid for my grinder and took it to my car, my daughter did not know what to think when I put a seatbelt around it for safe transport! I do not believe in luck, I believe in Divine Placement ;) and giving credit where credit is do. hmm what is that verse about Him knowing our wants and needs ?

Polka Dot Cupcakes

My daughter has a thing for Polka Dots. Not wanting to dissapoint her I explored "simple"ways to put them on cup cakes. Merckens wafers and chocolate chips turned upside down worked great. Hooray for Simple!

Grandma'a Aprons

I came across these photo's this morning on my computer. These were my Grandmother's aprons. It caused me to reminisce. I miss her, even though she is still alive, but suffering from Alzhiemers. I remember going to her house as a little girl. Seeing her in the kitchen with one of these aprons on, Spatula in hand, making a cake for someone. Sometimes we would be fortunate enough to arrive while she was in her garden, I can see her smiling at me,apron on, with a basket full of veggies, eating peas as she coaxes me along to enjoy the fruits of her labor with her. My Grandmother was crafty to be sure, she could cook,crochet and sew among other things. But the most creative thing she did was share Love. No matter what she did with us, she did it with love. Making sure everyone was happy, she saw the value in a smile. And found simple ways to make it appear. When we were angry, she would open up the closet door and step inside to show us how to get rid of it. We would all take turns stepping inside, closing the door and screaming at the top of our lungs. We would all giggle when Grandma did it, of coarse she wasnt angry, but she sure could scream. She made every thing non confrontational, it was an artform that I have yet to master. I miss those days, I miss her. I can only hope that I learn to be half the master of creativity that she is. Grandma Stefan here is a smile for you :)

Theraputic Scarf

My husband had surgery on his neck this past spring. Now that the weather is getting cold he is really feeling uncomfortable. I am hoping this will do the trick, I made a short scarf (he is not the scarf wearing kind of man) and stitched a pocket onto it so he can insert a disposable heat pack when he is out in the cold for long periods of time. I also made a small rice filled pack that he can place on the heat vent in his vehicle and put in the scarf pocket.

Cardboard Jeep

Update-I've had alot of people ask for more info on the jeep. I hope these pictures and measurements help

This is one of my favorite things to do if I have a lot of extra time. There are endless possibilitys with cardboard. This is the Safari Jeep/ Puppet theatre for a class I teach at my church. The back is open so the kids can play in it.

Paper Plate Safari Hats

Thank you Vanity Fair! I was looking for a way to make a bunch of Safari hats on the cheap, and paper plates were the answer. I traced the shape of the bowl onto the plate and cut the hole slightly smaller, hot glued them together and Wa-La .
add a little spray paint and some jute twine. FYI buy the jute twine in the section of Walmart where they sell rope , it is alot cheaper than what you buy in the craft section and is just as good.