We are FAMILY...

Some of my kiddos and ME...
Abby & Tory, Joshua, me, Eric and Melissa!!

How Many?

I really really enjoy getting to know people. I draw serious satisfaction from finding countless details out about people. So here are unimportant details about me.

1. My real name is Mary Margaret... and Meg is short for Margaret... just like Meg from the novel "The Little Women".
2. I love Mexican food.. good Mexican food
3. When I was in 8 I had my own Shetland pony.. his name was Shane
4. I mix up my right hand from my left hand... but then again so does Oprah Winfrey!!
5. I can french braid my own hair!
6. I still remember my very first address and phone number. My address was 519 Ava Ave, Rohnert Park, CA... I am not going to share my first phone number cause I use it as a password... I also can still remember my Mom's California drivers license... K0480329 Don't ask me why.. I guess I listened to her give it at the grocery store just one too many times
7. My first real job was at Der Wienershcnitzel. Yes I worked and weeny world flipping hot dogs and hamburgers... and pushing french fries... My friend Karen and I had the best time in the drive thru... she was on register and I was her bagger!! Sorry if I mess up your order!!
8. My dogs names growing up were Peanuts (wiener dog), Popcorn (Australian Sheppard) and Pretzles (Poodle mix).... I don't know why... but we had a food fetish!!
9. I can gleek!! Don't know what gleeking is.. just ask and I will show you!!
10. When I was a sophomore in High School I received the "Most Promising" award from the Speech Team... Duh! I love to talk!
11. In 7th grade I won second prize in the Science Fair... and all I did was graph a comic then redrew it larger... who knew I could draw!!
12. My maiden name is Coppa... which means cup in Italian and Spanish
13. My favorite ice cream flavor is Baseball Nut from Baskin Robbins.. and I can only get it in the spring during baseball season :0(
14. I look like my Mom...
15. I learned to drive in a stick shift Toyota truck.. Thanks Mike! I passed my first time with a score of 85. I have never failed a written drivers test!
16. I am the youngest of 3 children.
    
17. I have been to 5 foreign countries and 2 continents
18. I want to learn to play the piano... I taught myself to read music
19. I love to learn and try new things... meet new people and visit new places
20. I was not born Mormon.. I was baptized Jan. 1982

How many did you know already?

...meg

Make it and Love it... cool blog

I found this cool blog and she is having a cool give-away!! Go check it out!!

MAKE IT & LOVE IT

BUT YOU CAN'T ENTER
THE CONTEST
BECAUSE...
I WANNA WIN!!

Mrs Gump (Forrest's Mom) Got it WRONG!

Life is not like a box of chocolates.... It's like strawberry jam!
























Why? Because...

1. Life is always sweet.... sometimes just too sweet!
2. Life is sticky
3. Life sometimes is turns out and sometimes it doesn't... but it still tastes yummy on ice cream!!

Yes I made strawberry jam this week too.... it has been over 10 years since I made jam. I only made one batch but it turn out rather yummy!! I purchased some apothecary jars for another project but I bought the wrong size... but I did buy the perfect size for jam! And making jam is like riding a bike... well with the instruction on the pectin are like training wheels!!

You may be wondering where I got strawberries in early March... from the freezer section at Wal-Mart... where else would I get them... you silly!!

Oatmeal...cranberry...white chocolate chip... toasted walnut cookies

Ingredients:

3/4 cup unsalted butter, room temperature

1 cup light brown sugar

1 large egg

1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

3/4 cup all purpose flour

1/2 teaspoon baking soda

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/2 teaspoon apple pie spice

3 cups old-fashioned rolled oats

1 cup dried cranberries, cherries, or raisins

1 cup white chocolate chips
1 cup walnuts toasted and chopped

To toast nuts: Preheat oven to 350 degrees F and toast nuts for 8-10 minutes until lightly browned and fragrant. Let cool and then chop into pieces. Set aside.

Directions: Line 2 baking sheets with parchment paper or spray with cooking spray.

In the bowl of your electric mixer (or with a hand mixer), cream the butter and sugar until creamy and smooth (about 2 - 3 minutes). Add the egg and vanilla extract and beat to combine. In a separate bowl, whisk together the flour, baking soda, salt, and apple pie spice. Add the flour mixture to the creamed mixture and beat until incorporated. Stir in the nuts, oats, and dried cranberries or chocolate chips.

