Lisa's Logbook - September 5

Outside: Sunny but chilly - only 59 right now!

Sounds: David tapping keys, Bob calling to Emily to find out if she's dressed

Home: Gonna clean up the yard today!

Projects: Yardwork, Lesson plans and getting the computers set up for lessons, planning my Austentatious class.

Pondering: whether or not I should re-read (re-listen to) the ending of Little Dorrit to prepare for book club

Teaching: We start formal lessons on Sept 13, but this week we will get into our routine. Post later this week about that.

Gratitude: thankful that I did NOT land that library job. Though it would have been a great position, this is not the right time for me to work full time.

Recipes: starting this week with 70 Meals, 1 Trip to the Store

Duds: freezing in a navy tee, jeans, and socks. Need a sweatshirt!

Reads: Northanger Abbey (audio) by Jane Austen and Tutankamun: The Book of Shadows by Nick Drake.

Vids: Lord of the Rings: Fellowship of the Ring and half of Two Towers (always love it!), The Bad Mother's Handbook (badly executed), oh yeah.... and a new Colin Firth movie that I wouldn't really recommend to the general viewer..... so .... yeah....

Hopes: to start my exercise routine back in earnest this week. So, yeah, ask me how that's going when you see me, k???? I am running a 5K on Sept 25, which is 20 days away! I need to get myself back in training!

Love: the discount grocery stores!!! I do not CARE if the food is past-date, y'all.

Plans: Working 5 hours M-F, Soccer practices and games for all, 1st day of Co-op, book club! (sounds easy, doesn't it? It's DECEPTIVELY complex in its simplicity!)

Pic: My kids with their Texas-bound buddies.....

Lisa's Logbook - May 30

Outside: 89 and sunny today (81 right now)

Sounds: the window fan (NOT doing the A/C)

Home: Trying to make things nice and neat since I am hosting a party next weekend

Projects: Entering soccer registrations; Bob is doing car repairs and finally finishing that sidewalk project.

Pondering: my top ten love stories list (books)

Teaching: The trial summer learning week went fairly well, so we will continue in that vein. Maybe I can post a little about it later.

Gratitude: Nice weather!

Recipes: S'mores? Tonight over a fire?

Duds: green plaid shorts, black stretchy tee, bare feet

Reads: going to start The Hound of the Baskervilles by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle for book club, about 3/4 through Echo in the Bone audio (and it's overdue); skimming through lots of magazines

Vids: It's Complicated (rather dull), Little Women (Winona Ryder version), Management (LOVE this movie!), Swimming Upstream (about an Australian competitive swimmer with a dysfunctional family)

Hopes: that my van's A/C can be repaired. Bob replaced a belt that broke again within days, so I am not exceedingly hopeful. However it worked however briefly, so at least we know it's possible.

Love: days with no expectations

Plans: Working 4 hours T-F, field trip to Caseville, a Tomboy Tools party here, a meeting

Pic: This sign always cracks me up.

Second Baking Day

These were Wednesday's cookies:

Buckeye Delights (from Betty Crocker)

Cookie Base (I used premade sugar cooky dough and added cocoa)
1 pouch (1 lb 1.5 oz) Betty Crocker® sugar cookie mix
1/3 cup unsweetened baking cocoa
1/2 cup butter or margarine, softened
1 egg

Filling
1/2 cup powdered sugar
1/2 cup peanut butter
2 tablespoons butter or margarine, softened
1 teaspoon vanilla
1/4 teaspoon salt

Topping
1/2 cup whipping cream
1 cup plus 2 tablespoons semisweet chocolate chips
1 tablespoon peanut butter


1. Heat oven to 350°F. Line 36 mini muffin cups with mini foil candy cups (about 1 1/4 inch). In large bowl, stir cookie base ingredients until dough forms. Press about 1 tablespoon dough into each foil cup. Bake 8 to 9 minutes or until puffy and set. Cool completely, about 30 minutes. Remove from pan.
2. In small bowl, mix filling ingredients until well blended. Press about 1 teaspoon mixture on top of each cooled cookie.
3. In 1-quart saucepan, heat whipping cream just to boiling over low heat, stirring occasionally; remove from heat. Stir in 1 cup of the chocolate chips. Refrigerate about 30 minutes or until cooled. Spread about 2 teaspoons chocolate mixture over each cookie cup.
4. Place remaining 2 tablespoons chocolate chips and 1 tablespoon peanut butter in resealable food-storage plastic bag; seal bag. Microwave on High 30 to 60 seconds or until softened; knead to mix. Cut off small tip from one corner of bag. Squeeze bag to drizzle chocolate mixture over each cookie cup. Refrigerate about 30 minutes or until set. Store covered in refrigerator.


Chocolate Mint Thumbprints
(from the Betty Crocker Christmas Cookie magazine)

1 cup butter, softened

1 cup powdered sugar

1 1/2 tsp. peppermint extract

2 egg yolks

16 drops green food color

2 1/4 cups Gold Medal all-purpose flour

1/2 tsp. baking powder

1/4 tsp. salt

3/4 cup dark chocolate chips

3 tbsp. whipping cream

3 tbsp. butter

18 thin rectangular creme de menthe chocolate candies, unwrapped, cut in half diagonally (I used mint chocolate chips - green striped)

1. Heat oven to 350 F. Line cookie sheets with cooking parchment paper.

2. In a large bowl, beat 1 cup butter and the powdered sugar with an electric mixer on medium until light and fluffy. Beat in peppermint extract, egg yolks and food color until blended. On low speed, beat in flour, baking powder and salt.

3. Shape dough into 1-inch balls; place 2 inches apart on cookie sheets. Using end of handle of wooden spoon, press a deep well in center of each cookie.

4. Bake 10 to 12 minutes or until set. Reshape wells with end of handle of wooden spoon. Cool 2 minutes; remove from cookie sheets to cooling racks. Cool competely, about 15 minutes.

5. In a microwavable bowl, microwave chocolate chips, cream and 3 tbsp. butter on high 1 minute, stirring frequently, until chocolate is melted and mixture is smooth. Fill each well with about 1 tbsp. chocolate mixture; garnish with candy piece. Let stand about 1 hour until chocolate is set.

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Gotta run! The timer is dinging!