............thank you for having us

Apple or Cranberry juice or Red Wine.......

Another gift idea....Set of Cups, bag of cheesecloth, add some spices, fresh cinnamon sticks, hand held grater, hot Apple Cider and we have a Christmas favorite.  Heat your cider and put your spices in cheesecloth....let steep. Pour into festive cups, grate fresh cinnomon add your cinnomon stick and some warm memories will follow.  Just writing this brings back memories of the spiced cider scent coming from the kitchen. It not only warms the tummy but warms the heart. One again put together ahead of invite, last minute cider purchase and  your on your way. To stretch those pennies.....make your own bags of mulling spices and just add a couple bags of ready to use spices in your gift bag.

Recipe for Mulling Spices:
6 whole Cardamon
1 Tbsp. Whole Cloves
1 Tbsp. Whole Allspice
1 Tsp. Orange peel
12 Whole Cinnamon Sticks
Open cardamon pods and remove seeds: crush lightly. Combine seeds with cloves, allspice and orange peel. Place 2 tsp of spice mixture in the center of 4 inch squares of cheesecloth or muslin. Bring corners together and tie with string to make a bag. Tie 3 cinnamon sticks to each bag; repeat with remaining spice mixture. Place 1 bag in 1 quart of Apple or Cranberry juice or Red Wine. Simmer for 15-20 minutes. Makes 4 spice bags........
Enjoy...........One memory at a time

Thank You for Coming.........

Grate fresh Nutmeg on top.

It's time to come up with some idea's of hostess gifts for Christmas parties.......Try and keep your hostess in mind when deciding what to put in that gift bag.  How about Spirited Egg Nog?  Find a fun, festive set of glasses.....don't forget the dollar store.  You could also use colored plastic glasses in a holiday design. Add a small hand held grater and a jar of fresh nutmeg. A pint of Spirits (Bacardi) with a last minute purchase of Nog and your on the way to the party. Do the same without spirits and you still have a fun gift. You can do these gifts ahead of time except for Nog...so when you get that call or mail invite....your ready.......one NOG at a time.............

Happy Thanksgiving Everyone !

I'm thankful to be a snow covered yard bird and not a ........TURKEY

I'm thankful to be a Grandma....Happy 10th Birthday Kyle............One candle at a time..............

And he lay a blanket of Quiet....

First snow 11.19.2010  This looks like a piece of art!

Angel Girl is surveying the situation.

Morning of 11/20/10

The official beginning of Joy

I have a number of friends that live at Birch Bay.....What a wonderful wonderland it must look like....if...you don't have to drive anywhere. It is so quiet after a snow, like a blanket of love from God. A time to sit back and remember how great he is and how powerful he is.  Take these few days to think about family and friends and what your place is, in the scheme of things. Let's continue in to the holiday season with a new found feeling of what our lives are really all about. Try to spend less and love more. Thank you Candis H for sharing your memories of our first snow. Can't think of a better way to wish family, friends and blog followers a very Happy Thanksgiving. Don't worry about that extra button on your pants. We only have so many Thanksgiving to celebrate......so......enjoy!  One turkey at a time..........

Food Food and More Food

Serves 4| Hands-On Time: 15m | Total Time: 8hr 00m

Ingredients

• 1 3-pound piece corned beef brisket (with spice packet, if included)
• 1 pound carrots, peeled and cut into 3-inch lengths
• 1 12-ounce bottle amber ale
• 3/4 pound Brussels sprouts
• 1/2 cup sour cream
• 2 tablespoons whole-grain mustard
• 1 tablespoon chopped fresh tarragon

Directions

1. In a 5- to 6-quart slow cooker, place the beef, the contents of the spice packet (if included), carrots, and ale. Cook, covered, until the beef is tender, on high for 4 to 5 hours or on low for 7 to 8 hours.
2. Ten minutes before serving, thinly slice the Brussels sprouts. (This is easiest to do in a food processor with the slicing blade.)
3. Transfer the beef from the slow cooker to a cutting board; if the slow cooker is on the low setting, turn it to high. Add the Brussels sprouts to the carrots and liquid in the slow cooker. Cook, covered, until the Brussels sprouts are tender, 4 to 6 minutes.
4. Meanwhile, in a small bowl, combine the sour cream, mustard, and tarragon.
5. Slice the beef. Serve with the vegetables and sour cream sauce.

By Sara Quessenberry,  March 2010
...
Oh my.... it must really be the season......I'm going crazy looking for recipes.  Be sure and let me know if you try any of these and if they're yummy.  I'm in love with crock pot ideas. It seems like the best plan for the beginning of the busy season. I'm counting on you ladies (and guy) to try some of these. Between project and trying recipes my better half thinks we need to take out a loan to pay for everything I want to put on my blog.
If any of you out in cyber land have a too die for recipe....I would love to post it. Just go to the bottom of my blog and subscribe.  Get out those kitchen whips and let's get cooking. Only 35 days till Christmas...Did I really say that out loud let alone put it in print. One day at a time......

Tis the Season for Hors d'Oeuvres

Ingredients

• 24 medium mushrooms (about 1 1⁄2 pounds total)
• 2 tablespoons olive oil, plus more for the baking sheet
• 2 cloves garlic, finely chopped
• 1 5-ounce package baby spinach, chopped
• kosher salt and black pepper
• 3/4 cup panko bread crumbs
• 1/2 cup Gruyère, grated (2 ounces)

Directions

1. Heat oven to 375° F. Remove the stems from the mushrooms; finely chop the stems and reserve. Coat a baking sheet with oil. Bake the mushroom caps, stem-side down, until just tender, 10 to 12 minutes.
2. Meanwhile, heat the oil in a medium skillet over medium heat. Add the garlic and chopped mushroom stems and cook, stirring, until tender, 3 to 5 minutes. Add the spinach, ¼ teaspoon salt, and ⅛ teaspoon pepper and cook, tossing, until wilted, 2 to 3 minutes more.
3. In a bowl, combine the spinach mixture with the bread crumbs and cheese. Spoon into the mushroom caps and bake until golden brown, 12 to 15 minutes.

By Sara Quessenberry,  November 2010

If any of these recipes I'm shooting off to my peeps are killer yum yum....let me know.  One roooom at a time....(mushroom) I mean...don't want you to think I'm starting to rent out rooms.

Pass the Sweet Potatoes....Yum..Yum !

Cook Time:  1 hour 5 min.          Level:   Easy             Yield:  12 servings 

Ingredients

• 12 large sweet potatoes
• 3/4 cup (11/2 sticks) unsalted butter, at room temperature
• 3/4 cup light brown sugar
• 3/4 cup all-purpose flour
• 1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1 cup toasted pecan pieces
• 1 cup miniature marshmallows

Directions

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F.

Wash the sweet potatoes, scrubbing them well to remove any dirt. With a fork, prick the sweet potatoes in a couple of spots and place them on a sheet pan. Bake for about 45 minutes, or until a knife inserted in the center goes in easily.

In a large bowl, mix the butter, brown sugar, and flour together until it's crumbly-looking. Add the cinnamon, salt, pecans, and marshmallows; fold the streusel topping together to combine.

Slice the sweet potatoes lengthwise down the center and push the ends towards the middle so it opens up. Stuff the sweet potatoes generously with the streusel topping and return to the oven. Bake for another 20 minutes, or until the topping is bubbly and brown.......

I decided I was going to try a couple new versions of my old time favorites for Thanksgiving. Better Half loves pecans so thought this might work instead of pecan pie.......One pecan at a time.....