Friday Favorites 1st 2015 Edition

Good morning sweet friends!  I'm currently at the beach with my mom, D's mom and two of her sisters.  We left Saturday morning and D had to go back to work on Wednesday. I'm so glad he came but I sure wish he could have stayed longer.   I am so thankful that I can work from wherever I am with a computer and internet!

This first week of 2015 has already proved to be quite an emotional roller coaster.  We expected part of it with the anniversary of D's dad's death and his birthday this week.   What we didn't expect I will share at the end of this post. 

A little car selfie as we were pulling out of the driveway Saturday morning.  I just love this.

My grandmother always said when she went to church that she was going to the "church house."  I was reminded Sunday morning that wherever you worship can be your "church house."  I just happen to love this one. 

Before D left we went on a movie date to see "A Night at the Museum."  We don't go to the movies very often but we had seen the other two in this series and really wanted to see the last on-screen performance of Robin Williams.   I was super sentimental about it because I am a huge Robin Williams fan.  The children and I watched "Mrs. Doubtfire" at least 50 times when they were little and it remains my favorite movie of his.  However, his "Aladdin" character (voice only) is one of my favorites, too.  Another one the children and I watched a zillion times. 

 

On January 1st, I began posting the most popular recipes from 2014 on the Cooking with Crevolyn blog.  (www.cookingwithcrevolyn.com) These are the recipes that got the most views as well as ones that I got the most feedback on.  Well, this particular one may have topped that list - Slow Cooker Heavenly Chocolate Dessert.  Y'all, it has 4 ingredients that you just dump in the slow cooker and in about 3 to 4 hours it's done. Trust me, you will want to make this.  Check it out here. 

 Okay, prepare yourself for this.   Monday was the anniversary of Poppa's death so we all woke up a little blue but were determined to make it a good day.    We were all telling stories, laughing, crying, and overall, just remembering a wonderful man in our own ways. 
D's aunt stepped out on the balcony at the house and took this photo with her iPad into the sunlight.  When she came back in and was looking through her photos, she gasped.  All she could do was hold this out for all of us to see.  Needless to say, we were speechless.  Look very carefully at the top of this photo.  And if you think there are not angels among us, you would be wrong...because this proves it.   I have never in my life been witness to such. God is so amazing.

Also on Monday, we got some very disturbing news.   One of G's closest friends from high school has gone missing.  He disappeared early Monday morning with no keys, cash, cell phone; nothing but the clothes he was wearing.  He lives near the Buford Dam area and search teams have gone out continuously since Monday.  G has been assisting with the search effort.  As you might guess, his parents are devastated and we are heartbroken for them.  Please, if you would, say a prayer for Kelly's safe return and the Nash family.

2014 Books

As you all know, I love books.  And I love to read.  So I set myself a goal for 2014 of 24 books read, in addition to my Bible reading.  We'll I'm happy to report, that as of 12/31/14 I read 38 books.  Yes, I do keep a list.   Now granted, when I'm at the beach/on vacation I read A LOT.   I've been known to read 4 or 5 books in a week so that kinda skews the average of 2 per month.  I read different kinds of topics by many authors.  I'm going to share with you a few of my favorite books from 2014. 

1.  The Bungalow by Sarah Jio.  This is the first time I've read any of her books.  But I will read more.  Loved this one.
2.  Bridge to Haven by Francine Rivers.  I love everything she writes.
3.  Rhinestone Jesus by Kristen Welch.  Her story of obedience is an inspiration. 
4.  The Aviator's Wife by Melanie Benjamin.  I loved this story of Anne Morrow Lindbergh.
5.  The Town that Came a'Courting by Ronda Rich.  I'd had never read this book by our local author.  When they movie came out in the Spring, I knew I wanted to read the book. 
6.  The Language of Flowers by Vanessa Diffenbaugh.  This one was a little hard to get into at first but by the end, I was hooked.
7.  The Lavender Ribbon by Heather Burch. 
8.  I'm a big fan of Mary Kay Andrews, Dorothea Benton Frank, Karen White, Mary Alice Monroe and Adriana Trigiani.  Combined this year, I read 10 of their books. 


