My little cottage in the making

GHOST HUNTING AT BLACK STAR CANYON

2012-01-29T23:53:00.000-08:00

There are several apps that you can now download to your phones. One happens to be Ghost Radar and since we were going to be going to Black Star Canyon, which is said to be one of the most haunted places in CA, I thought it would be fun to give it a try.

What it claims to do is locate ghosts. It has a like a radar screen on it and when a ghost or energy force is located it shows up just like planes do on the radar at the airports.

It also has tons and tons of words that a ghost is somehow able to manipulate and speak to you.

I went with two friends and turned on the Ghost Radar. Now I'm not saying it works or that it doesn't. I'll let you decide for yourself.

My friend had the phone and she would tell me when and where a blip would show up. I would hurry and click a photo in that direction.

It wasn't long after we started into the canyon that our first "hit" came. Click. The first photo was taken.

You can see for yourself that a distant away from us, there is an orb in the photo.

I also clicked several pictures where there was nothing showing up on the Ghost Radar. Strange thing is there weren't any orbs in any of those photos.

Again, I'm not saying if the orbs are ghosts or not. I'm just taking you along on our hike and showing you the photos so you can decide for yourself what happened.

As we walked we noticed how dark and creepy it was out. We talked about how because of that, our imaginations could really make us think we see or hear something.

Then we notice walking towards us there were some people ahead. We could see their flash lights and hear them talking as they got closer.

It turned out to be four teens. They were heading back towards the cars and I said "hi" as they were getting ready to pass by. They stopped and asked if we knew of any of the stories about Black Star Canyon and where any of the locations were that people claimed to have have seen any.

I told them I used to give tours here and so I did know the stories, locations and have even had a few strange things happen to myself and to those who had been with me.

I told them that where we were walking people claimed to have seen a lady in white. It was then that one of the guys got really excited and said "Oh man! I told you I saw something. I told you!!!" The other guys then started to get nervous and was jumping around and saying things like "That freaks me out!" and "I believe you now".

Turned out one of the guys said he saw the lady in white and she was standing by a tree back where they came from. As he looked harder he saw her walk behind the tree and then before she was fully behind the tree she disappeared.

I told them they were welcome to come with us and I would tell them more stories and legends and show them the hot spots. They were thrilled to go. It was one of the boys birthday and they had heard stories and had always wanted to go.

We reached the mine area. It's been closed off for many, many, many years. Yet, several people claim to hear voices and yelling coming from the location. They also have seen many shadow people in this location.

The boys walked over to check it out and low and behold the Ghost Radar showed a blip. So, I clicked a photo. If you look at the photo above you can see an orb right above the blocked off mine entrance.

Three of the guys moved away and was waiting for the others. The radar went off again. This time my friend told me there were two ghosts right were the three guys were. Funny, there are two orbs in that photo.

There is also what looks like another fainter looking orb up higher on the right side but I believe that is actually part of the trees/bushes. Also, the two yellow lights are signs. They are glowing because of my flash. I wasn't sure what the red glowing thing was that is to the left of one of the guys but I think it most likely is the reflection of another sign or post.

We stopped in one spot where turned off the flash lights and just listened. Everyone was quiet and we felt like we were being watched or followed. We heard some sounds like something or someone was walking in the bushes/tree area.

We just brushed it off as most likely some kind of animals. I did search for some kind of animal tracks on the trail perhaps of a mountain lion, rabbit or opossum. There wasn't any.

When you look at the photo you can see what appears to be lots and lots of orbs.

Were these the lost souls of the Indians that were massacred by the fur traders in the early 1800's? Did we hear the foot steps of miners that had died on the job?

Or was it just the noise of animals and perhaps the orbs are just dust. After all, it was breezy there. The only thing that makes me question of it was dust (because after all dirt and wind will make dust kick up) is that the other photos didn't show up like these.

We reached another area that we heard noise out in the distant. We also saw what appeared to be two glowing objects. Were the the eyes of some kind of animal peeking out and watching us? Or was it something else? Again, it's up to you decide.

For some reason my camera was unable to take a photo when it was pointed in the direction of the two glowing objects. I stood in the same spot and pointed the camera in another direction four times and each time, the camera took a photo. But, when I turned back to this spot...nothing would show up.

At one point we came across yellow tape that said Caution. It was tied to a tree but looked like it was torn down.

One of the boys said he had a sinking feeling in his stomach as we were walking along this area. Could it be where something bad had happened in the not so distant past?

The other side of the patch also had the tape. Only it was on this side the Radar went off again. On the upper right side you can see another orb.

Now, I feel I must tell you that while we were there, it was so dark in spots that I couldn't really see what I was pointing the camera at. It wasn't until I came home and downloaded the photos that I saw what the pictures caught.

We stood around and talked a bit. We tried to put all the words that the Ghost Radar had spit out, together to see if we could figure out what was being said.

I don't remember all the words but there was material, roots, broken, end, Casey, Thomas and things like that. We couldn't figure out anything.

We had to turn around and head back to our cars because at 10:00pm the police come and give tickets.

It was on our way back that we came across the scariest thing!

This giant spider was crossing the path. YIKES!

As we were walking back, the radar went off a few more times. Each time an orb or more was captured.

You can see from the photos that these orbs are never in the same spots so I know it wasn't something on my camera. If they were just dust, I believe there would be tons of dust from us walking, the wind blowing and all. So I really don't think it's dust at all. I doubt if they are bugs because I didn't notice any bugs and I highly doubt a bug would have followed us for three hours along the trail. No, I don't have any reason for what would have made the orbs.

Plus, like I said, only the photos I took in the locations of where the Ghost Radar said there was something, had the orbs.

We had a fun time. We were all tired from our hike too. No one knows if we had any real paranormal experience that night.

But, just before the trail ended the my friend that was holding the phone with the ghost radar on it says she heard her name called from behind us. She said it was clear and loud. The only thing was... no one was behind us.

What do you think? Do you think the ghost radar works? Do you think it's just a coincidence that the radar showed something was there and then those photos showed up with orbs? Or do you think it was just the wind and darkness playing with our minds?

If you want to read more of the legends of Black Star Canyon you can read my old post from 2010 here. You can also read my post about when I went to Black Star Canyon with another group here.

GIRL SCOUT COOKIE TIME

2012-01-28T12:28:00.000-08:00

This morning I got up early to go help deliver over 55,200 boxes of cookies to the troops in our area.

That's a lot of cookies!

It was so organized and everyone knew just what to do though, so it went very smoothly.

The cookies were counted and matched up to the orders and counted again. Then the girls formed lines and loaded them into the cars. After the order was completed and signed for, the went and got the next order ready.

They were right on time and got them all packed up into the cars without a hitch.

Way to go Girl Scouts!

Don't forget, that even though the cookies taste great, each box of cookies that you buy helps the girl scouts to pay for outings, meetings and teaching young girls to grow up to be strong women.

So please, support your local girl scout troops and buy a box or more.

IDEA'S FOR VALENTINE'S DAY

2012-01-22T16:02:00.000-08:00

One thing I love to do is to go around town and try to find fun holiday items I can come home and make myself or teach my girl scout troop to make.

I thought I would share, a few of the Valentine's Day items I've found this, with you.

First is a darling way to give someone you know a candy bar to tell them how "sweet" they are. Rather then just hand them the candy, use a heart punch on some scrapbook paper and then add some ribbon to.

Much cuter then just the candy wrapper, don't you agree?

Make a cute banner by printing out red X's and O's on some paper and then punch holes in the top to weave through some ribbon. Don't forget to print out some pink hearts too.

What a perfect way to give someone some kisses and hugs on Valentine's Day.

Also, making some tissue paper pom poms to hang with your banner is a great idea.

We have all seen the paper mache heart boxes at the craft stores. How about coating them in glue and then sprinkling red glitter on them. To the top of the box, print off a picture of a vintage Valentine's Day postcard, cut it to fit the box and glue it on the top. Use a red pipe cleaner to outline the picture and if you want you can even highlight some spots on the picture with a little bit more glitter.

You could use real vintage Valentine's Day cards if you want but I personally wouldn't unless the card is already in poor condition and then you could cut around the bad parts.

I love this idea. It's almost like the hanging cones I've seen many times but rather then just hanging, you can punch out a piece of heavy card stock, cover it with glue and glitter and then you can add the cone to it so it stands.

Don't wrap the cone as tight as the ones that hang up. The bottom should be opened so it will be able to be glued down to the base.

Use crape paper, ribbons, pipe cleaners, tinsel or what ever other types of embellishments you like to finish off your cone. Fill it with candy and you are sure to make a loved one feel very special.

These little cups would be so easy to make.

As you can inside, the base starts with a little paper cup. Then just wrap the outside with some crape paper. Here they sewed it together so the ruffles were nice and even. But, you could just glue it on.

You could add a handle to the cup if you like or leave it without one.

I would also add a little heart or flower or something to the cup to fancy it up a bit.

These would be perfect for a party filled up with candy hearts.

There are so many wonderful ideas if you just look. A lot of what is out there can be made at home for pennies on the dollar. Who doesn't like to save money?

However, if you don't have the time to make your own, you can always buy them. Or buy one and save the idea for later next year.

VINTAGE PICNIC BIRTHDAY PARTY PART 2

2012-01-16T14:21:00.000-08:00

We sat up one picnic table with tons of candy for the kids to snack on while we waited for everyone to show up.

They were going to need a lot of energy for all the games coming up.

Once most of the people showed up we started to eat. There was tons and tons of food for everyone to enjoy.

We had several kinds of sandwiches to pick from, fruit salad, potato salad, macaroni salad, a veggie tray, lots of different kinds of chips to pick from, snack mix, chocolate covered Oreo cookies and lots more.

The kids really enjoyed being able to pick the food and drinks they wanted then wonder over to a blanket or quilt to eat at.

I was happy to see they all ate a lot and didn't just fill up on candy or junk food ahead of time.

The parents all ate at the picnic tables but the kids spread out and I could hear laughter and giggles from all over.

Let me tell you, these kids can eat and eat a lot. I think they really like being able to pick whatever they want and be able to go back for as much as they like.

After eating it was time to play some games. Keeping with the vintage picnic theme we did a sack race.

We used old pillow cases as the sacks. It was funny because some of the kids had never played sack races and they thought it was so fun. Simple, cheap and fun!

We also played tug of war. Another vintage game that they loved!

Each side pulled and pulled with all their might. They had no idea they were not only having fun but were getting some great exercise with these games as well.

When one side could no longer hold on, there were screams and moans on one side...

and cheers and screams of joy on the other.

But, there was laughter and excitement from both sides. It didn't really matter who won and who lost. They all just had fun.

They also had a blast playing egg toss.

Every one picked a partner and then they would toss the egg back and forth to each other. Every time the caught the egg without it breaking everyone would take a big step backwards. If the egg broke, the team would be out.

The last team standing won. Thankfully, none of the eggs broke on the kids.

But, soon the park had lots of broken eggs all around. We could not leave them there for others to step in so the kids all pitched in and picked up all the eggs.

My favorite game was a scavenger hunt in the park. Why was it my favorite, you ask? Well, by this time I was tired. So, I picked several teams and sent each time off with the list of what to find. Each team had a parent with them and they had to photograph each item and bring it back to show me.

This meant the kids were all gone for over 20 mins and I could pick up some and even got a little rest time until they all showed back.

Everyone ended up getting several prizes though out the day and when they got back from the scavenger hunt they all got more as they were all winners!

Trinity opened up all her gifts and took pictures with everyone as she did so.

One of the great things was Trinity not only invited her friends but she also welcomed their little brother and sisters too. She didn't want them to feel left out. She has such a big heart and is always so kind to everyone.

It was then time for cake! We had a white cake with a cheesecake filling, chocolate cupcakes and red velvet cupcakes to pick from.

Everyone sang happy birthday to Trinity.

She blew out the candles. Oh no, that boy in back of her looks like he is ready to push her into the cake! He wouldn't do that would he? No.

But, one of her other friends would smash a pie into her face! Everyone had a good laugh over that. Even Trinity! What a good sport.

After she cleaned up and everyone had their fill of cake, it was time to say good bye. Another year down. Trinity is now 11 and each year she grows up more and more and just when I think she couldn't be any better of a kid, she is.

I know the party was hit with the kids because many of them said they wanted to have the same kind of party.

I only wish I took better pictures. Trying to take photos and run a party is hard. I forgot to change the setting on the camera so they didn't come out that great.

Even though I only had two weeks to pull it off, I think everyone had a very good time. I know I did.

Happy Birthday Trinity! I love you more then words can say!

