SHE'S Here!!

They say better late than never, so since I've had other things going on, I forgot to 'announce' the birth of our last grandchild. Caitlyn, or as grandma calls her, Katie arrived on November 12, 2008. Weighed 7 pounds, 12 ounces; 20 1/2 inches long and shocked the socks off all of us.
WE WERE EXPECTING A BOY TO ARRIVE!!! With her mom and dad having 3 brothers each, and already having 2 boys, they just expected another boy. Even the ultrasound, which I also witnessed, made us think it was a boy. Guess it was the chord in a 'strategic' place we saw! Just goes to show you only experts can read those things.

Anyway, we now have 2 granddaughters and 3 grandsons and they still live close so we can get our spoiling time in. Or and 1 golden retriever that still doesn't mind!!

Waiting patiently for spring to arrive, how about you?? Until next time, keep smiling :)

Busy Making Websites

After I finished working at the local elevator, survived Christmas and New Years, I have been busy working on a program that teaches how to set up sites. It's a great program, if you want to see some I've made, here they are:

This is the first one I did and I'm still learning how to set things up and 'promote' them:
http://aquamarineengagementrings.net

This is the second one, should have chosen a more 'narrow' or defined subject or niche:
http://smalldogbarkcollar.net

My third was an experiment with affiliate products, so I created this one:
http://womenshairlosstreatment.net

I set up this one to check an affiliate and a friend of mine wanted to buy other products from this site:
http://stopbedwettingreview.com

I set up the next two because they are 'near and dear', so to speak, to me:
For me:
http://lowercholesterol30days.com

For the hubby:
http://stopsnoringnaturally.net

These were just fun to make:
http://weddingbudgetreview.com
http://flyfishingforbeginners.net

And somewhere along the way, I made this one:
http://stretchmarknaturalremoval.com

Now, let's hope I can move on to the next step and make a little money, I don't need the millions just the thousands will do, lol ;)

(So, see, I've been busy!! I've also been very busy spoiling, I mean, taking care of our new granddaughter, Katie. She's had a very bad cold, but is doing better now.)

Till next time, keep smiling :)

Grandma Store's 3 Favorite No-Bake Cookies

These cookies are a favorites of our kids and our grandkids. What I like is, they are all no-bake and that makes them a lot faster from start to finish, and they are really easy to make.

The first one is the no-bake Peanut Butter Cookies. Begin by mixing 1 1/2 cups of white sugar and 1 1/2 cups of white corn syrup in a heavy pan. Cook over medium heat to a rolling boil and boil for 30 seconds. Remove from heat and add 3 cups peanut butter and 1 tsp. vanilla, mixing well. Add 8 cups corn flakes and gently stir. Drop by teaspoonfuls (or use a cookie dipper) onto wax paper.

The second recipe's called Snowballs. Begin by softening 1 cup real butter (don't use margarine) and then add 1 pound powdered sugar, 1 tsp. vanilla, 1 cup coconut, 1 1/2 cups oatmeal. Mix well with an electric mixer or with your hands, using plastic gloves. When it begins to stick together, add 1 pkg. (6 oz. bag) mini-chocolate chips and continue mixing. Drop by cookie dipper or roll into small balls and place on wax paper. Sprinkle with more powdered sugar.

And the third no-bake recipe is Oatmeal Cookies. Heat 3 tablespoons cocoa, 1 stick oleo or margarine, 1/2 cup milk, 3 cups of white sugar to a boiling point. Cook for 45 seconds only and remove from heat. Stir in 1/2 cup peanut butter, 1 tablespoon vanilla, and 3 3/4 cups quick cooking oatmeal. Drop by spoonfuls or cookie dipper onto wax paper.

These recipes are so quick and easy to make, you can do all 3 in less than a couple of hours. When the holidays come around, I like to make them ahead of time, keep them in the freezer or frig and then if I need a quick 'gift', I have one. You can make a really nice gift by buying a decorative plastic plate at any of the super-centers or they have heavy paper plates with Santa faces, snowmen, Christmas trees, etc. Putting some of each of the 3 varieties will make a nice cookie plate. I put plastic wrap over the plate, tape it down on the bottom, and add some 'curly ribbon'. Great gift for teachers, neighbors, co-workers, nursing home patients (they like to have things to share with the nurses and visitors) or they make a wonderful bazaar item!

How Long Will This Take?

