Out With the Old and In With the New!

I'm a pretty practical person. You will very rarely catch me waxing poetic in my blog (or anywhere else, for that matter!) but I do love to read other blogs where the writers can share their feelings in such beautiful ways. I'm a more "get 'er done" kind of girl and my oldest daughter has on occasion called me a work horse because I'm really not happy if there's a mess in the kitchen or a pile of laundry that needs washing, and I can't help myself and must tackle the mess or pile, whatever the case may be, especially if I have to look at it much.

So, I will leave to you creative and poetic types to talk about the passage of time, the dawn of a new decade, and the beauty of New Year's resolutions, and I will be reading your words with joy.


What I do want to talk about is that as we come to the end of another year, it is important to throw out the failures, the disappointments, the spirit of fear, the mistakes, and even the bitterness that may have rooted its way into our hearts. That's what's so great about a new year or a new day-there's no mistakes in it yet. It's a clean slate. I say,"Out with the old and in with the new!"


Oh, I know that some things just can't be wiped away like an eraser on a chalkboard. The problems oftentimes are always going to be there. But there are some things I have control over and that I can do something about. I can be better organized. I can eat healthier foods and maybe even lose some weight. I can be wiser with my money. I can be kinder, gentler, sweeter...I think you get my drift. I'm reminded of II Corinthians 5:17, "Therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature: old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new."


It's all well and good to make these resolutions or goals but taking the next step is just as important, and that is making a plan. If I want to eat healthier and lose some weight (which I do, by the way), then I need to make a plan on how that's going to get carried out. I have to stop eating the junk food I've been living on since the holidays began (ugh!) and eat some good-for-me foods. I have to watch my portions by not putting too much on my plate. I need to do some exercising, too (another ugh!) If I don't want bitterness to take root in my heart about someone, I need to pray for that person daily and ask God to put more love in my heart for them. If I want to watch our money more wisely, I'm going to have to make a budget, see where I'm wasting money, and work on saving some of the green stuff.


Paul said in Philippians 3:13, "Brethren, I count not myself to have apprehended: but this one thing I do, forgetting those things which are behind, and reaching forth unto those things which are before."

Let's tackle those old piles we've left in 2009 and look to the new year to improve upon them by making a plan. Out with the old and in with the new! And have a Happy New Year!



Graphic courtesy of All Posters.

Taffy Apple Salad

Although this is more of a dessert than a salad, it is light and refreshing. My two younger daughters made it for the first time this Christmas and it was a hit with just about everyone. I afraid I was a little too busy getting things ready for our celebration to take a picture but I hope you will try this one.



Taffy Apple Salad



1 (20-oz) can chunk pineapple (save the juice)

1 tablespoon flour

1/2 cup sugar

1 cup whipped topping

3 medium to large apples, cored and cubed

1 cup chopped peanuts

4 cups mini-marshmallows

1 egg, beaten

1 tablespoon white vinegar



Open pineapple and drain juice into a medium saucepan. In a large mixing bowl combine pineapple chunks with marshmallows and set aside. In saucepan, add flour, sugar, beaten egg and white vinegar to juice and stir constantly over medium heat until it boils and thickens like a pudding consistency. Chill. Add chopped apples, marshamallows, and pineapple. Fold in the chilled mixture and whipped topping. Top with peanuts.* Refrigerate.



*The original recipe said to fold some of the chopped peanuts into the salad but they will get a little soggy if the salad isn't eaten the same day so we put them all on top. This recipe makes enough for a large family gathering and we had leftovers that still tasted good 3 days later when we finally polished it off. I had even sent some home with my married daughters.


I'm participating this week in Tempt My Tummy Tuesday with the newly transplanted Blessed with Grace's Lisa, who moved from Texas to Illinois just in time for Christmas. I know that was a big jump but she seems to be doing very well with her little family in the cold and snow.

Home Where She Belongs

I hope your Christmas was a blessed one. We had a house full of people on Friday and ate way too much food but it was a good day. My husband and I were looking forward to a relaxing weekend but it didn't quite turn out that way.

