An unbelievable recipe

On Wednesday, we took a trip to the Farmer's Market. It's kind of funny -- I always think the best time to go is during the summer. But, of course, if I had really thought of it, I would have realized that this time of the year would bring lots of treasures.

One of the things we picked up were zucchini (since ours have long since died out and we couldn't find any starters to replant -- I'm planning on starting seeds next year). Anyway, my Mom made some yummy muffins with hers and gave us some.

Jack saw these muffins sitting out and said, "Hey! Look at the cupcakes!"

"No, actually they're muffins," I answered.

"Can I have one?" Jack inquired.

"I'm just not sure you'll like them, Jack."

"What kind are they?"

"They have zucchini, raisins, and nuts in them."

Jack turned his head to one side and raised and eyebrow at me, "Are you just joking, Mom?"

Apparently that combination was so preposterous in his mind that he just couldn't even believe someone would do that.

After I assured him that I was, in fact, not joking, he said, "Oh, nevermind, Mom."

WFMW: What are your favorite gifts to give?

Works for Me Wednesday at Rocks in My Dryer this week has an interesting twist to it -- instead of giving a tip, we have been asked to ask a question of the blogging community.

So...here is my question, especially timely with Christmas being only a bit over 80 days away (can you believe that???)...

What are some of your favorite gifts to give people (any age, any gender, one person, entire family, holiday gift, housewarming gift, birthday gift -- whatever!!!)? And, along those lines, what are some of your favorite handmade gifts to make/give?

I can't wait to be inspired for the holiday season!

(On a side note, what do you think about gift cards? Are they great or too impersonal?)

Yummy & Super Easy Dinner (Chicken & Potato Bake)

I got this recipe from a Kraft Magazine, and just had to share. It is so tasty and so darn easy! If you have a big family, it is certainly not hard to just buy a family size package of bone-in chicken (we like drumsticks) and do up a few more potatoes and just make two pans at once.

Ingredients:

4 bone-in chicken pieces (1.5 lbs)

4 large potatoes, cut into wedges (know what? I used my apple wedger for super fast prep time!)

1/4 cup Italian Dressing (we used fat free)

1/4 cup grated parmesan cheese

Directions:

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Place chicken and potatoes in 13x9 pan.

Pour dressing over chicken and potatoes, and then sprinkle with cheese.

Bake for 1 hour or until chicken is cooked through (180 degrees). Sprinkle with chopped fresh parsley, if desired.

Enjoy!

Sometimes Mom Just Isn't Enough

I found this email tonight from December 2005. I had sent it out to some friends after Noah (then six years old) was having a particularly difficult time with his computer:

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This is what Noah told me the "page not found" error on Internet Explorer said after we tried to fix it several times:

"Your computer is still not working. We will not let you in. If you have a Dad, he can fix it. But, right now, we will not let you in. Please walk away from the sign. If you have a Mom, that's okay, but we still won't let you in. Sorry...your games will not work right now. Just walk away."