Hope everyone had a wonderful Christmas!! As always, mine was very nice. It’s always such an exciting time when your kids are still young, with my youngest being 10, he was still very excited, though I will look forward to the day when we won’t have to be up at 6:30 am 🙂 It was a Star Wars Christmas here again, how could it not be with the stores being inundated with merchandise, lol.
Even though it was a wonderful time and I still have another week off, I am feeling a little like this, especially since it is Monday. (no…this is not my dog…I wish he was, lol)
THE WEATHER OUTSIDE IS:
Woke up to a wintery mix. I can hear the ice tapping on the windows. Looks like winter has arrived.
WHAT I’M READING/HAVE READ:
I haven’t read too much in the last couple of days. Look for my Special edition link-up with Kate Motaung of Books I Read in 2015 on Wednesday.
LOL CHUCKLES, AND GIGGLES:
RECIPE I WOULD LIKE TO TRY:
I probably should have posted something with some veggies, lol. After all the sweet cookies and Christmas treats, I’m still looking at desserts 🙂 These look really good!!
FAVORITE VIDEO/BLOG POST:
This will be me when it finally snows!! 😀
FROM THE CAMERA:
Usually my daughter sets up a nice picture for Christmas (as all the boys complain, lol) but she didn’t get a chance to this year. Here is her impromptu shot on Christmas Day.
Enjoying my first day of Christmas break. A little gloomy and soggy outside, it rained and rained last night…if only that had been snow!! I cannot believe another Christmas is upon us. My daughter and I shopped for all our wrapping paper, bows and bags. I am looking forward to wrapping all the gifts. I have more fun doing that than shopping!! Wishing everyone a very Merry Christmas filled with your heart’s desires!!
THE WEATHER OUTSIDE IS:
No white Christmas for us 😦
MOVIE REVIEW:
The Spirit of Christmas on the Lifetime channel. Old haunted Inn, at Christmastime, with a handsome ghost. The story was good, and the scenery was absolutely gorgeous. I usually don’t watch many made-for-TV movies, but my mom saw this one advertised and told me about it.
LOL CHUCKLES, AND GIGGLES:
HOLIDAY PREP TO DO:
Help my daughter get things ready for her homemade hot chocolate get together with her friends on Wednesday. I really enjoy seeing all these young adults get together. These are the twin’s friends they grew up with, and the new friends they have met since we moved here 3 years ago. So many different personalities, but they all get along so well, always a fun time.
Wrap presents 🙂
FAVORITE VIDEO/BLOG POST:
I came across this article from Crosswalk.com. Being that I love A Charlie Brown Christmas, and that I am a kindred spirit with Linus because of his blanket, what they point out is truly the real meaning of Christmas. For as many times as I have watched this special, I have never noticed that there is a moment when Linus drops his blanket. They go on to explain it here and it’s significance:
Charlie Brown is best known for his uniquely striped shirt, and Linus is most associated with his ever-present security blanket. Throughout the story of Peanuts, Lucy, Snoopy, Sally and others all work to no avail to separate Linus from his blanket. And even though his security blanket remains a major source of ridicule for the otherwise mature and thoughtful Linus, he simply refuses to give it up.
Until this moment. When he simply drops it.
In that climactic scene when Linus shares “what Christmas is all about,” he drops his security blanket, and I am now convinced that this is intentional. Most telling is the specific moment he drops it: when he utters the words, “fear not.” Looking at it now, it is pretty clear what Charles Schultz was saying, and it’s so simple it’s brilliant.
The birth of Jesus allows us to simply drop the false security we have been grasping so tightly, and learn to trust and cling to Him instead.
But in the midst of fear and insecurity, this simple cartoon image from 1965 continues to live on as an inspiration for us to seek true peace and true security in the one place it has always been and can always still be found. (www.crosswalk.com/special-coverage/christmas-and-advent/just-drop-the-blanket-the-moment-you-never-noticed-in-a-charlie-brown-christmas.html)
Spent the weekend baking, but I got it all done!! I baked about 6 different cookies, and did a couple of them each day starting Friday, so it wasn’t too bad. I am so proud that my Roshky/Kolaczki turned out really good this year. Last year I had problems with them opening up when they baked. I told my mom, maybe I needed to put my babushka on, but that wasn’t necessary. My Polish just kicked in this year, and they turned out.
Saturday my daughter, and the two boys and I went to see the reindeer. They basically were just lying around in their pen. I thought we could actually take pictures WITH them, but we could only take pictures OF them, still so cute to see up close. So those pics are at the bottom. The weather was too warm, so the Ice Sculptors have been postponed. Hope everyone is enjoying their preparations for the holidays and not stressing too much. I actually enjoyed decorating the sugar cookies this year. The Christmas carols were playing, and I took some time making them all fancy. It was actually quite relaxing. Last week for me and the boys with school before Christmas break…Woohoo!! (Yeah…the teacher is probably more excited, lol)
WHAT I’M READING/HAVE READ: I finished The Mistletoe Inn by Richard Paul Evans!! It was really good!! Just when I thought I had it figured out…yep…love stories like that!! Five stars and two thumps up!!
