My New Favorite Cookies

Before you start these GREAT cookies, take notice that you have to refrigerate the dough for 3 hours before cooking them. I hate it when I start a recipe and find that out later. These are sooo good. Oh, I found these on the Taste of Home website. I wish I could take credit for them.



I also wish I had a picture for them...




Chocolate Truffle Cookies
Ingredients:
• 4 squares (1 ounce each) unsweetened chocolate
• 2 cups (12 ounces) semisweet chocolate chips, divided
• 1/3 cup butter
• 1 cup sugar
• 3 eggs
• 1-1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract
• 1/2 cup all-purpose flour
• 2 tablespoons baking cocoa
• 1/4 teaspoon baking powder
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• Confectioners' sugar
Directions:
In a microwave or double boiler, melt unsweetened chocolate, 1 cup of chocolate chips and butter; cool for 10 minutes.
In a mixing bowl, beat sugar and eggs for 2 minutes. Beat in vanilla and the chocolate mixture.
Combine flour, cocoa, baking powder and salt; beat into chocolate mixture. Stir in remaining chocolate chips. Cover and chill for at least 3 hours.
Remove about 1 cup of dough. With lightly floured hands, roll into 1-in. balls. Place on ungreased baking sheets.
Bake at 350° for 10-12 minutes or until lightly puffed and set. Cool on pan 3-4 minutes before removing to a wire rack to cool completely.
Repeat with remaining dough. Dust with confectioners' sugar. Yield: about 4 dozen


Don't worry, I haven't forgotten that yesterday was Randy's 27th birthday, but we are having a little get-together tomorrow, so I will post his birthday later.

It's been a while

Sorry, folks. I am a picture blogger, and my camera broke. So... that's why you haven't heard anything lately. I do have some pictures from our recent trip to Arkansas (hey, it wasn't so bad! I really like Arkansas!) so I will post them soon. Also, I have a few recipes that I've tried lately that I want to share with you. So, that is what to expect while we are waiting to get a camera. Keep checking!
I do have a serious question for everyone, though. How do you get a 2-year old to mind? Please share all of your secrets, or any that you've heard from friends. I need help. Today Kenadi ran into the road 2 times! She knows that she's not supposed to, and used to mind me and stay on the grass, but lately she runs in the road as soon as I tell her not to. Scary! After today, I decided to move the number of kids I want to have from 8 to 3. That sounds way better. Randy probably wont be too upset about that.
Oh, here's an update on the baby. I am currently 18 weeks along, and am due for my sex-determining ultra sound. However, the place where I get that done is booked for a few weeks, so I have that appointment on May 15th. So, I'll let you all know what's going on! I have been feeling the baby kick and move a lot for the past 2 weeks. I love it! I finally feel pregnant. =)

It's your Lucky Day!

If you check this often, you have noticed that I haven't been posting anything for a while. Well, it is because I had Haley here to distract me from all of my normal obligations. I didn't mind, of course. So, I'm going to fill you in on what we did! I was so happy to have my sister here. She was so much fun and Kenadi LOVED her. She still looks at the toothbrush holder and says, "Haley's toothbrush?" because she wonders where Haley went, and why did she take her toothbrush? She also always says, "Haley? Amileen? (that's Airplane in 2-year old talk) Bye bye!" It's sad. Anyways, so, on to the good stuff. What did we do? Well, we went to go see the Express Clydesdale's, and that was neat. We were there when they were preparing the horses for a show the next day and they were getting a bath. Kenadi loved seeing that, and still talks about "Horsies? Shower?" At the Express Clydesdale's they also have a zebra, cows, and some little ponies. This one was so friendly and it was about the only animal Kenadi would go close to. It had this strawberry bushy blond hair, and Haley informed me that if I was a horse, I would look exactly like this one. Quite a complement, huh? (Haley stepped in dog poop after that, which was the highlight of my day) Anyways, it was cute and turned to all sides so that we would give it a good scratch.
We also had a little birthday party for Kenadi while Haley was here. We invited one family and our neighbor.. some of the people Kenadi likes the best. She was in full health, so she injoyed it this time. I made her this cute frog cake.
Randy and Haley had a blast at our birthday party fit for 2-year olds.

On another day, we saw some sites in the city. It was about the windiest day I've ever lived through, but the temperature was still good. About 75, and we got sunburnt. Anyways, these statues are part of a set that represent the first land run in the US. I think that they are so cool. We also went to Bass Pro shop and looked around, saw the fish, and drooled over camping stuff. Since we couldn't stand the wind any longer, we decided to go to the Oklahoma City Bombing Memorial the next day.




