Tuesday, February 27, 2007

Monkey Pound Cake

Voting polls are open today & tomorrow until midnight... I hope you enjoy it's really very good!
I made some for a function last week and everyone really enjoyed it! It went so fast , never had a chance of a photo op... sorry

Monkey Pound Cake

A rich & smooth sweet tasty treat that goes great with tea time! (or anytime)

Prep Time: approx. 60-90+ minutes
Serving Size: 8-12

Ingredients
1 yellow cake box mix
4 large eggs
1 cup strong Golden Monkey tea
1/3 cup oil
1 package dry vanilla pudding mix
1/2 cup creamy frosting of your choice vanilla or
other flavoring

Directions
Preheat oven 350F. Grease & flour 10' bundt or tube pan
Combine cake mix, pudding mix, eggs, tea & oil in large bowl.
Meat for 2 minutes. Pour into pan. Bake at 350F for 50-60 minutes or until toothpick inserted in center comes out clean.
Cool in pan for approx.20- 30 minutes
Invert onto serving plate. Cool completely

For Glaze
heat frosting in small saucepan over med/low heat, stirring constantly, until thin. Do not overheat.
Drizzle over cake

Enjoy!

Wednesday, February 21, 2007

A HOT week or two!

Crazy Week! I'm hoping to get some R&R this weekend.....maybe!

Here's some highlights of my life and why I haven't posted for a while.

First my UIL passed away very unexpectedly at age 60! This seems to be the norm for my in-laws and early in life, there's no elderly people in the family. Now my DH is the second oldest man living in the family and only 39 will be 40 in June! He has one uncle left 45 y/o. Hey the good news the women live into there 60s.

Not to mention having to reschedule my daughter's surgery, she had to have a overnight sleep study first, then some other stuff, other appointments and school vacation

I wanted to post some pictures but DH said I couldn't for way to many reasons.

First I head up to the city for my remicade treatment which I get every 4-5 weeks really can't go any longer without pain or problems only takes about 7 hours including travel time. Well 1/2 way up to the city one of the interstates was kinda flooded, had slowed me down of course, cars ahead of me I could see fishtailing, so thought I should slow down even more. As soon as I stepped on the brake (lightly, of course) my car spun around!! Scary must hit some ice thankful no one hit me.....What I won't do for my medicine... Some thought I was NUTs to go an hour away that day, even the nurses said everyone's been canceling and for me being so far the furthest they expected it! No way not that day I was determined and already late getting it, I really needed it or may be looking to face another inpatient stay at the hospital, but right about now, thats sounds like a spa vacation!

That evening when I returned home, put on my PJs, got myself nice & cozy on the couch with my kitty to unwind, my phone rings!! About 8:30pm now, my oldest daughter who was tanning (she was leaving the next day for the week in Florida). She was hysterical on the phone!! A woman was stabbed 9 times in the packing lot where she was tanning when she was leaving, she didn't see to much but after only second of her walking out to her car. The woman in the tanning salon had heard hysterical screaming in the parking lot, she ran outside thinking it was my daughter to find a woman bleeding and stabbed just behind the parking space in front of the building exactly where my daughter was parked. The woman from the tanning salon called my daughter on the phone before she even got home which BTW is only about 4 blocks from us.
My daughter immediately called me (explains her being so hysterical). I told her not to turn around to come pick me up right away and I'd go back there with her! There where 8 local police cars, 2 state and K9 already there.. My daughter was freaking out I wasn't sure the line of questioning there were going to ask her, hmm witness or excusing....I didn't prep her for them and say if she gets uncomfortable about any questions to say not without my lawyer present. There was so many of them who all wanted to question her. They did let me in and stay for the questioning too... Alot she couldn't remember at the time and didn't answer. She told me more it seemed but I was just thankful the other woman was there or it couldn't been her who was hurt. the other woman didn't have any critical wounds which was good news but still...and the man only got $3!!

The next day the electric company shut off the entire neighborhood to place telephone polls.. hmm try keeping a active 5 y/o can be challenging so we had to go out and keep busy and entertained for the day.
That night on the news was how the interstates in PA have been shut down due to ice storms/snow, etc. the coast guard was delivering blankets, food & water to vehicles that had to spend the night on the highways bumper to bumper traffic.. Since my daughter was driving with her friend and their family, they have to go through that way, I tried to get a hold of her all night. I finally got though the next day, they were all fine but had to re-route around another way and were fine just a lot longer drive. Phew! Thank God!

