The following are for bar types of cookies because I think they're easier and faster. CHOCOLATE MARBLE SQUARES 1 C + 2 T. flour ½ t. baking soda ½ t. salt ½ C. (1 stick) soft butter 6 T. white sugar 6 T. firmly packed brown sugar ½ t. vanilla ¼ t. water 1 egg ½ C. chopped nuts 1 6 oz pkg chocolate chips Combine the dry ingredients. Set aside. Combine butter, both sugars, vanilla, and water. Beat until creamy. Beat in egg. Add flour mixture and beat well. Stir in nuts. Spread in a greased 9 x 13 in. pan. Sprinkle with the chips and bake at 375 for 1 minute. Remove from oven and run a knife through the mixture to marbelize the dough. Some chips will melt; some wonÂt. Return to oven and bake for 12-15 minutes longer. (ItÂll get tannish and look a teensy bit darker along the edges. Cool in the pan and cut into squares. Makes 24 decent sized ones. TOFFEE BARS This recipe needs to be made several days before eating.) 1 C. butter, softened 1 C. sugar (white) 2 C. sifted flour 1 egg, separated 1 tsp. vanilla ½ C. finely chopped walnuts (or other decorations if nuts are a problem). Preheat oven to 275. Cream butter and sugar. Beat in the flour, egg yolk, and vanilla. Beat well. Spread (youÂll need to use your hands) in the bottom of a well greased 15 ½ x 101/2 jelly roll pan. (I think theyÂre called half sheets.) Brush the top with the egg white. Sprinkle and then pat in thefinely chopped nuts. (You can use any kind of sprinkle instead of nuts.) Bake at 275 degrees for 1 hour and 10 minutes. Immediately cut into about 50 bars and remove from the baking sheet. Cool on a rack and store tightly covered for 3 days before eating. RASPBERRY BARS This recipe is one I found on this forum (I'm so sorry--I can't find whose it was and used the Search function but it didn't help to find the original poster and recipe.) I changed the recipe by using a larger pan and also sprinkled it with nuts instead of pieces of dough. Below is what I did. RASPBERRY BARS 2 ½ C. flour 1 C. sugar 1 C. chopped pecans or walnuts 1 C. butter, softened 1 egg 1 10 oz. jar raspberry preserves Grease a jelly roll pan and preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Combine all of the ingredients except the preserves. Beat until itÂs combined well and press the mixture into the jelly roll pan. Spread the raspberry preserves to about 1/3 inch from the edges. Bake for 30-50 minutes or till the edges are light tan color. Cool completely and cut into bars. Mazel Tov!

This cobbler is great and you could easily add craisins to it. Apple Walnut Cobbler Source BH&G January 1997 5 c tart apples, peeled and thinly sliced 3/4 c chopped walnuts 3/4 c sugar, divided 1/2 tsp ground cinnamon 1 c all purpose flour 1 tsp baking powder 1 egg, beaten 1/2 c evaporated milk 1/3 c butter or margarine, melted Half & Half or light cream (Optional) Preheat oven to 325F. Lightly grease an 8x8 square baking dish. Spread the apples in prepared baking dish. Sprinkle with 1/2 c walnuts, 1/4 c sugar and the cinnamon. In medium mixing bowl, stir together the flour, 1/2 c sugar and baking powder. In small bowl, combine the egg, milk and melted butter. Stir egg mixture into the dry ingredients until smooth. Pour evenly over the apples, sprinkle with remaining walnuts. Bake 50-55 minutes or until toothpick inserted in center comes out clean. Serve warm, cut into squares. If desired, serve with half & half or cream. 9 servings You could also whip up a couple of the cake mixes and make a layer cake with fluff in between and topped off with a chocolate glaze made from the chips. Then chop the toffee chips up and sprinkle on top. Linda

I love turkey. In fact, I bought 2 turkey breasts a couple weeks ago when they had them on sale. Baked one right up and feasted....don't really need the fixn's, just the turkey. Seems like pumpkin pie is supposed to go with turkey, but I was good.....it's still in the freezer. DD2 and her family is here this week from Indiana....that in itself is a challenge. lol Seafood night is tomorrow night. Bacon wrapped shrimp, scallops, Pepper Jack Cheese Crab soup and whatever else the girls come up with. Today we'll probably finish off what's left of the beans and rice I made for lunch yesterday and whatever is in the 5 containers of leftover Chinese from last night. For me? just the rice please....ulcers are making themselves known again. I remember from my childhood someone saying: "Please pray for me and I'll pray for you the best I know how." Have a good week everyone........ SharonG/FL

To be honest, I think you should return them, if you bought them recently enough. THey are doomed from the beginning, and retailers should not be taking advantage of people who want to have a pretty plant, and don't know what they are getting. (I was at Home depot the other day, and my husband saw the multi-colored metallic spray-painted succulents, and thought they were beautiful. He didn't believe me when I told him they were painted, and undoubtedly would have bought one for me if I hadn't been there with him!) Do a little research, look at some of the pictures and read about care of cactus and succulents on this forum, and get yourself something that you can take care of and enjoy for a long time. There are many fascinating and beautiful species that are easy to care for, that will give you years of satisfaction, and maybe turn into a lifetime hobby. There is lots of good information here, and many people who are more than willing to share their experience and knowledge with you.