It's rainy. It's soupy. It's not cold. This weather is the weirdest ever. There was even a tornado that made an appearance in Buford today. Very, very strange. This is, however, the best weather for sleeping and cooking. I didn't get a nap but I have been very busy in the kitchen. Last night I whipped up an amazing dessert - Cranberry Cinnamon Chip Bars. I did good - had one, maybe two :) bites, cut it up and sent it off. I have discovered that I love cinnamon chips. I think I might like them better than chocolate chips. *gasp* I know.
Then tonight I made the best pork tenderloin I have ever tasted. Not braggin, just fact. I finally found a great recipe that I love - it's easy and delicious. The pork was juicy and tender with a little crusty on the outside. Pretty much perfect. I also made a cranberry chutney that was really good; baked sweet potatoes and green beans. I'll be sharing the recipes very soon. You're gonna love them.
So . . . I promised you the Live It Up Plan for Entertaining. I'm sure you can't take so much excitement in one day, so I'm going to talk about one word at a time.
Today's word: Live. That's a great word.
L - Life Impact. The most important reason for entertaining.
I - Invite. The people are the most important Ingredient.
V - Variety is the spice of life. Be creative!
E - Embrace your strengths and delegate your weaknesses.
So there you have the first word. I have lots to say about each of these points but honestly, right now, I'm exhausted. Like I said, I cooked earlier instead of napping. And that cooking and eating will sure take it out of a person.
The End.
Tuesday, November 30, 2010
Monday, November 29, 2010
Live It Up Plan for Entertaining
As I mentioned earlier in the month, I've been asked to speak to a ladies' group here in our community this Thursday. If you've talked to me in the past few weeks, I'm sure I've bored you to tears lamenting my nervousness about this event. This is a large group; a large group of my peers. Oooh. I'll just be honest with you, I'm intimidated. I've been praying up though and I'm beginning to feel my whole upper body start to relax. A little. My girl has agreed to create and run my power point presentation so just having her there will reduce my stress level immensely.
When I first found out about this speaking engagement, my mind was just going from one end of the spectrum to the other. Oh, I guess I should tell you the topic I was asked to speak on . . . Entertaining for the Holidays. So, where do I begin? There are so many things to talk about. I honestly could talk for two whole days about this topic but I just have 40 minutes. Oh, that's another thing - when they first asked me to speak, they said I had 25 minutes. After speaking with the coordinator for the event last Monday, I now have 40 minutes. That extra 15 minutes makes a huge difference. Anyway, I stewed and prayed and stewed some more, when finally I thought that just maybe I should create an outline that would perhaps order my thoughts. Novel idea, right?
I stared at the blank page for about 30 minutes when I realized that I love acronyms. You might not. It's the way I learn and remember things.
For example, I learned to spell arithmetic in 3rd grade by this saying - A rat in Timothy's house might eat Timothy's ice cream. Get it? The beginning letter of each word in that little sentence spells the word arithmetic. I know, I have a weird brain but it works for me.
So . . . I thought maybe this might be a jumping off place for my little talk on Thursday. (acronyms not Timothy's rat or ice cream.) Guess what we (I was divinely inspired) came up with: The Live It Up Plan for Entertaining! What do you think?
So this will be the foundation for my talk on Thursday. Check back tomorrow and I'll give you a sneak peak at how we can all "Live it Up!"
When I first found out about this speaking engagement, my mind was just going from one end of the spectrum to the other. Oh, I guess I should tell you the topic I was asked to speak on . . . Entertaining for the Holidays. So, where do I begin? There are so many things to talk about. I honestly could talk for two whole days about this topic but I just have 40 minutes. Oh, that's another thing - when they first asked me to speak, they said I had 25 minutes. After speaking with the coordinator for the event last Monday, I now have 40 minutes. That extra 15 minutes makes a huge difference. Anyway, I stewed and prayed and stewed some more, when finally I thought that just maybe I should create an outline that would perhaps order my thoughts. Novel idea, right?
