New Year Fun!

The wonderful Kelli at "There's is no place like home" is doing this really cute feature. Here's what she said:

With the New Year right around the corner, this is the perfect time for a peek through the past year of blogging. I would love for you to join in with me!

Post the first sentence of your first blog post of each month. You can also add a favorite picture from each month.

♥JANUARY♥
Ok now I know for the next few weeks I'll still be writing 2006 on everything, and crossing it out and then rewriting 2007.

Jasmine and Nicholas

♥FEBRUARY♥
Welcome to my weekly Crockpot Recipes Exchange.

Machu Picchu, image taken from my "Greatest Places on Earth" post.

♥MARCH♥
Welcome to my Weekly Crockpot Recipes Exchange (I'm starting to see a pattern here LOL)

Silver City Ghost Town in Idaho - It was just 20 miles from the base we were stationed at and we loved visiting it

♥APRIL♥
FINALLY turning a corner!

Fun at the Boise Zoo

♥MAY♥
Boy was I busy yesterday!

Kids having fun on the trampoline back in Idaho

♥JUNE♥
Leaving on a Jet Plane!!!!

Curt and Jasmine at my mother in law's wedding

♥JULY♥
Good Morning from HOT Arizona!!! We've been here since July 2nd but only got our internet connected today.

Palm tree in our front yard

♥AUGUST♥
Thank you to all the ladies who participate every week, I can't tell you how much I enjoy your recipes.

Jasmine's first day of third grade

♥SEPTEMBER♥
It's been a crazy few days, lots to do and places to go etc

Chicken and Sausage Ragu

♥OCTOBER♥
October here we come!!!

Casting Crowns - Who I am...absolute favorite song




♥NOVEMBER♥
Good morning everyone, come on in and have some coffee with me, I'll try to get you up to date with what's going on here.

Halloween Pirate and Enchantress

♥DECEMBER♥
Hate, HATE shopping on the holidays!

Fresh out of the oven bread

Things that make me go ooohhh and ahhhhh

I spent the day working on my menus for the next two weeks, which found me sitting at the computer desk, on the couch and in the kitchen scrolling through my cookbooks and racking my brain for the comfort food that I grew up eating.

While doing this though I was transported back in time, back to my childhood, back to when we lived in Portugal and South Africa, to the times when we went on vacation to the beach or to the Kruger National Park, the restaurants we stopped at, the meals we ate and the sights we saw.

So I went searching for photos that would show you all a little more about who I am, where I've been and what I LOVE......you may want to grab a cup of coffee and tell everyone to leave you alone for a while, I do have quite a bit to say and lots of photos to share.

I have to start with where I was born, which was in the beautiful city of Maputo formerly known as Lourenco Marques, Mozambique. Gosh do I miss that country, on my few trips back home when I still lived in South Africa, I remember walking through these beaches or driving by the main road lined with palm trees and merchants selling their freshly caught fish.

All you need to do is take a walk along the beach and browse the amazing seafood readily available and just brought off the sea. There is nothing like fresh crab or prawns, clams, mussels etc.

I also vividly remember taking a trip to Catembe (if you click on the link it will take you to a YouTube video of Catembe and Maputo) , hopping the ferry and then once on the other side, you are surrounded by the ocean on one side and a river on the other. You can sit at the restaurant right in the middle of both and whatever you order off the menu, you can see the men go out in the boats to the river to fish. I can almost smell the fresh air and the ocean and feel the smooth beach sand in my toes.

That's Catembe above!

So now that I've shown you a little of my birth country, I want to take you for a quick trip to another place....Zimbabwe also formerly known as Rhodesia. We lived there for a little right after the whole Mozambique independence war broke out, just like many other families who fled, we also had to leave our beautiful home behind.

For me as a young 2 year old girl, the ONE thing I can never forget were the Jacaranda trees that used to abound in the city of Harare, again formerly known as Salisbury.......boy do I feel old when everything starts changing names LOL

The trees were breathtaking when in bloom, it took everything out of you not to just stop and admire them everywhere you went.

I thought this picture would better show you the Jacaranda lined roads....

After our short stay in Zimbabwe we left for Portugal and THIS was really my second home. I have been pretty lucky I must say, there's a lot of countries I have called my home but I think South Africa is definitely the one I would call that closely followed by Portugal, maybe because that is where I grew up, where I first went to school and had friends and really became aware of everything around me.

Portugal will always hold a special place in my heart, I love it dearly and I miss it almost as much as I miss South Africa. You know as the years go by we tend to loose loved ones along the way, it's just the natural course of life, but Portugal was the one place where I truly remember EVERYONE still being alive and together, both my grandfathers and my greatgrandmother and my dear Uncle Carlos. Wonderful memories.

We lived in Povoa de Santa Iria for quite a few years, this is where my brothers and I made good friends, got into tons of trouble and had the best time ever. The buildings above are just like the ones we used to live in, we actually lived in a cul de sac which was perfect as a kid, we had the run of the neighborhood and did whatever we wanted to. In the summer I remember it being 10:30pm and we would all still be outside playing Hide and Seek and Tag....I miss those days.

That was my school, I LOVED that school and the teachers, as a matter of fact after we left for South Africa I still kept in touch with one of my teachers through letters.

We didn't always stay in Povoa, right before we moved to Johannesburg, we also lived in Forte Da Casa, though I can't seem to find any good photos from it. But what I mostly remember is that we lived in these apartment buildings right by a railroad track and just beneath the apartments were little stores.....my greatgrandmother used to send me there to buy wine for her "vinho branco sem agulhas" hahahahahah
I still remember, and to this day I have no idea what she meant by that, but it was like I was programmed to say it LOL

While in Portugal we did go on vacation to different spots.....one of the most visited by us was Odeceixe. We would rent a house and go for a week or so, I still don't know how the heck we all managed to fit in a small car LOL

Meet the Mini Metro....and really the name does it justice it really was MINI. But we managed to fit my dad and my stepmom, 4 kids and my greatgrandmother and even my mother at one point. Though the whole way there my poor Bio was complaining that there was a bag hitting her on the back of the head LOL
Oh and we did take the dog one time too........hahahahahahahahahah How the heck did we fit everyone in there???? Dad???? Nela????? Care to try and explain this one???? LOL

Praia de Odeceixe was the beach we went to, it was gorgeous and the huge rocks you see created small caverns alongside the beach, perfect for kids to play in LOL Now don't worry, they weren't big or long caves, just small indentations in the rocks but they provided cool shade which in the summer heat was very welcomed.

*sigh* how I miss those little roads and look at the stunning colors hanging above.

We also vacationed in Algarve with some friends, I remember that we stayed at this beautiful house, it was 2 or 3 families, I am not completely sure right now, I was after all quite young.

Vila Moura, isn't it beautiful? I only wish my husband and kids had gotten to see these places, who knows maybe one day??

And then one day we went to Sagres and that place became engraved in my memory and in my heart. There was just something magical about it, maybe because it's the most southern point of Portugal. The views are breathtaking and the food.....oh the food. I still remember the BEST Caldeirada de Peixe (Fish Stew) I have ever had. OH.MY.GOODNESS the freshest seafood and fish and eating it at this quaint restaurant overlooking the ocean.

Look at those beaches????

Typical portuguese streets.....there were times that we would be in a taxi in Lisbon and the streets we traveled through were only big enough for ONE car at a time, and it was a close fit too I tell you LOL
There's places where neighbors can just open their windows and shake hands across the street...how neat is that???

This picture above makes me happy, everything about it, the small street, the clothes hanging, the pretty yellow of the buildings and then the way the photographer caught the ship in the center. Beautiful!

So now that you've seen a bit of Mozambique, Zimbabwe and Portugal, I think it's only fair that I take you to my other home, South Africa.

I kid you not when I tell you that from my house in Johannesburg, this was the view from the front porch. No, really, I'm not joking, at night it was amazing with all the lights on in the city.

South Africa, wow, what can I say that I haven't already said in the past almost 2 years of having this blog. This country is one of the most beautiful in the world and also one of the least understood and KNOWN. It boggles my mind when people ask me where I'm from and I tell them, only to be met with "did you live in a hut?" or "were there wild animals running around?". LOL

It's a country, a well developed country, I promise you, I did not live in a hut and I did not have to cross the veld (bush) to get home from school nor was I ever attacked by lions or elephants roaming the streets. Everything in it's place and a place for everything!

