BLOG 366 – Page 5 – Chasing MY Life WHEREVER it Leads ME

HAPPY HOMEMAKER MONDAY with MENU & RECIPES week 48 of 2024 ~ BLOG 366.337

Be sure to join Happy Homemaker Monday with our host, Sandra at Diary of a Stay at Home Mom

WEEKEND RECAP

WOW, what a whirlwind weekend! I’m glad it was a long one! I hope your Thanksgiving was as relaxed as ours was full of yummy food, family and friends. I didn’t even leave the house except to feed the neighbor’s cat and still managed to do over 12,000 steps on Thursday alone!

On Friday we met my girl friend and her mom at our local family owned and managed Christmas Tree Farm to help her with her tree and buy our wreaths for the holiday season. I’m so glad we did it when we did because sadly, the wreath room and flock room along with multiple pieces of equipment were destroyed in a fire early Saturday morning! I was impressed that with all they lost (power, water, wreath making abilities, flocking machines…), they were open again on Sunday for trees only. Small towns rally together to take care of their own.

Saturday was a flurry of activity that started by meeting with the ladies helping our “Angel Tree” gift program for the holidays because we received the names on Wednesday evening and need to be done shopping and wrapped by the 11th so I can deliver them on the 12th. It’s a super quick turn around this year.

Sunday was just as busy meeting with a friend to design flyers for her bar and grill’s Christmas party, shopping for the Eagle’s lodge since we skipped last week with the Thanksgiving crowds, helping my mom pack to finally leave on Monday for her snowbird run, laundry and cleaning. Sadly, a close friend lost her son suddenly on Sunday afternoon 🙁 My heart aches for her and I’ll be picking up as many meal prep and chores for her that I can while she’s away.

Don’t forget that BLGOMAS 2024 has begun. I hope you can join in!

THOUGHT FOR THE DAY

THE WEATHER OUTSIDE

Layer season is here! In fact it has become MULTIPLE layer season 😀 It’s cold, but sunny with highs in the mid 40’s and lows in the high 20’s or low 30’s for most of the week until the weekend when it is supposed to start raining again. UGG’s, turtlenecks and flannels have become my best friends again!

TO DO LIST, APPOINTMENTS & PROJECTS

THIS WEEK’S TO DO LIST, PROJECTS & APPOINTMENTS

LAUNDRY & CLEANING Laundry is up to date, but will be deep cleaning today so I can go full on decorating mode tomorrow. We had decided to do a live tree this year and planned to go get it tomorrow afternoon. With the fire at the tree farm, we’re rethinking it and probably going to do our artificial tree again this year.
GROCERIES & ERRANDS I have a hair cut appointment in town on Wednesday and will do the grocery store on the way home.
PROJECTS I’m hosting a “GIRL’S NIGHT” next week so am concentrating this week on finishing ALL my decorating and getting some baking done. “GIRL’S NIGHT” will be a BYOB, SNACK, PIZZA and project night. Some will finish Jewelry trees from last year, some will be making an adorable painted stacked wood project we just found, some will do both, some will just eat and drink… 😀 the whole point of the night is just to have some fun together. As for the BYOB some will definitely drink, but the BYOB is mainly for making homemade flavored vanilla.

DVR/TV TIME

WHAT’S ON THE DVR/TV

STREAMING Have been watching or should I say re-watching BONES which is now 20 years old! Where did that time go? We’re in season 5. Also re-watching late night HOW I MET YOUR MOTHER which is almost as old.
CABLE Trying to get caught up on everything on the DVR. The Hallmark movies will be something I’ll have on while decorating this week.