Okay, so that's some of what was on my list for 2014.  If any of you have a Kindle please look into Kindle Unlimited.  This is sort of like a library card for the Kindle.  You can "borrow" up to 10 books for free and once you read them, you "return" them.  It's great.  I'm constantly checking on my Kindle to see what titles they have added.  There is a big selection, not super recent titles, but still a decent selection by popular authors. 

Happy reading.  I already have my list of books ready for 2015.  Yes, I am a book nerd.  :)

January 2015

Hi All!

I thought I would share a few of things going on around here in January.  I'm off to the beach today with my mom, D, his mom and two of her sisters.  Over the course of the next few days, E and N will come down and so will G.  We'll kinda be in and out but that's okay.  We'll get to spend some quality time looking at the ocean and eating seafood. Thank you, Lord.  This has proved a good time for everyone to just relax and recharge after the holidays. 

So let's see what else is going on during January ...
1.  On the 15th I'm super excited to begin a new Bible study, "Live a Praying Life."  I've done this Bible study before but it's so good and I definitely need a refresher.  I'm really looking forward to seeing what God has for me during the course of this study.
2.  The evening of the 15th is the Governor's Inauguration at The Gwinnett Center.  We were fortunate enough to be able to attend the Inauguration 4 years ago and we wouldn't miss this one. Super excited.  Biggest dilemma ... what to wear.  Seriously, men just put on their tuxedo or black suit and boom, they're done.  Us girls, we have to chose a dress, shoes, jewelry, handbag, etc.  We have hair issues, makeup issues ... it's all a little overwhelming.  But I'ma gonna go nonetheless. 
3.  Over the MLK weekend, I'll head out for a little girlfriend getaway.  This is a much needed respite for one of our friends who has had a tough couple of months.  What better way to cheer someone up than to have a getaway with the girls?  Yep, I'm in.
4. On the 24th, we'll head up to New Beginnings to pamper the ladies there.  This is just such a blessing.  I love this day so much.  So thankful for our team and all of those who carve out time in their busy schedules to go and serve.
5.  On the 25th is the Gainesville Bridal Expo.  This is a huge day for us and lots of work.  But totally worth it.  We'll do a booth, Be Inspired Tables, host a fashion show and serve on a wedding professional panel discussion.  There is lots to be done. 
6.  Along with all of this, I'll write two columns for The Times, one article for the Good Samaritan newsletter and make up to 30 recipes. 

So that is what January looks like for me.  January typically is a sad month of us and we're glad when it's over.  D's dad died on the 5th; his birthday is on the 7th and my dad died on the 17th.  I try hard to honor their memory in all that I do.  They were two fine, fine men.  Two men that shaped me into the woman I am.  I am forever thankful that I was a part of both of their lives.

Christmas 2014

Hi all!  Thought I would share a few photos from Christmas.  We had a wonderful day full of family, good food and making memories.  To say that I adore all of these people is an understatement.  They are the wind beneath my wings.  Cliché maybe but they are.  My life is abundant of blessings because of them.  Yes, we have our challenges and heartbreaks sometimes but we are in it together.   I love them to the moon and back.

My precious momma ... 89 and going strong! 

My love.  G asked me what my favorite memory of 2014 was I said without a doubt celebrating 30 years of being married to this man. 

Oh my heart. 

E and N with Penny, of course!

Mimi with her grands. 

Nana with her grands ... and Lucy.

And D with the fur babies. 

E sent me this photo over the weekend.  They are the cutest. 

Sunday D and G went to the Falcons game.  Love this photo of my two favorite guys. 

That's a few photos from our Christmas (and a few days after).  What a wonderful season of celebration.  Looking forward to all that 2015 holds!

Happy 2015 and 2014 in Review!

Happy 2015! 

"Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, the new creation has come.  The old has gone, the new is here!
2 Corinthians 5:17

The beginning of the New Year holds so much hope.  Hope of new adventures, new opportunities, new friends, new travels, and new memories.   Every year on January 1st I think back to the previous year and all that it happened to mold my life.  

So allow me to look back on 2014 and the ride that it was!

