bikurgurl

Coconut Macaroons

bikurgurl — Fri, 19 Dec 2008 03:19:02 GMT

I've tried several Coconut Macaroon recipes over the years (oh how I love them so!), but the recipe I had this year was the easiest by far!! I didn't have to buy coconut milk or cream of coconut, this just used items I always keep in my pantry (and fridge!).

Off the package of the Bakers Sweetned Coconut (5 1/3 cups total coconut), it's easier than pie!!

Coconut Macaroons

1 package (14oz) Bakers Angel Flake Coconut (5-1/3 cups)

2/3 cup sugar

6 T flour

1/4 tsp. salt

4 egg whites

1 tsp almond extract

MIX coconut, sugar, flour, and salt in large bowl. Stir in eff whites and almond extract until well blended. Drop tablespoonfuls onto greased and floured cookie sheets (*I used parchment paper this year and it was SUPER easy!!).

BAKE at 325 degrees for 20 minutes or until edges of cookies are golden brown. Immediately remove to wire racks and cool completely. Makes about 3 dozen or 18 servings/2 cookies each.

CHOCOLATE DIPPED MACAROONS:

(*I usually drizzle chocolate on top of cookies as getting more waxed paper or parchment paper out seems like too much work, but the dipped would probably look a lot better than my chocolate clumps;) )

Melt 1 package (8 squares) of Bakers Semi-Sweet Baking chocolate as directed on package (or if you're me, use about a package of chocolate chips with about 1 T of vegetable oil/olive oil). Dip cookies halfway into chocolate, let excess drip off. Let stand at room temperature or refridgerate on wax-paper lined tray 30 minutes or until chocolate is firm

Winkflash SUCKS!

bikurgurl — Fri, 12 Dec 2008 08:38:43 GMT

I went for the cheap, 23 cent, photo Christmas Cards from Winkflash.

BIG mistake.

Not only did they not ship my order until 8 days after it was placed, they chose to only refund my payment 3 weeks later after I had already disputed the charge with my credit card company for non-receipt.

With customer service like this, they'll find themselves falling victim to the downturn in the economy. Customers won't put up with that shit -- and neither will I!

BUY FROM SHUTTERFLY -- THEY ROCK!!!

November Reading for Boys and I

bikurgurl — Wed, 03 Dec 2008 18:34:16 GMT

The boys and I picked up a load of books for November to read (since the two very close, local libraries were being closed for rennovations). They were great for the Harvest season and for Giving Thanks :) Ok - some were just fun ;)

The List:

Down on the Farm by Merrily Kutner

The Very Lonely Firefly by Eric Carle

Three Little Kittens by Marilyn Janovitz

Thank You World by Alice B. McGinty

What's the Matter, Habibi? by Betsy Lewin

Tawny Scrawny Lion by Kathryn Jackson

Guess Whose Shadow? by Stephen r. Swinburne

From Foal to Horse by Robin Nelson

Growing Colors by Bruce McMillan

An Octopus is Amazing by Patricia Lauber

Fighting Fires by Seymour Simon

A Day in the Life of a Firefighter by Linda Hayward

The Eentsy, Weentsy Spider by Joanna Cole and Stephanie Calmenson

The boys and I had planned on writing short synopsis of the books and why we liked them, but they are due to the library and we've had too much fun doing other things ;)

Enjoy!

Madras 641 Giveaway!

bikurgurl — Tue, 02 Dec 2008 07:12:33 GMT

M 641 Giveaway!

Ok, for those of you who don't know, get to know Madras 641 !

Clothes are amazing - I know one of the owners and she is FANTASTIC!!! AND -- I have the Navy Copper Tunic from the Spring 08 Collection . I have gotten a TON of compliments on it. It is now my favorite blouse to wear -- hands down ;)

To get a chance for a free shirt of your own, or to get 20% off -- go to Bloggy Giveaways and dish your favorite item ;)

For 20% off:

Special Offer for Bloggy Giveaways Readers:Receive a 20% discount from Madras 641 Clothing by using discount code bloggydec in any text field at their store

Happy Thanksgiving!!

bikurgurl — Thu, 27 Nov 2008 21:27:27 GMT

I am thankful that I have loving family and friends, that we are in good health, that we have a roof over our heads and pillows to lay them on. Jeff has a good job with good benefits. Even though we miss those that we love, we're thankful for what God has given us and continues to bless us with.

Happy Thanksgiving to you and yours!

Parks in Washington We've Visited

bikurgurl — Sun, 23 Nov 2008 03:21:32 GMT

So Jeff and I had talked about making a list of all the parks we've visited in Washington State. As you can imagine, it's a pretty extensive list!! There are so many parks out here and Jeff, Buster, the boys, and I have visited many of them. Although we have tons more to visit and explore, I've started a list with links on my links list (see left).

When I get all fancy with the site, I'll start posting slide shows of the pictures we've taken on our various excursions!!

Great Price on Winkflash Christmas Cards :)

bikurgurl — Sat, 22 Nov 2008 00:43:12 GMT

Ina, co-owner of Madras 641, had sent me a link to a blog with cheap photocards for Christmas. I just ordered mine last night from Winkflash -- 40% off cards with the promotional code: greatcards8

Good luck with yours -- and hopefully you'll be getting yours soon :)

Kel

The Solution

bikurgurl — Fri, 21 Nov 2008 06:44:05 GMT

Thanks for forwarding, Jeff . . .

