Soft Molasses Cookies

I can't decide if I like Autumn or not. I get taken in by the cooler temperatures, the reds and golds of the changing leaves, and a break on my electric bill. But then there's the spiders. Lots of spiders. And that weird dew/condensation thing happening with your windshield where you have to get the temp just right inside your vehicle to be able to see. I don't like that.

Oh, you know another thing I like about Autumn? The perfect Fall combination of molasses cookies and a hot cup of coffee or tea. I'll suffer through the spiders for that.

Soft Molasses Cookies (from recipezaar)

3/4 cup shortening
1 cup packed brown sugar
1 large egg
1/2 cup molasses
2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 teaspoons baking soda
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1 teaspoon ground ginger
1 teaspoon allspice
1 teaspoon nutmeg

Cream together shortening and brown sugar. Stir in egg and molasses and mix well. Fold in dry ingredients and stir. Cover and chill till firm (1-2 hours). Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Roll dough into small balls and roll in white sugar. Place on lightly greased cookie sheet. Bake for 9-10 minutes. Leave on sheet 1 minute until set.

Kansas

It's Nascar Monday! Nascar not your thing? Nail polish is? Read all about it over at Angie's pretty purse.





What a busy weekend! We took a whirlwind 24 hour vacation in Oklahoma where we spent A Day Out with Thomas the Tank Engine. The boys had such a great time that Big pup wants to live there when he grows up. That's fine. As long as he visits me every Saturday to mow my lawn. I didn't have boys for nothing you know!


On to the race! Elliott Sadler had a great run in Kansas yesterday. He started 4th and finished 10th. I don't think he ran worse than 12th the whole race. His team is the most inconsistent team ever. How can they place 10th one week, 24th another, and 34th a couple races before that? I don't get it.


The final lap was exciting. Carl Edwards passed Jimmie Johnson on the inside, went high, scraped the wall which slowed him down enough for JJ to retake the lead and the win. JJ leads the Chase for the Cup with 7 races to go.


Jimmie Johnson gets the win, Martin Truex Jr. gets the red lantern, and we're in Talladega next Sunday.

No Poem For You!

So....I'm writing a post to say there will be no post today? I know that doesn't make sense. But neither does the fact the heating/cooling unit shut down for the 1,347 time yesterday. So as soon as they send someone out here to repair it this morning we are all jumping in the Windstar and heading across the state into Oklahoma. Thomas the Tank Engine here we come! The boys have never been on a trip this long before. I'm a little nervous. But I went out and bought a portable DVD player and a box of Reese's Puffs so I think I'm prepared.

And I just joined Twitter yesterday so if anyone wants to hear about how the DVD player will break mid-trip and how the Reese's Puffs are all over the floor you can follow me at http://twitter.com/alithelazydog.

One Of Those

It's soccer season! This is Big pup's first year playing soccer and so far he likes it. They had their first game this past Saturday and they lost. Although I don't think any of the kids realized it. Big pup had fun but like in T-ball, he's just not that competitive or aggressive.

As we drove home after the game WD turned to me and said, "Looks like you're a Soccer Mom now, huh?" Wha? Okay, so I may be married, white, middle-class, with 2.7 children and 2.3 dogs and cart my kids around in my mini-van back and forth to school and various activities but.....oh, who am I kidding, I am a Soccer Mom. But I'm determined to be a cool Soccer Mom. No boring bananas and vitamin water here. I've got snack duty for the next game and I'm bringing the good stuff:

Before And After

This is before you tell a 4 year old, "Do NOT touch the bird egg!"

And this is after you tell a 4 year old, "Do NOT touch the bird egg!"

Bad Behavior

Last year, when Big pup was in Kindergarten, students would pull slips when they were in trouble. This year, in first grade, the teacher writes the student's name on the board as a warning. And check marks are added if the bad behavior continues. Big pup has decided to implement this system of discipline in our own home. He keeps a sheet of paper on the refrigerator and if you do something wrong, he writes your name on the "board."

And no one is safe. Not even our huskies, Howard and Lexie. I believe they got their names on the board for sleeping past 9 a.m. on a Sunday morning. Apparently, that's a no-no.

But just look at how many check marks WD has. Eleven! I think that 8 of those check marks were a result of WD tackling me to the floor. Big pup doesn't like that. I don't either.

It's nice to know that Big pup is looking out for me. Even if he did give me a check mark for not having dinner ready at exactly 5 o'clock.

Dover

Angie's talking about Sarah Jessica Parker over at my pretty purse. I think I'm probably 1 out of 15 people who never watched SATC.


Hey, do you have a 4 year old running around your house? If you do, ask him/her to say the name "Bobby Labonte." It's very entertaining.