January 2014:
* The year started off with our trip with D's mom to Destin.  Since D's Dad died, D's mom has spent the month of January at the beach.  She is kind enough to allow us to crash her party so we spent the first week of January in the sand, sun and cold.  As in, super cold.  We saw several of the condos around us that had pipes bursting. 
* Speaking of pipes bursting, E and N started their year with the first floor of their house flooded because of a burst pipe under their sink.  Because they were at work when it happened, the entire first floor was under water when they got home.  This was an extremely long process to replace everything but in the end, they came out with beautiful new hardwood flooring. 
* In January I began a new venture as a columnist for The Times.  Honestly, this scared me to death.  I definitely do not feel qualified to write for a newspaper.  Yes, I write a blog but that's just me and you talking.  This would require correct spelling, grammar and something of real substance to write about.  But I've had a blast doing it and I've received many positive comments from readers.  I'm so thankful for the opportunity to step out of my comfort zone.
* Also, the CwC Brand was given the opportunity to cater the Women's Retreat at First Baptist Church.  This was a wonderful time to reconnect with an old friend and fulfill a need for their Women's Ministry.
*  At the end of the month was the Annual Bridal Expo in Gainesville.  Wonderful Events is a sponsor of this event and it was a huge success.
*  It should be mentioned here that Snowpocalypse hit us the last few days of this month.  It was quite the nightmare for Atlanta which of course, made national news forever confirming the fact that we Georgians cannot function in 3 inches of snow.  All kidding aside, it was literally "a perfect storm" that created a major hardship for many, many people. 

E made the front page of the newspaper ...

February 2014
*  The first day of February found us down in Athens to see one of G's best friend's band play at The Melting Point.  G's friend has toured with this band for several years and it was a treat for us to finally get to hear them.
* Valentine's weekend D and I had a little getaway at The Dillard House.  This was just the best time.  So relaxing.  Beautiful weather.  Great food.  Loved it.
*  The following weekend, we saw Jennifer Nettles at The Fox.  It was fabulous, of course.  This was my Christmas gift from D.  Well played, my dear. 
*  This weekend was also an Intensive Weekend Bible Study at church.  This was a Friday night and Saturday full of solid Biblical teaching based on the book, "When Wallflowers Dance."  I didn't want it to end.  It was that good.

March 2014
*  The first week in March, D and I headed down to Cook's Warehouse in Decatur for a Big Green Egg cooking class.  This was one of my Christmas gifts to him and it was so much fun.  I so wish they would put one of these fabulous stores closer to us.  This store, full of cooking supplies, gadgets, and cookbooks is the happiest place on earth (or is that Disney World?  both are pretty amazing!)
*  Then our girl celebrated her 28th Birthday!! Woo Hoo!  Instead of our traditional celebration, we headed back down to the Melting Point in Athens for a concert with The Highballs and dinner.  E and I had worked a wedding with this band and knew that they were amazing.  It was a great evening of celebrating our girl! 

*  I was honored to speak at the Commerce Club this month.  I am a member of the Commerce Club so I was beyond nervous to speak to my peers.  It's really hard sometimes to get up in front of people that you know and are also so smart, accomplished, etc.   But they are just a super group of women and all went well.  It could have been because I brought these to share! 
*  The middle of the month we traveled to Illinois for the wedding of our dear friend's son.  These friends were both in our wedding 30 years ago and continue to be friends who are like family.  We had a great weekend catching up, seeing old friends and going back to the church where we were married.

*  On the 19th, E and I spoke to the Event Planning Class at Brenau.  This is always fun to speak to students.  They ask they most interesting questions. 

April 2014
*  The month started off  huge with one of our bride's getting married at the Chattahoochee Country Club.  The weather was beautiful and all was perfection!
*  We headed down to Athens for the G-Day game the second weekend.  So much fun to spend a beautiful spring day watching football.
*  I was honored to be included in the Live Auction portion of The Gateway House' Gala on the 18th.    Yes, I was a nervous wreck and hid behind the bar while they were doing my auction section.  Someone (thank you, Mary) felt an evening of me cooking was worthy of actual American dollars and for that I am thankful.
*    One of the sweetest, dearest girls I know got married on the 27th.  She and I go way back and I was beyond honored to be a part of her day.  Again, beautiful weather.  Wedding perfection.

