Christmas Eve and Christmas day

Christmas Eve

People never cease to amaze me this time of year. Have you heard on the news of all the angels paying off people’s always. I am not a recipient of a pay off, I didn’t have a layaway. But the idea of 1000 plus layaways being paid off by strangers is just incredible. What a way to share the love of Jesus.

Slow week at work. It is that time of year where everything is slowing down for the year, I expect the 4 days I will spend at the office next week will be equally slow. But that is ok, I have to get the Fry’s calendar done next week so I will have plenty of distraction free work time for it.

One of my co-workers loaned me her carpet scrubber, so I was able to make my carpet in my front room look tons better, it was pretty bad right in front of the door, but the carpet now looks and smells better.

I wasn’t able to do Christmas for my boy the way I wanted too, a couple of people knew there wasn’t going to be a Christmas really. Well that is not true, my son will probably make out like a bandit tomorrow at his Dad’s house. But here I wasn’t able to shop for him. At first I felt bad, but thanks to a couple girl friends, and a great aunt and a co-worker and a the world’s Best Friend, my son is getting a great Christmas anyways. Plus he got my time, even if I am a little cranky since I am fighting his cold now, my throat is a little raspy and I have a cough. I will survive.

My son this week went to Urgent care and we found out he has Bronchitis. Joy! Some anti-biotics and a little cough meds and 3 days later he is feeling loads better, he even sounds loads better.

Like I said I don’t feel bad now that I couldn’t spoil him rotten like I wanted to and am prone to do. He got my time, we mixed cookie dough up. We were going to make cookie star trees. My Avon Lady gave me the 10 piece star cookie cutter set, I had them all washed up and ready to use. The dough would not get firm enough to roll out. So we made drop cookies instead, just as yummy but not as fun as making the trees would have been. I promised him when he came back from his Dad’s we would try again.

So one of my co-workers got my son a Christmas gift. Pokémon cards. Nice little booster pack set, he got several great cards out of the pack that he was so excited about. They had to be moved right into his collection. So yes he was thrilled.

My Aunt also gave him a Pokémon card set too. He got Green Tornado I think it is called with several more cards that just made him thrilled. He couldn’t wait to get them out of the pack to look at.

So yes my boy is into Pokémon. This game amazingly has been around since 1995 when I was working as an after school day care leader. My kids (the ones I watched) were so into Pokémon, so much so they where banded from the school, they became such a distraction. I watched the show so I could be familiar with what the kids where talking about. But I never dreamed my 11 year old son would get into Pokémon. Or at 32 my son would get me into Pokémon. I have always like Pikachu, but he was yellow and cute. I have a stuff animal, a key chain and a piggy bank that I have had for years. That is as far as I ever went. I now have a collection of cards all my own. I am building 4 battle decks of my own. One Electric, one Fire, one Leaf, and one Water. I started out building them for my son he kept bring me cards from the original series, and he kept talking about how to play the game. Something sounded fishy, so I started reading the rule book and I have taught my son the correct way to play the game.

My Mom made my son a beautiful quilt for Christmas. Red, white and black with a couple of “grandma” squares in it (purple pieces). The quilt qoes great with his Red and black curtains in his room.



Did I mention that I have the world’s very best friend. He showed up today, with cookies and presents. Since today is my son’s Christmas with me he was allowed to open his present. My best friend gave my son a lap top for Christmas. Wow! A lap top. I am impressed. I was blown away I did not expect something so expensive. My son is thrilled of course. He wanted his own computer. It isn’t brand new it is refurbished, but it is exactly what my son wanted.

My best friend also brought presents for the dogs, a bag of dog cookies, cans of cat food for the cats, 2 hand dipped candles, I will have to get some candle holders now, and a plate full of homemade cookies. Yummy. Oh yeah and a really cool bag made from Capri sun pouches. It is so cool.



My best friend didn’t stick around long, with my boy being sick and my fighting this cold they split so to stay healthy, but not before his sister gave some loves to some of my cats, at least the ones that would allow her too.



