A Little Behind

I guess you noticed that I missed Operation Organization this week. Well, I didn't even get my organizing done last week. I'm just so busy right now. I'm meeting myself coming and going. After this weekend, things should calm down a little.

What's got me so busy---you ask? Several things---classes, going out-of-town, planning dinners for a couple of social events---and the fact that Butch and I have started a new business. I'm still in the learning stage, but basically, if you are interested in saving money on your utilities (cable, phone, internet, security system---and in some places, gas and electric---anywhere in the world) contact me. I'll soon post in more detail and share with your our savings. I've been skeptical, but then when we got our new bills and can actually see big savings, I'm "sold." Enough of that.

This past weekend, we went on our Eads' girls annual scrapbook retreat. We go to a state park. About all I can say about that is that you can rely on the cabins being clean. They are old and not very nice, but they are really cheap. We were pleasantly surprised to find that we got a remodeled one. It was very nice---except for this:

 Yes, you are seeing correctly. They are mushrooms---growing in the kitchen next to the refrigerator.

This is what we awoke to the next morning. 

 This is how big they were by Sunday morning. Apparently, they did not put the base moulding back on after painting. It sort of creeped us out. Mushrooms are a fungus which makes us wonder how clean the place really is. Eeeewwww!

 I had planned to make Sandy's Cranberry Orange Muffins. I had a feeling getting fresh cranberries at this time of year could be a problem. The lady in produce said I could find them in the freezer section, Well, they didn't have any frozen cranberries. I decided to substitute frozen blueberries. So exactly what is "fun" about blueberries and what does that have to do with healthy and firm? Anyway, the substitution didn't work. Even though I rinsed them, the muffins came out grey and the texture was off. I ended up throwing them out. In hindsight, I should have just bought fresh blueberries. That thought never entered my mind while I was in the store.

 The Eads girls brought these. Apparently, Lays had some sort of contest to come up with new flavors of chips. The chicken & waffle ones were as gross as they sound. Mindy hit the nail on the head---think chicken bouillon and syrup. What's NOT to like about cheesy garlic bread?

I brought these new appetizer/snacks. Connie was telling me that Amanda had them at a party. A little search on Pinterest and I found a recipe:
Bacon Appetizers
Club crackers
brown sugar
bacon

Put about a teaspoon of brown sugar on the cracker. Cut the bacon in half and wrap around the cracker.  Line them up on a cooling rack and bake on top of a cookie sheet (make sure it has edges to catch the grease). Bake at 250 degrees for 2 hours. (Yep, 2 hours). They will get dark, but that's okay. They were delicious---sort of that sweet salty thing---but not chicken and syrup.

 Here are the girls---from the left---Marci, Sara, Stephanie, Mindy and Bridget. We missed Sandy this year, but due to Greg's travel schedule and their relative "newness" to Charlotte, she just couldn't leave. She'll be with us next year.

We did get a lot of scrapbooking, card making, stitching, and organizing done. Steph sorted photos. Sara sorted recipes. But, above all, there was a lot of laughter. We always have a good time and poke good-natured fun at each other.

I'll be posting the layouts on the AYM blog here. But not yet. Maybe later today. I'm off to Morgan's National Honor Society Induction and on to Butch's eye doctor for a procedure---then cooking with Karolyn later this afternoon for our Cajun dinner on Saturday night. I'm already tired!

No "Operation Organization" for me this week. Take the time off or catch up on something from previous weeks. Click on the link above to find out what we've done so far.