We lived in Johannesburg and my family still does......in one of the Southern Suburbs that were prominently portuguese. Some areas were even named Little Portugal because the stores, the restaurants and the neighborhoods were all Portuguese people.

The first place we lived was called Regent's Park and the house kinda looked like this one, I can't find one of the actual house, it's something I'm going to make sure I get when I visit South Africa in May. Believe me, you will then get to see everything, the houses I lived in, the places I went to, the schools the food the restaurants....you name it, I'll have it to show you :)

We also lived in Turffontein in a very haunted house, though my father will tell you over and over that he LOVED the house and it was not haunted. I beg to differ, I saw and heard things that still make my skin crawl. So did my grandmother and my stepmom AND my poor Uncle Carlos who was house sitting for us when we went to the beach and after one day he was ready to never return LOL

I also remember a HUGE house in Towerby, we lived there with my grandparents and my greatgrandmother.....AND my Uncle too at one time. We still laugh about the morning that he was fast asleep in his bed and a cockatiel flew in through the window and landed on his head hahahahaha
It became our bird, Amadeus, named after that crazy 80's song "Rock me Amadeus" remember that????

But all this led to our home in The Hill, where my oldest brother Paul still lives today. My dad and stepmom moved to a new house a few months ago after 20 plus years of living in our home and my brother feeling much like we did "this is HOME" decided to move in with his family.

Again no photos.....dagnabit! LOL

But I can tell you this much, it was just up the road from our High School and just a bus or car trip away from Rosettenville........the little shopping mall I worked at, the offices for the radio stations we owned and worked at too, and the restaurants we owned (come to think of it, we did quite a lot LOL)

So what do I most miss about it other than my family of course???? Well I miss buying fresh portuguese bread daily at the Four Seasons Shop, going next door to the Rio Douro Peixaria (fish market) and buying fresh fish........I miss the breakfast or the lunch that my grandmother and I used to enjoy at Wimpy's or Steers.......the portuguese food at Piri Piri Portuguese restaurant, they had the BEST barbecue chickens ever, well, other than Nando's Chicken which was amazing too.

Do you want to read a little more about Rosettenville and why I love it so much??? Read this article, the writer describes perfectly what this suburb is all about.

I know this has been a long post but I like sharing my favorite things with you and I think this way you also learn a bit more about me......if anything my family will enjoy this trip down memory lane and I'm sure they'll have plenty of stories to add to this.

I can't leave without showing you my favorite food can I? Be prepared, you may just want to go eat lunch now OR use these next photos as motivation for your meal?

Here are some Koeksisters, which I'll be making probably next week and I'll be sure to have the recipe and the photos for you on my food blog.

Chourico assado....grilled chourico, I'm actually making this for a snack this coming week and I'll show you how we do it in Portugal, it's SO good.

Bifes a cavalo........oh the many times I had this steak at a portuguese restaurant. A yummy steak with a fried egg on top, served with the little mound of rice and a salad, I always had mine with fries too :)

Boerewors on the grill.......YUMMY! One of the things I most miss about South Africa and the Braais (BBQ's). This delicious

How about a Catembe to drink? This popular drink from Mozambique is one of my favorites....all it is, is red wine and coke together. Or you could do a Penalty, which is white wine and sprite. Both Yummy!

And to finish off, here's a huge platter of seafood, straight from Mozambique to you. Now just close your eyes and imagine you're sitting at a beach front restaurant, hearing the waves crash on the sand and savoring an ice cold beer while eating this gorgeous platter. Yeah, you KNOW you want to go there :)

NOTE: These are NOT my photos, so full credit goes to the wonderful people who took them.

Slow Cooking Thursday - December 27, 2007

All my slow cooking recipes are now online and starting today, I will add all the recipes shared weekly to my online del.icio.us site too. So if you're wanting to find ALL the slow cooked recipes that have been shared since the first SLOW COOKING THURSDAY, here is the link for you.

Don't forget to add your name to Mr Linky and a link back to your SCT post so others can come by and see your recipe too.

For Christmas I got Sandra Lee's Slow Cooking cookbook so today's recipe is one from the book and one I'll be trying this coming week.

Slow Simmered Chipotle Rib Sandwiches

Credit: Sandra Lee's Slow Cooker Recipes

1 onion
3 1/2 pounds beef short ribs
1 envelope beef onion soup mix, Lipton
1 jar (16-ounce) chipotle Salsa, Pace
1/2 cup ale-style beer
Kaiser Rolls, split and roasted

Place onion in a 4-to 5- quart slow cooker. Add ribs to slow cooker, meaty sides up. Sprinkle with onion soup mix. Add salsa and beer.

Cover and cook on LOW heat setting for 10 to 12 hours.

Transfer ribs from slow cooker to a cutting board. Tent with aluminum foil until cool enough to handle. Using tongs, transfer onions from cooking juices to a serving bowl. Remove meat from bones (it should fall off); shred. Serve on kaiser rolls. Serve with onions and cooking juices.

So what do you think????

New look to get us ready for the new year.........I thought I wouldn't have this done for a while but I sat down in the front of the computer this morning and before I knew it this was the result. A little color here, some paper and buttons there and I'm really happy with it....it's girly and pink and as Curt said after he saw it "I think it's definitely YOU". :)

I'm about to go get the kids in the bathtub and ready for bed, it's back to work for Curt tomorrow and we're all needing a good night's sleep....you know how it is during the days off, everyone is up until late, the house is a mess and I'm still finding wrapping paper and those annoying little black plastic thingies from the toys.

So goodnight to you all, I'll be back in the morning with my Slow Cooking Thursday, I'll be sharing a recipe from my new Sandra Lee Slow Cooker Recipes!

Night Night,

Christmas has come and gone..........

Time really does fly by, one minute you're anxiously awaiting Christmas and rushing to make sure you have all the presents and the last minute details..........then in less than 30 minutes, that's it, it's gone. Wow!

We had a good Christmas, I got to speak to all my family which is somewhat of a tradition since I left home, the phone rings on Christmas Eve or New Year's Eve and I get to sit down and say hi and catch up with all 12 of them. hahahahah
You think I'm kidding??? It's a long phone call but so worth it!

I spent the rest of the day in the kitchen cooking, I have the recipes for you including pictures and all, I'll be updating the food blog tonight so those will be available soon :)

We got to track Santa as he made his way across the world delivering presents, the kids sprinkled reindeer food in the front yard and even think they spotted Santa due to the big bright red light in the sky, slowly moving across from one side to the other while leaving a smoke trail behind. You should have seen the looks on their faces, there's absolutely NOTHING like seeing Christmas through the eyes of a child....pure heaven.

We opened presents at midnight and ate and laughed and played with the new goodies and just had a great time.......Curt did really well with my gifts this year, this man knows me and what I like. I got a new griddle, Sandra Lee's Slow Cooker Recipes (YAY), a cute cute black Tinkerbell top which he knows I love, some wonderful new suede gloves and then oh does this man know me...........coffee. YES, Irish Cream and French Roast coffee plus a new grinder to boot. I'm thrilled, I've let my fingers page through the cookbook, I've had a wonderful cup of Irish Cream coffee, I'm wearing my new top and I plan on using that griddle tomorrow morning. Life is good!

Here's a short slideshow:

Make a slideshow - it's easy!

Now we're heading towards New Year's Eve and quite frankly I could take it or leave it, it's not a date we particularly like or make a point of celebrating, as a matter of fact the past 8 years or so we just go about our day and head to bed at night only to wake up to a new year. Works fine for us!

We don't like going out and getting in the middle of the crowds, the drinking, the fights and the craziness out there.

So we'll be at home, doing the usual, I actually can't wait until it's all over and done with, I am dying to get back to a normal routine, the holidays are wonderful but they're tiring aren't they?

One thing I've been thoroughly enjoying is the christmas movies on tv. I don't think I've ever watched the Lifetime Channel this much....there's just one great movie after another, I'm going to miss those.

Don't be surprised to see a new template around here soon, I'm over Christmas and that includes the current look, I know I know, I change it a lot but I guess I like my blog to match my mood. Not sure what I'm doing yet though so it may be that I don't mess with it anything for a couple weeks. Who knows!

