Do you Believe

As I sit home on a rainy day eatting my canned chicken gumbo soup, trying to get some rest and deal with a nasty head cold (stress and no sleep do it to me every time) - I learned that today is National Believe Day - tied in with Macy's and Make a wish foundation.  Macy's is collecting letters to Santa and for every letter they are donating a $1 to the Make a Wish Foundation.  I love the concept of Believeing in Christmas and all that is involved with the holiday.  Whether it is a letter to Santa, or the conservative gift buying, the music, the decorations, the gathering of friends and family, the compelling need to reach out and help those that have less.  The darkest time of the year when we put up all the lights and celebrate the very Being who brings His light to us.

Here is a card we made in my stamping group last month. I got the idea from a fellow stamper who was making these cards for her local Ronald McDonald House.  Isn't he cute.  We had a lot of fun with this one.

We did this one - which was my favorite of the three that we did.  Once again - not my original idea, but really easy and this is what it looks like when you open it.  You could adapt this to any holiday or celebration theme.  You could attach a picture or a gift card or a little note.  In fact my BFF took this concept and made her Christmas card that she is sending out to 80 plus people. 

Last, but not least here is a picture of the Turkey bags we had as favors on the table.  I filled them with a mixture of corn nuts, pretzels, chocolate dried fruits etc.  I think they were well received. 

Ralph has started working on my work dinner project and has instructed me to take it easy today and he will take care some of the prep today.  He is so good to me and so patient and willing to help me out when I pile on the projects.  We will be doing empanadas, tamales, enchiladas, and fixings for tacos/tostadas.  Hopefully my fellow workers will feel like it was worth their money.  I am going to try and make the favors today for the dinner as well as get the paper cut for my Christmas cards that should have already been sent out.  Well...we do what we can. 

Ta Ta for now

Christmas Buzz

Have you caught it yet? 
I HAVE!  As long as I stay away from the stores and the commercial hub bub I will be fine.

As Ralph and I talked through some of our plans for the holiday season I started to get a little excited.  We have decided to stay in town for Christmas.  Which means we will put a tree up this year.  I especially got excited when I found out the GRP Christmas album II that I couldn't find is now available as an MP3 download.  I think it is my most favorite of the three.

I volunteered Ralph and I to cater my work party event next Saturday.  It drives him crazy when I do that, but I think he enjoys the cooking and prep as much as I do.  He should thank me as this way it enables him to be in the kitchen and not have to socialize with my fellow employees.  We have planned a mexican buffet.  It makes me hungry just thinking about it.  I love doing these kinds of things.  I have often thought about changing careers to a catering style job, but then I don't think it would be fun for me.  I will stick with the for "personal enjoyment" thing and my regular day job.
 
The activities for the weekend will keep us busy.  I have a baptism to attend in the morning, help Ralph's Mom put up her Christmas decorations, the land lord and an electrician coming to our house to "ground" the electrical outlets, our house to clean and prepare for Christmas.  Sunday - I hope to get some VT done.  Somewhere in that time frame I plan on posting pictures of some of the projects I have been working on and starting a couple of new ones, including our Christmas cards.

We have our family and neighbor gifts planned.  I really think that planning is half the battle.  We have really tried to simplify things but still make them meaningful.  Kind of hard for me as I like to go BIG.  But I think I will be satisfied with what we have planned this year.

I will end with a recipe that I found on Megans cooking Blog it is easy, yummy, and festively colored.

BLT Pasta

6 strips of thick sliced bacon cut into 1 inch pieces
1 C cherry/grape tomatoes
1 tsp sugar
1 lb thin spaghetti
4oz butter
1 C heavy cream
1/2 C parmesan - plus additional for garnish
2 C spinach leaves (makes it a healthy dish)
salt
pepper

• Cook pasta
• meanwhile saute bacon until crisp - drain and save 1 T of the drippings - crumble bacon
• Add tomatoes and sugar carmelize until tomatoes begin to brown (about 5 minutes)
• Turn heat to low and stir in cream, butter, and cheese.
• Drain spaghetti and set aside
• Stir in bacon, and spinach - then add spaghetti. 
• Season with salt and pepper to taste
• Garnish with cheese and enjoy.

You could add chicken to this.
 

We need a little Christmas

Right this very minute! 

So...to help the process of getting into the Christmas spirit I thought I would start listening to some of my favorite Christmas music.  Still not really in the mood for it but I am going to share some of my favorites.

Favorite Albums to sit in the ambience of the tree lights (no other lights on)  John Schmidt Chrismas and James Galway Christmas Carol.  (I couldn't go to sleep last night - listened to the John Schmidt album 4 times before I just gave up)










Pop Albums/Sing Along - David Archuletta, Amy Grant, Celine Dion, Linda Eder, Voice Male

Classical - The Messiah, and anything Rutter/Cambridge Choir

Tab Choir - Spirit of the Season album is my favorite.  I got to go to the concert and Sissel was just amazing. 

Jazz/Chillin - GRP Christmas - we have two of the albums and can't seem to get a hold of the third - anywhere for a descent price.