READING TIME

Yesterday was book club (SOCIETY of LIES by Lauren Ling Brown) and sadly I didn’t finish the book in time. I was only 75% done, but fortunately neither did half the others. We did pick the next book (The LAST ONE at the Wedding by Jason Rekulak) though and I got it ordered. 😀

FUNNIES

MENU PLANS

BREAKFAST is always a work in progress for me – it will generally be hot water and a fruit yogurt 😀

	12/2 MONDAY	12/3 TUESDAY	12/4 WEDNESDAY	12/5 THURSDAY	12/6 FRIDAY	12/7 SATURDAY	12/8 SUNDAY
DINNER	BEEF & SHORT RIB LASAGNA (COSTCO)	TACO TUESDAY with FRIENDS	OUT	ROAST CHICKEN	PIZZA ROLLS (homemade – recipe soon)	GERMAN MEATLOAF	TURKEY NOODLE CASSEROLE
DESSERT	NONE THIS WEEK

FAVORITE PHOTOS FROM THE CAMERA

In case I’ve never mentioned it I have thing for barns… 2 of these may not make it another year if we have a heavy snow as they are barely standing on their own now.

INSPIRATIONS

I probably should have shared this one LAST week, but I live by this ideal, so I guess anytime is a good time to share it! In fact, I have only ever done 1 black Friday sale when I was in my early 20’s and have NO intention of ever doing another.

LIFE TIP

HOMEMAKING / COOKING TIP

RECIPES COMING UP THIS WEEK

LEGENDARY POTATOES
MEAT LOVER’S SAVORY BREAD PUDDING
SLOPPY JOE SLIDER BAKE

RECIPE LINKS FROM LAST WEEK

WEEKLY FEATURED PARTY LINKS

BLOGMAS 2024 ~ DAY 3 ~ CHRISTMAS CARDS & WRAPPING IDEAS ~ BLOG 366.336B

Do you still send “snail mail” Christmas cards? 😀 We received our first card last Friday, the day after Thanksgiving.

I do! I know a lot of people have stopped or send virtual cards, but I’m a die hard on this one. I just love sending and getting Christmas cards in the mail. But, I fear they are becoming a thing of the past. Unfortunately I receive fewer and fewer each year it seems. Virtual cards just aren’t the same to me. AND I can’t reuse virtual cards to make the next year as gift tags.

I even painted a set of old shutters in Christmas colors to display them.

I DO try to make my own Christmas cards when I can, and I PLANNED to do homemade again this year, but years like this last year full of issues sometimes finds me sending out box cards.

A local store carries boxed cards that are really nice quality, pretty cute and super affordable. I’m bound and determined that I WILL do homemade again soon 😀

I did try an annual letter a few times, but ended up in just doing a few paragraphs eventually hitting the highlights from throughout the year since.

Here are some cute wrapping ideas. I have been wrapping presents as I go again this year and able to spend a little more time decorating by doing it that way.

SILENT SUNDAY ~ BLOG 366.336

BLOGMAS 2024 ~ ELF on the SHELF ~ day 2 ~ BLOG 366.335B

I know many parents are tired of ELF on the SHELF, are you? Food Network even had a baking competition that revolved around the ELF on the SHELF last year. I’m not sure if they’re having it this year, but I probably won’t be watching that one again.

I have always loved the actual idea of ELF on the SHELF and have made a list each year of the antics they would get into that year so I could be prepared and hopefully not repeat myself too much!

My munchkins have grown up fast! 2 of 3 of them “KNEW”, but the youngest still believed and we tried keeping the elf/nisse tradition alive another year! BUT, her teacher told the whole class a couple years ago! Who does that? I was soooooo mad! First off it wasn’t her place to tell the kids and what kind of person, especially a teacher, steals a child’s belief of anything? These days the munchkins all tower over me in their teens and our elf/Nisse has become a sentimental fixture in the Christmas decorations.

A few years back I discovered Julenisser, a Nordic tradition, to replace our previous Elf on a Shelf. I couldn’t find that a Julenisser is actually given a name, but I’m winging it here. 😀 The nisse is one of the most familiar creatures of Scandinavian folklore. Again this year we’ll be bringing back Annabelle and her pet reindeer, Alvin. They are always a BIG hit.

In Solvang, a Danish community, they actually do a Nisse Adventure like a scavenger hunt and Danish style JuleFest celebration throughout the month of December.

