Christmas Dinner Preparations have begun! 

(I am a little late posting!)

Yes, it is three days before Christmas, I am THAT woman! The one whom people say, "she has too much time on her hands!" So this is what I did with my time today. Napkin folding.

And these are my beautiful Christmas dishes that I have been collecting for years! "Winter Greetings Everyday" by Lennox. Those are the green glasses I inherited from my grandmother. I love mixing a little old with a little new!

We recently purchased and renovated this ranch style home that was built in 1976. We first fell in love with this sixteen foot fireplace! My first thought was, "that mantel will hold a lot of grandbaby stockings at Christmas time! As you can see, we still have a lot of available space, but we are praying it fills up eventually! (No pressure kids!)

As much as I love neutral colored modern farmhouse stockings (that would look SO good on my mantel) I cannot depart from the style of these family stockings that have been in my family for generations.

It started when my great grandmother made sequined stockings for her grandchildren. My grandmother continued the tradition and made stockings for my sisters and I. My aunt then continued the tradition making them for my children and my nieces and nephews. When I got married, I made one for my husband and I (as mine that was made by my grandmother is still hung at my Mom's house). Now that I have a grandbaby, I decided it was time to get busy making her stocking. But that would also mean that I needed matching stockings for my son-in-law and daughter-in-law! Everything must match! LOL!

I started in December this year and worked feverishly, while watching Christmas Movies & Football, determined to finish by Christmas! I finished the day before Christmas Eve! Yay!

This is the stocking I made for my son-in-law.

This one is for my daughter-in-law:

 And this one is for my granddaughter!

I have often wondered who decided which way the toe would point when the stockings are hung! Having no pattern, I made my husband's and mine pointing to the left.

However, when my aunt made these for my children, she made them with the toes pointing to the right. I thought she did it incorrectly-she is left-handed after all! But the two at the far left are store bought stockings to which I added the sequined appliques. She was right. I was wrong. So our 5 original family stockings have always looked silly hanging on the mantel pointing different directions.

Now that I have this amazingly long mantel, I have decided that my kids will go on one side of the fireplace pointing the right. My husband's and mine will hang on the right, and I will make all future stockings for my grandchildren pointing to the left so they can hang next to ours and we will have perfect balance. Balance is important to me!

Traditions

I love hearing about Christmas traditions from other families. It is the one thing that people who had wonderful memories enjoy talking about! One of the things our family wants to return to is reading the Christmas story from Luke Chapter 2 and taking communion before sitting down to dinner.

Crackers and red grape juice. Yes, those are shot glasses and antique creamers that communion is being serving in! What can I say? You improvise with what you have! 

(Those shot glasses are antiques from my grandpa, and they always had toothpicks in them! I thought they were toothpick holders for years!)

My mother-in-law always had a huge table of snack foods prepared so we could watch football and "graze" until Christmas Dinner was ready! Naturally, I did the same thing...of course, she was feeding 20 and I am only feeding 6. Needless to say, there will be a lot of leftovers!

Cajun Cheese Log

This next dish is a cajun cheese log. The ingredients include 3 oz. pks. cream cheese, 2 jars dried corned beef, three bunches of green onions, 1 tsp. garlic, 1 tsp of jalapeno powder all mixed together in large bowl. Divide into three logs. Roll each log in equal parts of cayenne pepper powder and paprika. Hot! Hot!! HOT!!! It is best served with Ritz Crackers, as the buttery cracker calms the taste buds!

My favorite Christmas candy is Divinity, so I always make it!

The rest of my family likes fudge, but I don't care for it, nor do I like to make it. I tried my mother-in-law's recipe made with Velveeta Cheese this year, but no one ate it.

Sugar Cookies. These are my specialty. I make them for every holiday-not just Christmas! I am a professional baker and this recipe is my most popular item. I usually spend hours decorating them with glazed frosting and  ornate designs, but running short on time, I just sprinkled colored sugar on them.

