A Very Special Officer & Gentleman

October 21, 2014October 20, 2014 / Jodi / 7 Comments

I had the great privilege of attending a ceremony yesterday afternoon in honor and memory of a very special officer and gentleman – my cousin, Frank Miller, Jr.

Frankie (as he is fondly remembered by our family) was only 25 years old when he was shot and killed in the line of duty as a police officer.

I sadly never had the opportunity to know Frankie.

For reasons beyond my control and better saved for another time, this family was not a part of my life for far too many years.

But we are making up for it, and I am so glad I was able to attend the ceremony to dedicate the ramp off of the McKeesport-Duquesne Bridge in Pittsburgh, PA for Officer Frank Miller, Jr. (Frankie) with my Aunt Gwen and Uncle Frank, Cousins Dawn and Jen, and other family and friends.

It was a beautiful ceremony.

Thanks to Senator Jim Brewster for his efforts in getting legislation signed into law to name the exit from the McKeesport-Duquesne Bridge to State Route 148 as the “Officer Frank Miller Jr. Memorial Ramp.”

It was so touching to watch Uncle Frank and Aunt Gwen removed the drape from the sign that will forever memorialize Frankie.

Even Farkle, the McKeesport Police K9 Officer, donated and named in memory of Frankie was in attendance with his partner, Officer Nick Matthews. It was so heartwarming to meet them and experience their love and dedication to our Frankie.

Officer Nick and Farkle

I was so proud of how beautiful Aunt Gwen looked and how eloquently she spoke to the crowd of family, friends, police officers, and community members thanking them for this recognition of their beloved son. I can’t even imagine how difficult it is, even many years later, to carry on after losing a child – especially at such a young age and in such a tragic way.

Frankie – you were an officer and a gentleman – and I hope you know that I love you dearly even though we never had the chance to get to know each other. I promise you I will love and honor your mom and dad and sisters as much as you did, for we are family.

Hugs from your,

Jodi

The World Needs More Henrys

September 22, 2014September 21, 2014 / Jodi / 12 Comments

#Writing101 Day Six: A Character-Building Experience

Today’s assignment is to write about one of the most interesting people I’ve met in 2014. The twist is to develop and shape the portrait further in a character study.

Henry – Butcher & Salesman “EXTRAordinaire” at Strip District Meats, Pittsburgh, PA

Henry is a pretty “ordinary” guy by all usual accounts. But spend about five minutes with him, and I’ll bet you will feel differently.

Henry chatting with Janet on our recent trip to the Strip District

If you would pass Henry on the street, you might smile and nod, but he wouldn’t particularly stand-out based on his physical appearance.

Henry is not tall, nor is he short. He is an average height, average weight, middle-aged, African-American man whose skin is not extremely dark nor light, just a medium, warm cocoa color. His arms are strong with muscles that show Henry works hard – not at the gym, but in life. His hands are large and strong, but clean and manicured. He has a bushy, but well-manicured mustache and a greying, tightly trimmed beard. Henry’s cheeks are sprinkled with a scattering of freckles, his nose round and broad, his lips are full. His eyes are the shade of strong espresso – one shines brightly, while the other twinkles as if in a permanent state of “winking.”

Henry and Janet – Now we are all BFFs – that’s how Henry is

Henry is a butcher and salesman at Strip District Meats in Pittsburgh, PA.

When my friend, Janet, and I recently made a Trip to the Strip, we sauntered into Strip District Meats in search of some ground lamb Janet wanted for a new recipe for Greek Moussaka she was trying (which was DELISH by the way – she shared some with us!).

As we gazed through the glass encased shelves of meats ranging from smokey bacon and spicy sausages to plump chicken thighs and marbled delmonico steaks to boneless python (yep – you read that right… “boneless” python – because who likes bones in their python?!??!!), a warm, cheerful male voice greeted us.

Enter Henry.

Enter delight.

Enter zest for life, passion for his job, expertise, dedication, knowledge.

Enter warmth and kindness.

