Last Post 2007

And the year ends- not with a bang but a whimper. Some of us have colds. Our plumbing went wacky a few days ago. We had to cancel a visit from my Dad. But, we're on the mend and $240 dollars later (because everybody has extra cash just laying around right after the holidays) we can flush again. You never realize how much you enjoy flushing until it's no longer an option. Tonight we had our yearly appetizer feast. Tim made his stuffed potato skins. I started to take down the Christmas decorations. Usually that's done and put away by now but it's been a funny kind of Christmas this year. A couple of months ago at a rummage sale I bought a bag of New Year's Eve decorations for 25 cents. Tonight we opened it and there were all these great hats and banners inside. Since I had taken all the ornaments off the tree I just draped it with these vintage banners and hats and that's our decoration for tonight. John's out with friends. Griffin, Riley and I watched Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix. Soon we'll watch the ball drop and then we'll scratch off some instant lottery tickets to see if 2008 will be a lucky year. All things considered, 2007 was a very good year for us.

Google Images Meme

The idea is this- you answer the questions in a google images search and pick an image from the first page. I've seen this meme around for a while but recently it was done here. Nancy's blog is a lovely walk down memory lane for me....toddlers and newborns,nursing, homeschooling. And her babies are sooo cute.

Age you'll be on your next birthday- I'll be 44 and I'm not a big fan of guns so....Place you would like to visit...

Favorite place in the world....

Favorite object.....

Favorite food.......

Favorite animal.....

Favorite color.......

Your nickname- I don't really have a nickname but Tim calls me .....

The town you were born in.....

A bad habit-the picture is a bit obscure but I'll let you guess.....

Christmas wrap-up

Santa came!!!

Me and my Dad with the gift I made for him- a waterless snowglobe of a fifties Christmas scene. I used copies of pictures of his parents, him and his sisters.

Niece number two liked her Kitten cottage, while we were looking at it her brother came over -

Nephew (age 6) : What is that?
Me (age noyb): It's a crazy, cute, comfy, cozy kitten cottage for Christmas!
Nephew : I don't get it. (walks away, shaking his head)

Cousins



Tim is wearing the hat and t-shirt that John brought him home from Istanbul.

.L to R- Tracy, my Mom holding the flowers Suzanne sent, JoAnne, me and Barbara.

Snowglobe I made for my Mom- that's her when she was a baby.

Last stop - Tim's parents house

And on Earth, Peace

Today we did a little shopping, a little wrapping, went to a movie , then went to my sister's house for dinner. We've been going there for dinner on Christmas Eve for at least 13 years now. After dinner and presents we go to a church near her house to visit the living nativity. The animals are the "living" part. Joseph, Mary and the baby Jesus are mannequins .This year the animals were very outgoing and enjoyed the carrots we brought for them. All the kids loved it. Usually we are just throwing the carrots at the animals while they lay there and ignore us. Right now it's after midnight, so Merry Christmas! I've got to go and finish a few little crafty things (insert solemn vow to get started on handmade gifts earlier next year). Oh - and a note to a couple of irl friends who were thinking good thoughts for me-the last little box from the U.P.S. came today!!!! Hooray!!! (insert another solemn vow to order gifts from Amazon earlier next year)

The kitten cottage was a big hit!

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Now it feels like Christmas!

Warning- Cuteness overload

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Remember these?........


Well now they look like this.....

These are a couple of Kitten Cottages (although Tim insists on calling them Cathouses) for two of my nieces. They are 6 and almost 4 and at that age where they are just crazy for cats. I also ordered two of these to reside in the cottages. I really had a lot of fun making them.


I've also been working on these for one of my sisters......

We are big Napoleon Dynamite fans at this house. The boys have watched the movie about a dozen times and it just keeps getting funnier. I hope to make a few more sets before the big day but I might not get around to it. I've been working on some other projects but I don't want to risk the recipients getting a sneak peek so I can't show them until after Christmas.

Feliz Navidad

Every so often I get it in my head to do a theme Christmas. About four (maybe five?) years ago we had a Feliz Navidad- a Mexican themed Christmas. Mostly that meant a pinata instead of stockings and a very colorful tree. We decorated the tree with white lights, paper chains, tissue paper flowers, God's Eye ornaments, pressed tin ornaments from Mexico with Skeletons and Senoritas on them. I wrapped the presents in colorful tissue paper and topped the gifts with paper flowers. Dinner was a Mexican feast- smothered enchiladas, tacos, nachos....... and for dessert-

FRIED MEXICAN ICE CREAM

1 pt. vanilla or other flavor ice cream 1/2 c. crushed corn flake or cookie crumbs 1 tsp. cinnamon 2 tsp. sugar 1 egg Oil for deep frying Honey Whipped cream Scoop out 4-5 balls of ice cream. Return to freezer. Mix corn flake crumbs, cinnamon, and sugar. Roll frozen ice cream balls in half the crumb mixture and freeze again. Beat egg and dip coated balls in egg, then roll again in remaining crumbs. Freeze until ready to use. (For thicker coating, repeat dipping egg and rolling in crumbs.) When ready to serve, heat oil to 350 degrees. Place a frozen ice cream ball in fryer basket or on a perforated spoon and lower into hot oil 1 minute. Immediately remove and place in dessert compote. Drizzle with honey and top with dollop of whipped cream. Continue to fry balls one at a time. Balls will be crunchy outside and just beginning to melt inside. Makes 4-5 servings.