I stared at the blank page for about 30 minutes when I realized that I love acronyms. You might not. It's the way I learn and remember things.
For example, I learned to spell arithmetic in 3rd grade by this saying - A rat in Timothy's house might eat Timothy's ice cream. Get it? The beginning letter of each word in that little sentence spells the word arithmetic. I know, I have a weird brain but it works for me.
So . . . I thought maybe this might be a jumping off place for my little talk on Thursday. (acronyms not Timothy's rat or ice cream.) Guess what we (I was divinely inspired) came up with: The Live It Up Plan for Entertaining! What do you think?
So this will be the foundation for my talk on Thursday. Check back tomorrow and I'll give you a sneak peak at how we can all "Live it Up!"
Sunday, November 28, 2010
Black Food Friday!
Why in the world did I think I needed to get up at 5:15 a.m. again on Friday morning? On the one day of the year when every single one of the crazy people get out of bed at the same time. I only have one explanation. My girl wanted me to. And that you know is all it takes.
I met her at 6:15 at Chick-fila. But goodness knows, we were not alone. The place was packed. I saw D's aunt and her daughter and they had already made two stops and lots of purchases. E and I apparently were late arrivers to this whole shopping party but we were okay with that. However, we quickly consumed our nutritious breakfast and caffeine-infused beverage and headed out. Mind you, E had to be at work at 8:00 a.m. and it was already 6:45.
First stop, Old Navy. They had $15 men's jeans (maybe women's too but who had time to go through the ordeal of finding a pair of jeans at this hour?). Forgetting the hour, I called D to see if he wanted in on the deal. I woke him up. Silence. Oh no. In his always-kind-and-loving-tone he says, "are you really calling me at this hour to ask me if I want a pair of jeans?" I let out a barely audible, "yes, but maybe this wasn't a good idea after all. I think I'll just let you go back to sleep." I don't think I could have felt worse.
Second stop: Michaels. Had a coupon. Got what I wanted. Done. Check.
Next stop: Bed, Bath and Beyond. Bought 4 gifts - woohoo!
It was a great day. I ended up having lunch with D, G and D's parents at Brad's Grill. Honestly, we could not have planned it if we'd tried. Nothing like a cheeseburger and some slaw to jumpstart your mid-day slump.
And I knew that needed to happen because we had big plans for the evening. We were going to dinner and the John Berry concert with E and N and N's parents. And because of that alone, I was energized! Yay! I'm sure I don't have to remind you how much I enjoy N's parents and to top that off with John Berry - it just doesn't get much better.
I won't blabber on and on about how much fun I had and how much I love John Berry because I know you've heard it all before. Suffice it to say . . . it was a great ending to a great week.
I will not forget about Food Friday. I will not forget about Food Friday. I'll write it 100 times. But maybe you'll cut me some slack since I was in some sort of food and shopping induced comatose state on that day.
Well, these little darlins' are causing a stir all over town. I made these for testing purposes a couple of weeks ago and because this recipe makes almost 60, I dispersed these to lots of folks - D's co-workers, the Jacobs Media staff, friends and family. I have heard nothing but rave reviews. This recipe is a keeper. These would be great to make for your upcoming Christmas gathering. You're gonna love em!
Homemade Almond Joys
Ingredients:
14 ounces sweetened condensed milk
2 cups powdered sugar
2 Tablespoons pure vanilla extract
5 cups unsweetened flaked coconut
60-90 salted roasted almonds
2 bags milk chocolate chips
Directions:
1. In a medium bowl, whisk together sweetened condensed milk, powdered sugar and vanilla extract. Stir in coconut. The mixture will be thick. Place mixture in the freezer for 30 minutes.
2. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Remove the coconut mixture from the freezer. With clean hands, shape one tablespoon of coconut into a little log about 2 inches long and ¾ inch thick. Press the logs together very well so they don’t crack.
