What makes Christmas?

Heck that is easy KIDS NO Matter the AGE …

While only 2 of the 4 here this year for Christmas…the Fun prevails

DO NOT TOUCH EACH Other SIT ON YOUR HANDS! Lord they dinna listen then Good thing it was FUN Kids are great no matter the age!

Merry Christmas

SIGH

Tiz been a time since I blogged… but that’s ok.

It is the season of busy things

Good busy

Enjoyable busy

Today I shall add personal thoughts to the already addressed Christmas cards.

Hard to believe I actually started this project Thanksgiving weekend.

But then making seven different cookies to share plus the Chocolate Microwave

Cake to give out did take time. I am not complaining I have enjoyed it all.

All of the gifts are wrapped, tee hee I speak about the ones that are wrap able.

More snickering

The traditional OFFICE PARTY is over, man I had a great time.

The College Bowl games have begun and all bets have been placed.

I usually spear head this venture, but this year I yielded to my Sweetie to be the

HEAD Bean Counter.

Time to kick back and listen to Christmas music…

Mannheim Steamroller - ‘Joy To The World’ How Mannheim Steamroller got its name: Chip Davis decided to call his band "Mannheim Steamroller," an amusing, "colloquial joke name" for an 18th-century musical technique known as the "Mannheim crescendo." The orchestral crescendo was pioneered by Johann Stamitz and the Mannheim Orchestra. The Mannheim sound built intensity by adding layers of sound, color, texture, other instruments—and, especially, volume. To Davis, it was like a steamroller. Hence, the name. I want to tell the WORLD my Sister in law totally ROCKS!

She sure surprised me with this fabulous gift! YUP I got to see Mannheim in concert…WOW and days after WOW Life is GOOD! The shopping she and I did was FAB as well, tee hee

Hand/Homemade Gifts

For years I have made THINGS for people that are in our lives in a non family way.

~~

This all started when I was a kid...

The mail carrier

We live in a small town, so 6 more for all the workers at the Post Office, yup even

the cleaner upper person.

The garage mechanic, the sanitation workers

The people that I purchase gasoline from

My Florist and her staff

Friends at a couple of place I do business on a regular basis

Used to give to the children’s bus drivers…

Not money, NOPE, stuff made from hand/or by Hand

Cookies, all kinds

Soup in a jar already to add liquid…enuff for a family

Remember the Constant Comet TEA?

Spiced Tea Mix

One year I made all sorts of spices, all grown from our garden.

Another time canned veggies, like when we had a GLUT of green beans or applesauce

Still want to do infused vinegars and oils with the herbs etc from the garden,

maybe next year…Do have the bottles, bought 6 years ago on SALE

WHOOOOOOOOOOOOOO HOOOOOOO

Hot Cocoa Mix

Everyone will love sipping on this rich hot chocolate!

For a hot cocoa twist, try different flavored coffee creamer.

5 cups powdered milk

2 cups powdered coffee creamer

1 1/2 cups cocoa powder, sifted *

3 cups powdered sugar 1/3 cup granulated sugar miniature marshmallows, optional

1. With a wire whisk, thoroughly mix dry ingredients together.

Stir in marshmallows.

Divide mix into containers.

2. Attach instructions to jar:

To use, fill mug one third full of cocoa mix and then stir in hot water.

* For a richer, darker cocoa mix, use Dutch cocoa.

Yields: 11 cups cocoa mix

Shades of Cub Scout days for sure!

This year something a tad different.

5 MINUTE CHOCOLATE MUG CAKE

1 Coffee Mug

4 tablespoons flour(that's plain flour, not self-rising)

4 tablespoons sugar

2 tablespoons baking cocoa

1 egg

3 tablespoons milk

3 tablespoons oil

3 tablespoons chocolate chips (optional) some nuts (optional)

Small splash of vanilla

Add dry ingredients to mug, and mix well.

Add the egg and mixthoroughly.

Pour in the milk and oil and mix well.

Add the chocolate chips (if using) and vanilla, and mix again.

Put your mug in the microwave and cook for 3 minutes on high.

The cake will rise over the top of the mug, but don't be alarmed!

Allow to cool a little, and tip out onto a plate if desired. EAT!

(this can serve 2 if you want to share!)

And why is this the most dangerous cake recipe in the world?

Because now we are all only 5 minutes away from chocolate cake at any time of the

day or night!

December the ONTH!

The Popover recipe re configured…what a bust that was!

However the Apple Pies were YUMMY

With Thanksgiving just barely over we head to the BIG ONE.

Our Thanksgiving was fabulous.

