Ultimate Blog Party Snacks - $250 Cookie Recipe

I got this recipe from my friend Helen. I had actually seen it floating around on the internet - the recipe that a woman asked for at Neiman-Marcus and was told it was "two fifty" and later saw that her credit card had been charged $250. So she decided it was hers to share with everyone. But, although I had seen it, I never tried it until my friend Helen made them. They are THE BEST chocolate chip cookies you have ever put in your mouth. I am serving them at corner of the Ultimate Blog Party tonight! (Technically I made them to donate as a refreshment to serve during the "winter Bible study" break at church - but we'll pretend I served them at my UBP!)

$250 Cookies
2 cups butter (4 sticks)
4 cups flour
2 tsp. baking soda (Helen omits - I do not - both cookies are great!)
2 cups of sugar
4 cups blended oatmeal (ground to powder in food processor - or buy oat flour)
24 oz chocolate chips
2 cups brown sugar
1 tsp salt
1 - 8 oz Hershey bar (Helen and I both use milk chocolate chips instead)
4 eggs
2 tsp baking powder
3 cups chopped nuts (I like walnuts)
2 tsp vanilla
Cream butter and both sugars. Add eggs and vanilla. In separate bowl, mix flour, oatmeal, salt, baking powder and baking soda. Add to wet ingredients. Mix. Add chocolate chips, Hershey bar and nuts. Roll into balls and place 2 inches apart on cookie sheet. Bake 10 minutes at 375 degrees.
Makes 112 cookies.
Store in a well sealed container - as cookies get hard easy. If they get hard - serve them crumbled over ice cream! YUM YUM

Answer to Party Game #2

The Land of the Green Glass Doors is also known as the "land of doubles". Everything there has double letters.
There are books but no libraries.
There are buggies but no horses.
There are woods and trees and grass but no flowers.

I wish more of you had played it. It is one of my most favorite games. I learned it one year at camp from my pastor, Porky. It's gotta be fun when you're playing with a guy with a name like that! After he taught it to us, the women in our lodge stayed up late at night playing the game - and got up the next morning and had more examples!

Party Joke #1

Okay - what good is a party without a joke or two?! In my family my brother Rob tells the cheesiest jokes - but it always amazes me how he remembers them all. I know this joke will do him proud (to coin a southern phrase!).

Katie Couric, Charlie Gibson, Brian Williams and a tough old US Marine Sergeant were captured by terrorists in Iraq. The leader of the terrorists told them he'd grant each of them one last request before they were beheaded.
Katie Couric said, "Well, I'm a Southerner, so I'd like one last plate of fried chicken." The leader nodded to an underling who left and returned with the chicken. Couric ate it all and said, "Now I can die content."
Charlie Gibson said, "I'm living in New York, so I'd like to hear the song "The Moon and New York City" one last time." The terrorist's leader nodded to another terrorist who had studied the Western world and knew the music. He returned with some rag-tag musicians and played the song. Gibson sighed and declared he could now die peacefully.
Brian Williams said, "I'm a reporter to the end. I want to take out my tape recorder and describe the scene here and what's about to happen. Maybe, someday, someone will hear it and know that I was on the job till the end." The leader directed an aide to hand over the tape recorder and Williams dictated his comments. He then said, "Now I can die happy."
The leader turned and said, "And now, Mr. US Marine, what is your final wish?" "Kick me in the butt," said the Marine.
"What?" asked the leader. "Will you mock us in your last hour?"
"No, I'm NOT kidding. I want you to kick me in the butt," insisted he Marine. So the leader shoved him into the open and kicked him in the butt. The Marine went sprawling, but rolled to his knees, pulled a 9mm pistol from inside his cammies and shot the leader dead. In the resulting confusion, he leapt to his knapsack, pulled out his M4 carbine and sprayed the terrorists with gunfire. In a flash, all of them were either dead or fleeing for their lives.
As the Marine was untying Couric, Gibson and Williams, they asked him, "Why didn't you just shoot them all in the first place? Why did you ask him to kick you in the butt?"
"What!?!" replied the Marine, "and have you three report that I was the aggressor?

I hope not to offend anyone - but we can all admit that sometimes the media tells it like they see it and NOT very objectively I might add!

Party Game #2 - Land of the Green Glass Doors

The first commenter to figure this out will likely end the playing of said game - so comment here that you know the answer - but don't give it away! 'Kay? You have to guess what the deal is with this place -

Welcome to the Land of the Green Glass Doors -

Here we have puppies and kittens but no cats and dogs
There are daddies and mommies but no children
We have bubble gum here, but I'm afraid there is no candy
There's vanilla and strawberry but there is NO chocolate (I'm leaving!)
The only colors here are yellow and green
The only bears here are teddy bears
There is passion but no love
There are kisses but no hugs

One of our favorite ones the first time we played this game (I hope not to offend anyone) - that there are butts but no toilet paper (okay, okay - I was playing with a van full of teenagers - most of which were boys)

There are needles but no sewing
There are books but we don't read, because there are no stories
We have many hobbies but no arts and crafts (woo hoo!)
There are scissors and cutting, but no paper
People are generally happy here but lack joy
It's beautiful here with trees and grass but no plants and strangely nothing grows
We have pepper but no salt
We like to eat pizza but will skip the ice cream

I'll think of some more examples and maybe post them later. If you can figure out what is going on here in our land, let me know that you think you know the answer. You could also email me what your answer is (julientexas at sbcglobal dot com)- but please leave a comment to let me know you are playing the game!