Kudos to my best friend for graduating college with his PH.D in a computer related study. I am so proud of him. I know he worked hard for his DR. Title. Congratulations to my best friend.



I got a beautiful photo shopped picture of my cousins, each of them when they where 19. My Aunt did an incredible job on that. Looks like the girls were standing together. My cousins are 6 years apart, but it makes for a great photo.



My Grandmother gave me some NECCO Wafers, my favorite candies and my Aunt also got me a book. Encyclopedia of North American Reptiles and Amphibians. The perfect book for me. I have already gotten lost in it twice today. I will have it read in no time for sure.



I read through 2 more books again this week. Evidence of Mercy and Justifiable Means too more great books by Terri Blackstock. I highly recommend any book by Terri Blackstock, they are great reads. They would make great made for TV movies too.



Today I spent some time stitching and got Gingerbread Puppy finished up. I have Gingerbread Kitty to do, and 2 San Man Snowman pieces to finish. And this fabric will be all stitched up. I need to get something for his eyes.







I stitched up a cute little felt reindeer, 2 actually 1 for me and 1 for my step-mother. I also made a potato, I don’t know why I just had the felt so I made one. Complete with eyes.








Reindeer cubes – I didn’t stitch these I just turned them into cubs.






Finished Peace Cube







Christmas

Couldn’t sleep last night. I don’t know what time it was when I laid down, but around 2 I was still up. I must of feel asleep because at 3ish I was jerked out of my sleep by a crash, never did find the source of said crash, maybe it was in my dream.

Finally gave up trying to go back to sleep about 6. Got up and when a worked on some more stitching. Woke the boy about 8:30 so he could get ready to go to his Dad’s house at 10. Bonnie came and sat next to me on the couch. Not unusual. She spends a great deal of time at my side. Except this time there was a huge gash in Bonnie’s underbelly area near her right leg.

So I spent the morning in the ER for pets. She went in for surgery to close it up. Came through with flying colors and now looks like frankenkitty. She has shaved patches of hair all over and stitches, but hair will grow back and her wounds will heal and she will be back to my sweet Bonnie in no time at all.

Sometime during the night Bonnie was attacked by Indiana. This is not the first time he has attacked her this is just the first time that it has ever been so severe. Bonnie is not the only cat that Indy goes after. I really need to find him a home where he can be the only kitty or maybe he can go with his Mother and be a pair. He just doesn’t do well with other cats. Just his Momma.

After getting Bonnie home I sat down and finally got some stitching done. I stitched up Candy Canes. This is a San Man Original, thinking I am going to turn it into a no-sew-cube.



I was waiting for Bonnie to make an appearance so I wouldn’t have to stress her out and drag her from under the bed, she finally came out and bee lined for the kitty box then I took her to my room with a small can of soft cat food and her medicine and gave her tonight’s dose. She went back to under my son’s bed after eating the wet food, but at least she got her meds for the night. Poor girl.

So my Christmas turned out to be nothing like I thought it would be.

Merry Christmas

A little Flakey work, books, and a Happy Birthday wish‏

This weekend was a busy one. Friday night I had a few stops on my way home. I had to pick up a few groceries, and some crickets and mice for the reptiles in my life. I bought 5 dozen crickets. Nothing overly exciting.


Friday night I did stay up a little late finishing a books I was reading. Last Light by Terri Blackstock. I Love her books, I have a whole list of them I need to find. Not sure which series I will read next.

Last Light/Night Light has me thinking, what is something like this really did happen like in it did in this book or like the movie with Kevin Costner -The Postman. I started thinking about what I think I would need if I had to totally live off what I had or could collect. What would I need if survival was a full time job. I would have to provide for the boy and myself, then I had a cat jump in my lap, and I thought I would have to provide for my animals too. I would have to plan for them. I had to think what I would need for them. How much I might need and how long would it last. I think I would have to learn to make dry kibble, can’t store it, it would turn rancid from the oils in the food. The can stuff would store well.

