December Diva Challenge

[CindyCRNA]

All 3 are gone now. Ugghhh! Everyone trying to make a buck.

[sjl330]

I think I'm better today but will probably still go to the chiro again tomorrow at least for the STEM treatment. I was able to go to church at least.

This is a super busy week for me. I've got to try to try to stay relaxed and just sail through it.

[CarolynF]

LOL..Spam is everywhere, but the moderators take great care of it.

Sandy: Glad you are going to the chiro..The longer you are out, the more the muscles get used to being out.

Well, went to church, out to lunch, then Gary wheeled me around WalMart. Of course, we saw about 8 people we knew..Oh well.. The sermon was on Servant Leadership, so I guess Gary was doing his part.

Watching KU.

Oh...I'm making some illegal cookies..very easy..

One box of Betty Crocker Gingerbread Mix, 1/4 cup warm water, 2 Tbs. melted butter.

Mix this up in a bowl. Start oven at 350..

Then to the cookie dough add cranraisins..Maybe 1/2 cup, chopped walnuts 1/2 cup and 1/2 cup of chocolate chips. Fold into cookie dough then drop by full teaspoonfuls on a cookie sheet and bake for about 9-10 minutes. Cool for a minute..I'm putting a confectioner's sugar/water/vanilla stiff glaze on them after they cool down. This is for my Newcomer's Cookie Exchange..Not LC, but easy..It makes about 2 1/2 dozen.

[CindyCRNA]

Oh, Carolyn, I'm always making cookies from cake mix. I have a great recipe for Red Velvet cookies with cream cheese frosting that starts with red velvet cake mix. I also have one that starts with pound cake mix that has almond extract, a butter cream frosting and sliced almonds on top. That's the nice thing about a job with a lot of people. I love to bake but don't want it at home so it takes care of that baking bug. I'm going to make those this week and take a tray to work. Thanks for a new recipe.

[CarolynF]

Oh...those pound cake cookies sound nommie..Recipe please?

The cookies are leaving the house tomorrow. I ate 2, dh had 1. That's it.

I'm thinking of having a Julia Child Christmas dinner..I have her book from years ago and thinking of a Beef Burgundy and I will make homemade pasta, some veggies and an apple custard tart. I've made the BB several times in years past and it is very good.

[TuscanGirl]

Ooooh yum!

What time should I be over Carolyn??

Is Cindy bringing dessert?!

[CindyCRNA]

Pound Cake Cookies:

1 box Betty Crocker Pound Cake mix
1/3 cup softened butter
1t almond extract
1 egg

Preheat oven to 375. Blend 1/2 of dry mix and reat of ingredients until smooth. Add rest of dry mix and mix. Use a med cookie scoop or roll into 1 1/2" balls. Flatten with a sugared glass bottom. Bake 10 min (I think. The recipe says 6-8 min but I think I had to go 10 min) Let cool. I make an easy frosting of 1 stick soft butter, 1/3 cup HWC, 1t vanilla and enough powdered sugar to make it nice and spreadable. Frost cookies generously, then top with sliced almonds. I'm not a huge almond fan but these are insane and very pretty. I'm making a tray of cookies for work tomorrow that will include your gingerbread cookies. I will take a picture. I'm so excited I can finally post pics!

We are due to get snow here. 1-3" they are saying. The computer guys are coming tomorrow and setting up a new router and laptop I got my BF for Christmas. Our current laptop has 2 clamps holding the screen together and the battery lasts about 5 min. It's time!

[CarolynF]

Hi everyone..

LOL..Mary Kay..Christmas cookies are of the debil, I think. Very delicious and once a year time treat.

Cindy: Thanks for that recipe..Making cookies out of cake mix saves alot of work and they still taste good. I am a huge almond fan and these sound delicious.

How's the back, Sandy? What's going on with Buffy? and Love??

