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In a medium saucepan, melt 1-6 ounce package butterscotch chips over low heat, stirring constantly. [To microwave, place pieces in a micro-wave safe dish and cook on medium-low heat for about 1 minute. Stir well. If necessary, continue to heat chips, 20 seconds at a time, until they are melted. Be sure to stir chips each time you heat them.] Remove chips from the heat and stir in 1 cup salted peanuts and 3 cups chow mein noodles. Drop by teaspoons onto waxed paper and cool.

Makes: 30-40 grasshoppers

Hidden Treasures

Ingredients:

2/3 cup Golden Crisco Shortening
3/4 cup granulated sugar
1 egg
1 tbsp milk
1 tsp vanilla
1-3/4 cups all-purpose flour
1 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp baking soda
48 Maraschino cherries, well drained

White Dipping Chocolate:
1 cup white melting chocolate, cut in small pieces
2 tbsp Golden Crisco Shortening

Dark Dipping Chocolate:
1 cup semi-sweet Hershey's Chipets
2 tbsp Golden Crisco Shortening
Finely chopped pecans
Shaved white chocolate
2/3 cup Golden Crisco Shortening

Directions:
Pre Heat oven to 350°F (180°C).
2. Cream Golden Crisco Shortening, sugar, egg, milk and vanilla in large bowl at medium speed of electric mixer until well blended.
3. Combine flour, baking powder, salt and baking soda. Beat into creamed mixture at low speed.
4. Press dough in very thin layer around well-drained cherries. Place 2 inches (5 cm) apart on ungreased baking sheet.
5. Bake at 350° F (180°C) for 10 minutes. Cool one minute on baking sheet. Remove to cooling rack. Cool completely.
6. For dipping chocolate, melt chocolate of choice and Golden Crisco Shortening on very low heat or 50% (Medium) power in microwave. Stir until smooth.
7. Transfer chocolate to glass measuring cup. Drop one cookie at a time into chocolate. Use fork to turn. Cover completely with chocolate.* Lift cookie out of chocolate on fork. Allow all excess to drip off. Place on wax paper-lined baking sheet.
8. Sprinkle chopped pecans on top of white chocolate cookies. Sprinkle white chocolate on dark chocolate cookies while chocolate is wet.
9. Chill in refrigerator to set chocolate.

Hint: Dip pretzels or potato chips in any leftover melted chocolate for a special treat

Magic Center Cupcakes

Preheat oven to temperature called for on 1-18 1/4 ounce package chocolate cake mix. In a small bowl, combine 8 ounces cream cheese (softened), 3/4 cup granulated sugar, 1 egg and a dash of salt. Stir in 1/2 cup finely chopped walnuts and 1-6 ounce package chocolate chips. Set aside. Mix cake according to directions on the package. Place paper liners in muffin pan. Fill each liner half full of cake batter. Drop a heaping teaspoons of the cream cheese mixture into each batter-filled cup. Bake according to package directions. Let cupcakes cool to room temperature before frosting. Decorate with candy spiders or worms.

Caterpillar Sandwich

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. In a small bowl combine 1/4 cup mayonnaise, 2 teaspoons parsley, 2 teaspoons dry mustard, and 1/4 teaspoon onion powder. Stir well and set aside. Cut 1 loaf Italian bread into 10 slices without cutting all the way through the loaf. Spread mayonnaise mixture between every other slice. Fold luncheon meat in half and tuck a slice of cheese in between. Insert folded meat and cheese into every other slot that has the mayonnaise mixture in it. Wrap the loaf in foil and bake for 25 minutes. Use thin sliced celery stalks for antenna. Use olive slices with pimento in center on toothpicks for caterpillar eyes. To serve, cut the loaf in slices at the cuts you didn't fill.

Cheese Fingers

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Remove crusts from 3 slices of white bread and discard crusts. With your hands, break bread into small pieces and drop into a medium bowl. Add 3/4 cup grated cheddar cheese, 3 tablespoons grated parmesan cheese and 3 tablespoons milk. Mis well with hands, kneading the bread into the cheese, until dough will hold the shape of a ball. Roll heaping teaspoonfuls of mixture into 15 fingers and arrange on an ungreased cookie sheet. Bake for 10 to 12 minutes or until fingers begin to turn brown.