I am recommending LAST LIGHT and NIGHT LIGHT by Terri Blackstock, suspense, mystery, Christian principals, even a little romance.

Saturday I did a little stitching. Started work on Snow by San-Man originals. I changed the snow man from DMC 415 to E4743, a metallic light blue. I think it makes the piece wintery. The Grey made the snow man look like he had been playing in a fire place.


The boy and I also did a lot of work on the house. We got his room clean, again, my room this time, the bathroom, I vacuumed the house, he picked up and moved things in my path and the laundry wash before my back couldn’t take anymore standing.

We watched a couple of movies, this weekend it was Santa Claus is coming to town, Santa Clause 3, and the Polar Express. We don’t have TV so we watch a lot of movies. The Boy misses TV, I do a little, but in all reality, we really don’t need it. There is so much on movies to watch now. I do miss the news though.

The boy and I also went out with my Mom on Saturday. She needed to go to Walgreens and get some kitty food. So we went over to Metro Center Mall area. I need some more white Monaco and some Modge Podge, so I went in a very dangerous store, Michael’s, I can get into serious trouble there. I got 2 tubes of white fabric and a bottle of glue. We went into Petco and Dollar Tree too. I needed some new scrub brushes for cleaning the bathroom.

Pet stores are by far the most dangerous place for me. So many animals and supplies to look at and buy. I can get into real trouble there. I have before. This time it was my son, I was trying to have tunnel vision at the pet store, get the few items I needed for the animals.

Petco my son wanted this gray kitten pair. I said no, I have 8 cats. Last thing I needed was to bring home numbers 9 and 10. I wouldn’t even go over and look at them. Last time I did a kitty made me cry and I almost took her home. I remember her all to well, her name was Jenny, a cute Tabby, about 3 or 4, she was abandoned by her owners when they moved. How Cruel, animals are for a lifetime they are not something you can just leave behind, if you can’t keep them find them a good home. Ok off my soap box, animal abandonment really gets me, that is how I got several of my animals, because some let them go or decided they were too much trouble. So this kitty Jenny was talking to me and wanted nothing more that to be out of her cage and be petted, she was trying to touch me through the class barrier. She seemed so sweet and loving, I am crying again as I write this remembering her. I prayed her that her new forever family would come and get her and take her home. I couldn’t go back and check. It just broke my heart to walk away from her. I try to avoid that area of the store now and do everything in my power to stay out of Petco on Saturday.

I did find a few amazing deals at Petco in their clearance shelf. My favorite area of the store. I always check the shelves, you never know what you will find, this weekend I got a little picture frame to put a picture of my lab in, for only 20 cents. I got a 2 pound bag of rocks for 70 cents for the boys Betta raffle at his school in January. I only needed a bottle of cage cleaner, but I did get the crabs a fresh bottle of salt water and some new food. Something fresh and different. They like variety.

We had lunch at Soup or Salad. Had 2 big plates of salad, 1 small piece of gingerbread bread, 2 bowls of New England Clam Chowder and a bowl of Strawberry Shortcake. My Mom treated me, so I only had to pay for the boy. Salad places are fun. Salads are just, you can make your salad anyway you want it, and have a world of flavors open to you. Cheese, bacon, lettuce, tomatoes, zucchini, kidney beans, olives, the choices are endless.

I woke to a surprise for Sunday morning, the cats had knocked over the cricket keeper, and spilled 5 dozen crickets all over my living room floor and of coarse I didn’t know about it until I got up in the morning. I had to replace the crickets as that is the only food I have for the frogs right now and Toothless eats them too.



Sunday I got a little more stitching down, 2 snowflake ornaments, I have 1 left and I am done with my 12. Yeah. I just have the last 4 squares and the Froggy Mario Bookmark stripe to finish up on this piece of fabric.


Snowflake Day 10



Snowflake Day 11



Sunday I wasn’t feeling great, I am catching the boy’s cold. The one that kept him home Thursday and Friday from school. So nothing I wanted to get done actually got done on Sunday. I did however get a lot of reading down, stitch some more and I write out a couple of recipes from some cookbooks I picked up at the library. The boy and I played Mario All Stars- Mario Bros 3. I gave up part way through world 2. My video game attention span is limited.