1. Mix cream cheese and butter until light and fluffy. Add flour 1 cup at a time and mix well. Wrap dough in plastic and refrigerate overnight. 2. Heat oven to 350 degrees. Roll out dough 1/4-inch on a surface that has been dusted with equal parts confectioners’ and granulated sugars (not flour), because the granulated sugar will act as ball bearings and help keep the dough from sticking. Cut into 2-inch squares using a pastry cutter. Place 1/2 to 1 teaspoon filling on center of each square. Overlap opposite corners of dough to the center over filling. (I put my apricot and Prune Plum filling in separate zip lock bags and cut the corner off, and use it like a piping bag to put the filling on the center of the square).
3. Bake for 12 – 15 minutes or when corners start to brown. Cool and dust with confectioners’ sugar. These tend to become soggy if held for several days, so store them tightly covered (or freeze) without the confectioners’ sugar. Dust with confectioners’ sugar just prior to service.
ON THE TV: I started watching episodes of Quantico, and I am hooked!!
LOL CHUCKLES, AND GIGGLES:
HOLIDAY PREP TO DO: The only thing really left for me will be wrapping the gifts. Got my shopping done (all online) and finished the baking!!
FAVORITE VIDEO/BLOG POST: Elf Yourself…too much fun!! I saw another blogger (Hugh’s News and Views) post one of these, and when I showed the site to my kids, we just had a little too much fun with it!!
FROM THE CAMERA:
We got a smile out of one of them, but other than that…
Late post today. Had a busy weekend preparing and attending the Library’s Fundraising Gala. It was a lot of work, but fun to decorate, and was worth it. It was a beautiful event, and many of the guests hinted at what it would be like next year. My daughter and I made ourselves all fancy and had a nice time. See the pics below.
WHAT I’M READING/HAVE READ:
Still reading The Mistletoe Inn by Richard Paul Evans. I am about half way through it, but didn’t get much reading time this weekend. It is really good so far, I like when I can’t figure out a character. Hope to finish it tonight.
FAVORITE RECIPE TO SHARE:
Next to Roshky, this is my next favorite Christmas cookie.
Chocolate Filled Snowballs
½ lb soft butter
½ cup sugar
1 tsp vanilla
2 cups sifted all-purpose flour
1 cup finely chopped pecans or walnuts
1 5 ounce pkg chocolate kisses
Confectioner’s sugar
Instructions
Beat sugar, butter and vanilla until light and fluffy.
Add sifted flour and nuts and blend well. Chill dough.
Remove foil from kisses. Shape dough around kisses, using about 1T dough. Roll into ball. Be sure to cover kiss completely.
Place on ungreased cookie sheet and bake in 375 degree oven for 12 minutes or until set but not brown.
Cool slightly, then remove to wire racks.
While still a little warm, roll in confectioner’s sugar. Makes about 2 dozen cookies. I sprinkle more powder sugar on them when I put them on a serving tray.
LOL CHUCKLES, AND GIGGLES:
HOLIDAY PREP TO DO:
I am planning on doing some baking this week. We had a lot of leftover goodies from the Gala. My son is a busser at a local restaurant, and they had a holiday party over the weekend, he brought home some kind of cake from that. Then my neighbor gave us a tray full of cupcakes from one of their Christmas events. Never thought I’d ever say it, but that’s a lot of sweets 🙂 Looks like I’ll be baking at the end of the week, if I’m not in a sugar coma.
THING’S I’M LOOKING FORWARD TO:
This Saturday, the town will have over a dozen ice sculptors on the main street. Also, the reindeer will be back with their trainer, where you can take pictures with them. OMG the reindeer!! They were in the parade on Friday, and the one was so adorable!! It’s like he had a personality, his face was just too adorable!!
FAVORITE VIDEO/BLOG POST:
I found this video a couple of years ago, and I don’t know how. Probably looking for the Pentatonix rendition of Little Drummer boy, which is really good. This is an added twist. This guy is a drummer, and he does videos just drumming to various songs. This is the behind the scenes video which I thought was so much fun to watch, just to see what these guys did to make this video. The actual video plays in the upper left hand corner, but you can watch it here. I have always enjoyed watching drummers (my brother is one) because they always seem to have so much fun. Awesome drumming!!
PICS FROM THE GALA:
The Food Table.
Decorations…There are two fire places in the library, this is one of them.
The library has some beautiful architectural features. It was expanded some years ago, but they kept the original design of the building. Me and my favorite girl!! ♥
All these decorations were brought in and put up by one of the residents, he also works for the city.