A VINTAGE PICNIC BIRTHDAY PARTY

2012-01-15T23:34:00.000-08:00

So sorry I've been gone for so long. I've been supporting several friends who had some major problems in their lives.

Then, I was given two weeks notice that my great niece, Trinity, decided she wanted to have a birthday party for her 11th birthday.

Last year she said she was done with having parties and she only had a few close friends celebrate with her. They went to spend the night at the Disney CA Adventure Hotel and had a blast.

Before, I always had a full year to plan, shop and get ready for her parties. So, only having two weeks was pretty stressful.

She always let's me pick the theme and this year I went with A Vintage Picnic.

We used vintage table cloths, mason jars tied with strips of shabby chic material, paper straws and cut glass beverage containers.

I was a little worried about having glass outside being used by kids but not one item broke.

The big hit was the paper straws. All the kids thought they were so fun. When I told them that all straws were paper when I was their age, they all said how "lucky" I was and thought it was funny that when straws started to be out of plastic everyone thought they were wonderful.

We had tons of food! Again there was a mix of using plastic bowls next to a cupcake stand dripping in crystals, a white lace plate sitting on top of a milk glass bowl for added height.

I had made the pink cookies. I just took Oreo cookies and dipped them in pink chocolate and then sprinkled with mini white nonpareils. I got several compliments on them.

I wanted the water bottles to be cute but I didn't want to use the normal labels that are out there. They are cute and can be printed to say whatever you want on them, yet, I still wanted something different.

So, I prettied them up with scrapbook paper, paper flowers and rhinestones. I made two different versions. They came out cute but because of that, many people didn't want to use them. I had to tell people to drink these and that they were not just for looks.

I knew all the kids were all going to be "winning" prizes at the games they played, so, we really didn't need to have party favors for them. Even so, I wanted them to have a little something that Trinity could give them as they said good bye.

I took empty bottles of Starbucks coffee drinks, (thanks to my friend Susie for saving these for me) and took all the labels off, washed them up good, spray painted the lids (3 coats were needed) and then once again got the scrap booking paper out and prettied them up.

Each bottle got filled with gum balls that were fun flavors.

There were little touches of homemade items, like the paper chain and paper flower fans at this table.

Also, picnic baskets were see throughout the area. Like the little one used to hold the plastic silverware. I loved how they looked like real silverware. Until you looked close, you couldn't tell they were plastic.

I tried to buy as little as possible for this party. When I did buy something I tried to find things either at the thrift stores, discount stores and even the Dollar Tree.

The little picnic basket was found at a thrift store, the silverware and doilies came from the Dollar Tree. The white chicken wire basket came from TJ Maxx. I found three different sizes in the clearance section. They were brown and while they were cute brown, I wanted them to be white, so out came the can of spray paint.

The location we picked at the park had three picnic tables. However, they were not together and could not be moved.

We ended up using the tables for the adults to eat at and sit to watch the kids. Plus, all the extra "supplies" like food, plates, cups and so on.

The kids all ate old quilts and blankets.

Of course there were also balloons. After all, it is a birthday party.

Here are the two other chicken wire baskets. They were used to hold chips and snack mix. The snack mix would have fallen through the chicken wire so I used some material that came from an old sheet. It was the same material I used on the mason jars. I also used the top sheet to this set as the back drop to a photo booth we had and the pillow cases were used in the sack race we had.

I made little framed signs to say what the items were and little clip on butterflies were also used throughout the area as was clip on flowers.

Before we knew it, the kids started to show up. It was party time.

While we were waiting for everyone to show up, the kids had fun going through all the photo booth props and getting their picture taken.

Sadly, the backdrop didn't really show up in many of the photos because the sun was shinning through and so the print didn't show up. But, it really didn't matter. There were still many, many laughs going on at that photo booth.

Even some of the adults got into the fun!

There was a little bunny with her pet snake.

A silly nerd and all sorts of funny get ups.

Trinity was so good about making sure even the little ones got into the fun.

I love picture!

Even the babies had pictures taken with props.

The fun was just starting. Once everyone got there, the party really kicked into action.

Tomorrow, I'll post the rest of party.

BE BACK SOON

2012-01-09T22:54:00.000-08:00

I'm sorry I have been missing for awhile. I have not forgotten about you, I promise. I've just life has been getting in the way of blogging.

I'll be back next week to fill you all in...and share a fun Vintage In the Park Party with you.

See you soon!

CHRISTMAS BREAKFAST 2011

2011-12-25T22:52:00.000-08:00

Well after all the planning, shopping, decorating, cooking, wrapping, singing, eating, laughing and cleaning...it's over.

Christmas was wonderful this year!

This year we had the whole family over for breakfast. The table scape this year was done in red poinsettias and white access pieces.

I really love having brunch rather then dinner. It's great to wake up knowing that in a short while everyone will be over. We will eat a yummy breakfast of homemade waffles, chili Rancheros egg dish, bacon and fresh fruit.

Having breakfast rather then dinner also means, the table doesn't have to be so fancy.

This year I was able to use the white plates I got last year from the Dollar Tree. I love these plates!

I also didn't have to use a salad or dessert plate...so that means less dishes.

For the centerpiece, I just put a poinsettia plant in my milk glass ice bucket. I use it for plants and flowers more then I do an ice bucket.

Next to the poinsettia, I have a darling Dept 56 reindeer that I got as a present several years ago. Sadly, I broke the other one that went with it.

The napkin rings were made of jingle bells.

Oh course, I always have my molded butter at every holiday meal. I had Santa and trees for breakfast.
.

I took photos of the table before I put the place cards out. We found these cute ones at the mall and everyone loved them.

There was a mix of Santa place card holders.

Also, reindeer ones. Aren't they cute? I think they would be easy to make too!

After we all ate and were completely stuffed, we went into the living room and opened all the presents. Santa sure was good to everyone this year!

Santa Paws even came and left the puppies presents. After all they were very good this year.

Elton loved ripping into his gifts.

Since Elton is not big on playing with toys very often, Santa Paws brought him several different treats.

Here is Elton hoping he gets to open his present and try a sample...of course he got to enjoy a few.

Zeke loves treats too. He started to lick his lips as soon as he noticed he got some treats too!

Zeke loves to play fetch. He would love if you would throw the ball all day for him. So he really loved getting some new squeaky balls to run after.

After presents were open and those that had other commitments left, those of us that remained, went to the movies. I was surprised at how crowded it was at the movies.

We came home and had a turkey dinner and spent hours chatting about life and going down memory lane.

Right now, everyone has gone home and I'm the only one still up. Everyone here is sleeping soundly, I'm sure dreaming of the wonderful day they had.

I hope you all had a wonderful Christmas too. Now it's time to start thinking of those New Years resolutions!

MERRY CHRISTMAS TO YOU!

2011-12-25T00:00:00.000-08:00

May we never forget the true meaning of Christmas. Merry Christmas to you and your family. May God bless you.

The image of the vintage Nativity scene is an actual 3D card you can send out. If you wish to print off your own click here

CUTE WAY TO GIVE CASH FOR CHRISTMAS

2011-12-23T21:57:00.000-08:00

Well I made it! I got all my present bought and wrapped in time for Christmas. The cookies are baked, given to others and eaten. Christmas music has been played over and over.
Parties have been given and attended.

So, I'm set. Bring on Christmas!!!!!

My last gift I had to worry about was for my nephew. I had no idea what to get him. He kept saying he just wanted money. I hate just giving an envelope with money in it.

Last year he wanted money too. I ended up giving him but I wrapped up $1, $5, $10 and $20 in crape paper to look like a snowball and he had to unwrap the whole thing to get his full gift.

He thought it was a lot of fun.

This year I had no idea what to do to make it fun. Then I thought about giving him a little Christmas tree with the ornaments being made out of money.

I just folded $1, $5, $10 and $20 bills into fans and tied them on a little silver tinsel tree I got at Target.

It's going to take him awhile to get this money off. I think he will have fun with it.

Do you have any clever ways to give cash to someone for their present? If so, let me know. I would love to get some new ideas for next year because I'm sure his wish list will be the same...cash.

Merry Christmas everyone! Hope Santa brings you everything your heart desires.

PRETTY PRESENTS

2011-12-20T12:50:00.000-08:00

Every year I pick a different theme to wrap my presents. This year I went with Red, Silver, White and Glitter. Lots and Lots of glitter!

Have you seen or used this kind of ribbon before? I've seen it and even bought it before but I hated it.

I had no idea how to use it. Then I was at the Container Store and they showed me how fun it can be to use. It's now my all time favorite ribbon!

I don't really like to use those stick on tags. I like to find pretty ones that match my theme. We got some really nice ones from Costco this year.

I also like to use little ornaments to pretty up a package too. This little glitter reindeer fit in perfect with this years wrapping. I had some things left over from last year that I was able to use this year.

This photo didn't come out that great at all. But, I wanted to show you another favorite ribbon I have this year. It's a velvet red ribbon with a silver tinsel on the edge. It has sort of a vintage look to it.

I do like to make pretty bows, add little extras to the packages and make them look as nice as I can.

However, when I get tired, I just tie a plain bow and I happen to think those packages look just as pretty.

I'm not a stick on bow lover. In fact, I never even buy those. I like the big wide ribbon much better.

I still have lots of wrapping to do. I just wanted to share with you what my presents are going to look like this year.

I can't afford to spend a lot of money on presents this year, but, I can take the time to make them look as nice as I can.

Hope everyone likes them.

YOU ARE NEVER TO OLD FOR SANTA

2011-12-17T17:54:00.000-08:00

My sweet great niece is almost 11 years old. When we were at the mall she didn't want to go sit on Santa's lap and have her picture taken.

She said she is to old to believe in Santa. WHAT! I quickly explained one can never be to old to believe in Santa.

Well after a bit of a discussion and even a tiny bit of bribery, she agreed to go in for pictures.

As they were getting ready with taking the order and getting paid, I turned and saw Trinity and Santa were having a conversation. So I started to click away.

I love this picture. It isn't posed. It isn't forced. It's just natural. No one knew I was taking the picture.

It's just a girl having a chat with Santa.

Then they turned and noticed I was there. So, the conversation stopped and they posed for a picture.

I'm not sure what they were talking about but, Santa was in a jolly mood and kept laughing.

Trinity wouldn't tell anyone what they were talking about and of course Santa wasn't going to spill the beans.

Then, I got tapped on the shoulder. I was told it was time for them to take their professional photo. I had to move out of the way.

I'm not sure what happened that night. But, I think Trinity finally believed me that you really are never to old to sit and have a chat with Santa.

THE PARTY WAS LOTS OF FUN

2011-12-16T17:54:00.000-08:00

I love to throw parties for my girl scout troop. So, Christmas time was a perfect reason to throw a party.

Last year our theme was Gingerbread. This year I went with Christmas Penguins.

It wasn't that easy to find cute Christmas Penguin table decor. So, I went to Etsy. I found Frog Prince Paperie and lots of cute items to download.

The table was set and looked cute. I didn't go overboard like I often like to do. We only had a short time together so I kept it simple.

This guy was our little mascot.

We ate dinner that we had brought in from a wonderful family owned restaurant.

After eating the girls made some darling ornaments to hang on their tree at home.

The girls in my troop love to do crafts so the ornaments was a lot of fun for them to do.

After crafts they did a gift exchange with each other.

I brought gifts for the girls and put them in these darling felt sacks. I was going to send them home with the girls but they really wanted to open them up at the party. Of course, I gave in and let them have them.

The sacks were full of cute little things. All with the Christmas penguin theme.

For dessert, we had cupcakes, peppermint ice cream and a star shaped sugar cookie.

The girls went home, full, happy and loaded down with gifts.

It was a fun time and lots of memories were made. Now I need to decide what next years theme will be. Any ideas?

YOU BETTER BE GOOD OR YOU WILL GET COAL FOR CHRISTMAS

2011-12-13T01:13:00.000-08:00

Growing up I was always told that you had to be good or Santa would bring you nothing but Coal.

Well that was enough to scare any little kid into being good. So, for years and years, I would be on my best behavior out of fear of getting coal rather then toys from Santa.

Well, the other day, my sister came over and brought me a bag of "coal" saying she thought I was being naughty and Santa asked her to give this to me.

My heart skipped a beat. What! Santa really did give coal to naughty girls and boys.

I sat the bag aside. I didn't want to be reminded that I was not as good as I thought I had been.

Then I thought I should face the music and check out just what this coal is all about.

Well, I noticed you could unwrap the coal. So, I did. Low and behold, it was yummy candy inside.

So yummy in fact that I'm now going out of my way to be a bit naughty so Santa will bring me more.