I thought training a puppy would be easier! My daughter bought the father of this pup when he was 12 weeks old. They have a wood floor in the dining room and it extends into the living room that is carpeted. When he would run across the wood floor to the carpet, they just told him "no, George" and he wouldn't go any farther.
"NO!" is not in our pup's vocabulary!! Neither is 'down, no bite, let go' and numerous others. But she is getting better. She has only made 2 charging trips into the bathroom and jumped into the bathtub, after her last bath. I guess she thinks if I give her a bath she is allowed into the bathroom, NOT!
She has a small red ball filled with polyfill, so it's quite easy for her to grab and carry around in her mouth. She will eventually drop it and let me pick it up and throw it. Then she tears down to the end of the kitchen, grabs the ball, and charges back to my chair. She would always try to jump up on me with her front feet. And I would tell her to get down and sit. After weeks, I have finally gotten her to sit in front of me and I scratch her ears and neck and she finally drops the ball. I pick it up and throw it again. And she does the same thing!

They Belong in Jail!!

I don't know about you, but my blood is boiling!! Have you heard about the AIG 'uppity ups' that used $440,000 of the $85 million or was it billion(?) that the government gave them to 'bail-out' their butts? They spent a week at a fancy spa! I guess losing millions of dollars that belong to hardworking people is exhausting and so stressful that they needed a 'change of pace'. Poor babies!! Well, I want them to pay that money back! It is just plain WRONG, and I think someone should do something to them. To me it isn't any different than walking into a bank and robbing it. Using someone else's money is robbery! What makes me even more irate is, they hauled the top 'dogs' into some committee in Congress to question them but what are they going to do to them? I want some accountability!! How about you?? I think this is why so many people were against the bail-out in the first place. I don't know where this catastrophe will go but I hope a few, or rather, A LOT of heads roll!! As I said, "How about YOU???"
Until next time, TRY to have a great day!!

This Job is Interfering with My Fun

I started working at the local elevator last week. I'm just seasonal help. I weigh the trucks, probe the corn or soybeans, record the moisture and print the scale ticket for the customer. It's not hard work, just tedious at times. I really like working with the full time secretary. She is sooo much fun, it makes the day pass quicker. The problem is, it's interfering with my time, my fun time of writing articles and posting to this blog.
If the weather cooperates, I won't be working too long. Could be a month, maybe a little more. When the beans and corn are harvested, some farmers start putting anhydrous ammonia on their fields. (It is a type of Nitrogen that is needed to produce a corn crop the following year.)

Writin' is Relaxin'

The end of September I started submitting articles to Article Content. It's a site where you can write articles, submit them and they pay you when they are published. I have received amounts from $3.50 to $4.34 for a variety of articles. You also get paid if your articles are viewed by others. You can write articles about anything; sports, politics, and the hot topic right now is how to make a Sarah Palin Halloween costume!! Actually, anything with Sarah Palin is a hot topic! Maybe I should just finish this post in Sarah 'lingo'. If you are interested in readin' the articles I wrote (and remember, I'm not a professional author) here are the titles and where you can find them.

My first article was titled, "My Top 10 Charities" and can be found here:
http://www.associatedcontent.com/article/1050347/my_top_10_charities.html?cat=48

My second article was, "Quick, Easy & Delicious Homemade Noodles" and can be found here:
http://www.associatedcontent.com/article/1058954/quick_easy_delicious_homemade_noodles.html?cat=22
and because I didn't make this article an exclusive to Associated Content, I posted it in this blog, too.

My third article that was published is titled, "September is Childhood Cancer Awareness Month" and can be found here:
http://www.associatedcontent.com/article/1061906/september_is_childhood_cancer_awareness.html?cat=70

Writin' for me is a relaxin' and now, a profitable hobby. As we live in Iowa and the winters are sometimes very cold and snowy, I will probably be spendin' a lot of time sittin' in my recliner and crankin' out articles. (Now if I can just come up with the costume!) Until next time, have a great day!!

Quick, Easy & Delicious Homemade Noodles

I didn't know how easy it was to make homemade noodles. My grandma used to make them and it seemed like she worked at it all day long. Obviously, I was wrong or wasn't paying attention to how long it actually took. I found a recipe and gave it a try.

Place one cup of all-purpose flour, in a small bowl. Now make a 'dent' in the center of the flour, carefully crack the egg and add to the flour. Using the half eggshell, fill with milk and stir it into the egg and flour mixture, using a fork. If all the flour doesn't mix into a ball, more milk is needed. I keep using the eggshell to measure because it keeps me from dumping too much from the milk carton. I try half the eggshell first and if that's not enough, I do another 1/2 of the shell. The dough needs to be on the sticky side and will form a ball around the fork when the consistency is right. This makes a small batch, so you may want to double the ingredients.

