She's HERE!

Welcome friends and meet my precious niece. She is the light of our lives. She will only be here for a few days and we have so much catching up to do! Now this is the Christmas gift I have been waiting for. Merry Christmas.....

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Cupcake disaster!

Thank you so much for stopping by. Doug and I are finishing up the last of our gift baking. When I saw these I thought, how cute! Aren't they just precious? At midnight we were trying to make them. We laughed so hard and were just silly trying to make them work. First we could not find any red food coloring. So I decided that Mrs. Claus washed Santa's suit in Clorox. The black 'belt' is licorice. Could not find any thin licorice. Doug tried his hand at piping gel. I did not read the directions properly and Santa's feet are way too big.

Oh and please notice the snow on two chimneys the snow is melting up! LOL. The fur on Santa's boots is sorta melting also.
We are delivering them anyway. I think everyone needs a laugh during the holidays don't you?

I found some really cute ideas on a blog called Homemaking Fun.
Click on the link and you will find some great ideas. And one last little gift. I found these peppermint shot glasses at Target for $1.00. They were in the dollar section in the front of the store. I think with a small bottle of peppermint scnapps they will make some great warm you to the toes gift.

Now to fight the crowds and finish our grocery shopping! We have not even finished our menu so it will fun. Doug and I are baking our Christmas desserts tomorrow. You know I will post them, no matter what they look like! Merry Christmas.

I love Comments...........

There is still time!

Sunday, I had a wonderful impromptu breakfast with my Mom and husband. Please notice my lovely serving dishes. LOL. We talked about how the holiday lists we made in October have been long forgotten. Of course Moms will be Moms...... She had to tweak some of our decorating. And we decided we have done all we can do this year. We will spend this week enjoying friends, family, food and festivities.

But darn, so many things on that list we did not get around to. So many times we miss opportunities. Instead of the basket of oranges for the neighbor. Take a few minutes and juice those oranges. You will have instant friends for life and what a memorable gift!

Oh we wanted to volunteer at a soup kitchen, we wanted to donate to a food pantry, we wanted to do so much this holiday season. But we didn't get around to it. STOP! Check your phone book (OK google it) a nursing home in your city. Ask for the activities director. Tell her please give you the names of some residents that never have visitors. Don't ask a nurse, don't ask the social director. They will probably share the names of the most visible residents. Put the names you are given on some cards. Address the cards while you are on the phone with him/her. Drop a few dollars in those cards. Do you know how happy you will make those people? (Wanna really make them happy, save their name and send them a card every month!)

How many times do we want to help a homeless person? But what to do? First be courteous and polite but always consider your safety. I buy MRE's (meals ready to eat). Our soldiers eat them every day. I live near a military base and purchase them there but I am certain you can find them at sporting goods stores. Keep them in your car. They are high in calories. They contain everything including the means to heat them up. These things are indestructible, they are safe and you make an immediate difference.

Smile, laugh, call a friend. Tell someone you love them. Listen. Teach. Share. Of course volunteer, donate money, donate clothes but don't forget the little things that will change a life that we can do everyday. Merry Christmas my blogging friends. I treasure the bonds we have made.

It's Begining to Look a Lot Like Christmas.

Welcome friends, come on in and see what we have done for the holidays. First, one of Uncle Doug's projects. We saw it on a blog or a thrift store and he had to try it. Since he has tons of these silver plated trays, he sprayed several with chalkboard paint and we used them to put homemade treats on. They really work, you use them just like a chalkboard. The table cloth has beautiful holly cut out. The poinsettia was a gift. This little vignette begins the tour. Come on and join me.

This is a new tradition in our home. Our grandson lives too far away to spend the holidays together. We decided to set up a special vignette just for him. This is what we started with this year. We will add to it every year. Merry Christmas Remi! Don't mind all the throws in the background. We have two dogs and that is everyday decorating!

We did not go all out this year with our decorating but taking a cue from so many blogs and ladies on the Q bulletin boards this is what we came up with. Several years ago hubby and I took on a Christopher Lowell project and we still enjoy it. We decorated both sides of it this year. These are some blues, silver and whites I put together.

These are a few of our snowmen, some gifts, some dollar store, some cherished treasures from grandparents. I wanted a few of them all.
This is our breakfast area. We love to sit here in the spring and summer and watch the hummingbirds. In the winter the dogs take center stage and we watch them run and play and get dirty! It is also another time to read and discuss the precious Christmas cards we have received from loved ones.

