Will you be my Valentine? Treat your sweetie with these delightful cherry chocolate cookies made from 100% goodness! Nothing says lovin' like cookies from the oven! :)


Low-Point Cherry Chocolate Cookies
Ingredients:
- 1 cup butter (I used Imperial stick butter for this recipe), softened but still cool
- 3/4 cup powdered sugar
- 1/8 tsp. salt
- 4 tsp. maraschino cherry juice
- 1/4 tsp. almond extract
- 2 1/4 cups flour
- Red food coloring (as much as you need for your desired color)
- granulated sugar, for sprinkling the cookies
- 53 Brach's Chocolate Stars or Hershey Kisses
Preheat oven to 325 degrees. In a mixer, beat the butter until creamy. Reduce speed and beat in powdered sugar and salt. Add cherry juice and almond extract and combine. With the mixer on low add the flour slowly, scraping the sides of the bowl as needed. Rolls the dough into 1" balls and place on a baking sheet. Press the center of the cookie with your thumb until the dough is about 1/2 inch thick. Sprinkle cookie with a little bit of sugar and bake for about 10 minutes or until the bottoms are lightly browned. Once removed from the oven, gently press a chocolate star or Hershey Kiss in the center of the cookie. Let cool and enjoy! If you'd like a printer-friendly version of this recipe, Click Here.
Total servings - 53
Serving size - 1
Points per serving - 1.5

Blogging about your blog is sort of like setting up mirrors facing each other and standing between them. But, if we're honest, blogging is pretty much like staring in mirror anyway.

I've added some new blog links for you to check out. You can find them under the Shooting & Freedom tab:

The Smoothing Plane
Kerry blogs about wide range of subjects, from woodworking to self-defense to politics. All the while keeping his faith at the forefront.

Down Range Report
Duke posts his observations on guns, self-defense and politics, from the point-of-view of a retired combat vet.

Barrel Smoke
The blogger sums himself up thusly:"So, here's the thing: I love to cook and I love to shoot. Nothing like smoke on a brisket and smoke from a barrel." And he does the occasional beer review too!

Jews For The Preservation Of Firearms Ownership
No one knows the dangers of a government out to destroy a faith better than these folks. As Obama begins his open attacks on the Catholic faithful, we should be heeding the dire warning from Jewish history. See this post in particular.


In other news, there are a lot of new folks joining the Musings using the Google Friend Connect link in the right hand column. At last look the count was up to 80. Welcome to all my new friends! Those folks represent a wide range of interests. A lot of them have blogs as well, so check them out.

I write a lot about exercising your rights in traffic stops and how you can refuse things like road-side DWI tests. But does that mean you should be rude to the officer?

NO!! Here’s three reasons to always be polite to them, even if you refuse to do what they ask:

1. Law enforcement officers are just folks like you and me who are trying their best to do their job. Sure, there are some bad apples out there. And some departments have reputations as being particularly tough. But overall, I have a lot of respect for law enforcement personnel. Just like anybody you encounter in your daily life, they deserve respect.

2. The officer has a lot of power in your case. He is usually the person who decides what you are charged with. And he can also put in a good (or bad) word for you with the Commonwealth’s Attorney when the case comes trial. Do you really want to tick off the officer?

3. Many prosecutors and judges take a dim view of defendants who are rude and disrespectful to the officers. Your demeanor with the officer could make a huge difference in the outcome of the case. Being polite won’t get the case dismissed, but being a jerk certainly can make it hard to get a break from the judge.

The reasons could go on, but surely you get the point. I always suggest to NOT allow the officer to search your car if asked. And it usually makes sense to refuse roadside DWI tests. But you certainly should exercise your rights politely.

Photo by pixieclipx

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Originally published at AndrewFlusche.com. © 2012 Andrew Flusche. Be Nice to the Officer!

This evening at 6:39PM central Virginia experienced a 3.2 earthquake. Mild in comparison to the 5.8 quake that hit last August, but still a subtle reminder that we are not the ones in charge.

And Twitter moves almost as fast.

What was really interesting about this event was how fast I got confirmation that it was indeed an earthquake. I had just sat down in a chair and could both hear and feel the rumble. About the same time my wife called down the stairs, "Do you feel that?" and I answered in the affirmative "Yes", a Twitter alert popped up on my laptop from a friend exclaiming "Aftershock!" I don't think the rumbling had even stopped.

We had one heck of a lunch today! This amazing bruschetta with sautéed tomatoes and garlic, fresh prosciutto, and mozzarella was thoroughly enjoyed by all! Very easy to make and definitely one worth repeating!


Low-Point Prosciutto and Mozzarella Bruschetta
Ingredients:
- 1 tsp. olive oil
- 4 thinly sliced prosciutto
- 1 1/2 cups chopped grape or cherry tomatoes
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- kosher salt and fresh pepper
- 1/2 cup reduced-fat shredded mozzarella cheese
- I Can't Believe It's Not Butter spray
- fresh basil
- 2 Steak Rolls, halved (I bought Maier's Italian Steak Rolls)
Preheat broiler on high. In a skillet, heat olive oil over medium-high heat. Add prosciutto slices and cook for several minutes on each side just until they begin to get a little bit crisp. Remove prosciutto to a plate, cut or break into pieces, and set aside. Add minced garlic, tomatoes, and a little salt and pepper to the same skillet. Saute' for several minutes until the tomatoes begin to soften. Take one half of the steak roll and spray with butter. Toast roll until golden brown. Top rolls with tomato and garlic mixture, prosciutto, and a little bit of mozzarella cheese. Line baking sheet with aluminum foil and place rolls on the baking sheet. Place in broiler oven just until cheese begins to melt. Remove, top with fresh basil and enjoy! If you'd like a printer-friendly version of this recipe, Click Here.
Total servings - 4
Serving size - 1
Points per serving - 4

