Getting my SPRING on......

It was time for the wintery pine cone wreath to be put away. I wanted something springy and pretty on the front door.......so I ran over to the Dollar Tree on my way to my nail appt. I found these lovely gerber daisies to go in my Flower Market Door Bucket! Aren't they so pretty? And that hook? Well, I couldn't find my matching hook to go with the Door Bucket, so I've ordered a new one. It will look lovlier in about two weeks, but I couldn't wait to put this pretty on my front door. It says SPRING, no?????
Have a great weekend!

Edited to add: I hope taking the new banner off has enabled some of you to get back into my blog....apparantly something happened and disabled some amount of viewers access to my blog. I removed the banner to see if that would fix the problem. If you have been having trouble seeing my blog, but now can, would you mind adding a comment to let me know the issue has been resolved? If I don't get any comments, then I will have to seek out some true techno help. I miss my friends who comment!!!

what's on your wall....the unveiling of SI......

As you may know, Barb of Grits and Glamour, hosts What's on your Wall Wednesday. I love seeing into everyone's home (I was never a peeping tom, but I sure love seeing what's on others walls!) and enjoying the decor. So I thought I'd show you some of the decor in my foyer. You've seen the prints of Paris here, but on the other walls, well, you'll see. One of them is a picture of me and my hubby, so I'd like to introduce Mr. and Mrs. SI to you. That was taken at the wedding of our older son, several years ago. The top pic is of our children, our daughter in law, and her brother. Then there is the cuckoo clock given to me by my step-father. It's valuable because it's from him. In the last picture, the mirror is a SLaHOME product (surprised, yes?) and an orchid (yes ma'am, Donna, it's faux! Sorry for the glare!). This is what's on my foyer walls for this "What's on your Wall Wednesday". Thanks Barb, for hosting us! She's had quite a day already before hosting this shin-dig, so go on over and give her some love!! She'll appreciate it!

The most amazing transformation I've EVER seen....

You know Susan, over Between Naps on the Porch, hosts a Metamorphosis Monday every week. Most people choose to showcase an area that's made over, or a Goodwill piece that they've transformed, or a pantry they've organized. Well, I thought I'd share with you one of the most amazing transformations I've ever seen and loved! You can see the whole transformation and read the amazing stories over at The Howell Quints. This is a story about a couple whose heartaches were turned to joy, were blessed by God with five children at once, and the journey they are taking as they make their way with these little blessings. There were doctors here who told them they needed to use selective reduction, to ensure the health of the babies and the mom. They've made some hard choices all along the way, but by looking at these pics, you can tell they are making good choices and are being blessed by God! I go and help over there each Monday, and I am so blessed to see the changes they are going through. Aren't they adorable????.....and a testimony to God's grace and the sanctity of life! Talk about God's "good will" !!!

links to latch onto......

Some things I found today......the Maisy Report.....cute blog, cute name, big giveaway!! Go check it out and tell her what you want to be when you grow up!

Over on Designs by Gollum, you'll find the cutest little bird treats to make out of canned biscuits.....

Olive Rue, actually gives us a proper introduction to her beautiful self, and to her photography blog.....OOOhhh, la la on both items!

and the cutest banner I've ever seen, made at Tuesdays with Molly, two crafty blogging sisters......too, too cute!!!! And they also show a fabulous to make a charging station in an existing piece of furniture! Ingenious!!!!


And oh by the way, have a restful Sunday!!! See you back on Monday!

Piece de resistance

pièce de ré⋅sis⋅tance

1.	the principal dish of a meal OR

2. the most noteworthy or prized feature, aspect, event, article, etc., of a series or group; special item or attraction. Remember how I said I added another little touch to my ten minute makeover on my foyer vignette? Well, I think you'll agree with me that the little vases of pacific blue sea glass and rocks (that I got on clearance at Target for only $1.24!) add the perfect touch-- they are the special item or attraction of the whole little tablescape! In this case, evolution happened and it is very good. I lived with the tablescape for a day or so, and at the oddest of times (when I was supposed to be focusing on TAXES!) I remembered the gorgeous little bag of sea glass I had found on a shelf at Target.....It was obviously something someone carried around and then decided against, and replaced on a random shelf just for me to find!! Meant.to.be!!! So let me show you the picture w/o the two vases of sea glass and then the after, which took place some hours later....... MMMUWahh......love it now!!!

glorious day!