I no longer have any fears of getting "coal" for Christmas...in fact, I look forward to it.

IT WAS A COOKIE AND FUDGE KIND OF DAY

2011-12-11T19:36:00.000-08:00

Every year I do a lot of baking for Christmas. This year, I got started today. My sister came over and we spent hours baking cookies and making fudge. It was so fun.

We made Hershey's Peanut butter Blossoms. I'm not a fan of anything peanut butter, except peanut butter and jelly sandwiches. I don't like peanut butter cookies, peanut butter ice cream, peanut butter candy or anything.

But, my great niece loves peanut butter and asked if we would make these for her so we did.

They are very easy to make. I just googled Hershey's Peanut Butter Blossoms and got the recipe. We ended up making several batches.

Chocolate Fudge is something we always make. It's great to give as gifts. I like to wrap it up in cute containers and give it to my friends and neighbors.

I love nuts. So, my fudge always has walnuts in it...unless someone requests that I leave them out.

I use the recipe on the back of Marshmallow Fluff jars. I use 1 package milk chocolate chips and 1/2 of a bag of semi sweet chips.

We also made several batches of Snowball cookies. These are my favorite. The ones shown have received their first coating of powdered sugar. They still need the 2nd coat they get once they are completely warm.

I don't know why I never bake these at any other time but Christmas time.

Do you have certain things you bake only for the Holidays? I guess by not making them other times of the years it keeps them special for Christmas.

I still will bake lots more before Christmas actual is here. What are some of your favorite cookies to make?

CHRISTMAS PENGUIN PARTY

2011-12-10T15:44:00.000-08:00

Most of you know I'm a Girl Scout leader. I love it. I have the best group of girls. They are all so fun and well behaved.

At our next meeting we are going to have our Christmas party. Evey year we have a different theme.

This year our theme is Christmas penguins. I've been collecting things for this party for a year now. Last year I already knew what I wanted to do.

The good thing about planning early is you can stock up and buy things when you find them and you are not out rushing around trying to find stuff.

The bad thing about planning early was, I now have more girls then I did last year. So, I had not bought enough. That meant I was out driving around town trying to find more of things I bought before.

Well, that didn't always work because some of the things were no longer sold in the stores. I finally had to accept that I could either buy all new items or I could buy other items and the girls could end up with slightly different things. Which is what I did.

It all started when I was at a thrift store last year and found the Christmas Penguin cookie jar. I thought that would be a cute start for the table center piece. Then I found the plates and napkins on line. They were discontinues so I got a great deal.

The little toys, candy and note books I found at Michael's this year. I love the little packs of tissue.

The little stuffed animals came from Target. The cute slipper socks were a real find at Big Lots. I should have gotten me a pair. What was I thinking?

I got the little penguin bowl at the Dollar Tree and the little foil wrapped pigeons at Target.

Every year I get the girls an ornament and write on the back the year and Girl Scouts so they will remember the theme of our party. I got the ornaments at Michael's also.

The darling little snow globes came from Dollar Tree. I bought them last year and then I was so lucky that they sold them again this year so I could get all the girls the same one. I'll use these on the table and they can take them home afterwards.

We will do crafts, have dinner, do a gift exchange and have a lot of fun. I'm looking forward to it.

IS IT A TRUNK OR A PIECE OF FURNITURE???

2011-12-08T20:02:00.000-08:00

While out shopping at the mall this week, I made a stop at Restoration Hardware. I love that shop. They have such beautiful items and they are always on the cutting edge of design.

I couldn't help but notice that several of the new items are designed to look like the old travel trunks from days gone by.

Like this desk. I love it!

Plus, when you are not using it, you can close it up and it just looks like a large trunk is in the room.

They also have a coffee table. This would be great for lots of storage in those places where every bit of space is valuable.

They even have side tables. I don't think these open all the way up. They just have drawers. However, there is still a lot of storage space in them.

Here is another style of a desk. I think I like the other one better.

What do you think? Is this a style you like?

A VERY UNIQUE CHRISTMAS TREE

2011-12-07T17:01:00.000-08:00

I love seeing the trees all decorated at the malls. They are so big and have beautiful ornaments and lights.

However, the tree over at South Coast Plaza on the side that used to be known as Crystal Court, is different then any other mall tree I've ever seen.

It's very big! Over three stories tall.

At the top of the tree is a large snow globe.

Just below the snow globe area is where all the different types of Santa, Father Christmas and St. Nicks from all over the world can be found.

As you move further down the tree, you will find a very large Santa hanging ornaments on the tree above him.

Then even further down, you will find a village of houses. All decked out for Christmas and very detailed.

I would love to live in one of these little homes.

If you look close you can even see some shadows of people inside the houses.

Finally at the very bottom you will find a train running on a track that goes around and even through the large tree trunk.

This is a tree that you can't just glance at and see everything. You must take some time to see all the hidden treasures. Like the white bunnies hiding in the snow.

The tree looks totally different from every floor on the mall too. It is so fun to go on the different levels and see what you can find.

This tree can suck you in and make you feel like you have entered a fairy tale. It's also fun to watch the faces on the children's faces (and adults) as they walk around finding more and more cute hidden things.

This tree has been at this location for years and years. At first I didn't like it. It was to different. But, as the years go on and I discover more and more about this tree, I find it becoming one of my favorite trees.

Do you have a favorite tree you go see every year?

DO I WANT PIE OR DO I WANT CANDY?

2011-11-27T22:47:00.000-08:00

I love pie. I really do. But sometimes I'm to full from eating a big meal to enjoy a slice of pie for dessert. Yet, I still want a little something sweet.

Today, my sister, brought home a lovely surprise for me. It's See's pie truffles.

See's candy has got to be my all time favorite candy. It's so creamy and each piece is still hand made.

To think I could have full pie flavor and not feel full was exciting.

There is four different flavors in this box. There is Apple Pie, which really does taste like you are eating apple pie only better. It's dipped in white chocolate. YUM!

Then there is a wonderful Cranberry Orange Pie. There is a perfect blend of cranberries and orange and it's dipped in a dark chocolate. I admit, I am not a big fan of dark chocolate. Yet, this truffle screams for dark chocolate to balance out the tangy center. A great blend between the two flavors.

Pumpkin Pie is full of spicy flavors and you can actually taste the cinnamon and all spice mixed in with the pumpkin. This is dipped in milk chocolate. A lovely combo.

The Pecan Pie is also mixed with the white chocolate and has a delicious Bordeaux mixed with roasted pecans and also a full pecan on top. Oh my!

The only bad thing about these wonderful Pie Truffles is that you want to eat all of them, they are so good.

Yet, at the same time, you don't want to eat them because you want them to last as they are only sold for a limited time.

No, I didn't get paid for this review. I'm writing it just to share with you how good these are.

If you live near a See's candy then you know how wonderful the candy there is.

If you don't, then you must go on line and order some to be delivered to you. You won't be let down.

I only wish I knew about these before as I think they are about sold out for the rest of the year. The Apple Pie truffle is sold all the time though. Only the other three are seasonal.

I'm so lucky to have such a thoughtful and wonderful sister. Thanks Patty for buying these for me.

IT'S OFFICIAL!!!

2011-11-25T22:26:00.000-08:00

Thanksgiving is over and so that means it's officially Christmas time!

Yes, I know there have been songs playing on the radio, the stores have been selling Christmas things for months, Christmas movies have already been on the TV. But, to me, it's not really Christmas time until after Thanksgiving.

That's when I can start to decorate, bake cookies, wrap presents and send out my cards.

Normally, I have everything planned out. This year, I have not planned anything. I have no idea how I'm going to decorate. I think I'll do simple this year. More child like. With a touch of Disney style.
Or maybe I'll do gold. Lot's of sparkles. Though I have been thinking about doing red with the turquoise blue. More retro style.

Who knows. I guess I'll figure it out once I hit the storage area and start to go through boxes.

Heck, I have not even picked out my wrapping paper. I'll do that once I figure out what theme I'm going with.

I can't believe in one month it will be Christmas and I have not started to plan. YIKES! I better get to work.

How about you? Do you know what you are doing yet? I know several of you already have your decorations out and everything.

Well, one thing I have done already is, I've talked to Santa. I was at the mall and no one was around him. As I walked by the guy working there said my sister and I should go in and say hi to Santa. So, we did!

I have always had a soft spot for Santa. Every time I see him I feel like a kid again. I love Santa!

WARM WONDERFUL CINNAMON ROLLS

2011-11-21T18:56:00.000-08:00

Do you love cinnamon rolls as much as I do? I go nuts over warm, fresh from the oven, homemade cinnamon rolls.

They can really take a lot of time to make though. So most of the time, I settle for store bought or even the ones from the can.

I'm going to share with you an easy way to make these. No one will know you didn't spend hours and hours making them.

There are a few secrets to making these yummy treats.

First, start with one loaf of thawed, frozen bread dough. It saves all the time you would spend making it from scratch and trust me, no one will know the difference.

But, if you want to make the dough from scratch you can surely do so. These will taste wonderful either way.

Roll the dough into a rectangle. This is the hardest part as sometimes bread dough doesn't want to roll out.

Brush the rolled out dough with 3 tablespoons of softened butter.

In a bowl combine 2/3 cup of brown sugar, 2/3 cups of chopped nuts (I used walnuts) and 1 tablespoon of cinnamon.

Sprinkle the mixture over the buttered dough.

Roll up dough like a jelly roll. Start with long edge.

Cut the rolls into 12 slices. Place rolls into a lightly buttered 9x13 inch cake pan. Cover with dish towel and let sit for about 1 1/2 hours so they can rise about double in size.

Here is the 2nd secret to making these the best cinnamon rolls.

When ready to go into the oven, poor 1/3 cup of heavy cream over the rolls.

Bake at 350 degrees for 24 mins.

While they are baking, combine 1 1/3 cup sifted powdered sugar, 1 tablespoon milk, 1 tablespoon heavy cream and a tsp. of vanilla. Mix well, add a bit more milk or cream if to thick.

Drizzle over the rolls while still warm.

Makes 12 large cinnamon rolls.

Of course if you don't like icing on your cinnamon rolls then just don't add it. I happen to love the icing.

Here is the recipe all in one spot if you want to print it out.

Cinnamon Rolls

1 loaf frozen bread dough, thawed - or make homemade dough
3 tablespoons softened butter - more for pan
2/3 cup brown sugar
2/3 cup chopped nuts (I use walnuts)
1 tablespoon cinnamon
1/3 cup heavy cream
1 1/3 cups sifted powdered sugar (be sure to sift so you don't have lumps)
1 tablespoon milk
1 tablespoon heavy cream
1 tsp. vanilla

Roll dough into a rectangle. Brush with softened butter. Combine brown sugar, nuts and cinnamon in bowl. Sprinkle over rolled out dough.

Starting at long edge roll up like a jelly roll.

Cut into 12 slices. Place into 9x13 inch lightly buttered pan. Cover and let rise until doubled in size. About 1 1/2 hours.

Pour cream over the rolls and bake at 350 degrees for 24 mins.

While rolls are baking, combine powdered sugar, milk, cream and vanilla. Add a bit more milk or cream if to thick.

Drizzle over rolls while still warm.

Enjoy!

Makes 12 large rolls.

I'm linking up with Tip Junky for Homemade Projects.

TREE LIGHTING CEREMONY

2011-11-19T00:07:00.000-08:00

I love going to Tree Lighting ceremonies. To me, it brings back memories of years gone by and also makes me feel like the Christmas season is really here now.

Tonight I went to Fashion Island in Newport Beach for their yearly tree lighting ceremony.

I got there just as the sun was going down. The clouds were starting to come in and of course being right by the beach, it was chilly. Perfect for a Christmas celebration.

Being nighttime, it made it hard to find the right setting on my camera so most of my photos came out blurry. This one was actually much darker so I lightened it up so you can see the clouds and the tree before it had all the lights turned on.

The tree this year is a 90 foot tree and beautiful.

They also had about a 45 minute show before the official tree lighting took place.

The cast from the Musical Theatre University sang several different Christmas songs. Each time they changed into a different outfit.

Then some of the favorite Disney characters came out and entertained us. Mickey and Minnie Mouse, along with Goofy, or should I say Santa, sang songs and asked everyone to join along. The whole place was singing Jingle Bells and It's a Small World.

Then it was time. The big count down to the tree lighting. Everyone cheered when the hundreds and hundreds of lights on the tree lit up.

In typical Disney fashion, it started to snow. It may not have been the cold snow that some of you are having, but it sure looked and acted like real snow and I can almost guarantee that it's the only snow that will be falling from the sky in Newport Beach this year.