3. Press 1 or 2 almonds on top of each log.
4. Place the baking sheet in the refrigerator to chill while melting the chocolate.
5. Place a medium pot with two inches of water over a medium flame. Bring the water to a simmer. Place chocolate chips in a heat proof bowl and place the bowl over the simmering water. Stir the chocolate as it melts. Turn off the heat once the chocolate has melted but keep the bowl of chocolate over the hot water.
6. Remove the coconut candies from the fridge. Spoon chocolate over the top of each coconut log.
7. Let candy harden in the refrigerator for 45 minutes. Store in an airtight container at room temperature. Use wax paper if you layer in containers.
I met her at 6:15 at Chick-fila. But goodness knows, we were not alone. The place was packed. I saw D's aunt and her daughter and they had already made two stops and lots of purchases. E and I apparently were late arrivers to this whole shopping party but we were okay with that. However, we quickly consumed our nutritious breakfast and caffeine-infused beverage and headed out. Mind you, E had to be at work at 8:00 a.m. and it was already 6:45.
First stop, Old Navy. They had $15 men's jeans (maybe women's too but who had time to go through the ordeal of finding a pair of jeans at this hour?). Forgetting the hour, I called D to see if he wanted in on the deal. I woke him up. Silence. Oh no. In his always-kind-and-loving-tone he says, "are you really calling me at this hour to ask me if I want a pair of jeans?" I let out a barely audible, "yes, but maybe this wasn't a good idea after all. I think I'll just let you go back to sleep." I don't think I could have felt worse.
Second stop: Michaels. Had a coupon. Got what I wanted. Done. Check.
Next stop: Bed, Bath and Beyond. Bought 4 gifts - woohoo!
It was a great day. I ended up having lunch with D, G and D's parents at Brad's Grill. Honestly, we could not have planned it if we'd tried. Nothing like a cheeseburger and some slaw to jumpstart your mid-day slump.
And I knew that needed to happen because we had big plans for the evening. We were going to dinner and the John Berry concert with E and N and N's parents. And because of that alone, I was energized! Yay! I'm sure I don't have to remind you how much I enjoy N's parents and to top that off with John Berry - it just doesn't get much better.
I won't blabber on and on about how much fun I had and how much I love John Berry because I know you've heard it all before. Suffice it to say . . . it was a great ending to a great week.
I will not forget about Food Friday. I will not forget about Food Friday. I'll write it 100 times. But maybe you'll cut me some slack since I was in some sort of food and shopping induced comatose state on that day.
Well, these little darlins' are causing a stir all over town. I made these for testing purposes a couple of weeks ago and because this recipe makes almost 60, I dispersed these to lots of folks - D's co-workers, the Jacobs Media staff, friends and family. I have heard nothing but rave reviews. This recipe is a keeper. These would be great to make for your upcoming Christmas gathering. You're gonna love em!
Homemade Almond Joys
Ingredients:
14 ounces sweetened condensed milk
2 cups powdered sugar
2 Tablespoons pure vanilla extract
5 cups unsweetened flaked coconut
60-90 salted roasted almonds
2 bags milk chocolate chips
Directions:
1. In a medium bowl, whisk together sweetened condensed milk, powdered sugar and vanilla extract. Stir in coconut. The mixture will be thick. Place mixture in the freezer for 30 minutes.
2. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Remove the coconut mixture from the freezer. With clean hands, shape one tablespoon of coconut into a little log about 2 inches long and ¾ inch thick. Press the logs together very well so they don’t crack.
3. Press 1 or 2 almonds on top of each log.
4. Place the baking sheet in the refrigerator to chill while melting the chocolate.
5. Place a medium pot with two inches of water over a medium flame. Bring the water to a simmer. Place chocolate chips in a heat proof bowl and place the bowl over the simmering water. Stir the chocolate as it melts. Turn off the heat once the chocolate has melted but keep the bowl of chocolate over the hot water.