I think I need to head to my food blog and post a couple of great recipes for you, get the kids bathed and in bed and then slip into a hot bath with a good book in hand. "A Painted House" by John Grisham is calling my name :)

Have yourselves a wonderful evening, I hope you are all full from the wonderful Christmas meals and happy to be surrounded by family.

God Bless,

Merry Christmas from our home to yours.....

Here we sit anxiously awaiting tomorrow. You see being portuguese means that the big day, the exciting get together with the whole family, eat tons of food and laugh and joke while waiting to open the presents day.....is Christmas Eve.

As Curt said to the kiddos earlier today "You're lucky your mother is portuguese, otherwise you would be waiting until Christmas morning to open your presents" to which they replied "Oh yeah...." *snicker*

The presents are wrapped, the homemade gifts are done and delivered, the last minute shopping is NO MORE and the preparations for tomorrow's meal have already begun.

The menu is simple, I'm not fixing dinner just setting a couple of goodies on the table and we'll be grabbing whatever we want, playing some board games, watching some christmas movies, reading the story of the Birth of Christ and even tracking Santa through Norad.....or you can do it through Santa Speaking, Nasa, or Santa Claus.net.

But going back to my menu.....

Rissois de Camarao (Portuguese Shrimp Turnovers)

Pasteis de Massa Tenra (Meat Pies)

Buffalo Chicken Wings

Torta de Laranja (Orange Jelly Roll)

Delicious Dessert (Sobremesa Deliciosa) - which is ready, I made it this afternoon and even got the recipe up for you all.

****************************************************************

So 2 desserts and 3 non sweet stuff....plus some chips and dip, egg nog, Christmas cookies etc.

We'll be hanging out until midnight and then we'll get to the presents.....there will be pictures to follow but I don't think I need to tell you that LOL

We will also be reading Twas the Night Before Christmas and online The Nativity Story. My kids love reading and up until now we haven't really read stories on Christmas Eve but it's a tradition we want to start this year and continue from this moment on.

I leave you with some Christmas Links as I head to bed with the kids....we have an exciting day ahead of us. You won't see much of me until after Christmas Day so as I leave, I wish for you all the best of everything, a wonderful Blessed Christmas day with family and friends and may the Lord bring a new year with blessings abound and happiness like you've never seen.

♥MERRY CHRISTMAS!♥

The History of Christmas

World Christmas Traditions

Santa's North Pole

Santa Claus

Anyone want a cold??? No???

Seriously, I just can't take it anymore, it feels like everytime I get over a cold, another is lurking in the shadows ready to pounce  and tackle poor unsuspecting me to the ground.  (talk about feeling sorry for myself lol)

I was finally over the other cold....or was I?  Sometimes I wonder if I really do get over one or if it's the same one that just doesn't want to leave because I'm OH.SO.SWEET!  UGH! 

Anyway, I woke up yesterday morning feeling cranky and with a sore throat.  By mid afternoon I had a raging headache, congested nose and a fever, I just wanted to go to bed and stay in there forever........well maybe not forever but it certainly made me wish I was back home BEFORE marriage and kids....where I could climb into bed and have my grandma and my stepmom nurse me back to health.  Oh those were the days!  LOL

You'll be happy to know though that I didn't succumb to it, I still cleaned and did laundry, picked up Jasmine from school, fixed dinner and did the dishes AND then sat up and wrapped 25 little tiny fudge presents for Jasmine's class.  She wanted to take some fudge for the kids and I had to figure out how to give 2 pieces of fudge for each....so this is what I came up with. 

Hey for being really sick I think I did a great job, didn't I? 

So that's the batch of fudge I whipped up last night, I'm so glad it takes but only a few minutes otherwise I would have told Jasmine that "No can do kiddo" LOL

I grabbed some aluminum foil and some leftover ribbon from wrapping presents.

Aren't they just the sweetest little things??  There's two squares of fudge in there and it looks just like little christmas presents.  I hope the kids enjoy it :)

And here's the 25 little presents ready to head to school.  Jasmine was SO excited.  She took off this morning with a gift bag for her teacher which included a big jar of Chocolate and Cranberries Scones Mix, 2 small jars of Vanilla Caramel Hot Chocolate Mix, a block of Fudge which I wrapped in plastic wrap and then some vintage fabric that I had laying around and added a little bow.....and a jar of Homemade Caramels.  I truly hope the teacher enjoys it :)

Now one of my sweet readers, Lori, asked me to please post the recipe for the Scones Mix and the Hot Chocolate, so here goes.

1 cup all purpose flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1 cup whole wheat flour
1/4 cup sugar
1 cup dried cranberries
1 cup white chocolate chips

Layer ingredients in 1-quart food storage jar with tight-fitting lid in following order: combine flour, baking powder, salt and nutmeg; whole wheat flour; and sugar. Place cranberries and chocolate chips in plastic bag; seal bag. Add bag to jar.
Seal jar. Cover lid with fabric circle, if desired. Attach gift tag and fabric to jar with raffia or ribbon.

And here's the Vanilla Caramel Hot Chocolate Mix:

FLAVORED COCOA MIX IN A PINT JAR

Flavors: Amaretto, Hazelnut, Vanilla, Irish Creme
Ingredients for Jar

Mix the following 3 ingredients in a small bowl:
1/2 cup powdered sugar
1/2 cup + 2 tablespoons flavored powdered coffee creamer
1/2 cup dry milk
1/2 cup chocolate flavored drink mix (like Quik)
(flavored coffee creamer is available in several flavors including the ones listed above)

Place Ingredients in Jar in This Order:

Place half the milk mixture into jar.
Place half the chocolate drink mix into the jar next.
Add the remaining milk mixture.
Add the remaining chocolate drink mix.
Decorate the jar.
Attach recipe below to jar. Name cocoa by the flavor you chose.

______ Cocoa

1. Empty cocoa mix into a large mixing bowl.
2. Blend very well with a whisk.
3. Place mix back into jar or a container of your choice.
4. Place 2 tablespoons mix into a cup. Add 1 cup boiling water and stir until completely dissolved.
5. Top with whipped cream if desired.

I used Vanilla Caramel powdered coffee creamer, hence the Vanilla Caramel Hot Chocolate Mix :)

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One thing we do in my house every night, is read with the kids.  I love it, they love it and it's one of those moments where we get to wind down from the crazy day and just hang out on my bed, under the covers with a great book in hand.

I just LOVE his face in this one LOL

 

************************************************************

The school lets our early today for the Christmas break, I can't wait....sleeping in, staying up late, reading stories, watching movies and anxiously awaiting Christmas.

Of course my kids love the fact that we celebrate Christmas on the 24th, we have the big meal and the opening of the presents at midnight, then on actual Christmas day they get whatever Santa left under the tree and their stocking stuffers.

My menu for the 24th is really simple, we don't have an actual dinner but a bunch of things on the table.  I'm making Rabanadas (Cris also has a great recipe up for them), Rissois de Camarao - Shrimp Cakes, Chicken Wings, Sandra's Dessert (it's so YUMMY), Pasteis de Massa Tenra - Little meat pies and Orange Jelly Roll.  I'll have all the recipes up probably on Christmas day because I'll be getting the photos etc as I cook on the 24th. 

Anyway, I feel awful and I need to go lay down for a bit.  I still have some last minute gift shopping to do tomorrow so I'm hoping I feel a little better to brave the crowds.

I don't know if I'll be back on the blog before Christmas rolls around, so if I'm not, I wish you all, my family, my friends, my blog readers and everyone else out there, a very Merry Christmas and wonderful New year.  May the Lord bless you all and may you get everything that you've ever wished for.

Slow Cooking Thursday!

All my slow cooking recipes are now online and starting today, I will add all the recipes shared weekly to my online del.icio.us site too. So if you're wanting to find ALL the slow cooked recipes that have been shared since the first SLOW COOKING THURSDAY, here is the link for you.

Don't forget to add your name to Mr Linky and a link back to your SCT post so others can come by and see your recipe too.