So that's it! It really is Christmas time now! I know, I know, we haven't even had Thanksgiving yet but, now when I hear the Christmas carols playing on the radio at least I won't think "already!".

THANKSGIVING MOVIES

2011-11-06T10:11:00.000-08:00

It seems like everyone has their favorite Christmas movies they love to watch every year. You can find rows and rows of Christmas theme movies at all the stores now.

Though for me, it's still a bit early to start watching them. I don't want to get burned out before Christmas is even here.

But, I do love holiday movies. So, I'm going to start enjoying movies about Thanksgiving. What? You didn't know there were Thanksgiving movies? Seems like a lot of people don't.

Yet, you can now load up your video library too with all these fun movies and watch them year after year.

I'm going to give you some of my favorites.

I love, love, love this movie! It is heartwarming, funny, sometimes sad and very entertaining. If you ever had a big family gather at Thanksgiving, you will enjoy watching this movie.

It is about four different families celebrating Thanksgiving in Los Angeles. They all come from different ethnic and economic backgrounds.

Of course, they all their own problems to deal with. Very interesting to see the difference in the way this Holiday is celebrated in different families.

This is a movie that not everyone may enjoy. However, I adore. It is not for little children.

Talk about a dysfunctional family! If you ever thought you had a crazy mixed up family this will make you very happy to see how normal your family is.

A single mother loses her job and goes home for the Holiday. Only to have to deal with her family and all the day to day life that she has managed to escape by moving away.

I found that I was laughing throughout the whole movie and I'm once again, looking forward to watching this movie this year.

Yet, what could be a better family movie that both children and adults will love? Of course Charlie Browns Thanksgiving.

Peppermint Patty invites herself and all her friends over to Charlie Brown's house for Thanksgiving. Good 'ol Charlie Brown does his best to throw a wonderful Thanksgiving Dinner for all.

Trains, Planes and Automobiles is another Thanksgiving Day classic.

All poor Neal wants to do is get home to celebrate Thanksgiving with his family. Yet, his flight has been cancelled due to bad weather and he finds himself hooked up with a stranger that he can't really stand to be around.

The two of them have a long journey home with all sorts of mishaps.

Funny and yet very heartwarming.

I'm not normally a Katie Holmes fan but I really did enjoy her in this movie, Pieces of April.

It is about a wayward daughter, living in New York, who has invited her dying mother and the rest of her family over for Thanksgiving Dinner.

Her oven doesn't work, her boyfriend that is not liked by her mother, is trying to find a suit to look nice and her mother is very hard to please.

This movie is enjoyable to watch and shows how families can make or break a Holiday.

I hope I have given you a few ideas of how you too can watch some great holiday movies without getting burned out by Christmas movies.

FEED THE BIRDS

2011-11-04T18:32:00.000-07:00

Here in California we have birds all year long. In the Winter we don't have as many as in the Spring but still we have a lot.

So, feeding them in Winter is important. The food supply from bushes and trees are much less in the Winter.

This year, I'm having my Girl Scout Troop make bird feeders out of pine cones.

They are very easy to make...though they can get messy.

Tie or glue a string, ribbon or yarn to the top of a pine cone.

Cover the cone with peanut butter. You can add some cornmeal or ground up oats to make it not so sticky if you like. However, straight peanut butter is ok for birds to eat.

After your cones are fully covered with peanut butter (you may wish to leave a little of the top part of the cone uncovered so the bird can sit on it while it eats) roll the cone in bird seed.

Just find out what kind of birds you have in your area and use the right kind (or make several cones with different kinds of seeds to attract different birds).

Then hang them up outside. You can hand them on hooks near windows so you can watch the birds from inside. You could hang them in the trees. Hang them all over and anywhere you like.

The birds will thank you.

Plus, you will get hours of enjoyment watching the birds enjoy their homemade Winter feast!

A PRETTY VAMPIRE

2011-10-29T23:17:00.000-07:00

Well today was our Girl Scout Halloween party. Trinity surprised us all by not showing up as a Zombie like she did for the School Festival.

She was now a beautiful Vampire.

She looked lovely in her black and red dress. Though the long black nails didn't stay on long at all. She found them to get in the way to much so she took them off about 10 minutes after getting here.

She looks so grown up to me. Almost to grown up!

But, Halloween is all about dressing and playing make believe, so I guess it's ok.

Just don't grow up to fast Trinity. I want you to stay my little girl awhile longer.

GETTING READY FOR A HALLOWEEN PARTY

2011-10-28T10:30:00.000-07:00

Welcome to the home of Mildred. Some say she was a lovely old lady that loved everyone who crossed her path.

Others say she was a witch with a dark side.

She used to live here. Though for the past 65 years she has not been seen.

As you look at her photo, what do you see? A sweet old lady?

As you take a closer look, you may have a change of heart!

They say this stuffed owl is really her late husband that she had turned into a wild owl when he upset her.

This poor little mouse was once the house keeper who cleaned away all the cobwebs that were meant to be left behind.

This handsome fella, John, was said to be her beau from when she was a young beauty. He tried to leave her once he found out the true story behind her life behind doors.

He was never seen or heard from again. They say, the truth behind his disappearance can be found in her books.

Though I don't think I really want to find out.

Halloween was a favorite time for Mildred. She loved to hand out little boxes of candy to the children.

Hmm, there may be something wrong here. Are those candy boxes or coffins that I see?

Well, you will have to come back to see what else is in store as we get closer to Halloween and the Girl Scouts come over for what they believe is a fun party.

WHAT HAPPENED TO THE PRETTY AND SWEET COSTUMES???

2011-10-21T23:35:00.000-07:00

This is my great niece, Trinity. She moved to CA when she was four years old.

I remember her first Halloween here, she was a sweet little girl dressed up as Tinkerbell. She was darling!

Then she was Dorthy from the Wizard of OZ. I couldn't get over how cute she was with her hair in pigtails and holding a basket with Toto in it.

She was also Cinderella one year. Again, sweet and cute.

But then, it started. She was growing up and wanted scary costumes. No more cute costumes for her.

She was a witch and then a vampire. Scary!!!

This year she wanted to be a bride. Oh how lovely. She wanted to be something pretty again...or so I thought!

Nope, not her. This year she had a friend who is a professional monster make up artist turn her into a ZOMBIE Bride!!! One of her classmates dressed up as the groom.

Believe me, even though she looks scary in these photos, in person she was really creepy looking.

She loved it. The kids at her school loved it and all her friends loved it too. To be honest, I loved it too. She looked great!

I wonder what next year will bring?

KEEPING YOUR PET SAFE ON HALLOWEEN

2011-10-19T09:24:00.000-07:00

OK, listen to me! I'm a wise ol' gal with some good tips for you to keep your little fur babies safe this Halloween.

I'm going to have a few of my good friends help me out here. I've been strolling the streets for hours now (my owner is a shopaholic) and I'm a little bit tired.

Sure, you may think I look cute dressed up looking like a pumpkin but be careful with the real pumpkins.

Us furry kids like to snoop around and some of us could get burned by the candle inside. So, keep them up and out of our reach.

Lots of kids like to carry glow sticks with them or wear them around their necks on Halloween. Yes, they look nice and yes they do help cars to see kids as they are crossing the street.

But, did you know we like to chew on them. They are pretty to us too and we think they are new toys. If we get hold of them, we may keep chewing them until they crack open. Then, we will get sick all over the place and you will end up spending a lot of money taking us to the vet.

So, be careful where you put those things when we are around.

People are really going all out these days for Halloween and there are more and more electrical items being use now.

Sure, we may not always being the brightest but sometimes those cords look like fun things to chew on. We could end up starting a fire or worse, killing ourselves.

Please be careful and keep them out of our sight.

We love to protect you and yes we think we are super dogs! So, sometimes when strangers ring the door bell and I see strange looking monsters and sometimes even cute little princesses, I get scared and may bite them.

I'm not being bad. I'm just doing what my job is and protecting you and our house. Don't get mad at me or punish me for barking. Just keep me in another room or keep me on a leash so I don't hurt anyone.

Everyone should know that candy and pets don't mix. So, if you don't want me to turn you into a frog, don't tempt me with chocolate and other sugar goodies where I can get to them.

Oh ya, also, there are some creepy people out there who like to do mean things to animals on Halloween. Mainly us black cats, so keep us inside where we are safe please.

Really folks, there is NO PLACE LIKE HOME. So, make sure we all have ID tags on because sometimes we may run out when the door is open and with all those scary looking people out there we can get scared and run pretty far away.

We want to always be able to come home to you and the ID tags helps make sure we do.

Oh and one last thing, while costumes may look cute on us, we really don't like to wear them. If you must put us in one, keep an eye on us as they can get caught on things or we could try to get out of them and end up choking on them.

HALLOWEEN TOPIARIES

2011-10-17T23:06:00.000-07:00

A wicked witch (or is she a good witch?) greeting Trick or Treaters would be darling at your front door.

Several flying bats hanging from different heights would be fun.

A scary cat leading the way up to the door where the candy is handed out is always a fun find.

I think it would be fun to have several topiaries outside. The only problem is you would have to start early enough to get them to fill in.

I can see making a whole graveyard out of ghostly topiaries. You could put lights on them so you can still see them at night.

These could be made out of chicken wire, moss and plants. Or, you could do it the easy way and buy one already made up.

I saw these at Rogers Gardens. I'm sure they can be found at other nurseries near you too.

STEPPING BACK TO THE 1960's

2011-10-16T14:47:00.000-07:00

I love meeting new bloggers! I love anything to do with the '60s. So, when I got an invitation to go to OC BLOGGER BASH I was thrilled!

This was one wild and crazy party! There was live music playing music from the Good Old Days.

Let me tell you, this band was so good, I even over heard some people saying they thought records were being played before the saw it was a live band.

There were old cars set up to look like they were at a Drive In Movie. Remember those fun times?

I used to love to pack up the car and make a night of it on those warm summer nights.

Remember those speakers? They would crack and there would be static. Sometimes you even had to move to another spot because they wouldn't work at all.

Yet, it didn't really matter. You were there to have fun and it was more about being outside with lots of other people and having a great time then it was about the actual movie.

We had Pepsi in the bottles with straws just like they used to have. No diet Pepsi though. There wasn't any Diet Pepsi in the 60s.

But, there were Martinis and lots of them! OK so mine was really just for show and the glass only held water and an olive. But, there was a full bar and you were able to enjoy whatever your taste buds wanted.

I think one of my favorite things was the fashion show they had. The women were beautiful in their dress and the men looked so dapper in their outfits.

I adored how they used the escalator as the runway.

As I looked around, I felt like I had stepped onto the set of Mad Men or Pan AM.

There was a fun Photo Booth set up with lots of silly hats, feather bows and glasses to use as props.

What would a party be without dancing? We were not let down there either. Some of these people could really cut a rug.

They had lots raffle drawings and even SNOOPY came to give away tickets to Knott's Berry Farm.

People huddled around cocktail tables eating and drinking and having a great time. Everyone had name tags on so you could read what Blog they had. It was a great way to meet new people and find out about different blogs.

They had some thrilling contests too. These women were voted as having the dresses of the evening.

I'm not sure but it seemed like they had so many raffle prizes that almost everyone ended up winning something.

I do know that everyone had a blast. I had a wonderful time, met lots of nice people and really enjoyed being able to step back in time.

This was a wonderful gathering and I'm so happy I got to attend.

As we left for the evening, we were each give a little goody bag or I should say lunch pale. What a clever idea.

Just one more of the little details that made this evening one that won't be forgotten!

I was not paid to post this. I am doing so because I had a wonderful time and wanted to share with anyone who may be invited to a big bash with other bloggers that they should go.

BE KIND ~ ANIMALS HAVE FEELINGS TOO

2011-10-05T20:13:00.000-07:00

Sure, animals don't laugh out loud like we do, but they sure do show emotions when they are happy!

So, please be kind to all animals. They have feelings too.

They get scared and sad just like we do too. They often don't understand what is going on.

Don't be mean or hurtful to any animals. They won't hurt you unless they are in fear of their life, starving and looking for food or protecting their family.

Always take care of your pets. They may not always do or act like you want them to but remember, you are all they have. They wait at home for you get there. You provide them with their food and water. They love you.

So, if you feel like they are in your way or bothering you, stop and take a second to pet them and let them know you love them too.

MOVE OVER CUPCAKES and CAKE POPS ~ THERE IS A NEW SWEET IN TOWN

2011-10-01T12:45:00.000-07:00

It seems like every so often there comes a new trend that seems to flood the market.

Right now that trend is French Macaroons. If you have not yet tried these, you must rush out and give your taste buds a treat.