Henry immediately engaged us from the word “Hello” with his twinkling eyes, the spring in his step, and his excitement to show us the lamb, all the way to talking me into paying $19.95 per pound (a steal on sale from the usual $32.95 per pound) for the ABSOLUTE best, most melt-in-your-mouth, cut like butter, tender Wagyu steaks I’ve ever eaten in my life. (which Henry spent 15 minutes examining at least 30 different steaks before choosing just the right two for Marty and me)

Henry found the most perfect rack of lamb, which he offered to expertly and exquisitely cut into the most beautiful chops for Janet to share with her Dad. His favorite, and her gift to him.

Who knew meat could be so intriguing?

Henry does – because he makes it that way.

Henry IS Strip District Meats.

Without Henry, our visit to this “butcher shop” would have been uneventful.

But WITH Henry…….

our visit to Strip District Meats was the HIGHLIGHT of our Trip to the Strip.

We hugged Henry before leaving the store (and carrying our heaviest bags of the day).

The world needs more Henrys.

People that embrace life to its fullest.

People who exude passion and purpose in their work.

People who make others want to be part of what they are and what they do.

People who are passionate about life and passionate about their jobs.

People who make us enjoy the “usual.”

People who make the usual EXTRAordinary.

I want to be a Henry.

The world needs more Henrys.

Cheers & Hugs,

Jodi

Zesty Italian Roast Beef Sammies

September 8, 2014September 7, 2014 / Jodi / 5 Comments

Ooooo Laaaa Laaaa – I’ve got another delish sandwich to share.

I’ve been hearing about this roast beef that goes in the crock pot with a jar of pickled banana peppers (even from one of the guys I work with), so I was anxious to give it a try.

Pair this tender, shredded zesty Italian roast beef with a nice thick slab of mozzarella and a generous shmear of basil mayo on a toasted potato roll – and O. M. G! It had me at “Zesty!”

The recipes I found consisted of mainly three simple ingredients: roast beef, a package of Italian dressing mix, and a jar of banana peppers.

So I threw a 3 lb hunk of chuck roast in the crockpot (and – B T W – since when did chuck roast cost almost as much as filet mignon!?!??! – I guess the grocery industry realized what a tender, delicious roast this is if cooked properly. It used to be considered “scrap!”)

I dumped a 12 oz. jar of mild banana peppers on top.

And then – this is when I realized I did not have an envelope of Italian Dressing Seasoning Mix…..

But no problem – isn’t that what cooking is about – improvising, experimenting, making it your own?!… (not to mention the virtues of Googling!)

So I made my own Italian Dressing Mix with guidance from AllRecipes.com:

1 Tbsp Garlic Salt
1 Tbsp Onion Powder
1 Tbsp Sugar
2 Tbsp Dried Oregano
1 tbsp. Black Pepper
1/4 tsp Dried Thyme
1 tsp Dried Basil
1 Tbsp Dried Parsley
1/4 tsp Celery Salt
2 Tbsp Salt

I sprinkled about 6 oz. of this mix on top of the roast beef, and then added 1/4 cup of dried minced onions and about 1/4 cup of leftover sautéed fresh banana peppers from my garden that I had prepared for some grilled pizzas a few nights ago. So either way will work – the homemade one or the package of Good Seasons or some other Italian Dressing Mix.

I turned the crockpot on high for about 4-5 hours, and then went and watched the Steelers game (thankfully we squeaked out a victory against the Cleveland Browns – oh yep we did Bub! 🙂 ), had a G&T, chatted with Marty and “Oh Rob,” and then enjoyed a delish dinner of a Zesty Roast Beef Sandwiches, Fresh Corn on the Cob, and a Spinach & Arugula Salad with Dried Cranberries and Walnuts – and guess what kind of dressing??? Homemade Italian Dressing made by using 2 Tbsp. of my new seasoning mixed with 1/4 cup vinegar, 2/3 cup oil, and 2 Tbsp. water.

A great Sunday dinner – with a couple great guys.

And BTW – if you didn’t want to have sandwiches (or didn’t have buns or bread!), I’m betting this roast beef would be great served with creamy mashed potatoes or wide egg noodles too.

Cheers & Hugs,

Jodi

The Best Sandwich I Ever Made!

