Category: HOLIDAYS

HAPPY THANKSGIVING & BLOGMAS 2022 SCHEDULE

Happy Thanksgiving. I hope you’re having a wonderful day with family and friends.

We’re going out for the first time ever! In the long run it will be more enjoyable and even less expensive with no prep OR clean up. The only down side will be no leftovers! But, that also means it’s that time of year… BLOGMAS is here.

I look forward to this season all year long. I know it’s a busy season for everyone, especially if you are the one hosting the family get together, still have young children, etc… So, just join in where and when you can. This is a FUN and stress free zone. Participating in BLOGMAS helps get me in and keep me in the Christmas spirit. There is a new prompt for each day.  It is a lot of fun to read about each other’s traditions and family recipes and pictures.

Here’s my calendar for this year’s BLOGMAS series.
11/25 DAY 1 ~ HOLIDAY SCHEDULE – WHEN DO YOU DECORATE?
11/26 DAY 2 ~ ELF ON THE SHELF – do you partake?
11/27 DAY 3 ~ FAVORITE CHRISTMAS MOVIES
11/28 DAY 4 ~ CHRISTMAS MUSIC PLAYLIST
11/29 DAY 5 ~ OUTSIDE DECORATING
11/30 DAY 6 ~ QUIET CHRISTMAS OR BIG GET TOGETHER? TRAVEL PLANS?
12/1 DAY 7 ~ CHRISTMAS COOKIE EXCHANGE? FAVORITE CHRISTMAS COOKIES?
12/2 DAY 8 ~ WINTER MUST HAVES?
12/3 DAY 9 ~ CHRISTMAS CARDS? HOMEMADE? STORE BOUGHT? VIRTUAL?
12/4 DAY 10 ~ ADVENT CALENDAR? TREATS?
12/5 DAY 11 ~ REAL TREE OR ARTIFICIAL?
12/6 DAY 12 ~ FAVORITE DECORATIONS & ORNAMENTS?
12/7 DAY 13 ~ TAG QUESTIONS
12/8 DAY 14 ~ STOCKING STUFFER IDEAS?
12/9 DAY 15 ~ GOODIES FOR OTHERS?
12/10 DAY 16 ~ WISH LIST
12/11 DAY 17 ~ PARTY FOOD LIKES/DISLIKES & IDEAS
12/12 DAY 18 ~ FAVORITE CHRISTMAS FOODS? BEVERAGES?
12/13 DAY 19 ~ INSPIRATIONS & STORIES
12/14 DAY 20 ~ FAVORITE CHARACTER? SNOWMEN, ANGELS, REINDEER, GNOMES?…
12/15 DAY 21 ~ FAVORITE FAMILY TRADITIONS?
12/16 DAY 22 ~ WRAPPING IDEAS?
12/17 DAY 23 ~ FAVORITE CHILDHOOD MEMORIES?
12/18 DAY 24 ~ MEANING OF CHRISTMAS TO YOU?
12/19 DAY 25 ~ LAST MINUTE GIFTS – HOMEMADE OR STORE BOUGHT?
12/20 DAY 26 ~ WEATHER? WINTER WONDERLAND? PARADES? LIGHT SHOWS?
12/21 DAY 27 ~ CHRISTMAS PAST, PRESENT & FUTURE?
12/22 DAY 28 ~ WHEN DO YOU OPEN PRESENTS?
12/23 DAY 29 ~ CHRISTMAS MENUS?
12/24 DAY 30 ~ CHRISTMAS EVE TRADITIONS?
12/25 DAY 31 ~ CHRISTMAS DAY TRADITIONS?

CRANBERRY VODKA

Some of the best recipes of the Christmas season are those that double as gifts, like this homemade cranberry infused vodka.

