Million Dollar Cookie

I was watching the Pillsbury Bake-off on the Food Network last week and saw a lady win a million dollars for her cookie recipe. I wanted to see how great they were so I made them with the kids today. They are great! I love the idea of a filling in a cookie. Here is the recipe if you want to try!
Double Delight Peanut Butter Cookies
1/4
cup Fisher® Dry Roasted Peanuts, finely chopped
1/4
cup Domino® or C&H® Granulated Sugar
1/2
teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/2
cup JIF® Creamy Peanut Butter
1/2
cup Domino® or C&H® Confectioners Powdered Sugar
1
roll (16.5 oz) Pillsbury® Create ‘n Bake® refrigerated peanut butter cookies, well chilled
DIRECTIONS
1.
Heat oven to 375°F. In small bowl, mix chopped peanuts, granulated sugar and cinnamon; set aside.
2.
In another small bowl, stir peanut butter and powdered sugar until completely blended. Shape mixture into 24 (1-inch) balls.
3.
Cut roll of cookie dough into 12 slices. Cut each slice in half crosswise to make 24 pieces; flatten slightly. Shape 1 cookie dough piece around 1 peanut butter ball, covering completely. Repeat with remaining dough and balls.
4.
Roll each covered ball in peanut mixture; gently pat mixture completely onto balls. On ungreased large cookie sheets, place balls 2 inches apart. Spray bottom of drinking glass with CRISCO® Original No-Stick Cooking Spray; press into remaining peanut mixture. Flatten each ball to 1/2-inch thickness with bottom of glass. Sprinkle any remaining peanut mixture evenly on tops of cookies; gently press into dough.
5.
Bake 7 to 12 minutes or until edges are golden brown. Cool 1 minute; remove from cookie sheets to cooling rack. Store tightly covered.

Coupons!

Saturday I took a coupon class at the college. I have dabbled in coupons before, but this class was so cool. I was the only one in the class so it was more of a one on one chat session with the teacher who is a real Coupon Queen. This is one of her store trips!
-Saved $115.58 - Spent $18.80
(2) Tava 4pk - BOGO - 3.99 less (1) 1.50 coupon & (1) $1 coupon = FREE
(1) Chex Mix Cheddar - 1.99 less 1/1 coupon = FREE
(2) Jolly Time Popcorn - 1.99 ea. less 1.50/1 and 1/1 coupons = FREE
(2) Ragu Pasta Sauce - 1.79 ea. less (2) $1/1 blinkies = .79 ea.
(1) Bertolli Pasta Sauce - 2.50 less 1/1 coupon = .50
(1) Chinet Casuals Plate - 2.50 less 1/1 coupon = .50
(1) Raid Spray - 2.50 less 1.50/1 coupon = FREE
(1) Excedrin Back and Body - 2.99 less 2/1 coupon = FREE
(2) Diet Coke 6-pk - 3.50 ea. less Super Coupon & $1/2 peelie I had = .50 ea.
(2) Betty Crocker Frosting - 1.50 ea. less (1) .55 IP & (1) .50 peelie = .90 total
(2) Hunts Ketchup - 2.00 ea. less $1/2 coupon = $1 ea. (I needed!!)
(1) Guerrero 50 ct. corn tortillas - $2.59 less $1 IP = .59
(1) 4pk Sobe - $3.00 less $2 Catalina coupon = $1 (but this spit out a Catalina for a free bottle of Sobe)
(1) McCormick Season All - $1.59 less .75 coupon = .09
(2) Hansens 6-pks - $2 ea. less B1G1F coupon & $1/2 coupon = FREE
(1) Eagle Cinnamon Bursts - $1.99 less $1 IP = FREE
(1) Pillsbury Toaster Strudel - $2.50 less $1 IP = .50
(4) Kelloggs Frosted Mini Wheat - $2.50 ea. less Super Coupon & (2) $1/2 IP = .75 ea.
I got more than 25 items, just in case, plus the Tava wasn't tagged.Other stuff I got not on the SSM promo:
(1) Planters - $3 less $3 IP = FREE
(1) Honeymaid Grahams - $2.50 less $1 coupon = .50
(2) Weber seasoning - $1 less $1/2 coupon = FREE
(1) Powerade - $1 less .75 coupon = FREE(1) Sobe bottle - $1 less .50 tearpad coupon = FREE
(1) South Beach Diet pizza - $2.50 less $1 coupon = .50
(2) Airwick air freshener - $1 ea. less $1/2 IP = FREE
(1) Zantac 8 ct.- $5.99 less $5 IP = FREE1
Incredible!!!
The best things I learned were-
1. You have to have a lot of coupons! I used to get 1 Sunday paper and thought that was good enough. But the idea is to get several papers to get Multiple coupons. If you get a really good deal you will be able to go back get it lots of times with all of your same coupons. (be careful, stores don't double same coupons)
2. It is called rolling over. Right now at Vons if you buy 25 participating items they give you $20 back. Instead of buying whatever, you should use your money and buy more participating items which gives you money back again. You do this again and again using your $20 they gave you. Smart!
I know it is a lot of work but I am going to try it!

