Saturday, December 29, 2012

Christmas Gifts

I got a great Christmas gift from my husband.  He picked it out.  I really like it.  He thinks I hate it.  What he bought for me is a Keurig coffee station.  It is really fantastic.  You can make one cup of coffee in seconds.  The most fun is trying all the different kinds of coffee you can buy.  It came with six boxes of different coffees.  There was the doughnut shop coffee.  I didn't really care for that one.  The french roast was yummy.  It makes a lovely cup of tea which is wonderful because I don't like to microwave water for tea.
So, why does he think I hate this joyful present?  I haven't gotten rid of the old coffee maker.  I haven't figured out how to make coffee with my own grounds and I have a pound of Starbucks Christmas Blend that I just love.  Another issue is that I am home and it is annoying to have to make my coffee one cup at a time.  And I haven't yet figured out what to do about the day I go back to work and need enough coffee to fill my small thermos.

My in-laws gave me money.  I took that money and bought the pattern A Gardener's Alphabet by Crabapple Hill Studio.  All the quilt stores here seem to be doing it as a block-of-the-month (one store for $22.00 a month), but I don't want to go that route and prefer to do it on my own.  No pressure, no commitment that I can't meet.  That would be a $264.00 quilt.  I paid the $80.00 for the pattern and will do my own thing.  I am thinking of a cream on cream or a cream on white pattern for the background fabric.  Wish me luck in my fabric search!

Thursday, December 27, 2012

How Was Your Christmas?

Hello to all!

I had a wonderful Christmas.  It was relaxing, fun and filled with family.  We began with the daughter coming for breakfast.  I make this breakfast casserole from Paula Deen.  I know we all have a breakfast casserole recipe and swear by them (I'd love to try others if recipes come my way), but this one is easy and delicious.

Breakfast Casserole:

Assemble the night before in a 13x9" baking dish:
     4 cups bread cubed ( use enough to cover the bottom of the dish)
     1 pound ground sausage ( I use Jimmy Dean) cooked, crumbled and drained
     3 cups of grated cheddar cheese
  
Pour this mixture over the top of the cheese:
     2 cups milk
     4 eggs
     1 teaspoon dry mustard
     a few drops to 1 teaspoon hot sauce

Cover and put in refrigerator overnight.  In the morning, let stand 15 minutes at room temperature.  Bake in oven at 350* for 55 minutes to 1 hour.  Serve .

Even though there is bread in the dish, I usually serve this with muffins or link sausage on the side.  It is really yummy.  I use whatever bread I have on hand.  This time I used a cranberry bread that gave it a bit of sweet that wasn't too bad.  Plain sourdough is the best.

The first thing my husband said when he got up is that I had to open his gift.  He was so insistent that I wondered if it was something to do with breakfast.  It was the Keurig system--the coffee brewer that does one cup of coffee at a time.  It will be wonderful when I just want one cup of coffee.  We actually opened the rest of the presents after breakfast around 10 am.  What a joy to open presents at a leisurely pace.

We went over to the in-laws for a yummy prime rib dinner.  Lots of good food and wine.  A great time was had by all......


Sunday, December 23, 2012

It is a jungle out there

Just so you can all benefit from my experience--IT IS A REALLY BAD IDEA TO DO ALL YOUR CHRISTMAS SHOPPING ON DECEMBER 22 AND DECEMBER 23RD.

It has been raining cats and dogs--really--here since I waited until the last minute to do that all important Christmas shopping.  I must say, Target is fun at Christmas.  People honk if you get in their way.  I had to push at least three people out of my way to get the last Barbie tin.....just kidding.  Really the target workers are just too kind.  I handed the card upon which my son (who doesn't trust me to get this right) had written EVERYTHING you could need to know about which game he wanted and the very nice girl went and got it for me.  I am confident that I got the right game because the girl who brought it to me told me how much she enjoys playing it too.  She looked to be my son's age.  I should have gotten her phone number...... I found the shelves at See's Candy to be bare.  Really!  Not kidding!  No nuts and chews, no soft centers, no truffles.  Only big four pound boxes of candy and lollipops.  I had to brave Costco on Saturday afternoon with all the other crazy people to buy gift certificates and then go to the mall store.  There was no parking at Walmart.  Did I mention that I was shopping with my friend Leah who was in my boat?  Someone she buys for wanted a gift card to Walmart.  We did go Massage Envy to get a gift card for Lex, Leah's daughter, and her new husband, Chris.

The tree is up.  I have almost everything purchased (have to go to Denny's tomorrow for the gift card for my in-laws).   Sugar cookies are made.  I watched The Miracle on 34th Street.  I'm ready.

MERRY CHRISTMAS TO ALL!

Thursday, December 20, 2012

If you give a mouse a cookie.....

My friend, Kim, emailed to ask when I would be home because she had a Christmas gift she wanted to drop off.  I said I would be home Wednesday and she could stop by any time.  At the time I didn't give thought to whether I should clean up for her.

Wednesday morning, my dear husband lost his phone book.  Why his phone numbers are not in his phone is a mystery to me, but there it is.  Unfortunately for me, he was convinced that his precious book was lying beneath the mound of clothes that I had on the dining room table.  He eventually went to work without his phone book swearing that it would be a really bad day and I went on my way.  When I got home I had thought about the phone book and decided I would feel very embarrassed if it was indeed under the clothes.  I folded the clothes and not finding the phone book, I went around cleaning up this and that.  I cleaned the sink in the bathroom because I had put new towels in and then I had to dust the shelf because it was right by the sink.  I fluffed pillows and folded blankets.I began at 2:30pm and was sitting down to eat at 6:30pm.  You just can't clean one thing.  We have way too much things to clean.....

In the end, my husband was happy I found his book (in the living room underneath a bit of wrapping paper from a box of Sees candy that he got from a neighbor that he threw on the floor.  I had my dinner (while I listened to my sister chat on the phone to me) and was deciding whether to take my shower at little bit early.  I opted for the shower--I was feeling a little grungy from all that cleaning--and while I was showering, Kim stopped by.  She dropped off the most adorable sheep pillow that has a blanket we will be making each month.  She came and ran and I never got to see her--okay because she isn't feeling well and I do not want to catch it.  I was admiring the pillow and my son comes out and says, "Your friend said to email her.  Is that why you cleaned the house today?" Hmmmmm.  Now why would he ask that???????

Monday, December 10, 2012

DInner Time Serenade

I got a wonderful surprise on Friday.  A local high school, Antelpoe High, came into the Red Robin at Greenback and Arcadia in Citrus Heights and serenaded the diners with Christmas music.  My daughter and I stopped in to share a burger.  We had just gotten our burger when the marching band shows up and begins filling up the restaurant.  They were dressed in their band unifiorms with hats on that made them resemble nutcrackers.  All red and black.  There were dancing girls in black pants, white sweatshirts and Christmas socks.  The band played three songs and then marched out the door!  It was adorable!