Mentally, I am enjoying a glorious, spring day out in the garden. Physically, I am trying to catch up on my expense statements for tax purposes for my business so that hubby can finalize our taxes. UGH..... This is worse than a trip to the dentist! I must be the most disorganized business woman in the whole wide world! But I will stop blogging now and make an attempt to finish. If and when you hear shouts of the Hallelujah chorus, you'll just know that I finished and can move on to my next task......oh, and I do easily get distracted. As I worked this morning, I remembered some glorious pacific blue sea glass I found on Target last week for the whole sum of 1.24! Yes, you know it had to go in my newly madeover foyer table with the birdies and the eggs....so now I've added two small glass vases of oh.so.pretty blue sea glass and rocks to my vignette. Remember how I said things do evolve at my house.....case in point. I'll bring the pic next time we meet up here! see you then.

The ten minute makeover that took 2 hours.....

Ah, the Nester is having a ten minute makeover party.......EVERYBODY has ten minutes to foofify a small little place in your house for an inspirational umph.....to get you going and all. I wanna attend THAT party, don't you? I set about looking for a little area that could use a ten minute makeover, knowing full well that the rest of my house probably needs a ten HOUR spiffy-ing up.....but with all I have to do in the next three days, I can certainly take a "ten minute, re-charge, foofify, make a springy place in my house" break. The scoping begins....oh, the foyer table...perfect! Clear out the junk that's been accumulating there....move to another spot that will need its own little makeover later, but I'm still playing along. Since I planned ahead and all, I take my daughter's camera out, because mine has gone biserck, people......just gives me zebra pictures...I guess it's on strike for better wages or something. Wahoo, I planned ahead, and for me, that's progress! I start my little makeover that was a "Valentine plus junk and not ever really completed" vignette.....out of here for now. I knew I had birdies on the brain, because eggs and birds= spring to me.......So I pull out the (wait, the phone rings.....hmm, will I consider doing crafts again for VBS...it was pretty hectic and chaotic last year, well, I'll think about it, oh one of my dear friends, I will think about it. You need a phone number...well, let me see....yes, and I am so glad you are feeling better finally, when shall we do lunch? Oh, ok, bye...) candles, yes, I need light blue candles to replace the green ones...pull those out. Place them on the SLaHOME Jackson Square Candlesticks, because on the other end I plan to use the Jackson Square Pedestal and dome.....ok, candles, pedestal, pull out the precious little nests......ring, ring, the phone again.....do you remember what I ordered from you last, because I'm looking at my CC bill and I don't remember which items I last got....oh, yes, thanks for checking on that for me, friend...then an ensuing conversation about the illness of her son, bless his heart! Take care, bye. OK, back to the vignette. Pull out the little birds and place near nest, put precious little eggs in nest (don't you love those colors???) and wait, I need something tall in the background because the builder beige wall is overwhelming my preciousness......go dig out the round wrought iron thingy, and a plate rack and the lovely pacific blue accent plate (um, yes another SLaHOME item, come on over, I'll share!) and pull the tray off the coffee table in the den, and VOILA......more progress! , now operate daughter's camera, (easily thankfully), and get the pics loaded into or is that uploaded or downloaded??? and post them onto blogger. The past two hours have been so refreshing, I think I'll sit and look at my precious new spring vignette after I put everything else back that I got out to try.....evolution happens at my house, what about yours?????
This one was before the removal of the Valentine's decor and the accumulation of other things.....keeping it real, remember?


This is the precious springy, foofified version.....it may still evolve, but for two hours and ten minutes, this ain't bad!!!!! Oh, and the phone is ringing, gotta run.
Edited to add, I went back to check the levelness of those pics, and they really are level on the wall, but the angle of the photo makes them look like an earthquake actually happened in the midst of all of this!!!

What's on your wall Wednesday......

I do love some wall decor!! And I do love participating in Barb's What's on your Wall Wednesday! Such a great theme, and so fun to see what others have on their walls.....you'll definitely want to see my friend Paula's wall art made from classic sheet music, so hop on over to Barb's at Grits and Glamour, and check out all the posts showcasing their wall art. And for my entry, I thought I'd show you what's on MY wall for this Wednesday.....
This first pic is my den, which I may end up featuring tomorrow on Nester's ten minute makeover.....it took a little rearranging for me to find the perfect "ahhhhhhhh" arrangement, where it has been since. This is a tricky room to arrange, but I really like it this way best, and I haven't had that urge to move it around since this one just seems like the best. Back to the walls.....the framed crocheted piece was given to me by my sweet mother-in-law. It was actually crocheted by my husbands great-grandmother, and I treasure that! Below that is a framed scene from Amsterdam that my husband brought back to me from Amsterdam. If you remember the pictures I posted from Paris seen here, you'll see a pattern.....my husband travels for work and brings me back cool artwork from wherever he travels! If I can't go with him, at least I get great artwork from the trips!!! On the left side is a crocheted piece of our last name given to me by my sister-in-law.....and the plates are from Tuesday morning, but I love them as well. I've since switched up a couple of things in the den and really like it better now....but the things on the wall have stayed the same. Now that I study this pic, I've actually fluffed that room quite a bit since I took the pic....added a few more pillows, moved the lamp to the right side of the couch and renewed the flower arrangement behind the couch. The things on the coffee table are different now, too.....and the mirror over the fireplace I spray painted brownish black. I've put the pic of the updates below rather than change all the text, just so you can see.