I had to do something to entertain me yesterday during the NASCAR race at Dover. Elliott Sadler had a another disappointing day and his in-car audio was messed up so I don't even know what what the problem was. He started 12th and finished 27th.


Carl Edwards is in the lead with 8 races remaining.


Greg Biffle gets the win (for the second week in a row), Kyle Busch gets the red lantern (that's too bad. I'm not a fan but he deserves the Cup), and we're in Kansas next Sunday.

Hairy Face and Mister Baldy

I'm changing things up a little today. Instead of posting a poem for this edition of Poetry Friday, I'm posting a video. It's an animated video of Maurice Kilwein Guevara reading his poem Dona Josefina Counsels Dona Concepcion Before Entering Sears. I like how he addresses a serious and unfortunate problem we have in the United States regarding stereotypes but still manages to produce an amusing poem.

Or maybe I found it so amusing because I used to work at Sears. When I worked there, everytime you needed to use any equipment (price guns, for example) you had to give them your car keys as collateral. Isn't that...amusing?

Four Layer Delight

Time for a classic! My mom used to make this for Thanksgiving every year when I was growing up. As a kid, it was the highlight of the meal. But then along came the early '90s. A time for change. A time to wear lots of flannel. A time for mom to put aside my beloved four layer delight and start serving a pumpkin roll. So now anytime I want this dessert I have to make it myself. And although it will always be Four Layer Delight to me, it's also known as Baskin Robbins, Robert Redford Pie, Mississippi Mud, and Texas Yum Yum Pie.



Click here for this recipe plus many more!

Wordless Wednesday: John Deere, Jr.

Me? Quirky?

About 10 years ago Janina and Kristen tagged me for a meme. And when I say 10 years I really mean 3 weeks. I've done this meme before but sadly, I have lots and lots of quirks. And if you really want to read some good ones, check out i am neurotic. It's a site where you can submit your neurosis. I like it. It makes me feel normal.

1. I don't know if it's because I'm a mom, or a "household manager," or a former waitress, but after finishing a meal at a restaurant I tend to clean up the table as much as a I can.

2. I don't know if I can explain this properly but I like for all the light switches in a room to be in the right order. The on position is up and the off position is down. Not the other way around.

3. While driving on a 2 lane highway, I get offended when someone passes me. It makes me feel like they're criticizing my driving skills.

4. I like to deconstruct candy bars. Especially snickers. I first eat the outside chocolate, then the bottom layer, and then the peanut/caramel layer.

5. I went through a phase where I never licked envelopes. I didn't want the government to have access to my DNA. Then I wised up. They probably already have it. "They" are very sneaky.

6. I like to organize the shopping carts that are outside in a cart corral.

New Hampshire

Angie's talkin' perfume today. Gwen Stefani's perfume to be exact. Check it out!



Yesterday's race was in New Hampshire. A track where Elliott Sadler finished 5th back in June. Unfortunately, he got nowhere near that yesterday. I'm not sure what happened because I didn't have access to his in-car audio but within the first few laps he dropped 10 positions. That's not good. He ended up finishing 24th. That's not good either. Especially at this point in the season where you're going for the win, not points.


Carl Edwards and Jimmie Johnson are tied for the lead with 9 races to go.


Oh, by the way, John McCain is courting the Nascar crowd. He was at yesterday's race and said a few words. But don't ask me what he said though. I was too busy wondering why Cindy McCain wore pearls to a race track.


Greg Biffle gets the win, Joe Nemechek gets the red lantern, and we're at Dover International Speedway next Sunday.

This Way

I was clearing a bunch of pictures off my camera this week and came across this photo of a heron. We had gone for a boat ride and my dad had shut off the motor so it wouldn't scare it away. It calmly stood on that rock as we drifted by and I managed to get oh, I don't know, about 57 pictures of this one bird. That's the good thing about digital cameras. You can take as many pictures as you want, pick and choose the best, then delete the rest. My problem is that I see each one differently, representing a certain time, a slice of life that I just can't discard with the push of a button. So now I'm stuck with 57 pictures of a heron.

Inner Tube by Michael Ondaatje

Patriot Day

On September 11, 2001 two planes crashed into the Twin Towers of the World Trade Center in New York. A third plane crashed into the Pentagon and a fourth into a field near Shanksville, Pennsylvania. Nearly 3000 people died and the skyline of New York was changed forever in the most deadly terrorist attack on United States soil. On the same date in 2002 and every year since then, the American president has proclaimed a day of remembrance. Many Americans refer to Patriot Day as 9/11 or September 11 (for more info, click here).

