New Thanksgiving Fun

We have enjoyed these this season. We are not NEARLY through the box of questions, but we'll keep working on them. 

The company also makes a Christmas and Family Dinner box of questions! 

Choosing Joy!
©2012 D.R.G.
~Coram Deo~
Living all of life before the face of God...

Cocoa Crinkle Cookies (Hersheys)

These are an old favorite and so I made them. The kids loved them and we took 4 doz to PWOC's get out the cookie effort. 

INGREDIENTS: 
2 C sugar
3/4 C Vegetable Oil
3/4 C Cocoa
4 Eggs
2 tsp Vanilla
2 1/3 C Flour
2 tsp Baking Powder
1/2 tsp Salt

Powdered Sugar

DIRECTIONS:
Cream sugar and oil; add cocoa and beat until blended. Beat in eggs and vanilla.

Stir together flour, baking powder and salt; add to the cocoa mixture; beating well.

Cover and refirgerate until dough is firm enough to handle, at least 6 hours.

Preheat oven to 350*. Lightly grease cookie sheet. Shape dough and roll in powder sugar.

Bake 11 - 13 minutes - until top is cracking and there is only a slight indention when you touch the top.

VEGANIZE:  Try replacing sugar with Rapadura (may be too strong), coconut oil for oil; egg replacer or flax seeds and water for eggs. 

Choosing Joy!
©2012 D.R.G.
~Coram Deo~
Living all of life before the face of God...

SOFT Gingersnaps (Libby H)

Libby brought these to MOPS. I knew they had added sugar (which I limit) and weren't vegan so I passed them up; but everyone raved about them. When I needed to make cookies for PWOC to deliver to the flight line I knew I'd try these.  They are SOFT and chewy and YUMMY....and I put vegan directions below. 

INGREDIENTS: 

1C brown sugar

3/4 c shortening (get the sticks, so much easier!)

1/4c molasses

1egg

2 1/2c all purpose flour

2 tsp baking soda

1 tsp cinnamon

1 tsp ground ginger

1/2 tsp ground cloves

1/4 tsp salt

DIRECTIONS:

Preheat oven to 375. Beat sugar, shortening, molasses, and egg together. Add other ingredients. Roll in ball, dip top of ball in granulated sugar. Bake for 10 min.

Veganize: Rapadura replaces sugar; coconut oil replaces shortening/butter; egg replacer or flaxseed/water replaces egg. Rapadura can have a  "molasses like" flavor but that is just fine in these. 

Choosing Joy!
©2012 D.R.G.
~Coram Deo~
Living all of life before the face of God...

Snow!

It is still fall! Winter does not begin until 21 Dec. That's my story and I'm sticking to it....but today we got our first snow. Contrary to local opinion, it DID stick....Not a lot...but it's THERE....and I realize I'm just not ready for winter.....I will embrace it when I must...but it seriously hampers my lifestyle.

First snowman of the year

The kids, however, are ecstatic! "We have so many plans for this winter."  Here are a few of their plans...

Winter plans disguised as school work. LOL 

Snow wars and forts 

A snow song.....::snort:: 

Plans for a snow castle

I'm sad we didn't take the kids for photos in the colors yesterday....LOL

Choosing Joy!
©2012 D.R.G.
~Coram Deo~
Living all of life before the face of God...

Happy Birthday, Michael!

Fifty-two years ago, today, Michael was born. Fifty years ago, today, my parents were married. This is  a red-letter day. Both momentous events in our family history.

We began the day by decorating and wrapping gifts while Michael slept in.  I also had a Skype with the PWOC Region's local presidents.

Michael got up, had breakfast, and we Skyped with my parents.

We headed for the beach.....We saw a lot of this.....

So close to a glass float...but alas...light bulbs of varying sizes! We did find some glass bottles and sea glass. I headed one way on the beach and thought I may have discovered an icthasaurus.....afterall, they DID find one in Japan. We had just studied it. Everyone finally convinced me it was a sea lion. Sad....but it was a hands on science lesson.

Michael chose Karinbas for lunch. We LOVE the Sweet and Sour Chicken and Cashew Chicken here....last time I ordered vegetables here there was a layer of ground pork with the veggies. Today, I found vegetable chop suey...It  was quite good once I convinced myself the eggplant was not squid.  I would really like to order some plain rice and veggies and mix it with the sauce from the cashew chicken or sweet and sour chicken...but all that "explaining" is too hard with the language barrier. ::snort:: 

We dropped the children off at home and Michael and I went out for a drive to explore some new areas.