For large cookies, use 1/4 cup of batter (I like to use an ice cream scoop) and space the cookies about 2 inches apart on the baking sheet. Then wet your hand and flatten the cookies slightly with your fingers so they are about 1/2 inch thick. Bake the cookies for about 12 - 15 minutes at 350* or until light golden brown around the edges but still soft and a little wet in the centers. Remove from oven and let the cookies cool a few minutes on the baking sheet before transferring them to a wire rack to cool.

Makes about 20 - 24 large cookies. If you can keep your and your loved ones fingers out of the dough!

1.2 Project 752... Toes

Week 1 Picture 2
I baby sat (Nana sat) Abby last night... she was sitting on the couch playing with a new app on my phone... her little toes were so cute... as she played with the game her toes would curl then flex... I just couldn't resist her adorable toes.

1.1 Project 752

Picture 1 Week 1
Meet Garrett... a graduating senior from Albany High School! Great Kid!! Doesn't like to get his picture taken.. but will let me take it on occasion... Isn't he just a handsome young man!!

i {heart} to cook....

Has anyone tasted canned refried beans lately...? NOT ME!! I won't eat them anymore.... I've been making homemade refried beans (frijoles) ... They are so good and so so simple to make...


Frijoles (Refried beans)

Ingredients

• 1 lbs pinto beans
• 6 ups of water
• 1 tsp minced garlic(I used bottled)
• 1/2 medium onion diced
• salt and pepper to taste

Place beans and water in crockpot and cook on high for approx 4 hours. When beans begin to soften add garlic and onion. Cook approx another 4 hours. Use potato masher and mash the beans to the consistency you like... if the beans are too runny dissolve 1-2 tbs of cornstarch with 1/4 cups of water and add to beans and they should thicken up... add salt and pepper to taste.

Crockpot Salsa Chicken*

Ingredients:

• 1 cup salsa
• 1 can cream of chicken soup
• 3-4 regular size chicken breasts
• 1 cup minute rice

Spray crockpot with cooking oil. Mix salsa and cream of chicken soup together. Layer small amount on bottom of crockpot. Lay chicken breasts in crockpot and layer rest of soup/salsa mixture on top. Cook on high for 4 hours or low for 7 to 8 hours.

During last ten minutes: Take chicken out and shred it. Add 1 cups minute rice to salsa and soup mixture in crockpot. Let cook for 10 to 15 minutes until done. Add shredded chicken.
Put onto of flour tortilla shells with sour cream, cheese, and homemade frijoles!! YUM!!
* Credit goes to the blog recipes between friends..

The BEST dang banana cake with cream cheese frosting!!

Ingredients

• 1 1/2 cups bananas, mashed, ripe
• 2 teaspoons lemon juice
• 3 cups flour
• 1 1/2 teaspoons baking soda
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 3/4 cup butter, softened
• 2 1/8 cups sugar
• 3 large eggs
• 2 teaspoons vanilla
• 1 1/2 cups buttermilk

Frosting

• 1/2 cup butter, softened
• 1 (8 ounce) package cream cheese, softened
• 1 teaspoon vanilla
• 3 1/2 cups icing sugar

Garnish

• Chopped Walnuts
  

Directions
Preheat oven to 275°. Grease and flour a 9 x 13 pan. In a small bowl, mix mashed banana with the lemon juice; set aside.In a medium bowl, mix flour, baking soda and salt; set aside. In a large bowl, cream 3/4 cup butter and 2 1/8 cups sugar until light and fluffy. Beat in eggs, one at a time, then stir in 2 tsp vanilla. Beat in the flour mixture alternately with the buttermilk. Stir in banana mixture. Pour batter into prepared pan and bake in preheated oven for one hour or until toothpick inserted in center comes out clean. Remove from oven and place directly into the freezer for 45 minutes. This will make the cake very moist.

For the frosting, cream the butter and cream cheese until smooth.Add icing sugar and beat on low speed until combined, then on high speed until frosting is smooth. Spread on cooled cake. Sprinkle chopped walnuts over top of the frosting, if desired. Beat in 1 teaspoon vanilla.

VOTE for Karen's QUILT

My bestie, Karen made a quilt for her grand-daughter Kapria and entered it in a contest! Please go vote for me! thanks!

Quilt Name: BRIGHT AND SASSY

CLICK HERE TO VOTE!!

patience

I will pray for forgiveness... I will pray for the softening of the heart... I will pray for love... I will pray for peace... I will pray for courage... I will pray for an open heart... I will pray for a contrite spirit... I will pray for thanksgiving... I will pray for hope... I will pray for healing... I will pray for strength... I will pray for thy will be done... I will pray for you... but....

I will not pray for patience... nope I won't and no one can make me... I have seen what happens when you do... I have plenty of patience... I do! I do! I do!

Meg