It does not have to be complicated.

I think most people over think cooking. It does not have to be complicated or involved.  I  am not embarrassed to say I use a shortcut any time that I can and this scone recipe is one of those shortcuts.

There is just not enough time in my day to do everything from scratch....so here is a quick and easy recipe!

SCONES

2 (7oz.) packages of Martha Whit Blueberry Muffin Mix
1/4 C butter, chilled and cut into 1/2 inch cubes
1/2C sour cream
Heat oven to 400. Line cookie sheet with parchment paper.

Place muffin mix in large bowl. Cut in butter with pastry blender until texture of small peas.
Stir in sour cream until combined

Press together with floured hands. Place on lightly floured surface. Press together and knead 4 or 5 times until a smooth ball forms. Pat out to a 6 to 8 inch circle. Cut into wedges (like a pizza) with a large knife or pizza cutter. Place on lined cookie sheet. Bake 12 to 15 minutes or until light golden brown. Cool 2 minutes, then gently remove to cooling rack.

I am going to try the other Martha White Mixes in place of the blueberry...strawberry, apple cinnamon, maybe even the chocolate chip.

Ms. Terry (not me)...YOU ROCK!

I was just on FB (I have a small little addiction) and read a post from the youngest.  She is a teacher in Florida and presently teaches gifted children from her school and 3 others and also spends part of her day with the at risk kids from her school.

Her post: :   "So far today:  I boarded the bus to regulate 60+ kids bus behavior, covered for a teacher whose substitute was late, removed students from a class who were fist fighting, helped process 2 referrals, counseled a student who was being bullied, ran to the library because we are one librarian down and pushed into a reading class to assist students. Yeah, you are right "teachers" totally get paid enough. Ps. My coffee is on my desk. Cold."

I always hesitate to to brag on my kids.  But I am so proud of the women they have become. I wish I could take the credit.  I parented by the seat of my pants with the most supportive husband you could ask for. He is the best father I could have ever wished for. Both the Big man and I had single parents who set an amazing example of what a parent should be and then they were wonderful as grand parents.

The girls are kind, happy, healthy, well adjusted, productive human beings.....I am blessed.

By blogging today I really just wanted the youngest to know...Ms. Terry YOU ROCK!

Much Love......Momma

And "MY" PS.....I think you did learn the discipline "thang" from me...oxoxxxox

I feel the need to make a sign.

I started blogging because I really like to cook and share recipes.  Recently, I have been sidetracked by the new addition to our family.  Abby is a stinkin' cute golden doodle and she is a smart dog.  We have had/trained a fair amount of dogs in our 36 years of marriage.  We are pretty smart humans but this puppy's house breaking is kicking our butts!  I do not get much done except tending to the dog.

However, yesterday we had our first accident free day!!!  YIPEEE!
Blessedly we seem to have had a breakthrough. If you are familiar with  military installations they almost always have a sign that says how many days the base has gone without an accident....much like the ones I would think you would see in industrial settings. So, I think we may be able to make THIS sign instead of the Ooops I was considering.

I am certain we will have setbacks, but looking at this face every day makes it worthwhile.

I can't wait for the wedding announcement!

I was enjoying my Sunday morning coffee and papers (yes papers, we get two on Sunday) while The Big Man was making my breakfast.  He makes me a delicious breakfast every Sunday, but I digress.

I got to the engagement notices section inside the Sunday Style of the Washington Post. "Mary Jones" and "Joseph Smith" are to be wed in June of this year.  I got past the Mothers and Fathers part and then became mesmerized/stupefied by the rest. "The engagement follows a wonderful romantic trip to Ireland...then all I started to hear was the voice of Charlie Browns teacher WAH, WAH, WAH...You know the sound he hears when the teacher speaks??? I "came to" just before the end....."Armed with the delighted approval of her parents, Joseph surprised Mary with a proposal and an engagement ring during (this is the part that just slayed me) what is destined to become a "Smith" family tradition of cutting ones own Christmas tree."

Really?  SERIOUSLY??? I think I need insulin.....I just think this is the most ostentatious saccharine announcement I have ever read.   I may even have to get my pearls out of the safety deposit box and become a wedding crasher My mind is swimming with ideas on how the wedding will be. I am marking my calendar for June so I do not miss the wedding announcement.

I have found a picture of the "perfect" wedding cake.  About the size of "ones own Christmas tree"

I just can't imagine one of our girls "putting on a show" for their wedding...a la Kim Kardashian.  We all know how well that worked out......

I have no idea who these people are, I kinda feel sorry for them. I know after 36 years of marriage, life is NOT a fairy tale where you have traditions of "cutting ones own Christmas Tree". They probably do not know it is hard work and hopefully, along the way (if you are lucky) you build some great memories of fun times that you have shared.  I am still crazy about the Big Man, my heart still goes pitter-patter when he comes in the door (if any of you tell that secret, you are toast). We have built a wonderful life but it has never been like a fairy tale or a script of a Hallmark movie. Good Luck Mary and Joseph...you are going to need it.
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I really need to "vent"

Okay....I reserve the right to add to this list of things that make me crazy..but today I was out and about and there were some driving/car issues....I really need to vent.

#1.  If you drive a big honkin' SUV (in today's case an infinity) Locate the skinny pedal.....AND USE IT. If you are trying to get better gas mileage drive a smartcar. PLEASE.

#2. If you are a man driving a big bubba truck and insist on backing it in to a parking space, DO IT IN ONE PASS.  If you can't,  just pull it in forward. It is just embarrassing.  Or give me the keys and I will do it. PLEASE.

#3. DO NOT text and drive. You cannot multi-task, really you can't. You also must be dumber than a box of hammers because you have not seen all the public service ads that TELL you you are putting yourself and others at risk. PLEASE put the phone away.

There may be more rules but I certainly feel better now that I have vented.
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Faces like this........

Faces like this suck you in.  Yesterday, I was going to sell her to the Gypsies...CHEAP. She is so stinkin' cute but she also is a 13 week old puppy with the attention span of a gnat. I honestly ask myself daily..."What were we thinking?" AND then she does something so adorable I forget what a chore housebreaking is. The Big Man is so smitten by her and he does all work when he is home so I figured he might miss her if I sold her.  I just hope her learning curve is F-A-S-T! 

I stand corrected

Recently, I blogged about how self serving Tiger Woods' ex had been after Elin Nordgren razed her 12M oceanfront house.  I said she should have let a charity (like Habitat) get things from the house before demo.  Well, it turns out she did..this is according to the January 23rd issue of People Magazine. (And we all know what a journalistic authority it is). Seriously, they did quote the local Habit's director of deconstruction.

I stand corrected.