please stop snowing so i can go outside again, please....

Good thing I gave you guys the heads up yesterday about how random my postings can be--because this one is about an inch short of crazy talk. But I am so tired, and so stir crazy from being held up in my house for a week because of snow and sick children-- that it feels like my brain is slowly shredding itself into pieces. So here are my rambling thoughts and (mostly) unproductive doings for this day (which will be yesterday by the time you read this, although the date will say today--got it?)

1. My buddy Kamee had a post up yesterday asking us what our spelling pet peeves were (she's an English teacher gone photographer and so she wonders about things like that, see?). She didn't like the spelling of doh in play doh, or the do in donut. She felt both should be "dough". And so I actually took a good deal of time musing on her question and came up with-------- froot in froot loops. Only because my children now believe that this is how you spell fruit, and pull the box out of the pantry to prove their point......

I also dislike the fact that Wal Mart has a star between the Wal and Mart--again, because of my children. (Heard from the kitchen: "Moooooom, where's the star key on the computer? I need to type Wal*Mart!").
Are you thinking about spelling thingies that bug you? If you weren't--you will be. It will get to you.....
2. My site got 1,000 hits the day before yesterday. 1,000! And a whopping 155 of those entered my giveaway. This bloggie carnival thing is a lot of fun, but it's wearing me out! Every couple of minutes that I'm sitting here typing or reading, my MSN window pops up telling me I have a message from so and so. Everyone is really nice, and I do not want to discourage anyone from entering--I have entered quite a few myself--but my eyeballs keep seeing the comment "That's a great prize! Count me in!" everytime they close!

(***ATTENTION: Stroll down memory lane about to happen!***)

It did make me want to share a quick tale with you of the time I actually won something big. About 7 years back, our TV station held a Judge Judy contest. You had to watch the show every day for a week, and at the end of each episode they would post a question about what you just saw. After you had all your answers, you put them on a postcard and mailed them to the station. Since I love that Judge Judy and her spunky humor, and watch at least part of her show daily, I entered--except I didn't have a postcard, so I used an index card.

Judge Judy says: didn't they say to use a postcard? Verdict in favor of the defendant!

A week later my sis-in-law calls me just as I'm climbing in bed. "Did you enter a Judge Judy contest? Because if you did--you won! I just heard them announce your name on the 10 o'clock news!" I jumped up right there and did a little dance! And what did I win? you ask: A 36" television, an autographed copy of Judge Judy's book, lots of clothing and other merchandise from her gift store, and a thousand bucks! Pretty good contest, huh? Don't you all wish you watched Judge Judy?........

And we gave the TV to my mom because hers just happened to go out that very week, and we paid off a credit card with the money----- but my 3 year old still carries a Judge Judy backpack to preschool :).

3. Finally, today I also morphed two recipes I had together to make these:
Homemade granola bars. I know they're in a throw away tin pan, but my nice, photogenic 8x8 was holding leftovers in the fridge. So you'll just have to trust me that they really are tastier than they look. Try them.....you'll like them!
I'm going to call them....

COOKIES AND MILK BARS

8 graham crackers broken into chunks and crumbs

1/2 cup oatmeal

1/3 cup butterscotch chips

1 cup chocolate chips

1 cup shredded coconut

1 cup chopped pecans

1/2 cup fat-free sweetened condensed milk (or the fatty kind if you want!)

**********************************************************(star key!!!)
Toast the coconut and pecans for 10 minutes in a 350 degree oven. Let cool. Stir together with all the other ingredients. Grease an 8x8 pan. Dump everything in and press firmly with a sheet of parchment or wax paper. Bake at 350 for 20-25 minutes or until just golden and set. Cut into about 10 little granola bars.
Mmmmm.....toasting the pecans and coconut makes all the difference.

NOW, I guess I'm going to either go to bed and try not to be wakened constantly throughout the night by my little boys coughing and my own worry over them, or see if I can convince myself to stay up and fold 8 loads of laundry. Decisions, decisions....