In Denmark there is a serious subculture regarding the Christmas elves and gnomes known as Julenisser. They live in forests and eat fruits and berries throughout the year before they come spend the month of Christmas with your family. They have BIG hearts and ARE magical and they love to play tricks on you and your family!

Hallmark even did a Christmas movie a while back that involves a Gnome/Troll called MY NORWEIGIAN HOLIDAY.

I know many parents are dreading that darned elf every year and having to come up with at least 24 DIFFERENT scenarios that are different from the previous year!

So when do you begin? Do you have unique names for your elf? Or do you have a Julenisser? Also, do you have a favorite Christmas character? Angels, Snowmen, Nutcrackers, Bears, Gnomes, Reindeer, Peanuts (Charlie Brown, Snoopy…), Elves, Gingerbread Men, Penguins or the BIG man himself, Santa Clause.

I LOVE ALL the Christmas characters, but my favorites are Snowmen, Angels and Reindeer.

Here are a few of my favorite pictures from the past several years:

SATURDAY COFFEE TIME ~ BLOG 366.335

AND for a little reality check 😀

BLOGMAS 2024 day 1 ~ HOLIDAY SCHEDULE ~ BLOG 366.334B

Welcome to BLOGMAS 2024. I’m so happy you could join me. Like always, I want to make this fun and no fuss, so join in when you can and I hope you enjoy the insight into my little corner of the holidays.

I’m a list maker and pretty organized so even my BLOGMAS schedule is pretty much in order of occurrence 🙂

This year with Thanksgiving arriving so late I feel like I’m getting a really late start to the Christmas holiday.

Today will start with a trip to the Christmas Tree farm with a girlfriend and her mother to get their trees and I’ll get my front door wreaths followed by a yummy lunch at a favorite local haunt. Hubby and I will be going back for our tree on Tuesday afternoon. Wednesday will be spent decorating the tree. Tomorrow and Sunday will be spent dealing with outside decorations. I have some spray painting to get done while the sun is actually shining.

I’m actually keeping the schedule pretty flexible this year. So far the only definite dates are the local county Christmas fair on the 6th, a girls get together on the 11th and dinner and a play with those same girlfriends on the 19th, Wreaths Across America is on the 14th, The Eagle’s Christmas party is on the 15th and the Christmas parade is on the 21st.

CHICKEN CHILES HOT DISH CASSEROLE ~ BLOG 366.334

This recipe is wonderful for a potluck, family gathering or church social. It’s completely versatile to changes in flavors. Dress it up, dress it down, spice it up… it’s all up to you and your family’s flavor profile. Grams used to call this a “HOT DISH” because of the frozen potatoes it called for in the recipe.

CHICKEN CHILES HOT DISH CASSEROLE

1 cup sour cream
1 cup half-n-half
1 cup chopped onion
4 ounce can green chiles, undrained
FRESH ground salt and black pepper
2 pound package frozen shredded hash brown potatoes
2 1/2 cups rotisserie chicken pieces
2 1/2 cups shredded cheddar cheese
FRESH chopped cilantro for garnish

Preheat oven to 350°.
In a large bowl combine the sour cream, onion and chiles.
Season with FRESH ground salt and black pepper to taste.
Fold in the frozen potatoes, chicken pieces and 2 cups of the cheese.
Pour the mixture into a greased 13×9 / 3 quart baking dish.
Bake 1 1/4 hours uncovered until golden brown.
Sprinkle with remaining cheese and return to oven 2-3 minutes JUST until it melts.
Serve with chopped cilantro for garnish.

NOTE: This makes a great after holiday meal. I often use cubed ham (after Easter) or turkey pieces (after Thanksgiving) and are a great substitution for the chicken.

PEASANT STEW ~ BLOG 366.333

HAPPY THANKSGIVING! This isn’t today’s meal, but was scrumptious enough that it could be if we weren’t turkey people!

