Peacefully standing in line at the grocery store, I looked up and saw it. Something so ghastly. Something so appalling. Something so heinous. There was no mistaking it, this was certainly a sign of the End Times. Indeed, Scooby-Doo and Kiss, together on DVD.

 I tried to look away, but the questions kept coming. Was Fred really going to tolerate the rock band’s language? Were Velma and Daphne going to be terrorized by Gene Simmons and his tongue? Mama Cass was one thing, The Harlem Globetrotters were another, and Don Knotts was certainly a new low, but Kiss? Why is Scooby-Doo’s makeup so bad? Really, he looks worse than Peter Chris’s cat makeup. Does Paul Stanley like Scooby Snacks? It is all just so wrong.

Good God, is this really how the world ends?

A pan full of Fruity Pebble Blondies.

FRUITY PEBBLE BLONDIES

“What to do on a rainy day? Well, my 8-year-old and 6-year-old sons have decided to take one of the dog’s toys (in this case a blue rubber ball), bounce it at each other, and try to catch it with their butt. I think that you will agree that my pastime is more productive and certainly tastier.

Ben and Sam, fresh from their very odd butt ball competition.

Yep on this rainy day, I’m still working on that box of Fruity Pebbles and now I’ve decided to tackle a blondie recipe. These blondies are colorful and easy to make, plus they’ve helped me finish off the Fruity Pebbles. Happiness, all around.”

12 Tablespoons Butter, melted and slightly cooled

1 cup Brown Sugar

½ cup Sugar

2 Eggs

1 teaspoon Vanilla Extract

2 cups, plus 4 Tablespoons, Cake Flour

½ teaspoon Baking Soda

½ teaspoon Salt

1 cup Fruity Pebbles

1 cup White Chocolate Chips

Preheat oven to 325 degrees.

Mix together the melted butter, brown sugar, and sugar.

Mix in the eggs and vanilla extract.

Mix in the cake flour, baking soda, and salt.

Fold in the Fruity Pebbles and white chocolate chips.

Line a 9”x13” pan with aluminum foil and lightly grease.

Press the blondie batter into the greased pan.

Bake for 28 minutes or until golden brown.

Makes about 32 blondies.

Revised Source: “Fruity Pebble Blondies” recipe on www.aturtleslifeforme.com.

– Where in the World are Sam’s Socks? – Bonus Rainy Day Edition –

“So I’m downloading the photos for the ‘Fruity Pebbles Blondies’ and I see a new photo of socks. One that I did not take, which is kind of hard to believe considering my fascination with my children leaving their socks all around the house. Asking my kids about the photo, I learned that while I was at work, my 6-year-old son Ben discovered his older brother Sam’s socks under the table and asked Charlene to take a photo of them. As a result, I present to you another rainy day activity, ‘Where in the World are Sam’s Socks? – Bonus Rainy Day Edition.’ I think we can all agree that this is a much better activity than throwing a rubber ball at your sibling’s butt. No doubt about it.”

A rare sub-table-an view of Sam’s socks.

FRUITY PEBBLE MERINGUES

“As part of my ongoing attempt to use the remainder of a box of Fruity Pebbles, I made a batch of these tasty meringues. I usually have chocolate chip meringues, so the sugary cereal created a nice change of texture. Pleasing to the eye and a wonderful excuse to have a cookie for breakfast, these cookies are worth a try.”

2 Egg Whites

1/8 teaspoon Salt

¾ cups Powdered Sugar

¾ cups Fruity Pebbles

Some additional Fruity Pebbles for topping

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Whisk the eggs whites until they are frothy. Then whisk them some more. Then whisk them some more, until they have been “super whisked.”

Whisk in the salt.

Gradually whisk in the powdered sugar, then turn the mixer up to high.

Keep on whisking, until stiff peaks form, and then whisk them some more.

Fold in the Fruity Pebbles.

Drop Tablespoons of the meringue batter onto foil lined baking sheets.

Sprinkle some Fruity Pebbles onto the meringues and pop them in the oven.

Close the door tightly, turn off the oven, and leave the cookies overnight.

In the morning, remove the meringues and enjoy one with your morning paper and a cup of coffee.

Makes about 20 meringues.

Revised Source: “Fruity Pebble Meringues” recipe at www.iamafoodblog.com.

FRUITY PEBBLE WHOOPIE PIES

“Strangely enough, I have never made Whoopie Pies. So when I was looking for Fruity Pebble cookie recipes and found ‘Fruity Pebble Whoopie Pies,’ I had to give them a try. Oh and by the way, I feel very, very uncomfortable saying (or typing) the word, ‘Whoopie.’ You see, I am a child of the ‘80s. As a result, I was very familiar with the television gameshow ‘The Newlywed Game’ and also their overused euphemism ‘make whoopee.’ Awkward. Allow me to illustrate…

Bob Eubanks (the host): “Contestant Number One, how did you complete the phrase, ‘If our whoopee was a cookie, it would be a BLANK.’”

Contestant Number One holds up a card that reads, “Snickerdoodle.”

