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

Buttermilk Sugar Cookies

Come on in and have a cookie. This is a new recipe for me. I have no clue what happened to me this weekend. I needed buttermilk so I asked my husband to pick some up. Then I asked a friend to pick some up for me......and then another friend. So in a household that does not consume much buttermilk I have 1 1/2 gallons. I am looking for any recipes with buttermilk. Here are Buttermilk Sugar Cookies. Since I can't taste and smell I can't give you my personal recomendation. I can tell you about the texture. The texture is very nice. Chewy and moist. I am going to drizzle some chocolate on a few and frost some with a cream cheese frosting just for some variety.

Buttermilk Sugar Cookies

2 cups of sugar
1 cup shortening or 1 cup of butter (I used butter flavored crisco)
2 eggs
1 teaspoon soda
1 cup buttermilk
2 teaspoon vanilla
4 cups plain flour
dash of nutmeg or cinnamon (optional) (I used a heavy dash of nutmeg)

Blend and mix all ingredients well. Drop onto cookie sheet. Bake 10-12 minutes at 375 degrees.

I would love it if you would leave a comment or a recipe for anything with buttermilk in it. LOL

Shhhhh

Welcome to my blog. Grab some wrapping paper and help me out will ya? Our loved ones are scattered all over the country so I am trying to get the packages out this week. Come on you can help. I introduced you to my precious grandson Remington yesterday.....he is almost 10 months old now.

My husband is so sentimental. Come look it is a secret, so shhhhh.

This was my husband's first little knife, spoon and fork. It is so tiny and cute. I bet you can guess who is getting what for Christmas....shhhhh

Isn't that such a treasure? It was my husband's idea. This gets a special wrapping don't you think?

I would love it if you would leave a comment.

Always Remember

Japanese planes attacking NAS Pearl Harbor, December 7, 1941.

Oh so good!

Thank you so much for stopping in. Have you ever seen such a precious baby? Well this young man is Remington, my 10 month old grandson. I am sharing a recipe with you today. Now I am not saying that if you try this recipe you will get a handsome grandson, but a wonderful recipe makes me want to show off my grandson.

I wish I could remember where I found the recipe! It is a Caramel apple spice cupcake. But it is so moist it needs no frosting and I have made them as muffins. My only issue with the frosting is it was very sticky! But then Caramel is sticky! Sorry no pictures of the cupcakes/muffins. I just forget to take the pictures.

Caramel Apple Spice Cupcakes

Ingredients:

•1 box spice cake mix

•2 eggs

•2 tsp. vanilla extract

•1 tsp. cinnamon

•½ cup oil

•2 Granny Smith apples cut into ½" pieces, skins on
Method:
Mix together cake mix, eggs, vanilla, cinnamon, and oil. Batter will be thick. Add apples and beat for 2-3 minutes on medium speed. Batter will thin out somewhat. Pour batter into paper liners and fill ¾ full. Bake at 350 degrees for 18-20 minutes or until cake springs back when lightly touched. Remove from oven and cool completely on a wire rack. Frost once cooled.
Caramel Cream Frosting
•4 Tbsp. butter

•¼ cup brown sugar

•¼ cup dark brown sugar

•2-3 Tbsp. whole milk

•1 cup powdered sugar

•1 tsp. vanilla extract
Place butter and brown sugars in a medium skillet over medium heat. Stir and cook the mixture until it comes to a boil. Add milk and bring the mixture back to a boil, stirring constantly. Remove pan from heat and add powdered sugar and vanilla. Beat mixture with a wooden spoon until smooth and creamy. Allow the cupcakes to cool slightly before frosting. Frosting will harden when cooled completely.

Try these, you will love em!

It would be great if you would leave me a comment letting me know you were here. You could tell me how handsome my grandson is. You could tell me about your grandchildren. Thanks for stopping in~

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.