Darkest Evening Of The Year

Dec. 21 marks the shortest, darkest day of 2014. It's the Winter solstice, which signifies a turning point in the year. From here on out, the nights will grow shorter and the days longer. I think it is a reason to celebrate….

So tonight we will have a cozy winter party…

light candles,

have a warm fire glowing in the fireplace,

twinkling fairy lights hung around the stairwell.

Our meal this evening will include dishes to celebrate the season -

Italian Winter Soup,

Crisp Green Salad,

and Cluster Rolls

Pumpkin Cream Pie

We read a couple of stories  next to the cozy fire…..We planned to introduce Kendry to a board game or two, maybe even a jigsaw puzzle to remind us of our grandpa’s favorite pass time but….this happened:

  Of course we enjoyed some peaceful Christmas music playing in the background.

We will end our night with a nice cup of Wassail….Grandma always made this during the holidays and it makes the house smell delightful.

We hope you can feel the love and light today and enjoy knowing that after today, the days will get longer….that means baseball is just around the corner.   In fact there are only 59 days until the first pitchers and catchers report to Spring Training…

Happy Winter Solstice!

From Our House to Yours

Fa La La La La La La La La

Budget Friendly Christmas for DH

Since DH doesn’t read my blog very often….I have no fear in sharing my Christmas gift to him….I think it is more for me so I remember what each

month is bringing!   

Here is the front cover ready for Christmas morning!

I used the 12 Days of Christmas song to generate the ideas….customized to things that I know we both enjoy doing.  Each month will have a gift card ready….I didn’t buy them ahead of time, because I hate that some place put a date on how soon they must be used.

Dates 1 – 3 Smoothies, Dinner & Dessert, French Fries…

Dates  4 – 6 Anniversary Night, 5 Nights of Gold Rush (maybe a visit to Jareds), KFC….and hmmmm!!!

 

Dates 7 – 9 Swimming, Milk Shakes, Baseball Game

Dates 10 – 12 Halloween Trick or Treating, Concert & Hot Chocolate, A Christmas Surprise!

Back Cover….this year has had many good, bad, and wonderful days…We truly made ours a wonderful marriage this year!   We found the time we needed to work through our pain.  We faced hard truths. We let go of years of bitterness. We learned how to anchor our respect for one another.  And we found a wellspring of hope in the midst of our healing.

Asleep under the Tree

The little on nestled all snug with his pillow and blanket while visions of sugarplums danced in his head.......

Do you think sugarplums are dancing in this little head?     

More like trains, helicopters, and airplanes dance in his little head!

Sweet dreams my sweet little hug a mugga!

Story of the Three Wise Men…and a snack!

During the time when Jesus was born there was a very mean king who ruled the land, his name was King Herod.  Remember his name, because we will talk about him later.

Soon after Jesus was born,  wise men were traveling on their camels; one night they noticed a very strange star in the sky.  They knew that this star meant that the King of the Jews, the One who would save the world had been born.

When the mean King... (what was his name again?) Herod heard this he got very worried.

He called a meeting with all the other important people in the area and asked them where this special baby had been born.  The people replied, "In Bethlehem, because they heard that one day a special person would come from there and take care of all the people."

Then King Herod called the wise men to a secret meeting and found out from them exactly where they saw the star.  He then told them, "Go and find this child.  As soon as you find him, tell me, so that I can go and worship him."

After they had spoken to the King, the wise men left to find the baby.  They didn't know exactly where the baby was, but at night they followed the star in the east.  They followed the star until it hung right over the very place where Jesus was.

When they finally had arrived they were very excited and happy.  They found Jesus laying in Mary's arms, and they bowed down and worshipped him.

After that they opened the gifts they had brought Jesus.  They were gold, frankincense and myrrh.  These were very expensive gifts, gifts that you would give to a King, not to a baby.  Mary thanked them for bringing the gifts for Jesus, and the wise men went to find a place to sleep for the night.