What could be more enjoyable than having family together?

Hectic, sure is BUT man the fun HECTIC makes...

puts a spring in my step to be sure.

Food smells permeated the home, homemade ice cream,

Joe’s Green beans, Sweet Potato Goodness, special YUMMM there,

gravy and dressing; store bought frozen turkey.

Still love to watch the cranberries POP…such fun in the kitchen for sure.

The ICE CREAM MAKER of ALL TIMES!

Christmas Goose is in the freezer, NO not one of ours…

Old but a tried and true recipe

Perfect Ice Cream making causes a STIR at our HOME

The Store Bought Turkey

The tree has been picked out, now to ready the PROPER location in the home. Ah the smell of fresh pine…

HEAVE HO

Lovely LIVE Bird!

Slate preforming in front of the dogs

Gentle touches

Home Sweet Home

NOW

Time to get the inside decorated and begin to surreptitiously drag out from hiding places gifts to be wrapped.

Almost Turkey Day

OR Turkey day is for the BIRDS? HA HA

~~

Slowly the SIMMER begins. YUP the excitement of having the kids home, smells wafting upwards. Checking the grocery list thrice…

~~

Turkey will go in the oven tonight. Tomorrow morning before the kids arrive, the wondrous smells that evokes memories in us all. I bet the smells will drive the PUPS BONKERS.

~~

WOW, come to think of it, this is Lily and Houses first Thanksgiving.

~~

Jazz is finally settling down to a life with a real family…wonder if she will sense the difference, the excitement? Dear George, our elder dog, will be content to lie in the middle of any room where food MIGHT drop to the floor, while pools of drool surround his paws.

Amidst all of this, my car is ill…SIGH! By noon I will know why THAT light is on as well as if my muffler has a hole in it. I will be STUCK at the mechanics place until the verdict is pronounced.

~~

The bummer about that is: people no longer are allowed to watch what they do to your car. Insurance, accidents etc have disallowed curious arm chair mechanics like I to learn. I do not like that! It’s not like I am going to open a shop of my own up! Geesh Louise!

~~

Memories of less hectic times, YA memories of childhood… Dad taking me with him, while he hung out with his buddies that were mechanics. Looking back it was probably a treat from his weekly routine… Ummmmmmm ya think I was bugging Mom so I had to go with DAD? Probably likely actually… Those were great times…I really was no problem, that I RECALL! I did learn more than I thought…

~~

So instead of being impatient this morning, I will TRY to sneak a look to see what they are doing to my car. As well as amending the grocery list. Let’s see, 1. Diet Coke 2. Root Beer 3. Snacks for the WVU Football game Saturday 4. Fresh flowers for the girls rooms 5. LIFE IS GOOD! AND YES dear daughters, the Pepperoni Rolls are freshly out of the oven awaiting your arrival. The Home Made Ice cream is forthcoming as well! LIFE IS GOOD!

Excitement reigns

The first of Christmas GOODIES have been ordered…

The barn is decorated…the temptation is great to turn the lights on…BUT I shall wait…until after Thanksgiving

~

Tomorrow begin the turkey thaw, HA sounds like a weird dance…

Refrigerator Thawing: Thaw breast side up, in unopened wrapper, on a tray in the refrigerator. Allow for at least 1 day of thawing for every 4 pounds of turkey.

