24 Friday Dec 2010
Posted in Random
Merry Christmas from J and me! We hope you remember the reason for the celebrations. As much fun as presents, cookies, traditions, overeating, lights, and movies can be…it’s all about a baby and how His birth changed the world forever.
“Glory to God in the highest, and on Earth peace, good will toward men.”
21 Tuesday Dec 2010
Posted in Recipes
Because I think we all get tired of making some of the same ol stuff each year (but mind you, perhaps NOT tired of eating it!) I wanted to share a few recipes I’ve stumbled across that you might find helpful for your last minute parties or get togethers.
These first two were stolen from Lazy Mom, who always includes simple, yet delicious ideas! You can read her entire post, but here are a couple of my favorites from her post, along with a few favorites of my own.
Graham Cracker Toffee I haven’t tried this one…yet…but it may be coming to an event near you!
Holiday Pretzel Treats Now these I have tried. At least a version of them. We’ve used Pretzels/Rolos/Nuts. And Pretzels/Kisses/Nuts. But the M&M idea makes them adorable! And these truly are easy. (And I’m a big fan of the salty/sweet combo!)
Oreo Balls I honestly don’t find these incredibly easy. Sure, sounds easy enough, but blending up oreos takes some time with my blender. And I usually have somewhat misshapen concoctions by the time the warm white chocolate starts to warm the oreo ball back up and cause it to lose it’s shape. But if you’re distracted by the fact that I just said “white chocolate” and “oreo” in the same sentence, these are still a great snack for you! YUM!
Puppy Chow Still a favorite for me! (I think Chex themselves actually call it Muddy Buddy.)
Harvest Spiced Nuts This is a Pampered Chef recipe, and these are delicious! Stir in other nuts, or dried cranberries to change it up a bit.
1) Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line Stoneware Bar Pan with an 11-inch piece of Parchment Paper. Using egg separator, separate egg into Classic Batter Bowl. (Reserve yolk for another use) Whip egg white using egg separator until frothy.
2) Add pecans to batter bowl. Toss to coat evenly with egg white using Mix N Scraper. Sprinkle brown sugar & Spice Blend over pecans; toss to coat evenly. Pour pecans out onto Parchment Paper separating into a single layer.
3) Bake 18-20 minutes or until nuts begin to brown. Remove pan from oven. Carefully slide Parchment with pecans onto Non-Stick Cooling rack. Cool completely. Place in serving dish or package into a festive container to give as a gift. Yield 4 cups Store in tightly sealed container at room temperature. Delicious to nibble, garnish or have with ice cream!
Merry Christmas! And let’s all just enjoy bulking up for the winter together. It’s only natural, right?
21 Tuesday Dec 2010
How far along? 32 weeks!
How big is baby? The doctor did some squeezing and guessing and came up with 4-4.5 pounds.
Weight gain? Ruh Roh. I’m at 25 pounds gained now. Not horrible, but I’ve gained more the last four weeks than I have gained in any prior 4 week period. Not a good trend to set as we head in to Christmas! I always gain weight during Christmas anyway! Oh well, tis the season?
Stretch Marks? Still no…
Maternity clothes? I have a new maternity coat thanks to an early Christmas present! K is especially grateful as my other coats were no longer buttoning, leaving my belly (and therefore his home) a little exposed.
Sleep? It’s overrated…right? Sigh.
Cravings? Maybe popcorn. But that’s always been a favorite. And Root Beer Floats are now a nice occasional treat in this house!
Nursery update? Thanks to a gift card from cousin Sharon we finally bought a book case from Target! Sounds like a strange update but until we decided on a book case, and therefore the arrangement in the corner, and therefore the arrangement of the “stuff” for the walls…we were on hold. So when it arrives, we’re ready to do final arrangements and decorate the walls and be done! But might not get to it until January…
Movement? Oh yeah!
High point? Anniversary celebration with Hubs.
Low point? Can’t think of one. That’s a good thing though…right?
What am I looking forward to? Christmas!
What do I miss? Being able to see to zipper my coat?
Mama Laughs 