Oatmeal Chocolate Chip Craisin Cookies (Jenells')

I know I keep posting new chocolate chip recipes and saying "this is the best" - but this one is great.  We want chewy but not flat and not cake-like....haven't tired these with healthy ingredients.....but they're good this way. LOL 


Preheat oven to 375 - makes about 4 doz (mine made 7 - with the smaller PC scoop)

3/4 c Butter - softened
1 C packed Brown Sugar
1/2 C Granulated Sugar
1 tsp Baking Powder
1/4 tsp Baking Soda
1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
1/4 tsp ground cloves (didn't have any and left out)
2 eggs
1 tsp vanilla
1 3/4 C all-purpose Flour
2 C Rolled Oats
1 C Chocolate Chips
3/4 C Craisins

Cream butter, sugars, vanilla, and eggs in a large bowl.

Mix flour, oats, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon, cloves.

Add to butter mixture. Stir in chocolate chips. Fold in craisins.

Drop dough by rounded tsp...bake 8-10 min (mine took 11). Cool on cookie sheet for 1 min. Cool on wire rack.

For more recipes check out the tab at the top of the page.

Choosing Joy!
©2010 D.R.G.
~Coram Deo~
Living all of life before the face of God...

Baking? Huh?

I'm a bit perplexed. 


I didn't set out to spend the day baking. 


I sat down to begin writing a Bible study lesson on James 1:1-18.....and here I am 17 hours later.....

Two big pans of Peanut Butter bars, 5 doz snicker doodles, and BAGS of Tic Tac Toe.....somewhere during the day I sent the kids out to count all the homes in our subdivision....and went to the commissary for more supplies....took Zander to lunch (which he'd been asking for for weeks)....


We ran to the nursing home for the Birthday bash when I realized it was TIME. ::snort:: 


Then home again to more baking.....dinner is done....Mike's still at a shindig....the kids are about to watch a movie....I'm going to bed.


I suspect I'm having a Zocor reaction. I'll have to think about that tomorrow - or Monday. I ache. This happened on the trip...started with a shoulder, then legs, whole body and I quit taking the Zocor until we got home. I've been taking it 10 days and my legs are aching again....could be Zocor. I'm not doing anything differently...but I don't want it to be the Zocor. Oh well, I ache. I'm going to bed.  ::snort:: 


Choosing Joy!
©2010 D.R.G.
~Coram Deo~
Living all of life before the face of God...

Peanut Butter Bars (Kristin's)

A brand new favorite this year. Thank you Kristin E, MOPS Director extraordinaire. 


The kids are swarming and asking, "Can we have the less-than-perfect ones?"  The fact that I've had the powdered sugar since we made Jesus' birthday cake LAST Christmas tells you that baking with "real" refined ingredients is rare around here....but still.....Only FIVE ingredients, no-bake....honestly....the mark of a great recipe. 

1 1/2 C Graham Cracker Crumbs

1 lb Confectioners' sugar (3 - 3 1/2 cups)

1 1/2 C Peanut Butter

1 C Butter, melted

1 (12 oz) bag Milk Chocolate Chips (I used semi-sweet - no artificial stuff)

Combine cracker crumbs, sugar and peanut butter. Mix well. 

Blend in melted butter until completely combined. 

Press mixture evenly into a 9 x 13 inch pan. 

Melt Chocolate chips in microwave or in double boiler. 

Spread over peanut butter mixture. 

Chill until just set and cut into bars (these are VERY hard to cut if the chocolate gets "rock hard". 

For more recipes click the tab above. 

Choosing Joy!
©2010 D.R.G.
~Coram Deo~
Living all of life before the face of God...

MOPS Mother Child Peppermint Tea

The girls and I were happy to attend a MOPS Peppermint Tea yesterday. What a blast. The discussion was lively, there were crafts for children, individual ornaments to be had, story telling, Christmas music and wonderful Christmas food. It was a joy to see Moms and CHILDREN interacting with OTHER Moms and children. So fun to see children playing and mom's visiting. Great job ladies. 

Arielle suggested we dress in our most festive, jingly, jangly outfits for this occasion....we'd match for the group photo (which I'll have to scan later). 

I did get other photos but they all involve children or moms who have not told me they are o.k. with an occasional guest appearance on our blog. ::snort:: 

We had a short steering committee meeting after the tea. I enjoyed a Skype with a regional board member. I went to the onsen with a dear friend, came home, cooked dinner and slept well. It was a great day! 

Choosing Joy!
©2010 D.R.G.
~Coram Deo~
Living all of life before the face of God...

White Chocolate Tic Tac Toe

Remedying an oversight. This is a recipe from year's past.  Thanks for requesting it and spurring me on, Cindy. Getting it in the recipe index, photo will be added after I make some.  LOL 


1 lb. M&Ms

1 1/2 lbs. White Chocolate

9 cups Crispix cereal (or Chex)

2 cups pretzel sticks

3 cups cheerios

2 cups peanuts (or nuts of choice)

In a double boiler melt white chocolate over low heat.

Mix all dry ingredients in a LARGE bowl or tub.

Pour melted white chocolate into bowl and toss to coat all dry ingredients.  Be careful not to smoosh M&Ms.

Pour single layer onto kitchen table covered with wax paper.

Let dry approximately 1 1/2 to 2 hours.

Break into smaller pieces and store in airtight container.

Will store for up to 10 days. (If it lasts that long!)

*Note I've used white chocolate chips and vanilla almond bark. Either works. I also use the microwave. Shoot be really decadent and cover it in dark chocolate. LOL 

Choosing Joy!
©2010 D.R.G.
~Coram Deo~
Living all of life before the face of God...

A Winter's Day

We're hitting our stride again. 

Quiet hours with Jesus, school, a couple of mentoring calls, a few emails, orthodontist, dinner in the oven.

Arielle and I tried to find a Christmas Wreath for our door....we weren't totally successful....

If we could find materials, we'd try to make one. We're going to try the base's Arts and Crafts shop "tomorrow."

We SCORED on New Year's Prep....

Michael should be home within the hour (???), we'll have dinner, try to contact our boys, search for the best connections for Josiah's upcoming trip to see us...maybe read another chapter from one of the books we're working on....and it may even snow some more tonight. Winter isn't so bad.....it will be downright wonderful if I can find the gloves, hats and scarves. LOL

Choosing Joy!
©2010 D.R.G.
~Coram Deo~
Living all of life before the face of God...

Is That a Pet?

We were sitting around the table, when I looked over and saw....

It transported us back 14 years ago when we used to find wisps of Barbie Doll's hair in the jaws of Jared's alligators. It reminded us of how this dino use to torment, Beatrix, our wonder dog. Stacia topped it all by cuddling it in her arms and telling us it was her new pet. 

Zander and I both slept in until 5:00 and 5:30 this morning. I think we've got this jet lag thing whipped. Arielle, Stacia and I headed in this a.m. for PWOC. So WONDERFUL to be back home with "my gals".  Jared and Arielle had drama and Human Video practice this afternoon. The rest of us ran to the commissary and then COOKED another real dinner. This could become a habit. Viva la menu planners. 

Choosing Joy!
©2010 D.R.G.
~Coram Deo~
Living all of life before the face of God...