I'm suddenly having issues with updating the AOL journal so for now at least, I will only be posting on my blogger account.  Again the address is  http://animalrescuerslife.blogspot.com/

VP Debate

I admit it. I have no plans of watching the vice presidential debate. (sorry Beth!) Although I'm sure there are to be some hilarious moments as Palin stumbles her way through. I mean really, the woman can't handle an interview with Katie Couric, how is she going to handle THAT? You can't answer with a 'I'll have to look into that/get back with you on that' with every tough question. And I think when it comes to Palin, asking what her favorite season is, is bound to be a tough question. I really still have a hard time understanding McCain's thoughts in choosing her as his VP. At least Obama chose someone with a brain to be his running mate. I think I will honestly cry if that crazy woman and old man end up winning. I don't care for him but I really can't stand her. And he is OLD. The old part doesn't bother me... if he had chosen a different running mate. I don't like bringing age into it to be honest but if he keels over... help us all as SHE would be our president. Really, McCain chose the female Bush. She says er and uhm a lot less but just as brain dead. How do these people make it this far in politics? There's nothing anyone could say to me that would change my opinion on Palin and I like to consider myself a pretty open minded person on all subjects. I just don't get it.

Cream Cheese Sugar Cookies

I thought I'd put up the cream cheese sugar cookie recipe that I'd found last Christmas.  I normally don't post recipes unless I really and I mean REALLY like them.  These are very fragile once cooked, I'm assuming it's due to the amount of cream cheese.  They fall apart quite easily if you're not careful with them.  (I had many candy canes missing their hooks last Christmas)  This is not a recipe I made up, I found it on the website http://allrecipes.com/

8 oz cream cheese

1 1/2 cups of white sugar

1 cup unsalted (unsalted is important) butter

1 egg

1 tsp. vanilla extract

1/2 tsp. almond extract

3 1/2 cups flour

1 tsp. baking powder

In a large bowl, combine the sugar, butter, cream cheese, baking powder, vanilla and almond extracts, and egg.  Beat until smooth.  Stir in flour until well blended.  Chill the dough for 8 hours or overnight.

Preheat oven to 375.

On lightly floured surface roll out the dough 1/3 at a time to 1/8 inch thickness, refrigerating remaining dough until ready to use. Cut into desired shapes with lightly floured cookie cutters. Place 1 inch apart on ungreased cookie sheets. Leave cookies plain for frosting, or brush with slightly beaten egg white and sprinkle with candy sprinkles or colored sugar.

Bake for 7 to 10 minutes in the preheated oven, or until light and golden brown. Cool cookies completely before frosting.

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This is the frosting I use on these.  This doesn't harden well but I find it tastes best with these cookies over all other frostings. 

4 cups of confectioners' sugar

1/2 cup butter

5 tablesppons milk

1 teaspoon vanilla

food coloring if desired

In a large bowl, cream together the confectioners' sugar and butter until smooth. Gradually mix in the milk and vanilla with an electric mixer until smooth and stiff, about 5 minutes. Color with food coloring if desired.  I reccomend putting the butter in the bowl first and then VERY slowly adding the sugar, otherwise you may get clumps.  My first attempt at this recipe had major clumps and I had to start all over again.

Meanies

The husband and the little girl have been quite moody as of lately. Husband is stressed from work and little girl is just, well, mean. I think I've had about enough of it as of today however and am losing my patience with both of them. Mean little girl can get away with a little more because she's only 3. Husband wants me to take the binky from her effect immediately, however husband gets to escape from the tantrums, I am stuck with them. I bought her two new ones tonight. He knew I was going to do it but it was actually a part of my plan to remove them from her all together. I took the one that she had earlier today and cut the tip of it off. She wants nothing to do with it now and that's the only one that I will take anywhere with us. She asks for a binky, she'll get a binky but it's not going to be what she had in mind. I briefly tested the waters to see how she would react tonight if I told her (as we were going to bed) that it was the only binky we had and she curled her lip and began frantically searching for a "real" binky. We went to bed without one. Well, ok, she didn't know I had one hidden in case of major breakdown. It didn't take long for her to start to get upset and I said 'Oh, look what I found.' I didn't go into it tonight with the plan of holding out on her so I don't feel as if I've failed some mommy test. I would like her to be done with them by the time the baby is born but if she still has them at bedtime, I'm not going to have a nervous breakdown over it. Honestly, it's a bit of guilt on my part. I know that her life, as she's known it, is about to change drastically and I feel badly taking away her little piece of comfort. My husband seems to think it will be as easy as taking away the bottle but he seems to have forgotten that she was pretty much done with the bottle on her own so it wasn't a huge ordeal for anyone. If she was attached to some toy or a blanket, there would be no pushing to get her to be independent from it but since it's a binky and so many people flip when they see a toddler with one, it's an issue. *sigh*

For those of us who are transitioning from AOL to blogger, I've been trying to figure out how to have alerts sent to your mailbox when a new blog has been written but it's taking a little time. I know one of the blogs on here that I read (not from AOL) has a gadget that she uses but I haven't been able to figure out how to get it on mine. It's through feedburner andyou just type your email into it and push ok and, bingo, every entry she writes, I receive an email. I'll let you know if I figure out if you'd like to use it on your blogs. Although, I wouldn't make major changes to your blogs until AOL figures out it's head from it's ass on this issue. I've also got some advice for those of you who have already gotten your blogger name that you wish to use, if AOL is able to get the change over so that we can just push a button and have all our AOL journals transferred. You can either create a new blog with a name similar to the one you have, for example I put in mine as animalrescuerslife... I can simply add "an" to it and then leave the link till everyone gets caught up OR (and I'm not sure if this will work or how well and you could lose any current information on your blog) you can change the name of the blog you are currently using before you give AOL the url, opening up that name for use once again. I hope that didn't confuse you further. I'll let you know if I figure out an easier way before the change over occurs. I know there's a way to keep your current name AND switch everything over but I believe you need to have some idea as to how to use html and I really don't.