This picture is a tray that I've had a long time, but when I redid my kitchen after Ike, I just thought it went perfectly over my cooktop. It inspires me as I cook and I love the look of it......of course, I just love trays anyway.....hmmm, another idea for a blog post!! I hope you are inspired by looking at all the artwork at Barb's, and remember that it doesn't have to be perfect to be beautiful, in fact, the more whimsical the look, the more I love it!!! And here's the pic of the updates I did in the den.

Sharing the Carrot cake love......

First, the disclaimer.....this is a splurge cake. I make it only once or twice a year. Since it was for hubby's birthday, I made the real deal. He seems to be gifted with a splurge-o-meter, and knows when I try to skimp or make something the least bit healthier. SO, for him, it was the real deal. It is a very rich cake, and even a small piece is enjoyable. I won't tell you that is was so good that hubby had a SECOND piece.....just saying, when it's your birthday, you can do what you want and calories don't count, right? And also, another disclaimer, is that the picture I posted yesterday, was NOT my cake....again, the Google image obsession, because 1) I don't like to post without some kind of picture, and 2) my camera is wonky of late and everything I try to capture ends up striped like a zebra......not so pretty. I could get all distracted and talk about the camera here, and that I really don't want to spend money to get it fixed OR to buy a new camera, but I have an appointment to get to, girls......so back to the carrot cake love.....and an apology for not being able to show you the REAL one I made, which actually looked "more like mine!" because it has three layers of carrot cake goodness with a layer of cream cheese icing (don't tell hubby that I did use reduced fat, Neufchatel cream cheese in the icing...he doesn't know....because it's just too stinking good!) AND it had five candles on it, because hubby was turning 51, and well, that's all the candles I could find!!!!!

So the carrot cake, which comes from a cookbook entitled Cotton Country, a Jr. League cookbook (from yesteryear) from Monroe, La...... thank you, Mrs. Prent Castle from St. Joseph, La....(I'm thankful to still have the pages, because I've used it so much it needs to be rebound, and I have it held together with a rubber band!!)

Carrot Cake

2 cups flour
2 c. sugar
2 t. baking powder
2 t. baking soda
2/3 t. cinnamon
1 t. salt
4 eggs
1 1/2 c. Wesson Oil
3 c. carrots, grated (hey, it's healthy, heh, heh....
1/2 c. nuts, chopped (I use pecans)

Frosting:
1 8 oz. pkg. cream cheese (don't you tell anyone I used Neufchatel cream cheese!!!)
1/2 stick butter
1 box powdered sugar

Mix together all dry ingredients. Beat eggs and add oil. Combine dry ingredients with egg mixture. Add carrots and nuts. Pour into 3 greased 9 inch layer pans. Bake at 300 degrees for 45 minutes OR at 350 degrees for 25 to 30 minutes.

Frosting:
Cream together cream cheese (sshhhh....) and butter. Add sugar and beat well. Frost lightly between layers then ice sides and top.

Optional.....toast some chopped pecans in a small amount of butter in a skillet and add a touch of salt. sprinkle them on top of the cake......oh, man, oh, man.....

The smell is wafting thru my house....

It is fragrant and aromatic......it's carrot cake. I am baking my hubby's favorite because today is his birthday! Happy Birthday, honey! We've been married nearly 28 years, and I've made this cake many a time for him, since it's his favorite! I'll share the recipe later, but for now I have a little more birthday attention to give to this special occasion! He's a wonderful man that God has blessed me with! He loves his family, he is a great Dad, and a pretty darned great husband. He loves God and leads us in doing so as well. He just has one small fault, but today we won't concentrate on that fact. He does have *CRTTPR*......but I do love him anyway!

*can't replace the toilet paper roll......sigh.

