okay, so maybe my stove is possessed. I was having trouble sleeping last night, partly due to menopause and partly due to the fact that part 1 of the reunion of real housewives of nyc was repeating and I had missed it the first time around, so I was up till 1 am. Anyways, I'm watching the tv and I hear a strange noise coming from the kitchen...like a tapping noise. It's 11:45 pm and John is sound asleep. I went and stood by the doorway to the kitchen and the noise kept happening over near the stove area. I went in and turned on the light and the noise stopped for a few minutes then started up again. Was it coming from the vent over the stove? Maybe a little finch had flown into the vent opening outside and had gotten caught, I do have a feeder right outside the vent, or maybe it was a bat....we have them flying around the house in to evening. No not living at our house, just circling and eating mosquitos and going home to the quarry when the light of day begins.

Back to the noise, I checked in the oven, on top of the stove, in the warming drawer, while I checked all was quiet, but when I stopped making noise...it started. "John, there's something in my oven and it's freaking me out. Can you get up and check it out for me?"

Two adults one in his briefs and a pait of leather gloves, in case he has to catch something, tip toe into the kitchen. Opening all the drawers that I opened and nothing. Maybe I should put the stove on self cleaning and torch the demon. John thought that was just crazy sleep deprived talk. But I thought it was an ok one....he would be the one to remove the crispy carcass wouldn't he?

Final decision...must be a mouse. Set a trap and go to bed. The thing had to be as big as a rat with the amount of scratching noises it was making. John has returned to bed, but me, the brave one, has remained up. I'll close the 1/2 farm door between the kitchen and living room so the creature can't come into the room that I am in. I swear it was slamming it's body against the door. The house makes all these creaking noises when I'm the only one awake.

My hero John removed the tiny mouse from the trap the next morning and BONUS! made me a fresh pot of coffee. What a wonderful man.

At last!!!!!!

Summer has arrived and we have a new computer. No pics available, let's just say when it rains it pours....digitable camera broke down along with the computer and my ipod. Replaced the computer, working on getting a free ipod touch through a local bank, and will think about a camera in the fall.

Ok...so what's been happening? All that eating of baked goods has caught up with me. I'm not exactly fat, I prefer to think of my body as ruebenesque. But summer has inspired me to start walking again.

Summer plans include a few days in Virginia Beach helping a friend deliver her son's car to him, Navy man, a few days in NYC with my little sis, a weekend in Michigan visiting a friend, and possibly a week in Colorado seeing a long lost friend.

Plan on painting and fixing up the breezeway in our house and wishing I could gradually put a stone patio off the back step......maybe.

Yahuhgggg!!!! John told me bike week was coming up in 11 days.....yuck!!!!!!! Too much noise, too much traffic, and too many drunks. Wish I could have planned a vacation and gotten out of town for that week!

It feels sooo good to be back and blogging. but I gotta walk .

I guess my life is a very busy life

How do they do it? How do all these bloggers keep posting writings? I never realized that trying to keep a journal of my days could be time consuming. Spring is here and instead of writing, I am making plans for flowerbeds and room renovations. Writing just doesn't come into play. Sorry but I feel that my writing skills and devotion to blogging just aren't what I hoped they would develope into. Maybe I will find inspiration as I get projects accomplished. Yeah, that's what I'll do....I will keep you posted on all my projects as they begin.

Happy New Year!

A new year has arrived. I hope that this one will be better for everyone. I wish you all health, happiness and peace. Tomorrow will be the first New Years Day that I won't be at work in 16 years. Somehow I think I will be wanting to go to work to clean up from the post Christmas mess.

Baking Frenzy for the Fall

Couldn't stop myself today. I started the morning with a freshly brewed cup of coffee, compliments of the hubby. Mom is coming for dinner tonight for the poor mans chicken parm and pasta dinner. If you wonder what that is....imagine precooked, breaded chicken patties, melt some mozzarella cheese over it and pour on the Ragu. A side of spaghetti , and a tossed pre packaged salad.....wah lah dinner is done!

So I feel guilty that it is my day off and I'm taking the easy way out for dinner....hence the baking frenzy. I started with some dense chocolate cookies, Mayan Surprise. Easy to mix up, frig them while you mix up the lemon sugar cookies. Next a quick melting of chocolate with the addition of cream, espresso powder, Kahlua, and cinnamon....the truffle mix now joins the cookie mixes in the frig.

After whipping up the chocolate pumpkin pie for dessert tonight and popping it into the oven, I quickly make a delicious vanilla muffin batter for the mini vanilla muffins.

Dessert took a little longer to bake then I thought it would...by the way it is a vegetarian dessert....no eggs. Anyways, once it was done the muffins baked up in no time followed by the two cookie mixes.

You may wonder why a woman that can complete all these dishes in 5 hours, along with cleaning the living room and washing 3 sink fulls of dishes isn't more organized at several aspects of her career....so do I. I like to think that the kitchen is my therapy couch.

