HoNey BeeS, PoTaTo CHiP CooKieS WiTH CHoCoLaTe CHiPS aND a ReaLLy GReaT WoMaN

Honey bees ...
I am a vegetarian.  I often think of myself as a vegetarian with vegan tendencies.  Vegans don't eat anything that is an animal biproduct (i.e. meats, eggs, dairy of any kind).  They also don't use animal biproducts in other aspects of their lives (i.e. furs, leather).  I am very big on saving the planet and of not harming animals (or people) in any way.  I, however, do not have a problem with drinking milk, eating cheese or eating eggs - just don't eat actual flesh.  I often do research on being a vegetarian because I'm always concerned that I'm not eating healthy enough - getting enough protein or other nutrients, for example.  During this research, I found a VERY interesting article about honey bees. 

I had never even thought about honey being something that I should or should not eat.  I'm not really a honey fan - I don't drink it in my tea or use it much in my cooking - but I do make my own honey mustard and have heard a lot of people say that they use it in place of sugar in some of their cooking.  Us eating honey, though, is not only harmful to the bees themselves, but also to our food supply.  Very interesting article - check it out.

The biggest thing that I learned from it - something I REALLY didn't know is:  "After a bee swallows floral nectar, it is partially digested in its primary stomach where the bee adds its own digestive secretion.  It is then regurgitated.  This bee vomit is called honey and is considered to be food by the people who take it from their hives."  Um...yeah...

http://planetgreen.discovery.com/food-health/reason-vegans-honey.html

Potato chip cookies with chocolate chips ...

Today was a fun baking day for me.  See, I have been talking about these cookies for months - and everyone I have said it to has given me the WEIRDEST look.  My mother made them when I was younger and today, when my roommate told me she was heading to the grocery store, I asked her to grab me a few extra things that I needed to make them.  Potato chip cookies with chocolate chips.  Yum!!  Very country - and very delicious.  My roommate went back for a couple more and her two daughters each ate two in one sitting.  Not only do I have yet another "out there" cookie to sell to my customers, but I also came up with a new idea for sugar cookies.

See, I hate sugar cookies.  HATE them!!  I like to make them - roll them out, use the cookie cutters, bake 'em and decorate 'em - but I have yet to find a plain sugar cookie that I just love the flavor of.  To me they taste well just ... flat!!  But after today - hmmm ... - instead of just white sugar ... what happens if I add in other sugars too??  I sound rather cryptic, I know, but that's because I'm afraid to share my ideas on here considering that I own a sweets business.  If I give away my secret recipes, why do they need me?  Let me see what happens with my idea and I'll get back to you.

A really great woman...

The absolutely beautiful woman in the picture is my Grandma Margie.  A great woman ... with a wonderful heart.  Mother to seven ... grandmother to many.  She died way too young, I feel, and I miss her a lot.  She ... she always made me feel loved, special and wanted ... even when I didn't feel like I deserved to be loved by anyone.  She was always proud of me ... always glad to hear my voice on the phone.  I've been thinking about her a lot lately - as I'm working hard to make my life better and to reach all those goals that she always told me I could do.  I wish she was here now to see.  I wish I could hear her tell me one last time how much she loves me, how proud she is of me.  Sometimes I feel like she's standing there watching me, when I'm doing what I love doing.  Sometimes I see her smiling.  I love you Grandma - and I miss you so much.

I've been writing a letter to my Grandfather - the handsome gentleman standing next to her in this picture.  He is such a great guy - and the last of my grandparents alive.  Honestly, I am a little afraid of him and always was.  He was never mean to me - sometimes very honest when I really needed someone to be that, but never mean.  I still see him as I did as a child - very much taller than me.  He was also quiet.  I will always remember when I'd call the house to talk to them - most often it was him that would answer, but he always called my Grandma so she could get on the phone too.  Her and I would talk ... and he would listen ... every once in a while adding his two cents ... but he ALWAYS told me that he loved me before we got off the phone.  I remember him always being so serious growing up ... but I also remember his laugh (just thinking about it now makes me smile).  Can you tell I miss him?  But this letter is so hard for me to write.  All I want to say is that I love him and I miss him lots - but those few simple words seem so scary to write down on a piece of paper and actually send to him.  Maybe I should stop trying to make it so "perfect" and just write those few words.  They might be simple - but they do say a lot.