Music provided by the Heavenly Harps. This is a mom and her three daughters. All three girls have been classically trained on piano as well. She has a few more kids at home, and she home schools them as well. The Harp music is just simply beautiful. They also do healing music, for more information you can visit their website: heavenlyharps.net
These are the front cases that are in the entryway. My mom, daughter and I decorated these. The wooden sleigh is my mom’s. Her dad made it in the summer of 1958. He made one for each of his kids, which has been a treasured keepsake for them, since he passed away the day after Christmas that same year.
QUOTES:
MY HOLIDAY PLAYLIST:
I really like Ariana Grande. This is my get-up-and-go Christmas song 🙂 My daughter has been singing this one around the house, you’ll be singing it too once you listen.
Had a really nice Thanksgiving, enjoying all the leftovers 🙂 On Saturday, our local High School football team played in the State Final game at the Indianapolis Colts stadium. This is not the high school I went to, (actually our rival) but it’s the one my son went to for his senior year, and is right across the street from us. They didn’t win, but it was an accomplishment nonetheless, and an awesome memory for those students to play at Lucas Oil Stadium.
WHAT I’M READING/HAVE READ:
I finished Marry Me at Christmas by Susan Mallery. The scavenger hunt was a lot of fun. But I had downloaded the one from one of her previous Christmas stories, and I kept checking the list, and I was like I’m usually into the details of a book, but hadn’t come across any of the things on the list after like 4 chapters. Yeah…wrong list, lol. Like all the other Fool’s Gold Christmases, there was a wedding in this one. Good holiday stories.
What I am starting next for my holiday reading is The Mistletoe Inn by Richard Paul Evans. This is an actual book, and it’s one of those books that’s a really nice size, hard covered, beautiful cover design…my eyes will be crossing from the small print though, LOL. My mom got this one from the library, and it sounds really good. Romance, Christmastime, a writer’s workshop at the Mistletoe Inn, two aspiring writers sharing their dreams, their writing and their troubled pasts…yeah…this oughta be good 😉
FAVORITE RECIPE TO SHARE:
These are easy to make, and a great way to use leftover turkey. I add mozzarella cheese when I make the sandwiches, (and a little mayo on my own).
Cranberry BBQ Turkey Sandwiches
1 can (14 ounces) jellied cranberry sauce
1 cup reduced-sodium beef broth
1/4 cup sugar
1/4 cup ketchup
2 tablespoons cider vinegar
1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce (or soy sauce)
1 teaspoon yellow mustard
1/4 teaspoon garlic powder
1/8 teaspoon seasoned salt
1/8 teaspoon paprika
6 cups shredded cooked turkey breast
12 sandwich buns, split
In a large saucepan, combine the first 10 ingredients. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat; simmer, uncovered, for 20 minutes or until sauce is thickened.
Stir in turkey; simmer 4-5 minutes longer or until heated through. Spoon 1/2 cup onto each bun. Yield: 12 servings.
ON THE TV:
I watched this the other night with the kids, and it was so much fun to watch. On the Food Network, All-Star Gingerbread Build with Food Network’s master bakers, Duff Goldman and Ron Ben-Israel, and HGTV’s Property Brothers, Drew and Jonathan Scott. So much fun, our favorite bakers and builders!! They had to build a 12′ x 12′ Gingerbread house, that had furniture on the inside, and a yard on the outside. They were awesome!! The prize was a donation in their names to a charity. The Property Brothers were on opposite teams, and it was so much fun to watch their twin/sibling rivalry come out, add Duff’s personality to that, and watching Ron Ben-Israel use a power saw…too much fun!!
LOL CHUCKLES, AND GIGGLES:
HOLIDAY PREP CHECKLIST:
I am the head elf on the exterior illumination, and got that done on Sunday. It was a bit chilly, but I’m glad it is done 🙂 “250 Strands of lights….100 individual bulbs per strand….for a grand total of 25,000 imported Italian twinkle lights.” (Clark Griswold) LOL…it’s not that extravagant, but pretty enough.
We started on the inside decorations, my daughter and youngest son are having fun, it’s like HGTV in here.
THING’S I’M LOOKING FORWARD TO:
Friday – Illuminated Christmas Parade and Tree Lighting. Did I mention the live reindeer?!?!?
Saturday – Decorating the library for the Christmas Gala
Sunday – Library Christmas Gala: Decorated Christmas trees, music by The Heavenly Harps, finger food and beverages.
My mom is one of the librarians, and the President of the Friends of the Library, so I volunteer to help set-up their bigger events. They haven’t done a Christmas event like this, so it should be really nice. I mean what’s not to like, Christmas time at the library!!
FAVORITE VIDEO/BLOG POST:
I saw this last year, and it is too funny. These two guys, lol. Now whenever I hear The Twelve Days of Christmas, I think of these two.
QUOTES:
MY HOLIDAY PLAYLIST:
We are now listening to Christmas music 24/7. So I’ll be sharing my some of my favorites. This one reminds me of my childhood. I just love this arrangement.
Even though it was a wonderful time and I still have another week off, I am feeling a little like this, especially since it is Monday. (no…this is not my dog…I wish he was, lol)
Carrie Ann Alexis 