Christmas song I want but don't have a recording yet..."Mary Did You Know" There are lots of recordings out there - haven't picked my favorite - but do like Clay Aiken, Kathy Mattea, and Donny Osmond versions.

Please share some of your very favorites.

 

11 weeks till Christmas - 4 days late

Haven't been feeling too chatty these days and definitely not in the mood to create Christmas stuff.  Last night at 10:00 I kicked my rear in gear and did a quick card.  Didn't turn out to bad for being a quicky.

Stamps - Peace on Earth
Ink - Cherry Cobbler

Paper - Cherry Cobbler, Whisper White

Accessories - Gold cord, metallic gold smooch, embossing folder

My stamp a stack went great.  I love having the gals over to hang out, I guess stamping is the avenue I choose to do that.  If I had a more comfy couch and a better TV I would host girls nights all the time.  We would watch chick flicks and eat chocolate, play games, eat chocolate, paint our nails, eat chocolate... and laugh until we pee'd our pants or sent diet coke out our noses.

On that note - I have been in the mood to watch chick flicks.  I recently have watched 27 dresses which was on TV on Sunday and last night as I climbed into bed and started flipping channels I watched The Wedding date.  I haven't seen letters to Juliet yet, but it is on the list to rent along with several other movies.  Do you have a favorite chick flick - please share!
Ta Ta for now

A Win Win

No, you are not seeing double.  We had two great wins the last couple days.  BYU creamed Oregon St. and Utah beat Cal Bears.  The MWC is making a good showing.  Wyoming won their bowl game.  Now Air Force needs to come through and TCU should finish off with a great win against BSU.  What a great football season.

It snowed all day today.  Just a really fine powder snow, but it put some volume on the ground.  Definitely feels like Christmas.  Today - Christmas Adam...tomorrow Christmas Eve.   Speaking of Christmas...I love getting Christmas cards in the mail.  Especially the home made ones and the photo cards of families.  I always wished for a big enough family to have cool pictures taken.  Ralph, Riley and me just doesn't cut it for a big family picture.  I don't think I could get Ralph to even pose for a little family picture.  We have gotten quite a few cards this year, they are taped up on the wall for all to see.  It is fun to sit back and look at them.  Thanks for the cards!

I still have a ton of things to get done so I will leave you, not with a recipe, but a really cute idea for neighbor treat gifts that I found on a blog that I frequent.   Aren't they cool looking.  I will definitely be doing this next year for office treats, easy neighbor goodies and they look so yummy! Unfrosted brownies, cut into triangles and garnished as trees. How fun is that?!

Sleepovers, Family parties and breadsticks

This weekend we had a sleepover with some of our neices and nephews.  It was oodles of fun.  We ate pizza and watched Christmas Story and Polar Express.  Don't you just love Christmas story - Ralphy will always be a part of our holidays.  We then had milk and cookies before heading upstairs for story time and convincing a 2 1/2 year old that it was time to go bed, and that you don't need 5 glasses of water before bed.  Ralph read the Gift of the Magi and the Little Matchgirl to them.  At this point - I headed to bed and Ralph continued to talk to them with the lights out about his Mission at Christmas time.  He is so patient and we loved having the kids over.  Morning was fun too.  The kids used the stairway to play - We had deep sea diving to helicopters in the sky.  I braided hair and then we had Tamales and eggs for breakfast.  YUMMY!

We had the Curtis family party this last week as well.  It was a lot of fun catching up with members of the family we don't see very often.  We had a great soup dinner.  We had Santa come and talk with all the kids.  He had been prepped on the kids' background so that made it even more fun because they had no idea how Santa knew so much about them  Yes...I am a firm believer in perpetuating the myth of Santa!  We sang carols and exchanged gifts.  It was a nice relaxing evening.

Because of several requests I am going to share our breadstick recipe.  Ralph made them for the party because I had been at work all day.  He is such a good cook!  Here is the recipe

Best Breadsticks
1 TBL yeast (quick)
1 1/2 tsp salt
2 TBL sugar
1 1/2 C warm to hot water (not too hot you don't want to kill your yeast)
3 1/2 C flour
1 cube butter - you can get by with 1/2, but they are not quite as good :)

Dissolve yeast, sugar and salt in water.  Add flour one cup at a  time kneading well.  (add enough flour that your dough is soft, but not sticky)  Let stand 10 minutes.  Melt butter on regular cookie sheet in oven.  Set oven at 375.  Roll or pat dough into large square.  Cut into strips.  Dip in butter, turn over and lay all strips in pan.  Sprinkle with any or all: 
Parmesan Cheese
Garlic Salt
Parsley Flakes
Sesame seeds

Let rise for 20 to 30 minutes in warm place.  Bake 20 to 25 minutes @375.
COOKS NOTE - I usually mix garlic powder and parsley with the butter before I roll the breadsticks in the mixture. 

Ta Ta for now!