September 6, 2014September 5, 2014 / Jodi / 8 Comments

…or maybe I was just really hungry….

… but O. M. G. – I made the BEST tomato sandwich for lunch yesterday!

This was after staring at the overflowing bowl of tomatoes I picked the day before that is sitting on the counter with the abundance that is finally coming out of my tiny, little neglected 😦 garden.

(I AM going to do better next year – – – she says every year!)

Oh why do they have to come all at once!?! Wouldn’t it be nice to have about five or six a week ripen throughout the whole year? But NOOOOO – – – we get 30 at once for a couple weeks – then NOTHING!

And homegrown ones are so much sweeter than what we can get around here in Western PA the rest of the year at our local grocery stores.

So I plopped a couple slices of honey whole wheat bread in the toaster, smeared some mayo on them, then sliced (now this is a WHOLE new experience for me!!) some

SMOKED BUFFALO MOZARELLA cheese

I bought last weekend at Penn Mac in the Strip District.

Oh people – let me tell you…. actually – I can’t describe how YUMMY it is!!!

My favorite before this was smoked gouda, but WOWZERS, did this make for a good tomato sammie!! (and I’m thinkin’ I must have a thing for smoked cheese…)

On top of the sliced cheese, I layered some fresh basil as if it were lettuce (oh how I love the anisey, licorice-like taste and smell of fresh basil!), then finally the tomatoes, a pinch of salt, and smooshed it down.

And seriously – I’m sorry I did not get a very good photo, but I did not have the patience to check it before diving into it, and then it was too late for any retakes. 😐

So I hope I described it well enough to get you to try. A simple, but oh so delish sandwich for a hot summer lunch or dinner or snack! Heck – – – I’d even eat this for breakfast!

Enjoy!

Cheers & Hugs,

Jodi

A Trip to the Strip – It’s a ‘Burgh Thing

August 31, 2014August 30, 2014 / Jodi / 6 Comments

Anybody that knows anything about Pittsburgh (aka da ‘Burgh) knows a Trip to the Strip – – Strip District that is – – is a must to get the full “flavor” of our amazing city. Whether you are shopping for fresh produce…

in a range of colors…

or looking to “spice up your life”

with the best smoky paprika – or my (are you ready for the “big reveal?”) top secret ingredient to my baked beans recipe – Penzy’s Barbecue of the Americas spice,

The Strip District is the place to go. The Strip District is a neighborhood in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania that is about a half square mile area of land northeast of the central business district bordered to the north by the Allegheny River and to the south by the Hill District. The Strip District runs between 11th and 33rd Streets and includes three main thoroughfares — Smallman Street, Penn Avenue, and Liberty Avenue — as well as various side streets.

So Saturday was the day for my buddy Janet and me. Janet had not been to the Strip since she was a child, and since she is only around for a few months in the summer before heading South, we decided to squeeze a field trip in.

After sniffing our way through Penzy’s, we visited In the Kitchen where we admired this beautiful Polish Pottery. Can you find Janet? Her top blends in with the pottery pattern! 🙂

The streets are filled with yummy treats – like these whoopee pies, cannoli, apple strudel, macaroons,

lady fingers, and sticky buns, and mini pineapple upside down cakes – oh my!

Mike Feinberg’s is THEE iconic place to find your ‘Burgh-theme party supplies.

It is black ‘n gold through and through

for anything Pixburg or Stillers

even black ‘n gold flamingos to go with the sweet glasses Janet found!

I wanted to get her these tights for Christmas – we’ll see….. look out Jan!

There are colorful fruit kabobs…

and colorful artistic displays…

and a trip to the Strip is just not complete without a visit to Pennsylvania Macaroni Company – Penn Mac to us Yinzers.

You will find bucket after bucket of every kind of olive

pickled peppers, and pickles

pitted and stuffed….

or fresh and unpitted.

The Parmigiana Reggianno and fresh homemade mozzarella is the best outside of Italy (and of course I bought both AND some awesome olives).

Here’s a little glimpse of my basket…

Some of the sweetest music can be heard on the streets by local street artists.

But Black ‘n Gold definitely reigns supreme on these streets.