CRANBERRY VODKA

1 cup FRESH cranberries
1 cup sugar
1/4 cup pineapple juice
1 large strip of orange peel
2 cups QUALITY vodka (Absolut is best)

  • Place the cranberries, sugar and pineapple juice in a medium saucepan over medium high heat until the sugar is dissolved, the cranberries pop and the pineapple juice is absorbed. 
  • Remove from the heat and allow to cool. 
  • Transfer the mixture into a large mason jar.
  • Place the orange peel in the mason jar, and pour the vodka over top.
  • Screw the lid on tightly and set the jar on a counter at room temperature for at least 3 days, and up to a month.
  • Shake once a day.
  • Strain into a decorative bottle, tie with festive ribbon and gift with a cocktail recipe in which to use it.

ALL THINGS AUTUMN tag questions

YAY FOR AUTUMN! I first saw this over at Jean’s blog and was then also tagged by Carrie from Northwoods Scrapbook. So, Ive decided it was fate I join in. It will take me a bit to catch up, but I’ll get there! The ALL THINGS AUTUMN is being hostted by Deb over at It’s Always Something and you can find her post here. 😊 I would also love it if any of you would like to join in the fun too! Just copy mine and put in your own answers. Yay for this wonderful season! 🧙‍♀️🕸🌾🍁🧡

 

1. 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.

2. 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.

3. Favorite fall scent?  (wax melts, candles, anything)
I do change out my wax melt and candle scents to everything apple or pumpkin spice.

4./9. 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.

5. Football . . . yay or nay?
YAY OF COURSE!!!

6. Do you rake, jump in, or burn piles of leaves?
Rake. I’ve never been one to jump in, but my dogs always have been.

7. 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.

8. Have you ever gone on a hayride?
When I was in girl scouts we did several and they were really fun!

10./17. Carve a pumpkin or eat pumpkin pie? 17. Apple pie 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.

11. Do you dress up for Halloween?
Not since I was a kid, but I would if the right reason came alone. 😀

12. Candy corn . . . yay or nay?
NOPE, never been a fan.

13. 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!

14. Scariest movie?
The Omen, Amitville Horror, The Exorcist, Halloween, The Shining…

15. 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.

16. 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.

18. White or dark meat?
I like them both – but I tend to grab more white meat.

19. 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. 😀

20. Will you host or travel for Thanksgiving?
This year it will be just the 2 of us and for the first time ever we’re going to go out. 😀
I hope you enjoyed and will join in! I look forward to reading the answers of others. 🎃

HAPPY ANNIVERSARY to MY ONE & ONLY LOVE

I’ve known this amazing man for almost two-thirds of my life! WOW, what a trip life has been.

The ups, downs and arounds our life has taken have tested every vow we took. Trials, tribulations, obstacles – WE’VE BEAT THEM ALL!

Through it all, our love and respect for each other has allowed us to keep our faith and beliefs to stay best friends, soul mates and believers in each other. We ALWAYS build each other up to stay strong.

LOL, there are times where he’s one hell of a pain in the ass, but he’s my pain in the ass (being honest I know that goes the other way too) and I wouldn’t trade him for anything or anyone in the world. He truly is my grounding safe place in this crazy world. But, through it all we deeply love and respect each other and THAT is what allows us to go through this life with a positivity that makes it ALL worthwhile.

HAPPY ANNIVERSARY TO MY ONE AND ONLY LOVE! Fate brought us together, but LOVE has held us together. THANK YOU FOR THE WILDEST RIDE EVER.

HAVE A BLESSED EASTER SUNDAY

Easter is late again this year! Do you ever wonder how the date is decided? Well, let me tell you what I found with a little research.

Unlike Christmas, the date of Easter Sunday changes every year and can fall anytime between March 22nd and April 25th.  Why is this you ask?

Because Easter Sunday is decided by complex calculations based on the moon.  Early on in Christianity different churches used different methods.  This led to disagreements that still exist today in some cultures.

Easter celebrates the death and resurrection of Jesus which according to the Bible happened around the same time as Jewish Passover.  Passover typically begins the night of the first FULL moon AFTER the spring equinox (usually March 20th or 21st) EXCEPT in months when it is the SECOND full moon.  This most recently occurred in 2016.  The FULL moon can vary in each time zone so the Church calculates Easter from the 14th day of the ecclesiastic lunar month which is known as the paschal full moon.  Easter is the Sunday that follows the paschal full moon that falls on or after the equinox so can be from 1-7 days later. This year Passover and Easter fall on the same weekend with Passover coinciding with Good Friday.

