Category: HOLIDAYS

BLOGTOBER ~ BEST FALL SCENTS/CANDLES ~ BLOG 365.279B

I’m joining in on A Simple Life’s BLOGTOBER prompts where I can. Today’s prompt is Fall scents and candles.Coffee brewing, soups and chilis simmering, cakes and pies baking, pumpkin & vanilla spice candles flickering, cinnamon and spice potpourri, fall leaves and dewy mornings, crisp cool evenings…and I know it’s not a “scent”, but the geese honking overhead as they travel south is one of the first fall indicators I see and hear each year.

BLOGTOBER ~ FALL TRADITIONS & ALL THINGS AUTUMN ~ BLOG 365.278B

I’m going to join in on A Simple Life’s BLOGTOBER prompts where I can. Today’s prompt is Fall traditions. I DID BLOGTOBER a few years back and really enjoyed it. I figured this was a good place to do AUTUMN tag questions to get started.

Most importantly – YAY FOR AUTUMN! 

WHAT IS YOUR FAVORITE THING ABOUT FALL?
Weather, nature, pumpkins, spice……When the first geese fly over heading south I jump for joy. Shortly thereafter the mornings and evenings both turn cool and crisp and the fireplace smoke brings a fragrant layer of wood smoke to the valley. And of course all the cute sweaters and flannels come out to play. Oh and don’t let me forget about the apples, and pumpkins and spice… This is truly my favorite time of year. If I could have to Autumns, a winter and a spring I’d be sooooo happy.
DO YOU GET FALL COLORS WHERE YOU LIVE?
I used to live in the Upper Peninsula and REALLY miss the fall colors from there, but we also get them here in the Pacific North West, just a bit differently.
FAVORITE FALL SCENT  (wax melts, candles, anything)
I do change out my wax melt and candle scents to everything apple or pumpkin spice.
FAVORITE FALL FOOD OR DRINK? CIDER OR HOT CHOCOLATE?
When I was a kid I hated cider and it was hot chocolate all the way, but as I got older I fell in love with apple cider! Of course it has to have the perfect spice blend with a lot of cinnamon sticks and oranges. A cup of this with a slice of pumpkin pull apart bread or baked apples is such a treat.
FOOTBALL…YAY OR NAY?
YAY OF COURSE!!! I’m sitting here watching the Colts and the Raiders as I type this!
DO YOU RAKE, JUMP IN OR BURN LEAF PILES?
Rake. I’ve never been one to jump in, but my dogs always have been.
HAUNTED HOUSE OR CORN MAZE?
I’ve done both and when I was younger they were fun with groups of friends, but now I prefer to decorate the house and wait for all the sweet faces of the trick or treaters. I love seeing their costumes.
HAVE YOU EVER BEEN ON A HAYRIDE?
When I was in girl scouts we did several and they were really fun!
DO YOU CARVE A PUMPKIN? APPLE OR PUMPKIN PIE? 
We no longer carve pumpkins and I’m not a huge fan of pumpkin pies. 🙁 Now I do make an awesome Cranberry Apple slab pie for the season.
DO YOU DRESS UP FOR HALLOWEEN?
Not much since I was a kid in college (only once since then), but I would if the right reason came alone. 😀
CANDY CORN….YAY OR NAY?
NOPE, never been a fan.
FAVORITE HALLOWEEN SEASON MOVIE?
Definitely like the fun ones that aren’t too gory or scary. The movies like Nightmare before Christmas, Hocus Pocus, Practical Magic and the Great Pumpkin Charlie Brown are the best!
SCARIEST MOVIE?
The Omen, Amityville Horror, The Exorcist, Halloween, The Shining…
HALLOWEEN OR THANKSGIVING?
BOTH! They are the gateway to Christmas 😀 My favorite months, the “BER” months each have a major holiday in them full of my favorite 3 F’s – fun, family and food.
DO YOU WATCH THE MACY’S PARADE?
EVERY year for as long as I can remember and always followed by watching Miracle on 34th street.
WHITE OR DARK MEAT?
I like them both – but I tend to grab more white meat.
JELLIED OR REAL CRANBERRY SAUCE?
My oldest stepson LOVES the canned sauce only! He says it isn’t a holiday without it, but I prefer the homemade so I make it for the rest of us and buy a can for him. 😀

WILL YOU HOST OR TRAVEL FOR THANKSGIVING?
We’ve been invited to a friend’s house this year. I’m bring my dad traditional dressing and dessert, my Carrot Blueberry Bundt Cake. 😀
I hope you enjoyed and will join in! I look forward to reading the answers of others. 🎃

HAPPY BLOGOVERSARY TO ME ~ BLOG 365.182

WOW! 18 years sure went by fast!

