Happy Eve of New Year's Eve!

Everyone is talking about how fast 2011 went! I agree! Where did the time go? I hope 2012 does not go at such a quick pace! I have so much I want to do! Again, in my mind, there are so many things I'd like to accomplish, learn, change, master, begin.....We will be spending a quiet New Year's Eve home, and I am so happy to do just that. We may live only an hour from Manhattan but you won't find us in Times Square! Just my nephew who will be patroling as a NYC Police Officer! Not sure if my husband is going to work or not. He is currently building a clocktower for that shopping center he built. It's coming out so nice! I was never one who wanted to be with the crowds on New Years. A quiet dinner out in a local, inexpensive restaurant or at home suits me just fine. Early bird specials are our favorites! I never wanted to leave the kids and party with the adults---hey, it's New Year's for the kids too, right? Besides the fact I have to struggle to stay awake till midnight (I'm a morning person), the idea of being out so late and driving kind of scares me. People over indulge and drive and I think I will just stay in my nice warm home surrounded by those I love!

I've been going through  my various magazines as a Winter project and I've decided to compile a section in one of my many notebooks for snowstorm meals! Sounds funny, right? Well, I know we will be in for our fair share of Winter storms, and I love having great food during them! Or when we do our sledding it is so nice to come in to the house and have some great comfort food. But what happens sometimes, is my mind goes blank when I am at the supermarket about what I want to make!  SO I thought I would compile lists and recipes of good SNOW food so that when I hear there is going to be a storm, I know what to get for extra special foods! Here is an example of stuff on my list:  A plate of loaded nachos, cheesy bacon and cheese casserole, chicken corn chowder, chilli, chilli burritos and chicken enchiladas, salisbury steak, and a whole bunch more! Finger foods, soups, quiches...if you think aboI got this great calendar they were giving out for free from a local supermarket Key Food and it is done retro style and they printed recipes from the past and it was so cool! They have a great recipe for Depression Era Corn Chowder! and SPAM Casserole. Now I personally have never tasted SPAM but the recipe sure sounds interesting! Best of all was a meal called Steak Diane which I had heard of before but never saw the ingredients or the prep for it. It looks so good with nice mushrooms and cream sauce! On my list! ut it, you can come up with great foods you would enjoy  sitting down to after an afternoon of sledding and being outside in the cold!

I guess because I am a list maker and a menu planner, planning for a storm was a no-brainer for me! I'm having fun going through all my many years of saved Taste of Home magazines and Kraft Food & Family magazines!

I have posted some pictures of Christmas morning. Of course the cats are in the middle of it all in a sea of wrapping paper!  One of Caitlin's gifts was a pop-up tent for her dolls to sleep in and camp out. As you can see, Robin & Mommy Cat made it their own personal little clubhouse!

Have a wonderful day!

Decorating & More!

Good Morning! I'm trying to remember everything I want to write about. I really should make notes this time of year! I'm so happy to be getting caught up with all of you! I may not post every day, but I do read many of the other blogs! All of you Ladies inspire me!Everyone has been doing such lovely crafts and creations, decorating like professionals, and baking up a storm. I love reading about your menus and seeing all your pictures!
My decorating was slow this year and I am still missing a box of some of my favorite things. Sadly, I do not have the time right now to hunt for it. I'm thinking it got into the Easter section of my shed. I will find it, but not before Christmas, I'm sure. So much has been going on! Between shopping and decorating and the general housework, I have also been enjoying some lovely events. The month started off with a Christmas brunch with my Ladies Bible Class. We break for the Christmas, resuming in January, and we had the nicest brunch together. It was a "bring a dish" style and what an amazing array of foods there were. What great cooks! I had butternut squash ravioli for the first time and it was DELICIOUS! Quiches and salads and desserts...oh my! All good stuff! Besides the great food, we had a great time! And I wasn't the only girl in the family with a party to go to as Caitlin was invited to a Christmas party at her friend's house where they made mini gingerbread houses and paper plate tambourines! I love little house parties! So much fun and so simple! I have a few for the children during the year, and I think house parties can be very special. I love doing an Easter egg coloring party.

Caitlin participated in our Church's Christmas Pageant. Her Sunday School class, Promise Land, sang Silent Night and Joy to the World! See the photos of her? That's my girl! She's in the dress with the gray & plaid bottom and red jacket. She was very shy but she did it! AND we had our Girl Scout Daisys Holiday party on Friday! Soooooo.....I've been a little busy :)

Now here's a strange story with  a happy ending....my neighbor across the street put out his trash one day last week and next to his garbage pails was a manger. How does someone put a manger out for trash? It's like trying to throw out a flag...Anyway, we scooped it up and brought it inside and it was NEW! I mean NEW! There was bubble wrap on the light bulb inside it! I already have a manger that my Dad made but this one was lovely too. I filled it with the figures my  Mom bought in 1949 from Woolworth. I treasure them. Mary, Joseph, Baby Jesus, all the animals,the wise men, the shepherd. All made of chalkware and handpainted. Some of them still have their original price tags of .29 on their base! I have two sets cause my Mom bought one set for herself, one for her Mom. Our new manger looks magnificent and glows in an alcove in our kitchen. So our story has a happy ending! BTW, I noticed on Friday an empty box across the street by the garbage pails. That same neighbor bought himself a new set and put the empty box on his curb....at least I hope it was empty!

