FINAL-ly

i took my final exam last week for my transcription course and passed. finally. it feels really good to be finished. i have a small course to teach me the process of transcription, using the equipment, and learning methods of interpreting different accents that doctors may have. then i can earn some muh-la!! my family will be so happy!

i have been feeling great lately. i was in the kitchen loading the dishwasher a couple days ago. i had all the windows open to "blow out the stink" as my Mom would say, LOL. i heard a bird singing....and it was wonderful. sounds sappy, i know, but it was great. it means to me that spring is coming and i can't wait. i could really use some warm, sunny days.

berto has used an indoor seed-sprouting kit to raise Sweet Pea plants for our front planters that have lattice on the back. we have one on each side of the garage door. i can't wait to get these planted so they can weave their way up the lattice. it's been kinda cold in the mornings so we are going to wait a few weeks.

i have been cooking and baking a lot lately. it's great to finally get back to that. i love it so much and it seemed to be something that i "used" to do. i was concerned that i was going to never get back my love of cooking but......i was wrong. i have a great cookie recipe!!

JUMBO DOUBLE CHOCOLATE CHIP COOKIES

2 sticks butter

2 sticks butter

1C sugar

3/4C firmly packed brown sugar

2 eggs

1 tsp vanilla

1/2 tsp instant espresso coffee powder

2C flour

2/3 C cocoa powder

1 tsp baking soda

1 tsp salt

3/4 C white choc. chips

1/2 C semisweet choc. chips

pre-heat oven to 325 degrees

cream butter and sugars. add eggs, vanilla, and espresso powder. mix well. sift together flour, cocoa powder, baking soda, and salt. mix this into creamed mixture. stir in the chips.

line baking sheets w/ parchment paper or spray with cooking spray. scoop the dough into 12 large (2/3 C) mounds, arranging them, 4 to a sheet, at least 3" apart. Bake until cookies are flat, 20-25 minutes. ( i made the cookies smaller so i would have more and it worked just fine. i set my timer for 18 minutes. your over may be different so adjust as needed.)

i want to share something that swells my heart with pride. cj wants to join the STARS program at the start of next year. STARS is Students Today Aren't Ready for Sex. it is a peer-based program and he wants to be able to talk to younger students and help them be able to say no, giving them the tools the need to be strong.

STARS program

i will leave you with a few blogs that i am in love with right now:
Confessions of a Pioneer Woman
dooce
Christine Middlecamp

peace.