I just use my counter top to roll out the dough. Be sure to generously flour the surface first. I take the 'ball' out of the bowl and work it a little bit to get the 'cracks' out. If it's smooth, it will roll out without any breaks in the dough. Using your rolling pin, make a few passes over dough, then pick it up and turn it over and repeat process. Keep rolling until your dough is very thin. The recipe said 'paper thin' which was ok, but my family likes theirs 'chewier' so I left some thicker, probably about 1/4 inch and they cooked up just fine.

Now take a pizza cutter and run the length of the rolled out noodle dough, making strips about 3/8 inch wide. Don't worry if they get bigger and then smaller, unless you use a ruler, you just can't get them perfect. Some of mine were almost 3/4 of an inch wide in places and they cooked up and were eaten up just like the rest of the batch!

The absolute best part of this recipe is YOU DON'T HAVE TO DRY THESE NOODLES! You can use them right away. So get your broth boiling and drop the noodles in a few at a time. Don't just dump the whole batch or they will cook into a big lump. Also stir every so often as you add them and as they cook. Once the noodles are in the boiling broth, the heat can be reduced to a low boil. Continue cooking until noodles are tender, about 30 minutes.

Considering the cost of frozen noodles (I priced a 12oz. bag and they were over $3.50), you can make these for under 50 cents.
EDITOR'S NOTE: When I priced these noodles, they were on the top shelf in a freezer and I'm short. I read the sticker on the front of the shelf, but a couple of weeks later I saw a 24 oz. bag and it was $3.57. Evidently, I saw the 24 oz. price and they only had the 12 oz bag on the shelf. They are still cheaper to make at home!!

These can be used to make a hearty stew with beef, chicken or turkey and noodles served over mashed potatoes for a main dish, or made into a delicious soup. They are quite universal.

There you have it, easy homemade noodles and the best part, you don't have to wait hours to let them dry. Come to think of it, I bet that's why it seemed like Grandma's noodles took all day. She dried hers, but with this recipe, there's no need. Just beat 'em and eat 'em! Enjoy!

Perennials are the ONLY Flowers to Plant

As I mentioned somewhere earlier, I don't plant a vegetable garden anymore. I only plant flowers and I try to plant perennials. They are the kind that come up every year; like tulips, iris, daffodils and crocus in the spring; lilies, liatris, black-eyed Susan, russian sage, and peonies in the summer; and sedum, hostas, and mums are the most common in our area for fall blooming. Roses bloom from early spring through summer, depending on the type. They do take a little more care than other flowers, but their continuous blooms and 'delicious' aroma make them worth it.
This spring I dug up a 4 foot area along the length of our garage so I could plant a flower bed to enjoy during the summer. I dug up some tulips, daffodils and a bulb some people call 'Naked Ladies' or 'Surprise Lilies' that were growing on the east side of the house. These lilies send green leaves up in the spring, then the leaves die off, and just when you least expect it (around the middle of August) large green stems with clusters of beautiful soft pink lily-shaped flowers 'surprise' your flower bed! My husband suggested I move them or they were going to 'disappear'. We needed to build up the dirt beside the house to help drainage away from it. I gladly followed his 'command'! Later in the spring, I brought a Stella D' Oro lily, a sedum and a hosta (don't know what kind they were) and some really beautiful deep purple iris and some yellow iris. I don't know what the name of these were either because they were already growing at the cabin we purchased a couple years ago. Whatever they are, they are really pretty and the flowers are GIGANTIC. I 'strategically' placed them across the prepared bed, trying not to dig up some of the spring bulbs I had transplanted earlier.
Later, I planted some petunias and marigolds. I know these aren't perennials, but sometimes you just have to bite the bullet to add some color. And besides they were only 50 cents a six-pack, so I got a lot of color for a few dollars!
Of course, then my son got a puppy and she has been a little tough on the plants, but they were getting ready for winter anyway, so we will see how they fare next spring. I'm reasonably sure they are going to be alright.
Until next time, have a great day!

