The Meanest Mother

I had the meanest mother in the world! While other kids ate candy for breakfast, I had to eat : eggs , bacon , and toast. When others had a Cokes and cookies for lunch, I had to eat a sandwich and drink milk. As you can probably guess, my dinner was much different too. But at least I wasn't alone in my sufferings, I had a brother and two sisters that had the same mean mother that I did.
My mother insisted upon knowing where we were at all times. You'd thinkwe were part of a chain gang. She had to know our friends and what we were doing. She insisted if we said we would be gone an hour- then we were to be back in an hour or less. Not an hour and one minute!
I am nearly ashamed to admit it, but she actually struck us. Not once, but each time that we decided to do as we pleased! Can you imagine someone hitting a child for disobeying? Now you can see just how mean she really was!
The worst is yet to come. We had to be in bed by nine oclock each night and up early the next day. We couldnt sleep until noon like some of our friends. So while they slept, my mother actually had the nerve to break the child labor law. She made us WORK! We had to do dishes, make beds, learn to cook and all sorts of cruel things! I believe she laid awake at night trying to think of ways to be mean to us. She always insisted on the truth, even if it killed us, and sometimes it nearly did!
By the time we were teenagers, she was much wiser and our life became even more unbearable. None of this tooting the horn of a car for us to come running. She embarrassed us to no end making our dates and friends come to the door for us. I forgot to mention that while my friends were dating at the mature age of 13 & 14, my old fashioned mother refused to let me date until the age of 15. That was only to go to school or church functions. That was maybe twice a year!
My mother was a complete failure. None of us has ever been arrested, divorced, or beaten his mate! Each of my brothers served in the military. Who do you think we can blame for the terrible way we turned out? Youre right...our mother! Look at all the things we missed. WE never got to march in a protest parade, take part in a riot, burn draft cards, or a million and one things that our friends did. She forced us to grow up God-fearing, educated and honest adults.
Using this as a background, I am trying to rear my children. I can stand a little taller and I am filled with pride when my children call me mean. Because you see, I thank God He gave me the meanest mother in the world.

submitted by: Pastor Doug DeNeul

Mother Loves Peanutbutter Cups

Makes 12 large peanut butter cups

About 1/2 cup powdered sugar (more or less)

1 cup creamy peanut butter (if you use "natural," which means it has nothing added, you'll have to stir the oil in first)

1 bag chocolate chips (I used Ghiradelli, whose bags oddly weigh 11.5 ounces, but most brands offer 12-ounce bags. Milk chocolate is softest and tastes most like Reese's)

12 paper muffin cups, halved (so they're only half as high)

Stir the powdered sugar into the peanut butter. The amount you use will depend on how runny your peanut butter is and on how stiff or gooey you want the inside of your cups to be. (More sugar makes it stiffer; less keeps it gooey.) Stir in a couple of tablespoons of sugar at a time; once you have the texture you're looking for, set this mixture aside.

Microwave three-quarters of the chocolate chips at one-minute intervals, stirring after each minute until it's warm enough that it will melt if you stir it for another minute. This should take about three minutes. Then add in the last quarter of the chips and stir until they're melted.

Spread the chocolate over the bottom and sides of the halved muffin papers, making sure to cover all the paper. This tends to get a little messy, but there are worse things than getting chocolate on your fingers, right? Put the paper cups in a muffin tin so they'll harden in the right shape. Freeze the chocolate-coated papers in the muffin tin for 5 minutes.

Take them out of the freezer and spoon the peanut butter mixture into the chocolate cups, spreading it around so it covers the bottom of the cups but still leaves enough space for the top coating of chocolate.

Use the rest of the melted chocolate to cover completely.

Store in the fridge. Once they're set, peel off the muffin paper.

Serve at room temperature so they're soft and luscious.

H.B. Reese was born in 1879 on a farm in Frosty Hill, Penn., and worked for the Hershey's Food Corp. Inspired by the success of his employer as well as by his distaste for farming, Reese decided to give the candy industry a shot. By the mid-1950s, his peanut butter cups were so popular they needed their own factory. By the 1960s, Hershey had bought him out.

The marriage of mood-enhancing chocolate with healthful peanut butter was clearly a match made in heaven. Indeed, it's already lasted more than three-quarters of a century and, according to Hershey's, it's the top-selling candy in America.

And while Hershey's has been messing around with the recipe lately -- coating some cups in white chocolate, adding caramel to others -- as usual, simplicity is beauty. White chocolate and caramel both deserve attention, but not here. Not now. Please, not in our peanut butter cups.

Because peanut butter and chocolate belong together like -- well, like moms and their kids. Think about it: Peanut butter cups start with what many tired moms consider a staple food -- chocolate. This is then used to surround -- to hug, if you will -- the most ubiquitous children's food of our times. Best of all, they're easy enough for kids to make by themselves (or maybe with one helpful adult sous chef nearby), thereby completing the mother-child circle of love.

FRESH & SWEET

Sugar and spice make everything nice, but sugar and citrus make gift-giving delicious.