6. Remove the coconut candies from the fridge. Spoon chocolate over the top of each coconut log.
7. Let candy harden in the refrigerator for 45 minutes. Store in an airtight container at room temperature. Use wax paper if you layer in containers.
Thanksgiving 2010
Well, as you know the first half of our Thanksgiving day was spent at the Turkey Trot. Since we had gotten up at 5:15 a.m., we took the opportunity to rest a bit that afternoon before heading over to D's parent's house for the big feast. And that it was.
Oh my heart. I love them so.
I don't know whether it is because I haven't eaten bread hardly at all since March or because I just love it so much but I could have eaten the entire platter of dressing and that alone. It was just that good. Oh, and maybe some sweet potato pie. I'm easy to please.
Oh my heart. I love them so.
This year we were honored to have a very special young lady join us. I think they make a pretty good-lookin couple.
We called ourselves the scarf girls. At least all three of us got the same memo.
It was a fabulous day. One to be thankful for.
Dahlonega and The Turkey Trot!
It's Sunday already and I haven't even told you about the rest of my week last week. Uneventful by some standards but here goes.
On Wednesday I worked at the office and then came home, packed a quick bag and hopped in the truck with D to go to Dahlonega. That afternoon there were big happenings in that little town in that our Nation's Capitol Christmas tree was passing through on it's way to D.C. This year's tree is from Wyoming so they had already journeyed across the country on the way to their final destination. The company that is in charge of transporting that massive tree is based in Dahlonega so he wanted to make sure that his hometown got a look at it. What I thought was interesting was that on one truck was the tree - over 100 feet from bumper to bumper. On a second truck were an additional 75 smaller trees along with over 65,000 (yes, that's correct) ornaments that artisans in Wyoming had made to adorn these trees. I just think that is so cool.
The radio show was live from the square that day so since D had to go to the store up there anyway, I just thought I would ride along. And I'm so glad I did. It was so fun. I bet there were over 1,000 people there. There were bands playing, face painting and of course, the most popular was the big man himself, Santa.
The truck was delayed getting to Dahlonega because of traffic so it wasn't there by the time we had to leave. We did, however, meet it coming up Hwy. 400 on our way down to Atlanta. We were spending the night in Atlanta because of the Turkey Trot start bright and early the next morning.
I am so proud of my husband, daughter and son-in-law for running and walking 13.1 miles Thanksgiving morning. They were amazing. I, on the other hand, walked a 5K on my three trips between the porta-potty and our parking spot at Turner Field. I just didn't get a t-shirt to prove it.
Just a few photos to share. This is George and BJ doing the radio show on the balcony of the Dahlonega Visitors Center, high above all the action.
This was my view once I got up to the balcony to do the show. The Square is beautifully decorated. It is definitely worth a trip up there to maybe do a little shopping or say get a little treat at the Fudge Factory. Not that I would know about either of those.
Here are my Turkey Trotters - successfully completed their first Half Marathon! Way to go!
On Wednesday I worked at the office and then came home, packed a quick bag and hopped in the truck with D to go to Dahlonega. That afternoon there were big happenings in that little town in that our Nation's Capitol Christmas tree was passing through on it's way to D.C. This year's tree is from Wyoming so they had already journeyed across the country on the way to their final destination. The company that is in charge of transporting that massive tree is based in Dahlonega so he wanted to make sure that his hometown got a look at it. What I thought was interesting was that on one truck was the tree - over 100 feet from bumper to bumper. On a second truck were an additional 75 smaller trees along with over 65,000 (yes, that's correct) ornaments that artisans in Wyoming had made to adorn these trees. I just think that is so cool.
The radio show was live from the square that day so since D had to go to the store up there anyway, I just thought I would ride along. And I'm so glad I did. It was so fun. I bet there were over 1,000 people there. There were bands playing, face painting and of course, the most popular was the big man himself, Santa.
The truck was delayed getting to Dahlonega because of traffic so it wasn't there by the time we had to leave. We did, however, meet it coming up Hwy. 400 on our way down to Atlanta. We were spending the night in Atlanta because of the Turkey Trot start bright and early the next morning.