They are delightful little cookies that has a light crunch on the outside and a creamy flavorful inside.

The colors range from white to pastels to bright deep hues.

We have a new French cafe that opened up down the street from me. It's owned by a French man who has earned top awards in both pastries and chocolate while living in Paris.

When I saw he had several flavors in his case full of wonderful treats, I had to try them.

I can't really say if I'm thrilled I did or sorry I did. You see, now that I have tried them, I want them every day!

They have the best flavors. They have just about any fruit flavor you can think of. Nut flavors and even some french flower flavors!

So tell me, have you had any of these wonderful little treats yourself? If so, what was your favorite flavor? So far, I think mine is the lemon or the raspberry ones.

HALLOWEEN SILHOUETTE PARTY IDEAS

2011-09-21T11:58:00.000-07:00

I love silhouettes! I love black and orange. So what better why to have both then by having a Halloween Silhouette theme party!

I have decided that this year this going to be the look of the Halloween party I throw for my Girl Scout Troop this year.

For our craft project, I think we will make silhouette pictures for them to take home and they can hang them up year after year.

Hope they like this!

THE GREAT FOOD TRUCK DEBATE

2011-09-15T15:02:00.000-07:00

Today I went to the Orange County Fair Grounds because I heard they were having several food trucks there. They were celebrating their one year anniversary.

I have been watching The Great Food Truck Race on the Food Network and it really got me wondering if the food on these trucks were as good as they claimed.

I was about to find out.

Since I don't eat meat, I couldn't eat these hamburgers. However, they had some really unique items on some of their burgers.

I wonder what the peanut butter and jelly one was like.

I'm sure the burgers are super though. This truck one the Great Food Truck Race last season. They also had a super long line of fans waiting to place their orders.

I was so excited when I saw that Sea Birds was there.

Watching them this season and seeing all the great food they made had me longing to try them.

They make only vegetarian and vegan food. Perfect for me since I'm a vegetarian.

I thought everything sounded so good on their menu. As I saw the food leaving the truck, I found my mouth watering.

However, I did want to check out the other trucks to see what they had before I made any purchase.

This truck sold Philly cheese stakes. The smell was wonderful and if it were several years ago, when I ate meat, I think I would have tried the food from here.

I was happy to see that they had both a great menu for meat eaters and also offered vegetarian food. Big plus in my eyes.

The bakery truck sounded yummy. But, I was going to enjoy a meal first and so I had to move on from here pretty quickly.

As I walked by, I heard some of the customers talking about how good everything was from here. Tucked in the back of my mind, I was thinking I may have to stop back here after I eat lunch.

Short Stop BBQ also had some wonderful smells coming from it's truck. Another big line made me believe they had a big following too.

This is where my sister ended up eating from. She quickly became a fan of Short Stop BBQ too.

So much to pick from.

She finally decided to go with the Tri Tip sandwich and fries. She said she would surely get this again. She really liked the coleslaw on the sandwich.

She also said the price was very good for the quality of food. She was very pleased with her purchase.

Home Skillet was at the end of the line of trucks.

While they seemed to have a good variety of food, I saw nothing I would order for lunch. Well, the Sweet potato fries but I wanted more then just a side dish.

I knew there was no other Truck that could compete for my taste buds like Sea Birds. So, I went to the line and waited my turn.

While in line, I spoke to a few of the people standing by me. One girl said she follows this Truck and eats something from them every week.

The menu changes and she had not had anything on the menu today so she was excited to try something new.

As I got closer to the window I knew I had to pick something. It was hard for me to decide because I really wanted to try everything.

When it became my time, I chatted a bit with the girl at the window. I told her I felt they should have won the Food Truck Race. I was so sad to see them go.

I have to say that the girls were so friendly and happy to talk to me. I didn't feel rushed or looked down upon.

Points were scored right away for that greeting.

I ended up getting the Pesto Brown Rice. Oh my goodness! This was so good. As soon as I took a bite I had so much flavor and texture going on.

It was pure heaven! I loved the toasted pine nuts. I was very pleased with my choice. This was something that vegetarians and meat eaters would enjoy. Plus, it really fills you up.

I also got their grilled apples with cinnamon and walnut crumble. The apples were warm but still crunchy. The combination of the spices and walnuts gave them an added flavor that made them delicious.

The only thing I found wrong with Sea Birds was, they didn't have an actual restaurant that I could go to all the time. I am going to have to track them down when my cravings for their food pops up.

Other then that, I would give them a 10!

If you should ever find yourself near Sea Birds, please, do yourself a favor and order something. I'm sure you will love it.

Both my sister and I were super full and happy we had made the trip to visit these great Food Trucks.

However, remember that Bakery Truck? Well, we really wanted to try them. They had the perfect ending for our lunch. It was a raspberry cheesecake shot. A wonderful, creamy cheesecake in a shot glass served with a tiny spoon.

It's a great idea. When you are super full you can still have a little bit of dessert without making yourself feel sick.

I had a great time spending some time outdoors, talking to a lot of people. It seems people are more friendly when they are getting to enjoy great food.

I still have to give my vote for Best Food Truck to Sea Birds. They really know how to cook!

A 9/11 REMEMBRANCE AT NIXON LIBRARY

2011-09-09T23:13:00.000-07:00

Today I went to the Nixon Library. They have a week long remembrance of 9/11 going on.

Outside, in the parking lot they had a 16 Ton piece of steel that was once part of the outer frame of one of the buildings at The World Trade Center.

As I stood near this piece of steel I knew it was so much more then just another piece of steel.

This piece of steel helped to form the building that so many people went to work at ever day. It was also a piece that once was part of the wall that held the windows.

I couldn't help but wonder if this held one of the windows that someone jumped out of.

This piece of steel represents that fateful day when a group of men with evil in their hearts decided to change the world.

This piece of steal also represents the 2753 men and women who died that day.

It represents the countless people who lost their loved ones.

It represents the 343 brave Firemen who died Heroes.

This big piece of steel represents how Americans came together. How even though it was one of the worst days in American history, Americans became stronger.

We have all learned of bad things that happened through history books, movies and TV. Yet, we who were alive 9/11/01 became part of history.

We saw how the world has changed. How we now can no longer just hop on a plane to go on vacation like we used to. How we must wait in long lines to have our purses checked just to go to Disneyland and other amusement parks. How, laws have changed. How more cameras have been installed to watch our every move in public.

Some say it's gone to far and has become an invasion of their privacy. I say it's helping us to stay safe and catch those still out there that want to hurt us.

No, I did not just see this as a big piece of steel at all.

I wondered if anyone died under this piece of steel. I prayed they didn't.

This fire truck was also there. It did not get crushed by the buildings because it came afterwards.
I admit, at first I wondered why this truck was important enough to travel from New York to CA. Then it hit me.

This truck was at Ground Zero helping to put out fires that were still burning even though the build had collapsed.

It shows how the heat was so strong that parts of the truck was damaged.
It held heroes, men who came to save others.

Some believe that all the firemen were just "doing their jobs" that day. Sure, that's true. However, I don't think anyone would have thought anything less of these men if they chose to save their own lives and get out of the buildings when they knew it was ready to come down.

Yet, they didn't. They kept going up higher and higher. Stopping to help anyone and everyone they saw.

There are many stories of people who came across these brave men and how they willing gave their life. Not because it was their job to do so. But, because these men are HEROES. Men who put others before themselves.

You can read about this important truck by clicking on the above photo.

We then went inside the building to hear a true life hero speak to us.

I was very happy to see so many people there on a weekday.

This man is a Los Angeles Fireman. He was one of the first to get out to New York to offer help. He told stories of the destruction, pain and loss. He also told stories of the brave men and women and dogs who spent countless hours searching, helping and doing what they could to find survivors and sadly bodies to return to their loved ones.

My heart broke when he could no longer hold back the tears.

Even though we watched it all unfold on TV we will never fully understand what those who were there lived through. My heart aches for them as I'm sure those sights, sounds and smells will be forever etched into their minds.

My prayers are that 9/11/01 is the last time Americans are ever attacked. My fears are, it's not.

WELCOME TO 1865

2011-09-07T19:01:00.000-07:00

Every Labor Day weekend Huntington Beach CA puts on a weekend of fun with living history. A whole mini city seems to pop up from the past for everyone to enjoy.

The highlight of each day is the battle that is reenacted between the North and the South.

If you have never made it to a Civil War reenactment, you must go. It's like watching a movie being filmed right in front of you.

They dress in actual period clothes, have real guns, flags and speak like they are from that time long ago.

The sounds of the battle taking place sounds like you are stepping right into 1865 as the war was about to be over.

It is very loud and the men (and sometimes women) would get shot and fall down, they would move forward and back depending on who had the upper hand at the time.

The sky was filled with the smell and sight of smoke from the canons.

Once the battle is over, the men go back to their camps. They have set up camps that they actually live in for the weekend.

Ol' Abe himself even showed up and gave a speech at the end of the war.

To be honest, I didn't hang around to hear his speech. But, I happened to be walking towards him and he was more then happy to stop and let me take his picture. He didn't say a word to me though. He just nodded his head when I thanked him.

Perhaps his mind was on the war and his upcoming speech.

There were several shops selling just about anything you could think of.

As I was walking by this one, I felt like I was watching what it would have really been like back then.

They had uniforms for sale (yes both for the North and South). I guess if anyone wanted to sign up to join right then, they would have gladly taken them to battle.

There were hats waiting to be purchased by the next brave men to offer up his life for his Country.

There were cans of food (no not real - the cans were actually empty).

Bullets could be purchased. Yes, these are actual bullets from the real Civil War.

Dishes could be found and purchased.

I loved the dresses. Each one was so pretty. The colors were lovely. I know, I should have let you seen the colors but then it wouldn't look like real photos from the Civil War.

While they sold the under garments for women, I found myself wondering if they would have really had these on display for everyone to see back then. After all, is it really proper for men to see these things?

I loved when I turned around and saw these three women just chatting. I'm sure this would have been a common sight back then. Women talking about being worried over their men being at war, exchanging recipes or just gossiping about others.

There were hundreds of tents set up. They were set up to show what camp would have looked like during the winter.

Also, when the men were allowed to have their wife and children come to visit them.

They would have been set up to still hold down their jobs and do their duty. A simple desk out front and their guns ready in case they should need them in a hurry.

I found this place to be sort of funny. Back then one person often held several job titles. You can see this guy was the Notary, Legal Council and also did embalming. Oh yes, he also sold games and whiskey and fine ales.

I really enjoyed the day here. However, the parts I loved the most was when I would be walking and notice a little scene going on that may or may not have been planned for us to see.

Like these two ladies just sitting in camp talking to each other. For some reason it seemed more real to me. Almost as if I had stumbled upon a camp that I should not have been walking through.

One thing I did learn was how important the ladies who did the laundry were. It took almost a full week to wash a uniform. They had to scrub them, soak them to get stains out, boil them to get the lice and bugs off, dry them, iron them and so on. Each part took hours to do.

The women were so greatly needed that they were paid very well. In fact they got paid almost as much as the officers. It was back breaking work but because it was paid so well, many women sought after jobs like this.

Also, many women wanted to take up arms and fight along side the men. This of course, was not legal. However, some women cut their hair and put the uniforms on and gave a male name. No one was asking questions because every body they could get they needed. So, several women died and several women helped both sides fight in the Civil War.

I love to learn about history and US History is something I really love. Funny because in High School I hated it more then any other subject.

What about you? Do you enjoy learning about the history of your country?

PUMPKINS GALORE

2011-09-06T15:48:00.000-07:00

When I was growing up, people would carve a pumpkin and stick a candle in it. They didn't have the fancy carving kits like they do now.

No, the pumpkins were just carved with a simple face and that was it.

Not so these days. Today, it seems that no one carves the simple faces any more. Now, it's like a contest to see who can come up with newer and prettier ideas for making their pumpkins the best.

In order to give you a few ideas on how you can decorate your pumpkins this year, I searched the Web and came across some great ideas.

Like the ones above. Painting them plaid, stripes or polka dots to match your color theme is a simple way to decorate.

We have all see the look of using rub on stickers like these, but I still find them to be fun and cute.

How about painting the whole pumpkin and then using silver glitter stickers to add a touch of glamour.

Using a piece of double sided tape to stick on seeds, nuts, glitter, candy corn or whatever you like, is also a quick way to change up the look of your pumpkins.

Turning your pumpkins into crazy faces or spiders by using wire is a fun idea.

Making small pumpkins into little bats would be cute on a tablescape.

A bowl full of small pumpkins with pieces or colorful ribbons around them adds a perfect touch of the holiday to your decor.

