Taste Testing Yet Again

 What's better than getting up really early on a Sunday morning to become a waitress at another Elks Lodge event.  I can't believe there are SO many things going on!  I think people are going to get burned out on the same old food over and over, but hey ... what do I know!

I poured FREE vodka fizzes for two hours since they mistakenly sent out a message that we opened at 9:00.  Are you kidding?  We're going to have people drink for TWO HOURS before the food comes out?  Someone turn the ovens up please!!  

I admit, the food was delicious!  Probably much better since I didn't have to cook it.  My eyes were of course much bigger than my stomach, though I tried for small portions.  I ate it all and was sufficiently punished for that decision all afternoon long.  

Although it's been in the high 80's every day, the cool nights are enough to keep my AC from running very little.  That's a big PLUS!  It's also amazing to see that I have a $650 CREDIT on my bill.  WOOHOO!!  That means I can turn my air on every day this month.  The picture is not my house, but this is about what it looks like.

My year end date is July 20.  What a boon for my checkbook!!  Instead of $4,000 this year, my bill has been a total of $180.  Between the Federal rebate and my energy savings, my solar investment is paid down 50% in the first year.  Not bad!!

While soaking up a little cool, and since Cooper has almost recovered completely, I kicked my sewing into overdrive.  It didn't last long.  Who knew there was so much math involved in quilting?  Since I'm an accountant, that should be right up my alley, but sometimes my alley takes a big detour over the Grand Canyon, and all that math just falls off into the abyss.

I was so excited it was almost done ... until I realized I only have HALF the required squares.  Instead of using the precut stuff, I cut this out from yards of fabric ... and since I can't count ... I only cut half the requirement.  RATS!!  Now I have to find the leftover pieces and try to come up with enough to finish the quilt.

With all that time sitting on the couch with Cooper, I picked up a few recipes to try out so you don't have to.  You know the ones ... they show you how EASY it is to make things like peanut butter cups.  Yes, this is what it SHOULD have looked like.  Remember those Easter Bunny cakes??

Not wanting to take any chances on wasting a lot of ingredients, I borrowed Jonathan's tiny cupcake pans.  It's oatmeal, peanut butter and honey stuffed into the little holes.

Then you top it with melted chocolate, followed by peanut butter and chocolate chips.  This is as far as I got since there was no more room in the pan.  I was laughing the entire time I was spooning the chocolate in place.  

I put them in the freezer thinking they didn't resemble the picture AT ALL!  But here's the kicker.  They are the perfect tiny size to kill the sugar craving, and according to today's standards, are quite healthy.  On the other hand, this is a BIG NO!  Honey and chocolate do NOT go together in my book.  You can skip this one.

I have two more recipes to WOW you with, but will wait til tomorrow.  All that food has drug me down into the depths of epic couch sitting.  I HAVE to get outside and start walking or running again since Cooper is back to his normal self.

We played on the floor for about two hours yesterday.  My knees are killing me, but it's so nice to see his smiling face again!!