PEASANT STEW

1 + 1 tablespoon butter
1 pound ground beef
1 medium onion, chopped
2 cans fire roasted tomatoes, undrained
4 medium carrots, sliced thin
2 celery stalks, sliced thin
1 medium potato, peeled and cubed
1 1/2 cup homemade broth
1/2 cup uncooked long grain rice
1-2 tablespoon Montreal hamburger seasoning
FRESH ground sea salt and black pepper, to taste

In a large dutch oven melt 1 tablespoon butter.
Add ground beef and onions.
Brown beef and onions until cooked through and beef is completely crumbled.
Drain well.
Add butter, carrots, celery and potatoes to pot and saute several minutes until starting to soften.
Add tomatoes, water and rice.
Return meat and onions to pan.
Season to taste with Montreal hamburger seasoning and FRESH ground sea salt and black pepper.
Bring to a SLOW gentle boil, reduce heat and simmer 15-20 minutes until potatoes and rice are tender.

WORDLESS WEDNESDAY ~ BLOG 366.332

PEAR WALNUT CRISP ~ BLOG 366.331

Tender fresh pears topped with a crunchy crumb topping make this a favorite fall comfort food. Top it with a scoop of ice cream or a dollop of fresh whipped whip cream to make it extra special.

PEAR WALNUT CRISP adapted from THE KITCHEN IS MY PLAYGROUND

FILLING
6 cups sliced pears (about 3 pounds)
1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
1/3 cup granulated sugar
1 tablespoon cornstarch
1 teaspoon QUALITY ground cinnamon

Preheat oven to 375°.
Core pears and cut lengthwise into 1/2-inch thick slices.
Combine pears and lemon juice in a large mixing bowl, tossing to coat well.
Combine sugar, cornstarch, and the ground cinnamon in a small bowl until well blended.
Sprinkle sugar mixture over pears, tossing to coat all sides.
Pour mixture into lightly buttered 2-quart baking dish OR 8X11 baking dish.

TOPPING
1/3 cup all-purpose flour
1/2 cup brown sugar
1/2 teaspoon QUALITY ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
3 tablespoons cold butter, cut in small pieces
1/3 cup old-fashioned oats
1/4 cup coarsely chopped walnuts

Whisk together the flour, ground cinnamon, brown sugar, and salt.
Cut in the butter pieces until the mixture resembles coarse crumbs.
Add oats and chopped walnuts.
Sprinkle mixture evenly over the pears.
Bake 40 minutes, or until pears are tender and crisp topping is golden brown.
Serve warm, at room temperature with a scoop of vanilla ice cream.

NOTES:

Instead of plain cinnamon I like to jazz this up with either Apple Pie seasoning or Pumpkin Pie seasoning sometimes.
You don’t need to peel the pears unless they have a thick skin, or you just prefer them skinless.

HAPPY HOMEMAKER MONDAY with MENUS & RECIPES week 47 of 2024 ~ BLOG 366.330

Be sure to join Happy Homemaker Monday with our host, Sandra at Diary of a Stay at Home Mom

WEEKEND RECAP

My weekend was a whirlwind that began with the bomb cyclone hitting us here in the Pacific North West with lots of wind, rain, slippery roads and power outages early in the week. It also started with prep for a charity meal that my friend Dana and I did on Friday night for the Eagles. We had shopped on Tuesday to avoid crowds and being last minute which was fortunate because the bulk of that storm hit Tuesday night and the first round of power outages.

For the dinner we made Brisket sandwiches, her yummy baked beans and coleslaw and I made a fun new recipe for dessert, Neapolitan cake full of fudgy chocolate, french vanilla and raspberry strawberry cake topped with a lemon cream cheese frosting.

Saturday I went to a friend’s craft fair, did laundry and cleaning and Sunday was the normal lunch with a friend and football. I made a yummy smoked brisket potato soup using up my portion of the leftover brisket from Friday night.

While this week is the same length as any other, it ALWAYS seems shorter because of all the prep for a mid week holiday!

Here’s your reminder to start defrosting your turkey if it’s frozen 😀 And if you’re traveling this week, be safe! HAVE A BLESSED AND HAPPY THANKSGIVING!

And don’t forget BLOGMAS begins on Friday, November 29th. I look forward to you joining in.