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

Grati-Tuesday

Ok I don't know if that day actually exists, but since it's the last day of November I thought I would share some thankfuls on my heart.

First of all, I am thankful for my family, both my big family, church family and what I call my little family. Let me explain.
My big family is my family and Coy's family. We get together when we can. but truth be told it's hard. I have 2 brothers and 2 sisters are spread across Texas, Louisiana and somewhere below Hawaii on an island. I call it a side effect of a big family. It's hard fro all of us to get together and happens every 2-3 years but not always on holidays. We have always kind of had unique traditions in our family, so that we don't always get together on what others consider big holidays shouldn't be a surprise to any of us. Three of us have families and we all have in laws, too. Fortunately we all have pretty good in laws. Coy's side of the family got together for his 50th birthday this year but we are also (his 2 sisters and some of his nieces and nephews) are getting together soon after Christmas. I can't be thankful enough for how his family has taken me in and loved me for who I am.

My church family is FBC Eustace. I just can't explain how thankful I am for the "wisdom in them thar pews!" Again they have loved us and supported us unconditionally. They are literally helping to raise the girls and let me tell ya I am so thankful for that. I almost started crying the other night just thinking about my precious JoGail going through junior high. But I realized she is constantly being grounded in the faith and will be ok. She and Grace both are in God's hands-not mine.  Our whole family feels so at home in this church. We are especially thankful for our pastor, youth minister and other faithful servants including Miss Leslee and Mrs. Pat. But there are so many others that pray for us and  I am so grateful for that! FBC Eustace will always be the girls' home church......the one where they were baptized together on the same day!

My little family is just that. Coy, Grace and JoGail. Sometimes I  can't remember life before any of  them came into my life.  Of course I have known Coy for over 25 years. Haven't liked him for that many years, but I knew him. :)  I can say I have prayed for him for over 25 years.....that 's half his life! He is just such a blessing to me. He keeps me grounded and keeps my perspective on the main thing! Grace, oh my Grace. I couldn't wait until she turned 14 so we could finally be done with her being 13! She is  a 'mini me' in alot of ways. Strong as an ox but not a mean bone in her body. Smarter (way smarter) than I will ever be. I am so thankful God made her just the way she is -no take backs!   JoGail~my ray of sunshine. I never know what she will have in store for me! She  loves to cook with me and I enjoy our time in the kitchen. She's my snuggler, too. I am so grateful for just hanging out with my little family for Thanksgiving break. No stress, no worries. Just cooking what we like and watching Christmas movies we have all seen too many times. (All too soon we will waiting on someone to come home from college to cook and eat with.)   Yes we drive each other crazy and fight over who has to be JoGail's partner in the games of '42' we play, but we are a family and I am so grateful for that.

The Christmas season to me isn't necessarily about the presents, the decorations or really even the food. It's about the season of enjoying each other. Whether we are decorating outside or making pumpkin pies.

 I read a Christian blog titled the Martha complex. Yeah, like the Martha as in Mary and Martha.My saying this Christmas is "Mary Christmas!" As a reminder to me to have a servant's heart (like Mary) this season!


yeah, I've ramble and rambled.....that happens when you have bronchitis and am on steroids again!

Laurie

I'm back....

What a wonderful Thanksgiving day we had! I am so thankful for my family and the rest! Everyone's taken a nap every day so far this school break! We've watched movies together and just hung out together. We were talking at Thanksgiving lunch about the Black Friday shopping and the girls wanted to go....So I took them at 11:15 last night. They were shocked. I was tired. JoGail flat gave out before we got checked out. When we got there people had already gotten into the items for sale and had their buggies full and were waiting in line to check out. Of course the checkouts didn't ring up the sale prices until 12:01 am so the lines were all the way to the back of the store. The girls each picked out what they wanted from each other, so at least it was a semi productive trip. I don' think either really wants to go back anytime soon, either!

I made some homemade cranberry sauce this and I loved it....absolutely loved it! I can't wait to make it again! I found the recipe in a magazine....it's a Tom Collichio (Top Chef) recipe! I have never tried homemade cranberry sauce before, so I was really shocked that I liked it. Coy didn't try it because he prefers the Ocean Spray type straight out of the can with the ridges intact. JoGail likes both and Grace doesn't eat cranberries....so it was ALL mine!

The second is one I 'created' using ideas from all over the internet. Again, since everyone else likes the traditional meal, even for leftovers, it's all mine too!!!!

Cranberry Sauce
Tom Collichio recipe

1 bag cranberries
1 cup orange juice
1/2 cup sugar

Mix in a pan over low heat. Be sure to use a pan with tall sides since the popping will spill up the sides. Keep over low heat, letting berries pop. It will jell when about ready. Cool. store in refrigerator.

