Blessed

As I sit here my computer clock has just turned to 12:01am.  A Christmas Story has just ended and begun again. Our little boys are snug in their beds (in matching pjs) Jonathan and I are on our computers, he seems to be reading up on Ski care and repair.  I'm perusing FB and Reader - and dreaming about maybe finally going for it and purchasing a stand mixer.

As I think about the fact that it is now officially Christmas, and think about my life right now, the word that immediately comes to mind is blessed.

This year has been full of blessings. Life is good.  We are healthy.  There is a new life growing.(Pretty sure I've felt him or her a few times. :))  I'll soon be an aunt.  We have wonderful family.  Life is amazing!

Merry Christmas to you all!

There's more to the World than Meets the Eye

So I have a question for you all.

A very serious question.

Did anyone else have a cassette tape of Alvina and the Chipmunks Christmas? It wasn't just music - it was a story too.  About Alvin and his Golden Echo Harmonica?  Anyone??  I LOVED it!  I was trying to find a clip on YouTube - and it delivered.  Apparently it was also turned into an animated version, although in the one clip I watched I could tell there were some differences.  Mostly missing the descriptive parts - obviously, since it was showing it.  But anyways, here is one part that I remember very well.

Another one that we always enjoyed was Twas the Night Before Christmas.  The title of this post are lyrics from the one song.  This was probably my favorite as a kid.  It seems like this one isn't that popular, but is also on YouTube. (isn't everything?)

Then there is Santa Bear's High Flying Adventure.  (I think that's the actual name)  This can be purchased on Amazon for the low low price of $108... seriously...  this one is pretty obscure, apparently.  But as usual, YouTube comes through.

We also watched the usual - Frosty, Rudolph, Looney Tunes  Good times.  I remember pulling out the Christmas VHS tape that we had recorded them all on from TV.  I should pull it out again - and laugh at all the commercials. :)

Cut Outs

Cut Outs, originally uploaded by mal1017.

We made some cut out cookies yesterday and frosted today. I decided to try out something new, and I think it turned out pretty well.

I mixed some jam in with the butter cream frosting. Mmmmm I had done this for a cake filling before, with red raspberry jam and frosting, and it turned out wonderful. This time I used what I had on hand - black raspberry jam. I think it turned out wonderful too.

My frosting recipe:

Butter
Powdered Sugar
Vanilla
Milk

Yeah... I just wing it with the measurements. I know I used a cup of butter, lots of powdered sugar.... probably at least a pound... Just a bit of milk, and a tsp of vanilla.

Blend it all together - taste it - add what it needs to taste better... Really just trial and error. I've never had to throw away frosting because it was bad... just because I may have made too much.

For the jam mix - I had about a cup of frosting and added a spoonful of jam - but really, this is just whatever suits your taste - don't think you can go wrong with it.

Kitchen Organization Win

Kitchen Organization Win
Originally uploaded by mal1017

This post is a long time in coming. A couple months ago I bought this (very) cheap book shelf. It has been such a great addition to the kitchen. I had been using my computer on the kitchen counter... which was starting to make me nervous, what with my track record of klutziness in the kitchen. I used a wooden stool we had that wasn't serving any other purpose to bring the laptop up to the perfect height. Found a basket that fits under perfectly for pens, scrap paper, etc. My cookbooks moved from the top of the refrigerator (so unhandy). The bread machine has moved into the bottom shelf, along with our many water bottles. One of the most useful $15 I've ever spent.

And on a pregnancy note - First trimester is over!! 2 days after my last post the nausea just about completely disappeared. I'm feeling so much better. My energy and mood haven't returned yet - I'm hoping maybe for Christmas. Speaking of which - next week is Christmas!! Seriously - how do these things sneak up on me... I still need to finish up some crafty Christmas gifts. And get them up here on the interwebs for you all to enjoy.