May 2014
* The first week of May I spoke at the Challenged Child Ladies Auxiliary Luncheon.  All of the folks at Challenged Child are so dear and I had the best time.
*  And then ... we had probably the biggest, most complicated (in a good way), outdoor wedding of Wonderful Event's history.  It was lakeside with everything being brought to site (tents, generators, restrooms, etc.)  It was a logistical challenge but I must say, everything went off without a hitch.  Praise the Lord! 
*  Our son-in-law's birthday was the 15th and we loved celebrating him. 
*  The end of the month was huge for me in that my two very best friends from high school came to my house for a visit.  It was awesome.  We laughed until our sides were sore; talked about our adventures (our husbands had not heard most of those stories -!) and decided we just did not want this weekend to end.  We've decided that this needs to be an annual event.

June 2014
* On June 2, 1984, D and I were married.  So on June 1, 2014 we headed off to celebrate in Jamaica.  It was so relaxing and wonderful.  I'm so thankful I married you D.
(This is a really bad photo and not sure why it's like this but it's the best I've got of our week in paradise)

*  As soon as I landed back on American soil, I packed up for a girlfriend getaway to St. Simons.  I usually don't do back to back beach vacations but it just happened this way. I can honestly say that St. Simons has the best restaurants in the smallest area of any place I have ever seen.  There aren't a lot of chain restaurants just good (really good) locally owned eateries - I'm looking at you, Southern Soul and Barbara Jeans!

*  On the 21st, we were honored to be a part of a beautiful wedding at Ashford Manor in Watkinsville.  We had done the wedding of the older sister several years ago and as soon as this sister got engaged, their momma called us.  It was just so fun to be a part of their family again.  Again, outdoor wedding with perfect weather!

July 2014
July was a hard month ...
*  On the 4th, when we were in Atlanta for E, D and N to run the Peachtree Road Race, D's mom fell in the hotel and broke her ankle.   This has been a long road to recovery for her but she's making progress.
*  We went ahead and went to the Georgia Food Industry Convention in mid-July in Amelia Island.  This was a hard decision to leave D's mom but his sister stepped in (along with a host of other folks) and we went on.   The Plantation has a major renovation and is just beautiful  I highly recommend it.

 
*  On Tuesday, July 15th, we received a phone call that our good friend's son, who had been battling brain cancer the past 2 years, had been rushed to the hospital.   This strong, handsome, 18 year old football-playing young man was going to be with Jesus on this day.  Our hearts were, and still are, broken.  Over the past six months, his family has began an incredible ministry, Thumbs Up Mission, in his memory.  I'll be sharing more about this very soon.
*  Later in the month, Mother and I went on a little road trip.  And let me just say, we had the best time.  We stayed in a condo at St. Simons and I wish I had taken a photo of my then 88-year old momma in her swimsuit, floppy hat and flip-flops.  It. was. priceless.

A little road trip selfie in the car ...

August 2014
*  In August, we were back in full event-planning swing beginning the month with a surprise birthday party for a dear friend's sister-in-law.  Oh my goodness, at the fun we had with this.  And the birthday girl really was surprised! 
*  On the 10th, we celebrated Mother's 89th Birthday!  She is just doing great and for that I am beyond thankful!
*  On the 16th, we were in full wedding mode with a beautiful wedding right here in Gainesville, at our home church in fact.  It was a fairy tale wedding with lots of bling and everything white and sparkly.  I loved every minute of it.  (except the balloons we had to put lights in... talk to me before you decide to do lit balloons. We would have never made it without my dear friend's husband and daughter to the rescue - ha!)

*  D and I took D's mom on a little vacation the end of August.  She was about stir-crazy from staying in so we took her for some fresh air and sunshine.   However, we had to be back on August 30th for the kick-off with the Dawgs and Clemson!  For the first time ever, we had season tickets and couldn't have enjoyed it more.

