A Wednesday Filled with Crackers, Cookies, and Cows!

Ouch!!

There's nothing like lunch with your son that makes you forget how your lips are so very chapped! 

For the last few days, my lips have increasingly grown drier, flakier, and downright painful!  Tuesday afternoon my bottom lip erupted into a cold sore, which is not only painful but the opposite of divaness. In addition, my lips had swollen so much I felt I was channeling an OC Real Housewife!

To treat my sore lips, I swung by Walgreens on the way home from work and picked up Carmex along with lip ointment which guaranteed to heal my chanker in half the time.  After swathing my lips with both all Tuesday night, there was some relief when I woke up Wednesday morning.  However, in addition to my infected lips, my neck bore a bathroom battle wound - a self-inflicted burn incurred by my large curling iron that was self-inflicted.  So not only did I have oozing lips but a burn that resembled a hickey.  Paleez!!! I felt truly like the definition of the local high school ho - diseased lip and hickied neck.  I might as well as topped it off with mononucleosis!  Thankfully, I had taken Wednesday off so my day could be spent incognito wrapped in a scarf and swaddled with Campho Phenique, which I am sure clashed with my Juicy Couture perfume!

After taking care of some business in the morning, Jordan then joined me as we stopped for his appointment then we made our way to one of our favorite lunch spots - Country Folks Deli.  My meal consisted of broccoli soup and a half veggie sandwich; Jordan inhaled a Cordon Bleau sandwich along with a Peanut Butter/Chocolate shake. 

It was so nice to sit and discuss work, friends, and life in general with my oldest son.  I'm so proud of him for overcoming many obstacles in order to mature and now hold a job.  It's cool to see him becoming so responsible.  It's also enjoyable to trade war stories from each of our jobs.  That Cow Deli lunch was quite the bonding moment with my oldest son and for that I'm truly blessed.

Following lunch we browsed a few shops in downtown Longview before hitting Target pharmacy, Safeway gas, then home.  Jordan took a nap while my next adventure was baking!  My recent shortbread bites were such a big hit I decided to make a double batch to share at the family Christmas party.  Tweaking the design a bit, I added bright pink to one batch and bright green to another, then put them together to result in exceedingly colorful shortbread bites.  Not only yummy but visually entertaining!

Crackers and Cookies

Along with the shortbread, I dug out a recipe from one of my Taste of Home cookbooks - Crispy Cheddar Crackers.  Doubling that batch resulted in a HUGE recipe; my rolling pin has never seen such action.  At that point I was truly grateful one of my recent purchases included an $8 trio of baking sheets!

All of my baking goods received big thumbs up from the resident food critics, Sam and Jordan.  So much so that the shortbread bites may not make it to the family party and I'll be forced to make another double, or even triple, batch.  

It's back to work today.  Lips still on the mend and my faux hickey has faded significantly so perhaps I can leave my scarf at home.  Enjoy your day, Divas, and may you not be mistaken for the town tramp!!!