The table cloth is actually made to look like a Santa's belt. The curtains above are trimmed in white fur. The gingerbread house is Lori Grener. The napkins I have had forever. Everything else is dollar store. Yup, that is where Aunt Nette and Uncle Doug sit and talk and dream .

We started deliveries today. We gave various things. Cookies, bags of mixes, baskets of baked goods, jellies, salsas, truffles, Chex Mix. These items we packaged with notes and put on trays to take to doctor's offices, our pharmacy, post office, places we often forget how much we appreciate what they do for us.

Another tray of goodies. Josh and Keelie gave everyone a treat bag full of Puppy Chow. That stuff is so good.

A few families we just take cookies. I could not display the cookies pretty enough to cover up this lovely tray. Just imagine cookies. No imagine cookie crumbs, and you do not have an ounce on your hips!

For a few of the very special people in our life we took individual baskets. Mainly mixes, candies and smores kits. I thought they looked cute.

To some exciting news. If you read the post Keelie (our puggle) wrote a couple of days ago, you might have noticed she said we have some exciting news to share. Keelie (our human) found out last week she is pregnant. We have been walking on cloud nine. We got together a morning sickness kit. I printed off ideas from the net to reduce morning sickness, crackers, ginger ale, teas, sea bands and a bag of love! Congratulations Keeli and Josh!

This is our Christmas tree. It does not have nearly the amount of ornaments on it as years past. Again, with 2 dogs you have to make consessions. No frillys on the packages either. But they are still pretty.

Dear hubby wanted a Christmas tree in his man cave. We could not decide which would be better, a Nasca one or an airplane one. We could not decide so he got both. Thanks to the sweet lady that came up with the idea for flags as a topper on the Nascar tree.

Thank you for stopping in for a visit. Grab some cider and a cookie and enjoy your visit.

I would love it if you would leave a comment. Merry Christmas.

Fantasy In Lights and a question

Welcome! Our family went on a trip this evening. What a wonderful time we had! Of course Keelie and Josh were excited about any trip. My sweet husband is trying to get me in a festive mood so we went to Callaway Gardens and enjoyed the show. We did not take these photographs, ours had some glare from the windows. You can either ride the trolley or drive through in your own vehicle. This is the entrance. While we were waiting for our turn, Josh decided she wanted to check out the place on her own. Into my lap she jumped, and somehow out my window. It was so funny! I had a slow reaction time and she was half in and half out of the window. I tried to grab her, instead somehow I raised the window so she was truely trapped. Then I tried to lower the window and of course I locked the doors. The kids in the vehicles in front and behind us were laughing like crazy. Of course it is a rainy night in Georgia, so when Josh was finally captured she was wearing a mud jacket. But after the drama, the show began.


It was just lovely, if you are near Pine Mountain, Georgia it is certainly worth the visit. Keelie enjoyed the entire drive, we went to a light show last Christmas in IL and she slept through the entire thing. This year she paid attention and was excited when she heard the doll say Ma-Ma, Josh loved anything in the water. They both adored the ice display.

The music was just beautiful. I have been trouble getting into a holiday mood. I think Dee Dee from d dzine was right on track when she said I needed to get some holiday music playing. I guess several boxes were lost in our move from IL. We have offical called off the search, our Christmas CD's cannot be found.

Along with many Christmas books and other treasures. Oh well, maybe we will find them next year.

Would you please leave the name of your favorite Christmas CD? I am going to pick some replacements this weekend. Have you gone looking at any Christmas lights yet this year?

Merry Christmas.

Here is a link to a little more Fantasy in Lights

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7bbY4DyYqNc

Jeanette

Keelie, guest blogger tonight

Welcome! I am posting for Mom tonight. I can't imagine anyone not knowing who I am but in case someone has been living under a rock I am Kellie, Mom and Dad's 20 month old Puggle. This is a new picture of me Sierena took. But then, I am a great subject to photograph.

Of course she felt she had to take a picture of Josh, who cares about Josh...... my point exactly!