The Ultimate Reason to Party

I'll tell you what - this Ultimate Blog Party has been so much fun. I've made tons of new friends. It has been a blast. There have been some great games, awesome music, and at least some pictures and recipes of what looks to be some very yummy food. I wish we could all really get together and have a great big party!
I have been wanting to put music up at my blog all day - the kind I would put on in my house if I were having friends over. I chose this Krystal Myers video from YouTube because it is one of my favorite songs. This 17 year old girl sings about the best reason of all to party - "grace". (not getting what we really deserve!) If you knew what a absolutely and complete disaster my life was before I met Jesus, you'd know how precious His grace is to me. The Bible tells us (my paraphrase) that we love in the same measure that we are forgiven - and I have been forgiven much. I am hopelessly, helplessly in love with the King of my heart, and even as daily I fail Him ~ He still loves me. That is grace that takes my breath away!

Beauty of Grace
Tell me why do you run
you say you're so ashamed
bruised and broken
thought if i figured out
the mess you've made
that i'd leave

but anywhere you are
is never too far away
there's freedom from your scars
the mistakes that you've made..forgivin
the memories erased
baby thats the beauty of graaaace
la de da la de da da

tell me what is love
i'll never hold you to
the things you may have done
you say you want new life
in my arms there's mercy

anywhere you are
is never too far away
there's freedom from your scars
the mistakes that you've made..forgivin
the memories erased
baby that's the beauty of grace
la de da la de da da

so blow a kiss goodbye
to all the pain you hide

anywhere you are
is never too far away
there's freedom from your scars.....

the memories erased
baby that's the beauty of grace

anywhere you are
is never too far away
there's freedom from your scars
and the mistakes that you've made
forgiven
memories erased
baby thats the beauty of graaaace

Answers to Party Game #1

I thought I would not leave the great crowd in lingering suspense!

1. TRUE - I have lived in Florida, Georgia, South Carolina, North Carolina, Virginia, West Virginia, and Maryland - and now Texas!

2. FALSE - I never played in the school band. I always loved to sing. Although, as an adult I would like to learn to play piano and/or guitar.

3. TRUE - My friend Lizbeth and I were lost once with four of our children on the Appalachian Trail. We went hiking on a late February day - one of our children tired of walking, and while we tired of carrying her (uphill the whole way) we could not find our way out. We were rescued by a friend's husband who was an avid hiker well after dark. Moral to the story: always take your cell phone hiking. I was thankful to have just enough battery to make a call for help! (Although to this day Lizbeth SWEARS we were not lost - like it's perfectly normal when hiking to huddle under an emergency blanket, sheltered in a improvised lean-to, singing songs in the dark to calm our children and PRAYING somebody finds us! hee hee) Our pastor did at least award us both with compasses and whistles - as well as certificates for doing our part to enrich the prayer life of our congregation! Good times - good times!

Getting to Know You - Slide Show Edition

One thing that you like to do at a party is get to know some new people - or get more familiar with people you may already know. I have already posted 13 Scarecely Known Things About Me, and a Party Game to see how well some of you may already know me, but I thought visuals would be nice. I was going to make such a slide show for my birthday - but hey, I'll be one of those nerdy people who whip out the pictures during the Ultimate Blog Party!

Don't forget to let me know that you're hosting a party too! But don't forget - if you don't sign the Linky at the Ultimate Blog Party - other party-goers will not find you!

Party Game #1

My friend Karen is so clever - she figured out a way to host an awesome game for the Ultimate Blog Party on her blog! I just played this one at another party and thought it was an awesome way to get to know each other. I am going to tell you three things about me - two are true and one is made-up. You have to guess which one is fiction!

1. I've lived in every state on the East Coast from Florida to Maryland.

2. I played the clarinet in band during my high school years.

3. I once got lost on the Appalachian Trail.

Ultimate Blog Party

I don't know much about getting your blog noticed. I mainly started blogging because I've always enjoyed writing - and quickly got addicted to the enjoyment of sharing my thoughts with others and learning and growing from them sharing their thoughts with me.
I found out about this from my friend KarenW - she invited me - and anyone else who would like to come to the Ultimate Blog Party. It is a way to find some new online friends, find some other cool blogs to visit, and send out the invitation for others to come and visit your blog during the week long party. It sounds like a lot of fun to me - so jump on over there and join in the fun. It starts this Friday, March 2nd - March 9th.
I hope to see you there!