I finished a second book this weekend. – Night Light. So I am starting book 3 today at lunch, I will read through it this week during my lunches and on the weekend finish it. I think I need to work on get the next set of books so I have them handy when I finish the last book in the set, there are a total of 4 books.

I use to be unable to read more than 1 book at time and keep them straight, but I am reading 3 right now. True Light, When Santa Fell to Earth and Tree Frogs. When Santa Fell to Earth is a youth chapter book. It is by Cornelia Funke. Tree Frogs is a pet series educational type book. I am reading up all the reptile stuff I can get my hands on. Some of my reading is telling me NO, this is not a pet I should have and some is saying yeah I could provide the care for this creature if I had one. My list of reptiles I would like changes with the completion of each book I read.

Yesterday was my best friend’s birthday, I had wanted to post him a Happy Birthday wish here, but I could not get the internet to behave itself. I did email him though. I just want my Best Friend to know I could never forget his birthday. Of course, I don’t know how often he checks my blog so he may never see this, but, Happy Birthday anyways.

Three Trees

I was sent this poem at work yesterday. I get interesting emails from time to time and I thought this one truly a good one to share. We really don’t know God’s plan, but he does seem to give us what we want even if we don’t know it was how we wanted it.




Once upon a time, three little trees stood in a forest high on a mountain, dreaming of what they would be when they were grown.



The first little tree looked up at the stars twinkling like diamonds in the night sky. “I want to hold treasure,” it said. “I want to be filled with gold and decorated with jewels. I will be the most beautiful treasure chest in the world!”



The second little tree looked down the mountainside at the ocean far below. “I want to be a strong sailing ship,” it said. “I want to travel mighty waters and carry powerful kings. I will be the strongest ship in the world!”



The third little tree said, “I don’t want to leave this mountaintop at all. I want to grow so tall that when people stop to look at me their eyes will raise up to heaven, and they will think of God. I will be the tallest tree in the world!”



Years passed, and the trees grew. And then one day, three woodcutters climbed the mountain.



One woodcutter looked at the first tree and said, “This tree is beautiful! It is perfect for me.” With a dozen swoops of his axe, the first tree fell.



“Now I shall be made into a beautiful treasure chest,” thought the first tree. “I shall hold marvelous treasures!”



Another woodcutter looked at the second tree and said, “This tree is strong! It is perfect for me.” With a dozen swoops of his axe, the second tree fell.



“Now I shall sail mighty waters,” thought the second tree. “I shall be made into a strong ship fit for powerful kings!”



The third tree felt its heart sink as the last woodcutter approached. It stood straight and tall and pointed bravely towards heaven. But the last woodcutter never even looked up. “Any kind of tree will do for me,” he muttered. With a dozen swoops of his axe, the third tree fell.



The first tree rejoiced when the woodcutter took it to a carpenter’s shop. But the carpenter was not thinking about treasure chests. Instead, he cut and carved the tree into a simple feedbox. The once-beautiful tree was not filled with gold or decorated with jewels. It was covered with dust, and filled with hay for hungry farm animals.



The second tree rejoiced when the woodcutter took it to a shipyard. But the shipbuilder was not thinking about mighty sailing ships. Instead, he hammered and sawed the tree into a simple fishing boat. The once-strong tree was too weak to sail the ocean. It was taken to a little lake, where every day it carried loads of dead, smelly fish.



The third tree was confused when the woodcutter took it to a lumberyard, where it was cut into strong beams and then left alone. “What happened?” the once-tall tree wondered. “All I ever wanted to do was stay on the mountaintop, grow tall, and make people think of God.”



Years passed, and the three trees nearly forgot their dreams.



But then one still and silent night, golden starlight poured over the first tree, as a young woman placed a newborn baby into the feedbox.

“I wish I could make a cradle for him,” her husband whispered.