 Most people who visit us come in the back door of our house, so here are my back door decorations. I purchased the roller skates at an antique store for cheap! We don't have ice skating in Texas, so I thought it would be more appropriate to use roller skates! I knew immediately when I saw them that they would be used for Christmas decoration! Just stick a sprig of greenery in it and call it done!

Our very simple Christmas Tree. 

I used to go all out and decorate five trees very elaborately. At this stage of my life, simple is preferred.

Our guest room:

Our Guest Cottage Tree:

It took me a long time to figure out how I feel about this. It is a nice way to insert Jesus into a pagan Christmas tradition (I write sarcastically).  I have read the history of Santa Clause and that he was a Christian who gave out of the generosity of his heart. I resolved that this is an appropriate depiction. I hand painted it myself in the early 80's. It still has a place in our decor.

And this is our tree topper!

It may be hard to see in this picture, but it consists of two crowns. One is a crown of thorns that I made years ago from thorny mesquite tree branches found on our farm. I then spray painted it gold. This year I purchased a gold crown symbolizing the King of Kings and hung them together at the top of our tree. The first time He came, He came to be crucified, to be the sacrifice for our sins. Next time He comes, He will come as our reigning King!

I have enjoyed sharing our family traditions with you! Whatever your Christmas memories may be, whether good or bad, I encourage you to begin your own traditions and determine in your heart to make good memories. Christmas is a season of treasures. Treasure your friends, your family, and most of all, treasure the greatest gift of all, Jesus, our wonderful Savior, Counselor, Almighty God, the Everlasting Father, the Prince of Peace. He is worthy to be praised!

Merry Christmas!

Cheaters Homemade Chicken Pot Pie

With all the cold weather we have been having lately, I needed new dishes to add to my menu besides chicken & dumplings, chili, and tortilla soup!

Nothing says comfort like chicken pot pie! This easy to make recipe is yummy and easy to prepare! Of course, if you prefer all fresh ingredients, this recipe is easily adaptable! It is even better as leftovers! I hope you try it and enjoy it!

Ingredients:
Store bought Rotisserie Chicken
2 Frozen Pie Crust
1 T olive oil
Fresh onions, bell peppers
Frozen bag mixed vegetables (peas, carrots, green beans)
Frozen or canned diced potatoes   Fresh squash or zucchini          
1 can Cream of Chicken Soup
                                                      1/2 cup grated cheddar cheese

Instructions:
1. Bake pie crust according to instructions.
2. Debone chicken into bite-size pieces.
3. In large skillet, saute onions and peppers in 1 T olive oil. Once the onions are translucent, add the bag of frozen vegetables & potatoes. Continue sauteing until soft. Add squash unti heated.
4. Gently fold in cream of chicken soup and cheese. Heat until cheese is melted.
5. Arrange chicken pieces in bottom of pie crust til covered. Pour vegetable mixture on top.
6. Place second crust on top and press to seal edges. Cut slit in center for steam to escape.
7. Bake in 350 degree oven for 30 minutes. (You may need to lightly cover to keep the crust from burning.)

                                                 

When I Am an Old Woman I shall Wear Purple

Tribute to my Mom

This is my Mama. We recently celebrated her 80th birthday with all the family! It was a fun day as we gathered the Saturday after Thanksgiving to not only celebrate all that we are thankful for, but to celebrate my mom, Billie Lou Cantwell.

I am so proud of her! She is a published author and has taught writing classes for most of my adult life! She has a poem published in the book "When I am an Old Woman, I shall Wear Purple." She is the most inspirational person I know-always convincing my sisters and I that we could be anything we want to be, we can accomplish anything we want to accomplish. She makes us believe the impossible!

As a tribute, I wrote a poem for her on her birthday. It is written in the form that she used to write poems for each of her grandchildren. Thank you for indulging me by reading the tribute. I hope that by my sharing her story, you will be encouraged, inspired, and motivated to dream big, pursue your dreams, and BELIEVE that you can be anything you want to be and you can do anything you want to do!