The next question you may have is....will you eat all of those treats? NO! I have to be able to get out the door and into my little VW folks. My associates that work for me at Macy's will be the recipients of these delicious bites of joy.

OK the recipes

Vanilla Muffins

1 1/2 cups flour Sift the dry ingredients together and sit aside

3/4 tsp baking powder

1/2 tsp salt

1/4 tsp baking soda

1/2 cup butter or margarine Whip butter and add vanilla, mix until lightened in color,

2 tsps vanilla extract about a minute. Add the sugar in four additions and mix

1 cup granulated sugar 1 minute. Scrape the bowl and add the eggs one at a time

2 large eggs

1/2 sour cream Add the flour mixture alternating with the sour cream and

blend just till mixed.

Portion the dough into muffin tins lined with muffin papers. Sprinkle 1/4 tsp of sugar on top of each muffin. Bake 350 degrees for 23-25 minutes.

Lemon Crisps

1 1/2 cups flour

1/4 tsp baking powder

1/4 tsp baking soda

1/8 tsp salt

Mix together

2 small lemons

5 tbls butter

1/2 c granulated sugar

1 large egg seperated

1/2 tsp vanilla extract

Grate the lemons directly into the mixing bowl and squeeze out 3 Tbls of juice and set aside.

(Hint...if you nuke the lemon in the microwave for 10 seconds, you'll get more juice)

Add the butter to the zest and beat till combines. Add the sugar a little at a time. Add the egg yolk only and half of the flour mixture. Blend then add the lemon juice, vanilla, and rest of flour. Beat till combined. Shape dough into an 8 inch roll and wrap in plastic wrap...frig it for at least 3 hours. Preheat the oven 350 degrees. Line 2 Cookie tray with parchment or silpat. Slice the roll of dough into 40 slices. Brush the tops with the egg white that you beat with 1/4 tsp of water. Sprinkle a little sugar on the tops and bake 8 tp 10 minutes.

Mayan Surprise Cookies

3/4 cup butter

3/4 cup sugar

1 1/2 cups flour

1 1/2 tsp baking powder

1/4 tsp salt

1 tsp cinnamon

1/2 tsp fresh gound black pepper The surprise!!!!!!!

1/4 tsp cayenne pepper
3/4 cup cocoa powder

1 large egg

1 1/2 tsp vanilla extract

semi sweet chocolate bits

Cream the butter and sugar together. Add the dry ingredients to the butter mixture and blend together. Add the egg and vanilla and mix just till batter becomes uniform. Frig it for at least 1 hour.

Preheat oven 350 degrees...or if your like me that old oven has been on for hours:)

Using your hands roll the spponfuls into balls the width of a quarter. Tuck a few chocolate bits on top and bake for 10 minutes on a silpat lined cookie sheet.

Chocolate Pumpkin dessert

Melt 4 oz of bittersweet chocolate first.

To the cooled chocolate add:

1 cup pumpkin

3/4 cup sugar

1/4 cup oil

1 tsp vanilla

3/4 cup flour

1/4 cup cocoa

1 Tbls cornstarch

1/4 tso baking soda

1/4 tsp salt

Mix this and spread it in a 9 inch springform pan that you have sprayed with cooking spray, spread it into the edges.

pumkin layer

1 cup pumpkin

2 Tbls cornstarch

1/2 c soymilk

1/3 cup sugar

1 tsp vanilla

1/4 tsp ginger

1/4 tsp cinnamon

pinch of nutmeg and pinch of allspice

Mix together and por over brownie crust, but try to keep away for the edge. BAke in 350 degree oven for 30 to 45 minutes till fairly firm and cracked at edges a bit. Cool for 20 minutes and then put in the frig at least 1 1/2 hours before serving. Sprinkly choc bits on top when you serve.

Okay... I'm pooped! Bye for now......Enjoy the treats!

A few days off. I watch the leaves turn to gold and red, falling to the ground. I am in the mood for pumpkins and spice. I tried a new vegan cookie recipe this morning.

Ginger Molasses Cookies

2 1/2 cups whole wheat flour

1 tsp baking powder

1 tsp baking soda

1/2 tsp salt

blend together and sit aside

3/4 c maple syrup, grade B not that Aunt J stuff

1/4 c molasses

1/2 c applesauce

mix together and add to dry ingredients. Stir to blend and add 5 Tbl fresh grated ginger....

Now I didn't have 5 Tblsp worth so I grated up the 2 Tblsp that I did have and added dry ginger, about 2 tsps to the mix too.

Bake at 350 degrees for about 12 minutes on a slightly greased cookie sheet (silpat is awesome)

coolc for about a minute on the sheet then move to cooling rack.

Tomorrow it is back to work. And I will wait patiently for another day off.

Short story posted at Goodreads.com

Hey I have a spot at goodreads.com I list books that I have read and have begun posting writings there. Check it out and leave your comments.