I am so proud of my husband, daughter and son-in-law for running and walking 13.1 miles Thanksgiving morning. They were amazing. I, on the other hand, walked a 5K on my three trips between the porta-potty and our parking spot at Turner Field. I just didn't get a t-shirt to prove it.
Just a few photos to share. This is George and BJ doing the radio show on the balcony of the Dahlonega Visitors Center, high above all the action.
This was my view once I got up to the balcony to do the show. The Square is beautifully decorated. It is definitely worth a trip up there to maybe do a little shopping or say get a little treat at the Fudge Factory. Not that I would know about either of those.Here are my Turkey Trotters - successfully completed their first Half Marathon! Way to go! 
Tuesday, November 23, 2010
Tuesday Update
Well, I am just having the best week and it's only Tuesday. And it's bound to get better because we all know all the fun that's to be had before this week's end. Woo and Hoo!
Okay, so Sunday. D went to regular church and I had "church" with a whole slew of High Schoolers. Why you might ask? This is a really long story but I'll give you the short(est) version. Several months ago, God put the most wonderful young woman in my life. The way it happened is a super cool story and one that can only be described as a God-thing. She is a young wife and mother trying to all the right things in God's eyes and has two of the most precious young girls you've ever seen. Anyway, this young woman was speaking to this group of high schoolers on the subject of sex and as you might imagine, I thought she just might need to see a familiar, smiling face of encouragement in the audience. So I went for moral support. She did a great job and honestly, I was beyond impressed at her level of comfort speaking openly about an extremely sensitive subject. She handled it perfectly. And, by the way, kudos to our youth minister for his support of her presentation. I really wanted to give her a standing ovation when she was finished but I thought that might not be appropriate given the circumstances but I sure was giving her one on the inside.
And the rest of the day Sunday was beyond relaxing. We came home, put on our comfortable clothes and never got out of them the rest of the day. G and his girlfriend were with us all day and it was great. We watched football, laughed, ordered pizza and even went to the grocery store together. I loved every minute of it.
So Monday I was up and out early for a full day of appointments and errands. Late in the day, I got to see my girl. She had been out of town for a few days so it had been awhile, and I could hardly wait to lay eyes on her. We met with a sweet bride and her mom about her wedding in April. I know I say this all the time but I love my job. We had so much fun with them talking about all the details of her big day.
After that, it was time for our monthly birthday group girlfriend get together. Well, let's just say I could hardly wait to get there and see these precious women. We sat around our friend's kitchen table and talked for a solid two hours and never moved. Honestly, I think my rear might have been a little numb when I finally got up. At one point, we declared ourselves officially old when we realized we were comparing surgeries, symptoms, medications, aches and pains. I could not have been happier to be there.
And today, Tuesday. Actually I think I may have crossed the midnight time line with this post into Wednesday so honestly, I don't know if today is today or today is tomorrow. Anyway, I won't bore you with all the details but there are two highlights that must be noted.
1. I had a great lunch with one of my heart-friends and oh, at the joy. We hadn't had any face time in months and it was awesome to get to see her and catch up with each other''s lives.
2. It is official. I am now in the full-blown Christmas spirit. D and I have just returned from seeing Mannheim Steamroller in concert. We went to the Classic Center in Athens with our good friends and we had the very best time. MS have been around for 25 years and I think we have every CD they have ever released. Nothing says Christmas to me like Mannheim Steamroller. They are super-duper talented musicians and they can take the most traditional Christmas song and turn it into the absolute coolest thing you have ever heard. There are keyboards, guitars, violins, recorders, strings, horns and drums. I will tell you that you still have a chance to see them in our area as they will be performing at the Fox Theatre in Atlanta the last week in December. It is definitely worth the price of admission.