In 1818 the full moon fell on the equinox, Saturday March 21, so Easter was the next day, March 22. Easter will not be this early again until the year 2285.  The earliest recent Easter was March 23 in 2008.  In 1943 a full moon fell on March 20, just before the equinox, so the paschal full moon was the next one on April 18 which was a Sunday so Easter was seven days later on April 25. It will not be this late again until 2038. The latest recent Easter was April 23 in the year 2000.

This year Good Friday was April 15th and today is Easter Sunday.  You can find a table for upcoming Easter Sundays here.

Here is a fun Easter egg recipe.

Using ordinary materials (vinegar, food coloring and whipping cream) you probably already have on hand to decorate gorgeous Easter eggs is so easy and fun too! You will want to wear gloves so as not to dye your fingers.

TIE-DYE EASTER EGGS
INGREDIENTS
Bowl of Vinegar
Whipped cream
Food coloring
Hard-boiled eggs

  • Boils eggs and cool to room temperature.
  • In a bowl large enough to hold all the eggs (or work in batches) place the eggs in the bowl and cover with vinegar for 20 minutes. The vinegar allows the dye to adhere to the egg shell better.
  • Dry the eggs and set aside.
  • In a large baking dish fill it with a thick layer (about 1 inch deep) of the whipping cream.
  • Generously dot the cream with various colors of food dye coating most of the surface fairly close together.
  • Drag a skewer or chopstick through the cream to create a tie-dye design, kind of like you’re making a marbled cake.
  • Place a layer of paper towels on a cookie sheet and set aside.
  • Put on gloves to protect your hands from the dye.
  • Gently place an egg on the surface of the whipped cream.
  • Slowly roll the egg over the surface to coat the shell.
  • Place the egg on the cookie sheet and repeat with remaining eggs. DO NOT WIPE ANYTHING OFF!
  • Let dry 20 minutes.
  • Fill a large bowl with water. The water will remove the excess cream leaving the design on the egg.
  • Gently submerge the egg and then GENTLY dry with paper toweling. DO NOT RUB HARD as you might rub off the design.
  • Store eggs in refrigerator.

NOTE: This can be done substituting shaving cream for whipped cream, but then they are for decoration only and NOT edible!!

And just for your information here is a great little color chart for other methods.

PASTEL DEVILED EGGS

PASTEL DEVILED EGGS

This recipe is making the rounds these days and is absolutely perfect for the late Easter this year. These colored deviled eggs will make a beautiful addition to any Easter table! Also fun to do for baby or wedding showers as well.

EGGS
12 LARGE eggs

  • Place eggs in a large saucepan and cover with cold water.
  • Set pan over medium-high heat and bring water to a boil.
  • Turn off heat, cover pan with a lid and let sit for 12 minutes.
  • Drain and rinse eggs under cold water.

FILLING
1/2 cup mayonnaise
2 teaspoons pickle juice
2 teaspoons QUALITY mustard
4 tablespoons FINELY chopped dill pickles
FRESH ground sea salt and pepper (to taste)

  • Peel shells off of the eggs.
  • Cut eggs in half lengthwise and scoop out yolks into a bowl.
  • Add mayonnaise, pickle juice, and mustard to bowl, then mash the yolks and stir until mixture is smooth.
  • Stir in minced pickles and then season with salt and pepper.
  • Place the mixture in a large ziplock bag.
  • Cut the tip off of the ziplock bag and pipe the egg mixture back into the colored eggs.

DYE
6-8 ounces water in a cup
1 teaspoon white vinegar
GEL Food coloring

  • Stir desired color of food coloring into cups of water.
  • Add the vinegar to the colored water.
  • Gently place boiled and peeled eggs into the cups.
  • Let the eggs soak in the colored water for at least 10 minutes until desired shade is achieved.
  • While the eggs are soaking in food colored water prepare the deviled eggs from the recipe above.
  • Gently remove the colored eggs with a large slotted spoon and place them on a stack of paper towels to dry.
  • Pat dry with additional paper towels.
  • Fill with prepared egg mixture.

