1. On Christmas morning, I won $500 on a scratch off lottery ticket Hubby put in my stocking.
We are officially now funded to take a spring vacation. I would like to personally thank the New Jersey Lottery.
image via google
2. This morning I braved the deal hungry crowds to purchase marked down Christmas decor at Target. My munchkins voiced their displeasure concerning our lack of lit reindeer in the yard this Christmas.
Image courtesy of google
I settled on a four foot lit snowman sign that reads "Let it Snow".
Next year we will still be lit reindeer-less.
3. There are several piles of gifts and garbage scattered throughout our home. This week I am determined to get the house in order before the clutter drives me nutty.
It's a short drive.
This is not my house. Image courtesy of google. Aren't the floors lovely?
4. I am sending Hubby to the store to purchase screws to hang shelves. I'm fairly certain this is not what he envisioned when he imagined his day off. I can't say for sure what is the lesser of two evils: me versus the office.
It's still up for debate.
5. With munchkins still in pajamas, crumbs and wrapping paper scattered across the floors, I shall sign off and make myself productive.
Hope yours was merry!
1. On Christmas morning, I won $500 on a scratch off lottery ticket Hubby put in my stocking.
We are officially now funded to take a spring vacation. I would like to personally thank the New Jersey Lottery.
image via google
2. This morning I braved the deal hungry crowds to purchase marked down Christmas decor at Target. My munchkins voiced their displeasure concerning our lack of lit reindeer in the yard this Christmas.
Image courtesy of google
I settled on a four foot lit snowman sign that reads "Let it Snow".
Next year we will still be lit reindeer-less.
3. There are several piles of gifts and garbage scattered throughout our home. This week I am determined to get the house in order before the clutter drives me nutty.
It's a short drive.
This is not my house. Image courtesy of google. Aren't the floors lovely?
4. I am sending Hubby to the store to purchase screws to hang shelves. I'm fairly certain this is not what he envisioned when he imagined his day off. I can't say for sure what is the lesser of two evils: me versus the office.
It's still up for debate.
5. With munchkins still in pajamas, crumbs and wrapping paper scattered across the floors, I shall sign off and make myself productive.
I am currently looking at my kitchen table, which is peppered with groceries I need for the coming days. The contents include items such a shells (for the homemade macaroni and cheese), vodka sauce (for dinner tonight), chocolate chips (because I am always baking) and red sprinkles from the Bakery Department (for my next 5 bowls of ice cream).
My dishwasher is running and there are crumbs on my floor. Neither of those things is news in this house.
I have approximately 70 gifts to wrap tucked away in my basement. Don't tell anyone.
Before you cry for me regarding the above statement, I shall rephrase: I have about 10 gifts to wrap and Hubby has 60.
The longstanding rule in this house is "I buy it, YOU wrap it". Works like a charm. It's a highly recommended system.
I have more laundry than I care to admit waiting for me in the basement. I avoid this job because my basement is the temperature of my fridge. I also have to carry laundry up two flights of stairs if I want it in a timely manner. If there are no time constraints on clean laundry, and all munchkins have clean underwear, I stack the baskets as high as possible and wait for Hubby to carry them upstairs.
Hubby is fabulous.
Before I start laundry I have to adjust the outside Christmas decor (dang wind) and fix a fuse.
Is it too late to ask Santa for updated electric?
All the while, as I continue about my day, I shall be listening to my Christmas music and snacking on my hundreds of baked goods.
Tis' the season.
I am currently looking at my kitchen table, which is peppered with groceries I need for the coming days. The contents include items such a shells (for the homemade macaroni and cheese), vodka sauce (for dinner tonight), chocolate chips (because I am always baking) and red sprinkles from the Bakery Department (for my next 5 bowls of ice cream).
My dishwasher is running and there are crumbs on my floor. Neither of those things is news in this house.
I have approximately 70 gifts to wrap tucked away in my basement. Don't tell anyone.