How about painting an animal print on your pumpkins? I like this idea.

I think using fancy tacks is a very unique way to spice up your pumpkins at your front door.

To sparkle up your pumpkins, try using silver leaf on them.

Not sure what to do with those fancy stockings that have a run in them? Place them over your pumpkins for a romantic look to your pumpkins.

Sometimes, it can be pretty hot here in CA on Halloween. Or it could be chilly and yet you may not have a fire place.

Turn your pumpkins into your own fire place by carving flames into them.

There are so many clever ways to use pumpkins. From the simple carved faces to fancy silver leaf.

Pumpkins are such a cute part of Halloween that lasts all the way through the Fall season. Pick yourself up several and try new ways to use them this year.

FOR THE LOVE OF CANDY CORN

2011-09-04T17:15:00.000-07:00

Candy corn! Just the thought of candy corn makes me conjure up visions of Halloween. As soon as I see those three little colors of candy popping up in the stores, I know it's Halloween time.

There is so much fun you can have with candy corn. In fact, you can have a whole party around the idea of candy corn.

After searching the web, I found so many wonderful ideas. I wanted to share them with you.

I think one of the most simple ways to enjoy candy corn is to use it in decorating. A quick and easy way is to pour some candy corn into a large container and add a candle.

To make it a bit more fancy, add flowers and have the vase be full of candy corn.

How about painting some pots to look like candy corn. Use these for your plants outside on your porch or you could put a bowl in here and use it to serve food.

Glue candy corn to Styrofoam balls and put them in urns. This is a lovely way to bring the bright colors and surgery smell of candy corn to any part of your home.

How about a candy corn tree? Glue some candy corn to a branch and tuck into an urn full of candy corn.

A candy corn wreath would be cute inside or on your door to greet your guest.

I adore these idea. String some candy corn and make a garland for your fireplace.

To bring the candy corn fun to your table, just use candy corn as a table runner.

Make your pompoms look like candy corn too.

You can make all sorts of yummy treats with using the candy corn theme. Here you see candy corn moon pies.

Candy corn sugar cookies sound pretty good to me. How about you?

Wonderful candy corn cupcakes would bring fun to any party.

Now who wouldn't have a big smile on their face as you served up candy corn jello?

Cute candy corn favors with a little tag that says they are rotten pumpkin teeth, will send your guests home laughing.

But why stop with food and decorations? You can even turn candy corn into jewelry. Well, OK, this may be going to far for some of you.

No matter what you decide to do with candy corn, I still think the best thing to do with it is to eat it.

FUN HALLOWEEN IDEAS TO COPY

2011-09-03T22:39:00.000-07:00

I'm already planning on what to do for Halloween. I know, I'm always looking forward to the next holiday and not enjoying the holiday that is right upon us. Oh well. What can I say?

I saw some things while I was out shopping that I thought would be easy to copy. So, I wanted to share them with you.

When I saw this display, at Debra's Cottage, I just fell in love with it. I love how it's so CA. I mean really, who thinks of the beach at Halloween time?

How about making a spider out of a light bulb! This one can be found at Rogers Gardens but I'm sure several of you out there in blogland could make up your own spiders that are just as nice.

If you do, you can always take a wire basket that normally holds plants and use it as the spider web.

How about taking some jars and adding a pumpkin on top? You could even get the etching cream and write Happy Halloween or Trick or Treat on the glass part.

Or use those bottles and jars to create your own scary looking bottles.

How about taking one of those hairy spiders that are being sold everywhere and put it in a box with some moss. Cut out the top of the box and put some clear plastic on it.

Now you have your own scary box.

If that is to much work for you then this one may be better. Get a skull and add glitter to it. Glue it to the top of a box that you have added some moss to. Use stickers to spell out Halloween or whatever you want.

They would make a great little gift box or look super on a tablescape at each setting with a little favor in them.

I love these pumpkins and think they add a touch of elegance to any Halloween party. You can buy a faux pumpkin and then add the gem swirls that you can find over in the scrap booking section.

For those of you who like just a touch of Halloween, you can always add a few pumpkins to your plants.

Here is another easy item to copy. Go to the Dollar Tree or 99 cent store and get a notebook. Cover it with scrapbook paper then decorate it with vintage Halloween pictures and some ribbon.

You could make each notebook look the same or different. They could be made with the smaller notebooks too. Those would also make darling favors if you are having a party or dinner guest over.

I hope you have seen how easy it would be to make some of the expensive items you see. You really don't have to spend a lot of money to have a high cost look.

However, if you don't have the desire to make your own items they are always out there for you to buy.

So tell me, are you excited about Halloween too?

A SUNNY DAY AT THE FARMERS MARKET

2011-08-28T14:32:00.000-07:00

We have had such a nice mild summer this year. The temperature has been perfect. Not to hot and not humid.

This week, they said we were going to start to finally get hot. YUCK! But hey, it's almost September so I can't really complain to much.

I thought it would be a perfect day to head out the local Farmer's Market and get some fresh air and maybe do some shopping, before it got to hot out.

I love seeing all the beautiful colors of the freshly picked fruits and veggies. Plus, knowing all this wonderful food was grown by local farmers makes it even better.

I almost broke down and bought some of the Heirloom tomatoes so I could can more salsa. Then I decided against it. It's getting to hot for that now.

I love there is so much more at the Farmers Markets then just fresh fruit and veggies. They had some beautiful looking herbs for sale.

There were several different types of fruit trees to purchase. I thought about getting a grape vine so I could have some home grown grapes but then gave up that idea too as I don't really have the room to grow these.

The flowers were so colorful and were much cheaper then buying them at the stores around here.

We listened to this guy for a little while. He was very interesting. He was showing us how to grow a lot of things in a small area.

I'm thinking that maybe this would be a good idea to do next year. I don't have a lot of room to plant things in my back yard but this can be built and put in places where there is no soil.

The guy said to make the boxes about 4 times as big as the one he had here.

There were so many dips, salsas, humus and other yummy goods sold here.

There were a lot of the gourmet food trucks there. So many great things to pick from. Boy these food trucks sure have come a long way from when I was growing up.

I watched the Great Food Truck Race on the Food Network just the other day and so it was fun seeing what they all sold. Have you seen that show?

This one did seem to be selling the most. Nothing like fruit flavored ice on a hot day.

Wow! Who knew the King was still alive. He entertained everyone with his songs. You could even have him come to your parties or buy his CD. To be honest, he really did sound like Elvis. He had to be the best sounding Elvis, since Elvis himself.

I think was my favorite place. Homemade cookies. I had a chocolate chip chili cooking. It was a great chocolate chip that left a little kick in your mouth after you swallowed. Not overly hot but just right.

I can't believe I've never been to a local Farmers Market before. Do you go to them? If you haven't, you should.

There is a lot of good things there and it was really fun. Everyone was so friendly and all the food was very good.

I'll be checking out more local Farmers Markets by me in the near future.

GETTING CANNING SUPPLIES FOR CHEAP OR EVEN FREE

2011-08-23T20:14:00.000-07:00

When I first started canning, a few years ago, I didn't have any "proper" equipment.

I started out making jam. I just used a large pot I had, poured the hot jam into the jars without a funnel(yes I burned myself many times), used regular tongs to pick up the hot jars out of the water bath and so on.

I also didn't have any canning cook books. I just would use the recipes that came with the pectin I was using.

Everything turned out just fine. Though it did cause more work (and pain) for me.

However, if you are like me, you don't want to spend a lot of money buying stuff for a new hobby if you are not sure you will like it.

That is why I'm posting about this now. For you who have not canned because you didn't think you had the right supplies and didn't want to buy things right now.

My advise to you is...get the things you need for free.

Yes, you heard me. I said FREE. I got lots of things for free by posting an ad on FreeCycle.

So many people used to can and no longer due. So they are willing to pass along what they have.

Like this big canning water bath and inside it even has the rack to lift the jars out of the hot water.

I got free jars and some even had the rings with them. If not, they don't cost much. A lot less then buying jars.

I got some free lids and a proper jar lifter/tongs. Trust me, it's much easier to use these then just regular tongs. These kind grasp the jars and you are less like to drop them.

One lady even gave me a cook book on canning and preserving. There are a lot of great recipes in this book.

You could also post a wanted ad on Craigslist, ask friends/family, go to garage sales and estate sales. Even sometimes you can find items at thrift stores for next to nothing.

So, don't let not having the proper equipment stop you from trying your hand at canning. Yes, the proper equipment does make it nicer and easier but you don't have to go out and spend a lot of money. You can make due with what you already have.

Once I found out how much I loved to can I did go out and buy most everything I needed. Getting the free stuff was great though because now I have a back up system, I can have others help me can and get done in 1/2 the time or I can teach my girl scouts how to can and we will have enough equipment.

The only thing I really still want to get is a pressure canner. That way I can can soups, sauces and veggies. I've already put it on my Christmas wish list.

I hope you will think about canning if you have never done it before. Things taste so much better when you make it yourself.

IF JAM IS TO MUCH WORK, TRY CANNING GRAPE JELLY

2011-08-22T14:55:00.000-07:00

Jelly is much easier to make then jam. You just use juice rather then the whole fruit.

If you don't make your own juice then making jelly is pretty darn fast.

I love grape jelly. But, the only kind I like is Welch's grape jelly. The other brands just don't thrill me.

I had thought about making my own juice with fresh grapes but that just seemed like to much work for me to do right now. Besides, what if I didn't like it either.

I thought that maybe if I used Welch's grape juice it would turn out like Welch's jelly. After I started to make the jelly, I noticed, it wasn't really grape juice I had. It was actually a "Concord Grape Flavored Fruit Cocktail".

What! I turned it over and saw it was a blend of three grapes, water and sugar. I wasn't sure what was going to happy to my jelly now. Yet, I carried on to find out.

I got my jars ready in the hot water bath.

The lids were on simmer, getting the rubber ring nice and soft.

I had my CERTO/pectin open and ready to be poured.

Then I poured in four cups of juice and 7 cups of sugar in the pot and mixed it well.

Even though my jelly recipe does not call for lemon I thought since I wasn't using fresh grapes, I would go ahead and add it.

I put in 4 tablespoons. NO, you can't taste it once it's all mixed in.

I then brought it all to a boil and added in the CERTO/pectin. I let it come back to a boil and stirred it for one minute.

I poured the hot jelly into the hot jars. Be careful! Don't burn yourself. Pour your jelly into the funnel and don't just dump it all right in or it will splash up and burn you. Pour the jelly onto the funnel and let it pour in that way.

Put the lids and rings on your jars and then process them in a water bath for 10 mins. Remove and let cool.

That's all there is to it! You will have 7 to 8 jars of fresh made Grape Jelly.

I had a little bit of jelly left over. Not enough to pour into a jar. I just poured into a little bowl and stuck it in refrigerator. I checked it after it was cold. It set perfectly and the taste was soooo good!

I knew I had a winner here! So, I made another batch for gifts.

I really hope you will try this recipe too. It's quick. It's easy and it's oh so good!

I'm linking up to Canning Week. You can go read about what everyone else is canning by clicking on here.

HOW TO MAKE DILL PICKLES

2011-08-18T23:07:00.000-07:00

I hope you are enjoying the posts about canning. From the emails I've been getting I think you are.

So, today I thought I would share how to can pickles.

This was the first year I've made my own pickles and to be honest, I have not yet tried them but they sounded really good to me and they are so easy to make.

Start with washing all your cucumbers. Make sure you use the pickling cucumbers and not the normal ones you find at the grocery store. They have been waxed and will not allow the brine to soak through properly. Plus, they have to big and to many seeds.

Cut your cucumbers into the shape you wanted. I cut them in spears and into "chips" for hamburgers and sandwiches. You could leave them whole too it you like.

Just make sure you cut off the tip of the cucumber where the flower was attached. For some reason this section has some enzymes in it that doesn't do well when making pickles.

You are going to need pickling or kosher salt. Do not use table salt as it will not work well in this recipe.

To make the brine, you will need 2 cups of white vinegar and 2 cups of water. Add 2 tablespoons of salt and bring it to a full rolling boil.

While your brine is boiling, get your jars and other ingredients together.

Place one garlic clove and some fresh dill (you could also use dill seeds) to the bottom of the jar. Then pack in your cucumbers.

Be sure to pack them pretty tight. This will keep your cucumbers from floating in the brine when you add it.

Once they are all packed, it's time to pour the hot brine into the jars. Use a funnel and pour slowly to allow the brine to get all the way to the bottom of the jars.

Fill the jars, leaving 1/2 inch head space at the top.

Use a knife, small spatula or bamboo skewer and press the cucumbers together to get any trapped air bubbles that may be in your jar.