Goblin Goodies

Ingredients:

3/4 cup Golden Crisco Shortening
1-1/4 cups firmly-packed brown sugar
1 egg
1/3 cup milk
1-1/2 tsp vanilla
1 tsp finely-chopped orange rind
1/2 tsp orange extract
3 cups quick oats, uncooked
1 cup all-purpose flour
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt
1/4 tsp cinnamon
1 cup raisins
1 cup coarsely-chopped walnuts
1 cup orange and brown chocolate-covered candies

Directions:

1. Heat oven to 375°F (190°C). Grease baking sheets with shortening. Place sheets of foil on countertop for cooling cookies.
2. Combine shortening, brown sugar, egg, milk and vanilla in large bowl. Beat at medium speed of electric mixer until well blended. Stir in orange rind and extract.
3. Combine oats, flour, baking soda, salt and cinnamon. Mix into creamed mixture at low speed just until blended. Stir in raisins, nuts and chocolate candies.
4. Drop by rounded measuring tablespoonfuls of dough 3 inches apart onto prepared baking sheet.
5. Bake one baking sheet at a time at 375°F for 10 to 12 minutes, or until lightly browned. DO NOT OVER BAKE. Cool 2 minutes on baking sheet. Remove cookies to foil to cool completely.

Makes: About 2-1/2 dozen cookies

Candied Apples Halloween

Ingredients:
2 C granulated sugar
2 C corn syrup
1/3C cinnamon candy
1C water
3/4 Tsp cinnamon
1/2 Tsp vanilla
1/4 Tsp cloves
3/4 Tsp red food coloring
6-7 Med apples

Directions:

Remove stems from apples, wash, and pat dry. Insert a wooden skewer
In each apple, running through the apple from stem end to base without
Protruding all the way through the bottom end. Combine sugar, corn
Syrup, cinnamon candies, and water in medium-sized saucepan. Cook
Until candies dissolve, stirring constantly. Be careful not to boil.
Add cinnamon, vanilla, cloves, and food coloring. Mix thoroughly.
Boil mixture to 300 degrees using a candy thermometer without
Stirring. While mixture is boiling, generously prepare a baking sheet
With cooking spray so it's ready ahead of time. As soon as mixture
Reaches 300 degrees, remove it from heat and quickly dip each
Apple-one by one-into the mixture until it is thoroughly coated. Set
Coated apples, standing on their bottoms with skewer pointing up, on
Baking sheet until mixture hardens.
Let apples reach room temperature before eating.

Serving Size: 6

Blackberry Blackheads

Ingredients:

1/2 pound Butter -- at room temperature
1 tablespoon Butter -- at room temperature
2/3 cup Sugar
2 Egg whites
4 cups Flour
Blackberry jam -- with seeds

Tools:
Bowl
Mixer
Pastry brush
Cookie sheet
Spatula
Wire cooling rack
Small Spoon

Directions:

With an adult's help, preheat oven to 325F.

Beat 1/2 pound butter until creamy., Add sugar, a little at a time, until all the sugar has been used.

Add the egg whites and flour to the butter and sugar.
Beat until the dough is well blended.

Dip a pastry brush into the tablespoon of butter and lightly brush a very thin layer onto the cookie sheet.

With clean hands, roll the dough into golf ball sized balls. Flatten the balls slightly, and using your thumb,
Press a dime size dent into the middle of each
One. Place cookies, dent size up, about 1" apart on cookie sheet. Bake aobut 12 minutes or until
Allow the cookies to cool on the cookie sheet for a few minutes before moving them to a wire rack with a spatula. When the cookies are completely cooled, use a small spoon to fill the dent in each one with jam.

Makes: About 3 1/2 dozen blackheads.

