What a week!

I'm sorry I haven't posted in a while but I have had a crazy week!

First off, last Sunday my middle son (pictured) had his 16th birthday!!!!! My babies are growing up!!!!!! I'm so very proud of them and the men they are turning out to be. I remember having him the hospital........everyone thought for sure he was gonna be a girl. LOL I'm very glad he wasn't though:) Hopefully soon I'll be able to get him into the driver's training course and he'll get his license. He's all ready turning out to be an excellent driver. Jeremy, you're an awesome person and I'm so blessed you are in my life.

Secondly, Jeremy's girlfriend (Debi) had to have emergency surgery on Wednesday. Jeremy, Jay and Becca (Jay's gf) all went up to the hospital and waited until the surgery was done. Surgery went all right and the hospital released her the following evening. She had appendicitis. Jay, Becca and Jeremy all "Debi-sitted" yesterday. She seemed to be moving around better and I guess she wants the boys and I to take her holiday shopping today.

Lastly, I have been baking cookies. Sugar cookies, gingerbread cookies and snickerdoodles. Yum! Not to mention, trying to get a few last minute presents done before the big day:)

I hope everyone has a safe and happy holiday!

Traditions

I woke up this morning thinking about Christmas's gone by. Remembering the different things I used to do when I was a kid this time of year. It was usually christmas shopping, followed by baking, playing in the snow and even more baking:) Every year mom would bake oodles and oodles of cookies (which my brother and I got to decorate!) along with various goodies that my family has made as far back as can be remembered. I'm a bit of a non-conformist but looking back I value and enjoyed these little "traditions" that my family did every year. Just like clockwork. (grin)

So today I share with you some of my family's recipes that I make every year with my children, which was made when I was a kid and was even made by my mother before me. By sharing these "traditions" we connect our children to those loved ones that have gone on before.

BUTTERHORNS: 4 cups flour, 1 tablespoon yeast, 1/4 cup butter, 3 egg yokes (keep the whites in a separate bowl) 1/2 cup carnation milk, 1 teaspoon vanilla. Mix everything together, except the egg whites. Divide into 8 balls. Roll ball out (like you would a pie crust) in powdered sugar and cut into 8 wedges (like pie slices). On each wedge add a rounded teaspoon of filling (recipe follows) on the "large" edge of the wedge and then roll it up. Repeat these steps with the last 7 balls. Bake at 350 degrees on an ungreased baking sheet until filling is just lightly brown.

Filling: 3 egg whites, 1 teaspoon vanilla, 1 cup pecans, 3 cups sugar, 3/4 cup dates (chopped). Beat egg whites to "peaks". Add sugar and vanilla, stir by hand. Blend in rest.

POTATO CANDY: We always used left over mashed potatoes from a previous dinner. Put potatoes in a bowl and mix with powdered sugar. Flour surface with powdered sugar. Put "dough" onto floured surface. Roll out (rectangle shape) but make sure that you DO NOT roll out too thin. Spread peanut butter on "dough". Roll up like you would a jelly roll. Wrap in wax paper and chill for a couple of hours. When done being chilled, cut into slices.

BUCKEYES: 1/2 pound or two sticks of butter ( at room temperature), 1 pound of peanut butter. Mix together the butter and peanut butter and add 3 cups powdered sugar. Shape into balls and put in fridge. After being chilled for awhile dip in melted chocolate, but make sure not to cover the whole "ball" because you want to see some of the peanut butter "peeking" through. Hence, the reason it looks like a buckeye.

SNICKERDOODLES: 1/2 cup butter (softened), 1/2 cup shortening, 1 1/2 cup sugar, 2 eggs, 2 3/4 cup flour, 2 teaspoons cream of tartar, 1 teaspoon soda, 1 teaspoon salt. In a separate bowl mix 2 teaspoons cinnamon and 2 tablespoons sugar, set aside. Mix all the ingredients together and shape into small balls. Roll each ball into the cinnamon/sugar mixture and place on an ungreased cookie sheet. Bake for 8-10 minutes at 350 degrees.

I hope you enjoy these recipes and I also hope that they help to weave wonderful holiday memories that you and your will remember for years to come.........

Snow Day!

Ok, so I look out my front door this morning and what do I see? SNOW. Yep, lots of it too:) So I have decided to give the boys a snow day. I mean, even though we homeschool sometimes you gotta stop and just have a day to goof off, right? Today is the perfect day for that. I also don't have to go to my part-time job outside of the home so that's a double YAY! I'm not fond of snow but I have to say that it does look very beautiful out there with everything blanketed in white.

I know alot of you are into the swing of things for the holidays so I thought I would also post a couple of quick recipes for your upcoming holiday meal.

This one is for homemade turkey gravy. It's very simple, so I know you'll like it. Who needs complicated, right?

Turkey Gravy: First off, I put my whole turkey into a roaster the previous night before bedtime and cook it on about 250-300 degrees all night long. The reason I telling you this is because I put a few cups on water in the bottom of the pan, that way the next day when it's time to make your gravy you have your turkey stock (water w/ fat drippings from the turkey). Take the turkey stock (about 2 cups) and put into a pot. Next take about a 1/2 cup of water and mix with 2 tablespoons of corn starch until disolved. Bring Turkey stock to boil and add the water w/corn starch. Add salt and pepper to taste. Let simmer for about 2-3 minutes. Now it will still be somewhat runny until it starts to cool some, that's when it will thicken:) Let cool alittle to thicken and you're done!


Here is my simple version of the green bean casserole.

Green Bean Casserole: You will need two cans of green beans, one can of cream of mushroom soup and one can of french fried onions. Pre-heat your oven to 350 degrees. Add to a bowl your green beans and soup. Also add a small handful of the french fried onions and a dash of garlic salt. Mix. Pour into a heat proof dish. Around the edge of the dish spinkle the remaining french fried onions. Pop into the oven for about 30 minutes. That's all there is to it!

I hope you enjoy the recipes and I'll try to post later this week some of the recipes of the homemade goodies we used to make when I was a kid. Yummmmm. Until then, I hope everyone is safe throughout the day! Now, I have to go get my butt in gear and list some stuff on ebay because today is the last day we get free gallery pictures!

Fa, La, La, La...........huh?

Well, the madness has begun. LOL People out shopping for their loved ones, friends, co-workers, neighbors, an uncle twice removed, long lost cousin, etc..........you get the point. (grin) It always amazes me how some people become so "giving" during the holiday season. Granted, some people do need an extra helping hand during this time of year, but, what bothers me is why should we WAIT until the holiday season to reach out to help our fellow man? There are people in need all year........

The child that has to go home every day from school to an empty house because Mom and Dad have to both work two jobs just to make ends meet.

The single mom who cannot afford a single present for her children much less buy a Christmas tree to put up and worries how she is going to keep the electric on until she gets paid again.

A terminally ill man who has no family is spending his last days on earth alone and scared. He wishes more than anything someone would sit with him awhile.

And the soldier fighting in a foreign country, being away from his young wife and newborn son. He will be missing his son's first Christmas, first smile, first words.........

This post in no way was meant to be a rant about the hustle and bustle of the holiday season. It is my intention for it to serve as an awakening. We need to "awaken" to the world around us. For need knows no season.

This time of year does bring out the best (and sometimes the worst) in people. What will each of you bring to the world around you every day? The best or the worst? I will choose to offer the best within myself every day..................What will you choose?