Two things you are happy about today/

Packing up the car to go to Devon for the Christmas holiday.
It's not raining so our scenic drive, which includes views of Stonehenge on the right,  followed by some delightful free range pigs on the left, should be very pleasant.

Wishing all the UK Yankee posters and readers a very happy and peaceful holiday!

Thanks to our "pet" plumber. My wife put a nail in a wall today to hang the thermostat on....bad idea. Once she got the water turned off and gave him a call he was there in 30 minutes to fix the pipe.

I however....was golfing. Quite like the group I play with a couple of times a week....and they made it pretty easy to play with them when I joined last summer. 

Very enjoyable dinner with mom and dad, with lots of talking afterward, even if we drove there during a tornado watch, after the tornado warning and a HUGE storm was over, and the second storm started while we were eating. (No hope of a white Christmas this year.  )

No work tomorrow, with plans to sleep in and have a lazy day in front of the tv.

Merry Christmas everyone!

Still not having to cook thanks to making a huge dinner Friday night.

Being inside, nice and dry, while Mother Nature loses her little mind outside. Thunderstorms in December are a bit much. We've had a few lately, including a tornado warning Wednesday.

Two bouts of flurries today, and one 15 minute period where it actually snowed. It wasn't much, but still pretty.

Thoughts of my pillow. I didn't sleep much at all last night, and am looking forward to bed in just a bit.

Back home after few nights away back to my own bed
Nice meals away with family lucky to do this

My husband got me a fancy-schmancy mixer for Christmas and I can't wait to use it tomorrow!

My good friend from the states sent me a Christmas package with (2) 11 oz packages of Nestles butterscotch chips and I am so excited for oatmeal scotchies! I hope they turn out, I will be so bummed if they don't. Trex is like Crisco right?

Lyonaria--Trex is gross but yes, it's vegetable shortening.

Joey was more cuddly than usual today.

Unexpected day off lead to a bit of job hunting and lunch out with hubby.

Back home after few nights away back to my own bed

As much as I love to travel, I always miss my own bed. After 16 nights away from it, although we've been back from our holiday since the 13th, I still find myself smiling when I get into it at night. 

Lyonaria--Trex is gross but yes, it's vegetable shortening.

I just need it to make up half the fat in a cookie recipe. My mom taught me to use half butter and half shortening in some cookie recipes so the cookies don't get as flat and crispy as all butter. It actually works too!

I'm just worried and don't want to waste one of my 2 bags of butterscotch chips if it's going to end badly. I'd rather pay a stupid amount for a small thing of US Crisco if I have to.

I just need it to make up half the fat in a cookie recipe. My mom taught me to use half butter and half shortening in some cookie recipes so the cookies don't get as flat and crispy as all butter. It actually works too!

I'm just worried and don't want to waste one of my 2 bags of butterscotch chips if it's going to end badly. I'd rather pay a stupid amount for a small thing of US Crisco if I have to.

Why not test drive it first with some chocolate chips or baking chocolate that you can easily find in the UK? Or try a half/quarter batch first. You'll know if it works and if it doesn't, you haven't wasted all your butterscotch chips.

Yum, btw.

That's a good idea! I'll give it a try. You can get the butterscotch chips here in the UK but they're 5 GBP a bag plus shipping (or more depending on the website). It's not like these were any cheaper though... haha.

My mom said they've made a new type of crisco without hydrogenated oils in it back in the states and it doesn't work the same in cookies! Apparently they just turn out flat as a pancake and super crispy. She'd made snickerdoodles before Christmas.

After a day of barely doing anything at work today, I had a wonderful nap. (Up at 4:45 am then hoping to ring in the New Year awake required the nap.)

Quiet New Year's eve in with my two main guys.

I have tomorrow and Monday off. One day to do laundry and housework, one to do nothing but relax.

Two days in a row to sleep in! JOY!

Feeling mostly healthy
Living in a nice part of the world southeast England
Able to afford to look after my daughter