My REAL family

There is a truism that says you get to choose your friends, but you don’t get to choose your relatives. This is heard by many of us for the first time while being admonished by our parents about the kids we chose to hang around with.

Later in life, it is used to assure others that the behavior of a crazy uncle or cousin who lives in someone’s attic is not hereditary and has no bearing on our own disposition – present or future.
I have many family members (cousins, aunts, uncles, in-laws) that love me and I love them. I am proud to be their relative. Some I haven't seen in many years, but I continue to love them and cherish the times we have been able to spend together.Then there are those family members with whom, no matter what you do, will never be your family.

I have friends, some of you reading this, that are my family. Some of you, like Bob Jones, have stepped in many times to be my brother, when I needed one so desperately. And my friend Terry Kelly, my kindred spirit, the sister I never had. And my late cousin, Dave Long who loved me unconditionally and understood me - how I miss you tonight. And my beautiful college roommate, Jana Torgrimson, who has loved me through all the challenges that life has brought my way.

And so many more of you who have loved me and been a true friend and have been there for me when it counted.
Thank you to those of you who are my REAL family - to those of you who love me unconditionally.

Just because. Because we are family in our hearts.

The real facts about cookie calories!

If you eat a Christmas cookie fresh out of the oven, it has no calories because everyone knows that the first cookie is the test and thus calorie free.

If you drink a diet soda after eating your second cookie, it also has no calories because the diet soda cancels out the cookie calories.

If a friend comes over while you're making your Christmas cookies and needs to sample, you must sample with your friend. Because your friend's first cookie is calorie free, rule #1 is yours also. It would be rude to let your friend sample alone and, being the friend that you are, that makes your cookie calorie free, as well.

Any cookie calories consumed while walking around will fall to your feet and eventually fall off as you move. This is due to gravity and the density of the caloric mass.

Any calories consumed during the frosting of The Christmas cookies will be used up because it takes many calories to lick excess frosting from a knife without cutting your tongue.

Cookies colored red or green have very few calories. Red ones have three and green ones have five - one calorie for each letter. (Make more red ones!)

Cookies eaten while watching "Miracle on 34th Street" have NO calories because they are part of the entertainment package and not part of one's personal fuel.

As always, cookie 'pieces' contain no calories because the process of breaking causes calorie leakage.

Any cookies consumed from someone else's plate have no calories since the calories rightfully belong to the other person and will cling to their plate. (We all know how calories like to CLING!)

Any cookies consumed while feeling stressed have no calories because cookies used for medicinal purposes NEVER have calories. (It's a rule!)

Jenn's Journal - Third Annual Cookie Recipe Contest

Ok - never mind that I haven't posted a blog since January. This has become one of my rituals for Christmas - participating in the Jenn's Journal Virtual Cookie Exchange Recipe Swap Contest.....or whatever it's called!

Yes, I know I am going to have to advertise for anyone to even know this blog is here. Drop it! LOL I will do what I have to do.

For my entry this year, I have chosen something that was a fond memory from my childhood. I can remember my mother making these - especially at Easter time. And that little morsel of sweetness and coconut, crumbled in your mouth, every bite delicate and tender.

What is it? POTATO CANDY. Stay with me. It's very versatile and you can do a lot of different things with it.

Here is the basic recipe:

1/2 cup of cooked hot mashed potatoes
2 tsp of butter, softened
4-5 cups of confectioner's sugar (icing sugar)
dash of salt
2-3 cups of coconut
1 tsp. vanilla

With a mixer, combine the hot mashed potatoes, salt, vanilla and the butter. Slowly add 1 cup at a time, the confectioner's sugar until a stiff batter is formed. Mix in by hand the coconut. Roll into balls or form into logs. Dip in melted chocolate, if desired. Cool and store in an airtight container in the refrigerator.

***Note - add peppermint extract for a "Christmas" candy.

There are also variations that have you leave out the coconut, and rolled the "fondant" into a rectagular shape, spread with peanut butter, roll up and cut into slices for Potato Pinwheels.

You can also omit the coconut, roll the mixture into balls, tint the coconut with food coloring (red or green for Christmas) and make coconut balls.

You can even find Potato Fudge recipes and truly, the fudge is so good!

I hope some of you will try this recipe and have fun with it.

For links to more delicious recipes: http://www.jennsjournal.net/