My Daughter has Gestational Diabetes

A couple of weeks ago, my daughter was diagnosed with gestational diabetes. Now it's not the end of the world, but it is a something to be concerned about. I went with her to the dietitian, who explained how the condition happens, some factors that may have contribute to it and what to do to control it. Her 'factors' are she is over 30 and had a previous baby that was over 9 pounds. Other factors are being overweight, family history of diabetes, and high blood pressure. Having a stillborn, a child with birth defects or too much amniotic fluid during pregnancy put you at an increased risk for gestational diabetes.
She is controlling it with diet and exercise. Although it's not a fun or easy thing to do, she is adapting. The hardest part is deciding which foods to eat and how much she can have. Some foods are considered 'free' because they have very little or no carbohydrates in them. Others can count as 2 servings because of the amount of carbs they have. So determining the foods to eat can be the hardest part.
The dietitian showed her how to use a moniter and she takes 4 readings each day. The first is when she gets up in the morning, and the other 3 are 2 hours after she eats her meals. She also has to eat a snack between each meal and one before she goes to bed. The first couple of days her first reading was a little above the acceptable readings, so she checked with the dietitian and she suggested trying to walk in the evening. She works 8 hours a day at a municipal plant and walks each day to the bank and post office. Now she and her two boys try to walk down the gravel road near their country home as often as they can. It has helped to keep her numbers under the designated levels.
She only has about 8 weeks to go and in her words, "It can't get here soon enough!" It can't for me either. It's been 5 1/2 years since we have had a baby in the family and I'm getting really excited to do some rocking in the ol' rocking chair!!
Until next time, have a great day!!

Where Did You Get that Crazy Name?

Our oldest grandchild, Colton, hung that 'moniker' on us when he was around 3. He was talking about his "papa" and his mother asked which papa are you talking about? He replied, "you know the one that lives on the farm, papa farm!" "What do you call your other papa?" He gave it some thought and said, "well, he would be papa store, of course." We owned a grocery store at the time and it seemed quite reasonable to him what our names should be. We've been Grandpa and Grandma Store ever since to all our grandkids, even though we don't operate it anymore. We lived above the store in an apartment and he didn't know we farmed, too!!
The second oldest, Gracie, put a different spin on her grandparents. We are Grandpa and Grandma Store to her, but her other grandpa is "Goofy Papa". He fits the bill perfectly. When she was small, he would call the house and if no one answered, he would leave a message like, "hey, Gracie girl, where are you?" Then he would do a rendition of "shake, shake, shake, shake your booty" one of her favorite parts of a song. She was just a little squirt and would sit and laugh and say "ghen" (again). So her mom would play the message again and again.
Our other 2 grandkids, Jacob (Gracie's brother) and Connor (Colton's brother) followed their older siblings in calling us G'pa and G'ma Store. It's all they've ever heard so they don't question it. Just go with the flow!
Until next time, have a Great Day!!

What's in My Potpourri?

As I like to write about a number of topics, I thought the word 'potpourri' would cover all of them. My interests include gardening, cooking, crafts, grandchildren and now, training a 12 week puppy.
I love to garden. When I was younger and I could bend over without squeaking, I would plant a big vegetable garden. Canning green beans, tomatoes, and beets and freezing sweet corn would fill my summer. I'd also plant carrots, peas, and potatoes. Now 'in my old age' I just like to plant flowers, especially the kind that come up every year.
I've cooked FOR EVER! Started when I was 13, my mom worked at the local cafe in the evenings, my sister had a broken leg and a full size hip-to-foot cast, and my dad drove a truck picking up eggs and cream from farms. I bet you are getting a real clear picture of how old I am now! I've learned a few things over the decades that I'll be glad to share with you.
I also like to 'mess around' with crafts. Everything from arranging flowers to making computer print-outs for the grandkids shirts. I also used to sew a lot, but haven't done much since our kids grew up.
I have 4 grandchildren, and in November, that number will increase to 5. It's been 5 1/2 years since we've had a baby in the family and I'm getting really excited. We don't know the sex yet, my daughter asked her boys (ages 5 & 8) if they wanted to know if they were having a brother or sister, and they said no. Neither she nor her husband wanted to know either. So it's going to be like Christmas in November when they 'unwrap' their baby. The oldest boy, Colton, wants a brother and the youngest, Connor, wants a sister. At least, one of them will be happy. Mom and Dad don't really care, just a healthy baby and an easy delivery would be nice!

And lastly, our youngest son, Alex (now 20) decided he wanted a puppy. Well, okay, he never had a pet when he was growing up. Not a real pet, I don't classify a chameleon or a biting guinea pig as one of these. But now we have a 12 week old golden retriever. Of course, guess who gets to take care of her? He's at work all day, so 'we' go for walks. Guess she will keep me healthy whether I like it or not! Note to self, look into puppy training books.

Well, that's a small synopsis of what is to come on Grandma Store's Potpourri. I'll share with you how the name Grandma Store came about in the next post. Until then, have a great day!