I spy with my little eye...

Cookie Truffles. You will need:
{and not in this order}
1. green food coloring
2. pure orange extract (optional)
3. about 1 tsp vegetable oil
4. 8 0z block cream cheese - softened
5. 16-18 0z pkg sandwich cookies
(your choice - I used lemon)
6. mini chocolate chips
7. 12 0z pkg white chocolate baking chips


You will also need:
1. double boiler
2. food processor
(this is mandatory! If you don't have one, call around to see who does.
Tell them if they let you borrow it, you'll make it worth their while.)
3. melon baller
4. large toothpicks
5. super professional piping bag (or ziplock, whatever)
6. paper nut cups (optional)



Finely crush your cookies in the food processor and toss into the lovely artisan your hubbie bought you for Christmas, or a large mixing bowl. Cube your cream cheese and toss that in too.
Mix


After it is well blended and looks like cookie dough,
shape into balls with your melon baller.



Place in pan or plate and freeze for 20-30 min.
Meanwhile, add your white chips and v. oil to your double boiler and melt over med/low heat.
Stir until smooth. Stir in approx. 1/2 tsp orange extract.
Remove glass bowl and set on a hot mat near a good work surface.


Remove cookie balls from freezer. One at a time, insert toothpick into bottom of each ball and dip in melted w. chocolate, turning to coat. Pull off toothpick and let cool on wax paper. Your fingers will get messy. Wait till you've dipped all the balls before licking them.

Stir in 3-4 drops food coloring to remaining w. chocolate. (If chocolate has hardened, re-melt in double boiler and allow to cool a bit) Scoop up now g. chocolate and spoon into ziplock. Snip a small hole in one corner and squeeze all chocolate to it. Pipe little circles on each ball and top with choc. chip. (go pipe, chip, pipe, chip or the chocolate will harden.)

I switched to the regular sized choc. chips because I thought the mini ones look too much like... well, you know! Then I decided they both did. So you pick, dilated pupils or no.
Chill in the fridge about an hour. Place in paper nut cups and arrange on platter for your party.

or find a cute box and give some to the friend that let you borrow their food processor.

be sure to include a quirky message.

{store them in the fridge, they are much better chilled. and you can make them ahead of time too. Just don't put them in the freezer once they've got the choc. on them - they might bloom.}

ENJOY!

tee hee!

The whole Geddes clan got some family pictures done last Saturday with a new photographer.

{I'll be sure and post the good ones later.}

But I just can't stop giggling at this one of my fam. Oh where do I begin? Parker's enthusiasm? Or the fact that I look like a hiker that just decided to poke my head into the picture at the last second?
Or that it's SOOO edited that it looks like a newspaper clipping?

Or the thought that we'd like this picture enough to even want it edited?

{oh man! I know it's not nice, but I can't stop laughing at it!}

overheard thru the baby moniter today

Parker: Do want to read a stowy?

... awight...

This is a story about a truck.

a truck and a coor {car}

Caden: Guck!

Parker: Da truck goes up da hiw {hill}

Caden: Guuuck!

Parker: Da end.

{brief silence}

That was a good stowy.

{oh man those two are cute!}

she's done it again...

Anna Maria Horner, why do you torment me with your wares when you know I'm a recovering (well sorta) fabric addict and I'm severely broke?

I WILL have a fancy schmancy couch upholstered in a beautiful print fabric if it's the last thing I do! (If you could just read that in a menacing yet cheesy villain's voice, that would be great.)

And she is coming out with a flannel line soon. *JOY* I just love a good flannel.

What's this? She makes rugs too?

LOVE IT!

Top Ten Random Tips

In random order.
subtitled: apparently I'm obsessed with my freezer. Invest in a big box of freezer bags.


10. Put a tracking device on your kid. Most grocery/craft stores give away free balloons at their customer service desk. I do my shopping there first and tie one on Parker's wrist. Then if he wanders (at any store) I just look for the bobbing balloon.
9. Two is better than one. I buy two bunches of bananas. a small ripe and a larger bunch of green. As soon as my kids have downed the ripe ones, the green ones are ready to eat - not icky and brown.

8. Get Bulky. I buy bulk packages of meat. Then right when I get home I separate them into meal-sized portions and put them in freezer bags. With a permanent marker I write the (estimated) weight on the bag for easy defrosting. Then I just defrost one for dinner and know it will be the perfect amount. Two for company.

7. Feed your party guests what your family won't eat. For some reason citrus just sits in our fruit basket. Maybe it's because peeling is too much work, maybe it's because you're always gambling when you buy oranges. When they are about to pass their peek, I wash them whole with a little dish soap and slice them into disks. Then, you guessed it, freeze'em. The next time I have a party, I can throw them in the water. They'll add color, flavor and serve as ice.