CHARCUTERIE BOARDS

The greatest meal on a busy holiday eve is a charcuterie board to graze on while you work. 😃

This time of year can be stressful and super busy (normally pre-pandemic) so to make things easier we have gone to making charcuterie boards on the “eve” nights of holidays. The word charcuterie sounds a bit intimidating, but it doesn’t have to be.

Charcuterie Boards are suddenly all the rage, but the culinary art of preparing charcuterie boards dates back to the 15th century. The person who prepares the charcuterie board is a charcutier which literally means “Pork Butcher” in French. The original process/meaning was intended as a way to preserve meat before the invention of refrigeration, especially pork products.

The revived comeback of the charcuterie board brings it front and center to our tables and has been born out of the necessity of our busy lives as well as our love for farm to table and deli style meals that are also quick and easy.

Since the original meaning dealt with preserved meats, adding fermented, farm to table, home canned and prepared foods just falls into place along side the meats.

One of the best things about serving a charcuterie board at your own party is that there are NO RULES! It’s yours for the making – make it as simple or as sophisticated as YOU like. One of the greatest aspects of a charcuterie board is that you can mix it all up to fit EVERYONE’S taste.

You can make these as simple or as sophisticated as YOU like. For us it is ALL about favorites and yummy satisfying and filling “bites” of food. Below is a list of some suggestions for building your own charcuterie board for your next party.

Next year I’m going to do a “DESSERT” charcuterie board for a girlfriends party instead of a cookie exchange.

  • Breads & Crackers – Crostini with toppings, Artisan Breads, Crackers, Fruitcake
  • Spreads – Jams, Chutneys, Dips, Flavored Mustards, Sauces, Dressings, Flavored Honeys, Flavored Horseradishes
  • Fermented/Pickled – Stuffed Olives, Pickles, Green Olives, Giardiniera, Peperoncinis, Pickled Carrots, Baby Corn
  • Cheeses – Cheddar, Havarti, Brie, Baby Swiss, Gouda, Pimiento Cheese, Manchego, Bleu Cheese
  • Meats – Salami, Roast Beef, Pancetta, Prosciutto, Pepperoni, Ham
  • Nuts & Seeds – Pistachios, Walnuts, Pecans, Macadamias, Sunflower seeds, Pumpkin Seeds, Almonds, Chocolate covered raisins
  • Dried fruits – Dates, Prunes, Apricots, Golden Raisins
  • Fresh fruits – Grapes, Oranges, Berries, Apple slices, Pears, Grape tomatoes, Kiwi, Starfruit
  • Decorations – sprigs of Rosemary, Thyme or Basil

 

BLOGMAS 2021 ~ DAY 29 ~ NORAD, TRACKING SANTA & THE MEANING of the 12 DAYS of CHRISTMAS

We’re on winter storm watch here just like so many other places this Christmas, but there is no need to worry ~ NORAD will be watching to track Santa’s progress.

Every day of the year, Cheyenne’s Mountain (AKA Stargate 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 by accident when in 1955 a young child, trying to reach Santa, dialed the misprinted phone number from a department store ad in the local newspaper. Instead of calling Santa, the child called the Continental Air Defense Command (CONAD) Operations Center in Colorado Springs, Colo.  

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 our 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 there is your history for today. This knowledge was shared with me and I found it interesting and enlightening and now I know how that strange song became a Christmas Carol… so pass it on if you wish.’

Merry (Twelve Days of) Christmas Everyone – and, remember, the Twelve Days of Christmas are the 12 days following December 25th.  The Christmas Season runs until Epiphany, January 6.

BLOGMAS 2021 ~ DAY 28 ~ CHRISTMAS MENUS

While there are family and even cultural traditions for Christmas menus, we try and vary it to OUR own tastes each year. Sometimes that is also dependent on regional availability of the specialty items needed to create those menus.

This year with it just being the 2 of us, we’re really making a super simple “trimmed” down menu. I found a turkey breast instead of the WHOLE turkey and the butcher is even cutting me an extra small prime rib 😀