On Saturday afternoon our youngest daughter went to work at her part-time restaurant job. A couple of hours later, we got a call from her manager who said that our daughter had passed out and hit her head at work. Jessica, our third oldest daugher, and I jumped in her car and traveled as quickly as possible (that is, as quickly as is possible in the middle of lots of falling snow and slick roads!). While en route I got another call from the manager who said that Jaclyn had passed out again so she had called an ambulance and told us go to the hospital. We got there a few minutes before the ambulance did and when I was finally able to see my daughter, it was a little scary because they had her head in a neckbrace and she was lying very still.

Well, to make a long story short (because if you have spent any time in the Emergency Room at any hospital, the time there is anything but short) they gave her a catscan on her head, an EKG, took blood, the doctor looked her over carefully for any possible serious neck or back injuries, and gave her a couple stitches in her lip from a cut she got when she fell. Thankfully, that was the extent of her injuries. The catscan came back normal and although she felt a little nauseous and had a headache, she was fine. She did a lot of resting yesterday and a friend even brought over some homemade chicken noodle soup for her.

We are going to make sure that Jaclyn gets lots of down time before starting up her second semester of college. Her first semester was a bit brutal and she had already decided to take a lighter load for the second semester, which I think is a wise decision. We are just hoping that this collapse at work was stress-related rather than anything physical. And we are very thankful that she is at home with us where she belongs.

Merry Christmas!

Have a very Merry Christmas!

Sunday Scripture-Luke 2:8-11

"And there were in the same country shepherds abiding in the field, keeping watch over their flock by night. And, lo, the angel of the Lord came upon them, and the glory of the Lord shone round about them: and they were sore afraid. And the angel said unto them, Fear not: for, behold, I bring you good tidings of great joy, which shall be to all people. For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Saviour, which is Christ the Lord. "
Luke 2:8-11

Graphic courtesy of All Posters.

It's Baking Day!

Last night was full of activity at our Baking Party. As you can see my daughters and I were all ready to go in our aprons. There was so much sugar and butter in my kitchen that I think we all gained a few pounds just from baking with it! Not really, of course, but it's the one time of year that we do throw caution to the wind and use lots and lots of sugar for our goodies.

One thing we always make is cut-out cookies and this year I also made gingerbread cookies, which I really, really loved. In fact, from now on I may just make them instead of the sugar cookies. Here's the recipe I used. It's a real keeper. I got it from the Reader's Digest Down Home Cooking Cookbook. I actually made the dough the day before our baking party so that it would be ready to go when everyone got here because the dough does need to chill in the refrigerator for awhile. After our gingerbread people were baked, we strung ribbon through the hole we had made when we rolled out the dough and hung them on the tree. It makes the our artificial tree smell so good!

Gingerbread People

4 cups sifted all-purpose flour
1 tablespoon ground cinnamon
2 teaspoons baking powder
1 1/2 teaspoons each ground ginger and ground cloves
1 teaspoon each baking soda, ground nutmeg, and salt
1 cup (2 sticks) butter (not margarine), at room temperature
1 cup granulated sugar
2 large eggs, separated
1 cup molasses
1 tablespoon cold water

For the icing:
2 1/2 cups sifted confectioners sugar
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
3 to 4 tablespoons cold water
Assorted food colors

1. Onto a piece of wax paper; sift 3 1/2 cups of the flour, the cinnamon, baking powder, ginger, cloves, baking soda, nutmeg, and salt. In a large bowl, with an electric mixer on high, cream the butter and sugar until light yellow and fluffy. Beat in the egg yolks, one at a time, then the molasses. Using a wooden spoon, stir in the flour mixture. Cover and refrigerate the dough for a least 1 hour or overnight.
2. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees; butter 3 baking sheets. On a pastry cloth or board, sprinkle 1/4 cup of the remaining flour and roll out half of the dough, 1/4 inch thick. With cookie cutters, cut out gingerbread people; with a spatula, transfer them to the baking sheets. Decorate with currants, cherries, and cinnamon candies if you wish.
   