I originally began as 3 Sides of Crazy while we were going nuts remodeling an old Victorian house back east and were literally going “nuts” with the different things we kept finding wrong in that old house.

Then when things slowed down a bit, a friend and I sponsored OUR Krazy Kitchen, a cooking site for a group of foodies. 

From there I began Always Eat on the Good China as my personal recipe box and then converted 3 Sides of Crazy and Always Eat on the Good China into Savory Kitchen Table. 

Ultimately, I decided to roll them all into a single blog and self host away from blogger after they refused to restore my 3 Sides of Crazy site after it crashed. Much of that original blog has been permanently lost, so the July 2007 date is approximate. My blog was actually begun about 6 months earlier, but we’ll never know!

Chasing MY Life rolled them all into one and I’m still working at the consolidation, getting rid of old superfluous articles, giveaways and recipes not worth making again.

Save

SALTED CARAMEL APPLE BUTTER ~ BLOG 365.23

Christmas was coming and my girlfriends and I had decided at this age to only get each other gifts we can eat or drink. This is one of my new favorites for gift giving.

SALTED CARAMEL APPLE BUTTER

APPLE BUTTER
3 pounds HONEY CRISP apples, washed and cut into 1 inch pieces
1 cup unsweetened apple juice
2 teaspoon QUALITY cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon FRESH ground nutmeg
1/2 teaspoon cloves
1/2 teaspoon all spice


  • Prep the slow cooker with a coat of cooking spray.
  • Add the apples, apple juice, and all of the spices in the slow cooker.
  • Cook on high for an hour.
  • Add a third of the stewed apple mixture to the food processor. Blend in batches until ALL the apples are blended smooth.
  • Add the mixture back into the slow cooker.
  • Continue to cook for 6-8 hours until the apple mixture is about half of what it was. Set aside. 


CARAMEL
1 tablespoon butter
1 tablespoon dark brown sugar
1 tablespoon PURE maple syrup
1/2 teaspoon sea salt
1 tablespoon heavy whipping cream


  • Add the maple syrup, butter and brown sugar in a skillet over medium high heat.
  • Whisk in the butter, syrup and brown sugar continually until the mixture has thickened and is bubbly.
  • Add salt and milk, whisking constantly 1 to 2 minutes.
  • Remove from the heat.
  • Slowly stir caramel into apple mixture.
  • Set aside to allow to cool.
  • Ladle into jars and seal tightly.

MAPLE WHISKEY/BOURBON PUMPKIN BUTTER ~ BLOG 365.21

I specifically buy Sugar Pie Pumpkins for Halloween so I have them leftover to make this DELECTABLE spicy butter in November for us to enjoy on homemade breads or muffins during the holidays. We especially like it in MOONSHINE CAKE!

MAPLE WHISKEY/BOURBON PUMPKIN BUTTER

2 sugar pie pumpkins, cut in half and de-seeded
4 tablespoons butter, divided
1 1/4 cups brown sugar
3/4 cup PURE maple syrup
1 1/2 teaspoons QUALITY ground cinnamon
1 teaspoon Pumpkin Pie Spice
Pinch of Kosher Salt
Juice of 1 LARGE Lemon
3 ounces QUALITY Whiskey or Bourbon

  • Preheat oven to 350°.
  • Line baking sheet with foil.
  • Place pumpkin halves cut side down on a baking sheet with 1 tablespoon of butter under each half.
  • Roast 50-60 minutes, or until pumpkins are cooked through.
  • Remove from the oven and set aside to cool.
  • Scrape the cooked pumpkin from the skins and place in a blender, processing 2-3 minutes until pumpkin in velvety smooth.
  • Transfer puree to a large saucepan.
  • Add brown sugar, maple syrup, cinnamon, pumpkin pie spice and a pinch of salt, stirring to combine with lemon juice.
  • Heat over low heat for about 30 minutes, stirring frequently – DO NOT ALLOW TO SCORCH OR BURN in the pan.
  • SLOWLY add the whiskey or bourbon, and simmer 15-20 minutes more.
  • Add additional maple syrup or lemon juice to adjust taste, if needed.
  • Let mixture cool and transfer to clean jars.