Seems like the common thread of this post is the good quality time that has been spent with family and friends the past few days. I honestly didn't intend that to be the theme but it sure has come shining through. So, I'll just end here and say that during this season of gratitude I am so very thankful for the family and friends that God has blessed me with.
"Enter His gates with thanksgiving and his courts with praise; give thanks to Him and praise His name." Psalm 100:4
Okay, so Sunday. D went to regular church and I had "church" with a whole slew of High Schoolers. Why you might ask? This is a really long story but I'll give you the short(est) version. Several months ago, God put the most wonderful young woman in my life. The way it happened is a super cool story and one that can only be described as a God-thing. She is a young wife and mother trying to all the right things in God's eyes and has two of the most precious young girls you've ever seen. Anyway, this young woman was speaking to this group of high schoolers on the subject of sex and as you might imagine, I thought she just might need to see a familiar, smiling face of encouragement in the audience. So I went for moral support. She did a great job and honestly, I was beyond impressed at her level of comfort speaking openly about an extremely sensitive subject. She handled it perfectly. And, by the way, kudos to our youth minister for his support of her presentation. I really wanted to give her a standing ovation when she was finished but I thought that might not be appropriate given the circumstances but I sure was giving her one on the inside.
And the rest of the day Sunday was beyond relaxing. We came home, put on our comfortable clothes and never got out of them the rest of the day. G and his girlfriend were with us all day and it was great. We watched football, laughed, ordered pizza and even went to the grocery store together. I loved every minute of it.
So Monday I was up and out early for a full day of appointments and errands. Late in the day, I got to see my girl. She had been out of town for a few days so it had been awhile, and I could hardly wait to lay eyes on her. We met with a sweet bride and her mom about her wedding in April. I know I say this all the time but I love my job. We had so much fun with them talking about all the details of her big day.
After that, it was time for our monthly birthday group girlfriend get together. Well, let's just say I could hardly wait to get there and see these precious women. We sat around our friend's kitchen table and talked for a solid two hours and never moved. Honestly, I think my rear might have been a little numb when I finally got up. At one point, we declared ourselves officially old when we realized we were comparing surgeries, symptoms, medications, aches and pains. I could not have been happier to be there.
And today, Tuesday. Actually I think I may have crossed the midnight time line with this post into Wednesday so honestly, I don't know if today is today or today is tomorrow. Anyway, I won't bore you with all the details but there are two highlights that must be noted.
1. I had a great lunch with one of my heart-friends and oh, at the joy. We hadn't had any face time in months and it was awesome to get to see her and catch up with each other''s lives.
2. It is official. I am now in the full-blown Christmas spirit. D and I have just returned from seeing Mannheim Steamroller in concert. We went to the Classic Center in Athens with our good friends and we had the very best time. MS have been around for 25 years and I think we have every CD they have ever released. Nothing says Christmas to me like Mannheim Steamroller. They are super-duper talented musicians and they can take the most traditional Christmas song and turn it into the absolute coolest thing you have ever heard. There are keyboards, guitars, violins, recorders, strings, horns and drums. I will tell you that you still have a chance to see them in our area as they will be performing at the Fox Theatre in Atlanta the last week in December. It is definitely worth the price of admission.
Seems like the common thread of this post is the good quality time that has been spent with family and friends the past few days. I honestly didn't intend that to be the theme but it sure has come shining through. So, I'll just end here and say that during this season of gratitude I am so very thankful for the family and friends that God has blessed me with.
"Enter His gates with thanksgiving and his courts with praise; give thanks to Him and praise His name." Psalm 100:4
Saturday, November 20, 2010
Food Friday
I was just reading an article about how to be a successful blogger. Guess what Rule #1 is? Be consistent. Rule #2: Pick a topic and blog about that topic - i.e. cooking; parenting; fashion; crafting, etc. Well, what I have been successful at on this blog is not following rules 1 or 2. Oh well.
Therefore, Food Friday will probably continue to float somewhere around Friday and I will continue to write as a non-expert on a variety of topics. Basically, I'll just continue to do what I do best.