So if Yinz need any Stillers or Buccos or Penguins gear – The Strip is your one-stop shop.

Janet and I discovered the most amazing store of all on this trip!

Strip District Meats!

Not only because you can find boneless python – for only $35.95 per pound – because who likes bones in their python?!?!?!

But mainly because of Henry!

Henry has worked at Strip District Meats for 11 years, and he is the most amazingly sweet, informed, fun, and charming salesperson and butcher you will ever meet!

Not only did he specially cut Janet’s Lamb Chops exactly to her specification (which just so happened to be whatever Henry thought was best!),

but that little charmer talked me into buying a couple of Wagyu Steaks for Marty and me at the GREAT DEAL of only $19.95 – drastically on sale from the usual $31.95 per pound. Oh they better be good Henry! He went through three cases to pick the best two out for me. Did you know Wagyu Beef are given daily massages and beer to drink (which so appealed to another shopper near me that he asked to be signed up to be a Wagyu Cow, until Henry gently reminded him – with a swift hand motion across the neck – that they get their heads cut off after about 18 months of this spa-like treatment…

But if Wagyu or Lamb Chops are not your “cup of tea,” how about some Ground Camel – or Alligator – or Kangaroo – or Ostrich – or only the finest hind legs of rabbit?????!!!!!…..

Melanie was Henry’s apprentice, and just as sweet – and even a little cuter (if that is possible 🙂 ). What a great place to shop that I will never miss again when visiting the Strip!

There is any kind of bread you might crave,

and a visit to the iconic Wholey’s is a must before ending your day at the strip.

And look what I found!! Striped Bass!! (Could our one that got away be in there?!?!?) (and if you look really close – you can find me in this picture – you know – the one with the camera – caught in the mirror above the fish tank)

In case you need some fish heads or bones, the price is right…

and they are quite fresh!

Janet and I split an amazing Lobster Roll and one of Wholey’s Famous fish sandwiches for lunch before ending our shopping excursion and running out of money.

It was a great day to go “dahntahn.”

Cheers & Hugs,

Jodi

It’s My 100th Post! How Long is a Jiffy?

August 19, 2014August 19, 2014 / Jodi / 7 Comments

It’s my 100th Post @ lifeinbetween.me!

Woohoo! sounds like a reason for cupcakes with sprinkles – eh?! 🙂

What a joy this has been so far to share with all of you, and I am looking forward to another 100 or so if yinz all don’t mind.

Instead of letting the stress of what to say “special” in my 100th post, I just went with what was in my head and heart today – nothing extra special…. just random stuff from me…. at… Life in Between.

I must say, this first 100 posts and days sure flew by in a “jiffy!”

Did you know a “jiffy” is an actual unit of time?

I didn’t…

I did know, however, that a pinch of salt is six shakes – did you?

It was one of the (ahem) very few Trivial Pursuit questions I got right back in the day – and you know how I knew?

When my mother-in-law taught me to make pie crust years and years and years ago – the recipe was: 1 cup of flour, a heaping 1/3 cup of shortening, 6 shakes of salt, and enough water to make dough.

That recipe is ingrained in my head, and I always smile when I make it and shake six times and think of my mother-in-law. She loved to play games, and I loved that she loved to enjoy life and have fun.

Here are some more amazing (and mostly useless) facts* I thought were so interesting…

More than 50% of the people in the world have never made or received a telephone call.
The sentence “The quick brown fox jumps over the lazy dog” uses every letter of the alphabet.
The “sixth sick sheik’s sixth sheep’s sick” is said to be the toughest tongue twister in the English language…try it!
No word in the English language rhymes with month.
Shakespeare invented the words ‘assassination’ and ‘bump’.
“Stewardesses” is the longest word typed with only the left hand, ‘lollipop’ with your right.
The name of all the continents end with the same letter that they start with.
The words ‘racecar’ and ‘kayak’ are the same whether they are read left to right or right to left.
TYPEWRITER is the longest word that can be made using the letters from only one row of the keyboard.
There are two words in the English language that have all five vowels in order: “abstemious” and “facetious.”
There is a word in the English language with only one vowel, which occurs five times: “indivisibility.”
The only 15-letter word that can be spelled without repeating a letter is “uncopyrightable.”
A “jiffy” is an actual unit of time for 1/100th of a second.