Table for Two

I was killing some time in the local beverage store Friday afternoon, looking for some interesting beers to bring home, when I spied Great Divide Espresso Oak Aged Yeti Imperial Stout. Ah, the memories this brewery invokes. There was a time when I regularly travelled to Denver. I always looked forward to visiting the tasting room at Great Divide, and in fact that would be my first stop each evening before dinner. I've long been a fan of Yeti stout and have enjoyed the "standard" Yeti, the Oak Aged Yeti, and the Chocolate Oak Aged Yeti. I've not had the espresso-enhanced version. Needless to say, a bottle found its way home with me.

Espresso Oak Aged Yeti pours as black as night with a thick, mousse-like beige head. The aromas of dark roast coffee and dark chocolate greet the nose immediately. The head fairly quickly drops leaving behind a thin layer, but lots of lacing on the glass. The flavor is what I've come to expect from Yeti — rich, roasted notes, mildly bitter with a lingering, mild bitterness. The espresso addition may have enhanced the flavor a bit, but it isn't as prominent as I expected, and even hoped for.

Despite Spring-like weather, with temperatures in the 70's, I was looking forward to this dark, Winter-like treat. The bottle never even made it to the basement, but was served the same evening at room temperature. We enjoyed relaxing with our snifters of Yeti Stout. It was a great way to unwind after a busy week.

The latest Hardcore History podcast elegantly covers about 500 years of history in four years; from the Fall of Rome in the 476 CE through the general Christianization of the Germanic tribes shortly before the Crusades. Coincidently, my son and I spent about 4 hours in the car driving back and forth to Richmond this weekend. Stuff I learned…

Historians don’t actually use the term Dark Ages anymore. While it’s true that it took Europe about 1000 years to get back to the general level of technological advancement of the Roman empire, the Chinese and the Southern American cultures were advancing just fine during this time.

I had never heard of the Battle of Tours prior to today. Some believe that battle is what halted the spread of Islam into the West. Others believe it was a skirmish with a raiding party and of no real importance.

I’ve often wondered how the religion of a pacifist like Jesus Christ ended up being used to justify so much war. It may have all started with the Christian conquest of the Germanic tribes. Christianity changed from a pacifist movement to a religion where killing was kind of ok if it was in defense of a divinely appointed king. Once that was accepted, it wasn’t a huge leap to the Crusades, where killing the right people actually took previous sin off your permanent record.

Apparently people are still arguing about whether Charlemagne was French or German.

My son is scary. At least a dozen times during the podcast, as Carlin was leading into the next subject, Breck knew in advance what was coming. His AP History test scores should be fabulous

Not too long ago, I mused on the question "How Much Beer Is Enough?" Some folks measure "too much" by the pint. Apparently, at a pub in the U.K., serving too much beer in a pint can get you fired.

A pub landlord and ­landlady have been ­suspended and ­threatened with the sack for serving pints “too full” of beer. 

Pete and Debbie Gibson were ordered to close their Junction Inn pub on New Year’s Eve ­because brewery bosses said the heads on their pints of beer and lager were not big enough. 

Pete, 48, and Debbie, 47, say they have been told they owe brewing firm Samuel Smith £10,733 in lost stock for topping up customers’ pints 

The dispute centres on whether or not customers are entitled to ask for more than 95 per cent of their pint glass to be filled and get the pint topped up so there’s less of a frothy head.

At first glance at the headline I assumed that folks were upset that they weren't getting a proper head on the beer. As noted previously, a proper head on the beer is an important aspect to the full enjoyment of a good beer. As it turns out, the claims of the owners revolve around the servers being too generous with the product.

Interesting conundrum.

See "Pub landlord suspended for serving pints "too full" of beer".

Cheesy mozzarella and pepperoni with chicken? Brilliant! This amazing recipe is a fantastic family pleaser that will have you coming back for more! Enjoy!


Low-Point Cheesy Pepperoni Chicken
Ingredients:
- 2 cloves minced garlic
- 14 slices pepperoni, chopped
- 1/2 tsp. dried oregano
- 1 cup low calorie marinara sauce (I used Classico Traditional Favorites - Tomato and Basil)
- 2 Tbs chopped fresh basil
- 4, 4 oz. boneless chicken cutlets
- 1 tsp. olive oil
- kosher salt and fresh pepper
- 1 cup reduced-fat shredded mozzarella cheese
- Cooking spray
Preheat broiler to high. Heat a large saucepan over medium-high heat. Coat pan with cooking spray. Add garlic and pepperoni and cook for a few minutes until garlic starts to brown, stirring frequently. Add oregano and marina sauce and bring to a boil. Turn heat to low and add basil. Heat a large skillet over medium-high heat with one teaspoon olive oil. Sprinkle chicken with a little bit of kosher salt and fresh pepper. Add chicken to skillet and cook for 5 minutes on each side or until cooked through. Transfer chicken to a baking dish and spoon marina sauce over the top. Sprinkle evenly with cheese and broil for several minutes until cheese melts. Remove from broiler and enjoy! If you'd like a printer-friendly version, Click Here.
Total servings - 4
Serving size - 1
Points per serving - 6.5