3. In a cup, whisk the egg whites with the water. Bake the cookies for 5 minutes, then brush lightly with the egg whites; bake 2 to 3 minutes more. Let cool on the baking sheets for 2 minutes; with a spatula, transfer to racks to cook. Repeat with the remaining dough and flour.
4. To make the icing: In a small bowl, stir the sugar with the vanilla, then add enough water to make a stiff icing. Divide into small cups and color as you wish. When the cookies are cold, pipe out designs, such as smiling faces, zigzags, bow ties for men, and aprons for women. If using different colors of icing, let one color dry before piping the next. Store cookies in an airtight container for up to 2 weeks; do not freeze, as the icing could crack. Makes about 4 dozen cookies.
   

My oldest daughter made this White Chocolate Fudge by Kraft, which she makes every year because we all love it. I'm not usually a big fan of white chocolate but the dried cranberries and orange flavor make it so good.

White Chocolate Fudge

2 packages (6 squares each) white baking chocolate
3/4 cup sweetened condensed milk
1 cup coarsely chopped almonds, toasted
1/2 cup dried cranberries
1 tablespoon grated orange peel

Line an 8-inch square pan with foil, with ends of foil extending over sides of pan; set aside. Microwave chocolate and milk in large microwaveable bowl on HIGH 2 to 3 minutes or until chocolate is almost melted; stir until chocolate is completely melted. Add almonds, cranberries and orange peel; stir until well blended. Spread chocolate mixture into prepared pan. Refrigerate 2 hours or until firm. Lift fudge from pan, using foil handles. Cut into 48 pieces. Store in tightly covered container in refrigerator up to 3 weeks. (Do not freeze.)
This recipe from Kraft is a new one for us but very easy and yummy. My second oldest daughter made this one.

Marbled Chocolate Treats

8 1/2 graham crackers, broken in half (17 squares)
6 squares semi-sweet chocolate
1/2 cup creamy peanut butter
3 squares white chocolate

Line a 13x9-inch pan with foil, with ends of foil extending over sides of pan. Arrange graham crackers on bottom of pan, cutting as needed to completely cover bottom of pan; set aside.
Microwave semi-sweet chocolate and peanut butter in medium microwaveable bowl on HIGH 1 1/2 -w minutes or until chocolate is completely melted when stirred, stirring every 30 seconds. Stir until well blended. Pour over graham crackers; spread with spatula to cover completely. Repeat microwave steps with the white chocolate. Drop spoonfuls of the white chocolate over chocolate-covered crackers, Immediately cut through the chocolate mixtures with knife several times for tiger-stripe effect. Refrigerate at least 1 hour or until firm. Use foil handles to remove dessert from pan. Peel off foil. Cut dessert into bars. Store in tightly covered container in refrigerator.
The last recipe I'm going to share is called Chocolate Snowballs from Betty Crocker, another new one for us. In the center of each cookie is a chocolate kiss-really good!

Chocolate Snowballs

1 pouch (1 lb. 1.5 oz) sugar cookie mix
1/2 cup butter, melted
1 egg
1/4 cup flour
1/4 cup unsweetened baking cocoa
1/2 cup finely chopped almonds
1 teaspoon almond extract
60 kisses, unwrapped
3/4 cup powdered sugar

1. Heat oven to 375 degrees. In large bowl, stir cookie mix, butter, egg, flour, cocoa, almonds and extract until soft dough forms.
2. Shape dough into sixty 3/4-inch balls; wrap each around 1 kiss. Place 2 inches apart on ungreased cookie sheet.
   
3. Bake 8 to 10 minutes or until set. Immediately remove from cookie sheet. Cool slightly, about 5 minutes.
   
4. Roll cookies in powdered sugar. Cool completely, about 15 minutes. Re-roll cookies in powdered sugar. Store tightly covered.

We also made Chex Muddy Buddies and Chex Ranch Party Mix that you can find on Chex website. The kitchen was a mess by the end of the night and we were all pretty tired from all the baking but we all got a little bit of everything to keep.

This week I'm linking up to Simply Sweet Home for the Holly Bloggy Christmas Bash.

Getting To Know You at Christmastime

A Christmas Survey

1.) Have you started your Christmas shopping?