The mother squeezed his hand and smiled as the starlight shone on the clean and shining wood. “This manger is beautiful,” she said. And suddenly the first tree knew it was holding the greatest treasure in the world.



And then one humid and cloudy day, a tired traveler and his friends crowded into the small fishing boat. The traveler fell asleep as the second tree sailed quietly out into the lake. But a thundering storm arose, and the second tree shuddered, knowing that it did not have the strength to carry so many passengers safely through the fierce wind and rain.



The tired traveler awoke. He stood up, stretched out his hand, and said with a strong voice, “Peace, be still.” The storm stopped as quickly as it had began. And suddenly the second tree knew it was carrying the King of heaven and earth.

And then one terrible Friday morning, the third tree was startled as its beams were yanked from the old lumberyard. It flinched as it was carried through an angry, jeering, spitting crowd. It shuddered when soldiers nailed a man’s hands and feet to her. It groaned as the man cried out in agony and died. It felt ugly and harsh and cruel.



But at dawn the next Sunday, on the first Easter morning, the earth trembled with joy beneath the third tree, and it knew that God’s love had changed everything.



It had made the first little tree a beautiful treasure chest. It had made the second little tree a strong sailing ship. And every time people looked upon the third little tree, they would think of God.

That was even better than being the tallest tree in the world.

A box really?

Sometimes the simplest thing can entertain even the most difficult to amuse. I thought the box would amuse the cats, I never expected it to amuse my kid.

River's Edge and Break's Reef By Terri Blackstock‏

I finished Breaker’s Reef within 24 hours of starting it after finishing River’s Edge.


I really enjoyed this series. Obviously, considered I stayed up late 2 weekends in a row tearing through the books are record speed, for me anyways. I wish the series did not end here. I want to see what continues on in the lives of Blair, Morgan, Jonathan, Cade, Sadie and Sheila.

I found myself distracted, wanting to pick up my book and get back into it. Even reading sometimes while at my desk. Finding it hard to concentrate on work when I was not reading my book. If you like suspense you will not be disappointed by these books.

River's Edge by Terri Blackstock



Book Description from Amazon and off the back cover of the books.

Publication Date: August 17, 2004
The man Lisa Jackson loved most may have betrayed her. Another used deception to manipulate her. But did one of them kill her? Ben Jackson is sure to defeat Jonathan Cleary in Cape Refuge's mayoral race, until his wife turns up missing the day before a major debate. Suspecting foul play, Police Chief Cade launches an island-wide search. But it takes a psychic's 'vision' to point police to the riverside---and Lisa's body. The evidence implicating Ben in his wife's murder is convincing. But as a local scandal escalates into a national media circus, Cade's instincts tell him to dig deeper. And he's not the only one. Blair Owens of the Cape Refuge Journal is using her investigative skills to uncover a rat's nest of dirty secrets---and more than one person with a motive for murder. But Blair's methods are jeopardizing her relationship with Cade, and an unsolicited prediction from the psychic only adds to her troubles. Is the man's so-called gift truly from God, as he claims? Did Lisa's murder have anything to do with the mayoral race, her husband's alleged affair, or her decade-long struggle with infertility? Whoever the killer is, he's about to take his evasion of justice to the next, lethal level. And someone else is going to die.

Breaker's Reef by Terri Blackstock

Book Description from Amazon.com and the back cover of the book

Publication Date: March 1, 2005

Murder and mystery continue in Book Four of the Cape Refuge series A famous mystery writer has just moved to Cape Refuge when a teenage girl is found murdered. Sheila Caruso--ex-con, mother to Sadie and Caleb, and resident of Hanover House--is working for the writer when she discovers that a scene in one of his novels matches the crime scene. When Police Chief Cade and Blair Owens discover a second dead teenager--mirroring a murder in another of the eccentric writer's books--Cade is drawn into a web of trickery and deceit. Evidence turns up in Cade's own truck, and suddenly he becomes the number-one suspect. Cade tries to clear his name, but when eighteen-year-old Sadie Caruso disappears, tensions mount to a fever pitch. Can Cade find the real killer before Sadie winds up dead? Is the novelist a demented killer, or a hapless victim? And what does Sadie's own mother have to do with the crimes? Secrets are uncovered, while lessons are learned about the sins of the father being visited upon his children. Will the consequences of Sheila's life be fatal, or is there redemption and mercy for her and her children? 'Chief Matthew Cade rarely considered another line of work, but news of the dead teenage girl made him long for a job as an accountant or electrician---some benign vocation that didn't require him to look into the eyes of grieving parents.'