Time for a new car!

We went to see my brother's new place up by San Jose last weekend. We left Saturday evening, drove for about 4 hours and our car broke down. We were out in the middle of nowhere!! We waited for a half an hour for the CHP to come. I rode in the back of the police cruiser with all the kids to the next exit 4 miles away. They dropped us off at a diner and we waited for my brother to come pick us up. Dodd stayed with the car and waited for the tow truck. They towed him to a dealer in Los Banos. After eating ice cream sundaes at 11:30 at night with the kids, my brother picked us up and we went and picked up Dodd. What a bad trip!!! We finally got back to Ben's place around 1:00! The dealer ended up finding nothing wrong with the car!! We went and picked it up Tuesday and drove it home. It has been working fine, but I am scared everytime I go somewhere I will be stranded on the side of the road again! It was good seeing Ben, Les and the kids. Their house is beautiful. But with the car breaking down and Micah crying most of the time, I am not looking forward to any car trips in the near future.

Fourth Child Syndrome

Poor Micah. It is happening to him. Let me count the ways he is getting ripped off being the fourth child.

1. Not as many pictures or video of him.

2. He is almost 3 months and I haven't sent out his birth announcements. I think everyone I would send them to already know he is here.

3. When the others were born I had themed nurseries completed, and he has a crib in my room with his clothes on a book shelf.

4. I kept good records in baby books, this guy doesn't even have a baby book yet.

5. Poor guy didn't have a name for 4 days!!

I am not sure what to do about the birth announcements. Is it too late to send them out? Would it be bad if I don't do it at all? What if I post it here and call it good? Poor Micah!

Rebel St.

Our neighborhood rocks!! When we moved here people warned us that this neighborhood loves holidays. It has been true! They do big Halloween and Forth of July! A little too big I guess. We started of the day with the pancake breakfast at church. Then went to the parade followed by the street fair. We came home to an already partying neighborhood. Some of the neighbors got a dunk tank, snow cone machine, a water slide and a bounce house. We had family and friends over for a BBQ then sat outside and waited for the big fireworks show one of the neighbors always does. Just as they were getting started the police showed up. They stayed all night and stood in the street babysitting everyone. It was pretty exciting watching the huge police presence on our street. We finally got tired and came inside. The last time I checked at 11:30 the police were gone and there were only a few people still out. What a crazy night!!

Potty Training Progress

(This is her happy face... not pooping face)

Kelsey is doing so good potty training!! I know this is only excitement another mother will understand! But this is big news!! I can't wait until we get to buy one $40 box of diapers at Costco a month instead of two. She has been using the potty for a few weeks off and on. Yesterday she went every time in the potty and even when she was wearing a diaper she wanted it off to use the potty. Yeah Kelsey!!!