Teaching you to Entertain Exceptionally
Are your children tired of the same old fruit in a bowl? Try this one for size. Cut the ends off a melon. Cut into 1/2 inch thick slices and with a 2 inch metal cookie cutter, cut different shapes. Also, by using a fruit baller, you can make flowers by scooping out little circles of the same fruit or one of a different colour.
This makes the fruit a lot of fun to look at and to eat. If your children are a little older get them to help cut out the fruit.
Yesterday after Church, I came home and made homemade beans and huge pot of chili. My best half, Don, made a huge-big pot of homemade soup. We are ready now for the cold weather to hit. Guess what? It did.
Resolutions. I only made one this year…..don’t make any, just do the best you can and it will work out for you. It just may not work on YOUR time schedule, but given time, it will.
Now we start a new year….2011. Who can believe it? New things will have to be planned and worked on to make this an even bigger and more successful site. I know I am ready for it and I hope you are too. Together we can make great strides into trying and succeeding at whatever venture entertaining at home brings. I would love to hear a resounding : DAMN, I CAN DO THIS from everywhere and know that little old me helped get you there. Have a great day. More tomorrow.
After having the tree up since the first few days of December, it is coming down today. Enough! I am not a grinch but I never have the tree up for New Years.
Now this is just me! Enjoy the day. It is a relaxing time now and I truly love the season for all the right reasons.
It is hard to function in any kind of order this week.
Daughter still here (thank goodness), packing, cleaning up on the turkey, company coming tonight, tree down tomorrow (yay) and getting ready for company for New Years.
I need a new signature drink to serve. Later
Having your “kid” arrive for Christmas. My kid, by the way, is 43 years old. The other “kid” arrives tomorrow and he is 45.
So, you never lose the title of ‘kid’ no matter how old you are. Love them. It is now starting to come together.
A few more days and the next lot of family arrives including 2 of our 4 grandchildren. Lucky us!
we went to the Mall today (Santa’s helpers needed MORE help…again!
) If you value life and limb then go today, go Friday morning, go next Hallowe’en BUT not this weekend.
I don’t know if I am getting old but people are not nice anymore. Polite? humbug. Pleasant? Never….WHOA!
Think of the people on the other side of the counter. They work for a living too. Remember the season says MERRY CHRISTMAS. Take a deep breath, relax and pay it forward.
Look what happens when a suggestion is made and someone runs with it.
when you want to try something new and then see how it takes off. Kudos to Jen for this. I hope she sends pictures that we can post and her comments (yea or nay). Congratulations to all who took part.
This is in reference to the gingerbread competition they had at their home. After all was said and done, Jen shared pictures with me, and it looked like the Dads were having as much fun as the kids were.
Everyone needs a night out without kids. Sowhy not set up a night, ask a few friends to join the challenge and each make their houses. Offer a special signature drink (see signature drinks on the site). I will be putting up a few ideas for nibblies and such. Anyone game? The proof must be you putting your pictures on the site so one and all can enjoy them. Any questions? I will be adding things as we go along for the evening to share with friends.
It takes: 1 cup soft butter and 1 cup granulated sugar. Cream these together until very light and fluffy and add
2 eggs and 1 1/4 cup blackstrap molasses, mixing until well blended.
By hand, using a wooden spoon, gradually add 6 cups of flour, 2 tsp. ground ginger,
1 tsp each of baking soda, salt, ground cloves and ground cinnamon. You will also have to mix this together with your hands.
Cut dough into 4 discs, wrap in plastic wrap and refrigerate for 2 1/2 hours (must be firm).
Prepare your cut outs for the house, label each section. It can be ANY design. Whatever you choose.
Between sheets of parchment paper, roll out each disc to 1/4 inch thickness. Re move top paper and lay out your house pattern. Using a sharp knife, trace the shapes and cut out. Freeze on a cookie sheet (still on the paper) for about 30-35 minutes.
Line your cookie sheets with parchment paper and bake in a 325 degree oven for about 13-15 minutes until golden and firm to the touch. Place on cooling rack and cool completely.
Royal Icing (glue for house)
1 pound of icing sugar
1/4 tsp of cream of tartar
3 egg whites
1 tsp. glygerin to prevent icing from becoming too hard.
Beat slowly until icing is smooth and stands in firm peaks, Put icing in a pastry bag to put the house together.
Candies and licorice bit, strings, chocolate wafers, smarties, popcorn (snow), whatever you want to put on the cake. Get it all in the bulk section. You will need lots and lots.
Hopeless that I am, I am getting giddy at the thought of another Christmas shared with family once again.
We are blessed this year with 3 of “our” 5 children and grandchildren. Two are coming from out of Province and one from here.
One daughter is in Japan and won’t be here. One son and his family are spending Christmas with his wife’s mother.
From our home to yours, God’s Blessing for peace and joy within your walls and all the best wishes for a super great 2011.
Pouring rain this morning. Wow! Like it will never stop or something. Went to the game last night. Were going to take our friends out to dinner (restaurant closed for a private party) ended up in the Sports Bar….Ugly! Another story.
I was wrong the hockey team forgot to show up. the other team, from Oprah’s home town, had two players evicted from the game…one had a potty mouth towards the linesman and the other tried to out shove the linesmen. Oops!
Today we are taking a couple of friends out to dinner and a hockey game.
The “Heat” are playing. They play good solid hockey and show up for the games all the time.
Now if only the professional teams would do the same. See you later…