So, who's ready for Thanksgiving? I am totally geared up for Thanksgiving and Christmas this year! As soon as I close up this computer I'm going to the basement to pack up fall and unpack Christmas! Yay!! So ready for all things Christmas. Not to negate Thanksgiving but we don't celebrate Thanksgiving at my house so I can go ahead and get a jump start on the Christmas decorating. However, the inside and outside of my house will have a split personality until next weekend. For some reason, I am totally comfortable decorating the inside for Christmas before Thanksgiving but I just can't bring myself to do the outside. So to the outside world, we will still be all things fall but to the inside, we are all things Christmas!
I wanted to share a recipe that I will make about 10 times from now until Christmas Day. I'm asked to bring this salad to every family or friend get together that I attend. That's okay, it's easy, it can be made the day before (actually it's best to do that) and it is delicious!
**EDITED TO ADD: In the second paragraph, when I said we don't celebrate Thanksgiving at my house what I meant was, we go to D's paren'ts house for Thanksgiving; I do not host it. So . . . yes, we do believe in giving thanks and setting aside a day to do just that. Just to clarify.
Crunchy Cranberry Salad
Ingredients:
3 oz. pkg. strawberry gelatin
3 oz. pkg. raspberry gelatin
2 cups boiling water
1 10 oz. pkg. frozen sliced strawberries, partially thawed
1 15 ¼ oz. can crushed pineapple, don’t drained
1 16 oz. can whole berry cranberry sauce
1 cup chopped celery
½ cup chopped pecans
Directions:
1. Dissolve gelatins in boiling water and let cool.
2. Add strawberries, pineapple, cranberry sauce, celery and pecans.
3. Spoon into a 12x8x2 pan or your favorite mold, sprayed lightly with cooking spray. Cover and chill until firm.
4. Unmold onto a lettuce-lined plate.
This recipe is best if prepared the day before serving.
Therefore, Food Friday will probably continue to float somewhere around Friday and I will continue to write as a non-expert on a variety of topics. Basically, I'll just continue to do what I do best.
So, who's ready for Thanksgiving? I am totally geared up for Thanksgiving and Christmas this year! As soon as I close up this computer I'm going to the basement to pack up fall and unpack Christmas! Yay!! So ready for all things Christmas. Not to negate Thanksgiving but we don't celebrate Thanksgiving at my house so I can go ahead and get a jump start on the Christmas decorating. However, the inside and outside of my house will have a split personality until next weekend. For some reason, I am totally comfortable decorating the inside for Christmas before Thanksgiving but I just can't bring myself to do the outside. So to the outside world, we will still be all things fall but to the inside, we are all things Christmas!
I wanted to share a recipe that I will make about 10 times from now until Christmas Day. I'm asked to bring this salad to every family or friend get together that I attend. That's okay, it's easy, it can be made the day before (actually it's best to do that) and it is delicious!
**EDITED TO ADD: In the second paragraph, when I said we don't celebrate Thanksgiving at my house what I meant was, we go to D's paren'ts house for Thanksgiving; I do not host it. So . . . yes, we do believe in giving thanks and setting aside a day to do just that. Just to clarify.
Crunchy Cranberry Salad
Ingredients:
3 oz. pkg. strawberry gelatin
3 oz. pkg. raspberry gelatin
2 cups boiling water
1 10 oz. pkg. frozen sliced strawberries, partially thawed
1 15 ¼ oz. can crushed pineapple, don’t drained
1 16 oz. can whole berry cranberry sauce
1 cup chopped celery
½ cup chopped pecans
Directions:
1. Dissolve gelatins in boiling water and let cool.
2. Add strawberries, pineapple, cranberry sauce, celery and pecans.
3. Spoon into a 12x8x2 pan or your favorite mold, sprayed lightly with cooking spray. Cover and chill until firm.
4. Unmold onto a lettuce-lined plate.
This recipe is best if prepared the day before serving.
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