September 2014
*  The first weekend in September, we headed out just for a little weekend excursion.  It was great to connect with some old friends and take a breather before a super busy fall.
*  On the 13th I went with some great friends to Blackshear Place church for Beth Moore's simulcast.  To say this was life-changing for me sounds over-dramatic but honestly, it truly was.  God spoke straight to my core that day. 
My heart friends ...

*  On the 20th, we had the best time with one of the sweetest bride's ever.  Again, this was a hometown wedding and it was gorgeous.   This bride was so in the details - every little things was so sweet and so "her."
*  We had our dear friends from Illinois (the ones that we went to their son's wedding in March) come for a visit the 3rd week of the month.  It was so fun to have them here.  We loved catching up with them.  We trekked all over North Georgia and even up to Highlands with them.  So much fun.
* While our friends were here, I had already committed to speak to our Golden Nuggets group at church so they just came along.    It was just the best time.  And you know what? when you speak to the Golden Nuggets you get to eat lunch with them and they bring all of their best dishes.  There was some fried okra there that melted in your mouth.  Oh mercy.
*  The 27th was my sweet husband's birthday and we celebrated by going to a family wedding. Our little family celebrated him later with a birthday supper, cake and well, a candle. A big candle.

October 2014
*  The first weekend was full of beauty and fun as I was honored to be a part of a long-time special friend's daughter's wedding.  Again, it was an outdoor wedding and God blessed us with amazing weather.  It was such a special time and I loved every minute of it.
*  On the 10th, our boy turned 25.  I should have mentioned that we got a job back in August working for the Georgia Republican Party as a Field Representative.  This was a non-stop 24/7 job until the election.  So finding a time to celebrate him was a challenge.  We ended up going to church and then to O-Charley's brunch.  It certainly wasn't our normal birthday blow-out but it was the best we could do. 
*  The big news for October was that we opened a 4th grocery store in Blue Ridge.  D spent the last half of the month up there.  We were blessed with the generosity of some dear friends who let us stay at their beautiful home and enjoy a few glorious fall days in the North Georgia mountains.
I could have put in a photo of the store but this is much prettier.

* I stayed in Athens the last weekend for the wedding of another dear friend's daughter. This wedding was a stunner.   The ceremony and reception were held at The Foundry Inn.   So beautiful, elegant and classic.

November 2014
* The elections results were in on the 4th  and G's party won on all accounts with no run-off.  So he had officially finished his assignment.  Or so he thought. What was ahead of him was a month-long stint in Lafayette, Louisiana working for the run-off candidate there.  This was quite an experience for sure.   Again, his party's candidate won.
* The first weekend in November we stayed in Amelia and then went to Jacksonville for the Georgia/Florida game.  We had a great time.

* The following weekend we headed to Callaway Gardens for a little getaway for me anyway.  D had to "work" doing board stuff for the Georgia Food Industry.  I enjoyed it immensely.
* Mother and I attended our dear friend's son's wedding (the same friend whose daughter married in October) on the edge of a river in Hiawassee on the 22nd.  Yet again, God granted beautiful weather for their outdoor ceremony.
* On the Sundays before and after Thanksgiving, we hosted family gatherings at the Farm.  What a wonderful time we had with everyone.  Truly a special time for all of us.
*  Thanksgiving was a laid-back time of eating and watching football.  We went to D's mom's and enjoyed the day.

December 2014
*  The official Grand Opening for the Blue Ridge store was December 3rd.  We had a catering event that day so I couldn't attend.  But thankful for the ways God gives us to serve.
*  D and I went to the SEC Championship Game at the Dome on the 6th.  We cheered for Alabama and they won.  Maybe the first time I've ever yelled "Roll Tide!"
*  We picked up G at the airport the following morning as he was returned from Louisiana. It was so good to have him home.
*  December was overall laid back for us.  We attended our Church's Christmas Program and the John Berry concert.  I, along with several other ladies, made our way up to New Beginnings to celebrate with them.  What a blessing they are. 
* On the 19th we headed to Tennessee to visit with D's sister and her family.  This was a great time to catch up and celebrate with them. 
* Christmas Day found us staying close to home surrounded by those we love.  I wouldn't have it any other way. 