Oh, yeah. I'm feeling pretty good about having almost everything done. Just a couple of loose ends to take care of.

2.) Tell me about one of your special traditions.

Tonight we are having our Baking party. Both married daughters and our two at-home daughters will be here to help bake some holiday goodies. The two son-in-laws will be here for moral support, tasting, and maybe even decorating a cookie or two. Our grand daughter will be here purely for the cuteness factor :)

3.) When do you put up your Tree?

I usually get all the decorations out the day after Thanksgiving and I can usually get the tree up sometime that weekend.

4.) Are you a Black Friday shopper?

Nope. I did it once with my husband a few years ago but really, really hated it. It was too stressful.

5.) Do you Travel at Christmas or Stay home?

We have stayed home for many years now for Christmas but in the past we have gone to Wisconsin or Tennessee to visit relatives.

6.) What is your funniest Christmas memory?

Not sure I have one. I tend to look back on Christmas with nostalgia and warmth.

7.) What is your favorite Christmas Movie of All time?

I have several favorites but some that I must watch every year: It's a Wonderful Life, A Christmas Carol, and White Christmas

8.) Do you do your own Christmas Baking? What’s your favorite treat?

We love to bake at our house! Fudge is my favorite because, after all, it is chocolate.

9.) Fake or Real Tree?

Growing up and when my husband and I first got married we always had a real tree. About 15 years ago, we were given a fake tree and have never gone back.

10.) What day (as a Mom) does the actual panic set in to get it all done?

Probably about now, the week before Christmas, although this year I'm not feeling it at all even though there are some last-minute things to do.

11.) Are you still wrapping presents on Christmas Eve?

Nope.

12.) What is your favorite family fun time at Christmas?

Christmas Day when everyone is here at my house and we are just having a good time together.

13.) What Christmas craft do you like the best?

I'm not very crafty but I do like to see what other people do.

14.) Christmas music? Yes or No. And if yes, What is your favorite song?

I LOVE Christmas music. My favorite song is O Holy Night.

15.) When do you plan to finish all your shopping?

Tomorrow.

Any blogger is welcome to participate in this meme, even if you haven’t been tagged yet. Just simply copy and paste the questions into your blog, and then answer them. Then tag 5 or more of your favorite blogs, and leave them a comment telling them they’ve been tagged. I'm tagging every blogger that reads this :)

When you post your blog, please spread some Christmas cheer, and leave a link back to Heather's Top Ten Christmas Blog, and the blog that you were tagged by (I wasn't tagged, but I found this at The Common Room).

Christmas Tour of Our Home

It's always fun to decorate the house for the Christmas season. I usually drag all the boxes and bins out of storage the day after Thanksgiving and it seems like so much work at first, but the more I put up the decorations, the more I get into the spirit of Christmas. The decorations and shining lights just seem to brighten my mood immediately and they give the house a completely different look.

When you walk into our front door, this cute little bear gives a cheery welcome. My oldest daughter bought her for me a couple of years ago.
And right in the entryway/living area is our tree. This year I did all green, gold, and red ornaments with clear lights. I especially love the pop of color from the red velvet bows. My tree "skirt" is a Christmas blanket I found at the thrift store a couple of years ago. I keep meaning to make a real tree skirt but I haven't gotten around to it yet. Maybe next year!
My manger scene is very, very special to me. My mother-in-law gave it to me the year before she died. She spent a lot of time and money putting it together and I have always been fascinated with it. It like a little town right out of the Bible.

Here is a close-up of the manger. I love how rustic it is. I put a smaller tree up in our family room and this year I did blue, silver and white for the colors. I got the tree on the after-Christmas clearance sale last year. The tree skirt is some material I had in my stash and I just wrapped it around the bottom of the tree for my pine cones and shepherd boy to nestle in.


My grandma made the shepherd boy for me when she was making lots of her ceramic figures back in the 80's. His shepherd's hook has broken off but he is still very sweet. Here's a close-up of one of the snowmen ornaments. My other grandmother painted him for me many years ago. I love his rosy cheeks.


