I'm not a huge Will Ferrell fan, but......

This is pretty dang funny:

Carroll, Ferrell Pull Off Halloween Gag

As the door flew open on a camera tower high above the ground just outside Howard Jones Field, all eyes turned to a man inside screaming and waving his arms.As he hurled to the ground, players winced in horror. Fullback Stanley Havili ran toward the door, but before he could get there, he received good news."He caught him," a woman yelled.

With the man cradled in his arms, a masked superhero strolled into Howard Jones Field. Sure enough, "Captain Compete" turned out to be comedian Will Ferrell.After speaking to the team for a couple of minutes, Captain Compete got another chance to save a life, when a man engulfed in flames emerged from behind the goalposts.After the man was extinguished, Ferrell tried to help, launching a Gatorade cooler at the man ? not on the man."What a sense of timing that guy has," USC coach Pete Carroll said.The Halloween gag had most of the Trojans fooled."It felt awful," Havili said. "My stomach just dropped."Freshman defensive tackle Armond Armstead saw the man fall and thought tragedy struck."Seriously," he said, "I thought we just watched a dude die."The prank lightened the mood after the team finalized its week of practice "It was just a little something in the Halloween spirits," Carroll said. "I just thought we'd have a little fun."

Article by Dan Woike at USC Football

Looking for Simpler Life, Lawyer Burns Harvard Law Diploma

I think I just threw up a little...
"Ever want to ditch the rat race? Burn your diploma and take a vow of simplicity?
If you thought about it, but could never quite muster the courage to strike a match, you can live vicariously through "Jack," a Washington, D.C., a 30-something lawyer who announced on his blog in June that he is giving up his $300,000-plus annual salary and opting for a simpler life.
In Adventures in Voluntary Simplicity, Jack blogs about his excesses and exit strategies. Then on Oct. 27, he took a key symbolic step in that direction. He burned his Harvard law diploma and posted a video on YouTube for all the world to bear witness....."

Article from ABA Journal Online

I told you chocolate was the devil...

Horror-S'morer by Bent Objects

I'm hungry now. Does that make me a bad person?

Buzzzzzz

It's been way too long since I posted photos of Valerie. Luckily, her Halloween pictures came back today. We forgot her black and yellow magic wand at home that day, and I wish you could see her wings better on the black background, but I guess you really have to see her in a live appearance to get the full effect anyway. Maybe we'll be buzzing by to see you on Friday night!

Did You Know???

Betty Crocker Eat Your Heart Out

I love pumpkin recipes: pumpkin pie, pumpkin bread, pumkin muffins, and yes, pumpkin cookies. I try new recipes every year. And while I've had my fair share of disappointing experiments in the past, I have finally come up with one to write into my recipe book - in ink. If only a photo could do them justice...

Angela's Pumpkin Chip Cookies

INGREDIENTS

2 1/2 cups flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon nutmeg
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 1/2 cups sugar
1/2 cup of softened butter
1 cup pumpkin puree
1 egg
1 teaspoon vanilla
1 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips


DIRECTIONS

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.

Mix the flour, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon, nutmeg, and salt until well blended. In a large mixing bowl, beat the sugar and butter until well blended. Beat in the pumpkin, egg, and vanilla. Gradually add the flour mixture. Once all ingredients are well-mixed, add the chocolate chips.

Place spoonfuls on greased baking sheets. Bake approximately 12 minutes or until edges are firm. Let cookies cool on the baking sheet for several minutes and then place on a wire rack and cool completely.

Recipe makes approximately 3 dozen cookies.

Today I Love the Bomb Squad

Today the Boise Bomb Squad may have saved me from a bomb dapperly disguised as a stylish red briefcase... The "suspicious package" was, as luck would have it, next to a bench on the street directly beneath my window. I had to vacate my office while the robot picked up the briefcase and safely deposited it in the bomb truck. Now there's something more original than the old standby "the dog ate my homework."

I may not have worried quite so much, however, I then remembered that this building is just full of lawyers......

It was almost as scary as that time last year when they locked down the whole floor because some guy walked into the bank downstairs with a shotgun... Maybe I should relocate to Detroit, I hear it's safer there.

Halloween Funnies

Halloween Party at Angela's House

Halloween Party

A Fanciful Twist is hosting a Halloween Blog Party. How great is that? Go see what she did with her Mad Hatter's Tea Party last June.

This one is going to be amazing for sure! Now where did I put my party hat?

Halloween Banner

Decorate inside of house for Halloween. Check.

Make Valerie's costume. Check, check.

Halloween cards made. Check, check, check.

Halloween photos taken of Valerie in said costume to be placed inside said cards. Check, check, check, check.

Beg someone to make this banner for me...... how many checks was I on??


