Another Card

Apple Streusel Muffins

Ingredients

Topping

1/2 cup packed brown sugar

1/4 cup all purpose flour

1/4 butter or margarine

1 1/2 cup all purpose flour

1/2 cup sugar

3 tsp. baking powder

1/2 tsp salt

1 egg

1/4 cup milk

1/4 cup cooking oil

3/4 cup shredded apple (it is ok to leave the peel on)

Directions

In small bowl rub topping ingredients until crumbly, set aside.

In mixing bowl, stir flour, sugar, baking powder and salt. Make a well in the centre.

In another bowl, beat egg, like and oil to blend. Stir in apple. Pour into well. Stir until moistened, don't overstir. Fill muffin tins 3/4 full, sprinkle with topping mixture. Bake in 400 oven for 20 - 25 minutes. Makes 12.

* I sprinkled some nutmeg and cinnamon into the muffin mixture, and it turned out really good.

Book 22...

``Every summer the Newton family retreats to their beloved home on Nantucket for three months of sunshine, cookouts, and bonfires on the beach. But this summer will not be like any other. When Arch Newton, a prominent New York attorney, dies in a plane crash on his way home from a business trip, his beautiful widow, Beth, can barely keep things together. Above all, though, she decides that she must continue the family tradition of going to Nantucket, and at the same time fulfill a promise that Arch made before he died. Beth invites Marcus, the son of Arch`s final and most challenging client, to spend the summer with her and her teenage twins, Winnie and Garrett, who have mixed reactions to sharing their special summer place with this stranger. Always a place of peace before, Nantucket becomes the scene of roiling emotions and turbulent passions as Marcus, Winnie, and Garrett learn about loss, first love, and betrayal. And when they stumble upon a shocking secret from Beth`s past, they must keep it from destroying the family they`ve been trying so hard to heal.``

Book 21...

"Twenty-nine-year-old Lindsey Rose has, for as long as she can remember, lived in the shadow of her ravishingly beautiful fraternal twin sister, Alex. Determined to get noticed, Lindsey is finally on the cusp of being named VP creative director of an elite New York advertising agency, after years of eighty-plus-hour weeks, migraines, and profound loneliness. But during the course of one devastating night, Lindsey’s carefully constructed life implodes. Humiliated, she flees the glitter of Manhattan and retreats to the time warp of her parents’ Maryland home. As her sister plans her lavish wedding to her Prince Charming, Lindsey struggles to maintain her identity as the smart, responsible twin while she furtively tries to piece her career back together. But things get more complicated when a long-held family secret is unleashed that forces both sisters to reconsider who they are and who they are meant to be."

Book 20...

"Mary Lawson's debut novel concerns a young woman, Kate Morrison, a zoologist who is hundreds of miles away from her childhood home of Crow Lake in the isolated regions of northern Ontario. Yet she can't escape the memories of her past, the car accident that killed her parents, her older brother who took her out to the pond to teach her about the wildlife there, and the violence of the neighbors whose lives were intertwined with her family. Embarking on a new love, Kate must come to grips with her past to fashion her own future. This novel has received high praise from almost all reviewers. The Washington Post calls Crow Lake, "the kind of book that keeps you reading well past midnight; you grieve when it's over."

Quote 26

"Fall down seven times - get up eight"

I think I am going to make this quote my new mantra :)

Another card...

So since I have been making so many cards, I decided to make a page to keep all my photos!

Snickerdoodle Bars

I had a random craving to bake yesterday and bought this new summer magazine full of recipes and the picture for these made them look scrumptious; which of course they were. I will definatley be making these again because they were just soooooo good, and tastes excellent with a nice cup of coffee.

Ingredients

2 1/3 cup flour

1 1/4 tsp baking powder

1/2 tsp salt

3/4 cup butter or margarine, softened

1 1/4 cup granulated sugar

1/2 cup brown sugar

3 eggs

1 tsp vanilla

Cinnamon Filling

1 tbsp granulated sugar

1 tbsp cinnamon

Glaze

1 cup powdered sugar

1 to 2 tbsp milk

1/4 tsp vanilla

Directions

1.) Heat oven to 350, spray or grease bottom of 13 x 9" baking dish. In small bowl, combine flour, baking powder, salt; set aside.

2.) In large bowl, beat butter with electric mixer until creamy, beat in sugars and then beat in eggs and vanilla until well combined. Slowly beat in dry ingredients.

3.) Spoon half the batter into the pan and sprinkle evenly with cinnamon mixture.

4.)Dollop tsps of remaining batter evenly over cinnamon mixture.

5.) Bake 20 to 25 minutes or until golden brown, meanwhile mix the glaze ingredients until you have reached the desired consistency. Cool desert completely, and then drizzle the glaze over top.

Grilled Bruschetta Chicken

Ingredients

4 small boneless skinless chicken breasts (1 lb./450 g)

1/4 cup Kraft Signature Sun-Dried Tomato & Oregano Dressing, divided

1 tomato, finely chopped

1/2 cup Kraft 4 Cheese Italiano Shredded Cheese

1/4 cup chopped fresh basil

1 clove minced garlic

Directions

HEAT barbecue to medium heat.