6. Don't cry over chopped onion. About half an hour+ before I chop it, I stick my onion in the freezer. (it's getting pretty crowded in there) It freezes the vapors that make your eyes water. Which leads me to my next one...

5. Don't cry over chopped onion - part 2. Season your meat with onion soup mix. I do this for meatballs, tacos, lasagna, beef stroganoff, you get the idea. If gives you the onion flavor without having to chop one and without the crunchy little pieces that some picky kids won't eat.

4. Speaking of picky kids, get sneaky with them. Hil got me this awesome book for Christmas called Deceptively Delicious. Basically it sneaks healthy into everyday. My favorite is pureeing spinach and adding it to scrambled eggs. My mom gave me the idea to puree or finely mince zucchini and squash and add it to your spaghetti sauce.

3. If you can't beat'em, let them join you. I used to have a heck of a time getting dinner on the table (in our case island) before midnight. My kids were constantly whining for my attention. I'd give them snacks but then they wouldn't eat dinner. I finally pulled up a chair, put some juice in a pitcher and handed parker a spoon. He stirs quietly while I cook. Caden sits in his high chair with measuring spoons and cups.

2. Make breakfast for dinner. We love pancakes, and waffles for dinner. I like to double my batch and under cook the last ones. After they've cooled, I pair them in freezer bags and pop them into the party going on in my freezer. Then in the morning, I stick them (frozen) into the toaster on a higher than usual setting. {You may have to play with yours to get it right} They are lightly crisp on the outside and moist and fluffy on the inside due to the under cooking the night before.

1. Stick it to your lampshade. Lampshades get dusty because they are fabric. And you can't exactly use pledge on them. I just break out my sticky lint roller and go top to bottom. Then the lint goes in the garbage, not around the house.

There you have it. I would LOVE to hear other tips from you smart people out there.

Top Ten Halloween Songs You May Have Overlooked

Some of these you may have heard of, others are a little more obscure. All are the perfect companion to Thriller and Monster Mash at your upcoming party.

10. Spider Man - The Cure
{not to be confused with the theme song for our favorite sticky-fingered hero}

9. Hell - Squirrel Nut Zippers
{remember when they were popular? I was in high school.}

8. Werewolves of London - Warron Zevon
{my fave line: I saw a werewolf drinking a pina colada at Trader Vicks, his hair was perfect.}


7. Devil Woman - Cliff Richard

6. Dancing at the Zombie Zoo - Tom Petty & the Heartbreakers
{I grew up on Full Moon Fever. What can I say? Some parents are just cooler than others.}

5. Little Red Riding Hood - Sam the Sham
{and of course Wooly Bully if you don't already have it}

4. We Only Come Out at Night - Smashing Pumpkins
{don't worry - there's no screaming in this song}

3. Strange Magic - E.L.O.
{that stands for Electric Light Orchestra}

2. My Beloved Monster - The Eels
{LOVE this song!!}

1. Werewolf Bar Mitzvah - Tracy Jordan (Morgan)
{to those of you not 30 Rock savvy, I say: become so!}

There you have it. Download these babies for a spooky good time and make sure to blast them out your window for your trick - or - treaters. I believe in sharing the wealth.

Think Pink

My sister Jessica is having the first girl in our family in 26 years.
We are so excited! And I know pink is a cliche, but when was the last time any of got to buy some? There was a WHOLE LOTTA pink at the shower...

you're invited

mama to be... pardon the crazy eyes. this was the third pic in a row and she was getting restless

All the pinkie goodness

what the? ok, so not everything was pink

I'm terrible at taking pictures of people at parties. {Let's just squish all these sub-par photos into a collage to make them seem more substantial.} there.

so much fun. Oct 24 *or sooner!!* Chloe is coming our way!

Oh Monday.

Have you ever had one of those days where one cleaning project lead to another and you find yourself cleaning the kitchen drain for the first time in 2 years? and are completely horrified with what you're finding? (everything but the kitchen sink indeed!) After I got all that I could with the Q-tips, I just poured straight vinegar down there hoping it would eat what was left. {shiver!}

sooo... I went for an evening grocery shopping trip sans the kiddos. and as I was marveling at the dusky fall sky, a bat loped over my car. Bless him. It's like he knows I prefer a surreal life and little woodland creatures just add to the fantasy. (the black widow on my porch the other day? Not so much.) A bat on October 5 could not be a more appropriate beginning to my favorite month of the year. I shall be doing 'top ten' lists for the number 10 month.

You have been warned. and feel free to join in.

meant to be

first there was this: single serving pie in a jar.

then there were these:

free printable jar labels.

Say hello to freaking cutest Christmas neighbor gifts ever! And the beauty part is you can start them now... before you become catatonic!