Hey everyone! Welcome to 2011! I wanted to extend me personal thanks for allowing Andrea and I the opportunity to take last week off for the holidays and traveling. Speaking for myself only (Andrea is still traveling...ahem), I had an awesome holiday! I'm hoping each of you did as well.
I thought a nice way to start the year would be to share some pictures of us from the holiday season. In reality, today snuck up on me and I haven't sat down to write anything else (shh, don't tell okay). I'm hoping to get things back on track around Wednesday. For the next couple of days things will still be crazy around my house. Anyway, enjoy the pictures!
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Showing posts with label holidays. Show all posts
Showing posts with label holidays. Show all posts
Monday, January 3, 2011
Monday, December 20, 2010
Oh Betty...
This week, Andrea and I are going to share some of our favorite cooking, recipe and kitchen stories. I figured I would start my part with my go to cooking advisor...Betty Crocker. Honest. I know she's not a real person, but I have consulted her (via website or numerous books I own, more on my cook book collection in another post) more often than not.
I have several Betty books that I adore. My favorite has been used so many times that the pages are beginning to wrinkle. It has various ink marks from A when she was little and decided to color it. I have notes letting me know whether the item was something my family loved, liked or try again in 5 years (ha!). Which of Betty's enormous catalog is this? Well, none other than the Betty Crocker Cooky Book!
I have the reproduction of this book. I got it as a wedding gift from my Grammy. It may seem old fashioned for her to have gotten me this book, but know that I tried repeatedly to steal her original without much success.
Our family has several recipes directly from this book that have become holiday traditions. I know if you own a Betty book, several of these are in them. If you don't own a Betty (and please don't tell me if you don't), check the website www.bettycrocker.com . Since I'm kind of a list person, here is a small list of the cookies that are holiday traditions in my family.
So, while I wasn't intending on this being a screaming endorsement for all things Betty Crocker, she is the one person I trust most when it comes to kitchen consultations. I really do adore my Cooky Book. I read it all the time marking new recipes to try. If you get a chance to glance at this book, do it! I promise you won't be let down!
I have several Betty books that I adore. My favorite has been used so many times that the pages are beginning to wrinkle. It has various ink marks from A when she was little and decided to color it. I have notes letting me know whether the item was something my family loved, liked or try again in 5 years (ha!). Which of Betty's enormous catalog is this? Well, none other than the Betty Crocker Cooky Book!
I have the reproduction of this book. I got it as a wedding gift from my Grammy. It may seem old fashioned for her to have gotten me this book, but know that I tried repeatedly to steal her original without much success.
Our family has several recipes directly from this book that have become holiday traditions. I know if you own a Betty book, several of these are in them. If you don't own a Betty (and please don't tell me if you don't), check the website www.bettycrocker.com . Since I'm kind of a list person, here is a small list of the cookies that are holiday traditions in my family.
- Chocolate Crinkles
- Snickerdoodles
- Spritz
- Ethel's Sugar Cookies
- Filled Cookies (I do the Filled Cooky Turnovers variation)
- Scotch Shortbread
- Candy Cane Cookies
- Various refrigerator cookies (vanilla and chocolate)
So, while I wasn't intending on this being a screaming endorsement for all things Betty Crocker, she is the one person I trust most when it comes to kitchen consultations. I really do adore my Cooky Book. I read it all the time marking new recipes to try. If you get a chance to glance at this book, do it! I promise you won't be let down!
Tuesday, November 30, 2010
Our holiday was icky.
I'm hoping everyone had a terrific Thanksgiving and indulged on some turkey! Around our house half of us did that, the other half, not so much.
The day before Thanksgiving, I was awake late into the night making pies and cheesecakes. Thanksgiving day rolls around and I finished my contributions to our families feast. Then it happened. A started throwing up. At first I thought maybe it was sinus drainage. It wasn't. She threw up all. day. long. So, hubs took the two smaller ones and all the food to Grammy's house. A and I hung out at home (we DID go over for about 15 minutes but promptly left). By this time I'm nauseous as well. Between the two of us we slept all afternoon and evening long. Thankfully A woke up that night and was starving. She ate everything in sight for about 30 minutes and has been fine since.
Me, on the other hand, I just got worse as the days progressed. By Saturday I had gotten sick a couple of times but was just really queasy. Saturday night rolls around and all the sickness in me decided to come out. The bathroom became my best friend for around 24 hours or so. By Sunday afternoon, hubs had called my Mom and Grammy and alerted them to what was going on. The three of them decided I needed to go to the ER.
Now, I'll be brutally honest here. I rarely get sick. Oh, I may get a cold, but to get REALLY sick happens maybe once every 5 or so years. Seriously. Yes, it's okay to hate me, I know I'm weird. Hubs has only seen me this sick one other time in the 11 years we've been together.
So, off to the ER I go. Hubs stayed home and put the kids to bed, so their routine wouldn't be messed up and things would be "normal" for them. Grammy took me to the ER and my Mom met us there. I was taken back quite quickly. It was determined I was severely dehydrated. Not a huge shock with as sick as I had been. They started and IV and gave me some nausea medicine. Within about 30 minutes I was feeling a lot better. By the time they had put all the fluids in me I felt almost 100% again.
By Monday afternoon I was back to laundry and keeping up with the kids. Now I'm planning on making a turkey with all the fixings for dinner one night this week. A has ask for it and I feel that we got jipped out of Thanksgiving. Therefore a do-over is necessary. Later this week, Thanksgiving, take 2. I'll let you all know how it goes.