I use a half gallon of ice cream and make bigger balls. I double the recipe (at least). I use a whole box of corn flake crumbs and I only use the whites of the eggs. I only fry them for about 30 seconds.I don't put sugar in the coating and some of us top ours with strawberries in a sweetened syrup. Even though we haven't had another Feliz Navidad theme - this has been our Christmas dinner and dessert for the last four years.

Christmas meme

1. Egg Nog or Hot Chocolate?
Hot Chocolate with marshmallows.

2. Does Santa wrap the presents or just sit them under the tree?
She wraps them.

3. Colored or white lights?
Either/or but not both together.

4. Do you hang mistletoe?
Yes of course- kissings my favorite

5. When do you put your decorations up?
We start the weekend after Thanksgiving.

6. What is your favorite holiday dish?
Mostly all the sweets- candy, cookies. I love the butter cookies my sister Tracy makes from an old family recipe. I love the stuffed cabbage from a family party. The potato pancakes my father's wife Linda makes are the best. On the healthier side (and a very small side it is)- we love the little Clementine oranges that are available this time of year.

7. Favorite Holiday memory as a child?
After we would open all our presents, my sisters and I would make forts and arrange our gifts for hours. We took "light rides" to admire all the holiday decorations and we went to the same family parties that I take my kids to now.

8. When and how did you learn the truth about Santa?
What truth? Is there something you're not telling me?

9. Do you open a gift on Christmas Eve?
Yes- we go to my sister JoAnne's house and exchange gifts with her family.

10. How do you decorate your Christmas Tree?
This year- Griffin and Riley shaped the tree (it's faux) and started putting the lights on. Tim finished the lights and I did the ornaments. I've done "theme" trees in the past but for the last couple years it's been colored lights, popcorn and cranberry garland, old stuffed animals, and a ton of ornaments.

11. Snow: Love it or hate it?
Love it- as long as we don't have to go anywhere

12. Can you ice skate?
Yes- but no tricks. Staying up is hard enough.

13. Do you remember your favorite gift?
Anything made or bought by my children. Last year Tim gave me a diamond ring. I never wear it and was considering selling it to help fund my trip to Europe (didn't) but it was fun to answer the "What did you get for Christmas?" question that year.

14. What's the most important thing about the holidays for you?
Being with my friends and family

15. What is your favorite holiday dessert?
For the last few years I've made fried ice cream for dessert. I'll post a recipe tomorrow.

16. What is your favorite holiday tradition?
If I had to pick just one- watching my boys open their gifts on Christmas morning.

17. What is on top of your tree?
A star- it used to be an Angel- but years ago Griffin fell in love with a star he saw in a store and Santa surprised him by putting it on our tree for Christmas morning

18. Which do you like best giving or receiving?
Getting presents totally rocks- " 'Tis better to give than receive"- who said that? Some crazy.

19. What is your favorite Christmas Song?
So many- this one .....this one.....this one.....this one

20. Do you like candy canes?
Yes- peppermint but not the weird flavors (bubble gum, cherry, etc.)

21. Favorite Christmas movie?
Elf, A Christmas Story, Fred Claus, Love Actually- favorite TV specials- Year Without a Santa Claus, Rudolf the Rednosed Reindeer, The Grinch who Stole Christmas.

Some seriously sick gingerbread

Today is my Dad's Birthday and I got a present!!!

A little while ago I posted about how lucky I am and how I won a blog giveaway over at The Mosaic Queen. Hooray- my cupcake has arrived! For half a minute I considered putting the box under the tree to be opened on Christmas. But delayed pleasure has never been my thing- I'm more of an instant gratification girl. So I opened it right away and I love it....no.... I LOVE IT!!! It's so cute and so clever and I'm so the Queen of Everything! It makes me wish I had a better camera- or at least read the directions that came with this one so I could take a decent picture of it. This picture is a little dark and just doesn't do it justice. Happy, happy, joy,joy- Christmas comes early to New Jersey! Thank you so much Michelle! Hope you are enjoying your trip to NYC with your lovely daughters.