Photo from Woman's Day

I Really Really Love Cupcakes

I love cupcakes so much that I started a "Cupcake a Day" blog. But since I feel compelled to post lots of cutsey stuff to make up for the vomiting pumpkin, I figured I'd also post today's cupcake on this blog too.

I Love Hannah's Tutus

I stumbled upon Hannah's Tutus while looking for ideas for Valerie's Halloween costume. I wish I had found it BEFORE I spent hours making her costume. I would have just bought one. I may or may not have then tried to pass it off as my own creation. ;)

Anyway, Frugal Mommy of 2 Girls is having a Hannah's Tutu giveaway. You can win the Autumn Leaf Tutu pictured below.

A Picture is Worth a Thousand Words

Enough said.

A Smile for Your Friday

I Love BYU Brownies

So how is it I've never heard of BYU Brownies?? I have to thank Heather for righting this very, very serious wrong.

For any of you similarly kept in the dark, I present the recipe for my new favorite treat:

Ingredients:

1 c. margarine
1/2 c. cocoa
2 Tbsp. honey
4 eggs2 c. sugar
1 3/4 c. flour
1/2 Tbsp. baking powder
1/2 tsp. salt
1 c. chopped walnuts
12 oz. chocolate icing

MINT ICING
5 Tbsp. margarine
dash of salt
3 Tbsp. milk
1 Tbsp. light corn syrup
2 1/3 c. powdered sugar
1/2 tsp. mint extract
1-2 drops green food coloring


1. Melt margarine and mix in cocoa. Allow to cool. Add honey, eggs, sugar, flour, baking powder, and salt. Mix well. Add nuts. Pour batter into a greased 9-by-13 baking pan. Bake at 350 degrees for 25 minutes. Cool.

2. Prepare mint icing: Soften margarine. Add salt, corn syrup, and powdered sugar. Beat until smooth and fluffy. Add mint extract and food coloring. Mix. Add milk gradually until the consistency is a little thinner than cake frosting.

3. Spread mint icing over brownies. Place brownies in the freezer for a short time to stiffen the icing. Remove from the freezer and carefully add a layer of chocolate icing.

Hope you enjoy them as much as I did!!

A glimmer of hope....

Sometimes it's easy to forget that our country has been through darker times than the one it's facing now, but a quick review of recent history reveals multiple recessions/depressions/wars/crashes. America has always emerged on the other side - hopefully stronger for the wear.

I am a bit of a cynic when it comes to politics. As such, you're not likely to find me engaging in heated political discussions - despite the bachelor's degree in political science. In fact, I avoid the topic altogether whenever possible - just ask my husband (loyal Glenn Beck fan that he is).

It is quotations like the one below, however, that remind me of how important it is for the leader of our country to be able to inspire and motivate our people to maintain faith and optimism in the face of the media's feeding frenzy of negativity and doom.


"This is preeminently the time to speak the truth, the whole truth, frankly and boldly. Nor need we shrink from honestly facing conditions in our country today. This great Nation will endure as it has endured, will revive and will prosper. So, first of all, let me assert my firm belief that the only thing we have to fear is fear itself -- nameless, unreasoning, unjustified terror which paralyzes needed efforts to convert retreat into advance. In every dark hour of our national life a leadership of frankness and vigor has met with that understanding and support of the people themselves which is essential to victory. I am convinced that you will again give that support to leadership in these critical days."

(Franklin D. Roosevelt, Inaugural Address, March 4, 1933)

Now if Only I Could Get My Bank Account to Agree....

You Belong in Paris

Stylish and expressive, you were meant for Paris. The art, the fashion, the wine! Whether you're enjoying the cafe life or a beautiful park... You'll love living in the most chic place on earth.

What City Do You Belong In?

It's Beginning to Look a Lot Like Halloween

I've always loved Halloween. I love to get dressed up and pretend to be someone else. Also, it's as much fun to decorate the house for Halloween as it is to decorate for Christmas. I seem to have more and more fun every year. Being a mom has added the great fun of picking out Valerie's costume.

Here are some memories from Halloweens past...

And now for some of the possibilities for Halloweens yet-to-come...

So many costumes, so few October 31sts.....

No Cavities and Adventure Island

Valerie had her first dentist appointment this week. She loves to brush her teeth at home, so we were hoping it would go well. She let the dentist check her teeth and even let the hygienist clean them.

The staff looked at me like I was the first person to ever pull out a camera at a dentist appointment, but oh well...

We found the greatest new park in Meridian. It's called Adventure Island, and it has pirate ship and space ship themes. There are climbing rocks and a splash park for summer. There's also this section of giant musical instruments - xylophones and drums. Valerie was devastated when it was time to go.