true giving

“To give and then not feel that one has given is the very best of all ways of giving.”
―Max Beerbohm

my arizona friends...please help!

a dear friend of mine who lives in the phoenix metro area of arizona told me this tragic story a few days ago.

it is truly a horrible thing to happen at any time, but is intensified by the Christmas season. if you live in the phoenix area, please go to chili's and mention the stock name and they will donate 10% to the stock family. heck, even if you dont live in az, maybe if you ask, your local chili's will donate too. never hurts to ask.

Christmas spirit

“Blessed is the season which engages the whole world in a conspiracy of love!”
— Hamilton Wright Mabi

good quote

Although the world is full of suffering,
it is also full of the overcoming of it.
~ Helen Keller

cherry chip snow ball cookies

i had illusions of grandeur, thinking i was going to go all food blog and take pictures of me making these step by step. i got over it really fast when life intervened and insisted i pay attention to the crisis at hand. that being said, this is a quick post that i can share with you guys and maybe help a little this busy Christmas season.
i stumbled across this recipe on a completely unrelated website. i wanted to try it because it was so easy and i love to try new recipes. one of my best friends asked me to bring dessert to her Christmas dinner and i picked out an elegant and fancy dessert to make. turns out i was short one very important ingredient(that never happens to me)and did not have the time to run to the store, make the dessert, and get ready to go to the party. i decided to take the batch of these cookies after a long mental debate over what was worse, going empty handed or taking stupid cake mix cookies? i took the cookies and apologized profusely for my lame offering. my friend doesnt bake at all and thought anything was great. i didnt think anyone would touch them. they were scarfed down like crazy! everyone loved them and asked me for the recipe. to think i was ashamed of those little cookies. they were the hit of the party!

1 cherry chip cake mix
1/2 8oz tub of cool whip
1 egg
powdered sugar

stir the cake mix, cool whip, and egg together. it will be very sticky. take out spoonfuls and drop into a bowl of powdered sugar. once coated, roll int a ball between your hands, then roll in the powdered sugar again.place about 2 inches apart on a greased cookie sheet. bake at 350 for 8-10 min. really watch them becasue they burn fast!

so i lied. SUE ME!

ok. i stand corrected. james taylor puts his spin on my favorite(and classic)Christmas song and I LOVE IT.

and one more

i really think this is it for my favorite Christmas songs. i dont listen to the station that has been playing all Christmas songs since before thanksgiving. i dont do caroling. i KNOW its sounds so grinch like, but i really am not. just hate all the hype. i heard the most AWFUL version of my all time favorite today in the car. the voice was somewhat familiar, but i couldnt place it. i listened to the whole train wreck just so i could tell all of you who decimated that beautiful song. of course they didnt say. who would want to take credit for not only singing off key, but 2 octaves too low?