Psalm 19

The heavens are telling of the glory of God;
And their expanse is declaring the work of His hands.
Day to day pour forth speech,
And night to night reveals knowledge.
There is no speech, nor are there words;
Their voice is not heard.
Their line has gone out through all the earth,
And their utterances to the end of the world.
In them He has placed a tent for the sun,
Which is as a bridegroom coming out of his chamber,
It rejoices as a strong man to run his course.
Its rising is from one end of the heavens,
And its circuit to the other end of them;
And there is nothing hidden from its heat.

cookies and flowers for YOU!!!

To......YOU!
From.......ME!

Happy Valentine's Day! Know that you are LOVED!

some itty bitty delightfuls!!!!

www.laurenalane.com makes these and sells them in an Etsy shop!!! Can you believe their itty bitty delightfulness?????? Happy Valentine's Day, ya'll!!!

Lunch box love......

Tomorrow is the day to add some lunch box love if you send your child or even your hubby packing with a lunch in tow........
Okay, ya'll know I use Google Images all the time......my camera is acting wonky right now anyway, so I headed again over to google some lunch box love images.......just for you. If you google "lunch box love" did you know you could come up with some fun little notes to pack into the lunch box??? There are favorite character ones, like delightful Dora!


these two can be found here and here, but you can create your own kind of lunch box love, even using purchased Valentines, maybe even left over ones from years gone by.........just remember to capitalize on the chance to embarass, um, love on your kids/spouse publicly!! They might be embarassed but it won't go unnoticed!!!!!
They even love to get post its with a Mom scribbled note on it. I used to send jokes, too, and they loved that. It's just a fun way to make the day interesting!!! Happy lunch packing....and maybe even cut their sandwich in a heart shape!!! ;)
Edited to add that I forgot two links that I was going to also give you.......one is an adorable frog love note!!! Find these at www.bellapink.typepad.com (that's Tara Frey!) and www.squidoo.com/printable cards.......

**Wordless Wednesday**

Today's word for the Wordless Wednesday is LOVE! It is a weekly event hosted by our delightful and funny Ms Dixie @* http://frenchlique.blogspot.com. You can check out other posts by moseying on over there for a little visit. That's what we Texans do.......enjoy!!!

Heart felt ideas......

Did you know you can create your OWN conversation hearts?? these can be used in any email love notes you might want to send to the inbox of your beloved......or kids, or penpals, etc.....
Look here!


And these little pendants are adorable, aren't they? the original idea came from Heather Bailey, and a blogger (I confess I forgot to link to you, so if you made these, would you let me know and I will gladly give you credit! I found the pattern for these --they were adapted from a precious Heather Bailey topiary pattern, which I tried to post. The PDF file wouldn't post, so if you want the pattern, I'll be glad to email it to you if you leave me your email addy. Have a heart felt day!

AND, a deal for you!

I.C.E.

Wait, before you run from the title, as many of you may have had so much ice that you don't even want to think about more, check closely. You'll notice that the title has periods in between the letters....yes, I.C.E. Does "in case of emergency" automatically come to mind? I hope so. Not that we want to linger on anything tragic or even upsetting happening, but when and if it does, we all will be better prepared. Better to prepare and be ready than to find yourself in an emergency situation and be UN-prepared, right? An article in the REAL SIMPLE magazine made me consider my own circumstances. I am loving this magazine, btw! Anyway, there is an article entitled "in case of emergency" and it deals with navigating your way through the ER and how to make your next trip there as painless as possible. Some really good considerations are found in this article. This article is located in the March 2009 issue, and when I checked online to see the form they refer to in this article, it wasn't there. I've contacted the editor and hope to have an answer for us all soon. The first thing to do, if you've not done so already, is to list an I.C.E. contact in your cell phone. Simply add a phone number for your spouse or an emergency contact, and list it as I.C.E./name. Go ahead and do it; I'll wait!

Next, the magazine suggests, along with your insurance card, to have tucked into your wallet, a medical card that provides a brief, thorough account of your medical background. This is where the magazine comes in, because they say they will have a form available online, at realsimple.com/er. (this link doesn't work yet, but since it is the March issue, maybe it is forthcoming.) It is recommended that you keep it behind your driver's license in your wallet because if a patient is unable to speak, paramedics will always look through a wallet. They suggest the following info be included.
-A list of prescription and over the counter medications, including dosages, frequency, and any recent changes in them, plus a list of any herbal supplements or vitamins you are taking.
-Allergies, even to contrast dye or latex
-Any major surgeries you've had
-Doctors' names and phone numbers.
-Contact numbers for you and your health-care proxy or next of kin.