Bob Eubanks (smiles, blushes, and asks): “Why would you say that your whoopee would be a Snickerdoodle?”

Contestant Number One (blushing): “Well, I often ‘snicker’ and it involves a ‘doodle.’”

[Pipe in loud canned audience laughter.]

And that my friends is why I have trouble saying the word “Whoopie” and why my entire generation is sort of messed up.

Any who, back to the “Cookie of the Week.” The Fruity Pebble Whoopie Pies were certainly fun to make and a tasty little snack. I revised the recipe to refrigerate the cookies, which provides a much better bite, although the crispness of the cereal suffers a tad with the drop in temperature. Still a fun cookie to make and a nice excuse to say the word, ‘Whoopie.’”

Cookie Ingredients

½ cup Butter

1 cup Brown Sugar

1 Egg

2 teaspoons Vanilla Extract

½ cup Buttermilk

2 cups Flour

2 Tablespoons Cocoa Powder

¼ teaspoon Baking Powder

10 drops Red Food Coloring

Filling Ingredients

½ cup Butter

½ cup Crisco

2 cups Powdered Sugar

2 Tablespoons Milk

2½ cups Fruity Pebbles

Preheat oven to 375 degrees.

Cream the butter and brown sugar.

Mix in the egg and vanilla extract.

Mix in the buttermilk.

Mix in the flour, cocoa powder, and baking powder.

Mix in the red food coloring.

Pour the batter into a gallon size Ziploc bag.

Cut one corner of the bag and pipe the batter to make 2 inch diameter circles on parchment paper lined baking sheets. The batter will make about 28 circles.

Bake for 6 minutes or until set.

Let cool on baking sheet.

Prepare filling by first crushing the Fruity Pebbles. Set aside.

Cream the butter and Crisco.

Mix in powdered sugar.

Mix in the milk.

Mix in the crushed Fruity Pebbles.

Place the filling on a cookie and top with another cookie.

Refrigerate for one hour.

Enjoy your Fruity Pebble Whoopie Pies and place any leftovers back into the refrigerator.

Makes about 14 Whoopie Pies.

Revised Source: “Orange Velvet Whoopie Pies” and “Fruity Pebble Buttercream” recipes on www.cookiesandcups.com.

Mowing my lawn over my lunch hour and then needing to go over it a second time, I reflected upon one of my missed opportunities of the summer…

A few weeks ago, I needed to get my cordless screwdriver for work (don’t ask), I decided to drop by home and sneak into the garage, so as not to disrupt the delicate balance of child happiness at home, grab the cordless screwdriver and head on my happy way.

Opening the garage, I went in, grabbed the screwdriver, got back into the car, and I was off. No harm, no foul.

About two minutes later, my phone vibrated. A text. Charlene requesting that I get home immediately.

“Was something wrong?” – my first thought.

Seconds later, another text. Charlene thought someone may have stolen the mower out of the garage.

“Oh no, a burglar!” – my second thought.

“The mower was stolen!” – third thought.

“Good, I always hated that mower.” – fourth thought.

“Especially, since I ran over one of its tires with my car and it started mowing crooked.” – fifth thought.

“Hey, wait a second, after that I moved it to the shed.” – sixth thought, interrupted by another text from Charlene. She was onto me and now suspected that I had snuck into the garage and inadvertently creeped her out.

Strike one – the broken lawn mower had not been stolen.

Strike two – no promising career as a cat burglar in my future.

Strike three – husband accidently creeping out wife.

At least I had my cordless screwdriver and could head back to work (remember (sigh…), don’t ask).

After countless failed attempts, I have finally exhibited some willpower and have stuck with a diet for nearly two months.

– “Miracle” is the common thought.

I have finally started to lose some pounds, as a result.

– All God’s people say “Amen.”

But that’s not the point.

– “What is the point then,” you ask.

Well, the point is that I also reached a big, no I mean huge, dieting milestone.

– “Do tell,” you say.

So there I was dropping the kids off early at church on Sunday.

– “Duh, odds are it would be on Sunday.”

Hey, quit interrupting or at least be nice about it.

As part of the dropping off process, I was working my way through church, saying my “hellos.”

– “Really, Dave working his way slowly through a crowd. I can’t believe it.”

Hey, I said, be nice.

I say hello to my friend Barb and she comments (completely unsolicited), “Have you lost some weight?” Yep, a completely unsolicited compliment after weeks of dieting sacrifice! It was so worth it. For the last four days, I have been on Cloud Nine. Awesome, but that’s not the real point.

– “Again with this ‘point’ business, Paulsen.”

The real point is that words are powerful. Even simple, but positive, ones have the power to build up others and keep them going in the right direction. So take a second today, offer an unsolicited compliment. You have the power to make others feel really good, now use it.

– “Say it, Brother Dave.”

Thank you for finally joining the winning team, Mr. Counterpoint in my Head. By the way, thank you for being so witty, it really made today’s post easier to write. Case in point.

This photo explains so much…

My deep voice? Yep, it’s all about the helium.