One of the reasons I'm thinking my decorating was slow this year is because Dutchess has been sleeping in all my cartons. Yes, that is her sleeping on the lights! That can't be comfortable. She actually growled when I moved her....silly girl!

Some other things I wanted to show you --my Santa's workshop! My Dad made that for me. Probably my most treasured Christmas item. Just as he made me a haunted house for Halloween, he made this workshop. He made everything except the obvious decorations which I added. He made the desk, the fireplace, the maps on the walls, the little tools on Santa's workbench. He even made the chair & ottoman. My Mom crocheted the little rug. Over the years I have added more toys, wrapped gifts, etc. My favorite addition I put in is the little cat playing with the string of lights! I would leave this workshop up all year long! I just might! My kids adore it. As you know, my Dad is no longer with us so it really means the world to me.

I hope you enjoy my other photos! I will do my best to post before Christmas Eve!  Love you all!

Everyone is Busy, Busy, Busy!

Including me! I always feel like I'll just never get everything done in time for December 24th! I'm feeling the anxiety of it this weekend, but I always DO get it all done, and I better start reminding myself of that! We are in the process of decorating so I won't be posting any of my Christmas photos till that's done. I have really enjoyed every one's blog lately and seeing all your decorations. What creative and wonderful bloggers are out there. All the Christmas open houses, craft fairs...it's so nice to see. I'm getting myself organized to decorate and as you can see by some of my wacky pictures, there are a lot of distractions around here. Namely from a few cats! Robin just had to climb in with the bunnies (he loves EVERYONE) and the bunnies love him. Bandit gave Robin a little kiss. I literally had to bodily remove him because he wouldn't leave willingly and I had to close the cage back up. I'm think that Bandit and Lucky just think he's an exotic rabbit with a long tail.....And then there is Dutchess. Dutchess was very excited to see all the Christmas cartons come out. She squeezed herself into a wooden sleigh and I mean SQUEEZED. I was in and out of the kitchen carrying the cartons in from the shed and when I came in with an armful, she had already managed to discover and squeeze into it. At this point I can only shake my head because nothing surprises me from her. Lastly in cat nuttiness...my son  was assisting Caitlin build her Lincoln Log village. He is such a good boy that even though he's 6 years older, he will still include her and/or do things with her. She wanted his help and he obliged and it came out adorable. Then later in the day, like a scene from a bad 1950's Japanese creature movie, Robin "invaded the town" and became the newest inhabitant (albeit, giant one) in Lincoln Log Town! You gotta love them!

Okay, I'm sure you've heard enough about the cats now. We bought our Christmas tree yesterday in Kings Park. It's where we have gone the last two years and his trees LAST! Yahoo! For $65 I would like it to stay till at least Christmas Eve, right?Is that to much to ask? :) And that's a bargain. Trees are so expensive but my son and husband love the real trees for their lovely scent. I do have my artificial tree in the foyer. Anyway, Caitlin chose our tree this year and by the way, she lost another tooth! She was so glad we bought the tree she chose and I was so glad that the one she chose wasn't bald on one side! Her choices are getting better! We will be bringing it in to decorate next Sunday after we see Santa at Hicks Nursery.

Did anyone happen to see the new Vermont Country Store catalog? I was amazed to see that they reissued some Gurley style candles! The choir boys and another set as well! Only they aren't saying they are Gurleys brand. It's definitely the mold for them though! They also had knee hugger elves and reissues of the 60's fisher price toys. I saw the milk wagon that I remember.I was born in 1965 and it came out that year. I had the phone, the dog, the house, the farm. Check it out. Some of the items are pretty pricey though.  They also had the cardboard/sparkly Christmas houses! Such good stuff. Makes me dream of Christmas as a child! I love thinking back. I had my Mom remake me the same Christmas stocking I had as a child---the big granny squares! I love them. In the 1970's I always remember my Mom and Grandmas and my Mom's friends crocheting the granny blankets and my Mom made us Christmas stockings. Such a happy time!

Remember I told you I had filled a spare bird feeder with batting? It had been leftover from projects and also from a torn scarecrow. Well, the other day, one of my squirrel friends, in preparation for the cold, was helping himself to a great big bunch! I'm so happy his nest will be lined with nice warm batting! The birds were taking some as well! Animals are our best barometers for weather! Just watch their activity and behavior.

That's about it for me! Gonna start my day and organize the Christmas cartons! I'm addicted to the Archway brand of cookie called "wedding cookies". They are in the supermarket by the spice cookies and cashew nougat cookies...all good. Those "wedding cookies" YUMMMM.They are so good but I know they are loaded with fat. BUT THEY ARE SO GOOD!  Try them......I think I may be freezing several packages since they discontinue them after Christmas. The question is.....if I buy several packages will they even MAKE it to  the freezer. I kid you not ;)