Black Cat Cupcakes

Ingredients:
1 1/4c Reduced Fat Oreo® cookie crumbs
18 1/4 ozs reduced fat chocolate cake mix
24 pcs Halloween Oreo® cookies
16 ozs reduced fat milk chocolate frosting
Black string licorice
Jelly beans
Semisweet chocolate chips

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350. Prepare 24-2 1/2" muffin cups with cooking spray and flour; set aside.
Prepare cake mix according to package directions;
Stir in cookie crumbs.
Spoon batter into prepared muffin cups. Bake for 25 minutes.
Remove from pans; cool on wire rack.
Make cat faces on each of the
Remaining 24 cookies:
Using some frosting, attach 4-1 1/2" licorice strings
For whiskers, 2 jelly bean halves for eyes and 2 chocolate chips for ears.
Let set at least 30 minutes. Frost cupcakes with remaining frosting.
Stand cat faces on edge on each cupcake.
Place 3" piece licorice string on back
Half of each cupcake for tail.

Serving Size: 24

Beef In Costume For Halloween

Ingredients:

1 (4 lb.) pumpkin
1 Pound lean ground beef
1 Cup chopped onion
Cooking oil
1/3 Cup chopped red pepper
1/3 Cup chopped green pepper
1 Clove minced garlic
1 Teaspoon salt
1/4 Teaspoon thyme
1/4 Teaspoon pepper
1 (7 1/2 Oz.) pitted ripe olives
1 (8 Oz.) Can tomato sauce
2 beaten eggs

Directions:
Cut top from pumpkin; scrape out seeds and fibers.
Simmer in salted water to cover for 20 to 25 minutes or until almost tender. Drain. Brown beef and onion.
Add peppers and garlic.
Cook one minute.
Remove from heat,
Stir in remaining ingredients.
Spoon into pumpkin. Place "lid" on top.
Brush pumpkin with oil.

Bake at 350 degrees for 1 hour.
Let stand 10 minutes.
Cut into edges to serve.

Serving Size : 1

Black Widow Snack Cakes

Ingredients:
1 package Devil's food cake mix
Vegetable cooking spray

Glaze:

4 cups Powdered sugar -- sifted
5 tablespoonsMilk -- to 7 tbls

Decorate:

1cup Powdered sugar -- sifted
1/4 cup Unsweetened cocoa
2 tablespoons Milk
Plastic spiders

Directions:
Prepare cake as directed on package. Pour into 2, 8" square aluminum foil pans coated with cooking spray;
Bake at 350~ for 30-35 minutes or until tested done. Cool in pans on wire racks. Combine 4 cups powdered sugar and 5-7 tbls milk in a Large bowl; spread a thin layer evenly over each cake. Combine 1 cup powdered sugar, cocoa and 2 tbls milk; spoon into a small zip-lock bag. Close bag securely and snip a tiny hole in bottom corner of bag. Carefully pipe concentric circles onto each cake. Pipe straight lines at intervals from the inner circle through the outside circle, forming a web design. Garnish with plastic spiders.

Wednesday, 07 October 2009

Yes there's a new group

Household 6
This is a buy/sell/trade/recycle group.
If you operate a ligit home business and would like to bring in more customers maybe give this a try? Do you run an ebay store and would like to sell more inventory? Perhaps you would like to trade your clothes a child has grown out of for a larger size? Are you getting your sexy back and just don't fit in to your big girl or Maternity clothes but don't know what to do with them? Do you get crafty and want to sell your work? This is where it is at! You don't have to be a Military Wife or a mom we just liked the term for any wife and mom. Come buy/sell/trade/ recycle what's laying around!
This loop was made to generate more customers and get rid of our unwanted stuff. The best way to get by is by networking. Meeting new friends and chatting with people like us. If you like Gymboree, Children's Place or other quality brands you will find them here! There will be some chatting about making a little more money and our shopping addictions!
HouseHold 6 Means
A military man's stay-at-home wife. Sometimes keeps up with the arduous tasks of shining boots, picking up laundry, and shopping, but mostly just a strain on meager Department of Defense budgets, and the military husband. The name is derived from where said wife spends most of her time, and the number 6 is the designation for a commander of a Company/Troop, Battalion/Squadron, Brigade/Regiment, Division or Corps

