"Stir and Season" Saturday

"Stir and Season" Saturday

A little something different....what did you do with your turkey leftovers???? We made hot turkey sandwiches with gravy on Friday. I have a few sides left but almost all of it is gone. Can you believe that we can officially put up the tree...play the Christmas music...hang the wreath....wear the Christmas sweatshirt and bake the thumbprint cookies???? I can't!

This is a simple punch...but it is very yummy and I never have any leftover..great if kids are coming!

Christmas punch

1 gallon of peppermint ice cream

1 bottle of sprite

1/2 cup of cream

1 quart eggnog

1 liter bottle club soda, chilled

Mix it all together; Serve in a punch bowl; Enjoy!

I put dollops of whip cream on top of the punch with crushed peppermints and then hang candy canes over the side of the punch!

I have even made this for a class Christmas party!

Happy Thanksgving To You!

T..... is for our thankfulness for many joys and blessings...

H..... is for our homes so warm and bright...

A..... is for autumn, time for harvest and abundance...

N..... is for nature's beauty and delight...

K..... is for the kitchens where good food is cooked with love...

S..... for spicy fragrances in the air...

G..... is for the gathering of family and friends...

I..... for the inheritance we share...

V..... is for the vision that the Pilgrims held so dear...

I..... is for high ideals in all they planned...

N..... is for our native country brave and great and free...

G..... for God's great goodness to our land.

May all who read my blog have a blessed Thanksgiving with family and friends!

Scrapping Crazy!

So many of you emailed me or commented asking about my weekend. We had a great time. I got 79 pages done..Yes, 79! I did have some pre-made pages so all I had to do was put the pictures on but it was a great accomplishment and motivation to NOT get so behind again. There were lots of laughs, great stories, delicious food, relaxing moments..ahh..little sleep but so well-worth it! Also, the ladies I went with are so creative and just watching them work inspired me!
This was my area where I spent the weekend!

The cabin(should say big house) was on the hills overlooking Lake Cumberland...this is what you saw when you stood on the deck...just so beautiful, crisp and surrounded by God's Creation!

Now do you all know what this is? One of my friends this weekend was so gracious to let us use her Cricut..oh my this is an amazing machine for "we" scrappers! It cuts out letters, phrases, pictures, shapes..it is endless ! I didn't have my own Christmas list but now I do!

Quick Gift

Have you already seen this on another blog? It seems to be everywhere...even at a Craft Fair I attended last week. Making coasters from tiles! I first saw it done on Between Here and Home blog. She made some very sweet coasters. I looked and looked for her "bee" stamp but couldn't find it! So I decided to copy her anyhow and make some of my own.

I then saw it on the Reluctant Entertainer blog..hers are just so cute! You need to check hers out, too! Its super easy...buy tiles from Lowes, your favorite stamp and ink, felt/rubber pads, ribbon and sealant spray. Whoila! Cute coasters!

I bought a cute stamp that says "Milk and Cookies for Santa"....I did the stamp green...so cute! Great Christmas gifts with a red and green ribbon tied in a bow! Great for teachers, school secretary, Sunday school teachers, mailmen...oh my ladies...it's endless!

Room By Room-Dining Room

This year, I am hosting Thanksgiving so I have spent a lot of time in the dining room getting ready..cleaning..changing..changing again. So I thought I would do one of my room by room posts of my dining room. This room has quite a few of my favorite things...some of it I could do different posts on like the 1800's clock I bought at a barn sale in the hills of VA for $200.00 and now is worth much much more! When the clock man told me...I felt like I was on the Antique Roadshow or the Price is Right b/c I was jumping up and down:)!

Welcome to my dining room....

Oops..that candle is leaning...excuse me while I fix that....




This is an old tea cart..it holds all my teacups and tea books!

Stir and Season Saturdays

"Stir and Season Saturday"

This is one of our favorite appetizer recipes. NOW, first I must make this perfectly CLEAR..I do NOT NOT NOT like brie cheese...I don't even like to look at it or smell it. However, this recipe is just wonderful and I received this years ago from a Bunco friend. Just go for it..Make it..you will

NOT

Be Disappointed!