PUMPKIN BUTTER can be refrigerated up to one month or up to 3 months in the freezer.

EPIPHANY to NEW YEAR’S RESOLUTIONS ~ pre-blogmas 2025 ~ BLOG 365.6

The epiphany, January 6th is an important date for many Christians as it’s when people celebrate how a star led the Magi, aka the Three Kings/Wise Men, to visit the baby Jesus after he had been born. ‘Epiphany’ comes from the Greek word meaning ‘to reveal’, as it is when the baby Jesus was ‘revealed’ to the world.

The Star of Bethlehem is central to the Christian feast of Epiphany, which celebrates the wise men’s visit to Bethlehem. According to the Bible, the wise men, also known as the Magi, followed the Star of Bethlehem to find Jesus in Bethlehem. The Magi were astrologers and probably from the area of present-day Iraq, Iran, Yemen, or Saudi Arabia. They were skilled at observing stars and celestial patterns, and saw the star as a sign that the prophecy of the birth of the “king of the Jews” was being fulfilled. 



In western Christianity the Epiphany is celebrated on January 6th. In the Catholic Church, Epiphany is sometimes celebrated on the Sunday between January 2 and January 8. 

Some say that the star was an ancient form of the internet and that the wise men’s stargazing was an ancient form of internet search. Others believe that Mary is the real star at Epiphany.

In today’s “reality” of scientific research the Star of Bethlehem was probably a planetary conjunction. A conjunction occurs when two or more celestial bodies appear to meet in the night sky. In the years before Jesus’ birth, there were several conjunctions between Jupiter, Venus, and the star Regulus. These events could have been interpreted by the Magi as the birth of a king in Judea. However, there are other possible explanations for the Star of Bethlehem, including: A comet, a supernova, an alignment between planets and stars or constellations.

The nature of the Star of Bethlehem is a matter of faith. There’s no clear record in history AND science can’t explain it as a known physical object. 

While the Epiphany is a Christian holiday it can also be a time to reflect before making resolutions for the new year. Epiphany is a time to reflect on the encounter of the Three Kings with Jesus and how it changed each of them. The Three Kings were sent by Herod to find Jesus, but after their encounter, they resolved to go home by a different road. 

Epiphany is also known as Twelfth Night, and is a common deadline for taking down Christmas decorations. 

Epiphany is a Christian feast day that takes place on January 6th. It celebrates how the Magi, also known as the Three Kings or the Wise Men, were led by a star to visit the baby Jesus.

Some say that Epiphany is a time to consider what to add or subtract from your life, and to depend on God to set your course. Others say that Epiphany is a time to be open to the needs of your community and to offer Christ’s love.

The New Year can bring anxiety and trepidation, but also love and excitement for everything to come. It’s a time for reflection on what worked in the previous year and what didn’t and make the changes necessary for happiness and contentment in the new year.

Here are a few suggestions for you if you’re not into making resolutions. The only TRUE resolution I make each year is to make the new year better than the last.

Don’t forget to make some KING CAKE too!

HAPPY NEW YEAR’S EVE ~ BLOG 366.366

We’re staying home this year and watching movies. I usually make a charcuterie board and we have some favorite Proseco chilling in the fridge, but this year I’m making a scalloped potato pork stew and balsamic caramelized onions, and the Proseco is still on the menu.

We went out last year to a BIG party and narrowly escaped coming down with COVID. 32 people that we know of came down with it from that party – most of which we were in direct contact with, sitting at the same table we were… So, this year we decided it just isn’t worth the risk.

What are you doing for New Year’s eve?

HAPPY NEW YEAR!!!!

BLOGMAS ~ day 26 ~ CHRISTMAS EVE, NORAD, 12 DAYS of CHRISTMAS & ST. NICK’S HISTORY ~ BLOG 366.359B

Usually the holiday season is an endless list of tasks and errands. Christmas Eve is usually at our house and then Christmas Day many times too. I just finished all my “deliveries” of neighbor and friend plate goodies, prepped the marinade for the prime rib and prepped tomorrow morning’s breakfast bake. An elderly friend stopped by yesterday to drop off her Tupperware®™ dishes from the Thanksgiving leftovers she took home from here and was on her way to Costco to buy a ham for Christmas dinner with her son. I couldn’t let this elderly lady who relies heavily on her cane and moves slowly go to Costco so I sent her home with out Christmas Eve ham (I let her think it was an extra otherwise she wouldn’t have taken it). Shortly after that a friend invited us for Christmas Eve dinner! I LOVE how when a door closes, another opens!

