Category: MEMES & LINK PARTIES

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:

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.

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.

THOUGHT FOR THE DAY

THE WEATHER OUTSIDE

Highs in the 40’s with lows in the 30’s ALL week and LOTS of rain today, but then we’re supposed to get some actual sunshine for the rest of the week! 😀

TO DO LIST, APPOINTMENTS & PROJECTS

THIS WEEK’S TO DO LIST, PROJECTS & APPOINTMENTS
  • LAUNDRY & CLEANING COMPLETELY caught up for a few minutes at least. 🙂
  • GROCERIES & ERRANDS I did all the major shopping for the holiday last week, but I do need to pick up the turkey and a few fresh produce items on Tuesday. Dana and I are taking her mom on Friday to get a Christmas tree and our wreaths and will then go to lunch.
  • PAPERWORK & PHONE CALLS I’m not even going to try and make calls this week with it being such a short work week. I do have a couple meetings today, but after that I’m good.
  • PROJECTS I’ll be adding a bit of an extension to the bed frame today to accommodate a bulky mattress. I’m also building a nativity scene for decorating this Christmas season.
  • RECIPE RESEARCH & MENU PLANNING After I get the projects and Christmas decorating done over the next week I’ll get back to thinking about menus.

DVR/TV TIME

WHAT’S ON THE DVR/TV
  • STREAMING We’re still watching BONES and late night we’re re-watching THE MIDDLE
  • CABLE A lot of shows have gone onto winter hiatus this week giving me time to get caught up on the DVR before they begin again in January.

READING TIME

I’m reading SOCIETY of LIES by Lauren Ling Brown for book club next Sunday. It’s not a book I would have chosen on my own, but I’m getting it done!

FUNNIES

 

MENU PLANS

BREAKFAST is always a work in progress for me – it will generally be hot water and a fruit yogurt 😀 And lunches are generally leftovers or out depending on the schedule for the day.
11/25 MONDAY
11/26 TUESDAY
11/27 WEDNESDAY
11/28 THURSDAY
11/29 FRIDAY
11/30 SATURDAY
12/1 SUNDAY
DINNER
 OUT WITH FRIENDS FOR A LATE LUNCH/EARLY DINNER BEFORE SEVERAL MEETINGS
CHICKEN NOODLE CASSEROLE
OUT with a friend before PAINTING CLASS
 BRINED TURKEY BREAST, DADDY’S STUFFING, GREEN BEANS ALMONDINE, MASHED POTATOES & GRAVY, PINEAPPLE CRANBERRY SAUCE
CORN/YOYO clean out refrigerator night or you’re on your own
 OPEN FACED BURGERS with BACON AIOLI and CORNBREAD SALAD
 CORN/YOYO clean out refrigerator night or you’re on your own
DESSERT
 
 
APPLE WALNUT CAKE
 

FAVORITE PHOTOS FROM THE CAMERA

There was a short break in the rain yesterday and I came across this cat slinking across the sheep field.

INSPIRATIONS

LIFE TIP

HOMEMAKING / COOKING TIP

RECIPES COMING UP THIS WEEK

  • PEAR WALNUT CRISP
  • PEASANT STEW
  • CHICKEN CHILES HOT DISH CASSEROLE

RECIPE LINKS FROM LAST WEEK

WEEKLY FEATURED PARTY LINKS

PICKLED PLUM CRUMBLE ~ CRISP ~ BLOG 366.327

PICKLED PLUM CRISP adapted from MOLLY YEH

BUTTER
10 tablespoons UNSALTED butter at room temperature

  • Melt butter in a small saucepan over medium low heat.
  • Increase heat to medium. Stir butter occasionally, scraping the sides and bottom to gather any browned bits and milk solids for 5-7 minutes until golden brown.
  • Pour into a small bowl and allow to cool.
  • When cool, refrigerate until solid.

CRISP
2 pounds plums, pitted and quartered with several mashed
3/4 cups brown sugar
3 tablespoons WONDRA flour
1/2 teaspoon PURE vanilla
1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar

  • Preheat oven to 375°.
  • Butter bottom and sides of 8×8, 9×9 or 10×7 baking dish.
  • In a large mixing bowl toss together brown sugar, flour, vanilla extract, apple cider vinegar, plum pieces and plum mash, mixing until well blended.
  • Transfer mixture to baking dish.

TOPPING
1 cup sifted flour
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
5 tablespoons brown sugar
1/2 teaspoon PURE almond extract
1/2 teaspoon QUALITY cinnamon
1/2 cup toasted almonds

  • In a medium mixing bowl sift together the flour, salt, cinnamon and brown sugar.
  • Stir in extract.
  • Add browned butter, using your hands to mix in and break up until you have a crumbly mixture resembling coarse sand.
  • Mix in chopped almonds.
  • Sprinkle over plum mixture in baking dish.
  • Bake 45-50 minutes until “jammy” and bubbly and slightly golden.
  • Cool 16 minutes before serving.
  • Serve with vanilla ice cream or FRESH whipped cream.