I'm thinking it might be a good idea for a mom of young children to have this info for each child in her wallet in the event that she is injured and cannot provide the info needed. Of course it is info that changes and will need to be kept up to date. Perhaps this is a good procedure to update on New Years Day or on the child's birthday.

Also they recommend making sure you provide a notarized "consent-to-treat" form for any children or elderly parents left in the care of someone else. They say a printable form is available at emergencycareforyou.org. It would need to be notorized, but a good idea to have I.C.E.!

This article also suggests that it could be beneficial to go to the ER by way of ambulance IF there is chest pain, shortness of breath, weakness, altered mental status or uncontrolled bleeding. Ambulance workers are able to take advantage of the time en route, and as well, can notify the ER of the situation while they are on the way. For non-threatening injuries (a broken hand, a small laceration, etc.) going by car should be fine. In some cases, arriving by ambulance doesn't equal faster care, suggests ER nurse Connie Meyer.
I'd highly recommend getting the magazine and reading the article found on pages 69-75 to get the full benefit of the information available. There are other great resoures found in this magazine as well.
This is not what the March 09 cover looks like, but I just wanted to give you an example of the magazine, so you'd know what to look for!

A baby shower idea to share....

A friend recently asked me about some ideas for a baby shower. I did this one last year, and thought it turned out so cute. I thought I'd share in case some of you out there need a good idea for a baby shower theme. This is my Rubber Duckie shower theme.....and it came together SO easily. First of all I made a diaper cake for the centerpiece. While I didn't make a tutorial for putting it together, let me just assure you that it was pretty simple. I took the tiniest little diapers and rolled them, then tied them with a little curling ribbon. I could have taped them, but I didn't because I wanted them to be usable. I just started making them into a large circle....and tied the first layer with another large amount of curling ribbon. Then I made another layer, just a smaller diameter, to place on top. For the third layer, you can always put a bottle or some baby item in the center and put the diapers around it. Then I just stuck in a few other baby items in between the diapers and "Voila" my centerpiece was done, and the new mommy had a pack of diapers to take home, along with some really cute rubber duckies and toys.

Next I made the Sugar Cookies. I actually had the duckie cookie cutter already. So I made them and iced them with blue and yellow icing. She wasn't sharing what gender the baby was if she actually knew, so we went with bright colors.My sugar cookie recipe is a Wilton recipe, and it works well because you don't have to chill the dough. I guess I'm pretty impatient, but chilling the dough is never my favorite part! You can find the recipe. And the icing is such that it dries shiny and hard and you can stack the cookies without messing them up! LOVE that

At this particular shower, women from my church brought the food, and it is always very delicious! There are some great cooks at my church! We had breakfast casseroles, some coffee cakes or breads, and fruit. The little sugar cookies were served also. It was a very fun party!

It's Friday!!!

I am planning to share a Baby Shower Idea with you today, in case you need some inspiration for one this spring.....however, I am having technical difficulties and can't get the pictures to post. It is crucial to the sharing that I am able to share the pics with you, too, for this post. So I am holding off on this until I can get the pics to post.
I'm off to grocery shop. We found out that my teen daughter is anemic, so I am being much more intentional about nutrition so that we can get her back to full speed ahead. She does not want to miss track season, so I'm hoping the doctor will clear her to participate as long as she feels the strength to do so. So grocery store for fresh, nutritional items. I will share what I've learned in another post. I am also going to go by Goodwill and see if I can find any great treasures. I am always inspired by all the Goodwill finds my blog friends come up with. I think they are limited around here, but I will say I have found some good books that way. That is a great source of saving right there!
So I'll be back later and try to get Blogger to be friendlier about posting my pics. TGIF!!!

The joy of blogging.......

Ah, yes, the joys of blogging come in many forms......
On Tuesday came in the form of a box from JenJen at TatertotsandJello, because you see I won a giveaway from her! The giveaway ingredients came from Hawaii!! I've never been to Hawaii, but it sure looked like she had a great time! So it's now on my list of things I want to do before I die. Well, yes, it's still a long list. But it's on there! Would you just look at the Hawaiian goodness that that box contained??? oh my word! Nani, u'i, maika'i, and 'Ono and Manawale'a...in other words.....beautiful and tasty and generous....(thank you google translator)!!!

