Countertop Update, Milk Jug Vases and Monster Cookies

I'm very excited--we are finishing our countertops this weekend!  I'm looking forward to it.  I'll be sure to post pictures so you can see the finished product.

What have you been up to?  Even though the week was shorter than normal, it felt long.  Hubby and I both thought a normal week would have gone faster.  I seem to look forward to the weekend more and more, because that's the only time I have the energy to do things that I like to do.  Today I've been busy preparing for my mom and stepdad's arrival, baking, cleaning, grocery shopping, running errands, etc.  We will be having pulled pork this weekend, so I picked up a ten pound pork shoulder, so that we might have some left over for later.  It tastes and smells so good!  It's roasted in the oven, which is good, because we don't have a smoker.  If you'd like to see the recipe, click here: Spicy Dr. Pepper Pulled Pork .  I wish I could take credit for this recipe, but I can't.  The recipe comes from The Pioneer Woman, Ree Drummond.  She has some great recipes, and the kind of life I dream of having.

After more consideration, I think I'll give Blogger a stay of execution.  If you read this blog fairly regularly, you'll notice that I changed the look considerably, which makes me happier.  I am still in the "clean up-condense-get rid of-can't stand clutter" phase, which is a reason behind the change, but there were also some glitches with Blogger that gave me fits with pictures and such, and eliminating some of the blog elements takes care of that.  So, for now, I'll be sticking to Blogger.  I'm a woman, and I reserve the right to continue to change my mind as much as I want.

At the grocery store today, I found a bright cheerful bouquet of miniature Gerbera daisies.  I couldn't resist--I bought them.  This is why I keep buying little decorative bottles for around the house.  I love to use them for vases!  They have a kind of old-fashioned look.  Here are some pics for your enjoyment:

Old Borden's Milk Jug, Dark Sage Satin Ribbon, and Gerbera Daisies.  Simple, yet elegant and cheerful.

My little garage sale half-pint milk bottles, and daisies.  No other decoration is needed, in my opinion.  Set them on your counter...

Or put them on your windowsill for something cheerful while you wash dishes.

And finally, I experimented with a monster cookie recipe last weekend, and thought I'd share it with you.  I had a hard time even finding a recipe to begin with!  Are they just not popular anymore?  I finally found one in an Amish recipe book, and then I decided to alter it a bit.  I call these "Stick To Your Ribs Monster Cookies".

You'll need:
1/3 C butter or margarine, softened
1/3 C sugar
1/3 C brown sugar, lightly packed
1 large egg
1/4 tsp vanilla
1 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp cinnamon

1/2 C peanut butter (crunchy or smooth)
1/4 C flour
1 C rolled oats
2/3 C chocolate chips
2/3 C M & Ms

What you do:
Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  Cream together your butter and sugars.  Add egg, vanilla, baking soda, cinnamon, and peanut butter, mixing well after each addition.  Add the flour, mix well, and scrape the sides of the bowl.  Then add the oats, mixing well and again scraping the sides of the bowl.  Add your chocolate chips and M & Ms, and mix in by hand.  Drop by rounded tablespoonful onto a baking sheet lined with parchment, and bake for 15 minutes, or until the edges begin to brown slightly.  Remove from the oven and let cool on the cookie sheet for another five minutes, then move to a cooling rack.  This recipe makes around 20 cookies.  Keep them in an airtight container, or wrap individually and freeze for later.  Good and filling!