Sick in bed....

Not exactly how I had pictured my Christmas day or the following days, but we can't always have what we like right?

So here I am, sick in bed with a cold and a nasty cough that is keeping me from getting much rest.  The good thing is that in a house with so many people, I am constantly finding willing parties to help me out with whatever I may need.

I would have to say that the silver lining in this bed confinement, is that I'm being entertained by BBC and ITV and watching all the Christmas specials.  Have you been watching or did you forget about them?

No worries though because if you did, I am about to remind you and give you some ideas as to what you can enjoy at the moment.

Starting with Doctor Who and the Christmas special, which also saw the regeneration of Matt Smith's doctor.  I cried folks, I cried so hard because I loved his doctor version so much, and I'm not a fan of Peter Capaldi, just can't see him as the doctor, but since I'm a fan of the show I'm going to watch and see what happens.  Who knows, he may just surprise me.

If you want to catch up on yesterday's episode, you can do it through the BBC iPlayer or you can watch it online, I even have the video for you below.

http://vodlocker.com/embed-epgfup02a181-640x360.html

Then, there's Call the Midwife and oh my word, I loved their Christmas special.  I think you will too.  Bombs, and weddings, and the closing of Nonnatus House???  It was such a brilliant Christmas episode.

http://vodlocker.com/embed-4gqpp8a73r4s-640x360.html

Next one to watch is the Downton Abbey Christmas special, which I am just now watching so I can't tell you much about it other than the whole family is in their London residence and become implicated in some sort of scandal.  That ought to be good.

You can watch it on ITV player, or online as well.

http://videomega.tv/iframe.php?ref=MTDeUOEGDE&

So there's 3 to keep you busy, but there is another one that is actually airing at this moment on BBC One.  I've been trying to watch but being sick, my attention span is not as usual and I tend to doze off, so I'll watch again later.

Death Comes to Pemberley.  If you're a Jane Austen fan then you're familiar with Pride and Prejudice, well this mini series is based on the book by P. D. James.  A murder mystery set at Pemberley.  Ooohhhh juicy.

You can watch the first part of the 3 part series, on BBC's iPlayer or online, or below :)

http://embed.nowvideo.sx/embed.php?v=ffw7xxwbu9zgy

Don't forget about Tudor Monastery Farm either, that is such a fun show to watch, which reminds me I need to add it to the Period Drama List as well.

Right, well I've given you a few goodies to enjoy, but I feel another cough attack coming on and my eyeballs feel like they're going to explode, so I'm going to sign off and catch up on Downton Abbey.

Hope you are all doing well and having a good Christmas week.

Blessings,
Sandra

Happy Homemaker Monday - 12/23/2013

Well this is going up super late today, but in my defense, I have the in laws visiting and have been pretty busy.


So, let's not waste anymore time and let's get right on it.....

As I look outside my window:::
Foggy, cloudy but not too cold.  We had some snow a few days ago but it's all melting and leaving a big ol' mess outside.  I am hoping for a White Christmas but I have a feeling that is not going to happen.

Right now I am:::
Sitting at the kitchen table and typing this post while I have a few minutes to myself.

Thinking and pondering:::
Dinner tonight, I'll be fixing a Ham for the in laws as they leave tomorrow morning.  Also thinking about all the cooking I'll be doing tomorrow afternoon because we celebrate on Christmas Eve around here.

On my bedside table:::
My bible, and The Witches of East End on my Kindle. Also re-reading Made to Crave to prepare for the Bible Study coming up on January 24th, but I'll tell you more about that later :)

On my tv tonight:::
Catching up on:
Tudor Monastery Farm
The White Queen
Killer Contact

Listening to:::
My hubby and father in law chatting, my nephew playing a game on the X-Box and the dogs running around playing.

On the menu for this week:::
Monday - Ham, Mashed Potatoes, Zucchini, Squash and Tomato Casserole, Salad, Jello Pudding Dessert
Tuesday - Christmas Eve - Rissois, pan fried chicken, croquetes, Quindims, Queijadas, Bolo de Bolacha, Bola de Carne (sorry it's all in Portuguese, but it's our tradition)
Wednesday - Pork Roast, Potatoes, Salad
Thursday - Homemade Fettucine with Meat Sauce
Friday - Carne Guisada c/ Massa (Beef with Noodles)
Saturday - Cottage Pie
Sunday -  Vegetable Soup, Sandwiches

On my to do list:::
Entertain, that's it....nothing more.  Play some board games, watch some movies, laugh, chat.

What I am sewing, crocheting, knitting or creating:::
Nothing right now, crochet is still on hold.
 
My simple pleasure:::
Laying in bed with a good book   

Lesson learned the past week:::
More like a reminder that family means everything and some things are not worth getting angry about.  Especially during this time of the year, we need to focus on what we have in front of us and not question or worry or yearn for something else.  Make it count!

Looking around the house:::
The Christmas tree is overflowing and ready for kids to dive into.  It's also starting to die so I'm glad we have Christmas right upon on or I fear it wouldn't make it.  There are board games here and there, blankets on the couch, coffee mugs in hands and people laughing.  Truly the best thing about the holidays.

