How to make the PERFECT snack size cookies!

In order to make your snack size cookies perfect, you should follow my instructions.  I consider myself a "Mini Paula Dean".  Read these directions and you'll be on your way to making your excellent cookies! 


Supplies

- One large mixing bowl
- A fork or a whisk 
- Paper towels (if you are a messy cook)
- One measuring cup (if needed) 
- One baking sheet

Ingredients

- Cookie mix
- 1/2 stick (1/4 Cup) Butter, Margarine or Spread, Softened (Not Melted)
- 1 Tablespoon of water 


***For best results, follow the directions if there are any on the back of the cookie mix bag

Step- by- Step Process

1) Gather one large mixing bowl, a fork or a whisk, one baking sheet, one tablespoon measuring utensil, one measuring cup (if needed) and paper towels.

* Your materials *

2) Preheat your oven to 375 degrees Fahrenheit (some ovens may tend to heat better than others, so you may need to increase or decrease your cooking time, depending upon the consistency of the cookie at the end of 8-10 minutes). 

3) Gather 1/2 stick of butter, one tablespoon of water, and your cookie dough mix. 

* Your ingredients *

4) Soften the 1/2 stick of butter (Do not melt it).

5) Mix one tablespoon of water into the butter. 

6) Now, stir in the cookie dough mix with the butter and water until soft dough forms. 

* The soft dough * 

7) Once your cookie dough is mixed, get a rounded teaspoon full of cookie dough and place it onto your baking sheet until all your cookie dough is used. 

* Cookies on baking sheet * 

8) Place your cookies into the oven and let bake for 8-10 minutes (Watch your cookies carefully so they do not burn and overcook).  

9) Once the top of the cookies are golden brown, take them out of the oven (MAKE SURE YOU HAVE ON AN OVEN MITT) and let them sit at least for a minute.  

* Final Product * 

10) After you have let your cookies cool on wax paper on the counter, place them into a suitable container such as a Tupperware container. 

11) Clean up your mess by throwing all your materials away, washing your dishes with hot, soapy water, and cleaning the counter.    

12) Enjoy! (: 

* Me enjoying my wonderful creation *

Long Lost Son

I recently watched a movie on Lifetime television that told the story of a woman who happened to see her dead son and husband on a friend's home vacation video on an island in the Caribbean. The plot unfolded fourteen years ago when Quinn Halloran (the husband) and Kristen Sheppard (the woman) were going through a messy divorce.  Quinn, thinking that it was his only way to keep his son Mark, faked both of their deaths in a boating accident and fled the country, changing their names to John and Mathew Williams.

Kristen, now remarried to a man named Steve, recognizes her ex-husband on a friend's Caribbean holiday video, running a tourist charter boat service on the island with who she presumed to be her son, Mark.  Immediately, Kristen flies to the island and although she does not have a passport, she is allowed in.  The hotel that Kristen stays at has a very helpful owner, Patrick, who tells her where Mathew runs his business.  She finds him, and pays $400 for a day of sight-seeing with Mathew, who assumes she is just another tourist.  Mathew has memories of his mother, but believed that she died in a fire when he was three while he and his father were out sailing.  Kristen did not tell Mathew that she was his mother when she first saw him because she didn't want to scare him away.

The next day, Boden, the local police chief, questions Kristen about not having a passport and she is forced to reveal her entire story to him.  Not believing this, Boden calls Williams, who is away for a few days getting supplies from another island and says that an American woman is questioning his identity.  Kristen contacts Steve, back in the USA, and asks him to fax information on Williams to Boden, so she can prove that her story is true.

In the meantime, Mathew calls and tells his dad about how he took a nice American woman on the boat today, but she asked a lot of questions.  He found it strange though, considering Boden had left a message on their answering machine, telling about how an American woman had been asking them.
Panicking and realizing that the woman is Kristen, Williams tells Mathew to leave the island of Santa Alicia permanently and sail to another island, Salt Cay.  Little did they know though, that a category four hurricane was coming straight for the Caribbean islands.  Kristen, once hearing about the news of Mathew leaving, sails for the island of Salt Cay and finds Williams waiting there on a boat.