Todays recipes is from and I can't wait to try them, so I'm sorry but I can't tell you yet if they're good or not, if anyone tries them before I do then please come back and let us know what you thought :)

Since the holiday festivities are next week, I thought I would give you some recipes for some great dishes to enjoy with the family.

TIPSY DOGS

2 1-lb. pkgs. mini cocktail wieners
2 c. catsup
3/4 c. brown sugar, packed
1 T. mustard
1/4 c. vinegar
1 onion, chopped
1/2 c. beer
Optional: hot pepper sauce

Combine all ingredients in a slow cooker. Cover and cook on low setting for 30 minutes to one hour, until hot. Serves 18 to 20.

FAMILY FAVORITE PARTY MIX

1 c. bite size crispy wheat cereal squares
1 c. bite size crispy rice cereal squares
1 c. bite size crispy corn cereal squares
1 c. peanuts
1 c. pretzel sticks
1/4 c. butter, melted
2 T. Worcestershire sauce
1 t. seasoned salt
1 t. garlic salt
1 c. candy-coated chocolates
1 c. raisins

Combine cereals, peanuts and pretzels in a slow cooker; set aside. Mix together butter, Worcestershire sauce and salts; gently stir into cereal mixture. Cover and cook on low setting for 3 to 4 hours.
Uncover and cook on low settings for an additional 30 minutes, stirring occasionally. Drain mix on paper towel-lined baking sheets; transfer to a large bowl. Cool. Add candy-coated chocolates and raisins; toss to mix. Store in an airtight container. Makes 7 cups.

Hodgepodge of this and that!

I can't believe the last time I updated the blog was on monday, but in my defense it IS the holidays which means, we're what....5 days away from Christmas and still trying to get the last minute gift shopping and baking done???

Remember I said I was done...I lied, well not really LIED per say, just forgot that I still had no gift tags and unless Curtis wants to end up with a Bratz make up set, Nicholas with some fruity bath body gels and Jasmine with a Dean Koontz book......I realize that gift tags are a must.  Right now....this minute.....I've wrapped and wrapped and kept everyone's separate, problem is, the kids have taken to rearranging the presents under the tree which means one of the above is bound to happen.....unless I rip everything apart and re-wrap.  What a pain in the tush!

Lesson learned, wrap and attach gift tag straight away!  Anyway, for those that are still looking for some cute gift tags, one of my favorite crafty blogs has put some printable ones up and they have the cutest sayings...you know the kind of stuff you say to yourself but never dare say aloud?

Here is the PDF file for you to download and print.  I can't wait to see my family's face when they read some of these LOL  And thank you Amy :)

I spent the day filling jars with Hot Chocolate Mixes and Scone Mixes etc.  Jasmine's teacher is getting Homemade caramels, Homemade fudge, Chocolate and Cranberries Scone Mix and some Vanilla Caramel Hot Chocolate Mix.  I think it's safe to say she has a good basket of yumminess heading her way. 

I also got some Cocoa Mixes ready for Curt and the kids, of course I'll have to help them drink it.  Of course right???  This is the thing about making all this great stuff, the family and friends are lucky to get them, ME?  I either live vicariously through them or insinuate myself into the snacking times. 

While I was fixing dinner last night, the kids were happily playing with the Play Dough.  I love this stuff, it keeps them entertained for hours.  But I'm also growing to hate it because Nicholas doesn't keep his in big chunks....oh no.....it's only good to play with if it's cut and ripped into tiny crumb size pieces that end up on the table, on the floor, on the rug, on his clothes, IN.HIS.HAIR and some miraculously travel to the pugs fur coat.  Yeah.....not exactly what a mother wants to see after an hour of quiet time.

Cake anyone???  Jasmine whipped up a yummy cake, with banana frosting and something on top, I can't tell if it's worms or candles.  *shrug*  It's cute nonetheless.

Here's Nicholas hard at work....look at the concentration on his face.  He couldn't quite figure out how to get the play dough through the tube to make little shapes and when I tried to help I completely botched it up.  Guess I'm NOT cool anymore. 

Cutest faces in Arizona.  At least that's what I think, but I'm biased LOL

Thank you to all who stopped by for the Boomama's Christmas Tour of Homes.....I can't get to everyone, there's just NO WAY!  I've tried to go by and visit all the wonderful ladies who left me a comment and I think that's what I'll stick to, I mean who has time to go through over 200 or 300 participants?

Anyway, I really enjoyed having you all over for some Hot Chocolate and Caramel Rolls :)

I've finished another Lori Wick book "Every Storm".  Boy was it a hard one to read, I cried my eyes out and choked up in so many parts of this book.  This is the one book that I would recommend you read if you're a first time Ms Wick reader.  It was fabulous.  I put up a review on my book blog if you're interested :)

I've started another called "Every Little Thing About You" it's the first in the Yellow Rose Trilogy by Lori Wick.  I'm loving it already and I don't think I ever told you one of the reasons why I enjoy her books so much.  She uses a lot of Bible quotes, scriptures and lessons that really get you to think.  In this one she mentioned "reputation".  What IS your reputation???  Do you know???  It made me pause and wonder just what my reputation is with the Lord and with my family.  Am I the kind of person who says something and sticks to her word, never steers away, never disappoints?  Am I someone my kids can count on to listen and understand and not just get upset when they do something wrong???

You know what I realized???  My reputation is really not that great, it hurts to admit it and say it out loud, I mean really, how much bigger of an audience could I get than the millions of internet readers?  But it's the truth.  I've failed before when it comes to the Lord, I've promised and vowed and said I would do it this way or that way and then get completely sidetracked and mess it up.  I do the same thing with my kids at times, they will make a mess and if I'm having a bad day or not feeling too good, my first reaction is to get upset and yell.  Wow!!!  Just what am I teaching my children?  Do they cower in a corner everytime an accident happens for fear that I'm going to freak out??

So anyway, this book got me thinking and I really do need to work on my reputation.  What about you, are you happy with yours?

Right now I'm about to go give the kids their bath and get them ready for bed.  It's been a long day for me, I'm tired and I'm a little cranky.  I just want to settle into bed with my book or catch some of my shows on the tv.

I hope you all have a wonderful night.  God Bless,

Boomama's Christmas Tour of Homes

 

 

Welcome to my little corner of the world!

Boomama is hosting her Christmas Tour of Homes again and of course, I have to join in so come in, grab a cup of my homemade Hot Chocolate and let me show you how we're celebrating Christmas around here.

Now doesn't that taste good???  Ok so let's head this way to the living room, you know I don't really decorate anywhere else, well....maybe outside too but nothing in the bedrooms or bathrooms or whatever. 

This is our christmas tree, it's fake artificial but it's big and beautiful and we love it.  I do miss real trees though, I think the scent of pine is what really does it for me.  But anyway, this one is just fine for us.

Now let's look at some of my favorite ornaments......this first one was given to us by my mother in law the first year we were married, I love that it lights up.

What can I say, he's a snowman, so of course he's one of my favorites....

Now these guys I'm still finishing up, I'm only hoping I get them done in time.

Can't wait to see them on my christmas tree.  I'm sorry are you guys getting hungry???  If so, help yourselves to some of my Gooey Caramel Rolls.

Ok now that you're fed, we can continue.

Santa and Mrs Claus are the first things you'll see coming into my house, they're here to welcome you all and get you in the Christmas spirit, so if you're a scrooge, you may just want to step back out until your mood improves....just saying!

These are my favorite decorations, my little snowmen....

This angel is on my kitchen window sill and she changes color...I keep her on during the night so she looks beautiful from the outside but I'm also sure that she is watching over us all.

This is my Victorian house and she's part of my Christmas Village which I just LOVE.

Now that you've seen my inside, how about we step outside for a second, just so you can see my decorations.  Don't be expecting major earth shattering stuff here, I can only do so much with a Palm tree in the yard and nothing but desert landscape....we ARE in Arizona after all.

That's one of the trees in the yard......I love all the colors and could just sit and stare at it all night long.

That's my snowman, my christmas tree and the reindeer.  See I told you it was plain and simple, but it looks beautiful at night and that is what matters.

Anyway, thank you for stopping by, I hope you enjoyed the tour and the hot chocolate and caramel rolls....I hope you come back soon :)

Falala Concert and Cooking!