Now I am moving on to a new series also by Terri Blackstock, the Restoration series. A series of books about what life would be like; if all of a sudden we were back in the age before electricity, digital watches and cameras, before cars, and planes. How could we possibly survive without internet and cell phones?

SOME OF THE COLDEST TEMPERATURES OF THE SEASON

“A COLD AIR-MASS WILL SETTLE OVER THE REGION THROUGH MIDWEEK...BRINGING SOME OF THE COLDEST TEMPERATURES OF THE SEASON TO THE LOWER DESERTS OF SOUTHWEST AND SOUTH CENTRAL ARIZONA.”

This came from my AccuWeather.com email alert this morning at 5:45 am. I get these 2x a day so when Michelangelo is outside I can keep an eye on the weather, so I know when I need to have her brought back in. She is in right now, it is too cold and I don’t have a proper run for her out in the yard. She is camping out under my coffee table.

So I wonder just how cold “some of the coldest temperatures of the season” actually means.

My 5 day forecast says

Monday: Cold with intervals of clouds and sunshine High of 55. Night Clear and Chilly Low 36.

Tuesday: Bright and Sunny, but cold. High 55 and low of 36.

Wednesday: Plenty of Sun. High 59 and Low 38

Thursday: Bright Sunshine High of 64 and low of 42

Friday: to partly cloudy High of 64 and low of 44.

This doesn’t seem all that cold to me actually. Nights are cold, but nothing new there. But 50s and 60s that isn’t really all that bad. Sorry to those of you experiencing the day time lows of the 20s and lower. Come to Phoenix and thaw out in January when it really gets cold.

*******************************************************
Update on how cold it is going to get this came in at 4:45 Arizona time

"AN EXITING LOW PRESSURE SYSTEM WILL LEAVE BEHIND COLD AIR ACROSS THE


DESERT SOUTHWEST. MINIMUM TEMPERATURES OVER THE PHOENIX AREA AND THE

LOWER DESERTS OF SOUTHEAST CALIFORNIA AND THE LOWER COLORADO RIVER

VALLEY WILL BE IN THE LOW TO MID 30S TUESDAY AND WEDNESDAY.

HOWEVER...SOME SPOTS WITHIN THOSE AREAS WILL DIP BELOW FREEZING SUCH

AS THE OUTER SUBURBS OF PHOENIX AND THE IMPERIAL VALLEY.



LOWER DESERT AREAS BETWEEN PHOENIX AND THE LOWER COLORADO RIVER

VALLEY WILL BE COLDER AND THUS A FREEZE WARNING IS IN EFFECT FOR LOW

TEMPERATURES RANGING FROM 23-29 DEGREES"

Keep in mind Arizona this time of the year most years I can remember, we have still running around in Sandles and shorts in enjoying 60s and 70s still. So 30 degrees and below is COLD!

WOL and Peace

I did get a little stitching done this morning.


I put the head on WOL. This is the Great Escape by Abi Gurden of the Stitch Specialist. The fabric is Belfast Crystal Dawn, my first time using black. Kind of fun, but has to be done during the day. The owl is being stitched in Weeks Dye Works – White Lighting. His beak is Charcoal.



And this is Peach by San Man Originals. I need to find an ornament that says Peace, when I got this kit, it had one, a blue glittery one, but it was broken and I wasn’t able to get it back together. I think I have seen them at the Dollar Tree, I will see if the have one again this year and then I can finish the piece.

The fabric is actually white, not off white

A bottle Bacardi Select Puerto Rico Rum and it is Saturday… what should I do?