* From a Weekly e-Newsletter I receive from Boyd & Nicholas Now Simione Healthcare Consultants that I always enjoy! If you would like to receive it, you can sign up here. Disclaimer: None of these “factoids” have been verified.
Source: Welcome to TIPS for Extraordinary Living”
Written & Published by Philip E. Humbert, PhD http://www.philiphumbert.com

You never know what you might find here, but thanks for stopping by!

Cheers & Hugs,

Jodi

Pittsburgh-Style Sprinkle Thumbprint Cookies

August 6, 2014August 5, 2014 / Jodi / 20 Comments

So – we have already discussed that we Pittsburghers do cookies for weddings. Right?

Massive cookie tables that serve as appetizers, desserts (along with cake!), and take-home treats/gifts/doggie bags.

Pittsburgh is also kinda famous for our twist on the traditional thumbprint cookie, which is typically filled with jam or fruit preserves and rolled in nuts.

Nope – in the Burgh, we do sprinkles and icing on our thumbprints!

Many of the local bakeries as well as our large grocery store chain, Giant Eagle, make and sell these by the hundreds of dozens. They come in a variety of colors of icing and sprinkles and there is also a chocolate icing version.

The ones I made this week are blue because, well – they are for an upcoming wedding (WOOHOO Jackie and Matt – only a little over a week to go!) – and I wanted to match the wedding color theme (as close as possible with sprinkles and icing – there are only so many shades of blue sprinkles available….)

Here are the ones I made last year for Jake and Colleen’s wedding in yellow.

I must give credit to two great baking bloggers for this recipe: Michelle – Brown Eyed Baker and Chelsea – Chelsea Bakes.

Pittsburgh-Style Sprinkle Thumbprint Cookies:

2½ cups all-purpose flour
½ teaspoon salt
1 cup butter, at room temperature
1 cup powdered sugar
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
Sprinkles of your color choice

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.

2. Using an electric mixer on medium-high speed, cream together the butter, powdered sugar and vanilla extract until light and fluffy, about 3 minutes. Reduce the mixer speed to low and add the flour and salt. Once it is mostly incorporated, slowly increase the speed back to medium-high and beat for another minute or so until a dough forms.

3. Form tablespoons of dough into balls and roll in the sprinkles. If dough is a bit dry, you can add a little bit of milk or cream or put on your hands when rolling the balls to allow sprinkles to stick.

4. Place on baking stone about 1 – 1/2 inches apart. Make a slight indentation with your thumb or finger on the tops of all the cookies.

5. Bake for 8 minutes, then make a deeper indentation in the middle, and bake for an additional 7-8 minutes. The cookies should not brown much at all around the edges. Transfer the cookies to a wire rack to cool completely.

Icing:
3/4 cup powdered sugar
1 tablespoon corn syrup
1 1/2 tablespoons milk or cream
Pinch salt
1/4 tsp vanilla
1 tsp butter, room temperature
food color of your choice

Stir together all ingredients until smooth, then drop a spoonful into each cooled cookie.

I liken the taste of this buttery cookie to that of shortbread. It is thick and moist and dense and tender flaky all at once.

You need to allow these cookies to cool for quite a long time for the icing to “set.” I leave mine on racks overnight and then place in Ziploc Freezer bags.

To make the chocolate frosting version, see Michelle’s recipe on her Brown Eyed Baker Blog here.

Enjoy these Burgh style cookies.

Cheers & Hugs,

Jodi

A Kangaroo Burger at Burgatory!

August 4, 2014August 3, 2014 / Jodi / 4 Comments

After a “brief” 3 -hour (yep – we rushed!) visit to Hobby Lobby on Saturday with a couple of my favorite girls – my sweet “daughter” in law, Colleen, and one of my BFFs, Janet, to look at/purchase/limit ourselves to various crafty supplies and home décor, followed by a visit to Volkweins’s Music to check in on one of our favorite guys – Jake – we ladies were FAMISHED. It was 3:30 and none of us had had breakfast or lunch – with the exception of coffee and a biscoff blondie :).

