Chocolate Chip Pudding Cookies

Bryan thought these were... Incredible.
Contains a box of pudding. Exciting, huh?
Recipe HERE.

Everything Nice

That's what we're all about... all things nice (with a little sas and a little spice).
But really most things nice.
I mean, check out the presentation...
I really wish I had my bonnet... and maybe a pair of nylons.
If I owned a pair of either that would help.

Always good conversation at our Sas 'n Spice meetings.
A little finger-pointing.... ya know! Only nice things.Our first guest of honor... Blackberry Halibut.
I don't remember exactly how Elizabeth made it.
Only that it was delicious and a lot of fun to smash the blackberries.

Paired with the Blackberry Halibut we have Emily's Arugula and Pear Salad with Toasted Walnuts.
Yum!
Walnuts and Pears should marry.

Arugula and Pear Salad with Toasted Walnuts Recipe:

1 Tbs. minced shallots
2 Tbs. extra-virgin olive oil
2 tsp. white wine vinegar
1/4 tsp. salt
1/4 tsp. Dijon mustard
1/8 tsp. black pepper
6 c. baby arugula leaves
2 Bosc pears, thinly sliced
1/4 c. chopped walnuts, toasted

Combine the first 6 ingredients in a large bowl; stir well with a whisk. Add arugula and pears to dressing in the bowl; toss well to coat. Sprinkle with walnuts.

Next we have Judy's Green Beans, Feta & Pecans medley.
The crunchy, the nutty, the feta-y... !

1 1/2 lbs. fresh green beans trimmed & cut into 1 in. pieces
2/3 c. olive oil
1 t dried dill weed
1/3 c white wine vinegar
1/2 t minced garlic
1/4 t salt
1/4 t ground pepper
1 c. coarsely chopped pecans - toasted
1/2 c. diced red onions
1 c. crumbled feta cheese

Cook green beans in large sauce pan of boiling water (about 4 min.). Drain, immerse in cold water, drain and pat dry. In small bowl, combine olive oil, dill, vinegar, garlic, salt, and pepper. Whisk to blend. Place beans in shallow serving bowl. Sprinkle with pecans, red onion and feta. Just before serving, top with dressing and toss.

Next we have Megan's Corn-fish Chowder.
This had parts of a large deep-sea fish in it.
I LOVE fish!

Along with our deep-sea fish chowder we had Nicole's sausagy rice stuff that I'm still thinking about...
Recipe Nicole?
For dessert: simple strawberry pie. I mean, a real fake one.
We're talking Danish dessert and Pillsbury crust.


Pillsbury refrigerated pie dough
Cut up Strawberries
1 box Strawberry danish dessert (in the jello aisle)
Just add water.


And then to top it off...
Melora's Strawberry Sorbet. Hand-churned (by a machine) ( :
It was velvet.

Strawberry sorbet

4 C hulled strawberries, quartered

3/4 C sugar

1/3 C fresh lemon juice

1/3 C heavy cream

2 1/2 T fruit juice

In a food processor combine strawberries, sugar, lemon juice, and process until smooth. Add the cream and juice. Stir until combined. Freeze in an ice cream maker. Serve in chocolate cups with raspberry sauce (if desired).

I'm bringing a bonnet next time for sure.
Or maybe a corset and a bussel. I can't decide.
Either one.
But nylons for sure.

( :

HIGHLY RECOMMENDED!

E-mealz.com

LOVE THIS!
For a nominal fee ($5/month) they let you download their weekly meal plans.These plans feed 4-6 people 7 meals for under $80. (They have other plans, too, like for 2 people and such.)
Their meal plans are store specific (such as Walmart) and they give you an aisle by aisle grocery list and the current price of each item.Why do I love this?Because $80/week for 6 people is pretty dang good!
AND, they've already compiled the plan and the lists for me.
WORTH EVERY PENNY!
This is a 'feed the family at minimal cost' philosophy. Efficient use of funds. LOVE THAT!
Of course, this doesn't include Pioneer Woman's Perfect Pot Roast that I'll be cooking AGAIN this Sunday.
Completely MOUTH MELTY!Jill says it is "the best roast she's ever had".LOVE that kind of talk.


Reusable Lunch Bags at Lunchskins.com

LOVE the idea. Since we use about a billion ziplock bags.
Save money. Save the planet.
$7.95 for one, though, seems a little steep. Haven't made the purchase yet.



The Old Testament Made Easier by David J. Ridges.
AWESOME BOOK!
Goes verse by verse.
It's even better than reading the scriptures by iphone where any footnote you want is just a tap away.


Settlers of Catan

Confession: Bry and I let the kids play the wii for hours on end so we can play this game to our hearts content.
This is the end result...


How jealous are you of my Mickey Mouse Pancakes?


James says he wants one...