Leftover Turkey Sandwich
Compilation of several recipes

Leftover turkey
Leftover Gravy
Leftover Cranberry Sauce
2 pieces bread
2 pieces provolone cheese

Preheat over to broil. Spread cranberry sauce on both pieces of bread. Top with cut up turkey and put on top of cranberry sauce.  Top with gravy and then a piece of cheese. Toast in oven. Some recipes called for dressing on the sandwich as well.


Love,

Laurie

Rotel chicken

I made these the other night thinking I would take them in my lunch the next day. Well, Grace came in and smelled it and that was all it took! She loved it! I made some more this weekend and we put it in a tortilla and rolled it up.....yum yum ! I'm not sure where I go tthis idea from. I'm sure I read it somewhere on the internet! I dont' even remember the right name! So I just named this Rotel Chicken!

Rotel chicken

1 package boneless chicken thawed
1 can rotel
1/4 package taco seasoning

Put all in crockpot, stir and cook until chicken is done.

Zuchinni Patties

This is a recipe I have been making for me, and me alone to eat. I know once the others try it I will have to share my shredded zuchinni in the freezer. I am able to tweak it a little to make it diet approved, so that's anoth reason I don't want to share!

We are busy as always this time of year. With Grace marching in the high school band, Grace playing volleyball and JoGail playing soccer, we stay busy pretty much every night of the week. I must admit it is fun, though. JoGail has gotten to play goalie some. That makes me a litte nervous. That's my baby they are shooting that ball at! Grace has gone through the training to be a referee for soccer. She hasn't had a chane to call her first game yet, since she had a volleyball tournament this weekend. The next two weekends are marching contests, so it'll be  a while before she can get in the rotation. Coy is busy keeping up with school activities and helping with AWANAS. I am helping with AWANAS, doing snacks and the bookkeeping-plus keeping everyone else where they are supposed to be and keeping everyone fed. Sometimes that's a job all unto itself!

Zuchinni Patties

makes 1-2 servings

1 cup shredded zuchinni
1/4 bread crumbs or cracker crumbs
1 egg
Shredded parmesan cheese

Drain zuchinni really well. Mash on it while it's in the strainer and get as much water out as possbile. Mix with other ingredients and shape in patties. Fry patties, about 1-2 minutes per each side.  Tha'ts it!

~Laurie

Mexican Mac and Cheese

Made this tonight as a last hurrah before going back on my diet Saturday. Yep, it's time. Need to go down 20 more pounds for my man's 50th birthday! Yeah, I know I'm not supposed to do it for him but for me~~~ but that's my goal and I'm sticking to it!!  So that means probably no new recipes for awhile. Back to cereal and soup nights around here! They'll survive......we're busy busy anyway! :)



Mexican Mac and Cheese

1 box prepared kradft mac and cheese
1 pound browned ground hamburger meat
1 can drained rotel

Mix and serve!!! I think you could add some extra cheese, too. I would try velveeta if I had any in the house !

Baked Pasta and JoGail's brownies

I ran across this recipe on a blog the other day and decided to reamp it to make it easier. Well actually it started the other day when grace wanted me to get a pan of pasta from Pizza Hut. I looke dit up and the internet and it was cheap enough....then I went to the mutrition guide and nearly died! She did, too!!! So we stuck with hamburger helper that night and I decided to try a close recipe. Yeas this has fat in it from the cheese, but not near as much as the one I was going to buy! She and decided this might be something I make when Coy has board meeting. I like, too that I can get fiber rich pasta and the girls never know! JoGail like it for the cheese.....but we will actually eat the pasta mixed with the sauce. (She usually likes naked spahetti). Plus I had a coupon for a free jar of Ragu (thank you, Brookshire's)!!! I think you couls add eat some browned hamburger meat to give it more protein, too. So here what I did.

Makes a 13x9 pan!
Baked pasta

1 box rotini pasta (I used 14.5 oz box)
1 jar pasta sauce (26 oz)
mushrooms (I had fresh already sauted up so I used that, but canned would also work. Just drain them)
1 package shredded Italian cheese blend

Prepare pasta as directed on box. Drain pasta then mix with sauce and mushrooms. Add in about 1 cup cheese blend. Pour into sprayed 13x9 pan. Spread remaining pasta on top and bake till cheese melts! (about 10 mins)

Then I decide dto give the girls a new recipe for brownies.....not sure what to call them, but I took some recipes for rocky road brownies and smores brownies and kind mixed them up. I wasn't sure if Grace would like them but I KNEW JoGail would, so they are JoGail's brownies!

JoGail's brownies
1 package brownie mix, prepared as directed and baked. As soon as you take the brownies out of the oven spread 2 cups chocolate chips on them. They should start to melt. Spread 2 cups marshmallows on top. Broil until marshmallows begin to brown.

I hae a couple mroe recipes to try this weekend while Coy is out of pocket.....if they are good I'll post them!  One is  recipe my sister found for me to try!   :)