[Buffy45]

Cookies, cookies, cookies, yummy, yummy! Those all sound very good and easy, I like easy. I love those beautiful decorated sugar cookies but some take so much work and time it is just a shame to eat them.
LOL at Cindy's old computer set up, man, you got the last little bit of good out of that GF, sounds like you are more than ready for a new one.
Gimpy and Limpy, glad you were both better and could get out and about a little.
Of course, eat less and be skinny, we all KNOW that, duh! Hahaha
GF and I had such fun yesterday, it was chilly with a slight drizzle but we ran from store to store and got some great buys, a few Christmas gifts and had lunch and a great time. I ended up buying a pair of Brighton shoes at the Brighton party, I hadn't planned on that purchase but their boot shoes do fit me well and I had on a pair with heels that I had been shopping in for over 6 hours and my feet didn't hurt, I thought, if this is the case, I better go ahead and buy this years model before they are gone. They are pretty but ouch their shoes are expensive. I have such a problem finding shoes though that look pretty and don't hurt. But, to make me feel better my friend told me that her boss bought his wife a pair of gorgeous heels for a party that cost $2300, can you IMAGINE!!!! And, they weren't even comfortable but man she said they looked GOOD! That is just not right to pay that kind of money for shoes, number 1, and then have them hurt your feet!
Finished the evening with an ice cream on the way home, shhhh, and it was a fun day.
DGS will be 10 on WEd. He had a great weekend, he finished third in a UIL geography competition and then made the select baseball team he tried out for. He tried out for this team last year and didn't make it and would have been so disappointed if he hadn't made it this year, we all had our fingers crossed.
Off to start putting everything from yesterday away, laundry, the usual.
Have a great day everyone.

[CarolynF]

Buffy: Good for you on the shoe deal..I never buy shoes that are uncomfortable..at all.
and I can't imagine a $2300 pair of shoes..

And I love ice cream, too..Do you have Braums down there??

Yeah for your dgs..

[sjl330]

Back is much better but I'm on Dad Duty for the next few days. He arrived last night and will leave Wed. a.m. I'm trying very hard not to overdo with him here. But it's very hard. I hope my back holds up for the rest of the month. I figured out one thing for sure. Working out really helps keep the backaches away. I've been working out for over 4 years regularly but the last month or so I've really slacked off due to time issues and some knee pain and I guess this is the result of that. So I've got to get back in the routine fast! Now I'm afraid if I start now I'll make my back start hurting all over again. Ugh!!

Those cookies sound yummy. All of them!! I sure wish I had one right now.

[CarolynF]

Sandy: There are some great back exercises that you can do..I should be doing them, too, but I'm sure you can find them on the net. My back problem is more structural..disk that is unbalanced and needs readjustment every month.

I did make some almond flour thumbprint cookies that are LC..They are pretty good..

[CarolynF]

i ate 3 highcarb cookies at our exchange..Forgive me.. The rest are going in the freezer for when my son gets home.

[CarolynF]

Hi..

Who's getting snow? We are getting a bit of freezing rain, but the roads look okay..My deck is slick..

The cookies are going to the office today.. Share the calories.

[TuscanGirl]

Waving as I run by . . . . long day yesterday and Mom Day today . . . . .

[CindyCRNA]

Originally Posted by CarolynF

Hi..

Who's getting snow? We are getting a bit of freezing rain, but the roads look okay..My deck is slick..

The cookies are going to the office today.. Share the calories.

We are due to get 1-3". The computer guys are coming today and setting up the new laptop I got my BF for Christmas. He will get it tonight when he comes home. It is a big 18.4" Toshiba his computer geek SIL hooked me up with as I know nothing, hence the fact that I just started posting pics!!
Cookie baking today. I will take pics. That is one of the main reasons I wanted to learn how to post pics is to be able to post FOOD pics.

[CarolynF]

Cindy: Your bf will love you even more with the new puter and the big screen.. You are a good gf.

We love cookie pictures..

Hobbling off for the day..I got my biggest tie up shoes on, so it feels good..Luckily, it is not icing over here, just wet.

[Buffy45]

Morning divas.
Ohhh, Cindy, BF will love his new computer. Must you post food porn though, LOL. Bring it on, we can look at least!!!
Yes, Carolyn, we have Braums, my favorite ice cream. I like it even better than all those expensive fancy smancy brands. Most people around here swear by Blue Bell, it is made here in TX but not me, I'm a Braum's girl.