 

 

Yesterday morning we headed to Jasmine's school for their Holiday Falala Concert.  The third graders were singing and dancing and it was just really cute watching them.  Jasmine was one of the dancers who had to do a 60's style dance during one of the songs.....she practiced and practiced at home and kept saying that she was nervous to dance in front of everyone. 

But she did it, and she looked so cute doing it LOL

I felt so bad for her, she is really sick with a cold, she was up the night before with a congested nose and cough and she begged to go to school for the concert.  We agreed but as soon as they were done, we signed her out for the day, this morning she has a hoarse voice from the singing :)

Here's some more pictures, I couldn't get very good ones, the gym was dark, it was crowded and she was pretty far from where we were sitting.

 

Here's a little video of her dancing, especially for the family back in South Africa :)

Jasmine's Concert

So I know it's almost Christmas and a lot of us are scrambling to finish all the gift shopping and homemade goodies.  Today I'm concentrating on cooking, which makes me really happy since I love being in the kitchen. 

I've already made a batch of fudge and one of yummy caramels.  You have GOT to try these, they're so quick and easy to make but goodness, they're delicious.

Come with me to the food blog, we'll go make some real quick so you can hand out to your family, friends and neighbors....OR.....keep them to yourself as a reward for being so good this year!

If you don't have the time right now, that's fine, but make sure you go by later and make some Caramels and Fudge.

Tell me those don't look good huh??

Now onto Christmas stuff, I am happy to say that Jasmine's Rag Doll is done and wrapped, at least it's one less thing to worry about.  My poor snowmen though is another story, I'm hoping....really really hoping that I can finish them this week otherwise they'll end up being for next year.  How sad!

All my christmas shopping is done, all my christmas cards are out and either on the way or already received, so I think I'm doing good :)

Thank you Courtney, Eden, Sarah, Mari, Elizabeth and Sherri  for the beautiful christmas cards, it's always a joy to open the mailbox and find one from you and your wonderful families.

While I was out shopping yesterday I picked up some playdough for the kids.  These real cheap ziploc bags with a cutter inside and the play dough.  I came home and handed it to them and then for the next 5 hours, I heard NOTHING....not a squeak, not a single sound.

Now as parents you know that when everything is quiet, usually it means something is being destroyed, a child is hurt or they're definitely up to no good......nope, not this time, they were like little angels playing at the dinner table.  Shocking!

I'm about to go watch some christmas shows on tv or maybe I'll read, not sure which, but I've decided not to clean today.  Yesterday I went to the school concert, got groceries, cleaned the house, went back out for christmas shopping etc.......I'm pooped.  By 7pm last night I was running a low grade fever and feeling yucky...so today I'm taking it easy.....yep, just me and my baby pug Lola.  Look at all the love oozing from the photo :)

Hope you are all having a great day too!

God Bless,

Slow Cooking Thursday

 

All my slow cooking recipes are now online and starting today, I will add all the recipes shared weekly to my online del.icio.us site too. So if you're wanting to find ALL the slow cooked recipes that have been shared since the first SLOW COOKING THURSDAY, here is the link for you.

 

Don't forget to add your name to Mr Linky and a link back to your SCT post so others can come by and see your recipe too.

 

Todays recipes is from   and I can't wait to try them, so I'm sorry but I can't tell you yet if they're good or not, if anyone tries them before I do then please come back and let us know what you thought :)

 

Here's today's recipe:

 

Crockpot Brunch

Makes 12 servings

Prep Time: 10 min
Cook Time: 10-12 hrs
Ingredients
nonstick cooking spray
32 oz bag frozen hash brown potatoes
1 lb cooked ham, cubed
1 onion, diced
1 can (4 oz) diced green chiles
1 ½ cups reduced fat Cheddar cheese, shredded
2 ½ cups fat free egg substitute
1 can (12 oz) evaporated milk
½ tsp salt
½ tsp pepper

Spray crockery pot of slow cooker with nonstick cooking spray. Layer 1/3 of the frozen hash brown potatoes in the bottom of the slow cooker.  Add 1/3 of the ham, onion, chiles and cheese.  Repeat layers ending with the cheese.
In a large bowl, whisk together the egg substitute, evaporated milk and seasonings.  Pour over ingredients in the slow cooker.  Cover and turn cooker on low.  Cook for 10-12 hours until casserole is set and eggs are thoroughly cooked.

I'm starting to get really excited now.....

 

The closer we get the more antsy I start feeling towards Christmas and the harder it is to contain myself......you ever give out presents early because you can't handle waiting to see the recipients faces???  Please say you do, I know I'm not the only one out there doing this right.....right???

I don't know what happened today, it's almost dinner time and I haven't accomplished anything in the house, but I also wasn't on the computer.....weird!

Anyway, I have dinner to start soon but wanted to come in and chat a bit, we have blue skies today and no rain at all.  It's actually hot here, go figure.  I had been enjoying the rain and the cool weather and thought that maybe it would stick around through Christmas but maybe not.  Oh well, I'll just crank up the air conditioner inside to the coldest it can get LOL

I have some cute pics of the kids to share with you, I know my family back in South Africa is always eager to see new ones so here you go.  They were sitting on the couch messing around with Lola the pug and I snapped some photos.....there used to be a time that the kids would go running when they saw the camera but now they just calmly sit and either pose or make funny faces.  Ahhh the joys of blogging!  LOL

I'm making my menu for Christmas too, we always celebrate on the 24th with a simple...well....not really simple, but just a bunch of different goodies on the table.  We don't have a dinner, just set the table with some desserts, some shrimp, fried chicken, shrimp cakes (Rissois), Flan Pudding etc.  It's very portuguese and very yummy. 

I'll post the menu as soon as I know exactly what I'm making and I'll also have recipes and pictures of the dishes I'm having for you.

Do you see the different effects on the photos???  I downloaded a free trial of the Paint Shop Photo program and I just LOVE it.  It's on my Christmas wish list...hint hint Curt LOL

It's so much fun, you can fix your photos and apply all sorts of cool effects to them. Definitely something to keep me busy with and with the amount of photos I take daily, it will help!

Moving on, everyone is sick again in this house.  Seems that we just got over the cold we had and now Curt has the sniffles, fever, sore throat etc.  I feel horrible that he has to continue going to work, in the military unless you're dying you can't just call in sick......well you could but you would have the Security Forces at your house to arrest you LOL

But he's so sweet that he wanted to share with us, so now we're all back to runny noses and feeling awful.  It doesn't help that the weather is cold and rainy one day and blue sky and hot the next.

Anyway, I've started a new book by Brenda Joyce called "The Perfect Bride", I'm enjoying it and it's also a new author for me....I'll have a review of it up on my Book Blog soon.

For now I am about to go do the dinner dishes and take care of the sick hubby and kids.  I'll be back in the morning with my Slow Cooking Thursday!

Until then, stay warm and stay safe and have a wonderful blessed night.

Well we're actually cold here

in Arizona.  It's 55º and we're all bundled up and complaining that it's chilly....it's pretty funny considering that just a few months ago I was in the negative degrees in the middle of a snow storm and would have welcomed these temperatures.  Makes me wonder "Are we ever happy?"  LOL

I have a little story to tell you, do you want to learn some french?  Because I just found out this morning that Nicholas, who is only 4 years old, apparently knows how to speak French....listen to this.  I am getting breakfast ready and Nicholas turns to me and says:

Nicholas - Mommy can you whip me up something to drink?

Me - What?  What did you say?

Nicholas - Whip me up something to drink please!

Me - Ok but where did you learn "whip me up a drink"? *laughing at this point*

Nicholas - It's french for "get me something to drink"....didn't you know that?  Whip me up....listen to it....whip me up, it's french see?

Me - Uhh...ok  *laughing hysterically at this point*

Hahahahahahahah  So there ya go, who said you can't learn a foreign language from a 4 year old?

Can you believe that it's almost Christmas??? I feel it in the air, everyone is rushing and you don't really see a single person without a shopping bag in their hands with some sort of gift or wrapping paper or something christmasy.....

I'm scrambling to finish the ornaments and Jasmine's doll, but I've been so busy lately, there's just so much going on, it's crazy.