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

As the CFO of this business that employs 140 people, I have resigned
myself to the fact that Barrack Obama will be our next President, and
that our taxes and government fees will increase in a BIG way.

To compensate for these increases, I figure that the Clients will have
to see an increase in our fees to them of about 8% but since we cannot
increase our fees right now due to the dismal state of our economy, we
will have to lay off six of our employees instead. This has really been
eating at me for a while, as we believe we are family here and I didn't
know how to choose who will have to go.

So, this is what I did. I strolled thru our parking lot and found 8
Obama bumper stickers on our employees' cars and have decided these
folks will be the first to be laid off. I can't think of a more fair way
to approach this problem. These folks wanted change; I gave it to them.

If you have a better idea, let me know.

Sincerely,

The boss

A Different Christmas Poem

bikurgurl — Wed, 19 Nov 2008 02:23:48 GMT

A Different Christmas Poem

The embers glowed softly, and in their dim light,
I gazed round the room and I cherished the sight.
My wife was asleep, her head on my chest,
My daughter beside me, angelic in rest.
Outside the snow fell, a blanket of white,
Transforming the yard to a winter delight.

The sparkling lights in the tree I believe,
Completed the magic that was Christmas Eve.
My eyelids were heavy, my breathing was deep,
Secure and surrounded by love I would sleep.
In perfect contentment, or so it would seem,
So I slumbered, perhaps I started to dream.

The sound wasn't loud, and it wasn't too near,
But I opened my eyes when it tickled my ear.
Perhaps just a cough, I didn't quite know, Then the
sure sound of footsteps outside in the snow.
My soul gave a tremble, I struggled to hear,
And I crept to the door just to see who was near.

Standing out in the cold and the dark of the night,
A lone figure stood, his face weary and tight.
A soldier, I puzzled, some twenty years old,
Perhaps a Marine, huddled here in the cold.
Alone in the dark, he looked up and smiled,
Standing watch over me, and my wife and my child.

"What are you doing?" I asked without fear,
"Come in this moment, it's freezing out here!
Put down your pack, brush the snow from your sleeve,
You should be at home on a cold Christmas Eve!"
For barely a moment I saw his eyes shift,
Away from the cold and the snow blown in drifts..

To the window that danced with a warm fire's light
Then he sighed and he said "Its really all right,
I'm out here by choice. I'm here every night."
"It's my duty to stand at the front of the line,
That separates you from the darkest of times.

No one had to ask or beg or implore me,
I'm proud to stand here like my fathers before me.
My Gramps died at 'Pearl on a day in December,"
Then he sighed, "That's a Christmas 'Gram always remembers."
My dad stood his watch in the jungles of 'Nam',
And now it is my turn and so, here I am.

I've not seen my own son in more than a while,
But my wife sends me pictures, he's sure got her smile.
Then he bent and he carefully pulled from his bag,
The red, white, and blue... an American flag.
I can live through the cold and the being alone,
Away from my family, my house and my home.

I can stand at my post through the rain and the sleet,
I can sleep in a foxhole with little to eat.
I can carry the weight of killing another,
Or lay down my life with my sister and brother..
Who stand at the front against any and all,
To ensure for all time that this flag will not fall."

" So go back inside," he said, "harbor no fright,
Your family is waiting and I'll be all right."
"But isn't there something I can do, at the least,
"Give you money," I asked, "or prepare you a feast?
It seems all too little for all that you've done,
For being away from your wife and your son."

Then his eye welled a tear that held no regret,
"Just tell us you love us, and never forget.
To fight for our rights back at home while we're gone,
To stand your own watch, no matter how long.
For when we come home, either standing or dead,
To know you remember we fought and we bled.
Is payment enough, and with that we will trust,
That we mattered to you as you mattered to us."

PLEASE, would you do me the kind favor of sending this to as many
people as you can? Christmas will be coming soon and some credit is due to our
U.S service men and women for our being able to celebrate these
festivities. Let's try in this small way to pay a tiny bit of what we owe. Make people
stop and think of our heroes, living and dead, who sacrificed themselves for us.

LCDR Jeff Giles, SC, USN
30th Naval Construction Regiment
OIC, Logistics Cell One
Al Taqqadum, Iraq

Coal: The Black Lung of Energy Solutions

bikurgurl — Tue, 18 Nov 2008 05:05:02 GMT

Here is my single-shot ad against burning "Clean Coal" . . .

you can submit your own too ;)

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Thanks for putting your creative juices to work; we've attached

an image of your slogan. While the coal industry probably doesn't

appreciate your message of truth, we certainly do. Check back at

www.coalisnottheanswer.org to see yours and other slogans on

our site. And who knows, all of Washington D.C. might see your

creative phrase if your slogan is picked for the "Truth Truck"

that will carry a mobile billboard featuring a number of the best

slogans for our public awareness campaign. We're even sending

the truck right to the coal industry headquarter office so

they're sure to get your message. Make sure to send your slogan

to your friends and family too, and encourage them to develop

their own. Together we can spread the word about the benefits

of clean energy and dispel the myths of clean coal.
 
Thanks for all you do to protect the planet,
 
Bruce Nilles, National Director
Sierra Club Coal Campaign

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