None of us had been to #Burgatory yet, so were excited to try! It was a great time to go. We hear there are long lines and standing room only at lunch and dinner time – but since we went at an odd “in between” time for lunch/dinner/linner/whatever you want to call eating at 3:30pm – there was no wait!

I told our awesome waiter Andrew, I would be blogging about this, so I wanted to know what the BEST burger was. He recommended Morty’s Steakhouse.

In addition to being famished – we were extremely parched and excited to try some refreshing cocktails. It was a hot day, and though I am typically a wine or G&T kinda gal, I had a hankerin’ for a beer, so I took Andrew’s recommendation on an amazing IPA. Janet had a Raspberry Ginger Beer combo and Colleen had a “lemonade.” We kinda wanted to try one of their famous drunken “hard milkshake” cocktails, but decided you can only handle so much in one day! CHEERS!

While we were waiting for our food, I had to grab a shot of this humongous sign that might need to be everyone’s Mantra – Honor Thy Burger & Thy Mother! Look at the friendly chap smilin’ for me :).

Andrew was awesome – and (ahem) CHECK OUT the MORTY’S STEAKHOUSE BURGER! It seriously has a huge steak knife jabbed in it to keep it together!

Janet was the brave one of the three of us and willing to take the risk for the sake of us all and tried the KANGAROO Burger. Apparently they choose a different game burger to feature each weekend, and we hit on Kangaroo weekend. This “sandwich” consisted of: garlic crusted kangaroo with cheddar, braised short ribs, roasted cauliflower puree, onion marmalade and mixed greens on brioche. We all tasted it. EVEN Colleen! Probably our first and last time to have kangaroo. Not bad – but not great either.

Colleen had the Standard Deluxe: All natural beef burger with white American cheese, lettuce, tomato, onion, and the house burger sauce. She loved it.

And now – the piece de resistance – the MORTY’S STEAKHOUSE! (and yes – there is a burger under that bountiful bouquet of haystack onions. Are you ready for this? Peppercorn crusted beef burger with horseradish cheddar, haystack onions and cabernet sauce. Like the greatest steak dinner you’ve ever had reincarnated as a burger.

Andrew was right. IT WAS THE BEST! Done to a perfect medium for me. Had to smash it down and crush all those crunchy yummy onions to fit in your mouth, but oh so worth it!

A cute touch at the end of the meal is a custom fortune cookie with a Burgatory twisted message inside actually the best fortune cookie I ever ate. It was super fresh and very vanilla-ee, and the messages were fun.

We would have had a great time wherever we went, but we enjoyed our experience at Burgatory. (even if a burger linner set us back a mere $85 – counting a generous tip for Andrew!) – Budget Shmudget!

Cheers & Hugs,

Jodi

S’More Cookies Please!

July 8, 2014July 6, 2014 / Jodi / 13 Comments

I could barely wait to share this recipe for S’More Cookies that I made on Sunday!

OOOOO LAAAA LAAAA!!!

It’s like a campfire memory in a cookie!

I was inspired to make these as I began thinking about cookies to bake for Jackie’s Wedding (which is only a month away!!! Sooooo excited!!!).

the beautiful bride to be, Jackie, at her bridal shower, with yours truly

For those of you that don’t live in or around Pittsburgh – aka “Da ”Burgh,” – we have what I’ve come to learn is an unusual tradition at weddings. (Much like french fries on salads, calling rubber bands “gum bands”, calling groups of people “Yinz,” being the ultimate “Stillers” and “Buccos” sports fans, calling bologna “Jumbo” and – oh – I could go on and on about our wonderful Pittsburghese – isms! 🙂 )

We have Cookie Tables at weddings.

VERY large cookie tables.

Like where Cookies are APPETIZERS and DESSERT… AND go with the meal…

The Cookie Table at Jake and Colleen’s Wedding on July 13, 2013 @ Gable Farms, Lake Latonka, PA

And just to be sure you understand correctly – this does not mean we don’t have wedding cake…. Oh my no – we have BOTH – cookies AND cake!