The last several years the holiday season has been quiet, many times, too quiet! This year will also be quiet, but has been busy leading up tonight and tomorrow and Santa will still be making his rounds for the little ones later tonight.

It’s Christmas Eve and Santa Claus is coming to town tonight. If you have kids, or are just a big kid at heart, you can track Santa’s progress as he travels around the world on NORAD.

Merry Christmas everyone!

We’re on winter storm watch here (like always 😀 at this time of year) and just like so much of the country this Christmas, but there is no need to worry ~ NORAD will be watching to track Santa’s progress for all the kiddos out there.

Every day of the year, Cheyenne’s Mountain AKA Stargate Command to many SYFY fans 😀 NORAD defends North America using an all-domain and globally integrated approach to track everything that flies in and around Canada and the United States. But, on Dec. 24, NORAD adds a VERY special mission ~ tracking Santa Claus. 

Like so many origin stories, NORAD’s mission to track Santa truly began with an accident when in 1955 a young child, trying to reach Santa, dialed a misprinted phone number from a department store ad in the local newspaper and instead of calling Santa, the child reached the Continental Air Defense Command (CONAD) Operations Center in Colorado Springs, Colorado.  

Air Force Col. Harry Shoup, the commander on duty that night who answered the child’s phone call, was quick to realize a mistake had been made and assured the child he was Santa. After more incoming calls, Shoup assigned a duty officer to continue answering calls and a tradition was born, that continued when NORAD was formed in 1958.  

Each year since, NORAD has dutifully reported Santa’s location on Dec. 24 to millions of children and families across the world. Because of the support, services and resources generously provided by volunteers and our government and corporate contributors, NORAD Tracks Santa has persevered for more than 65 years.  

In fact, what started because of a typo has flourished and is recognized as one of the Department of Defense’s largest community outreach programs. 

Each year, the NORAD Tracks Santa Web Site receives several million unique visitors from more than 200 countries and territories around the world. Volunteers typically answer more than 130,000 calls to the NORAD Tracks Santa hotline from children across the globe. 

In addition to the phone line and website, children and the young-at-heart can track Santa through our mobile apps and social media platforms:  

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/noradsanta 

Twitter: https://twitter.com/NoradSanta 

YouTube: http://www.youtube.com/NORADTracksSanta  

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/noradtrackssanta_official 

NORAD Tracks Santa Website: https://www.noradsanta.org 

NORAD Tracks Santa Newsroom: https://noradsantanews.com/newsroom

Several contributors such as OnStar and Amazon Alexa also provide convenient ways to keep tabs of Santa’s location. 

From 1558 until 1829, Roman Catholics in England were not permitted to practice their faith openly.  Someone during that era wrote this carol as a catechism song for young Catholics.

It has two levels of meaning: the surface meaning plus a hidden meaning known only to members of their church. Each element in the carol has a code word for a religious reality which the children could remember.

  • The partridge in a pear tree was Jesus Christ.
  • Two turtle doves were the Old and New Testaments.
  • Three French hens stood for faith, hope and love.
  • The four calling birds were the four gospels of Matthew, Mark, Luke & John.
  • The five golden rings recalled the Torah or Law, the first five books of the Old Testament.
  • The six geese a-laying stood for the six days of creation.
  • Seven swans a-swimming represented the sevenfold gifts of the Holy Spirit–Prophesy, Serving, Teaching, Exhortation, Contribution, Leadership, and Mercy.
  • The eight maids a-milking were the eight beatitudes.
  • Nine ladies dancing were the nine fruits of the Holy Spirit–Love, Joy, Peace, Patience, Kindness, Goodness, Faithfulness, Gentleness, and Self Control.
  • The ten lords a-leaping were the ten commandments.
  • The eleven pipers piping stood for the eleven faithful disciples.
  • The twelve drummers drumming symbolized the twelve points of belief in the Apostles’ Creed.

So that is your history lesson for today. Merry (Twelve Days of) Christmas Everyone – and, remember, the Twelve Days of Christmas are the 12 days starting December 25th and the Christmas Season runs until Epiphany, January 6.