How do I get such great gas mileage? Pack fifty balloons into the back of your Ford Taurus and you’ll float down the highway, too.

Is Dave carried into work on the wings of angels? No, silly. I slide down a rainbow and gently land.

The secret to life? It’s hard to be mad at you, when you walk around all day carrying balloons and whistling the theme to the Andy Griffith Show.

Is the best way to get from the 2^nd floor down to the main lobby at work via the elevator or taking the stairs? Neither one, but rather slowly descend, while drifting down with fifty balloons in your right hand. Oh and by the way, the elevator will never properly descend, while holding all of those balloons. Duh.

What’s the most nerve racking view? 20,000 feet in the air and looking down, with only the ground below you and fifty balloons above. No, wait. That’s better explained in another photo…

One of the great things about being the Supreme Czar and All Powerful Ruler of your own blog is that you get to make the rules. All of the rules. Well, since we had ten official entries in the “25,000 Cookies Celebration Prize Give-Away,” I declare that you are all winners! Yep, everyone who typed “I love cookies” (or close to it), as instructed, has won a limited edition “25,000 Cookies” mug and an accompanying package of yummy cookies. They will be shipped or delivered, as soon as I have all of the pieces together (don’t hold your breath winners, it takes me awhile).

Any who, Ultimate Official Supreme Blog Ruler Congrats to our winners… Judy, Rochelle, Betty, Darwin, Kathy, Tina, Marie, Jill, Monte, and Shawndra. Together, you are my cookie all-in-all.

And now for the question of the day, “Why did I start counting the cookies that I baked?”

Well, back on Christmas 2008, my mom sent me an incredible Christmas gift. A copy of my Grandmother Franck’s recipes. Not only that, in the “Cookies” section, there was a small handwritten note. In it, my grandmother had written down her “cookie totals” for about five years. Seeing the note, I was inspired. With the beginning of 2009, I started writing down the number of cookies that I had baked after every batch. Sure I needed to go back and estimate my cookie totals for my first 27 months of baking, but with good records of my average baking totals, I am confident that my figures are pretty accurate. So there you have it, my beloved Grandma Franck, whose cookies inspired me to bake for my kids and whose lifetime cookie total probably topped 150,000, remains my cookie inspiration and the reason I keep such impeccable cookie archives.

Congrats winners! I will see you all again at the “50,000 Cookies” celebration!

Well, my friends, Sunday was the BIG day. After nearly nine years of baking, I pulled my 25,000^th cookie out of the oven and I am here to tell you that it was delicious.

As a tribute to my Grandma Franck, who will forever be my cookie inspiration, I baked a batch of her Oatmeal Chocolate Chip Cookies (found on page 15 of my cookie cookbook, “Today is a Great Day for a Cookie”). It was simple, but delightful, like every cookie at its best.

So to celebrate, I am giving away three (count ‘em, three) collectable 25,000^th cookie coffee mugs, along with some Oatmeal Chocolate Chip Cookies. All you need to do is click on “Leave a Comment” above and type “I love cookies.”  This will give you a chance to be one of the randomly selected winners.

Thank you for celebrating my 25,000^th cookie with me and remember, today is a great day for a cookie.

The 25,000th cookie in all of its cookie glory.

The rest of the batch joins in the fun.

The Paulsen Family enjoying cookies number 25,001, 25,002, 25,003, 25,004, and 25,005.

Oh yes, click on “Leave a Comment” and type “I love cookies.”  You could win one of these limited edition mugs, plus some Oatmeal Chocolate Chip Cookies.  Best of luck!

CHOCOLATE CHIP COOKIES FEATURING CREAM OF TARTAR

“Usually only Snickerdoodles feature Cream of Tartar. As a result, when I stumbled upon this Chocolate Chip Cookie recipe featuring the baking agent, I could not wait to give it a try. Turns out, Cream of Tartar does its job well in these Chocolate Chip Cookies, which turn out pleasantly plump. I decided to use Mini Hershey’s Kisses, because I had some extra handy, but also because they provide your mouth with nice thick bites of chocolate.

Plus, it is fun to say, ‘Cream of Tartar,’ especially if you use a fake accent. Go ahead, and pick the accent of your choice. Say the words and make yourself smile.”

1/3 cup Crisco

½ cup Sugar

¼ cup Brown Sugar

1 Egg

½ teaspoon Vanilla Extract

1 cup Flour

½ teaspoon Baking Soda

¼ teaspoon Cream of Tartar

¼ teaspoon Salt

1 cup Mini Hershey’s Kisses

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Cream the Crisco, sugar, and brown sugar.

Mix in the egg and vanilla extract.

Mix in the flour, baking soda, Cream of Tartar, and salt.

Stir in the mini Hershey’s Kisses.

Place rounded Tablespoons of dough onto parchment paper lined baking sheets.

Bake for 10 minutes or until golden brown.

Makes about 24 cookies.

Revised Source: “Chocolate Chip Cookies” recipe by Martin and Doris Zaugg, as found in the Zaugg Family Cookbook, “Potatoes, Bread and Milk” (2000).