After doing this, you may need to top off the jars with more brine.

Wipe the rims of the jars, set the lids on and tighten the rings.

Place jars in your boiling water canner and process for 10 minutes. Lift them out and let them sit.

Once you hear the pings of the jars being sealed you are done!

No wait! Don't eat them yet. I know you will want to but you must wait at least 2 weeks. Waiting even longer will make them even better.

These will last in a cool dry place for at least a year.

I have one more week then I can't wait any longer. I'm going to open up a jar and try them out.

I'm linking up to Show and Tell over at My Romantic Home and Foodie Friday over at Designs by Gollum. Please stop by and see what other fun things people are showing.

CANNING PEACHES

2011-08-17T15:03:00.000-07:00

Summer fruits are so good. The only bad thing is they don't stick around for very long.

Soon, summer will be gone and so will the sweet flavor of the fruits.

In order to savor those wonderful flavors all year long you can can them.

I've shown you how easy it is to turn fruit into jam. If you missed it, you can find it by clicking on here.

Some of you may not like jam or you have already mastered the art of canning jam. So, it's time to move on to other things.

Today, I'm going to show you how easy it is to can the fruit directly. Yes, it's even easier then making jam.

First you need decide how many jars of peaches you want to can. I had purchased a case at Costco. I forget how many are in there. I think maybe about 15 or so.

Peel the peaches and slice them however you like. You can cut them in 1/2 if you like but I like my peaches in slices.

Make sure you remove the skin on all the peaches and remove the pit.

You then need to make a syrup. I found a heavy syrup is what I like.

For a heavy syrup you use:

4 3/4 cups of sugar
4 cups of water

Then bring it to a boil. Once it is boiling, add your peaches. Stir and bring back to a boil. Once you have a boil with the peaches, you are ready to can them.

Remove the hot peaches from the stove. Pour into your prepared hot jars. Seal and put it a water bath for 25 mins. Remove from the heat and set aside to cool.

That's it! Now you have fresh peaches to enjoy all year long.

I've linked up on the Canning Week. Go here to see other yummy canning recipes.

TEACHING THE NEXT GENERATION TO CAN ~ MAKING APRICOT JAM

2011-08-15T23:13:00.000-07:00

I've been making jam for several years now and I adore it. Every year I get excited when the Summer fruits start popping up because I know that means yummy homemade jam is just around the corner.

The only thing I regret about canning is that I didn't learn how to do it sooner. I always thought it was so hard.

I was wrong! It's a bit scary at first but once you learn the steps, it's easy as can be. Yes, it does take time and you are tired when you finish but it is EASY.

I've taught several friends and family how to can. It is more fun if you do with someone else. Plus, it's less work if you have someone to share it with.

Yet, no matter if you can with someone or alone, it is still easy. Still not sure if you believe me or not. I'll prove it to you.

I had my 10 year old niece come over and taught her how to take these apricots and starting with washing them, she did every step it took to make her own batch of jam.

I love that she came over wearing shades of orange. It matches the jam we were making. Even the apron she is wearing has an apricot on it. To cute.

Anyway, back to making the jam.

She cut the apricots herself.

Took the pits out.

Ground them up in the food processor. You could just cut them up by hand if you don't have a food processor.

She measured out the fruit, sugar and even squeezed and measured the lemon juice.

She added everything to the pot and mixed it together.

She cooked the ingredients in a pot and stirred it until it came to a boil and added the pectin. Stirred one more minute and then removed the pot from the stove. OK, I actually removed the pot from the stove because I didn't want her to get burn or drop the hot mixture.

She poured the hot jam into the jars.

She made sure to leave enough room from the top of the jar.

I did step back in to help her put the jars into the boiling water bath. Sometimes the water pops up and let me tell you...it's hot!

Ten minutes later, her jam was finished and we listened for the popping sounds to let us know the jars all sealed properly.

I told her, when she gets married, her husband will be happy that she makes homemade jam for him.

She looked up at me and said "Forget about the husband! I'm making jam for myself. If I get married my husband will be lucky if I share it with him."

I had to laugh at her. She can be so funny at times.

So there you have it. If a ten year old can make homemade jam, you surely can. I promise you won't be sorry if you do. I can also promise, once you eat jam you make yourself, you will not want to eat store bought jam again.

The recipe we used is:

3 1/2 cups very finely chopped apricots. Leave skin on.
1/3 cup fresh lemon juice
5 3/4 cups sugar
1 pouch CERTO (liquid pectin)

Add all ingredients except CERTO to pan and bring to a boil. Stir so it does not burn. Once you have a full boil, add the pouch of CERTO. Bring back to boil and cook for 1 min. Do not over cook or under cook as it won't set properly.

Then pour hot jam into jars, seal with lids and cook in water bath for 10 mins.

Be sure you learn about how to prep your jars and lids before you start to make your jam.

If you have any questions, let me know. I would be happy to answer any of your questions.

I've linked up to Canning Week and you can go here to find more yummy posts.
I'm linking up to Made From Scratch Tues. over at From Mess Hall to Bistro. If you have not been there, go over and vote for your favorite recipe.

UNBROKEN ~ BOOK REVIEW

2011-08-12T23:16:00.000-07:00

This is a story about a man, Louis Zamperini, who, as a young boy, seems to be heading down the wrong path in life. He gets in trouble every time he turns around.

It starts out in the early 20's. His Italian family has migrated over to America from Italy. They are living in Torrance CA and trying hard to make ends meet.

Louie, as he is called, steals food from neighbors and gets in fights with anyone who upsets him. The law is right on his heals.

His older brother, Pete, is the complete opposite of him. He is a good kid, who helps everyone and is loved by all.

Pete finally helps Louie to get involved in running as a way to get focused. Louie soon starts breaking all records and finds that he loves running.

He finds his way to the 1936 Olympics in Germany and impresses Hitler, who summons him over to shake his hand.

While Louie doesn't win a metal, he is sure he will be able to in 1940 and is willing to train as hard as he needs to in order to get there.

Yet, life has other plans for Louie and World War II breaks out.

Louie signs up to fight for his Country and soon is part of a team flying bomber planes. Until that fateful day when he is shot down into the Pacific.

He must find a way to survive floating on a raft while he is being attacked daily by sharks, has no food and very little water.

After making it for 47 days and barley alive, the raft finely comes upon land. Just when Louie and his buddy thinks they are going to be saved, they find out they are on an island that is occupied by Japan.

They are taken hostage and become POW's.

Louie has been through it all, poverty, humiliation, beatings, starvation and mind games, yet he somehow finds a way to survive.

As you read this book can't help but think to yourself that the author has gone a little over board with placing the hero is so many life threatening situations that it becomes far fetched.

Then you remember, this is a TRUE story. None of it is made up. Everything is based on facts and all the information came from historic records, people who knew Louie and Louie himself.

You may be thinking this review gives the whole story away. You are wrong. All this information is just the tip of the iceberg.

The real story is not just what happens to Louie but how he somehow manages to survive it all...or does he?

I wasn't sure if I would really enjoy the book since I figured all the military and talk of war could get to be a bit to much.

It doesn't. It makes this book a fantastic read.

This is a story of a true American Hero. We can all learn a lesson from Louie.

I would recommend this book to anyone who is looking for a good book. Just beware, once you start to read this book, you will NOT want to put it down.

For over 50 years, Hollywood has been trying to make this story into a movie. For one reason or another they have not been able to do so. However, I hear they are once again in talks and are hoping to start filming soon.

If you do read this (or if you already have) let me know what you think of it.

SAND DOLLARS AND A SPECIAL STORY ABOUT THEM

2011-08-10T23:15:00.000-07:00

I love shells and I have lots of them decorating different parts of my house.

I think my favorite shell is the Sand Dollar. They seem so delicate. Yet, they are able to survive living in the ocean with the waves pounding them back and forth.

The only Sand Dollar that I've ever found on the beach were a few purple ones. I had no idea, at the time, that when they are alive they are purple.

I was holding one in my hand. I was so excited to actually find a Sand Dollar. Looking at it closely, I noticed it started to move in my hand. I got freaked out. I am not one who loves fish or live critters in the Ocean that live in shells.

That is when someone told me it was alive. I quickly put that guy back into the ocean to live out it's life.

Did you know there are several types of Sand Dollars?

There are the Pancake Sand Dollars. They are flat, with no holes.

The Sea Biscuit Sand Dollar. They are puffy and not normally the type of Sand Dollars people think of.

The Arrowhead Sand Dollars got their name from the shape that looks a bit like an arrowhead.

The Key Hole Sand Dollar is the one I think of when I think of Sand Dollars.

When I was a little girl, I heard a story about the "special meaning" of this type of San Dollar. Ever since then, I have not been able to look at San Dollar without remembering that story.

Have you heard it? If not, I'll tell it to you now.

The San Dollar and Christians share a unique relationship. You see, if you look closely at the Sand Dollar you will find many symbols to tell the story of the Birth, Crucifixion and Resurrection of Jesus.

On the top part of the shell you can clearly see an outline of the Easter Lily.

At the center of the Lily a five pointed Star can be seen. This symbol represents the Star of Bethlehem that led the Wise Men to the manger when Jesus was born.

There are five holes in the Sand Dollar and they represent the four nail holes in Jesus' feet and hands and the pierce wound made by the spear that was jabbed into His side when He was crucified.

If you turn the Sand Dollar over you will find an outline of the Poinsettia, the Christmas flower.

If you break open the Sand Dollar you will find find "Doves". These represent the Doves of Peace.

Now, I have no idea if this Sand Dollar was really placed here on Earth with these hidden secretes from God or not.

However, I love the story and so I choose to believe they were.

When I first heard this story, I remember I would break open every Sand Dollar I could find to see if those five "doves" would really be there. Let me save you the time...yes they are.

If you have children, it is fun to break open one as you tell the story to them. Just be careful, they may want to break all your San Dollars like I did.

If you have not heard this story before, I hope you will go take a closer look and decide for yourself if this is a true story or one that has been passed down for years and years.

YOU SAY TOMATO ~ I SAY SALSA!

2011-08-08T18:25:00.000-07:00

After picking a ton of tomatoes that I grew this year, I wasn't really sure what to do with all of them.

I had already eaten a ton and given the neighbors more then they could ever use.

Then it happened!

The urge to start canning again this year. What could be better then to start with then salsa!

My sister came over and we spent the day canning 22 jars of salsa. We had so much fun and we laughed a lot too.

We agreed that since we canned salsa last year and again this year, it has now become a tradition for us. We are now known as the Salsa Sisters!

If you would like the recipe on how to turn a bunch of tomatoes into a yummy salsa for canning, I can help you on that.

Just click here and you will be taken to my post from last year where I take you step by step on how to make the best Salsa around.

I have linked up to Canning week and you can click here to go over to see all the other yummy recipes.
Enjoy!

WHY SCRAPBOOK WHEN YOU CAN HAVE AN ACTUAL BOOK!

2011-08-06T22:37:00.000-07:00

When I bought my camera, I got a coupon for a free book from Shutterfly. Well, I actually forgot about it. I never thought I would use it.

I was enjoying taking pictures and I had it all planned out on which ones I was going to put in a scrapbook and which ones I would just save on disc.

Then I got an email saying my coupon was going to expire in two days if I didn't use it.

I figured what the heck, I would go check it out and see what it was all about. I'm so happy I did!

I played around a bit, trying different background pages, different embellishments and different photos.

I found out that you can download your photos and just pick which design you wanted and they would pop the pictures in the spaces for you.

Or, you could pick your own design and put the photos in as you like. I picked that version.

I thought it would be fun to do for my great niece, Trinity, for the first year we were together in Junior Girl Scouts.

I started to pull up pictures of all the things we did and added little captions here and there. Before I knew it, I put the whole book together and loved it.

The books come in several sizes. You can pick a 5x7, 7x9, 8x8 (which is what I got) or a 12x12.

You can add extra pages then what the base book comes with. Or you can do like I did and make the final page a collage of pictures to save on pages.

I think this would be a perfect gift to give anyone. So many reasons to get a book made. A new born baby, one for each school year for a child, wedding, vacations, family history, a special occasion or for Girl/Boy Scouting.

I'm sure I'm going to make several for Christmas gifts this year. If you are interested in making your own book you can go to shutterfly.com and make your own book.

No, I didn't get paid or get anything free for writing this post. I just think it is a wonderful way to capture your photos and a wonderful way to protect your memories and I wanted to share it with you.

ANOTHER CHEAP BUT FUN OUTING ~ CAMPING

2011-08-05T23:57:00.000-07:00

I just got home from a fun camping trip. It was just my sister, my great niece and me. No men allowed.