Thank you for joining me in looking at my Christmas decorations. I have enjoyed looking at some of your blogs as you have shared your decorations with the rest of us at the Nesting Place's Christmas Tour of Homes 2009. On Thursday I will share with you a special Christmas tradition that our family participates in every year-Baking!

Our Parents

It seems this has been the weekend for visiting the ER and when it involves older people it can get your heart racing a little. Nan at Mom's the Word had to take her mother in last night. Thank the Lord, she is doing better with the help of some antibiotics. It is also a blessing, I'm sure, that her daughter is near and at-hand to take care of her.

My dad, on the other hand, who lives thousands of miles away from me, had to be taken into the ER over the weekend. A year and a half ago he had open-heart surgery and had been doing incredibly well-well enough, in fact, to make a major move with my step-mother to a state in the Southwest this past summer. He had been having very regular chest pains on Thursday and Friday, and was worried about it. They kept him Friday and Saturday nights to run some tests and to make sure he was okay. He is doing fine now, but the pain and tiredness are all a part of his everyday life now, which is hard for my dad, who has always been so active. It is hard for me, too, because I'm not there to help take care of him-not that he would let me fuss over him too much, but it would still be nice to be a little closer.

So, if you have a moment, please keep these two precious people in your thoughts and prayers today. As hard as it is to watch your children grow up and leave the nest, it is just as hard to watch your parents grow older and a little less stronger than they once were because they were the ones who always took care of you. And, let Nan know that her mother is in your thoughts and prayers, too.

So, how does this make my home sing? The wonderful thing of having God Who is all-powerful is that I can call on Him when I need help and comfort. Knowing that these two parents will be doing better is also going to make my heart and my home sing today.

Sunday Scripture

"Happy is that people, that is in such a case; yea,happy is that people, whose God is the LORD."
Psalm 144:15

Graphic courtesy of All Posters.

Updated Recipe

This past summer I posted a recipe for Roasted Sticky Chicken. It is really tasty but sometimes it has been turning out rather dry, so I thought I would play with the recipe a little and do some adjusting. Last week my husband and I were grocery shopping and found 2 large roasting chickens for 69 cents a pound as a manager's special. (We always, always look for these bright orange stickers on meat for huge dicounts!) They were very large, much larger than the fryers I usually buy at Aldi for 79 cents a pound. Here is the original recipe for the Sticky Chicken. It's also here if you want to see my original post.

Roast Sticky Chicken

4 teaspoons salt

2 teaspoons paprika

1 teaspoon cayenne pepper

1 teaspoon onion powder

1 teaspoon thyme

1 teaspoon white pepper

1/2 teaspoon garlic powder

1/2 teaspoon black pepper

1 whole chicken

1 cup chopped onion

In a small bowl, thoroughly combine all the spices. Remove the giblets from the chicken, clean the cavity well, and pat dry with paper towels.

Rub the spice mixture into the chicken, both inside and out, making sure it is evenly distributed. Place in a resealable plastic bag, OR, place in the roasting pan, and refrigerate overnight.

When ready to roast the chicken, stuff the cavity with the chopped onions and place in a shallow roasting pan. Roast, uncovered, at 250 degrees for 5 hours. After the first hour, baste the chicken occasionally (about every half hour or so) with the pan juices. The pan juices will start to caramelize on the bottom of the pan and the chicken will turn a golden brown. If the chicken has a pop-up thermometer, ignore it. Let the chicken rest for 10 minutes before carving.

I still do everything as the recipe suggests, however, this last time I doubled the spices and prepared the 2 roasters for the next day. I put them in the refrigerator, one in my crockpot and one in a roasting pan, covered. The next day I put the chopped onion in the cavity of each chicken and started the cooking. I also added a little water to the bottom of the crock pot. I put the crock pot on low and let it slowly cook away for about 8 hours.

About 4 hours before we wanted to eat the roasted chicken, I also added a little water to the bottom of the pan, covered it with foil and put it in the oven, basting every once in awhile. About halfway through the cooking time, I uncovered it and let it continue cooking.

With the addition of the water at the bottom of the pan, both methods of cooking turned out very, very well. I like the crock pot method the best, though because I didn't have to do any basting or checking, although it does take twice as long as the roasted method.