As the wise men were sleeping, they each had the same dream.  They were not to go back and tell King Herod where they found Jesus.  King Herod didn't want to find Jesus to worship him, he wanted to kill him because he was jealous that this baby would someday be better than him.

So the wise men went home another way so that Herod would not know where they had come from.  They also decided that they would not tell King Herod anything about what they had seen.

When the wise men had left, an angel appeared to Joseph in a dream.  "Get up," the angel said, "take Jesus and Mary and run away to Egypt.  Stay there until I come to you again, because Herod is going to search for Jesus to kill him."

Joseph immediately got up and woke up Mary, and she gently picked up Jesus so he wouldn't wake from his sleep.  They left in the middle of the night for Egypt, so no one would see them.

They were safe in Egypt, and after King Herod died an angel appeared to Joseph and told him they could go to a place called Nazareth.  And that's where Jesus grew up.

F is for Fajitas

This week we are learning the letter F.   All of our dinners will have something that starts with the letter….Fish, Fettuccini, French Toast, Fried Rice, Farfalle Pasta, and Fruit Pizza….tonight we enjoy:

Fajitas

1  green peppers, sliced
1 red pepper, sliced
1 yellow onion, sliced
1 lb – 1 1/2 lb. boneless skinless chicken breast, cut into strips
fajita seasoning (cumin, chili powder, garlic salt, lime/lemon)

Combine all raw ingredients into Ziploc bag and let marinate until ready to cook.  Then put into skillet with 2 TBSP oil. Stir fry until chicken is thoroughly cooked and veggies have softened. Serve in warm flour tortillas.  Yummy….see you tomorrow with our Fish recipe!

Families Can Be Together Forever

Incredibly Italian–Garlic Shrimp Appetizer

It has been way to long since I have made a visit to my blog…and I apologize to myself!   So much has happened over the last 3 months I have lots of catching up to do…which I promise myself I will get to. 

I made an incredible find while at my childhood home.  My father was a collector of many things….one thing I didn’t know he enjoyed collecting to cookbooks!    To my surprise I found a simple and yes Incredible Italian cookbook.   Just a little pamphlet with some really great recipes.   For several years we have been trying to find just the right Garlic Shrimp Appetizer and this book just happens to have one….so here it is with fanfare!

1/2 T chopped parsley

1/2 T red pepper flakes

1/3 C olive oil

2 T fresh lemon juice

2 to 4 garlic cloves, peeled and sliced

1 bay leaf

3/4 lb small to medium shrimp, shelled and deveined

In a large shallow skillet, over medium to high heat, cook the pepper, bay leaf and garlic in oil until garlic is golden.  Remove bay leaf.  Add shrimp and cook 3 – 4 minutes.  Transfer to serving dish, sprinkle with lemon juice and parsley.  Serve immediately.

Fortune Cookie Hidden Message

I am weird but I have saved fortunes for a very long time! And I usually like, most of them. In fact, I have several of them saved above my kitchen sink to remind me each day that some good this way comes.

* A kind word warms for three winters

* To have peace is to increase fortune and longevity.

* Relations are like investments, the more you put in, the greater the return.

* Never make the mistake of thinking that you know everything about anything.

…. Sometimes I try to find the deep meaning I’m sure is hidden in there. Surely….I’m dreaming!

 

And Then He Was 4

Summer is almost over! It happened so fast. This year hit me hard because another school year has started and this guy will be registering for Kindergarten so soon. He loves to tell us "One day I'm going to be bigger and go to a new school" and he sounds excited so I have to be excited too. Truly, I am...but it really does seem like just months ago that I brought him home from the hospital…..then he crawled for the first time….then he walked….he talked….he learned how to do so many things.   Yes...it goes by so fast.

First Day of 4’s

Time for

West……

East

Summertime

The rain came when we were staying with Grandma and Grandpa Great….and so did the snails.   It was quite an event…you see this little man hates all things buggy, dirty, or slimy….   After watching Grandpa show him what the snails will do if you touch them, he was willing to give it a try. 