~~

GADS I need a diaper for the bird SIGH

~~

How do you diaper a 24# boid? HA very carefully I bet

20 to 24 pounds

5 to 6 days

QUIZ

And I thought I was ahead????????????????? LOL

~~

SIGH soon the kids will be here, now I am sorry but it cannot get better than that!

~~~~~~~~~

THEN we all go out to PICK the perfect Tree LIFE IS GOOD!

Ponderings about Thanksgiving

Here are some updated pictures of Goldie and Slate.

~~

I first posted about them [Goldie & Slate] October 6th of this year. CLICK HERE!

~~

Here we are with a little over a week before one of my favorite Holidays. Seems the reality settled in with the first snow dusting that we had the other day.

~~

For sure I am pleased all of the wood has been split and stacked as well as covered. We have yet to have a fire inside, not quite cold enough YET. I chuckle inwardly as I will see the neatly pile diminish and leave voids of interest come spring.

~~

Time to dig out the Christmas and New Year Cards…

~~

Once again attempt to get them addressed during the Thanksgiving weekend.

~~

HA that has always been a goal, who knows this year I might attain it.

Well it is a delicious thought.

~~

Speaking of delicious… what foods come to mind that take you back years?

Those are the memories.

One that my Mother delighted in making was: Creamed peas in a Timbale.

Gosh have not thought about that in years.

~~

A timbale is a disc-shaped - mould for various sorts of food.

Mom used upside down glass custard cups...she used the left over raw pie dough,

and then she would prick the dough with the tines of a fork. That way there was

no waste.

The name is derived from 'thimble'.

~

While thinking about this almost lost memory I found this recipe.

Sure sounds yummy.

I think we will add this to a meal on the Sunday after Thanksgiving, because one

of our children requested Popovers. ;) Someone else has a memory.

What fun it was to sit in front of the glass oven and watch the POP of the OVERS!

~

Food historians generally agree popovers are an American recipe.

They descended from 17th century batter puddings made in England.

Yorkshire pudding is the most famous example of these.

"Popover. A light, hollow muffin made from an egg batter similar to that used in making Yorkshire pudding. The name comes from the fact that the batter rises and swells of the muffin tin while baking...In American Food (1974), Evan Jones writes: Settlers from Maine who founded Portland, Oregon, Americanized the pudding from Yorkshire by cooking the batter in custard cups lubricated with drippings from the roasting beef (or sometimes pork); another modification was the use of garlic, and, frequently, herbs. The result is called Portland popover pudding, individual balloons of crusty meat-flavored pastry." Most popovers, however, are not flavored but merely set in buttered muffin tins. They are served a breakfast or with meats at lunch and dinner."---Encyclopedia of American Food and Drink, John F. Mariani [Lebhar-Friedman:New York] 1999 (p. 249)

~~

Henderson's Popover recipe [1876]

Popover recipe from 1877:

Minted Green Pea Timbales

1 tablespoon salt

4 cups peas

2 1/2 tablespoons mint, chopped, plus sprigs for garnish

1/4 teaspoon granulated sugar

1/4 teaspoon pepper

3 egg whites

1/2 cup whipped cream Sour cream or crème fraîche

Dissolve all but 1/4 teaspoon salt in large pot of boiling water.

Add peas.

Blanch 2 minutes.

Drain and rinse under cold water.

Chill and drain thoroughly.

Puree in blender or food processor the peas, mint, and sugar remaining salt and pepper until

smooth. Continue to puree while adding egg whites 1 at a time.

Pour in cream. Blend until combined.

Divide mixture among 6 greased 1/2 cup ramekins or custard cups.

Set ramekins in baking pan.

Add boiling water to pan to halfway up sides of ramekins.

Cover with foil and vent.

Bake in a preheated 350 degree oven for 30 minutes or until toothpick inserted in center pulls

clean.

Let set a few minutes. Run sharp knife around edges and invert onto serving dish.

Garnish with mint sprig and dollop of sour cream or crème fraîche

~~~~~~~~~~~~~

ALMOST

Almost what?

Well Daylight savings time ends on November 2! Halloween October 31!

Presidential Election - November 04, 2008

~~ For more Celebrations ~ Click Here!

Carving Pumpkins

It is REALLY too soon to carve, BUT, it is never too soon to PLAN! So close to the ELECTION…why not have some FUN

Voting is exciting

Voting is your right and responsibility.

Why not COMBINE both Halloween and the Upcoming Election!

NOTE the Frog here?????

I like FROGS

The United States presidential election of 2008, scheduled for Tuesday November 4, 2008, will be the 56th consecutive quadrennial United States presidential election and will select the President of the United States and Vice President of the United States.

~~~~~~~~~~~~

The Republican Party has chosen John McCain, the senior United States Senator from Arizona as its nominee; Barack Obama, the junior United States Senator from Illinois, has been chosen as the nominee for the Democratic Party. The 2008 election is particularly notable because it is the first time in U.S. history that two sitting senators will run against each other for president, and because it is the first time an African American is a presidential nominee for a major party, as well as the first time both major candidates were born outside the continental United States - Hawaii for Obama and the Panama Canal Zone for McCain. With African American candidate Barack Obama, who is of mixed African and Caucasian parentage, as the Democratic Party nominee for President and John McCain's selection of female Alaska Governor Sarah Palin as the Republican Party nominee for Vice-President, the eventual winning ticket is very likely to have a historic context, as either the first African American will be elected President along with the first Roman Catholic as Vice President or the first woman will be elected Vice President.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~

The Libertarian Party has nominated former Congressman Bob Barr, the Constitution Party has nominated pastor and radio talk show host Chuck Baldwin, and the Green Party has nominated former Congresswoman Cynthia McKinney. Ralph Nader declined to seek the Green Party nomination and is running as an independent candidate.

