Sinfully Delicious!

Since everyone in my Texas Hold 'Em Club just raved about my "Cupid's Poop" snack brittle last night, I'm publishing the recipe on my blog. And since Walgreens has Valentine's candy 75% off this week, be sure to stock up so you'll be able to make this light and fluffy treat year-round!

Cupid's Poop

YIELDS: 3 lbs. (enough for a small Bridge Club, Poker Club, other club, etc.)

6 boxes of assorted Valentine's chocolates (don't throw out the heart-shaped boxes!)
1 24-oz. bag chocolate chips
1 24-oz. bag peanut butter chips
3 cups miniature marshmallows (buy multi-colored if you can find them)
1 10-oz. can honey roasted peanuts (Spanish will do in a pinch)
1 12-oz. bag pretzel sticks
2 cups sweetened flaked coconut
3 cups Lucky Charms cereal
1 stick oleo (margarine)
2 t. vanilla extract

Melt oleo in large saucepan over medium heat. Add peanut butter chips, chocolate chips and stir until melted. Do not burn! Remove from heat and stir in vanilla, peanuts, pretzel sticks, coconut and cereal until coated well. Pour into large, well-greased bowl and pop in the fridge for 2 minutes, not a second longer. You just want the mixture to set up, but not cool completely. Remove from fridge and briskly stir in miniature marshmallows and chocolates until coated. Spread onto well-greased waxed paper and allow to cool 10 minutes (I can never wait that long!). When firm, break into bit-size chunks and put into heart-shaped boxes for presentation. I always line the boxes with paper towels to soak up some of the grease. Serve and your next function and accept the compliments graciously!

Miss "Bingo" Betty Sanchez

Yellow Feathers

Hola Ladies,

First I'd like to welcome a newcomer to Basura Blanca Bingo (every Friday at the VFW No. 61966 at 7 sharp) with a big Texas "Howdy!" and a friendly smile. Miss Trudy Brice joined our "club" last Friday and bingoed her first game ever that very night. Congratulations, Trudy! I sure hope it was just beginners luck or otherwise we might just have a fleecer on our hands, ladies (LOL). Trudy teaches yoga at the St. Maria Theresa Maria Catholic Church on Redemption Dr. every Tuesday and Thursday at 9 a.m., and I highly recommend her wonderful class. Now I know many of you ladies are thinking that yoga is kin to voodoo but I'm here to tell you it's not. And, yoga is older than Jesus Himself, so those Indians must be on to something since the practice is alive and well more than 2000 years later (and I'm talking Indian as in "curry", not "pow wow"). When I first started going to Trudy's yoga class I couldn't even see my toes, let alone touch them. Well, a little over a month after, I'm able to put my palm flat on the floor and do 'triangle pose' (where you basically look like a 'triangle') without so much as a wince. And lest you forget I was injured in that awful motorcycle accident barely 2 years ago (I'll never forgive that Little Ricky Carvell). So if you're belly-aching about your osteoarthritis, stiff joints or your fused spines, ladies, I suggest you give yoga a try next Tuesday. After a couple of classes you might be able to see who's sitting in the pew behind you just by turning your head!


Most of you know my dear husband, Ramon Sanchez, is one of the most flexible people in town, for his age. This is of course due to the many years he has spent training as a Tri-State All-Star Flamenco dancer. Me, I've got three left feet, but I have always supported his love and passion for "the dance of gypsies". He and his dance partner Tanya Avon (no relation) "transcend time and space" as he puts it, in a sensual yet tasteful flutter of duende which I find to be like watching the mating of two beautiful, colorfully plumed birds or giraffes. Ramon and Tanya are currently in the Dry County Semi-Finals and their next competition is this Saturday. I do my small part in their quest for international stardom by sewing the feathers onto their competition costumes, a time-consuming job. Which brings me to my point. Their chosen song is Copa Cabana by one of the all-time greatest singer/songwriters alive, Mr. Barry Manilow, and I have spent two nights dying 11 pounds of emu feathers butter yellow with Rit dye. Now I will absolutely not tolerate any of you smokers (you know who you are) snickering or poking fun at me this week, as my fingertips are stained to the knuckle a sickly yellow color. My actual nicotine stains faded years ago when I laid down those coffin nails and took up gum, which many of you ladies should do as well, but I'm not one to judge. Anyways, all you righteous Christians please put in a good word for Ramon and Tanya as they approach the semi-finals. The next contest is in Vidor, TX and although I won't be able to attend (I'd never miss calling bingo for my girls), I'll be thinking of them every time I reach into the blower for a bingo ball.