I am nothing if not resoureful!!! LOL.....Thanks so much, Jen....the sweets are so enjoyable, the necklace is such a gorgeous brown and it's a good thing they are strung on a gorgeous ribbon, because they look just like they could be a chocolate covered macadamia nut.....such a rich, brown glossy color!! Oh my! And the little Hawaiian decal will MAKE people think I've just come back from the islands!!! :)


Onto other things for Thursday--other joys from blogging come from reading posts that convey a message much more elogquently than I can.....but nonetheless are there to encourage women in their roles, whether it be as homemaker, mom, wife, friend, etc. One such post is there today by Kimba, over at A Soft Place to Land. She is doing a series on making your home a sanctuary. Today's post is just right on, and a message that young (and old, for that matter) wives and moms desperately need to hear, and heed. What you do does indeed matter! Go check it out!

And Nester today has some fabulous ideas for making your master bedroom a haven for you and your spouse......she always has terrific ideas and gets that not everyone has $1000 for a master makeover!!! She's always inspiring, isn't she???

And Tracey, over at A Cottage Industry reminds us that what really matters when worry creeps in over the economy or the future or whatever unknown concerns you. We know that God is in control and worrying ages us....so we don't want to be looking any older, do we???? No ma'am, thankyouverymuch!!
So these are some of my favorite blogs for inspiration, along with the nearly 50 other ones I have on my blogroll!!! Um, I kind of like blogs...I may give up magazines, because blogs give me so much inspiration!
This Thursday, take a long, deep breath and maybe five or ten minutes to contemplate what joys you have. Be thankful for them, put on a big smile....after all, you're not really dressed until you have one on, right?
Take some time for you and be inspired!!

Wednesday brought to you by the letter H........

Christy at Between Here and Home was participating in an Alphabet Tag game and offered to keep it going.......she gave me the letter H. I am to write ten things I like that begin with the letter H. So I thought I'd give it a whirl on this Wednesday, February 4th!
H is for the home I am blessed with.....I love my home and I love decorating and changing things around all the time.
H is for my honey. God blessed me with a godly man to marry and have a family with. God is so good!
H is for harmony. I love to sing, and especially if it's with some good musicians who do harmony well!!
H is for happy......I am happy I started blogging and have met so many dear, precious new friends here in Bloggerville!!!
H is for helping....I feel like my spiritual gift is one of helps...I love to help others, especially when I help with my friend Ellen's quintuplets. They are a bundle of joy!
H is for home cooking....I like to cook, and usually will be found just making some good old Southern home cooking!
H is for Heels....I can wear any size heels I want since I'm short, but because of comfort, I usually only wear about 2 to 3 inch heels.....but they need to be cute!
H is for the hope I have in Jesus Christ. Without that hope, I would surely sink into depression!! What a gift!!!!
H is for haven....I want my home to be a haven for my family and my friends.
H is for hugs....I love to share them with family and friends, so here's a virtual hug for you, my blogger friend!!!

chocolate anyone????

One of my favorite things......
and a few more recipes to share! This pie recipe comes together in about ten minutes....oh.so.good!
No-Bake Chocolate Chip Cookie Pie--
1 (15 or 18 oz.) package chocolate chip cookies (such as Nabisco chunky chips ahoy)
1 cup milk
1 (9 oz.) graham cracker pie crust
1 (8 oz.) container of Cool Whip

Dip 8 cookies in milk, and place them in a single layer in the graham cracker crust. Top with one-third of the Cool Whip. Dip 8 more cookies in the milk, place on top and spread with one-third of the Cool Whip. Repeat layers with 8 more cookies dipped in milk, and spread remaining Cool Whip on top. Crumble 2 chocolate chip cookies and sprinkle over pie. Cover and chill for 8 hours before serving. Enjoy!

The cookies absorb the moisture and make a yummy filling in this pie! So easy that even the kids can make it!!!


and I'll be trying these very soon....

Strawberry Fudge Balls

1 (8 oz.) pkg cream cheese, softened
1 cup (6 oz.) semisweet chocolate morsels, melted
3/4 c. vanilla wafer crumbs
1/4 c. strawberry preserves
Coatings: 1 c. almonds, toasted and finely chopped OR powdered sugar OR unsweetened cocoa

Beat cream cheese at medium speed with an electric mixer until fluffy. Add melted chocolate, beating until smooth. Stir in vanilla wafer crumbs and preserves; cover and chill for 1 hour. Shape mixture into 1 inch balls, and roll in almonds, powdered sugar or cocoa. Store in airtight container in refrigerator up to one week, or freeze up to 1 month.

Don't these sound scrumptious?????? Enjoy!!