Back at home we played Quelf! Some of us love it, some of us didn't like the randomness of the game....but it was fun to play together.

  I thought it was impossible to drink the way the card told Zander to drink...but he did. Here he is right before he realized the cup had created a suction on his chin. OUCH.

 Of course, everyone else had to see if THEY could come up with a way to drink from the far side of the cup without spilling the water....who knew?

Fun game - though a bit challenging for Zander, who doesn't understand humor real well. 

Stacia was SO EXCITED for presents! She could barely contain herself. 

I had asked the kids repeatedly, "Does that say Dad?" and so as he opened gifts she said, "It says DAD!"  She got him a chain to hang a garbage bag when you're traveling.

Zander got Michael a bomb (firecracker propelled) so he could deal with on the job stress. ::snort:: 

These totally cracked us up - and we'd not read the package until tonight. 

I picked up an ipad Mini in Nashville...and he was TOTALLY surprised. I was worried he'd seen the expense on the credit card...and prepared to just act like I was hiding something I'd bought myself if he quizzed me...but he didn't see the expense and was surprised. 

Arielle and Nolan made this yummy ice cream cake -  I DID have a small slice. This was my first really off the wagon splurge since August 1st.  I'm hoping it didn't reawake any monsters. LOL

Michael was able to connect with Mom G via skype tonight. All in all a very good day.

Choosing Joy!
©2012 D.R.G.
~Coram Deo~
Living all of life before the face of God...

Fall Date

Michael and Nolan had a frustrating a.m. trying to get errands done on base. 

The rest of the kids and I finished up some birthday shopping for Michael. 

Michael and I ducked out this afternoon for a walk at Komaki Resort. Beautiful day for this. I think we'll go back and get some photos of the kids with the fall colors....maybe.

Chapel of Love through the trees

Yikes - no make up! LOL 

 

We found this funny. There were so many signs we'd have liked to have translated. Like the ones below.....

 This is the only sign which was translated. 

Can you see the English? "Fish"

We followed our walk by a stop to get another case of apples. Big, red, crisp ones this time which Michael says tastes like Macintosh Apples. We also picked up some leeks, cabbage and oranges. 

Home for pizza and we watched "The Court Jester." 

Choosing Joy!
©2012 D.R.G.
~Coram Deo~
Living all of life before the face of God...

Snickerdoodle Blondies (Vegan)

Ingredients: 
1 1/2 c. gluten-free oat flour
1 c. white or brown rice flour
1 t. baking powder
1/2 t. baking soda
1/2 t. salt
1 T. + 1 t. cinnamon, divided
2/3 c. vegan margarine (i.e. Earth Balance) or organic butter, melted (Used coconut oil)
1 1/2 c. + 1 T. rapadura (sugar) divided
1 c. milk of choice
1/2 c. unsweetened applesauce (or sour cream)
1 t. vanilla extract
1/2 c. vanilla baking chips

Note: you can substitute all-purpose and/or whole wheat pastry flour for the flours if you do not care to make this recipe gluten free. You may need to shorten your baking time slightly.

Directions: 
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Grease  a 9×13 inch pan.

In a large bowl, combine flours, baking powder, baking soda, salt and 2 t. of cinnamon.

Cream together margarine or butter, 1 1/2 c. of sweetener of choice, milk, sour cream or applesauce and vanilla extract.

Slowly add dry ingrediants, mixing until incorporated. Fold in baking chips (I omitted).

Spread batter evenly in the bottom of the prepared baking pan.

In a small bowl, combine remaining 1 T. of sweetener and 2 t. of cinnamon. Sprinkle all over blondie batter.

Bake blondies for 30-40 minutes, until a toothpick inserted in the middle comes out clean. I used oat flour and whole wheat flour and it took 30 min.  Allow blondies to cool in pan for at least 15 minutes before cutting and serving.

I found this receipe at Peas and Thank You and recommend you visit if you've not.

Mine is really dark as I didn't read the notes about cinnamon carefully enough. I will make this without the cinnamon as a  nice yellow cake.


Choosing Joy!
©2012 D.R.G.
~Coram Deo~
Living all of life before the face of God...