Lauries Kitchen

Tuesday, December 28, 2010

Celebration of Life......

I read blogs on my home computer whenever I can. Just tonight I was reading one and Coy asked me a question and I didn't even realize he was talking to me! It's like when I get caught up in a good book.....anyways, I am getting sidetracked here...I read this blog daily and it got me to thinking http://scripturedig.com/2010/12/28/what-should-i-do-with-jesus/

Really thinking. Should I dig him out the box and place Baby Jesus somewhere to see him everyday? I have several.....I mean several. Since I am not a clutter person, I decided against that. Besides I would spend hours looking for him next Christmas when He would be right under my nose (but isn't that how HE works???) What if I celebrated his earthly life between now and Good Friday? What if I devoted those months to reading the red passages in the new testament? Kind of like a Celebration of Life????

Any thoughts????


I'm still thinking....I need more thoughts...help!

Sunday, December 26, 2010

Christmas 2010

Ok I have missed a couple days of blogging! Things have been busy around here. Grammy and PawPaw arrived and the fun began! Looking at the lights in Athens, Christmas Eve big breakfast (prepared by PawPaw and JoGail), decorating popcorn balls, playing Pokemon, Christmas Eve service at church, Pizza Hut , then opening presents before waiting on Santa to arrive. Yes, we still track him on NORAD. I do believe my 14 year old was just as excited as my 10 year old, too! The reindeer were fed and cookies were left out! Christmas morning was relaxing as gifts were played with and nerf bullets were flying everywhere. Lunch was served around 11:30 and was very good. I introduced mom and dad to homemade cranberry sauce and  I do think they liked it a little bit! Mom and Dad left headed for Abilene this morning while we headed to Keller to spend the day with Coy's family. Lots of great food and games were on the agenda. If we only knew the rules of the games we were playing we would have been set to go! It was a fun day!

Tomorrow I get back to straightening the house and checking things off the to do list.

One word best describes this Christmas. Relaxing. No stress no high expectations, just plain old good fun with out families. JoGail said her favorite thing about this Christmas was playing Pokemom with Grammy and PawPaw. Grace said hers was decorating the popcorn balls with Grammy and PawPaw. It's hard to beat spending good quality time with your grandkids!!!!

Tuesday, December 21, 2010

Day 2 of Christmas Vacation

Wow!!!! I am tired!!! Seems I have been the energizer bunny and just been going and going these last two days.....And yes, I woke up early again today!!!!  Seems the older I get the harder it is to sleep past 7:30!!!  I try not to take naps....which hasn't been a problem these past two days because I have been busy.

This morning JoGail and I finished the truffles.....once we 'found' the box of chocolate I 'hid'. Ok, I  misplaced...actually I had no idea where I placed it...and no idea why I put it in Grace's room....of all places...any ways, we found it, unopened and finished the truffles.....and let me tell ya, they are good! My sister sent the recipe...chocolate  and cream cheese...yummy!!!   But I must admit they I am not a chocolate dipper!!!!             truffle recipe

Then we completed the gingerbread house....doesn't look too bad. Maybe I can get pictures posted tomorrow. I just love watching the girls work together. JoGail drew the designs on then Grace came behind and 'decorated'. Then JoGail just took over everything! I don't think Grace minded, either....

Took Grace to the family doctor today. Yes, she probably popped her shoulder partially out of place in that basketball game about a week ago. She has some exercises to do to try and strengthen it. Her wrist-no broken bones, but the dr could hear the synnovial fluid (or something like that) 'grinding', so he ordered an MRI. Not sure what's going on there, but he thought something was. Her leg-she has a lipoma (fatty tissue). We are just going to watch it and see what happens. If it starts calcifying we will have to have it removed but it's not hurting anything right now. Took the doc less than 20 minutes for all that...I felt like we got a little bit better of a deal since she had three things wrong today, though!

It was  warm here today! Grace and I wore shorts! While we were gone JoGail and Coy worked outside and finally threw the16 watermelons left in the garden to the cows. They never ripened, so we had just left them there. They saved two of the biggest for us to try and cut open . I keep telling him they won't be ripe, but we'll see! Just going to make a sticky mess if you ask me....which he didn't! hummmmph

We had rotel chicken for supper. Again, a nice quick easy supper.....just throw some chicken in a pan with a can of rotel and some taco seasoning and bake. Grace requested it. She likes it rolled up in a tortilla.JoGail just likes to eat it as is.

Tomorrow I'm making a big pot of soup....warm weather or not! It's for Thursday night when my folks are here. That's one thing I cook that rivals my mom's....vegetable soup. Plus I start cooking for Christmas Day and for Coy's family get together.....making cranberry jalapeno relish and Jalapeno tree's green sauce...I am so thankful for my food processor!!!!   plus we are cleaning the house....as in mopping, etc. Not the girl's favorite thing to do (or mine for that matter) bu it must be done.....or so I am told....   :)   Oh and did I mention Aaron is coming over to watch a movie tomorrow afternoon????? 

Remember when I said I was trying to have a Mary Christmas ( as in the Mary and Martha story in the Bible)? I think I am. I suspect it will get harder as Christmas gets closer, but I am working on it! While I have been busy, it has not been stressful. It's been nice. It's been enjoyable to be around the girls and Coy. (Even if we have watched upteen recorded episodes of Star Trek and Phineas and Ferb).