So when thinking of how to best celebrate our sweet Jackie and what kind of cookies to bake, I thought of S’Mores – which are Jackie’s favorite treat – and I found this amazing recipe by Jen at CarlsbadCravings.com.

I couldn’t think of anything to make it any better, so here is Jen’s recipe exactly as she posted. I hope you don’t mind me sharing Jen! (Photos are of the ones I baked.)

The only things I changed were that I baked for only 7 minutes on baking stones in my convection oven. I always under bake slightly and let set on stones to finish. I also added about an extra 1/4 cup flour, which I often do to cookie recipes to give them more fullness and chewiness.

Soft and Chewy S’more Cookies

Author: Jen@CarlsbadCravings.com

Serves: 3 dozen 2″ cookies (of course I doubled the recipe 🙂 )

Ingredients

¾ cup butter, softened
½ cup white sugar
½ packed brown sugar
1 egg
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 ¼ cups all-purpose flour
1 cup graham cracker crumbs
¼ teaspoon salt
½ teaspoon baking soda
1 ½ cups semi-sweet chocolate chips
2 Hershey bars, broken
1 cup mini marshmallows

Instructions:

Cream together butter and sugars; mix in egg and vanilla.
Add flour, graham cracker crumbs, baking soda and salt. Mix until smooth.
Stir in chocolate chips and chocolate chunks until well combined.
Drop by heaping tablespoons onto cookie sheet about 3 inches apart.
Bake at 375 degrees for 8 minutes. Remove and quickly press marshmallows into cookies. Return to oven and cook until done, about 3-4 minutes

If you like s’mores, you will love these cookies.

I’ll be making these for Jackie’s wedding – most likely AGAIN – as I’m not sure these will last……

Cheers and Hugs,

Jodi

Birds in our Backyard – Better than Bravo TV

June 28, 2014June 26, 2014 / Jodi / 3 Comments

Birds have to eat – even when it is pouring down rain.

But really, Buddy – couldn’t you have waited a little bit longer for this torrential stuff to stop – eh?!

Look how SOAKED this poor little guy is?
———-

I’m thinking it is a true sign of – ahem – middle age – err – approaching senior when you start loving to watch birds…. Please prove me wrong friends, and say it isn’t so!

When Marty first started putting up birdfeeders and watching birds and getting bird books and binoculars and telescopes and citing them by name (we think this is a rose-breasted grosbeak, but correct me if I’m wrong), I laughed.

(Just like when he started listening to country music years ago, and I poo pooed it, until one day I realized I was singing along too!) OY VEY!

But Dangit – I gotta say – I’m into this bird watching stuff now too!

Our back deck looks out into the woods, and it is practically a bird sanctuary.

To just listen to them singing all day is quite amazing, but to see them flying around, feeding, sometimes fighting over the feeders, bringing their families in – wow – it’s quite mesmerizing. (Sure beats the multitude of episodes of Housewives and Kardashians, which I have finally and completely tired of!)

Look at this cute little one waiting it’s turn.

Yep – I’ve become a bird watcher…

I’ve yet to capture my favorite pair of yellow finches. I think I get so fascinated watching them, I forget to grab my camera.

I also want to capture some of the other woodpeckers (several varieties hanging out here) and the beautiful orange bellied orioles and vibrant red cardinals, but have not been successful yet.

Even Mikey likes to watch them…

And they tolerate him 🙂

Yep – bird watching in our backyard is better than Bravo – any day – rain or shine….

at Life In Between.

Cheers and Hugs,

Jodi

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the creative life in between

cherishing the moments and exploring my passion for creativity… through art, photography, food, and writing

Pittsburgh

A Very Special Officer & Gentleman

The World Needs More Henrys

#Writing101 Day Six: A Character-Building Experience

Zesty Italian Roast Beef Sammies

The Best Sandwich I Ever Made!

A Trip to the Strip – It’s a ‘Burgh Thing

It’s My 100th Post! How Long is a Jiffy?

It’s my 100th Post @ lifeinbetween.me!

Pittsburgh-Style Sprinkle Thumbprint Cookies

A Kangaroo Burger at Burgatory!

Birds in our Backyard – Better than Bravo TV

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