It makes me sad every time.
This was a fun place that we are sure to take anyone who comes to visit. It is called "Pops" and it is on Route 66, boasting more than 500 beverages, 200 different kinds of pop, and good ice cream/burgers. I loved it, and it totally reminded us of the nostalgia of Route 66.
So, here's the promise to anyone who comes to visit us. There are many bonuses to this package I'm willing to just GIVE AWAY. A) You get your picture on my blog, B) you get a great time with us, which leads to great memories, and C) You'll get someone to cry over you when you say goodbye at the airport. Now, that's a pretty good deal. You'd be a fool not to take it. =)

This is cute

Kenadi had a great time decorating her Daddy and then herself with "My Little Pony" stickers she got for her birthday. Randy was cute and kept them on for her... all the way through dinner! I love these two!

A Big Announcement

I read one of my friends' blog the other day, and she announced she was pregnant. I was so excited for them, that I decided to announce that I'm pregnant too. Yep. Randy is the father, I am the mother, and Kenadi is the big sister. The baby is due October 4th. I am 15 weeks along, (in my 2nd trimester), and doing well. I have a hard time with it during this stage because for a while I just look chubby, not pregnant. So, I am posting some before and after pictures. Me, while I was fit as a fiddle, and me now; when people are wondering if I quit working out, or started training for an eating contest (I do work out, by the way). We are so excited to have a second, and are very excited for Kenadi to have a little playmate soon.


This is my running buddy/twinkie who decided to move away and leave me here in Ok. (good rhyme, huh?)


We also played soccer together. Gee, aren't we cool?


Look at that grace, that lightness of our feet, and that headband! Awesome.

Okay, here is the "Now" picture.


Please disregard the fact that I need a haircut badly. I'm getting one this week, so don't worry.

A Sick Birthday Girl

I am typing away with a storm brewing outside. There is a tornado warning, so if this ended suddenly, you'll know why. Should be o.k., though. Well, sad to say, Kenadi was so sick on her birthday that we didn't get to do much. We were going to have a little party with some of her friends, but had to call it off. So Randy and I decided to take her to the airport so she could see some airplanes take off and fly at an up close and personal level. I don't know what was going on at the airport that day, but the sky was empty, and the airport was so quiet! We told Kenadi she'd see airplanes, so she kept asking about them, but we only saw a few little ones on the ground. It was sad. Then, we came home and opened family presents and ate some cheesecake that I made her (yes, it was for her... she loved it!) She was deathly afraid of the presents, though, because my mom and sister made her some "cute" little monsters to play with. When Randy and I saw the first one and said "Oh, it's a monster!" she threw it and ran over to me and wouldn't open up any more presents until Randy peeked in them and told her if there were monsters in the wrapping. She kept saying, "monsers!" and staring at them from a distance. I don't know where she got her fear of monsters, probably from Randy. I always have to look under the bed before he gets in. Now she loves them, so that's good. She also got a few other things, like a tricycle that she is still figuring out, but loves, a doll and clothes from our cute old neighbor, and a phonics bus, oh, and of course, the fish. Anyways, Haley is coming this next Sunday (I am so excited to have some of my family visit!), and we are going to have a friend party for Kenadi when Haley's here. Should be better!

The Short and Sad Story of Dorothy and Bob

As you know, Kenadi's birthday is tomorrow. So, last night we all went birthday shopping. I have really wanted Kenadi to have some sort of pet. Something inexpensive, and good for her to learn with. Well, at Wal-Mart last night we decided to get her 2 goldfish that look like Dorothy from Elmo's world (it's the one show I let her watch). She was looking at all the fish in the tanks and calling them Dorothy, it was so cute. So, we got her some fish for her birthday and named them Dorothy and Bob. All last night she was looking at them, saying, "Dorothy! Bob!"

Well, we have never had fish before, and we didn't know that you have to buy a water conditioner until last night when we were washing the rocks and putting them in the bowl. We decided that the fish could last through the night and we'd get conditioner in the morning. Well, sad to say, they didn't last through the night.

You can tell that there are no fish in there now. I debated on taking a picture of Randy flushing them, but decided that it was too morbid. Poor Kenadi. She woke up and went to the bowl saying, "Bob?" I had to tell her that Dorothy and Bob went to visit Elmo for the day and would be back tomorrow. Better luck next time, huh?