On friday Jasmine's school is doing a Christmas Concert, they're singing holiday songs and she's also one of the dancers, they're doing some sort of 60's dance to one of the songs.  She was all for it but as the day nears, she's getting extremely nervous, just wait until she realizes that I'm taking pictures AND filming to put on the blog LOL

What?!?!?  I can't just go to the concert and NOT share it with all my family and friends here can I?  That's just no acceptable!

Then this weekend I have some last minute gifts to buy for Curt and the kids, plus I have to get all the stuff for the Gift Baskets I'm doing for them.  I'm also going to be making "The Pioneer Woman's" cinnamon rolls to send to Curt's work for the airmen. 

On the 23rd, we have a surprise for the kids.  Here on base, they are having this Christmas feature, we pay $5 for each kid and we give them one of the gifts for each......then get this....at around 4pm there's a knock on the door and it's Santa Claus delivering a gift for them.  I can NOT wait to see their faces LOL

You know I'll have the camera ready and waiting right????  Poor kids, sometimes I feel so bad for them because every little thing they do is getting snapped and shared on the blog.....only....I don't feel too bad because it's for family and friends!

The kids have written their Santa Letters and I just have to share with you because I love what they write.  There's something about little letters to Santa, with all their extravagant requests, mispelled words and adorable decorations, that just melt my heart.

I have to say though, you can tell Jasmine is 8 years old, just look at some of her requests LOL

Uhhh yeah, first off Butterscotch Pony is almost $300, then the Ipod and camera.....*snicker*

I love that he has requested for Scooby doo underwear LOL  Just gotta love these kids!

Right now I'm about to go work on my sewing projects so that I can get them out of the way ASAP.

I hope you're all having a wonderful Tuesday and staying warm.  Here's what's happening in my house today:

Laundry

Cleaning bedrooms and bathrooms

Sewing

 

Like Father, Like Santa - 1pm on Lifetime (Harry Hamlin plays a ruthless toy tycoon who travels to the North Pole in a plot to crush his competitors---possibly destroying Christmas in the process.)

Shrek the Halls - 7pm on ABC

Winnie the Pooh & Christmas too - 7:30pm on ABC

House *Merry Little Christmas* - 8pm on Fox

 

I have to tell you about last night's dinner, I tried "The Pioneer Woman's" Best Lasagna Ever and OH.MY.GOODNESS.....she was not lying.  I just posted the recipe on my blog this morning too but I can't even begin to tell you just how delicious it was, as a matter of fact, I've thrown out all my other lasagna recipes because this will be the only I'll ever use.

Tonight's dinner is Garlic Herb Fish Fillets with some rice and veggies.

Guess it's going to rain again...

 

and I for one couldn't be happier.

I remember back in Idaho I used to get so frustrated when it rained endlessly for days, but nothing like moving to a state where rain is a luxury.  You quickly learn to welcome it :)

Come on in out of the cold, it's a bit chilly outside and cloudy and drizzly....but I have some Hazelnut Coffee hot and ready for you.

I don't have a set post this morning, it's pretty much just a catch up and update on what is going on here in our home.....you know I don't do in depth, serious posts anyway so it's not like you're missing out on much, right???

As you can see from the above picture, that is the view from my backyard, the cloudy and dark sky surrounded by green, yes I said GREEN trees.  That's the thing about living in this state, I don't see many bare trees, not like it used to be before.

 

This is more like the view we would be enjoying right now, the bare trees, the grey skies and the snow coming down.  Do you think I'm a wussy because I am about to tell you that every time I see a photo from Idaho I get a lump in my throat and want to curl into a ball and cry like a baby???  No, not a wuss, just pathetic???  Yeah I figured as much, I mean really....you would think by now I would be over it LOL

Anyway, one thing about the darker days is that we get to light the candles and leave the Christmas tree light on all day, with my Christmas Village glowing in the background.  It also means that the kids don't go outside to play so they need to find things to amuse themselves with.

Nicholas is easily pleased, just hand him some homemade bubble soap and a little wand and this kiddo will entertain himself for hours on end, sitting on the living room rug happily blowing his bubbles.

I love the last photo, he was so excited that he had caught the christmas tree in his bubble :)

Jasmine is finally starting to love books, not just any books though, they have to be Junie B. Jones, she even requested them for Christmas.  Now you know how hard it's been for us to get her into reading, it's not that she can't read or doesn't know how to, she just found it boring.

So we're thrilled that she's finally into reading, it's such a joy to know that your kids love books as much as you do. 

Moving on though, I've already done all my laundry and now it's waiting to be folded and put away.....which is exactly the part I HATE the most.  UGH, why why can't the clothes just walk to the bedrooms and pack themselves neatly in the dressers?  It's not too much to ask is it?

I also updated my Reading Blog complete with a new template and all, I need to stay on top of it and now that I have the Windows Live Writer it's so much easier to get on the computer and type up the posts as I go.  I've even started my next book post, just have to edit as I go and then hit publish when I'm ready.  Saves a lot of time I tell you!

And if you're looking for another yummy recipe, go check out my Food Blog, I just added the Oohh Aahh Sandwich as my kids call it.  

It's almost noon so I need to head out and get Nic's lunch ready, some chicken noodle soup and fresh veggies. 

I leave you all with a look at my day! 

Putting away laundry

Working on Jasmine's Rag Doll

 

Borrowed Hearts - 1pm on Lifetime (A wealthy bachelor (Eric McCormack) hires a single mom (Roma Downey) and her daughter to pose as his kin to impress a business associate (Hector Elizondo) who's big on family values.)

Home for the Holidays - 3pm on Lifetime (A warmhearted woman (Sean Young) tries to adopt her recently orphaned niece and nephews at Christmastime, but a Scrooge-like banker stands in her way.)

Frosty the Snowman - 7pm on CBS

Frosty Returns - 7:30pm on CBS

Most Haunted Spitbank Fort - 10pm on Travel Channel (Investigating Spitbank Fort, a man-made island purportedly haunted by one lost soul.)

 

For dinner tonight I'm fixing Beef Stew, just a simple recipe that I remember from my childhood, I'll have it up on the food blog tomorrow!

Show and Tell Friday!

I'm horrible at keeping up with meme's and features etc.....I have participated in a few of Kelli's "Show and Tell" Fridays and then I tend to run out of things to share or forget about it while running around chasing kids and dealing with everyday life.

Today I'm going to show you a book that is a true treasure to me.  It's by the Author "Lori foster".  Last year I was working with her, doing graphic designs etc. for her online Cafepress Store.

Lori is one of those book authors that love the fans, love the readers and loves staying in touch with them, she answers the emails and the letters and she makes you feel like your opinion truly does matter.

One day I got a surprise in the mail and boy was I thrilled.....I'm still amazed to this day.

I opened the book and found this:

Signed by the wonderful Lori Foster, but of course the surprise didn't end there because, look what I found on the next page:

WOW!  Yeah imagine my surprise, a book dedicated to me by the very own author, and a WELL known author at that. 

This book has and always will be a treasure to me and it's one of those items that if my house was burning down, it would be under my arm as I run out the door with the family.

If you want to play along, just head on over to the wonderful Kelli's blog "There is no place like Home" and add your name to Mr Linky, while you're there go and check out the other wonderful treasures being shared :)

Windows Live Writer

 

If you're looking for my Slow Cooking Thursday post it's just below this one....go on, go see what great recipes the ladies are sharing today.  I have to say that I'm so thankful for the small group of ladies that come back each week with their wonderful recipes, they're just amazing women and I'm blessed to have met every single one through my blogging.

Now onto the reason why I'm doing a second post today, because you know I usually only do one, but this is just such a neat little helper for us bloggers that I had to share.

How many times do we find that we want to blog about something but don't necessarily want to get online and onto Blogger etc?!?!?!  Raise your hand up, yeah I see you in the back there trying to hide.  I'm shoving my arm up in the air, see it goes like this for me.........

I'm sitting around doing something and an idea strikes me for a blog post so I run online and sign into blogger and start typing but then get distracted by something and usually end up surfing the net or blog hopping or something else.........or I only have about a minute or two to jot down some ideas for a post.

This is where Windows Live Writer comes in, it's a free and easy program to download and you can write your posts OFFLINE, save and edit and add pictures or whatever you're going to do, all without having to be signed in.  You can edit the date and time, you can resize and edit your photos, you can change the font look or size etc.  But here's the neat part that I really enjoy.......you can do it all as if you were typing on your blog. 