So, if you have tried to make Sticky Chicken and thought it too dry, try it this way.

Grandma's Girl

I have been such a busy grandma! On Thursday afternoon my daughter called to ask me if I could watch our grand daughter for a couple of days because my daughter was sick with the flu and she didn't want our little girl to get it, too. She already had a bit of a cold and didn't want it to get any worse. So Lorelei spent Thursday and Friday nights with us. Yes, I got her for two whole days! Can we say Grandma Heaven? We had loads of fun. She turned 5 months old on Thanksgiving day, which was the last time I had seen her. I can't believe how much she has changed all within one week. She is so much more interactive, reaching out and touching everything she sees. She is such a happy baby, too. She's even smiling the first thing in the morning with a wet diaper and an empty tummy!

So what did we do for 2 days?
We played with Simon the Dog. (And, no, his hair isn't standing up on the back of his head because he is being mean, which many people think. He was born with a cowlick there. It always stands up!) Lorelei loved the him and would just watch him and smile.
We also love our toys!


We love playing with Grandpa most of all. He plays the best games and makes the funniest noises.

We also found out how much she loves music. We watched a little bit of Celtic Woman and she was enchanted. She also loved when I would sing to her.

There's nothing to make your home sing like a little one. I sure miss her now that her mommy is feeling better and she's back at home.

Go to MomstheWord for more Making Your Home Sing Monday.

Sunday Scripture-Psalm 127:3

"Lo, children are an heritage of the LORD; and the fruit of the womb is his reward."
Psalm 127:3

Inspiring Reading

Over the last day or so I've read some really good blog posts and wanted to share them.

Down to Earth's Rhonda Jean has such good words to say about having a good home. It's very much related to my post on Monday. I always love to read encouraging posts and articles about the importance of the home.

Life as Mom's Fishmama is doing another freezer cooking session this week. I'm really thinking about doing this-someday!

Rhonda from A Home with a Smile has moved her blog to here. It's called If You Do Stuff, Stuff Gets Done. One of her first posts is about making a cleaning schedule. Check it out!

If you are still looking to get inspired about handmade gifts either for Christmas or any other time of the year, Sew, Mama, Sew! has lists of ideas for everyone from the beginner to the pro.

Graphic courtesy of All Posters.

Split Pea Soup

It seems I've always got some kind of soup on my menu plan when we start to get a bit of a chill in the weather outside. One of our favorites is Split Pea Soup and I've learned to make it without a ham bone, which I don't always have. It's not a glamorous recipe but it will fill your family up on a cold afternoon and will stay with them for awhile. And, you will feel good giving them something that is so nutritious. This recipe is adapted from Ina Garten's recipe from Food Network. I love that there are always leftovers which freeze very well. It does tend to thicken as it sits so you may need to add some liquid when reheating it. I've used water, chicken stock and even milk.

Split Pea Soup

2 cups chopped onions (2 medium onions)
1 tablespoon minced garlic (3 cloves)
1/4 cup oil
1 teaspoon oregano
1 tablespoon salt
2 teaspoons pepper
1 cup medium diced carrots (1-2 whole carrots)
2 cups medium-diced peeled potatoes
2 pounds dried split peas
16 cups chicken stock or water

Soak the dried split peas in enough water to cover and 2 tablespoons lemon juice, whey, or vinegar overnight. This step is optional but it helps the peas to cook faster the next day. The next morning, drain the water from the peas.

In a large Dutch oven or stock pot over medium heat, saute onions with oil until translucent, about 10 to 15 minutes. Add garlic the last couple minutes of sauteing time. Add oregano, salt, and pepper. Add carrots, potatoes, split peas, and chicken stock or water. Bring to a boil, then simmer uncovered for 40 minutes or until peas are soft. Stir frequently to keep the solids from burning on the bottom. Taste for salt and pepper. Serve hot with homemade bread or croutons. Serves 10 to 12.

This week I'm participating in

Tasty Tuesday
Tempt My Tummy Tuesday
Tightwad Tuesday
$5 Dinners