We had snails everywhere!

Who ever said snails move slowly hadn’t seen our snails today!

They were speedy.

Kendry loved looking at them, feeling them holding them, watching them find their way along the sidewalk and talking about them. They really have been the highlight of our day.
The snails were all different shapes and sizes. There shells had a beautiful swirly pattern on them and the colors also surprised us.

We told K that  snails are mollusks(really) and that we absolutely must wash our hands after touching them.

He thought it was really cool that the snail carries it’s home where ever it goes. Grandpa wanted to smash them….we told him nope not while Kendry is here!  Well….Grandpa said..Snails and slugs come out at night and feed on the plants in our yard causing damage and making our lawn and plants less attractive. Once they have become established,  they can be very difficult to eradicate. It makes more sense to attempt a ‘reduce and control’ approach than to go for a complete ‘wipe-out’ of the slimy little sliders….Good Luck Grandpa! 

Trees Are For Climbing

 

wouldn’t it be fun to play more.
wouldn’t it be fun to play with abandon, even if just for a bit.
wouldn’t it be fun to grasp joy like the foot holds of a tree and push with all our might on it until it lifts us upwards
and then remember what it’s like to play like a child.

Crossroads………

 

Every now and then I think about the turns that life takes and I think back about all the crossroads I have come to…….

All too often I believe I can easily get distracted by all the little things on the surface that are going on around me and don’t notice that I am at a point where I need to make a choice that will make a real and lasting difference in where I am going.

I have probably missed many opportunities all together…because change is very intimidating and stepping outside of my comfort zone makes it easy to stay on the same old well beaten path. 

So I am asking myself a few questions and looking for something inside that rings true:

Who am I?
Where am I going?
What do I really want from life?
What should I really change?
How can I grow into a better person?

I’ve seen many paths….there are constant changes every time I come to a crossroads …sometime is has been because I was so ready  to get out of the situation I was in….

Most of the time I was lucky enough to make turns at the junction that completely turned me around to the point that I was headed in a good direction. Unfortunately, I may have spent a bit of time going in the wrong direction….which of course helped learning some very hard lessons!

More questions:
What truly makes me happy?
Who do I really enjoy being around?
What are my real values?
Is this the right time to make a change?

After taking some time to answer and listen….. hopefully, I will see the crossroads for what they really are, opportunities!

Opportunity…. for me it answers these questions:

Is my heart happy?

Am I being true to myself in my current situation?

Is the direction I am considering one that takes me closer to where I want to be?

Will that path conflict with the values I already know I am not willing to compromise?

Am I doing my part to make our family work together to achieve our goals?

Today I want to be able to say I would rather have tried something and have failed than never to have tried at all and wonder forever what would have happened or where could I have been.

What I always hope is that I have taken away from every situation a lesson.  Because of  good parents, I am wise enough to recognize too, that I have the power to create my very own crossroads.

Whining, complaining, and staying unhappy doesn’t have to be a choice. Work, sacrifice, and a lot of effort are the productive tools to get me on the path where I belong.

As for me, I am asking the questions…..I believe the answers tell me…..I have a pretty good idea of where I want to be………..Family Forever!

 

Thank you family for helping me along the way….I hope I have brought you along the journey with me that has filled your life with joy, happiness, peace, and a love for each other that will never grow dim. 

LeAnn

Moments So Dear

Raspberry Cheesecake Parfaits

After a morning of Backyard Waterslide Splashing…we needed something to snack on.

Raspberry Cheesecake Parfaits were fun to make and even yummier to eat! 

As you can see I am not the perfect parfait maker…nor are my photography skills and presentation above average by any means!

didn’t seem to bother these two that there were drips on the side of the glasses!