No I'm not kidding.....here's a screenshot to show you.

See, it let's me view what my post will look like on my blog and if you change your header or background etc, just click on View/Update Blog Style and it shows you the new one.  I've been messing around with it and I know there's still tons of nifty tricks to find but this is just wonderful.  Best part is that I can play around with my posts and when I'm happy then I click Publish and there ya go.

Another thing, you can add more than one blog to your Windows Live Writer and then switch between them as you do your posts.

Oh I almost forgot, when you click  on the image, you can edit it, you can add a shadow or a Photopaper like I did above, you can even add a Watermark, see the Diary of a SAHM on the top right corner.  Yep, all in one single little click, it's great!

You can insert tags, videos, maps, tables, links, plug ins, you name it, you can add it.  Just make sure that you sign up for Picasa Web Album which is free so that you can publish your photos to the web.  TADA, simple and so helpful!

Now go, go download it here and install it, oh and here's the Picasa link too in case you need it.  I'm having so much fun with this I think I'll update my poor neglected  forgotten blogs, Family Gone Pug and Reading Nook.  Well maybe just the reading one, I really don't have anything to add to the Pug one, poor things.

Happy Blogging!

Slow Cooking Thursday!

All my slow cooking recipes are now online and starting today, I will add all the recipes shared weekly to my online del.icio.us site too. So if you're wanting to find ALL the slow cooked recipes that have been shared since the first SLOW COOKING THURSDAY, here is the link for you.


Don't forget to add your name to Mr Linky and a link back to your SCT post so others can come by and see your recipe too.

I'm sorry this is so late going up, my internet has been driving me insane for the past two weeks, it keeps going out and when I got up this morning, there it was, OFF. I've had to reconfigure the modem yet again and for those who don't even know what that means, don't worry, I had no clue either until two weeks ago when I spent day after day doing it with the Qwest technical support people. Frustrating!!!

Anyway, enough of that, let's talk about food and slow cookers.....Yummy. Last week I tried a new recipe for 3 Beans and Sausage, it was SOOO good, Curt pretty much begged for the leftovers to take into work. That's how much he liked it!

Here's today's recipe:

Mixed-Up Stew

Credit: Gooseberry Patch Slow Cooker Recipes

1/4 c. red steak sauce
1/2 c. hot water
2 cubes chicken bouillon
1 t. sugar
1 t. salt
1/2 t. pepper
2 to 3 lbs. boneless, skinless chicken thighs
1 lb. stew beef, cut into 1-1/2 inch cubes
1 onion, chopped
2 potatoes, peeled and cubed
2 carrots, peeled and thinly sliced
16-oz. can stewed tomatoes
1/4 c. all-purpose flour

Combine steak sauce, water, bouillon, sugar, salt and pepper in a slow cooker; stir well. Add remaining ingredients except flour; mix carefully.

Cover and cook on low setting for 7 to 10 hours, or on high setting for 4 hours. Make a smooth paste of flour and 1/4 cup of liquid from the stew; stir into slow cooker. Cover and cook on high setting until thickened. Makes 6 to 8 servings.

Serve soup in hearty bread bowls........simply hollow out the centers of round loaves of crusty bread, leaving the bottom crust.

Cooking and Crafting!

Image credit: bonnetgirls.com
Ahhh the joyous scent of gingerbread cookies and chocolate all in one afternoon really is too much for the senses isn't it??? Actually, not really for us. See I had decided that the kids and I would bake yesterday afternoon, we would sit on the kitchen table and whip up something Christmasy and laugh and joke and have fun............problem is, it didn't quite go that way.

The kids couldn't decide what they wanted to do, one wanted to do Christmas Chocolate Trees and the other was determined to do the Gingerbread cookies, and of course I'm caught in the middle, I can't exactly take one over the other right???

So it becomes an easy decision, at least for me and my sweet tooth who was jumping for joy at this moment....Well, you make both of course!

The ingredients came out, the icing, the paintbrushes and the color pallettes, the baking pans and the gumdrops and everything else we would need. No amount of work is too much when you see their faces, their laughs and their giggles and the excitement, boy you would think they have never set foot in a kitchen.

Curt came home in the middle of all this and was only too happy to jump right in and decorate some gingerbread cookies too and the funny thing??? He's actually better at it than any of us LOL
He made the 2 in the bottom right corner, the boy and the girl, how adorable are those???


Here's the christmas cakes, the kids each got their own and decorated it whichever way they wanted, it turned out that they didn't really care about color or sprinkles, the only questions we heard over and over was "can we eat now?", "are they ready?", "can I try it to make sure it's good?".


The earlier part of the day I had spent sewing, let me tell you something, you don't really realize how much you miss your sewing machine until you sit down, hit the pedal and see the beautiful stitches coming out, then suddenly your mind is overwhelmed with ideas and thoughts and the next project that you can't wait to get going on. My fingers literally ITCH to start another one.

I'm working on Jasmine's doll for Christmas, I don't really know exactly what it will look like it's one of those "plan as you go" projects and it's pretty fun............while I was working on hers, I was also working on Nicholas' little Blue's Clues doll and I have to tell you, it turned out darn cute. It's not a traditional one of course, it's homemade and it has hand sewn spots and mouth and eyes etc.....it took me about an hour from start to finish so it's not bad at all.

I also finished sewing and stuffing the Snowmen Ornaments, I am going to leave the twig arms out though because for the life of me I can NOT find twigs around here......seriously, what is going on??? Who took all the twigs at Luke AFB??? LOL

Here's the pile waiting to be finished and embroidered and then all that's left is to finally hang them on the tree.

I was looking through some of my favorite crafty blogs out there and one of the ladies had posted this photo. This is near where she lives and is a place that she goes to with her family for picnics and to enjoy the scenery. How I wish I had this view everyday of my life, it's so serene and just beautiful, truly reminding of how amazing our Lord is.

I can just imagine waking up every morning and sipping my coffee while looking out at this spectacular sight. Pure joy!!!

I snapped this picture of Lola and Nicholas, he's watching tv and she's just sitting there on the arm of the couch, I just love catching the pugs doing what they do best.........being cute as all heck.


Well my sewing machine is calling me and I just recently got reacquainted so I can't ignore her can I?

Before I leave though, can I ask my usual readers, you know the ones that comment frequently.....can you please email me at bourlandcs@msn.com with your addresses???
Barb, Elizabeth, Sherry and Eden, I already have your cards on the way though, so no need to resend your addy's :)

Sewing Curtains for the Living Room
Working on Jasmine's Rag Doll
Finishing the Snowmen Ornaments
Mailing out Christmas Cards



Mr St. Nick - 1pm on Lifetime
Under the Mistletoe - 3pm on Lifetime
Private Practice - 8pm on ABC
Comfort and Joy - *Christmas Movie* at 10pm on Lifetime (I'll be recording this one to watch the next morning)



For lunch we're having Grilled Cheese and Tomato sandwiches, chips and Iced Tea.

Dinner is Chicken Spaghetti from the Pioneer Woman Cooks....I'm so excited to try this one I just can't wait.

Homemade gifts for the family!

Usually we buy all the gifts for our children but this year we're saving up for our trip to South Africa and really don't want to blow the budget, let's also not forget that every year we tend to overdo it in presents and half the time within a few days they're forgotten, just added to the toy boxes or shelves in their rooms, only to come out once a year if they're lucky enough to be played with.

So I decided that I would go ahead and make some homemade Christmas gifts for the kids and hubby. For Curtis I'm going to make him a basket with different snacks, beer, a movie etc. He loves playing computer games and he loves watching movies, so I think this would be the perfect gift basket for either one of those hobbies.
Since I know he doesn't read my blog now that he's back on the Flight Line, I can safely discuss here without ruining the surprise.