Before you cry for me regarding the above statement, I shall rephrase: I have about 10 gifts to wrap and Hubby has 60.
The longstanding rule in this house is "I buy it, YOU wrap it". Works like a charm. It's a highly recommended system.
I have more laundry than I care to admit waiting for me in the basement. I avoid this job because my basement is the temperature of my fridge. I also have to carry laundry up two flights of stairs if I want it in a timely manner. If there are no time constraints on clean laundry, and all munchkins have clean underwear, I stack the baskets as high as possible and wait for Hubby to carry them upstairs.
Hubby is fabulous.
Before I start laundry I have to adjust the outside Christmas decor (dang wind) and fix a fuse.
Is it too late to ask Santa for updated electric?
All the while, as I continue about my day, I shall be listening to my Christmas music and snacking on my hundreds of baked goods.
If you follow my blog you have heard me mention my Sister-in-Law, Karen. Karen passed away in 2005 from a very aggressive form of mouth cancer. She is sorely missed all of the time, but around the holidays, I think about her more often than normal.
Karen LOVED to bake, and she was GREAT at it.
Her oldest son, Alex, is just three weeks younger than my oldest son. They are like brothers.
Alex's favorite Christmas cookie was always Karen's Gingerbread men.
She would always make these at Christmas, and often times for my annual cookie exchange.
I make them every year now, because they are my son, Spencer's favorite, too.
The recipe I have is a printed email that she sent me with her recipe.
It contains the back and forth conversation that she and I had about just your normal everyday life.
She was my "go-to" person when I was baking.
I was a Creative Memories consultant for 6 years, and found my love of scrapbooking when Karen and I attended our first home class after we had our boys.
My friend Candi, over at The Devilish Dish, and I started an online scrapbooking art store called Simply Scrapbooking, and I left CM. We made handmade scrapbook art.
After Karen passed away in October if 2005, a BUNCH (and I mean a whole giant room full) of my scrapbooking family got together and brought all of her kids' scrapbooks up to date. We did this around the holidays, and everyone that helped received one of these tiny little angel ornaments when they left, attached was this little saying:
You're in my thoughts at Christmas,
so I say this little prayer. . .
"May angels always bless you,
and keep you in their care.
And may the heaven's angels
light a Christmas star,
to shine on you all year through. . .
no matter where you are."
karen angel
I call it my "Karen Angel" and she hangs year 'round in my kitchen on the cabinet knob, right over my oven.
When I am baking, I know she is here with me.
After Karen passed, Hallmark aired a movie, based on a book, called "The Christmas Shoes." I am not sure if you have ever heard of it? But that was a tough one to watch for me. It is an honest to goodness tear jerker of a movie with a very nice message about a little boy that loses his Mom at Christmas.
Every year when I am baking, I listen to Christmas music, and they play the song from the movie.
It brings me to tears every time.
This is the song from the movie, by a band called Newsong. I found this clip on youtube, and if you watch/listen it even has the ending scene from the movie.
I know that Karen is in a better place, but she is sure missed here.
I am sharing with you now, her recipe for Gingerbread cookies. I don't know where she got it, so I can't give credit to whoever wrote it, and I am sorry for that. But to us, this is Karen's Gingerbread.
Karen's Gingerbread Cookies
Ingredients you will need
1 1/2 cups sugar
1 cup butter, softened
3 T molasses
1 egg
2 T water or milk
3 1/4 cups flour
2 tsp baking soda
2 tsp cinnamon
1 1/2 tsp ginger
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp cloves
Sugar or icing
Directions:
Combine 1 1/2 cups sugar, butter and
molasses; beat until light and fluffy. Add egg and water; blend well. Lightly spoon flour into measuring cup; level off. Add flour and all remaining ingredients, except additional sugar or icing; mix well to form a smooth dough. Cover with plastic wrap; refrigerate one hour for easier handling.