Baked Carmel Cinnamon Brie

1/2 cup butter

1/2 cup Packed brown sugar

1/3 cup sugar

1/2 cup heavy cream

1/4 t nutmeg and cinnamon

12 oz round brie

2 T roasted almonds

French bread cut into thin slices

Combine butter, sugars in a saucepan. Cook over low until butter melts and sugars are dissolved, stir frequently. Add cream gradually; stirring constantly; Stir in nutmeg and cinnamon; Cook until thickened ; Drizzle mixture over the brie;Bake at 225 until heated through about 20 minutes; Sprinkle with almonds; Let stand for 5 minutes before serving with French bread!

I know what you are thinking...UGH Brie...it is so good..you will not believe it!!!!

Note: Plate above can be purchased at Willima and Sonoma

My Weekend Getaway!

I have my lists...checking it once..checking it twice...stickers, paper, cutter, albums, pages, pens and tape. What am I doing? Cleaning my craft room??NOPE! Organizing my scrapbook stuff?NOPE! I am getting ready to leave this morning for a weekend trip with girlfriends to scrap!

We are going to Lake Cumberland...a cabin...we do not have to cook...clean...just scrap(I really need to get caught up)...relax...enjoy meals cooked for us and enjoy the scenery! Hope you all have a wonderful weekend...I think I will:)! See you Monday!

p.s. Tomorrow, check out my Stir and Season-my favorite Thanksgiving appetizer!

Thursday Thankfuls

Leaves in the Fall come tumbling down,
Scarlet and yellow, russet and brown,
Leaves in the garden are swept in a heap,
The trees are ready for sleep.

This Thursday Thankful....I am thankful for...a simple red leaf...a caterpillar on a stick...joy of jumping in leaves...carmel apple on a stick...sweatshirts with hoods and sounds of football...warm soup with bread...crackle and crunch of leaves...pumpkins, gourds and bails of hay... smell of burning wood...cold nights and frost bit mornings...pumpkin pie with whip cream and family favorite recipes... pumpkin spice candles... hayrides and stories...hot apple cider and pumpkin spice lattes...corn mazes...colors on trees...fall art from school...pilgrim hats and Mayflower stories!

Works For Me Wednesday-Baby Memories

Today, my "Works For Me" Wednesday is about framing your baby's keepsake. After each birth of my children, I would have a simple, soft cotton t-shirt monogrammed with the year they were born. I would have their newborn picture taken in it...all three slept right during the picture. Take it while they are still really sleepy...week after the birth:)!

After the picture, I frame the t-shirt in a "keepsake" frame (wide) with the picture at the bottom with a ribbon tied to it. It is very simple but I get so many compliments on them and my oldest is 9!! It's a "sweet" way to remember those first couple of weeks!

Was that the doorbell???

My second favorite Christmas tradition is our "Christmas Eve Box". Sometime during the evening of Christmas Eve...our doorbell rings (a fast neighbor...who can run baby run)...we let our kids run to the door...there on the step is a box. It has stickers, stamps and looks like it has traveled far..maybe even across the ocean!

There is a letter attached...usually in a "poem" talking to the kids about their year, blessings upon them for the upcoming year and wishing them a Christmas to remember! It is signed by only saying ..."Wishing you a White Christmas"! Now my girls still are very unsure who this is from...my son, I think knows but I won't give in when he asks...I act as surprised as the kids.

In the box, there are their Christmas pajamas to wear that night, a Christmas book for each child, a DVD (usually Christmas but not always) and their own Christmas ornament with the year. The ornament usually represents something the child likes or has done that year. It is very special to them and they each have their own collection started.

Traditions are a special way to see Christmas in the eyes of your children... something to give them special memories. It doesn't have to be the biggest Christmas tree in the "lot" or the finest Christmas china on the table. I have found with my own kids they usually don't even remember what they received the year before but they can recall minute by minute these simple traditions!Its better than anything you can wrap up in a bow!