Have a blessed night!

Monday, December 20, 2010

Tater Tot Casserole and Christmas Break!

Made this tonight for supper. It's been a long time since I have made this. The girls literally devoured it! It was so simple and yet so good!

We have had a good first day of Christmas vacation. Coy took Grace to her dr. visit in Dallas, so JoGail and I bakes sugar cookies. Then after they all got back we went and worked out/shot baskets/walked and then came home and decorated the cookies. I must say the cookies spread a little much this year, but I don't think anyone could tell because there's so much icing on the tops!

JoGail and I also made some fudge!!!! it actually turned out, too. Usually when I try to make fudge it never sets.  I think we're going to bag some up for the mailman. I started making truffles.....them lost the second box of chocolate (I swear it's here somewhere!). so I will have to wait until I make yet another trip to Brookshire's....and to think I thought I was done there for a while!      :(

Tomorrow's agenda includes assembling the gingerbread house and another dr visit for Grace (family doctor). I think there's some movie watching planned for tomorrow too!!!



Tater Tot Casserole
(many recipes thrown together)

1 lb Ground turkey (or hamburger)
1 T Worcestershire sauce
1 small package tater tots
1 can Campbell's roasted garlic cream of mushroom soup
1 small can veg all drained


Brown hamburger meat. Stir in Worcestershire sauce.
Mix in drained veg all and soup. Stir well.
Put in oven proof pan, I think I used 11x7.
Lay tater tots on top and bake according to tater tot package.

You could mix cheese in it if you want!


Enjoy!

Thursday, December 16, 2010

Two new recipes!!

WHOOT !!! WHOOT!!!!!! Two new quick and easy recipes! I stole one from Tina at church, just tweaked it to make it easier for me to do and then the other one is from Mrs. beasley at Coy's school. I am making both to take to work tomorrow. It's the 3rd annual dish swap! We draw names. Then we buy a dish that costs less than $ 15.00 ( you can find cute ones at Hobby Lobby usually half off! ) and then we fill the dish with food. (I always try to fix soemthing they would like.) Then we all partake of all the food and then the dish goes home with whoever's name you drew! It's a cool way to add seasonal dished to your collection! On to the recipes!!!!

This doesn't have a name, so suggestions are welcome!
 Crescent Ham Rollups  ??????
1  can crescent rolls (if you can find the crescent sheet, that would work even better)
1 small tub spreadable cream cheese with onions and chives
shaved ham
shaved pepper jack cheese

I bought the Hillshire farm shaved ham and it worked great ( in the lunch meat section)
I used deli pepper jack cheese since they could shave it for me.

Preheat oven to 375. Roll out crescent dough and pinch seams together. Spread cream cheese. Place ham over cream cheese and top with a row of cheese down the middle. Roll up jelly roll style. Cut into slices. Tina sliced hers really thin, I sliced mine like I would cinnamon rolls. Place on greased cookie sheet and bake 10-11 mins.


Cranberry Jalapeno Relish
from Mrs. Beasley

1 bag cranberries, rinsed
1 red onion
1/3 bunch cilantro
2 jalapenos
1 cup sugar

Combine in a food processor and process until fine. Refrigerate over night. Serve plain with crackers or serve over cream cheese. This makes alot. I made half the recipe and had plenty for 1 small bowl of plain and some to serve over cream cheese.


Enjoy!

Saturday, December 04, 2010

I found it!

I wasn't planning to blog today but decided to since I am one happy girl! I found it! I found the nativity scene the girls have always had. I always put it in the bathtub with the girls and that's how they first learned the story of Christmas! It's a plastic set that I probably  bought for a dollar when Grace was 1 or 2. Both girls have played and played with it in the tub! Now if you think it's crazy that they had a nativity set in the bathroom, let me tell you, that 's just the start. They have had them everywhere! My grandma (MawMaw) started it. She made me a cloth one when I was in college. Then I just started getting new ones every so often. Coy thought I was crazy when we had our first Christmas. I think I have toned it down some since then, though! Then one Christmas I found the pattern at WalMart in the craft section (that basically doesn't exist anymore....:( ) and I made a cloth nativity scene for each girl. They have had them in the playroom and in the rooms and it's soo cool to see them playing with baby Jesus. Not so much any more, it's just the memories. One of my favorite decorations is one JoGail made when she was about 4. It's a thing you hang on the wall that has a simple nativity scene she glued onto it. It says Happy Birthday Jesus. Coy's mom made each of her kids a wooden nativity set one year as well. (Joseph is about 8-9" tall!) Then when she passed, we inherited the one that's got  Joseph over a foot tall! It's hard to display because the figures keep falling over, though. It's solid wood and plain. No paint, no decorations, just simple. Kind of like I imagine the first Christmas being. Simple. Which is another thing I am working on this Christmas.Simplicity. (This fits in with the Mary Christmas thing if you've read that post.) So if you don't see me getting all worked up over Christmas this year or running around trying to get everything just so. That's ok. We're going simple this year. Yes, that may mean changing some traditions and may include adding some new ones. But that' s ok. No, in case you were wondering, we don't have a Walton Christmas and not even a Hallmark one. We have ones filled with love and reflection. Homemade gifts, homemade decorations, and usually homemade food! :)



Laurie