Heat oven to 350*. Roll portions of dough into medium sized balls, roll in sugar (if you want them sugar coated) or leave plain if you plan to ice them. (Keep remaining dough refrigerated.) Place on cookie sheet and bake at 350 for 8-10 minutes or until set. Immediately
remove from cookie sheets. Ice when cool.
These cookies can also be rolled into gingerbread shapes if desired on a floured surface. Bake 9-11 on 350.
These freeze very well.
the alco dress
This is one of my favorite pictures of Karen. We had gone to a wedding in Manhattan, Kansas, and Karen had hand sewn a dress to wear to the event. When we got there, she realized the dress was laying on her bed back at home. The only place to shop in a pinch was Alco. That is where she found this sweet little number. I think she looks great!! We sure laughed about this.
Mommas and Daddys, squeeze your babies tight.
Karen's Ginger Bread
If you follow my blog you have heard me mention my Sister-in-Law, Karen. Karen passed away in 2005 from a very aggressive form of mouth cancer. She is sorely missed all of the time, but around the holidays, I think about her more often than normal.
Karen LOVED to bake, and she was GREAT at it.
Her oldest son, Alex, is just three weeks younger than my oldest son. They are like brothers.
Alex's favorite Christmas cookie was always Karen's Gingerbread men.
She would always make these at Christmas, and often times for my annual cookie exchange.
I make them every year now, because they are my son, Spencer's favorite, too.
The recipe I have is a printed email that she sent me with her recipe.
It contains the back and forth conversation that she and I had about just your normal everyday life.
She was my "go-to" person when I was baking.
I was a Creative Memories consultant for 6 years, and found my love of scrapbooking when Karen and I attended our first home class after we had our boys.
My friend Candi, over at The Devilish Dish, and I started an online scrapbooking art store called Simply Scrapbooking, and I left CM. We made handmade scrapbook art.
After Karen passed away in October if 2005, a BUNCH (and I mean a whole giant room full) of my scrapbooking family got together and brought all of her kids' scrapbooks up to date. We did this around the holidays, and everyone that helped received one of these tiny little angel ornaments when they left, attached was this little saying:
You're in my thoughts at Christmas,
so I say this little prayer. . .
"May angels always bless you,
and keep you in their care.
And may the heaven's angels
light a Christmas star,
to shine on you all year through. . .
no matter where you are."
karen angel
I call it my "Karen Angel" and she hangs year 'round in my kitchen on the cabinet knob, right over my oven.
When I am baking, I know she is here with me.
After Karen passed, Hallmark aired a movie, based on a book, called "The Christmas Shoes." I am not sure if you have ever heard of it? But that was a tough one to watch for me. It is an honest to goodness tear jerker of a movie with a very nice message about a little boy that loses his Mom at Christmas.
Every year when I am baking, I listen to Christmas music, and they play the song from the movie.
It brings me to tears every time.
This is the song from the movie, by a band called Newsong. I found this clip on youtube, and if you watch/listen it even has the ending scene from the movie.
I know that Karen is in a better place, but she is sure missed here.
I am sharing with you now, her recipe for Gingerbread cookies. I don't know where she got it, so I can't give credit to whoever wrote it, and I am sorry for that. But to us, this is Karen's Gingerbread.
Karen's Gingerbread Cookies
Ingredients you will need
1 1/2 cups sugar
1 cup butter, softened
3 T molasses
1 egg
2 T water or milk
3 1/4 cups flour
2 tsp baking soda
2 tsp cinnamon
1 1/2 tsp ginger
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp cloves
Sugar or icing
Directions:
Combine 1 1/2 cups sugar, butter and
molasses; beat until light and fluffy. Add egg and water; blend well. Lightly spoon flour into measuring cup; level off. Add flour and all remaining ingredients, except additional sugar or icing; mix well to form a smooth dough. Cover with plastic wrap; refrigerate one hour for easier handling.
Heat oven to 350*. Roll portions of dough into medium sized balls, roll in sugar (if you want them sugar coated) or leave plain if you plan to ice them. (Keep remaining dough refrigerated.) Place on cookie sheet and bake at 350 for 8-10 minutes or until set. Immediately
remove from cookie sheets. Ice when cool.