Monday, 05 October 2009

William is now 9 weeks old (2 Months old) he had his second well baby appointment today and he is doing great. I am still breastfeeding 99.9% of the time. I never have time to pump it seems like! The doctor says he's tongue tied (like Rick) but she didn't seem to concerned.William weighs 12 lbs 4 oz today (with clothes on)and he is 23 and a quarter inches long.
- He's been smiling and cooing all month long. He's on the verge of laughing! I can't wait!
- He's sleeping through the night, mostly.
- Lifts head when he's lying on his tummy
- He responds to some sound
- He watches some faces intently
- He's starting to follow objects its still a bit choppy.
- He can hold his head straight up.
- He notices his hands and feet but he doesn't realize they are his just yet I don't think.
- He can hold his head up laying on his stomach or while being sat up.
Two weeks ago we had him dedicated at Willowbrook Baptist Church. My friend from one of my Mommy Loops drove up from Birmingham to attend, Alex was here on leave he left yesterday after nearly two weeks home, and of course my friends that already attend Willowbrook were there. What a memoriable experience. The photos should be mailed to us. I have a broken digital camera (with a lost hot wire! grr) so no new pictures yet but I will try to make an appointment and load the pictures from the dedication soon.http://www.babysites.com/sites/williamdoane/

Saturday, 12 September 2009

Currently
Mystery Woman: Mystery Weekend
By Kellie Martin; Clarence Williams III; Nina Siemaszko; Casey Sander; Julianna McCarthy; Deborah Van Valkenburgh; Paul Satterfield (II); Beth Broderick; Michael Chieffo; Linda Larson (III); Sally Wells Cook; Colleen Camp; Beth Grant; Victor Browne; Shannon Schlussel; R. Baxter; Autumn Leigh Brown
see related

Prayers for Melanie -- update

The Good news although there is still some prayer concerns. The first doctor who performed the surgery said there was no cancer in the lymph nodes! The second doctor said it was late stage 2 cancer and things chemo will be good. She is bleeding from the surgery and had to have a blood tranfusion. That was the update yesterday.

Also from yesterday Melanie did some walking, laughed at a silly TV show, was in pain but it was intermentant. The bleeding was light but she has continued to bleed and is in tremendous pain so say a prayer for the bleeding and pain to stop and that she might be able to avoid Chemo...

The last update from 11 hours ago says she is still bleeding its lighter but hasn't stopped yet and she is still in pain. There are signs her colon is working so Praise God for that! She's not getting much rest due to the flurry of activity of the goings on in a hospital. She's not accepting vistors or phone calls. I sure hope someone is feeding her daughters who stay with her so they can avoid the cost etc of the hospital food.

Friday, 11 September 2009

Currently
Miracle
By Celine Dion, Anne Geddes
Beautiful Boy (Lullaby time for Will)
see related
Where were you?

Post your thoughts on the day. Your "I remember when". Did this impact you directly or indirectly, and how. What did you do then? And what will you do now?
I was living with my sister at the time. I woke up and turned on the TV. Of course it was the first thing I saw was the aftermath of the first plane hitting the WTC. I saw the second plane crash before the anchor did. I do believe it was Peter Jennings or Charlie Gibson. First person I called is my "adopted" mom Helene. She was hysterical and crying watching the poor people jumping out of the building. I watched the buildings fall and news reports coming in about the plane over Pennsylvania and the Pentagon. We were all in shock. I was hurt, violated, ready to fight for my country... I missed my son... I called Adam pleading to see him and Adam refused. My boyfriend also broke up with me that day. I just laid on the floor and cried for that piece of me I didn't think anyone could touch. The world proved us wrong and proved we were vulnerable. The days afterward we became the super power because we bonded together! We should all remember the aftermath and remember that 9/11 -- 8 years later is still claiming lives from cancer due to the Asbestos.
Remember the Victims, Remember the Families, Remember all the countries (not just ours) that was effected, Remember the survivors, Remember how you felt and how your life changed.

*NEVER FORGOTTEN!* Don't forget about the Troops that have been fighting for the past 8 years for the cause!**