Mom is a little stressed tonight. She had so much she wanted to do. Dad takes all the pictures and he was bitten by a brown recluse spider. He can't move his hand so not much has gotten done around here. It is quite disgusting. Mom was so excited, she went to an auction today to buy a special present for a dear friend of hers. This is what she went to buy:

Mom told me the story, she thought she was bidding on the painting and was excited that she won it at a great price. The only problem is she accidentally bought this:

I do not understand exactly how an auction works, and obviously Mom does not either (hehehe). She is very disappointed but it will all work out. Mom and Dad are very happy, they got some great news that they will share with everyone soon. Dad bought some kind of special dishes and he is going to do a tablescape for Tablescape Thursday. I feel I am living in a parallel universe these days.

Mom has a big week scheduled. She is going to post some last minute inexpensive Christmas gifts, some ideas of small things we can do this holiday season to make big differences in the lives of others, a memory of her family and Christmas long past.

I want to thank Bonnie for the idea to do this post for mom.

Please leave a comment so Mom will know how much everyone loved my post. She gets into those comments for some reason.

Keelie

Recipe from Christmas Past

Thank you so much for stopping in today. I am going to share a special memory and recipe. I am linking to Foodie Friday so make certain you check in with the others and the incredible recipes that will be shared.

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  As Doug and I get older, our festive activities seem to get more streamlined. It seems like just last year we would have an annual open house. We would decorate every room in a theme. Back then I had a tree in each room. And the same menu every year. If I tried to change it there would be outrage.
  The Menu always consisted of :
  Country Captain
  Steamed White Rice
  Fruit Salad
  Green Bean Almondine
  Homemade parker house rolls
  Assorted Pies, cakes and cookies
  Today I am going to share a recipe that is tried and true but have not prepared in a while.
  
  I love the history behind Country Captain.

This delicious dish, known throughout Georgia, dates to the early 1800s. It is thought that this dish was brought to Georgia by a British sea captain who had been stationed in Bengali, India and shared the recipe with some friends in the port city of Savannah, Georgia. Savannah was then a major shipping port for the spice trade. The dish was named for the officers in India called “Country Captains.”

In the 1940s, Franklin D. Roosevelt (1882-1945), 32nd President of the United States and General George S. Patton (1885-1945), U.S. Army General, were served this dish in Warm Springs, Georgia, by Mrs. W. L. Bullard. Their praise and love of this dish helped to rekindle its Southern classic status. President Franklin Delano Roosevelt who first gave national recognition to Warm Springs when, in 1924, he visited the town's naturally heated mineral springs as treatment for his polio related paralysis. Roosevelt was so enchanted with Warm Springs that he built the only home he ever owned here - a modest, six room cottage called the Little White House which served as a relaxing, comfortable haven for him.
© copyright 2004 by Linda Stradley - United States Copyright TX 5-900-517- All rights reserved to Linda Stradley, and to the web site What's Cooking America.

The internet is wonderful. We all know it. I researched this before posting today, found the above information and it appears to be factual. For many years I shared a fanciful story about this dish that I believed. Being a Georgia girl, and having very strong opinions about the War of Northern Aggression (known to some as the Civil War); I completely believed the tale I was told so many years ago. Today my bubble was burst. Not one word of truth to the story I shared years ago. Bummer but I am certain the recipe is still wonderful.

Country Captain

(Emeril's version)

Ingredients
3/4 cup all-purpose flour
1/2 tablespoon paprika
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1 (3-pound) chicken fryer, cut into serving pieces
2 tablespoons vegetable oil
2 tablespoons unsalted butter
1 cup chopped yellow onions
1 cup chopped green bell peppers
1/2 cup chopped celery
1 bay leaf
1/2 tablespoon curry powder
1/4 teaspoon dried ground thyme
1/8 teaspoon crushed red pepper
1/2 tablespoon minced garlic
3 cups canned whole peeled tomatoes, crushed, and their juices
1/2 cup chicken stock, or canned low-sodium chicken broth
1/2 tablespoon dark brown sugar
1/2 cup currants
Steamed long-grain white rice, as accompaniment
3 ounces toasted slivered almonds, for garnish
Directions
In a large shallow dish, combine the flour, paprika, 1/2 teaspoon of the salt, and the black pepper and stir to blend. Dredge the chicken pieces in the flour mixture to coat on all sides, shaking to remove any excess.
In a large heavy saucepan, heat the vegetable oil and 1 tablespoon of the butter over medium-high heat. Cook the chicken in batches until lightly browned, 3 to 4 minutes per side. Drain on paper towels.
Melt the remaining 1 tablespoon butter in the pan. Add the onions, bell peppers, celery, bay leaf, curry powder, thyme, and red pepper. Cook stirring, until the vegetables are soft, about 5 minutes. Add the garlic and cook, stirring, until fragrant, about 30 seconds. Add the tomatoes and their juices, the chicken broth, sugar, and remaining 1/2 teaspoon salt. Stir to blend and reduce the heat to medium. Add the cooked chicken and cook, stirring occasionally, until the meat is tender but not falling from the bones, about 50 minutes. Add the currants and cook for 10 minutes longer.
Remove from the heat and adjust the seasoning, to taste. Serve hot over the steamed white rice. Garnish with the almonds and serve.

