Good Monday Morning Everybody!

Welcome back Tia Wow! You had a whole week of posting pent up there! I had to take TWO 'prep' breaks just while I was reading it Just another 3 hours and I'll be at the doctor's office and 4 until I'm 'on the table' so to speak. I'm sorry to hear that MOTY has effectively dumped KB on you and your Mom. You should have thought quickly and let her PAY you for it ...then at least some of the $$$ would be going for KB. Y'all could spend it doing things with them or even better put it in a savings account for each to have later in life. I am not sure I want to know this .. but WHAT exactly are pumpkin whoopie pies .. or am I better off NOT knowing??? Hugs, Mo

Hey Mo - Yes, did I mention I HATE dial-up? After my car is paid off next November, I'll be investing in a new 'puter and high-speed. Actually, funny that you mention $$$! I did tell Gary that if MOTY is going to pay someone, she can pay me. My thinking was that I would use it toward their activities for the day, but I LOVE your idea!! I could give it to them when they're of the age to buy a car, college, etc. What a great idea!! Thanks. You're right, you DON'T want to know about whoopie pies. They are EVIL! They're an Amish treat - the traditional is chocolate, they kind of look like big, overblown Oreo cookies. They're devil's food cake with a creamy white filling! YIKES! Like I said, the traditional is chocolate, but they now make them in pumpkin (DOUBLE YIKES!), red velvet, and chocolate chip varieties. I'm with Terry, they were a food group all their own prior to surgery - now, it takes me about two days to eat one. See, aren't you sorry you asked???!!! Tia

We just got Mr Mo a new puter and next on the list is to get Verizon FiOS high speed. I just have to figure out when I can stay home/still long enough to have them come out to do it. And you have to schedule it like 3 weeks in advance I've never been that unhappy with my dial up, but I'm sure that I'll be spoiled quickly once I have high speed. And, yes .. I think I might be sorry about the whoopie pie thing!!! Of course that chocolate one does sound appealing! Hugs, Mo

Hey Girlie, WB!! Glad to hear you're doing better. I'm glad you're doing better...darn pinkeye ruined chances to do 2 things together Can I call ya "Pinkie" now instead of "Purple Princess"? hehehe..j/k. Everythings okay, I was just having a bit of an emotional meltdown on Friday between trying on clothes at the store and spending time with my Mom. Yes, we are both getting anxious (so's my sister). We just want to get this over with and get it behind her. Plus it's just a busy time of year anyway. So after I got myself together I met my sister at the gym (that was one positive) and worked off some frustrations. I'm glad that at least the pinkeye didn't have you "down for the count" and you managed to get some of the stuff done that you wanted to do. I'm glad to hear the mixer worked out well for you. I just love mine! I gave my sister one for her Christmas/Birthday gift last weekend. She loved it. She hasn't used it yet. She's never been that interested in cooking (at all)...suddenly she's working out, quitting smoking, watching the Food Network and she's telling me about this parmesan encrusted chicken breast that she made for dinner. I almost asked her if she was an alien and what did she do with my sis...hehe. I'm not sure about the pouring shield on your model...how many quarts is your bowl? 4.5 or 5? Mine is a two piece shield with a "ring" that goes around most of the bowl and a funnel/shoot that hooks on either end of the ring. If you look at it a certain way it looks like whatever you're going to dump down the funnel/shoot part is going to go right down the outside of the bowl. I think the pouring shield for the smaller bowls are different (may be one piece), but I would guess it's the same in that it rests on top of the bowl (doesn't lock into anything). The only other thing I can suggest is lowering the bowl (if you have that type that raises and lowers the bowl) and adding stuff down the funnel/shoot and then lifting the bowl back up and resuming mixing. I know you love K and B like they're your own...but I'm sorry to hear that MOTY is doing this to you. I can understand your concern about the quality of babysitter/daycare she would get to watch them. I like Mo's suggestion. If she could pay someone else, she should be able to pay you. I'm sure MOTY knew that you would say yes and that you wouldn't think to ask her to pay you what she would pay daycare or a sitter. At least if she's paying you, then you know K and B would be getting the benefit out of it (whether you spend it on them now or save and give it to them later). What happened to her other job? She went from full time to a part time job? Or is this an additional job? Not that it's any of my business, just curious. Oh I can understand why you were peeved at Gary...I hope he makes it up to you I'll email you the recipe for the pumpkin whoopie pies. I found the recipe in my King Arthur Cookie Companian Cookbook. I followed the recipe for the cookie part, but did not follow the recipe for the cream filling. I did a slight variation on the whipped cream icing that I use on my strawberry shortcake...and they were delicious (if I do say so myself****il then, I'd never had a pumpkin whoopie pie, but for some reason I was craving them. They kind of reminded me of the pumpkin roll with the cream, but WAY better. Maybe if I get a chance I'll make a batch (sugar free - I'll use Nature Sweet and Splenda...but I gotta keep the butter in the whipped cream filling) and bring them next week so everybody can taste. We'll see Well I gotta get back to work here....seems like this stuff is never ending. I'm not off tomorrow or Friday but I'm trying to get stuff caught up so that it's not so bad when I start flexing my time next week when Mom has her surgery. Have a great day (back at work) T

Hey Terry! Well if you're a whoopie pie woman I'll have to steer you clear of them at the Amish Market. They have the BEST whoopie pies (good AND cheap too!) and I'm sure they've got the pumpkin ones this time of year! hehehe My weekend went TOO fast. We went to visit the MIL in WV for the weekend and had a great time. It was SO cold though! Glad to be back and I can't wait for this weekend to meet up with all of the wonderful MD WL ladies!