The day before Thanksgiving, I was awake late into the night making pies and cheesecakes. Thanksgiving day rolls around and I finished my contributions to our families feast. Then it happened. A started throwing up. At first I thought maybe it was sinus drainage. It wasn't. She threw up all. day. long. So, hubs took the two smaller ones and all the food to Grammy's house. A and I hung out at home (we DID go over for about 15 minutes but promptly left). By this time I'm nauseous as well. Between the two of us we slept all afternoon and evening long. Thankfully A woke up that night and was starving. She ate everything in sight for about 30 minutes and has been fine since.
Me, on the other hand, I just got worse as the days progressed. By Saturday I had gotten sick a couple of times but was just really queasy. Saturday night rolls around and all the sickness in me decided to come out. The bathroom became my best friend for around 24 hours or so. By Sunday afternoon, hubs had called my Mom and Grammy and alerted them to what was going on. The three of them decided I needed to go to the ER.
Now, I'll be brutally honest here. I rarely get sick. Oh, I may get a cold, but to get REALLY sick happens maybe once every 5 or so years. Seriously. Yes, it's okay to hate me, I know I'm weird. Hubs has only seen me this sick one other time in the 11 years we've been together.
So, off to the ER I go. Hubs stayed home and put the kids to bed, so their routine wouldn't be messed up and things would be "normal" for them. Grammy took me to the ER and my Mom met us there. I was taken back quite quickly. It was determined I was severely dehydrated. Not a huge shock with as sick as I had been. They started and IV and gave me some nausea medicine. Within about 30 minutes I was feeling a lot better. By the time they had put all the fluids in me I felt almost 100% again.
By Monday afternoon I was back to laundry and keeping up with the kids. Now I'm planning on making a turkey with all the fixings for dinner one night this week. A has ask for it and I feel that we got jipped out of Thanksgiving. Therefore a do-over is necessary. Later this week, Thanksgiving, take 2. I'll let you all know how it goes.
Thursday, November 18, 2010
Get together, Try to love one another...
That lyric has been swimming in my head all day. It's from the song Get Together by the Youngbloods. The reason it's been swimming is because the holidays are coming. For many it may conjure up images and ideals of a Norman Rockwell picture. For me, it means family. Family in my little world means stress. Not necessarily stress for me, but stress for my Grammy.
When I was little, Grammy's house was where we went for Christmas, Thanksgiving, etc. It was a big family occasion. It was FUN! For the most part, I thank my Grammy as the reason my cousins and I are close. It's a blessing to be able to call each and every one of them friends.
Now, for the past several years, Grammy has attempted various gatherings for everyone. This year, it's Thanksgiving. I realize that not everyone will be able to attend, but that's not the issue. The issue is general family bickering. A lot of "well, if this person comes my family won't" and "if you invite these people, these people won't show up at all". Petty, maybe. Childish, you betcha! I'm not saying everyone has to like everyone else. Not even close. I think it is possible to have an issue with someone, yet still push it aside and be civil, if only for a couple of hours on one day. I'm going to be realistic here and even say that my Grammy isn't exactly young anymore. All she really wants is for her ENTIRE family to gather for a SINGLE holiday and BE A FAMILY!! I get it.
For an example, Hubs family has a Christmas gathering every year. His family is huge! (around 60 or so)! They come in from various places and distances for this one event. All of them. Do they fight and argue and have some general unkind feelings with others. Oh yeah! There are people in his family who only speak to each other this one day a year. You know what though? For this one day Grandma and Pappy have their entire family together. They sit and look around and smile. They are basking in the glow of a job well done. They deserve to have one day a year to revel in the beauty that is family. To know that their family loves them so much that they choose to put aside differences and just be together. I have a great respect for that.
That is all my Grammy (and Papaw, can't forget him!) is asking for when she plans (with help from my aunts) these events. So, this Thanksgiving I'm going to Grammy's house, along with hubs and our kids. WE are going to show our respect and honor to a Grandmother who so dearly loves each and every member of her family. Whether anyone else shows up, especially after reading this post, is up to them. (Insert large guilt trip here)
I know, I know. So dramatic. Yet to me, family is what it is all about.
When I was little, Grammy's house was where we went for Christmas, Thanksgiving, etc. It was a big family occasion. It was FUN! For the most part, I thank my Grammy as the reason my cousins and I are close. It's a blessing to be able to call each and every one of them friends.
Now, for the past several years, Grammy has attempted various gatherings for everyone. This year, it's Thanksgiving. I realize that not everyone will be able to attend, but that's not the issue. The issue is general family bickering. A lot of "well, if this person comes my family won't" and "if you invite these people, these people won't show up at all". Petty, maybe. Childish, you betcha! I'm not saying everyone has to like everyone else. Not even close. I think it is possible to have an issue with someone, yet still push it aside and be civil, if only for a couple of hours on one day. I'm going to be realistic here and even say that my Grammy isn't exactly young anymore. All she really wants is for her ENTIRE family to gather for a SINGLE holiday and BE A FAMILY!! I get it.
For an example, Hubs family has a Christmas gathering every year. His family is huge! (around 60 or so)! They come in from various places and distances for this one event. All of them. Do they fight and argue and have some general unkind feelings with others. Oh yeah! There are people in his family who only speak to each other this one day a year. You know what though? For this one day Grandma and Pappy have their entire family together. They sit and look around and smile. They are basking in the glow of a job well done. They deserve to have one day a year to revel in the beauty that is family. To know that their family loves them so much that they choose to put aside differences and just be together. I have a great respect for that.
That is all my Grammy (and Papaw, can't forget him!) is asking for when she plans (with help from my aunts) these events. So, this Thanksgiving I'm going to Grammy's house, along with hubs and our kids. WE are going to show our respect and honor to a Grandmother who so dearly loves each and every member of her family. Whether anyone else shows up, especially after reading this post, is up to them. (Insert large guilt trip here)
I know, I know. So dramatic. Yet to me, family is what it is all about.
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