Billie Lou

November 25, 2016

Seeker of wisdom

Giver of understanding

A quiet heroin

She listens with discernment

Slow to speak

Weighing all the sides of an equation

Before offering her verdict, the answer to life’s difficult questions

The daughter of her father, Bo

    Respected by many

            Integrity and dignity are her clothing

The daughter of her mother, Helen

    Serving every stranger who finds his way to her door

            Strong in principal

                        Knowing what is right

                                    Defending the underdog

A magnet for every child and living creature which seeks the comfort of home

The sweet nectar to every seeker who desires truth

She loves without judgment

Is quick to help, to serve,

Slow to anger and worry

Long on imagination and creativity

Rich in revealing a solution to a problem

Her greatest pleasure is to express her thoughts through the written word, to know the answer, to explain the riddle, to tell the story. She makes her mark on this world because she loves and loves well.  She has carefully woven a legacy, written on the hearts of her daughters, and they rise up and call her blessed.

Fairy Gardens

Fairy Gardens are all the rage right now, but my mom used to talk about Fairy Gardens years ago! She used to tell stories about the huge gnarly oak tree that is in the front yard of my great grandmother's home which she called the "Fairy Tree." The Fairy Tree has a large opening in the base of the tree and this is where she used to take her paper dolls and make a house for them.

Our modern versions of Fairy Gardens are much more sophisticated with store bought furnishings, fairy figurines, and props. I'm not a believer in fairies, but I do like the imagination and creativity behind the fairy gardens.

My version is a small one planted in a broken bird bath. I planted this for my granddaughter, and I hope as she grows older, she will become enthralled with it and use her own imagination to rearrange, add to, and play with.

I am working on a second garden, just because I find them fun myself (And I had leftover store bought items)! I think it would be even more fun to gather natural items to re-imagine into furnishings, paths, etc. acorns, pebbles, leaves, twigs, bark, ferns etc. make excellent choices for building a natural Fairy Garden. It uses much more imagination and camouflages the "secret garden" from the ordinary viewer. Only those who take time to smell the roses and peer deeper into a small garden area will see the magic that lies beneath!

Lessons From Chickens

I am a member of a group on social media for backyard chicken owners. It saddens me that every single day there is a post from someone who has lost a beloved chicken. For those of you who are not familiar with chickens, they make wonderful pets and they have the cutest personalities!

Most of the losses are from free range hens who have no protection from predators or from coops that are not predator proof. Some are from diseases and illnesses that just happen. Chickens get sick. They die. We cry.

 I am encouraged however that the Bible clearly says that God is aware of every sparrow that falls from the sky. He is also aware of every hen, rooster, or pet that falls. He sees the loss. For those who grieve the loss of a beloved pet, God sees your tears.

Psalms 56:8 says that He collects our tears in His bottle. He sees you. He loves you. And He has a heaven waiting for those who trust in Him where there will be no more sickness, no pain, no death. 

There will also be no more predators! Isaiah 11:6 and Isaiah 65:25 says the lion will lay down with the lamb, the children will play at the hole of the cobras (Isaiah 11:8) with no fear of being bitten. There will be peace, not only among men, but among the animals! The hawks, the dogs, the possums, the weasels will no longer threaten our chickens! I hope this encourages you as much as it does me!

Chickens and Happiness

Those who know me know that I love chickens. I have a new chicken coop thanks to a hubby who enjoys my happiness and spends countless hours in time and energy to turn my visions into realities. Hence, my beautiful coop! While renovating our house, we salvaged every usable piece of wood, trim, and cabinetry to be repurposed for other needs.

We turned a large upper kitchen cabinet into a nesting box by removing all the doors, adding a steep pitch tin roof to prevent roosting, and adding trim across the bottom edge of each cubby to hold in bedding.

I also made red checked curtains and hung them with tension rods because I read on another blog that chickens like their privacy...and they are cute! I painted the cabinet a happy aqua to give it a cheerful flair! I posted a picture on Pinterest and it is pinned several times daily. That makes me happy! Joy is a different matter all together. It comes from God and remains regardless of outward situations. Happiness comes from circumstances, and mine are happy at the moment! (Insert granddaughter!)

