Oatmeal Raisin Breakfast Bars

Oatmeal Raisin Breakfast Bars


1 cup all purpose flour
1/2 cup sugar
1/2 cup brown sugar
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
1/4 tsp nutmeg
1 tsp vanilla extract
1 large egg
1/2 cup butter, melted and cooled
2 cups quick cooking (not instant) oats
1 1/2 cups raisins (or add cranberries, chocolate chips etc..)

Preheat oven to 350F. Whisk together flour, sugar, brown sugar, baking soda, salt and spices in a large bowl.
Make a well in the center of the flour mixture and stir in vanilla, egg and melted butter until smooth. Stir in oats and raisins until they are evenly distributed.
Use large scoop and put one scoop into each well of the brownie pan. Push down with your fingers to flatten.
Bake for 10-12 minutes, let cool a few minutes before turning pan over onto cooling rack. Makes about 21 squares.

Wordless Wednesday-Ho Ho Ho...No No No...

MERRY CHRISTMAS EVERYONE!!


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So This Is What A Heart Attack Feels Like!

I came very close to having a heart attack this morning. It started shortly after 7 this morning when I heard Zoe wake up and start talking to herself through the baby monitor. I usually let her play in her crib for awhile and get her when she starts to get restless. So I was dozing off and on when around 7:30 her sound machine turned off. Now her sound machine is clear on the other side of her room, so I knew she hadn't turned it off. I shot out of bed because the only other explanation was that someone was in my house. As I ran out of my room I noticed her bedroom door was open (it is always closed) and full panic set in. Just then Jarod walked out of her room holding her. I nearly dropped to the floor because in the space of a few seconds I went from feeling shear terror and anger when I heard someone coming out of her room to absolute relief when I realized it was Jarod.

I squeaked out "What are you doing?" as I was clutching my chest. His reply..."Taking care of Zoe." I am sure the "duh" was fully implied since at this point he had no idea what I was upset about. In fact he thought I had heard him through the monitor. Um, nope.

I know what you are saying, "She should have known it was Jarod!" Well normally I would agree, but Jarod was suppose to be at work. Even though it was raining they usually stay until 9 to make sure it doesn't stop, but today when he got to the show-up his foreman told him that since it was suppose to rain all day he could just go home then. So I wasn't expecting him home until 9:30. Now you are asking, "Why didn't you hear him come in?" Well remember I said I had been dozing off and on, plus Jarod said he tried to come in quietly so he wouldn't wake us. Worked on me.

The best thing about this morning was after almost giving me a heart attack he made it up to me by sending me back to bed for a little more sleep. What a great guy I have!!

All I Want For Christmas...

...is the Step2 LifeStyle Deluxe Kitchen. Ok, so I really want it for Zoe. Jarod and I had already decided to get her a kitchen playset for Christmas. I have been comparing them in the stores and online. With our budget the way it is we had decided on a $45 dollar one from Wal-Mart. I figured this would be fine for a 2 year old. Later on if she out grew it, we would invest in a better one.

Well, that plan will hopefully change thanks to MommyMandy. She is giving away the Step2 LifeStyle Deluxe Kitchen on her blog. So of course I am going to enter!! I would be insane not too! If I win, then we will have more money in our budget for play food and accessories.

If you would like a chance to win as well, then here is the link to her giveaway!!

8 Weeks Until Christmas...

WOW!! That is a scary thought! Hopefully with a little planning it won't also be an extremely stressful thought as well. So far I have made a list of all the people I need gifts for. I also wrote down any ideas I have or have been given for each person. My goal is to budget for and then go ahead and buy a few gifts each week. That way I am not having to come up with the money all at the end. That is when my stress really kicks in. I am doing very well with this. In fact I already have 2 people checked off my list. I have also been checking the ads every Sunday and buying all my gifts on sale. I guess it also helps that Jarod and I will not be getting each other anything this year since we are going to Alabama in November and Las Vegas in January. Hopefully by the week of Christmas my shopping will have long been done and all I will have to worry about is getting Jarod to wrap all the gifts, since I don't wrap!!

I LOVE Swagbucks!

Who likes to get free stuff? I am going to go out on a limb and say everyone. Ok, now how many of you do internet searches? Once again I am going to say most everyone. How would you like those searches to add up to free stuff? Well if you said yes then Swagbucks is for you!! I joined about two months ago and I already redeemed my points for an Amazon gift card. In fact I already have enough points to get two more if I wanted to. It is totally free and extremely easy to get going. I even have my mom signed up and using it! To join you can do one of three things, click on the header at the top of this post, click the sign up button on the widget at the very bottom of this blog, or just click here. Any of those methods will take you where you need to go. You even get 3 Swagbucks to get you started. So hurry on over to sign up and start earning free stuff today!!

H1N1 And The President

So did you hear the EXCITING news? The President got his yearly flu shot today! Well yipee...LOL! I really couldn't believe that they were covering that on the news. Then what the news anchor said next caught my attention and got me to thinking. The anchor said that he did NOT get the H1N1 shot today. It was explained that he was going to wait in line like everyone else. What a bunch of bull!!!

What I really got from it is that he doesn't trust the H1N1 vaccine either. After all many doctors have been on all sorts of news programs touting how harmless and beneficial the vaccine is because many Americans (myself and my family included) don't trust the vaccine. They rushed the manufacturing of it and rushing it went sooooo well in 1976. The CDC has a great article about it here and I found another article about it here. Did you know that in June the Government passed a law that grants immunity to the pharmaceutical companies that produce the H1N1 vaccine. That means if you do have an "adverse" reaction you cannot sue them over it. Kinda fishy to me.

Now back to the President. It would seem to me that if the government REALLY wants to assure the American people, wouldn't they use their golden boy as a symbol of trust and faith in the vaccine? Seems pretty straight forward to me. In my humble opinion, I believe he is waiting to see what side affects the vaccine has. So we must be his own little field of guinea pigs.

Ok, I am now getting down off my soapbox. I will leave you with this, I am not telling anyone that they should or should not get the vaccine, but I hope you will do your research before blindly following along!

Wordless Wednesday-Strike A Pose

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