Consider it your go-to gift for the season: citrus sugars in lemon, lime and orange, all packaged up in an old-fashioned milk-bottle caddy that’s as sweet as the homemade contents it carries. This refreshing sugar is simple to concoct whether you’re heading to Easter brunch at the in-laws, need a last minute get-well gift for a friend, or just want to say “Happy Spring” to someone you love. And it can be used by its lucky recipient in many yummy ways, from a topping on breakfast-in-bed-worthy pancakes to a substitute for plain sugar in a pound cake recipe, or as a surprising sweetener for iced tea. Then there’s the added bonus for you: The heavenly fragrance will fill your kitchen, making your effort feel downright delightful. The Recipe 2 cups granulated sugar Zest of 2 lemons, 2 limes or 1 orange Place the sugar and the zest of one kind of fruit into a food processor. Pulse until well blended. Spread the mixture onto a rimmed baking sheet for approximately 1 hour to dry. Repeat with zest from the other fruits. Other ideas and free labels can be found at: www.hallmark.com

What's Your Favorite Flower?

MARRIAGE SEMINAR
While attending a Marriage Seminar dealing with communication, Tom and his wife Grace listened to the instructor, "It is essential that husbands and wives know each other's likes and dislikes." He addressed the man, "Can you name your wife's favorite flower?" Tom leaned over, touched his wife's arm gently and whispered, "It's Pillsbury, isn 't it?

Want Some New Holidays?

The year is speeding past...January, February- - - - -March! Where did the weeks go? Guess what, Mom? That means only about 9 more weeks of school! That really puts it in perspective! It seems like only yesterday that everyone was shoppping for school supplies and new lunch boxes! Now its already time to look for Easter outfits and baskets.
One of my pet peeves is women saying that they didnt have a good holiday( Christmas, Easter, etc.) because is caught them by surprize! My response is...."The holidays are pretty predictible! They come the SAME time every year! Fourth of July is always ...fourth of July~! Imagine that. We always have a whole year to plan for the holidays!
Make the year fun with holidays....there is almost one for everyday! Just ask Hallmark!
for instance: MARCH 1st is PIG DAY!






Heres some HOGWASH......

Stink like a pig A classic example of hogwash. To say this would insult any average pig. Pigs are very clean animals and have virtually no odour.
Sweating like a pig Pigs do not sweat, they have no sweat glands - this is why they like to roll in the mud to cool off.
Eat like a pig This isn't hogwash. A pig does love to eat and it's not the prettiest sight either.

National Pig Day. The 1st of March is set aside especially for pigs. It was started by Texas art teacher Ellen Stanley in 1972 to honour and give thanks to our most intelligent domesticated creature.

And you thought you had all the holidays covered!!
Variety is the spice of life...add a few "new" holidays to your year!
For more fun holidays...go to: www.earthcalendar.net/

Asparagus Ham Rolls
I love this delicious recipe because it includes three of my favorite locally produced foods—ham, asparagus and cheese. Prepared with leftover Easter ham and fresh asparagus, these rolls make an excellent springtime meal. —Laurie Timm Minneiska, Minnesota
INGREDIENTS 2 tablespoons butter or margarine 1/4 cup all-purpose flour 2 cups milk 1/2 cup shredded cheddar cheese 1/4 teaspoon salt 1/4 teaspoon white pepper 24 fresh or frozen asparagus stalks 8 thin slices fully cooked ham (about 1/2 pound) 1/4 cup bread crumbs
DIRECTIONS In a saucepan, melt butter; stir in flour and cook until thick. Gradually stir in milk and cook until bubbly and thickened. Stir in cheese, salt and pepper. Remove from heat. Place three asparagus stalks on each ham slice. Roll up; secure with toothpicks if necessary. Place in 13-in. x 9-in. x 2-in. baking pan; cover with cheese sauce. Sprinkle with crumbs. Bake at 375° for 20 minutes. Yield: 8 servings.

Start Planning for Easter Treats

Easter Bunny Treats
INGREDIENTS 2/3 cup vanilla frosting 30 large marshmallows Pink gel or paste food coloring Red and pink heart-shaped decorating sprinkles 60 miniature marshmallows
Frost the tops of 12 large marshmallows; stack a large marshmallow on top of each. Quarter the remaining large marshmallows; set aside for ears. Tint 1/4 cup frosting pink. Cut a small hole in the corner of a pastry or plastic bag; place pink frosting in bag. Pipe a ribbon between the stacked marshmallows for bow tie. With white frosting, attach red hearts for eyes and a pink heart for nose. Pipe pink whiskers and smile. For ears, pipe the center of quartered marshmallows pink; attach to head with white frosting. With the remaining white frosting, attach the miniature marshmallows for legs and tail. Let stand until dry. Yield: 1 dozen.

FEBRUARY

When I was a child February was one of the hardest words for me to spell. Doesnt it seem like it has too many "r's" in it? Especially the way we say it in Alabama...FEB-U-WARY! Whose idea was it to throw in that extra "r"?