Shutterboo Photo Challenge: Fire

We've been having fires every night this week because it's been chilly! It has been in the low 20's at night and a little higher during the day. Yeah, nothing compared to Boston (or Moscow, Toronto, etc), but pretty cold for the Deep South.

Matt and his dad cut down a dead tree in the yard a few weeks ago. We have now burned up all that wood, plus all the fallen limbs from our yard. Matt is anxious to cut down another tree (we have lots and some spindly and unhealthy).

My submission to the photo challenge this week, though, is a photo I took on Christmas Eve. Our whole neighborhood puts out luminaries and it is gorgeous. It is peaceful. Calm. Perfect for Christmas Eve. We walked with the girls in the wagon and enjoyed the soft luminaries lining both sides of the streets.


Be sure to check out the other photos in the flickr pool. There are some fabulous flames!

Shutterboo Photo Challenge: Brown (catching up from last week)

Last week's photo challenge was "brown". To me, that means chocolate!!

My mother-in-law made these "unbaked" chocolate cookies. They are delicious!

Here's the recipe:

3 C rolled oats
1 C shredded coconut
1/2 C cocoa powder
1/2 tsp. salt
2 C sugar
1/2 C milk
1/2 C butter
1 tsp. vanilla

Mix first 4 ingredients together in a large bowl. Mix sugar, milk, & butter in a saucepan and bring to a boil. Boil for 2 minutes. Remove from heat and stir in vanilla. Add the dry ingredients to the wet and mix well. Drop by teaspoonfuls onto waxed paper until cool and hardened.