These cookies can also be rolled into gingerbread shapes if desired on a floured surface. Bake 9-11 on 350.
These freeze very well.
the alco dress
This is one of my favorite pictures of Karen. We had gone to a wedding in Manhattan, Kansas, and Karen had hand sewn a dress to wear to the event. When we got there, she realized the dress was laying on her bed back at home. The only place to shop in a pinch was Alco. That is where she found this sweet little number. I think she looks great!! We sure laughed about this.
Grandma Davis isn't even my Grandma, but her sugar cookie recipe is the one I make every year.
You have heard me mention my friend, Tonja, before. Grandma Davis is her Grandma.
These cookies are always SO GOOD.
If you like soft chewy frosted sugar cookie cut outs, these are for you!
I add a touch of almond extract to my store bought vanilla frosting
Grandma Davis' Sugar Cookies
3/4 cup shortening or butter (I usually use butter flavored Crisco)
1 cup sugar
2 eggs
1 t. vanilla
1 1/2 cups flour
1 t. baking soda
1 t. salt
Cream together shortening and sugar. Add eggs and vanilla, combine. Add the flour, salt and baking soda, mix well, form into a ball, cover and chill over night.
Roll onto a floured surface and cut with cookie cutters.
Bake at 375 degrees for about 7 minutes.
WATCH CLOSELY for them to be soft, you can't let them brown.
Frost with powdered sugar icing.
Or... you can cheat like me. By plain classic white frosting in a can. Zap it in the microwave for a few seconds, and drizzle on your cookies.
Santa will be SURE to leave you somethin' Good!!
Grandma Davis' Sugar Cookies
Grandma Davis isn't even my Grandma, but her sugar cookie recipe is the one I make every year.
You have heard me mention my friend, Tonja, before. Grandma Davis is her Grandma.
These cookies are always SO GOOD.
If you like soft chewy frosted sugar cookie cut outs, these are for you!
I add a touch of almond extract to my store bought vanilla frosting
Grandma Davis' Sugar Cookies
3/4 cup shortening or butter (I usually use butter flavored Crisco)
1 cup sugar
2 eggs
1 t. vanilla
1 1/2 cups flour
1 t. baking soda
1 t. salt
Cream together shortening and sugar. Add eggs and vanilla, combine. Add the flour, salt and baking soda, mix well, form into a ball, cover and chill over night.
Roll onto a floured surface and cut with cookie cutters.
Bake at 375 degrees for about 7 minutes.
WATCH CLOSELY for them to be soft, you can't let them brown.
Frost with powdered sugar icing.
Or... you can cheat like me. By plain classic white frosting in a can. Zap it in the microwave for a few seconds, and drizzle on your cookies.
Every Christmas the munchkins make cookies. Or, I make cookies and the munchkins use cookie cutters. And icing. And sugar. And sprinkles. And sugar.
You get the idea.
While my cookies have kept the same look and consistency over the years, my munchkins have not. If I wasn't delirious from fudge making and late night wrapping I would cry.
But my eyes are too tired.
Here, in pictures, is the evolution of my very tiny, very dedicated, cookie makers.
2007
2008
2009
2010
2011
Sniff. Sniff.
Glad to see my cookie cutters have withstood the test of time.
Happy December 21st!
Every Christmas the munchkins make cookies. Or, I make cookies and the munchkins use cookie cutters. And icing. And sugar. And sprinkles. And sugar.
You get the idea.
While my cookies have kept the same look and consistency over the years, my munchkins have not. If I wasn't delirious from fudge making and late night wrapping I would cry.
But my eyes are too tired.
Here, in pictures, is the evolution of my very tiny, very dedicated, cookie makers.
2007
2008
2009
2010
2011
Sniff. Sniff.
Glad to see my cookie cutters have withstood the test of time.