So that's it for 2014!
Wow - I look at this list and can't believe all that happened in 365 days.  That doesn't count that this was all mixed with lots of cooking for Cooking with Crevolyn; about a half a dozen wedding and baby showers; weekly prayer and Bible study meetings; monthly Supper Club dinners; monthly Birthday Club get-togethers; sporting events (mainly football);  dog pregnancies/C-sections/hysterectomies/lots of dog love; lunches/shopping with dear friends; quarterly trips to New Beginnings; and overall, so many blessings.  This year has been full of much fun, joy and sorrow.  But I guess that's the way of life.  I am so thankful for our health and all God has given us.   He is so good.  So very good. 

Being a Good Samaritan

About a month ago I was approached by a family friend to write an article for the Good Samaritan Food Bank's monthly newsletter. The Good Samaritan Food Bank is a division of the Chattahoochee Baptist Association.   You know at first of course I thought, I'm sure I don't have time to do that.  And honestly, some days I feel like I'm out of words.  (Hard to believe for me, I know you're thinking it.)  Anyway, my friend asked me to pray about it and I promised him I would.  And I did.  Like so many things, God reminded me that you make time for the things you want to do.  Isn't that the truth?  I sure make time to eat lunch with a friend, read a book or attend various events.   So obviously, that wasn't a viable reason.   I also knew that this would be a different type of writing,  I'll call it "writing with a divine purpose."  You see this would give me an opportunity to share my faith.  The newsletter will be distributed to over 300 families a week who are served by the food bank.  It will also go to supporters of the program.

I had a chance to visit the facility on McEver Road a few weeks ago and wow, I was impressed.  It never ceases to amaze the incredible work folks do on a daily basis to serve the needs of others.  
I grabbed this off of their website as an explanation of their mission:
"The Food Bank ministers to approximately 300 people each week.  There is a nondiscriminatory policy.  Anyone with a verifiable need may be helped.  All clients register by completing an application form and are then interviewed by a counselor to assess their actual life needs.  Counselors share Christ and pray with every client.  Individuals who qualify receive a box of food which includes canned fruits, vegetables, soups, peanut butter, spaghetti sauce, pasta, beans, rice, macaroni and cheese, tuna, lunch meat, sausage and bacon.  They also received breads, desserts, and fresh vegetables and fruits.  

Just in case you didn't catch it, counselors share Christ and pray with every client.  The Good Samaritan Food Bank is meeting a physical need all the while sharing the gospel of Jesus.  Y'all this is a very good thing. 

All of this to say, I am honored to be just a small part of this program.  Like I said, I will be writing an article for the newsletter and sharing a recipe or two.  Of course, the recipes will be using the parameters of the food that they receive. 

So if you're interested here is my first submission. 

“Taste and see that the Lord is good …” Psalm 34:8

God is so good.  Goodness is His nature.  The only way to know His nature is to fully experience Him.   We can’t experience Him from afar; we need to get close and personal to be fully aware of God’s extraordinary goodness. The way of life that God has called us to lead, through his Word, is something we taste as we live it.  To experience every aspect of God’s way of life is to taste it.  And it is good.  

Taste is one of the senses God gave us, along with sight, touch, smell and hearing.  God granted human senses to help with our understanding of earthly existence.  We cannot fully perceive the sweetness of honey, for example, until we taste it.  We cannot understand the sweetness of our Savior until we delve into a “taste” of Him. 

Have you ever tasted something so good that you thought you would never forget it?  Think about it for a minute.  Was it a chocolate dessert … maybe a bowl of chicken and dumplings … a sweet potato casserole?   You probably wanted to savor that taste as long as possible. Maybe you closed your eyes just to take in all of the flavors.  Maybe you exclaimed a big ole “yummmm” just to confirm to others your feelings.   That’s the way with God.  His goodness is full of moments to savor.

