Good Friends & Good Cookies

Earlier this week, we got the chance to meet up with some really great friends of ours from Muleshoe. The Kettners were passing through this area so we headed up to Georgetown to catch up with them.


Deborah was one of my first pals in Muleshoe and continues to be such a dear, sweet friend even though we now live a zillion miles apart, roughly speaking. Thank goodness we both have Alltel, we can sure burn through those mobile to mobile minutes!
I met Deborah at a ladies Bible study in Muleshoe. That Bible study was something that was near and dear to both of us and we had some good times with all of those sweet ladies and friends. We were also in sorority together...it's a Muleshoe thing, you know what I am talking about if you live up there. Deborah was one of the first people to know I was preggers with Benjamin. And she was the listening ear I cried into the first morning after bringing him home from the hospital...I distinctly remember the words, "I didn't know it would be so hard" belly-aching out of me. I seem to recall a slight chuckle from her. But, she helped me get through all the hurdles and millions of questions that came with being a new mom.
During our Muleshoe time, Deborah and I also ran a Meals on Wheels route together, put together the Muleshoe community cookbook along with our friend, Faith, and spent hours upon hours just jabbering on the phone or at a kitchen table or in the car (Deborah, why do a vast majority of my memories contain us being in the car....we must have really run the miles on the road to Lubbock!). She is the definition of a good friend.
It was so great to catch up and see how all of our boys had grown! And David and Kelly were able to catch up on Muleshoe Football. I also got to meet Kyle for the first time! What a cutie. And Jacob and Riley have grown from little guys into mature elementary-school kiddos. Time sure does fly.
Seriously, Kettners...let's not let that much time go by again without a catch-up session (face to face)!
A few photos from our fun time at a great park in Georgetown:

Kyle...such a fun little guy!

Jonathan on the playground

All of our boys: (l-r) Kyle, Jacob, Riley, Jonathan and Benjamin

Good Cookies
On a completely unrelated matter, but certainly one deserving of a post: I found Hershey's Cinnamon Chips during our holiday travels. While this may not sound like a big deal to many of you, trust me...it is. Hershey's Cinnamon Chips are the tastiest little morsels you can wrap your lips around, yet they are almost scarce in this part of the country. If you ever find some, get yourself a bag or two, and a couple for me as well. If you are ever in desperation for a bag of these, go to hersheys.com, click on products and then go to the product locator. And if you are desperately desperate...I have even seen them sold on eBay. Yes. They're that good.


My good friend, Becky, knows her way around a cinammon chip and taunted us all with this recipe a few weeks ago. After munching on my friend Amanda's AWESOME Chewy Chocolate Chip Cookies all through the holidays, I decided they might be fun with a little cinnamon chip flare. So, after a little recipe tweaking, I present to you our new favorite cookie:
I call it....The Cinnamon Chips Lead to Very Broad Hips Cookie, because one is just never enough. I had to add pecans since the Cinnamon Chip bag is only 10 oz. and the recipe calls for a 12 oz. bag of chips...what is up with that, Hershey's?

Cinnamon Chips Lead to Very Broad Hips Cookies
2 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon salt
1 cup real butter, softened
1/4 cup white sugar
3/4 cup firmly packed brown sugar
1 small box instant vanilla pudding mix
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 eggs
1 (10 oz.) pkg. Hershey's Cinnamon Chips
1 cup old fashioned oats
1/2 cup chopped pecans

Preheat oven to 375 degrees.

In small bowl, combine flour, oatmeal, baking soda and salt; set aside.

In a large bowl, combine butter, sugar, brown sugar, pudding mix and vanilla extract; beat until creamy. Beat in eggs.

Gradually add flour mixture. Stir in cinnamon chips and pecans (don't use your mixer for the chips & pecans, it will overbeat the cookie at this point; a wooden spoon works great).

Drop by heaping teaspoonfuls onto an ungreased cookie sheets (the new Reynolds Non-Stick Foil works wonderfully!). Bake for 10 minutes.

Makes about 2 dozen.