Chinese Goddess of Mercy

Well, I finally got to work on this without a migraine and so here is what I got done over the weekend. I'm excited that I got so much done. I included the pictre of the page that I am working on so you can kinda see where I am at. It's the right side of the goddess.

My hubby finally finished painting the livingroom too this weekend. He insisted on doing it alone and so I stitched while he painted and the girls played in their rooms. Now he has the diningroom left and finally my house will be completely painted at last! He is using a water based paint so it wipes up easily from the hardwood floors if he drips (he refuses to use a drop cloth) and there are next to no fumes!

I was in this cooking mood like crazy too this weekend. I baked cookies with chocolate chips, white chocolate chips, coconut, and walnuts in them and made a double batch of those. These have always been a HUGE hit with my family every time I have made them so here is the recipe if anyone wants to make them:

Ingredients:
2-1/4 cups all-purpose flour
1/3 cup HERSHEY'S Cocoa
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 cup (2 sticks) butter, softened
3/4 cup granulated sugar
3/4 cup packed light brown sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 eggs
2 cups (12-oz. pkg.) HERSHEY'S Semi-Sweet Chocolate Chips each white and dark
1 cup chopped nuts(optional)

Directions:
1. Heat oven to 375°F.

2. Stir together flour, cocoa, baking soda and salt. Beat butter, granulated sugar, brown sugar and vanilla in large bowl with mixer until creamy. Add eggs; beat well. Gradually add flour mixture, beating well. Stir in chocolate chips and nuts, if desired. Drop by rounded teaspoons onto ungreased cookie sheet.

3. Bake 8 to 10 minutes or until lightly browned. Cool slightly; remove from cookie sheet to wire rack. Cool completely. About 5 dozen cookies.

PAN RECIPE: Spread batter in greased 15-1/2x10-1/2x1-inch jelly-roll pan. Bake at 375°F. 20 minutes or until lightly browned. Cool completely; cut into bars. About 4 dozen bars.

HIGH ALTITUDE DIRECTIONS - Increase flour to 2-2/3 cups.- Decrease baking soda to 3/4 teaspoon.- Decrease granulated sugar to 2/3 cup.- Decrease packed light brown sugar to 2/3 cup.- Add 1/2 teaspoon water with flour.- Bake at 375°F, 5 to 7 minutes or until top is light golden with golden brown edges.

Enjoy!

I also made oven baked fried chicken for dinner saturday night and handmade coconut shrimp with an orange sauce for dinner last night. It was soooo good! And I hadn't had coconut shrimp in years so I just had to make some.

On the other side of things. Destiny has wednesday and thursday off for parent-teacher conferences and she has all day Friday off for whatever reason. So she gets a five day weekend and the hubby has Friday and Monday off for a four day weekend. The nice thing is the hubby is planning a trip to Rome for us that weekend. I have never been and one of our friends is going and is looking for some people to share the expense with. I can't wait!