Having no choice but to confess what he has done, Williams (Quinn), apologizes profusely to Kristen and to Mathew, and explains the whole story. Knowing that the police are after him, Kristen and Mathew allow Williams to take a motor-mount boat to another island where he can escape the police.  Surviving the hurricane, the story ends with Mathew returning to his hometown of Los Angeles with his mother and Williams, still in hiding.

I added this picture because it expresses the love for a mother and her children.  I think this is the most important component of the story because Kristen did not stop searching for her son, Mathew.

My opinion on this movie is that it was very good.  It had a very good theme and a very good plot has well.  I think the movie well represented mothers and their roles.  They're here to protect their children and if anything happens to them, they won't stop until they find them and have them back home safe.

Although I really liked the story, I thought they could improve on their acting skills.  Also, they could have shown what happened to the father instead of leaving off with him still hiding on an island.

Political Current Event: Romney's Speech

http://stream.marketwatch.com/story/2012-democratic-national-convention/SS-4-10273/SS-4-10292/

While reading Romney's speech, I easily got the message that he was trying to convey.  Romney was very convincing on his thoughts about what he would do if he became President.  This quote explains the message that he was trying to give, "But today, four years from the excitement of the last election, for the first time, the majority of Americans now doubt that our children will have a better future."  Romney then goes into talking about his life and how he grew up. 

Romney was a classic "baby boomer".  He was brought up by being taught that we as people, as Americans, can do anything.  His family was Mormon, growing up in Michigan.  A part that really touched me about his family was that his parents were married 64 years.  Each and every morning, his dad would go and buy his mom a rose and set it on her bedside table so that she could wake up to it.  One morning, there wasn't a rose there and that's how she found out that he had died.  Even by this little fact, you can tell the type of family and household Romney grew up in- a loving and nurturing environment. 

Another thing that really touched me about his speech, was how he wasn't sexist.  He believes in women leaders just as much as he does men.  His mom ran for the Senate, so this probably had a huge impact on him. “Why should women have any less say than men, about the great decisions facing our nation?” she said. 

Romney then talks about how he and his wife, Ann, had five boys.  Starting a new life in Detroit wasn't the easiest for the two of them.  However, they found love with a wide group of people from their church and their community was very welcoming.  He related this to a part in his speech.  He says "The strength and power and goodness of America has always been based on the strength and power and goodness of our communities, our families, our faiths." 

Romney then said something very interesting.  He said that many of us felt that something very special was happening on Election Day, four years ago. "If you felt that excitement when you voted for Barack Obama, shouldn't you feel that way now that he’s President Obama? You know there’s something wrong with the kind of job he’s done as president when the best feeling you had was the day you voted for him." 

Romney gave five reasons on his plan to create 12 million jobs.  By 2020, North America will be energy dependent and will take full advantage of our oil and coal and gas and nuclear and renewables.  When it comes to the school that your child would attend, every parent should have a choice and every child should have a chance. We will make trade work for America by forging new trade agreements. We will cut the deficit and put America on a track for a balanced budget.  Last, we will champion small businesses and we will reduce taxes on business. 

He ends his speech by saying this, "If I am elected President of these United States, I will work with all my energy and soul to restore that America, to lift our eyes to a better future. That future is our destiny. That future is out there. It is waiting for us. Our children deserve it, our nation depends upon it, the peace and freedom of the world require it. And with your help we will deliver it. Let us begin that future together tonight."

When you want to win over a crowd, everyone knows the way to do so is by talking about your personal life and how you can relate to things in the world.  Romney did very well in this.  My opinion on this whole article is that Obama has put us in a deep ditch that we as Americans, are struggling every day to get out of.  He hasn't helped this country whatsoever.  They can't even find his birth certificate, and to me, that's pretty weird.  If I'm going to have a leader for MY country, I would feel a lot better if I actually knew that he was American and some of his background information.  Also, Obama promised to begin to slow the rise of the ocean and heal the planet.  Last time I checked, he was NOT God. 

If Romney does win this election, I think many positive events will be in our future. I have no doubt that he'll do his very best and he will succeed in getting America back on track.  However, he is going to have a hard time doing this and he'll go through many tough hardships, but I think he will be able to handle it.  If I was old enough to vote, I would definitely vote for him.