Which reminds me of how much we like to be appreciated. This life is such a team effort! This entire coop was inspired by others, plus my own vision, plus my husband's muscle and braun (and willing attitude!) which equals happy chickens, happy owner!

I hope I can be a person who inspires and encourages dreams in others and can bring some bit of happiness tot the world!

Friendships

"A friend loves at all times..." Prov. 17:17

This morning I grabbed a devotional book that I haven't read in years. When I opened the cover, I found this note written by my best friend. Never in my life have I ever had a girlfriend that poured into me like she did.We used to meet weekly for coffee, prayer, and girl talk.  When I moved away many years ago, we made a commitment to get together for a girls' weekend at least once a year. I miss our morning coffee times. I miss her being my neighbor. I miss seeing her.

But this morning I was reminded that God is still using her words just when I need them. I find them in unexpected places...the back of a photo, inside a book, a card in a drawer, a note in a file...and I am blessed again because God chose to give the gift of friendship.  I only pray that I am that kind of friend in return.

Lord, thank you for the gift of friendship. Thank you for giving us friends who love us for who we are, with all are faults and shortcomings. Thank you that friends love unconditionally and can speak truth to us even when it is difficult. Father, help me be that kind of friend. Help me connect with someone who needs a friend. Help me be trustworthy. Help me be honorable. Help me be an encourager and a good listener. Please bless everyone with a friend that sticks closer than a brother, and who loves at all times. In Jesus name, amen.

Girls' Night Out!

I have started a monthly Girls' Night Out in my home for a few of my friends! We started out as Bunco group, but I could never get 10-12 girlfriends together at one time...so, we went to Plan B and play games, eat pot luck dinner and have fun!

In my zest for entertaining and preparing impressive treats, I searched Pinterest for ideas. I have a whole board devoted to cute little Bunco treats with dice themes! I also purchased 100's of dice for centerpiece decorations!

Last month I made jello desserts. I used cherry, orange, lemon & lime jello and layered them in these fun sherbet/margarita glasses. I love using these festive glasses for parties!

Last night I made banana pudding in a mason jar topped with whipped cream and a white chocolate dice! I did not have Vanilla Wafer Cookies, so I used Ritz crackers instead. It made a savory sweet dessert and I think it was a hit!

Here's my recipe:
Ingredients:
2 pkgs. instant vanilla pudding
2 1/2 cups milk
1 can condensed milk (I use Eagle Brand)
8 oz. cream cheese softened
16 oz. non dairy whipped topping
2 Rolls Ritz Crackers
4 bananas
Optional: white and black melting chocolates for decoration

Mix in bowl until thickened:
    2 small pkgs. instant vanilla pudding
    2 1/2 cups milk
Add:
    1 can condensed milk
    8 oz. cream cheese (at room temperature!)
    8 oz. non dairy whipped topping
Mix together in large bowl and whip until well blended.

Crush 4 Ritz crackers in the bottom of each mason jar.
Slice 1/3 banana for each jar. Place on top of cracker layer.
Spoon 1/2 cup pudding on top of bananas.
Top each with dollup of whipped cream and top with white chocolate dice.
(I used pure white melting chocolates and poured the melted chocolate into a dice candy mold, then placed in the refrigerator to set for ten minutes. I used black melting chocolates to paint the dots after the white candy had hardened.)

Pumpkin Pie Pudding

Pumpkin Pie Pudding

After a very hot summer, we have finally had a rainy day with cooler temperatures. Fall is in the air! Our grown daughter just celebrated her birthday and came over for her birthday dinner today. We served grilled steaks, fresh salad, and roasted potatoes. For dessert, she doesn't care for cake, so I made pumpkin pie pudding. I made up the recipe as I went along...the result was wonderful!

Ingredients:

1 can pumpkin pie filling

1 small box instant vanilla pudding

1/2 can sweetened condensed milk

8 0z. cream cheese (I used cinammon flavored cream cheese spread)

1/4 cup milk

1/2 tsp. pumpkin pie spice

1/8 tsp. ground cloves

Blend together until smooth. Spoon into cups and top with whip cream.