COVER half the barbecue grate with large sheet of heavy-duty foil. Meanwhile, place chicken in resealable plastic bag. Add 2 Tbsp. dressing; seal bag. Turn bag over several times to evenly coat chicken with dressing. Refrigerate 10 min. Remove chicken from bag; discard bag and dressing.

PLACE chicken on uncovered side of barbecue grate; grill 6 min. Meanwhile, combine remaining dressing, tomatoes, cheese, garlic and basil.

TURN chicken over; place, cooked-side up, on foil-covered grate. Top with tomato mixture. Grill 8 min. or until chicken is done (170ºF).

*love loved loved this recipe, the chicken was delicious and moist and everyone loved it!

Another Card Made

Made this for my stepfather's birthday yesterday, very plain and simple, but still better than buying a card!

# 17 - Donate unworn clothing

So this is a goal that I have been meaning to do for a long time but tend to be lazy. I have had bags of clothing taking up space in the spare bedroom that I constantly trip over, and just now decided to finally pack them up into the car and bring to the clothing box. A total of 6 or 7 bags, with mostly my clothes and some of Ryan's. Feels good to get them out of the room, and I now have more space in my closet to add more :)

# 37 - Go in a walk for a good cause

I am so proud to cross this goal off my list. I could have decided to go in a number of different walks, but chose this one and set my standards high. I raised $1400.00 and walked 30 km yesterday. It took us 6 hours to walk the full 30 km, and although it wasn't a race, Kelly and I were in the top 15 of people to cross the finish line out of over 1000 people. It was a truly inspirational feeling, the amount of people cheering you on for the entire walk, the horns honking, the signs on peoples lawns, the children writing encouragement with chalk on the walkway, and the flowers and families waiting at the end. Out of 1000 people, a total of 2.1 million dollars was raised to support all Womens Cancer, and I feel so proud and happy to have taken part in this event. However, as I am writing to you now, I have a feeling it will take me a while to get out of my chair. My legs are sore..everywhere (ankle, calves, knees, thigh, groin.. literally everywhere.) My feet are sore, with two lovely bandaids as I had two yucky blisters, and my lower back is sore. All just a little bit of pain considered to what women fighting cancer are experiencing. I feel sorry for the people who are walking today, yet another 30km, in the pouring rain.

Book 19 ...

"Three women arrive at the local airport, observed by Josh, a Nantucket native home from college for the summer. Burdened with small children, unwieldy straw hats, and some obvious emotional issues, the women-- two sisters and one friend--make their way to the sisters' tiny cottage, inherited from an aunt. They're all trying to escape from something: Melanie, after seven failed in-vitro attempts, learned her husband was having an affair, and then discovered she's pregnant; Brenda embarked on a passionate affair with an older student that got her fired from her prestigious job as a professor in New York; and her sister Vicki, mother to two small boys, has been diagnosed with lung cancer. Soon Josh is part of the chaotic household, acting as babysitter, confidant, and, eventually, lover."

Quote 25

You decide every moment of every day

who you are and what you believe in.

You get a second chance,

every second.

-Unknown

Go in a walk for a good cause

One of my goals was to go in a walk for a good cause, so as I’ve told you before I decided to go big and do the 60 km womens cancer walk! However, me and the two other goals didn’t reach our $2000 goal, so we ended up signing up for the one day – 30 km. I raised $1404.00 on my own, and am quite pleased. Our walk is this Saturday and I am super excited. We meet up and sign in at 630am and then have breakfast, an opening ceremony, and then the walking begins, followed by a dinner and dance. I’m going out with one of the other girls today to buy some pink accessories. So this Saturday I will be able to cross another goal off my list, and will be posting pictures

Book 18...

I plan on sitting outside in the sun today and starting this book. I love love love Emily Giffin, this is only her 5th novel, and I couldn’t wait for it to get out in paperback, so gave in and bought it hardcover. Hope it’s good!

"Tessa Russo is the mother of two young children and the wife of a renowned pediatric surgeon. Despite her mother’s warnings, Tessa has recently given up her career to focus on her family and the pursuit of domestic happiness. From the outside, she seems destined to live a charmed life.

Valerie Anderson is an attorney and single mother to six-year-old Charlie—a boy who has never known his father. After too many disappointments, she has given up on romance—and even, to some degree, friendships—believing that it is always safer not to expect too much.

Although both women live in the same Boston suburb, the two have relatively little in common aside from a fierce love for their children. But one night, a tragic accident causes their lives to converge in ways no one could have imagined.

In alternating, pitch-perfect points of view, Emily Giffin creates a moving, luminous story of good people caught in untenable circumstances. Each being tested in ways they never thought possible. Each questioning everything they once believed. And each ultimately discovering what truly matters most.”

Quote 23 & 24

Quote 23

“the way to love anything is to realize that it might be lost”

- G K Chesterson

QUOTE 24

“I admit it’s tempting to wish for the perfect boss – the perfect parent – or the perfect outfit. But maybe the best any of us can do is not quit, play the hand we’ve been dealt, and accesorize what we’ve got.”

- Carrie {Sex and the City}