~~~~~~~~~~

Consider these options: Carving Pumpkins for Halloween

~~~~~~~~~~~~

Presidential Candidate Pumpkin Carving Stencils 2008

Site One

Site Two

Anniversary

Lots of things going one here, the MOST important is our Anniversary on Sunday. Got me Tootsies embellished. Flowers on one toe and a fish and 2 hearts on the other…we DID go Fishing on our Honeymoon…and of course I had POSEYS for our Wedding.

Then there are the Olympics, my Fathers Birthday, the BIGGIE Picnic here, then Labor Day, Jubilee, the eldest and her hubby going to be visiting, and then Sweeties B Day and the Annual trek to Canada…

Needless to say this has been one Hectic summer. The three new dogs etc…

Bottom line all is well, and soon when the bitter winds blow inside will be necessary… I do love being outside, EVEN training the dogs.

Jazzy and I are going to Obedience School, I am doing ok she seems to be getting a tad more socialized which is a good thing.

The garden, when I have the chance to go in there is doing wonderfully, Sweetie sure does wonders with his garden.

I have not blogged much, but that is ok, this summer just has been such that time for blogging takes low priority.

There is a new PC on the Horizon for me as well…WHO HOOOOOOOOOOOOO

~~~~~

Many Projects are taking longer to complete BUT progress is happening I dast say blogging will be sparse for a time…

Easter, Eggs and neat facts

Coloring Easter Eggs~~~ can be done in many different methods besides buying

the traditional dyes.

Here are some ideas to make this Easter fun and unique with creative Easter Eggs.

You can color eggs using nature's very own dyes.

Place eggs in a single layer in a pan and cover with water.

Add about 1-teaspoon of vinegar. Add the natural dye appropriate to the color you want your eggs to be.

Bring water to boil, reduce heat and simmer for about 15 minutes.

Remove the substance you used to color the eggs; put eggs into a bowl to dry.

If you want your eggs to be a darker shade, cover them with the dye substance and let them stand overnight in the refrigerator.

Here are some dye substance ideas:

~~

Orange = yellow onion skins

Yellow (light) = orange or lemon peels; carrot tops, celery seed or ground cumin

Yellow = ground turmeric

Pale Red = fresh beets or cranberries; frozen raspberries

Pale Green = Spinach leaves

Green-gold = Yellow Delicious apple peels

Blue = Canned blueberries or red cabbage leaves

Beige to brown = Strong brewed coffee

Another method of dying eggs is to use the crepe paper dye method.

Soak crepe paper in hot water in individual bowls or cups for each color.

Add eggs and allow to sit in water until the desired color is achieved.

Remove with slotted spoon and allow to dry.

Polish with a small amount of cooking oil to give your egg a sheen.

You can also make some eggs a spotted creation.

Simply add 2-teaspoons of Canola oil in the water with your dye material.

This will leave mysterious spots on your egg where the oil hits and doesn't allow the dye to work.

No two eggs will be the same.

Named Eggs -

Write name on uncolored egg using a crayon.

Then dip the egg in a dark color of choice.

Remove egg and place in 200-degree oven for a few minutes; until wax is melted. Wipe with paper towel and dip again in a lighter dye to fill in pattern where waxed crayon writing was.

Polish finished egg with cooking oil and soft cloth.

You can also use candle wax dripped onto boiled eggs.

You can do several colors, in several layers.

These make some unique and pretty designs.

You can even elaborate by adding ribbon, sequins, lace, tassels, etc. onto the warm wax on egg.

Easter is early this year.

Easter is always the 1st

Sunday after the 1st full moon after the Spring Equinox (which is March 20).

This dating of Easter is based on the lunar calendar that Hebrew people

used to identify Passover, which is why it moves around on our Roman calendar.

Based on the above,Easter can actually be one day earlier (March 22)but that is pretty rare.

Here's the interesting info:

This year is the earliest Easter any of us will ever see the rest of our lives!

And only the most

elderly of our population have ever seen it this

early (95 years old or above!).

And none of us have

ever, or will ever, see it a day earlier!

Here are the facts:

1) The next time Easter will be this early (March23) will be the year 2228 (220 years from now).

The last time it was this early was 1913 (so if you're95 or older, you are the only ones that were around for that!).

2) The next time it will be a day earlier, March 22, will be in the year 2285 (277 years from now).

The last time it was on March 22 was 1818.

So, no one alive today has or will ever see it any earlier than this year!

Then there is just plain Scrambled eggs for breakfast... Some toast, bacon and of course Ketchup on the eggs... ;)