 God gave us food for our enjoyment.  He could have chosen to give us a bowl of manna every morning as He did with the Israelites in the desert to meet our physical need for food.   However, he chose to shower us to overflowing with all kinds of meats, fruits, vegetables and breads.  What a wonderful God who would give us way more than we actually need.  But isn’t that the way He is in all things, giving us more than we actually need?  God shows us His love in so many ways but none more than His provision.  He can provide for all of our needs, physical and spiritual.  God came as a baby in a manger to save us from our sins so that we may have eternal life.    Wow – what a Savior!

 The following two recipes appeal to both our savory and sweet sense of taste.  This Crunchy Beef Casserole is an easy “one pot wonder” for a family dinner.  The Fabulous Fruit Salad is a great mix of flavors using fruit, nuts and yogurt.   Quick and tasty! So taste and see ….

 Crunchy Beef Casserole

Ingredients:

2 cups pasta (can use elbow macaroni, corkscrew or any kind of small noodle)

1 pound ground beef

1 can cream of mushroom soup, undiluted

¾ cup shredded cheddar cheese

1 (14 ounce) can diced tomatoes

1 can fried onion rings

Directions:

1.        Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

2.       Cook pasta according to package directions; rinse and drain.

3.       Brown the ground beef and drain the fat.

4.       Combine the pasta, beef, soup, cheese and tomatoes.  Pour into a greased 2-quart casserole dish. 

5.       Cover and bake for 30 minutes.  Uncover and top with fried onion rings and bake 5 minutes longer. 

Fabulous Fruit Salad

Ingredients:

1 red delicious apple, cored and peeled

1 Granny Smith apple, cored and peeled

2 small cans or 1 large can mandarin oranges, drained

2 stalks celery chopped

½ cup dried cranberries

½ cup pecans or walnuts, chopped (optional)

1 (8-ounce) container nonfat lemon yogurt

Directions:

In a large bowl, combine all ingredients.  Chill at least 2 hours and serve cold. 

A Day in the LIfe

So how about a Day in the Life post today?  

Technically I'm writing this on Monday to be published on Tuesday.  So if the weather tomorrow isn't as beautiful tomorrow as it is today, I don't want you to be confused.  This is what I did today (Monday) not tomorrow (Tuesday) when y'all will read this.   Oh dear, anyway ...

1. Outside my window ... it is just gorgeous.  Yes, it is mid-December and the weather today is just lovely. A little too cool to put my top down but still beautiful.  D always says that I need to clarify that statement so okay ... putting my top down means the top down on my convertible.  Not really like my top as in my clothes.  Maybe only a man would think of that.  Ha!
So far today I've done the radio show and took a little shopping trip to Sims Pottery to pick up scarves for the New Beginnings ladies' Christmas bags.  We are going up tomorrow (Tuesday) night for their annual Christmas party.  This is a highlight of my Christmas season. 
After that I went to Reeves Wholesale to pick up a few things and then to the alteration shop.  Usually I have the dry cleaners do our alterations but this seemed a little complicated.  Last Saturday, Mother wanted to go to the Belk before we went to the drug store, grocery store, etc.  As she was looking for a new necklace (it needed to be long, everything she has is short and with some of her blazers and sweaters she just needs a long necklace but not too long because then it would get in her way and get hung on everything.  So she would need to wear a blazer like she wants to wear with it and go to Belk and try on the various options.  She thought she might want pearls because that would go with just everything but not real pearls, the fake pearls that look like real pearls.  She has real pearls but they're short and she doesn't want to buy anymore real ones).  So now you know where the over-explaining gene may have come from.  :) 
So we went to Belk with the other 10,287 people who were Christmas shopping.  I really needed to get a couple of gifts so going to Belk was actually fine with me.   After I had purchased the two gifts I needed, Mother was still in the jewelry department so I thought I would just walk around.  I found myself at the sale rack and by sale rack, I mean the one where it says "50% off, take an extra 40% off."  Well, they might as well just give it to me.  And there it was ... just the cutest top - black with white polka dots ... and it was kinda a sweatshirt fabric but in a dressier way ... and it was super comfy.  However, it had a band at the bottom.  I really do not like anything that has a band at the bottom.  So, I had the bright idea to have the super-smart alteration lady take the band off.  And given what I paid for it, I felt like I could justify the alteration costs.  So that is why I was at the alteration shop today.  
After that I called G to see what he was doing because it was around lunch time and I thought he might want to go.  He was headed to Atlanta to follow up about a job (big prayers for this! - hopefully more later) but he didn't have to be there until mid-afternoon so he would love to go with his momma to lunch.  I was having a major hankering for Little Italy's garden salad (the best!) and piece of pizza lunch special.  G was good with that so I was just pleased as I could be that we had the spur-of-the-moment opportunity to chat over salad and pizza.
After that I came home to pick up a Red Velvet Peppermint Pound Cake that I had made and took it to the staff at The Times.  These folks have been super kind to me over the past year allowing me to live my dream of writing and sharing recipes so the least I could do was make them one of my signature Christmas cakes. 
So now, I'm home.  After this, I'll make two recipes for the blog/radio show next week and then cook supper.  And speaking of the paper, in between I've got to start working on next week's article.  I have no idea what that's going to look like so I might ought to give that some thought.