MK and Sandy, good luck on your parent day, days. Hope my kiddos can be as good to me as you all are to your parents.

High of 48 here today but then turn real cold and wind chill in the 20's tomorrow.

[sjl330]

Oh Cindy, I'd love to have a big screen laptop! I'm sure I'm going to need one in the not so distant future so I'm going to keep my eyes open for a good deal on a big one.

[CindyCRNA]

DC16 in a basket

[CarolynF]

Of course..that is the warmest place in the house.. boxes and fresh laundry are the best place to be if you are a DC.. or under the comforter or in a suitcase.

[TuscanGirl]

Awww - so cute!!

LONG Mom Day!
I put over 200 miles on the car!

[TuscanGirl]

Breakfast

1 grapefruit
1 slice whole wheat toast
1 cup skim milk

Lunch

1 small portion lean, steamed chicken
1 cup spinach
1 cup herbal tea
1 Hershey's kiss

Afternoon Tea

1 The rest of the Hershey Kisses in the bag
1 tub of Häagen-Dazs ice cream with chocolate chips

Dinner

4 glasses of wine (red or white)
2 loaves garlic bread
1 family size supreme pizza
3 Snickers Bars

Late Night Snack

1 whole Sarah Lee cheesecake (eaten directly from the freezer)

[CindyCRNA]

Aahhhh!!!! MK, I love that but I tell you what, that's the truth. I'm better if I don't have any in the first place!

[TuscanGirl]

Me too Cindy!!

It's 35° here right now . . . . the wind gusts are going to get up to 50 mph though and by tonight it will be 8°!!!

I have an eyebrow wax, haircut and pedicure fixing today.
I was supposed to go out to a wine tasting tonight - maybe not!

[CarolynF]

Hi kids..

It's 15 here, but no precip, which is okay..Let's everyone keep warm today.

Shawn's grandma died yesterday. We will go to the funeral on Friday. Gary wants to get his work done before he leaves on Sunday, so he will be a busy guy for a couple of days.

MKay: LOL...No kidding. I think the hershey's kiss got us in trouble..

Foot doctor's appointment this afternoon..LOL..I had to cancel my hair appointment, cuz they conflicted.

[sjl330]

It is nasty here! A little rain that froze and then snow on top of that. Not a whole lot but I had an early mammo appt. this a.m. I sure wanted to cancel it but I didn't. And they're okay for another year and I made it there and back all in one piece. It is severely cold though and the wind is blowing like crazy! I have a dinner at church tonight too so I'll be back out in it. My back is much better. Now I have to work at not doing too much and bringing it back. NO!!!! I feel like I still have a lot to do but thank goodness all the gifts are bought. I did bring my tree up but it's not decorated. I'm doing minimalist decorating this year.

Carolyn, I hope you get good news from your foot doc. And may Shawn's grandma's soul rest in peace.

[CarolynF]

It's cold here, but dry and the sun is out..I think I'll bring my yaktrax to the funeral..Glad your back is better. Maybe they will cancel the church dinner???

[TuscanGirl]

Hi.

Hair and brows look great ~ definitely not going back out tonight.
It's 20° and dropping!
If I want wine, I can have a glass here!

Carolyn - foot doc vs hair appt . . . . would have been a tough call!
Did you get your hair rescheduled?
What did the doc say?

Sandy - yes, take it easy!!

I wouldn't even put up a tree if it was up to me.
I like just a few decorations!

[CarolynF]

Hi..

The foot doctor was very pleased with my progress..He said that I tore the ligament in the outside ankle and there was nother one that was damaged, but the third one was fine.He gave me foot and ankle exercises to do. He said I could do upper body stuff at my exercise place, so I went out and bought size 9 1/2 wide sneakers to wear around.

I still have to keep it wrapped and it is still swollen, so I'm one whole size up on my
left foot.

I'm sure you look lovely, MKay..My hdresser rescheduled me in 2 weeks, which is fine with me.

We need to get our tree this Saturday..We get a real one, so its a dh job. The nursery is really close and they have beautiful Fraiser firs..my favorite. Alex kitty will be happy.