Cookies!

I love the Fall. I love the smells, the colors and the sound of giants in padded uniforms slamming into each other all to get a leather ball into a small spot of field… Lordy. That just puts a big smile on my face.

So in honor of my favorite time of the year, I have experimented and come up with a fantastic Fall Cookie recipe, for which I have yet to name. If you guys make them, let me know what name comes to mind. Wait, let me amend that last statement…

If you guys make them and LIKE them, let me know what name comes to mind. That’s safer. /wink

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2 1/2 cups all purpose flour

1 1/2 teaspoons baking soda

1 teaspoon salt

1 1/2 teaspoons of pumpkin spice

1 teaspoon ground nutmeg

2 sticks of butter @room temperature

1 cup firmly packed brown sugar

1/2 cup white sugar

1 egg

2 tablespoons vanilla extract

pecan halves

1. Toast the pecans in a small skillet/frying pan at medium heat. Once you begin to smell their aroma, pull them off and put them through a food processor or a nut grinder/chopper. Be careful not to blacken them in parts. If this happens, pick out the ones with very dark spots or simply be ready for a VERY dark and rich cookie.-
2. Mix the first five ingredients thoroughly in a small bowl and set to the side.-
3. Beat together all wet ingredients, this being the brown sugar, white sugar and butter, adding the egg and vanilla extract once utter and sugars are smooth. Slowly begin adding the dry ingredients you pre-mixed earlier, a little at a time, allowing the flour to become fully mixed before you add any more.
4. Once wet and dry ingredients have been mixed well, add the toasted pecan pieces. I do prefer mine ground rather fine, since it spreads the toasted flavor throughout the dough and cookie, but some may prefer larger chunks. It is up to the baker! After the pecans are fully mixed into the dough, cover your bowl and chill in the fridge for 15-30 minutes.
5. With your oven at 375 degrees, ball up the dough and bake for 6-7 minutes, depending on your oven, TURNING the pan 180 degrees in the oven halfway through the cook time. Turning that pan a full 180 will ensure that the cookies are baking evenly and receiving the same amount of heat on all sides.

Enjoy!

Catch a Glimpse Photography

Regina does it again. Here is a shot from Sawyer’s 6 month photos.It will link you to her blog where you’ll see other photos and find her contact info. She’s great, folks. And VERY reasonable rates, which we all know is important these days.

Blessings.

Sawyer's 3 month photos, by Regina Claud

Sawyer's 3 moth photos

3 month photos

Regina does amazing work, folks. Want her contact info? Book her now before she gets too busy! Seriously, she has a very bright future.

~A

So I haven’t posted…

…in a month. I swear, this past election has been a rough one on me. I get so consumed, so sucked in by info and my passions and the fact that there are so many people blinded by bright lights and the empty promises of Hope from an emptier suit… It’s done and over and people will get what they paid for. Moving on now.

I need some prayers! Monday night I volunteered to lead this coming Monday’s men’s small group. Derek is out of town and needed someone to take up the torch and the Lord prompted me to step up and help. He knows that I have a problem with leadership and management and that kind of responsibility and yet He has been thrusting all of those on my for years. I run as far away from them as quickly as I am able but He continues to lead me right on back around toward them. Maybe one day I’ll listen and accept, but today i need some prayers.

To say that feelings of inadequecy abound is an understatement. I have never been taught how to teach. I have never been trained in how to speak and I have not ever been shown how to lead. This is something I have struggled with my entire life and I know that with His help I can do what He needs me to do, but it doesn’t take away the fear.

Prayers, people. I need em. ; ) As a reward, here is Sawyer.

Blessings.

Avoidance « High Desert Dreamer

via Avoidance « High Desert Dreamer.

Joni Autrey wrote a post that made me think a little, which we all know is the extent of my thinking.

I find myself avoiding things that are usually so trite, like taking out the trash or putting dishes in the washer or cleaning out my truck so I can find my tools… Silly things. And why? Because I am a bum.

Thanks, Joni, for reminding me of how much I resemble a bum… /wink

What are things you all avoid?

He’s tough.

This is his “Daddy, Hurry Up And Change My Diaper Before I Knock You Out” look. See? fist cocked and all.

That’s my boy.

The Obamessiah and the Black Panther

So I heard a story on one of our local radio stations today and decided to check into it a bit myself…

This is from NewsMax.com and this is the first place I’ve heard it.

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NewsMax.com
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I have also found something similar on two other websites:

Worldnet Daily and

texasdarlin

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I have no idea what all of this may mean, as I am a simple carpenter.

All of this is still developing and I’ll keep updating as possible. Things are getting scary. Pray.

He won’t stop growing.

He is a piggy. Poor Carrie. No sleep, no time to do anything else. She needs a vacation, or needs to go back to work so she can get some rest… /wink

But the baby is cute!

I am beside myself…

…with anger. How dare the “Party of Equal Rights and Tolerance” stoop to this level.

This is the reason I don’t own a gun.

No words needed.