Pookieville Update and a Recipe

1. You're not the only one not getting a Christmas card this year from me. Don't feel bad. It's not you. It's me. And I only feel slightly guilty. Think of the trees I'm saving. :) If I get around to it, you may get an email card/newsletter. But it's not like you don't know what's going on if you read my blog.

2. Ham is 18 lbs. as of today. Pookie was 18 lbs. from 14-18 months.

3. I've lost 3 lbs. since Thanksgiving carrying Ham around on my back 90% of his wakeful hours.

4. I would've lost more, but I've accepted chocolate back into my life.

5. I made two large batches of caramel corn today. I had to vacuum the living room three times.

6. According to G., only grown-ups can peek during prayers to make sure kids are being reverent.

7. I made a cheeseball at 5 a.m. for Danny to take to his office party. Here's the recipe and there are no hidden ingredients in the instructions Mrs. Morty. ;)

Cheeseball

8 oz. cream cheese

2 1/2 oz. finely grated cheddar cheese (more for a firmer cheeseball, less for a softer one)

1/8 tsp. liquid smoke

2 T. dried chopped chives or chopped olives

chopped walnuts

crackers like Wheat Thins, Triscuits, or Ritz crackers

I place the 8 oz. block of cream cheese in my glass oatmeal bowl. (Use at least a four cup capacity bowl.)

Poke a finger hole about 1/2 inch into the cream cheese. Pour the liquid smoke in the hole.

Sprinkle the chopped chives or olives over the cream cheese.

Grate the cheese directly into the bowl.

Squish it all up until the ingredients are pretty evenly distributed throughout. (Today I actually used a wooden spoon for this step-- but usually I use my hands.)

Shape it into a ball. Coat it with chopped walnuts.

Wrap in plastic wrap and place in fridge in a really good hiding spot. ;) Or you can serve it right away and it'll be nice and soft to spread on crackers. Danny took Triscuits to work since that's what we had. But usually we serve it with Wheat Thins.