Here are the names of last week's winners:

$5 prizes go to: Katherine Alvarez, Carolina Wesson
$10 prizes go to: Kiki Goldstein, Trudy Brice
$20 prizes go to: Deedee Shortfeathers, Darla Muir
And the $25 grand prize goes to: Kiki Goldstein (again!)

Til next time, ladies, eyes down.

Miss "Bingo" Betty Sanchez

Plea for Your Purse

Hola Ladies,

Today I must use my virtual pulpit to ask for your help in the most dire matter. As you may have heard, one of our own, Roberta Richmann, is laid up in the Spectacular Rapture Pentecostal Hospital due to a tragic fall last Tuesday. Roberta is a dear, dear friend and confidant of mine for the past 14 years. She is a widow, handywoman, & retired psychotherapist (she helped me and Ramon resolve our marital issues back in the 80's during his 'experimental years'). And even though my marriage to Ramon couldn't be more solid if it was made of lead, Roberta and I maintain a close relationship. She is my rock, and last Tuesday she fell off my roof!

In all decency, I will not use the World Wide Web to expose the name of the person who reported me to the Caliche Trails Civic Club for my alleged "Christmas Decor" infraction, however I can guarantee that a certain someone (initials K.G.) will soon be getting an illuminating surprise on her doorstep. I am a very busy woman and putting away my holiday decorations in a 'timely manner' is about as high on my list of to-do's as balancing the National Budget. As many of you know, that dear Roberta is quite the handywoman and she's always willing to help someone in need, so she volunteered to help me take down the decorations from my roof (which were cited in said infraction) so as to help me avoid another citation and possibly a fine! So last Tuesday she insisted on removing the few remaining twinkle lights and plastic Santa Sled and Reindeer, despite my protests and warnings of encroaching high winds. Just that morning, Cal Jenkins, that fella who "predicts" the weather on KBUG had forecast 40 mph gusts and a return to cool weather by sundown. Well Cal, for the first time in his career perhaps, had been right as rain! Roberta was on the roof no less than 10 minutes and was just trying to unplug the lighted Baby Jesus from my Precious Moment's Life-Size Nativity when dark clouds rolled in from nowhere. Even the 80-foot pines surrounding my ranch style were whipping in the wind. Suddenly, Roberta got caught by a gust and she started tottering toward the edge of the roof, clutching the Baby Jesus (you know how steep those ranch style roofs can be). I hollered up at her to "Just lie down! Lie down! Let the Baby Jesus hang!" but Roberta is so hard-headed. Well the very next thing I heard was her head as it crashed down on my Yellow-Rose-of-Tyler rose bushes...and hard!

Dr. Dwight Hunter at Spectacular Rapture said that Roberta has fractured her femur (leg bone) in three places and she would have broken her hip if the Baby Jesus hadn't broken her fall. Thank God in His Infinite Wisdom for Precious Moments! Anyway, you all know that Roberta is a widow and it will be hard for her to keep up with her 'Odd One-Woman Jobs' business til she's out of that wheelchair. So Inez Lopez and her sewing circle, The Needling Neighbors, have created a Bingo Bag Fundraiser to offset the exorbitant hospital bills. The ladies, under the masterful guidance of Inez Lopez (see picture) have made 42 Bingo Bags, each is a one-of-a-kind and is so lovely and a steal at nineteen dollars. The drawstring bag holds up to 12 daubers, your scotch tape, pens, your billfold, keys, gum and sundries, and yes, even your lucky Troll doll!

So you be a doll and buy one today. 95% of the proceeds will go to helping Roberta get back on her feet...literally! Contact Inez or me and we'll bring your bag to next Friday's game.

Here are the names of last week's winners:

$5 prizes go to: Deidre Streslecki, Erin Moorehead
$10 prizes go to: Jenny Hill, Gloria Weiss
$20 prizes go to: Gabriella Carrillo, Kiki Goldstein
And the $25 grand prize goes to Alma Rodriguez

Til next time "ladies", eyes down.

"Bingo" Betty Sanchez