Then the next day after dinner our phone rings, caller-ID says in coming call, not unavailable, out of area, name or number at all. So we don't answer those other calls...Strange thing it only rings a few times not even enough for voice-mail to pick up, then again and the 3rd time I had my husband answer! Some woman who didn't identify herself or even say where she was calling just that there was a boat on fire at my husbands work.... I never seen my husband fly out of the house so fast! His work is only a couple miles away, he's the general mgr of a large boat dealership in the area. (btw this was not a call from the alarm service company either)
I waited about 10 minutes or so to call him to see what was going on, yes in deed a boat was in flames.. A $175,000 boat! He arrived before the fire dept, which is only a couple bldg from his work. As the fire dept tried to put it out it got larger and 2 other boats caught fire, by this time 5 trucks with hoses where on top of it, but not going out, the had to use chemicals and foam...my husband was suppose to be in the office bldg making calls. the owner was at a boat show over an hour away too. In the meantime my phone rings again so I answer, it was a fire fighter friend of my husbands who wasn't on the call and asked where he was?? Hello down at work? He's like I need to speak with him RIGHT AWAY.. I asked why, he said because he couldn't get him on his cell and the office bldg was catching fire!!
I hung up and tried to reach him again with no luck.. I did get a couple neighbors to come sit with my sleepy kids so I could run to his work myself..Thinking no way he said it was just a boat when I spoke to him.. One of my neighbors didn't want me to go not alone or not at all. She understood I had to and followed me. When I arrived, I pulled in around the police car, ambulance & firetrucks, pulled up to right behind where the hoses on the ground laid, Can you believe no one stopped me?? Nor asked me who I was or what I was doing where I think I was going?? Anyway I ran to the office bldg, I guess the fire did spread but luckily they got control of the flames right along side the bldg.. I went and found my husband of course...YES he was fine, so my neighbor left.
I stayed for an hour or so, hang around with him, fire fighters, etc. shaking our heads in disbelief not only about who luck was on their side, no one got hurt but also that the motors and fuel lines (that weren't drained) didn't not ignite!!
Some friends of ours on one truck were packing up? I went over to ask why? Well one of them came to me gave me a kiss and said we have to run the others can take care of yous there another fire up the road!! It was a 2 alarm fire over there at that time, my DH work had 4 towns there. Well when I left to go home I was about 1/2 way through a neighborhood between the main road and our house and it was totally blocked with fire trucks, police, ambulances,etc.... This night isn't getting any better, it usually takes me 5 minutes tops to get home! I got close enough to see flames and smoke, figured out where our friendly fireman had to go. A roaring house fire!! and only seconds from our house I probably could've walked home quicker too.
Very tragic evening, I was calmer when I got home, thanked the neighbor and yet still couldn't relax.. about 10 minutes later or so a firetruck pulls in front of my house on the grass with an ambulance?? Oh NO!! What now? I'm thinking something happen to my husband! Then I thought no way, so many thinks running through my head, so I called someone then my MIL woke her up just in case.. I went to the window and seen them walking up my walkway towards the front door, my heart dropped. I put the light on and was opening the front door, they quickly rushed away?? They apparently was looking at numbers on the house! Myself and mil where very relieved.
I ran went outside anyway.. I seen a woman uncautious on a stretcher being wheeled out of the house next door. A young girl lives there, I know her. Shes in her mid 20s and alone, just got a new room mate from her church. It was her.. The girl was frantic, I calmed her down and had her come over my house She wanted to go to the hospital to make she the woman was OK.. Apparently was was drinking while on some prescription medicated.
Well DH came home, couldn't get a hold of all the owners, had to get up to meet an investigator in the morning. renewing our vows the next day at the church was out of the question & of course I was running the luncheon/coffee afterwards... After I started the coffee urn, the extension cord fried.. WOW! It was fried! Good thing I didn't walked away and started to do something else of it could've turned into yet another fire... So we had to split the kids we each took one to do our thing.. In the meantime we found out a local restaurants roof caught fire the night before.. whats up someone going around starting fires for kicks or what?
My DH has had to meet investigators everyday since. yesterday we find out that Key Largo boats there their selling a the boat show he can't get and who knows when because the manufacturing plant (the only factory too) had burnt down the day before..and one of the boats that was totaled here was a Key Largo as well thats the $175,000 one that was completely destroyed DH had to give an estimate of damage that night and over 1/4 million easy but without being able to completely see the boat at the time couldn't give any specific.

My New car remember the one in the same that had flooding issues inside the car last year, now has transmission issues, 2 weeks ago I brought it in because it was slipping. they replaced the shifter cable, then the following week the blower wasn't working easy they made some adjustment, a little better but now bucking while driving but not on highway at steady speeds.. So had an appointment for Wed yesterday? get there to pick up a rental and the service manager tells me no I have you down for Thursday, he apologized for telling me Wed his mistake come back in the morning. So this morning I had to go back, I think I'll wait and call first. It's a 1/2 hour away! I told him I don't want my car back until it's fixed either!! With my luck it' won't do it to their mechanics!! Isn't that usually the way.. Hopefully it's in the computers memory the manager said.
yesterday or the day before I can't even remember the telephone company shut off all phone lines and internet service which of of me... it was out from 8am to about 4ish of course this is school vacation week to.. they didn't even let anyone know, at least the electric company gave us a letter way in advance of their outage
Ohh I have to jump in the shower and going....

Oh some good news, after re attempting to quit smoking again.. This new drug called Chantix, i think it's working today will be day 7 with no smoking!! I want a cigarette so bad! My cousin was suppose to quit with me and didn't someone gifted her 2 cartons, so she has to smoke them....meanwhile I already started the pills and they to expensive to replace $40 co-payment! and I'm not biting anyone's head off!!

note:
Whoever is watching is......If anything else can go wrong please stay away from us!! ;o)