Here's two ideas for the baskets:

Movie Buff Basket

Old Movies that he likes - War Movies, Vampires, Action etc
Popcorn
20 oz. bottled soda - Root Beer or Coke etc
Candies
Gift Certificate for Blockbuster
Movie magazine

Gamer Basket

Computer or video games
Small bag of chips
Slim Jim pack
20 oz. bottled soda or even a beer
Gaming magazine
Gift certificate to a Gaming Store

The kids are each getting a Gift Basket too, Jasmine is into Fairies so I'm thinking a basket with:

Book on Fairies
Glitter lip gloss
Diary with lock and key
Tinkerbelle bookmark
Notecard set
Plastic comb and mirror set
Candies

Nicholas loves Scooby Doo, Dora, Blue's Clues and Toy Story so I'm going with:

A book on either one of these themes
Small stuffed toy
Craft or playdough set for one of these themes
Coloring Book
Candies

The possibilites are endless and it can even be items from the Dollar Store. I mean really, the kids don't care where it comes from!


For Jasmine and Nicholas I've also decided to give them each a few homemade things. Jasmine is getting a rag doll that I'm working on, Nicholas wants a Blue's Clues handmade doll, so we'll see how that one goes.
They're each also getting their own Hot Chocolate Mix and Cookies or Fudge, all with their own names and labels so there's no more fighting over who gets what or "why does he always have to have what I want?" whining. LOL

Oh Curt is getting some Fudge and Cookies too.

Hot Chocolate Mix

Ingredients
1 8-quart box powdered milk
1 1/2 cups powdered sugar
15 ounces powdered chocolate drink mix
8 ounces non-dairy coffee creamer
Mini marshmallows (optional)

Instructions
1. Mix ingredients together and store in an airtight container. Use 1/3 cup of mix per 8 ounces of hot water.
2. For a unique taste, use a flavored coffee creamer, such as vanilla or Irish cream.

There ya have it, that's my ideas for some homemade gifts for the family, they're inexpensive and they're made with love, what's better than that???

We're also making some Reindeer Food to sprinkle outside the house on Christmas Eve, we have to make sure that Santa sees our house right???

1/2 cup uncooked oatmeal
1/2 cup sugar
1/4 cup red or green sugar crystals (as used for cake decorating)

Be sure to take this magic food and sprinkle on the lawn,
On Christmas, Santa's reindeer travel miles before the dawn.
The smell of oats and glitter path will guide them on their way
And you'll wake up to Santa's gifts next morn on Christmas Day!

And here's some printable Magic Reindeer Food Tags. I use the small baby food jars for this, but I've also used little baggies, include the little tag and there ya go :)

I just started my new Madeline Hunter book "By Design" and I'm only about 5 pages in and already loving it. There's nothing like discovering a new author and then realizing that you have so many of her books to get through, it's like being a kid and being told that for the next year you can go into the candy store and try whatever candy you want. That's how I am with books, truly truly an obsession I have to say. Throw me in a book store and give me a cup of coffee and then let me be, I promise I will be the happiest person you've ever seen.



Here's some new books that I'm hoping Santa will bring:

Lori Foster - Servant The Awakening
I'm a HUGE HUGE Lori Foster fan, if you've been reading my blog for a while you know that I used to work with her by making graphics for her Cafepress store and Writers Get togethers etc. I love her work and now she's going a bit different, well actually a LOT different, she just published her recent work which is not a romance novel per say, here's what she says:

For you romance readers, yep, there's a romance. Even my dark side can't conjure up a book without some sexy romance in there. There's also fun banter, a hunky hero, and lots of excitement.

There are also paranormal elements and some gore, thus the L. L. Foster name. It's still me, just my initials.

Nicholas Sparks - The Choice

Travis Parker has everything a man could want: a good job, loyal friends, even a waterfront home in small-town North Carolina. In full pursuit of the good life - boating, swimming , and regular barbecues with his good-natured buddies -- he holds the vague conviction that a serious relationship with a woman would only cramp his style. That is, until Gabby Holland moves in next door. Spanning the eventful years of young love, marriage and family, THE CHOICE ultimately confronts us with the most heartwrenching question of all: how far would you go to keep the hope of love alive?

Jan Karon - Home to Holly Springs

The beloved Episcopal priest returns to his childhood town of Holly Springs, Miss., where he reconnects with old friends and battles some old demons. The novel is thick with Father Tim's past, as Karon uses flashbacks to shed light on his early adulthood, especially his transition to seminary. In Holly Springs, his penchant for getting near strangers to open up to him—and his earnest, moving reflections on faith, prayer and the risks of love—are reassuringly present. His wife, Cynthia, is on stage far less than he, but when she appears, she is charming and insightful, as usual.

Finishing up the Jar Mixes
Working on Jasmine's Rag Doll
Sweeping and Mopping the Floors
Washing the bed linens and remaking the beds
Dusting


A very cool Christmas - 1pm on Lifetime
Christmas on Chestnut Street - 3pm on Lifetime
Holiday Wishes - 10pm on Lifetime



Dinner tonight is Barbecue Ribs, Corn on the Cob and Mashed Potatoes.

Hate, HATE shopping on the holidays!

This is the reason why I refuse to participate in the Black Friday sales. I have absolutely no patience for the big crowds, the impatient people, the traffic and the push and prod as you try to get through a store. Then there's the ones that just stand in the middle of the store causing a huge traffic jam while they stare aimlessly at NOTHING and babble on the little borg looking cellphones. NO.PATIENCE.PEOPLE!!!

Anyway, most of the kids presents are bought, the christmas cards are almost ready to mail out and pretty soon I can just sit back and enjoy....for now, there's still stress and the last minute rush coupled with trying to figure out just what my husband wants for Christmas. Are all men this hard to buy for???

While out shopping this weekend, we stopped at the World Market and boy was I happy to find some favorites of mine from back home.
I'm sure my family will laugh when they see this:


Oh yeah baby, Crunchie, Flakes, Aero......*drool*

Anyway, before we went shopping we stopped at Curt's squadron, they were having a little Christmas get together for the kids, they had a jumping castle, some retired Air Force members playing Christmas songs with bells.....some snacks and drinks and Curt's Jet was on display next to a Christmas tree for families to get pictures taken. Problem is, we left before we got a chance to take ours, but I was able to snap one of the kids and you can see Curt's name on the Jet.


It was raining and cold that morning and as we were standing in the hangar, the kids and I looked outside and spotted a rainbow across the sky, right above the flight line Jets. Isn't that beautiful??? There's something so magical about rainbows!


I just finished adding my menu for this week as well as a recipe for Slow Cooker 3 beans and Sausage.


While I'm talking of food, I'm so excited cause Kelli's Winter Seasonal Delights Magazine just came out today, you won't believe the amazing food and crafts and goodies that she has in there, I've already gone through all of it and now I plan on going back to make the crafts and the recipes included. Again Kelli, AWESOME AWESOME job!

I have to tell you guys, I've been loving tv lately. Did you all watch Desperate Housewives and Brothers and Sisters last night?!?!?!? Oh my gosh, they were sooooooo good.
But what I've really been enjoying lately are all the Christmas movies on tv, I watched quite a few on Lifetime yesterday and there were some good ones this afternoon too, but tonight we have "A Dad for Christmas".

Nineteen-year-old Matt is stunned; his girlfriend has arranged for a couple to adopt their newborn baby. Unable to stop the adoption from happening but just as unable to imagine giving up his son, Matt spirits the infant away from the hospital. But the father soon ends up in court, where it's up to the judicial system and the child's mother to decide where the newborn's home lies.

Tomorrow on Lifetime you can watch:

A very cool Christmas
Christmas on Chestnut Street
Holiday Wishes

I've got some other projects going on here, still trying to finish all the Snowmen Ornaments and I also have a Rag Doll that I'm making for Jasmine for Christmas plus a little Blue's Clues doll for Nicholas......OH and the jar mixes and fudge and cookies and stuff that I need to make for gifts for the teachers and friends etc. I just hope I have the time to get it all done!

Anyway, I'm heading out for the night, the laundry is all washed and put away, the dishes are done and the living room is clean. I'm going to indulge in a hot bubbly bath with my next book. I just finished "By Possession" last night and just like the first in the series, I really enjoyed it, now I'm starting on "By Design" can't wait.

I leave you with a couple pics of my little Christmas village and the outside decorations, we're keeping it very simple this year, just a few icicle lights around the house and a snowman and some reindeer. Plain and Simple but gets the point across and no matter how much I try to get a good picture with the camera, unless you're seeing it in person it just doesn't do it justice.


God Bless.