Just got back from making my rounds, I took goodies to my neighbors. I baked this weekend. I made Cherry Rum Balls, Truffles, and Holiday Chocolate Rum Balls. I also made 6 small loaves of Beer bread. 4 with Heineken and 2 with Pumpkin Ale and Molasses Butter Rum cookies. I will share the recipes with you.


It took me all day to do all this and part of today. But it was so much fun.



I made a huge mess while baking, I always do. But your not really having fun if you don’t make a mess.

Molasses Butter Rum Cookies



1 cup of butter, softened

¼ c Molasses

2 tablespoons white sugar

2 cups all-purpose flour

¼ teaspoon salt (I omit salt when I bake)

2 ½ teaspoons rum

Powdered sugar

Cream the first three ingredients, sift in the flour and salt. Blend in rum. Shape into balls – grape size (my grapes where pretty big). Place on an ungreased cookie sheet. Bake at 350 degrees for 15 to 18 minutes. sprinkle on powered sugar to coat while still warm. – Makes 6 dozen

Beer Bread



3 cups plus 2 teaspoons self-rising flour, divided

3 tablespoons sugar

3 tablespoons melted butter

1 –(12 oz) can or bottle of beer

Coat 9x5 loaf pan with cooking spray and lightly coat with 2 teaspoons of flour. Set aside

Combine flour and butter in a bowl, stir well, and make a well in the center of the mixture. Add the melted butter and beer, stir in just until smooth. Pour batter into prepared pan.

Bake at 350 degrees for 40 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean. Let cook 5 minutes in the pan before moving to a wire rack to cool completely. Cut into 8 slices.

I love mine with a hot bowl of chili. So yummy.

Holiday Chocolate Rum Balls



3 – (9”) layers chocolate cake

½ cup of fudge sauce

¾ cup rum (mine needed more it wasn’t mixing well, I added a full cup)

24 oz of semi-sweet chocolate chips (I would have 36 oz, I ran out of chocolate, I half a batch in my freezer still.)

Chocolate Sprinkles

Crumble cake into bowl. Mix in Fudge and rum. Mix into a paste. Roll into balls and freeze. (They won’t freeze solid because of the liquor, mine spend 4 hours in the freezer today and where firm but not stiff). Melt Chocolate chips, follow directions on package (I did mine in a fondue pot) Dip Balls in Chocolate and roll in sprinkles.

Can keep Frozen.

I want to try this recipe with Red Velvet cake and Cream cheese instead of Fudge and white chocolate chips. With the Rum can you imagine the richness?

Let me know if you try a different cake with this. What do you think? I bet carrot cake and cream cheese might make a good combo too. For those of use that can’t do chocolate.

Truffles

Approximately 4 cups of powdered sugar

1 (8 oz) package of cream cheese, softened

5 (1 oz) squares of unsweetened chocolate, melted

1 teaspoon of rum

Topping of choose – sugar, powered sugar, coconut, nuts, ect…

Slowly mix sugar and cream cheese, add chocolate and rum. Mix Well. Chill several hours. Shape into 1 inch balls. Roll in topping of choose.

Store in refrigerator.

Makes about 4 dozen

Cherry Rum Balls



2 lbs plus 8 oz of vanilla wafers (40 oz), (4 boxes will be needed)

2 cups powdered sugar

2 cups of coconut

½ cup corn syrup

1 cup sweet cherries

1 cup rum (again I needed a little more the cookies soaked up the rum fast. I ended up and 1 ¼ cups)

Drain cherries and chop. Mix all ingredients, except powdered sugar well. Shape into 1 inch balls and roll in powdered sugar.

Makes 100-125 balls.

Store in covered container. These cookies age well.

Hope you enjoy my treats. My neighbors sure seemed to enjoy them. This is what I did with my bottle of rum, sure I could have drank it, but then I wouldn’t have felt so good today, would have felt great yesterday though. I think this was more fun, and I still have about a 1/3 a bottle of rum left. Move over Coke I found another use for rum.