From the camera:::

Prayer List:::
Family and friends.
And for you all, my faithful blog readers, for whatever it may be that is weighing heavily on your heart, I pray that the good Lord give you the comfort you need.

Bible verse, Devotional:::
Today in the town of David a Savior has been born to you; he is the Messiah, the Lord. This will be a sign to you: You will find a baby wrapped in cloths and lying in a manger.” Suddenly a great company of the heavenly host appeared with the angel, praising God and saying, “Glory to God in the highest heaven, and on earth peace to those on whom his favor rests.” Luke 2:11-14 NIV

One more snow day....

Well I don't think we'll be having a white snowy Christmas, but the Lord sure has gone out of His way to give us a little of the white stuff  before hand.

Last night the flakes started coming down, and for a few hours it steadily covered our area.



And as always, snow has a way of bringing out the kids in our hearts.  The children quickly bundled up and headed outside to watch the flakes, and us adults bundled up too, but ended up in a huge snowball fight.

We laughed until our sides hurt, we ran, we smiled and we enjoyed every moment of the beauty that is fresh snow.



When I woke up this morning, this was my view, and I smiled big and uttered up a quick prayer to God for allowing me to enjoy this moment.

I'm so truly blessed to live where I do right now.







The boys especially, have been loving the snow, no matter how cold they get out there.





Kicking snow seems to be one of the favorite activities, seeing just how far it goes and how high the snow flies.







Yes, there are a few things that I could completely do without, like the wet boots and the dripping gloves and coats that are dumped at the doorway, but it's all part of it right?

Other than the snow, we've been enjoying having my mother and father in law here, it has resulted in the usual card and board games, good food consumption and lots and lots of laughs and catching up on each others lives.

Unfortunately they won't be staying through Christmas, but that's ok.  We'll just make the best of it.

The presents are all wrapped, the Christmas tree is overflowing, the menu has been decided, and baking and cooking begins tomorrow.

Only downside to it is that a few of us are starting to come down with a cold.  There are quite a few sore throats going around, including my hubby and I.  Oh boy!

Well, I need to get on into the kitchen and whip up some Grilled Cheese and Tomato Sandwiches.  Being that is is my nephew's birthday today, we had cake, ice cream and some snacks earlier so no one is very hungry.

Might end off the night with a board game or a Christmas movie, not sure.

Have a wonderful Saturday night friends :)

Slow Cooking Thursday - Thai Chicken Soup

Good morning dear friends, I sure hope this post finds you nice and warm. It's so cold here, the frost is an every day sight and I woke up this morning with a very sore throat. Oh no!

Going to attack it immediately, I would hate to be sick during Christmas.

Today's recipe is perfect for a cold day and comes from the blog Foodie Crush. Enjoy!

Slow Cooker Thai Chicken Soup

2 tablespoons red curry paste
2 12 ounce cans of coconut milk
2 cups chicken stock
2 tablespoons fish sauce
2 tablespoons brown sugar
2 tablespoons peanut butter
1 1/2 pounds chicken breasts, cut into 1 1/2 inch pieces
1 red bell pepper, seeded and sliced into 1/4 inch slices
1 onion, thinly sliced
1 heaping tablespoon fresh ginger, minced
1 cup frozen peas, thawed
1 tablespoon lime juice
cilantro for garnish
cooked white rice



Mix the curry paste, coconut milk, chicken stock, fish sauce, brown sugar and peanut butter in a 4-1/2 to 6-quart slow-cooker bowl. Place the chicken breast, red bell pepper, onion and ginger in the slow cooker, cover and cook on high for 4 hours.
Add in the peas and cook for 1/2 hour longer. Stir in lime juice and serve with cilantro and white rice.

Winter Frost

Can you believe that Christmas is just a few days away?

I'm looking forward to it, but then again it gets to this time of the year and I'm ready for it all to be over so I can take down my tree LOL  I know, crazy huh?



If there is one thing I do love is Christmas Lights and the beautiful effects you can capture on camera.  Now that is one thing I wouldn't mind having up all year long, some twinkling lights.

But yes, I'm very much looking forward to spending Christmas with my family here, for the first time in 16 years.  It will be a special day indeed :)

To make it that much more special, my mother in law and father in law are both visiting.  They arrived yesterday and will be here a week.  We wish they could stay longer but we are just so thrilled to spend this time with them, it's a blessing.



Another thing I've been loving this week, is the winter frost.  It is so cold but I am just in awe of the beauty of the frost.  There is something about looking out from the deck and seeing these white trees and white fields all sparkly.



The cold I could do without, and I wouldn't mind a snowy Christmas, but I guess in a way I'll still get a white Christmas right?  Silver lining and all :)



Kids are on Winter Break, they finished all their school work ahead of time.  They're also on break from dancing and Tae Kwon Do, so it really is all about the days leading up to Christmas, and the excitement is palpable.

To be honest, I can't wait to dig in to those presents either and see what I got.

Well my friends, it's 10:38pm and I'm so tired that I can't even keep my eyes open, so I'm heading straight to bed.

I just wanted to come and say a quick hi and let you all know that I'm still here, still plodding through, still keeping my head up and my eyes set on the Lord.

Blessings,
Sandra