Christmas morning

I have been thinking about Christmas's past and what the mornings always brought.  Usually my brothers would wake me up and we would try to sneak out into the living room to see what goodies were there.  I don't remember ever making it to the livingroom without Dad telling us to get back to bed.  It never failed that we somehow had to pass by our parents room to get to the living room.  Sometimes we would hang out until we were allowed into the living room and sometimes we would go back to bed but not very often. 


We would finally get Mom and Dad up and we would plow through the loot and then dump our stockings.  We always had an orange at the bottom with a can of blue diamond smokehouse almonds.  We also always had a box of Whitman's Sampler chocolates - of our very own.  We sometimes got Hickory Farms meltaway mints - which I love.  My brothers would get cans of smoked oysters which I couldn't ever stomach.  Dad usually put in a little necklace that he had made for me with an opal or garnet in the setting.  Sometimes I even got a ring.  It was always wrapped in layers and layers of tissue and then slid or shoved into a film canister. (That dates me - you probably can't even find a film canister around) 

We didn't really have a breakfast per say - we would eat our oranges, munch on our almonds and chocolates or the homeade candies left over from neighbor gifts and stollen and fruit cake.  Ralph's family always had Campbells chicken gumbo soup.  The morning was so crazy for their family that it was easy to open a can of soup and have cheese and crackers with it.  I think they always had grapefruit as well.  It was a treat for them and they loved it.  When I first got married, it was kind of fun to do something different, soup with cheese and crackers for breakfast, but I am all passed that now.  I really prefer breakfast food for breakfast.  It is my favorite meal of the day.  Ralph still prefers his soup.  A friend of mine used to serve her children parfaits - layered with fruit, ice cream, and granola.  That sounds good.  I thought a nice breakfast casserole or eggs benedict - you know something special.   I think we will always be divided on what is for breakfast Christmas morning.

I have plenty of things to do tonight.  I will leave you with a recipe for the best buttermilk pancakes you will ever eat.  I got the recipe off the internet - they are unbelievable!  I usually add a little bit more milk because I like my pancakes thin.

BETTE'S BUTTERMILK PANCAKES
INGREDIENTS:
-- 2 cups all-purpose flour
-- 2 tablespoons sugar
-- 2 teaspoons baking powder
-- 1 teaspoon baking soda
-- 1/2 teaspoon salt
-- 2 eggs
-- 2 cups buttermilk
-- 1/2 cup milk
-- 1/4 cup unsalted butter, melted
-- Choice of berries, sliced bananas, raisins or chopped toasted nuts (optional)
-- Oil for griddle

INSTRUCTIONS: Combine the flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda and salt in a large bowl.
Lightly beat the eggs with the buttermilk, milk and melted butter.

Just before you are ready to make the pancakes, add the liquid ingredients to the dry ingredients all at once, stirring just long enough to blend. The batter should be slightly lumpy.

If you want to add fruit or nuts, stir them in now, or you may sprinkle them on the pancakes while they are on the griddle.

Heat a lightly oiled griddle or heavy skillet over medium-high heat (375 degrees on an electric griddle).

Pour 1/4 cup batter per pancake onto the griddle or skillet, spacing the pancakes apart so they do not run together. When bubbles appear on the surface of the pancakes and the undersides are lightly browned, turn and cook for about 2 minutes longer, until lightly browned on the bottom.

Serve immediately on warmed plates with the topping of your choice. Serves 4 (yields about 24 four-inch pancakes.)

25 days and counting

Yikes.  I feel like I am on a rollercoaster and I can't get off.  The questions is...am I having fun?  I love riding rollercoasters at theme parks.  As you travel to the top you can feel the chains jerk and pull and you totally anticipate how awesome it is going to feel when you get to the top and start your descent and the ride that is ahead.  I would ride them over and over and over.  I never seem to tire of them.  Somehow I need to apply the thrill of that ride to the ride I am on now.   Not quite the same.
Well, I think we have a plan for Christmas.  The calendar is full and lists are made.   We need to play it smart and be wise about our choices and somehow we will make it through.  Kind of excited!

I don't know why I let this get to me, but I have.  The bishop of the ward that we officially live in (boundaries) just called to let me know of a place available to rent in their ward - just in case we have to move.  Just leave me alone please!  Let me figure this out on my own!  The more I get pushed the more I will push back.  On Sunday, there were several little comments and digs about changing to a different ward.  I don't want to uproot.  I am counting on every part of my being to stay in the ward I am now.  I never thought I would feel so strongly about this, but I do.  If I can't stay in my ward, then I want to move far enough away to have a clean start. 

Well, since we are celebrating the holdiays, I thought I would share a recipe each day...

I got this recipe from my sister-in-law.  It is one of our favorites.

Cheeseball

1 8oz pkg cream cheese

1/3 to 1/2 Cup crushed pineapple - drained well

1/4 Cup green pepper chopped finely

1/4 Cup celery chopped finely

1/4 Cup green onions - chopped

Lawrys season salt and pepper to taste

Roll mixture into ball and then roll in 1/2 Cup chopped nuts.  Wrap in plastic wrap and chill until ready to serve.  Serve with your favorite crackers.

Got to take a dog for a walk and then hit the hay
Ta Ta for now.