Thank you so much for stopping in. Don't forget to check back in with Foodie Friday for some more great ideas. I would love it if you would leave comments and questions.

Random Goodies

Thank you so much for stopping in. I am so enjoying visiting every one's beautiful creations. For some reason I just can't get into the mood to decorate for the holidays. I am trying to finish up the boxes that have to be shipped to our loved ones all across the country. I am rushing around trying to get things all wrapped up so to speak. First, I so enjoy reading Southern Plate .
I saw this some time ago and knew it would be fun to give out to friends and guests. I have seen a lot of smores kits and this one was easy but also was perfect for casual lifestyle. Ima is a blogger friend and she posted her reindeer a few weeks ago, I fell in love. Aren't these reindeer so cute. I am making little vignettes to sit around. This is sitting on a mirror I had cut several years ago. I use it to serve appetizers on. I am not certain where I am going to put it but isn't the combination just lovely?

I have stopped using potpourri in the house but saw this on a recent outing and thought it would be so lovely with my reindeer. Doug says it smells great. Some one I have come to love dearly shipped me these beautiful reindeer. Thank you Donna, I love them.

Well I cannot go an entire thread without mentioning my furbabies, Josh and Keelie. This is their Advent Calendar. Is that just too cute? We had to hang it on the back of the door because Josh learned very quickly how to get the treats out. Happy Howli-days....

But of course I cannot end a post entitled Random Goodies....without an ahhhhh moment. My grandson sleeping and dreaming and just being so cute.....

Thank you so much for stopping in! Hey if you have some suggestions to get me in gear for the decorating let me know. Stop in soon, hey I might have given up on Christmas all together and get my Valentine stuff out.....

Help me decorate!

Please come help me decorate! This is the look I want OK? Here in Georgia I am certain I will get this much snow. It is December 9th and I can't get into decorating. My husband has brought down the boxes, they want to be opened and displayed. I decided just to do some vignettes in these shelves from a Christopher Lowell project my husband built (I watched!) a few years ago. There are 2 sets of these shelves. What would you do in them? As you can see I started to do a nativity scene. It was not working for me. Should I put in some live pine, cedar or magnolia? A combination? With the exception of decorating the tree, which I am struggling with also; these 2 vignettes will probably be the extent of my Christmas decorating. Would it be too much to put a vignette on each shelf? Should I

just put one in the middle? 1st and 3rd shelf? You guys have the greatest ideas. Do you have any thoughts? I want it to be festive here. I have guests coming on Friday. Please don't let them come in to all these boxes cause I will do it! I have scanned blogs like crazy and everyone is doing such beautiful things. I am so envious. Come on it will be fun.

You know you want to.....come on....please

Cutest Christmas Cupcakes

Thank you so much for stopping in! I want to thank our gracious host for allowing us to gather and share our yummies! It is so much fun to join in Foodie Friday
.
These cupcakes were so easy and cute. I saw these wraps around Halloween and knew I had to try them soon. I wish my picture taking ability was better but here they are. They turned out so cute and simple. Oh, these are my dollar store tea towels. My dear husband delivered them to our precious friends at the pharmacy and they loved them. Actually you could get the same effect without the wraps, just an upside down ice cream cone frosted and decorated up.

I admit I cheated and used a box red velvet cake mix but when they are this cute, who cares how they taste!

Thank you so much for stopping in. I am trying to catch up with my fun Christmas ideas and festivities. My New Year's resolution is to get better at taking pictures, I promise! Don't forget to hop over and check out the other Foodie Friday's guests.

I would love it if you would leave me a comment. I promise I read and treasure each and every one of them.