Tuesday, September 13, 2011

Fantastic espresso chocolate chip cookies

movies.yahoo.com Try these with a heavier duty mixer, not a hand mixer. Pre-heat oven to 375 degrees. In a mixing bowl cream together: 1 C shortening 1 C margarine 1 1/2 C brown sugar 1 1/2 C white sugar 3 large eggs 1 T vanilla extract Add in and blend: 1 1/2 tsp salt 1 1/2 tsp baking soda 1/2 C instant coffee Add in: 5 C flour 2 1/2 C semi-sweet chocolate chips NOTE: Dough will be VERY stiff. Using a #24 scoop, scoop out onto cookie sheets. Flatten with a glass bottom. Bake for 15-20 minutes until edges are golden brown. Let cool thoroughly before removing from sheet.

Tuesday, September 6, 2011

How to Never Lose Your Glasses

I used to spend a ridiculous amount of time looking for my reading glasses. I can see sorta OK without them, like I can distinguish the milk and orange juice cartons in the fridge. Which is very handy first thing in the morning. But, I can't do other things like sit on the couch and see the TV clearly, or write on my laptop without squinting and getting a headache.

As I spend more time blogging, I also spend more time looking for my glasses. I bet they are positively correlated and that I could pull together an impressive Excel graph to illustrate it.

Each time I would stand up and walk away from the laptop, I took off my glasses and I tossed them somewhere different. Then, I forgot where I left them and I had to search for them later. It could take me 5-10 minutes to find them. And, when I thought of something truly Earth shattering that would change all of my readers lives and needed to be immediately written down in case I forgot the thought, it was upwards of 30 minutes to find my glasses again.

So, I re-purposed a few pretty, bright, eye catching trays and bowls that would hold my glasses and I placed them strategically throughout the house. It was fun to put some of my favorite items to new use, like my hand painted trays from Florence and my Navaho bowl. I really like seeing them on my coffee table, dining table, and TV stand, rather than up high on a display shelf. Plus, each time I see one of my treasures, fond memories of my travels come back to me. I remember drinks and food that I had forgotten like a magical night in Venice eating a pasta dinner canal-side. Memories of old friends from my travels now warm my heart and make me want to travel again.

Best of all, tossing my glasses into a designated bowl or little tray quickly became a habit and it now takes just seconds to locate them again. It is an enjoyable habit because so many good memories come back to me and I am reminded that I have lived a rich life that I am grateful for.




Courtney_182
http://www.shiftshappen-site.com