Elk Droppings

These have been a family favorite for as long as I can remember. And while the name is less than flattering, they are truly addicting (just ask my friends and coworkers, they ask me for them every Christmas).  You could always call them Reindeer poop! What you will need is:

1 cup Choco Chips

3 tablespoons corn syrup

1/2 cup canned condensed milk

2 1/2 crushed vanilla wafer cookies

1 cup powdered sugar

1 cup chopped walnuts

1 cup sugar

Melt choco chips using double boiler (or microwave) add corn syrup and canned milk. Remove from heat.

Combine crushed wafers, chopped walnuts and 1/2 cup of the powdered sugar (set aside other 1/2 cup)

Add the dry ingredients to the chocolate mixture and mix well. Once thoroughly combined set aside for 30 minutes to cool.

In separate bowls pour your sugar and powdered sugar. start rolling your mixture into ball forms (i do mine about the size of a ping pong ball) then roll them in either the sugar or powdered sugar. If you find the mixture is too stickey just walk away and let it set for another 20 minutes or so. It will be alot easier to work with.

Store in an airtight container in a cool place, I put mine in the garage, for at least 3 days, a few more is better. Yes I said 3 days. You'll just have to trust me, these just taste better after a few days.

It has began

Moving day is upon us! This weekend I was busy cleaning our new house top to bottom. I shampooed every inch of carpet and cleaned every drawer, counter top, mirror, window and floor. And despite how tired it made me, I was so happy to have it done. I even used some of the cleaning tips from THIS great site.  Now we have a few days to take it easy, and finish packing up a few box's at the old house before we do the big move on Wednesday. 

My number one tip for moving is label, label, label. I may not label every single item that's inside a box but I make sure to label what room it will go to. And if your going to be short on time after getting into you new home I recommend labeling your box with a number system as well. 1. for box's with things you need right away (dishes, toiletries, clothes...) 2. items that can wait a few days (extra kids toys, extra linens, excess canned goods...)3. finishing touches ( books, crafting supplies, decorating items, spare bedroom items) Also mark your furniture. Put some painters tape or masking tape on it and write what room it will go to. It might be obvious to you what dresser goes where but friends or relatives helping move might not know.

Make sure to plan ahead. For this week leading up to the move I planned out a menu to make it easier on myself and to use up some of the food we had on hand. There are two reasons for this, I knew I would be busy packing in the evenings after work. And the more extra food we ate now, the less I had to pack. I also go ahead and pack up the glasses and dishes a few days before as well. Paper plates and plastic cups work great. Its still 3 days before we move and all that is in my kitchen is a can opener, 1 pot, 1 cookie sheet, and silverware. My pantry is also totally packed except for a few cans we will eat the next few days, and our fridge has mostly condiments. The freezer has a few pre-made meals that I can just warm up. Not only will this make your life less stressful in the few days before, but you'll save money on food and wont be tempted to order take out and waste money!

If you are having people help you move and unpack (and your a perfectionist like me!) labeling your box's will help alot. If you take the time to label them properly, people wont have to open a box to figure out what room to take it too. For the last few moves I wouldn't let anyone help me put things away in the kitchen. Its a very personal preference where you want things and sometimes its just easier to do it yourself, rather than spend the extra time telling someone else. This time I had the bright idea to make a diagram. I did a simple drawing of my kitchen that has the drawers, cabinets and pantry. Then I just wrote down what would go where. I think this will help so much! This way if my mom and I are working in the kitchen and I get pulled away for some reason, she can continue to work without me. Also by taking the time to think about where i want things before hand, I wont have to re-arrange so much later... I might even keep the diagram around for awhile so my Boyfriend cant use the excuse that he doesn't empty the dishwasher because he doesn't know where anything goes HA!