I was working at Sears in Little Rock when it happened. The tv's located in the hardware department were switched from the Bob Vila commercials that were played on loop all day to CNN or Fox News. Customers would come in and everyone stood underneath those televisions watching. It was unbelievable.

Where were you?

Wordless Wednesday: Big Wheels

Why?

Clipping Toenails

Little pup is okay with having his nails clipped but Big pup hates it. So after he goes to sleep, I grab the clippers, slip on the head light, and sneak into his room. Fortunately, he's a heavy sleeper so it doesn't take too long to do both his fingernails and toenails. And although I've titled this picture "Clipping Toenails," I think a more accurate title would be "The Reason They Think They Were Visited By Aliens When They Were Children."

Richmond

Oh no she didn't. Oh yes she did. Angie went and got herself a Chi. Read about it here and then try to convince her to give it me, please.


My head hurts. I've spent the last couple of nights banging my head against the desk trying to set up a separate cooking blog. Blogger owes me 3 bottles of Advil. Importing posts to another blog? Great! Importing the comments that go with each post? Aaarrrghhhh!!!! I'm going to cross my fingers and hope that glitch will be worked out this week, then start working on it again this weekend. But just in case it's not, remind me to put a bottle of wine in the fridge Friday morning okay?


It's Nascar Monday! But like I said, my head hurts, so this will be a short update. Sadler started 21st, finished 37th, and fell to 22nd in the points standings. Yesterday was the last race of the regular season so he is officially out of contention for the championship. Maybe next year.


Jimmie Johnson gets the win, A.J. Allmendinger gets the red lantern, and the Chase for the Cup begins in New Hampshire next Sunday.

One Story

Hallmark. Please. Stop the madness, will ya? Everytime I turn around there's an occasion to buy greeting cards. Sunday is Grandparent's Day. And I have no cards to give. But I do have a lovely poem by Wendell Berry called The Blue Robe. Enjoy! And have a happy grandparent's day!

Quiche Lorraine

Remember back in January when I told the story about my grandma hobnobing with Paris Hilton? I had mentioned how we had celebrated WD's birthday at a restaurant there in Altus, AR (where A Simple Life was filmed) and WD just went on and on and on about their onion soup. While he was raving about the soup, I was raving about what I had ordered. The Quiche Lorraine. Bacon. Cheese. Onions. You can't get better than that. Oh, wait, you can! When you make it into a pie!

Ready to bake pie crust

8 slices bacon, crisply cooked and crumbled

1 cup shredded Swiss cheese ( I used sliced)

1/3 cup finely chopped onion

4 large eggs

2 cups whipping cream or half-and-half

1/4 tsp salt

1/4 tsp pepper

1/8 tsp ground red pepper ( I didn't use any)

Bake pie crust in pie plate according to package directions.

When done, set temp to 325 degrees F. Sprinkle bacon, cheese and onion onto pie crust.

In a bowl, beat eggs slightly; beat in remaining ingredients. Pour into pie plate.

Bake 45-50 minutes. Let stand for 10 minutes before serving.

Shocking Police News

WD was tased last week. Verdict? It hurt. A lot. He tends to curse when in excruciating pain but all he managed to get out was a weak, garbled "Motherffttthhrrr....motherffttthhrrr..." Poor WD. I felt sorry for him. Unlike 7 years ago when he had to be pepper sprayed. Back then I had no sympathy for him whatsoever. I was very pregnant with my first child and was facing the impending 14 1/2 hour ordeal of pushing a human being out of my body down there of all places. Nope. I didn't feel sorry for him at all.

Take That, Big Business!

Recently, I finished reading the book Animal, Vegetable, Miracle by Barbara Kingsolver. Overall, I liked it. But check out my review here to read what I didn't like about it. It inspired me to start shopping at the local farmer's market. Last Saturday morning, I picked up some peaches, pepper jelly, squash, basil and peas. It was like giving Walmart the finger. And that felt really good.

California

Happy Labor Day!


Angie's got some great tips for baby oil today. Head on over to her pretty purse and check it out!


I like night races more than anyone but can they please be over at 10 pm? I tried to stay up later but I fell asleep with 60 laps to go. It was no surprise this morning to find out that Californian Jimmie Johnson won. He led 227 of the 250 lap race.


Back in February for the "spring" race, Elliott Sadler had some bad luck here. His race car was in horrible shape and he finished 24th. I'm not sure what exactly was going on with his car yesterday, I didn't have the in-car audio turned on, but it wasn't good. After starting 6th, he finished 34th. He remains unchanged in 20th place in points.


Jimmie Johnson gets the win, Joe Nemechek gets the red lantern, and we're in Richmond Saturday night.