Ingredients

• 4 ounces cream cheese, at room temperature
• 1/2 cup sugar
• Juice of half a lemon
• 1 cup heavy cream, whipped
• Approximately 1/3 cup red raspberry seedless jelly
• 8-12 ounces fresh raspberries, sweetened to taste with sugar if needed….ours were delicious without today!
• 8- 12 Golden Double Stuffed Oreos - crushed
• 2-4 whole raspberries for garnish

Instructions

1. Mix cream cheese, 1/2 cup sugar and lemon juice, till creamy. Mix in the well whipped cream. Set aside.
2. Gently melt the jelly in the microwave, stir to make a smooth jelly. Cool slightly.
3. Use 2-4 glasses, depending on size of dessert you desire, and start layering the ingredients starting with crushed Oreos, then the cream, then the jelly, then the raspberries. Repeat and end with a layer of cream, a few sprinkles of Oreos, and  garnish with a couple berries on the top!

Breakfast Empanadas

Breakfast is a very important meal at our house.   I love when I find a recipe that is not only a hit with the family, but tasty and transportable as well, given my tendency to be running late at all times because somebody doesn’t want to get dressed, put on their shoes, or get into the car seat!    

Ingredients:

• 6 ounces PHILADELPHIA Cream Cheese, softened
• 1 1/2 tablespoons minced fresh parsley
• 3/4 teaspoon seasoned salt
• 1/4 teaspoon black pepper
• 2/3 cup shredded cheddar cheese of choice
• 2 tablespoons butter
• 5 large eggs, beaten
• 1 (17.3-ounce) can refrigerated jumbo flaky biscuits
• 8  Bacon Slices, cooked and crumbled
• 1 egg white, lightly beaten
• feel free to add your favorite ingredients…mushrooms, tomatoes, chives…etc!

 

Preparation

1. Preheat oven to 375°.
2. Stir together first 4 ingredients in a medium bowl until blended; stir in cheese.
3. Melt butter in a 9-inch skillet over medium heat; add eggs, and cook, without stirring, until eggs begin to set on bottom. Draw a spatula across bottom of skillet to form large curds. Continue cooking until eggs are slightly thickened but still moist.  Remove from heat, and let cool.
4. Flatten each biscuit into about a 5-inch circle. Spread cream cheese mixture evenly over tops of dough circles, leaving 1/2-inch border around edge. Top evenly with scrambled eggs and bacon.
5. Fold dough circles in half over mixture, pinching edges to seal; place, 2 inches apart on baking sheet.
6. Brush tops evenly with egg white; press sealed edges with tines of a fork.
7. Bake at 375° for 14 to 16 minutes or until golden brown. Remove empanadas to wire rack, using a spatula. Serve warm

Be very careful to not overfill the flattened biscuit…I have a tendency to want to do that.  Today I was mindful of my habit and they honestly turned out perfect!   Makes 8 very nice Breakfast Empanadas. 

Store leftover empanadas, completely cooled, in zip-top plastic bags or wrapped in plastic wrap in refrigerator. To reheat, wrap empanadas in paper towels and microwave at MEDIUM (50% power) for 1 to 2  minutes or until thoroughly heated.

Happy to report that the fuzzy fussy eater at our house (4 year old) asked for one of the leftovers at 10:30 PM…WAHOO!

Hip Hip Hooray – It Was Warm Today

 

A Day of Fun -

Sprinkler and slide fun…no pictures

BBQ and Cake…no pictures

Tie-Dye Shirts messy but cool

Squirt and splatter…

All over Grandma’s hand…………..

Ready to wear!

On to the backyard movie time…we wait and wait and wait for it to get dark enough…Dusk at 9:15

We roast marshmallows and strawberries ….a few S”mores…in our little fire pit!

Our Movie choice …………..Nut Job…

We thought is was going to be the story of how the squirrel learned to survive in the big city…well it was more like some violent, crude humor……….. Smacking, kicking, farting, and burping…..which of course Little Man thought was extremely funny.   He didn’t spend to much time watching….

lots of running around and getting really close to the big screen!  The day was worth it……..just to see his big smile!