Well, except this big boy, who seemed to love our camp area. He would come by several times a day. He even brought his wife and three babies with him a few times.

He was so friendly and tame. We named him George.

We went to a KOA Camp Ground. It was the first time I had been to one and I was very impressed.

They have so much fun stuff to do. Of course, hiking is always a big thing when you go camping.

They had a beautiful river to swim in. They told us some last year a group of young people came and blocked off some of the stream so the water would go up higher and they could swim there.

A big storm came and all the rocks they used was washed away. But, the group came back again this year and did the same thing.

It was a perfect place to go cool off and get refreshed from a long day outside.

They had a big play area with lots to do too.

Tether ball always reminds me of when I was a kid. I loved to play tether ball on the play ground.

They had lots of bikes you could rent and of course there were lots of trails to ride the bikes on.

You could even brush up on your rock climbing skills if you didn't want to leave the camp ground to rock climb.

The huge chess set reminded me of Alice in Wonderland.

This was called an Air Pillow. It was really big and like a trampoline. Only it has big fans blowing it up.

Kids loved this...so did some adults. Plus, it was free!

The camp ground has places for tents and RV's. They also have tepees and cabins you can rent.

To me, it really isn't camping unless you are in a tent, have a camp fire and cook outside.

Here Trinity is making dessert for us. Do you have any idea what she is making?

She made us brownies with walnuts. YUM!

I bet you wonder how she was able to cook brownies outside. Don't you?

We brought a box with us and turned it into an oven. She figured out how many pieces of hot charcoal she needed to get it to heat up to 350 degrees and about 40 mins. later, we had delicious warm brownies to eat!

Yes, we did make S'Mores. Only not just the normal S'Mores. We also made them with brownies rather then graham crackers.

Warning! If you try these, you may never want to go back to normal S'Mores again! They were so good, they should be outlawed.

I think one of the best things the camp ground had to offer was the Zip Line. My sister and I didn't go on it but Trinity did! She said it was a blast.

We had so much fun and so many laughs. We did a lot of things we never have done before and at night we loved looking up at the night sky with all the billions of stars.

Living in the city we don't really see many stars due to all the light.

To me though, I think I enjoyed the hours and hours of talking. Telling stories about the past and dreaming about the future. Telling scary stores was so fun, we ended up going to bed early just so we could lay in our tent, snuggle up and get scared.

So many memories were made. It was a trip we will never forget.

DAY TRIP TO SANTA MONICA

2011-07-30T00:02:00.000-07:00

Today I went with a friend to Santa Monica. I have not been there in years and I'm really happy we went. It was such a fun day.

You may be asking yourself - "What is there to do or see in Santa Monica?" Well, come along with me and I'll show you.

Our first stop was to the 3rd Street Promenade. We wanted to walk around a bit then eat lunch. There are so many great restaurants to pick from.

I love that most places have tables outside right by the sidewalks. That way, you can enjoy your meal and still have a great time people watching.

For those of you who have never been to the 3rd Street Promenade, it is a street that is block off to traffic for several blocks.

There is a lot of wonderful shops, food places, movies, street carts and entertainment.

We came across several people who were singing and trying to sell their CD's. Some were really good...some, not so much.

You will find all sorts of things to make you smile.

Like bushes that look like big dinosaurs.

Movie theaters with old fashion charm.

Unique art work.

Great candy shops.

Shoe shine stands that used to be on every corner, many years ago.

The list of super things there goes on and on.

We then went for a walk and ended up going over the beach side of the road.

I found the combo of these two trees to be odd. Palm trees and Yucca trees just don't go together. It's Tropical and Dessert. Strange.

Santa Monica has a lot of new buildings. However, they still have a lot of the old time charm that makes you feel like you are walking around in the past.

I fell in love with this old Hotel. I want to stay here someday.

Why is there a big cannon here? I have no idea. There weren't any signs around and no one seemed to know.

Yup, you can get your "Kicks on Route 66" right here in Santa Monica.

After walking several blocks, we came to the famous Pier.

The Pier is a very popular spot for locals and tourist. It was pretty crowded when we were there.

The beach wasn't as near crowded as most Summer days.

Yes, I know most of the Country is burning up. Yet, here in Santa Monica it was kind of overcast and not hot at all. I think it only got up to 72 there in the late afternoon.

Yet people were still going in the water.

In 1975, the Santa Monica Pier became a Historical Landmark.

You could spend the day on the Pier. It's not like most Piers. This one has lots of rides, many places to eat, shops and so much to see and do.

You can even take classes to become a trapeze artist. Soon, you could be flying through the air with the greatest of ease.

You can see artists at work and even buy what they make.

If you walk to the very end of the Pier you will find the Harbor Office and take classes in Ocean safety.

It was fun playing tourist in my own back yard. OK, so it's not actually my backyard, it's about an hour from where I live. But, it still made for a wonderful day.

BLOG CRUSH and RAZOR and GREAT PARK ~ OH MY!!!

2011-07-29T00:21:00.000-07:00

I am so happy that I found out about the group Blog Crush. It's a group of bloggers that get together to share tips and ideas.

They meet up every so often and Thursday night was the first time I got to join them. Boy, what a night!

It was held at the Orange County Great Park in Irvine. For those of you who live in OC perhaps you have seen the big orange hot air balloon flying high in the air.

If you have not yet been to the Great Park, you must go. I've been several times now and each time has been a blast.

I've taken my Girl Scout troop there to do Star Gazing. I've gone there to fly kites. Several times, to go on the hot air balloon ride and carousel. Everything there has always been free.

This night was no different. Hours of fun and enjoyment all for free. That's right! You heard me. It didn't cost us one penny and we had hours of enjoyment and laughs.

I went there with some of my friends who are also bloggers. They brought their kids with them and the one thing they loved the most was getting to test drive the new Razors.

There were several different "rides" they got to pick from.

There was the Graffiti Scooter. This was fun because not only do they get to ride around like they are free as a bird, they can also step down on the area that holds down three large pieces of chalk. This allows them to leave behind them a masterpiece of magic as they twist and turn their way around.

The E-Spark Scooter is an electric scooter that can make sparks. Talk about blazing a trail! This ride looks like a kids dream to me!

The BoGo is wild! It's like a PoGo Stick only this goes so much higher then the PoGo Sticks I've ever seen. It's like the Bionic Man's PoGo Stick. The kids flipped for this!

I heard kids of all ages asking their parents to get them these items. They are sure to make it on lots of Christmas lists this year! I'm sure Santa and his Elf's will be seeking the help of Razor to fill all the requests.

As if this was not enough fun, there was a scavenger hunt. Every 15 minutes there was a hidden treasure (one of these fabulous Razor products) for the kids to find. The first one that figured out the clue and located the hidden spot would win the item they found.

The kids were able to run around, solve the clues and find great prizes like this BOGO.

Look at the happy faces of those six kids that found the hidden treasures!

I'm sure this summer there will be not only these six happy kids outside having fun with their Razor's, but lots and lots of kids will be seen with these great inventions!

Parents also love these items because the kids, not only, get outside in the fresh air more, get exercise and have a blast, but, they also are a great price and don't break the bank.

So, if you are a parent, my advise to you is to, run to your nearest store that carries these products and purchase them now. They will make your kids happy and we all know that happy kids make happy parents!

I did not get anything (other then a fun night) in return for writing this post.

Everything I wrote is just because I saw, first hand, the pleasure these products bring to kids and I happen to think they are great fun.

HER TABLESCAPE WON AT THE OC FAIR!!

2011-07-27T17:47:00.000-07:00

My great niece and I both entered tablescapes at the OC Fair. It was the first time either of us have ever entered anything at a Fair before.

I was so happy when we walked up to her tablescape and we found she won the big prize for her division!

That's right, she got 1st place and wins the money prize!

We talked about it before we went down there and I explained that it would be ok if we didn't win. It was just fun being able to do this together. Plus, neither of us know anyone else who has ever entered anything before the fair.

But, when we walked up and saw she got the blue ribbon and then the ribbon for winning her division we both were so excited!

She is a lot like me and loves to set a nice table. She has always helped me when we have family holiday dinners. She likes to play with dishes like me.

She asked if one day she could have my dishes so she could continue to set pretty tables when I'm tired of doing it.

I told her of course she can have everything. Whenever she wants them they are hers.

I'm so proud of her. She picked everything out herself and learned the proper way to set the table and even measured out how far from the edge everything goes. Yes, they are that picky at the Fair.

Congratulations Trinity! You did a wonderful job.

Oh and for those who wanted know...I took 3rd in the Adult Division.

I'm linking up to Susan's Tablescape Thursday. If you have not yet been there please stop by to see all the wonderful tablescapes throughout blogland.

WILD RIVER IN IRVINE TO CLOSE WITH RUBBER DUCKY DERBY

2011-07-26T00:11:00.000-07:00

I have lived in Orange County for almost 40 years and I have never once been to Wild Rivers Water Park.

But, I'm going to go this year!

I won't be going just for the fun rides though. My main reason for going is to join in the fun with the Rubber Ducky Derby.

I've always wanted to enter one of these contests. Have you heard of them before?

You can "adopt" a rubber duck for a donation. Your duck is given a number and entered into the race.

All the ducks are then dropped into the water at the same time and float down to the finish line.

I hear it is a lot of fun to watch them as they twist and turn and often get go off track. Sometimes they get caught up on something and it takes awhile to break free.

The first few ducks to cross the finish line. There are several prizes to be won.

You can even win up to one MILLION dollars! Wow!

Plus you're helping a good cause. The money is all donated to the Children's Bureau which helps abused children.

On top of all this, you get a free entry into Wild Rivers to go on all the rides yourself. So, you can't lose.

This doesn't take place until Oct. 2, 2011 but, I wanted to get the word out to everyone.

I have read that Wild Rivers is going to close and the rubber duck derby is the last day they will be open. They plan to tear it down and build apartments.

So, if you are in the area, I hope you too will go and race along with me. To find out more info you can click here to read more.

No, I'm not getting paid for this post. I just thought it was a great cause and also a super good deal for anyone interested.

MOVIE IN THE PARK

2011-07-24T00:09:00.000-07:00

Tonight we decided to head over to one of the local parks that are showing free movies on a large screen.

I've heard about these movies that are shown all over this summer. Some are at the beach, some are in parks and some are even down the street from us at the Orange County Preforming Arts Center.

I've never been to one though.

We got there early so we could get a good seat and eat the dinner we brought with us.

They had an area set up to take photos. It was a backdrop and blow up guitars.

This sort of gives you a hint to the movie we saw. Can you guess what it was?

Before the movie started, a local dance group came up and danced to a few of the numbers in the movie. It was really cute.

Once it got dark outside, everywhere you looked seemed to glow from the glow sticks/necklaces they handed out.

They also tossed out a few free t-shirts. Trinity one one and put it on to help keep her warm.

Even though it's the middle of the summer and most of the country is in a heat wave, we have been lucky to have nice days and the evenings cool off.

Since we were pretty close to the beach, it got down right chilly.

OK, here is a big hint about the movie. I bet most of you can guess what it was now. Right?

Yes, it was Grease. I've always loved this movie and it was even more fun watching it tonight with a lot of fans. Everyone was singing and dancing in their seats.

I really had a blast. It was sort of like when I was younger and would go to drive in movies, only better.

I'm sure this is only the first of many outdoor movies I'll be seeing.

How about you? Have you gone to any outdoor community movies in your area?

OC FAIR ~ LET'S EAT

2011-07-21T00:44:00.000-07:00

It's once again time for the Orange County Fair! This year the theme is Let's Eat!

Every year I look forward to going to the fair. I love seeing all the people, the flashy lights, the shows, the exhibits, all the entries hoping to win a blue ribbon and the rides.

But, to be honest, I love seeing and eating all the wonderful Fair Foods. I admit, I couldn't eat this food every day. It's way to much.

Once a year is more then enough to walk around and enjoy all the fried, cheese covered, chocolate covered and crazy food.

It seems like every year they try to find more and more crazy food to tempt fair goers.

This year, they had fried Cool Aid. What in the world is that? I have no idea. I waited and waited for someone to order it so I could snap a picture. No one did.

I was able to catch a lot of different Fair food though. Like the fried Oreo Cookies.

I know you are wondering what I had. OK, I'll tell you. I had a grilled corn on the cob. I also split an order of fries and then had the cinnamon roll before leaving.

I didn't feel good. To much grease. Also, the cinnamon roll wasn't very good. Normally they are the best but not this year. I should have stuck to just the Corn on the Cob and diet coke.

What is your favorite Fair Food? Do you have one?