2. I'm watching ... There are two new shoes this season that we just love.  Of course, we still watch Castle, Dancing with the Stars, Scandal, Duck Dynasty, Nashville, Shark Tank ... all of regular favorites but we are really liking the Goldbergs and Madame Secretary.  If you lived through the 80s and especially if you raised your children in the 80s, you will love The Goldbergs.  Interestingly, the show is based on the writers family and experiences.  I don't know how many times we've been watching it and D has said to me, "didn't you have a sweater like that?"  We literally laugh out loud every time we watch it. 
And of course, for my politics-loving husband, Madame Secretary is a sure winner.  I actually really like it, too.  It follows the professional and personal life of the US Secretary of State, played by Tea Leoni.  Very interesting from the viewpoint - is this what the real Secretary of State does everyday? and then how she balances a home, husband and 3 children.  Plus she's involved in a murder investigation of the former Secretary of State. That's a surprise, I know. 

3.  I'm reading ... well, this time of year, I'm a sucker for Christmas fiction.  So I just downloaded on my Kindle Paperwhite "Candlelight Christmas" by Susan Wiggs and "Tis the Season" by Robyn Carr.  I'm not far enough into either one of them to give you a review.  I also just downloaded, based on a recommendation of a friend, "The Power of a Woman's Words" by Sharon Jaynes.  I figure this one would be a good one for me as I'm constantly spewing words everywhere.

4.  I'm wearing ... I'm totally obsessed right now with a grey fur vest that I got at Target a couple of weeks ago.  I think I've worn it about 8 times since I got it.  It's so comfortable.  What do you think?



I've worn it with skirts, leggings, jeans, black pants ... with a scarf, with a statement necklace ... with a grey chambray shirt, grey turtleneck, black blouse, black tunic, and my Riley Clay "He is Enough" shirt, just to name a few.  This is my favorite piece of clothing right now.
Today I have it on with grey leggings, grey/black leopard print flats, the grey chambray shirt, a grey/black plaid scarf and a black tunic. 

5.  I am thinking ... about Christmas.  How I'm doing "Christmas-lite" this year and really enjoying it.  Believe it or not, the only decorating I have done is my tree.  That's it.  Can you believe it?  Next year, I'm sure I'll be back in full force but for this "season," I'm streamlining.

6.  I'm working on ... the January Bridal Show, recipes for January and my column for next week.  I had just the best meeting with the sweetest bride and her mother last Saturday morning.  She's not getting married until next May ( I now have 3 weddings in May) but it was so fun to talk about all of her plans. 

7.  I'm cooking .... about a dozen desserts this week.  These desserts are going about 10 different places.  Thank goodness none of them are staying here with me. 

8.  I'm looking forward to ... Wednesday evening when my family comes together for the Christmas Communion Service at church.  It is hands down my favorite event of the season.  I'm also looking forward to the John Berry concert and a great evening with some dear friends on Thursday;  to this weekend in Tennessee with D's family; to Christmas morning and to January 3rd (when we'll leave for the beach). 

So that's what's in my head for today.  What a random group of thoughts.  :)

Happy Tuesday!