Wrapping Up Christmas

Christmas has come and gone and what do you know?  I don't really have any pictures.  I'm awful with taking photos, but I swear I'm going to try to do better in 2011.


Before 2011, though, I'd like to tell you about my amazing Christmas.  


1st- We had Christmas with my mom's side of the family.  Every year we get together and celebrate and eat and are merry.  It's one of my favorite things.  And while this year I didn't have any gifts there, it was a lot of fun seeing so many of my family members and teaching my cousin to knit (in front of everyone... yikes).  Mom was wearing her new scarf that I had made her, and I got to show off my awesomeness.  I'm thinking about making several items and then starting up an Etsy shop.  We'll see.


2nd- My wonderful friends got together for a Christmas party!  It was wonderful.  I got to see so many friends, some that came all the way from the west coast!  We had a secret santa, and I have to say the gift I made was well loved.  I was given a book (big surprise there.  I love me some books).  We ate.  We drank.  We were most definitely merry.  Mike was given a gift card.  That just makes him happy.  And he played video games and made friends.  By the end of the night, he and his drunken buddies declared that there was exactly 1 black man in the room (there were in fact 2 bi-racial gentlemen including Mike).  It was entertaining.


3rd- I had a FIVE DAY WEEKEND!!!!  That's cinco dias my friend.  That's a lot.  I spent them well.  I helped my buddy prepare for the party, cleaned my house (and I mean super cleaned), enjoyed Christmas (after finishing the decorations and wrapping) and really just relaxed!!!!  It was amazing.


4th- Have I mentioned the cookies yet?  NO???  Ok, so I like to bake.  And I have to admit- I got some skills.  So every Christmas I try to make some sweets for Mike to take to work, and my work, and my brothers, and Mike's parents.  I really wanted to make quite as many as I wanted, but I got to bake the Chocolate Chip, Snickerdoodles, Peanut Butter cookies, Sugar cutouts, and Gingerbread Men.  While I didn't quite like all of my recipes, the ones that came out I attached the links for the recipes.  I need to find better ones for the chocolate chip and snickerdoodles.  But the sugar cookies?  The gingerbread men?  A-FREAKIN-MAZING!  LOVED THEM!!!  I froze some of the sugar cookie dough.  Never using another recipe for those.


And while I didn't get to them by Christmas I still plan on baking the pumpkin cookies sometime soon.  WARNING- I haven't tried the recipe yet.


5th- Christmas day was... ok.  Mike worked that morning, so I got up and made him Mike's parents came down for lunch and then we had dinner with the family I babysit for.  They are wonderful, and the father cooked his mother's recipe for pork loin.  The meal was Puerto Rican, and it was delicious!!!!!  And they really are a fun group.  We played games until the kids were falling asleep, and then finally left ourselves.


6th- Dec 26 we had our own Christmas dinner since we had eaten with friends on Christmas day.  I made a delicious glazed ham with mashed potatoes, dumplings, green beans, and rolls.  Someone requested the recipe for the ham. The link can be found here.  I did tweak it to my needs- my ham was only 3 lbs., but I used 10 oz of juice, most of a pineapple, and 3/4 cup of brown sugar.  This way I had more glaze.  :)  It was spectacular.


And then finally on Dec 27 I got to have dinner with my mom and brothers and their respective girlfriends (and my nephew).  We met half way at the Fuji Steakhouse.  It was delicious!  And we got to exchange gifts.  My brother was completely surprised that I could knit.  I was a little peeved, but oh well.  His girlfriend wants the same scarf I made for mom!  :)


So there was the rundown of my Christmas.   It was rather calm this year, but it's mainly because my nephew no longer believes in Santa, and my grandpa wasn't here this year.  Mike worked on Christmas as well.  It was nice, though.  It was our first real Christmas.  We were poor in college, and then last year we bought a house, so we didn't really do gifts.  But this year, we have beautiful decorations and a lovely house to decorate, and thankfully lots of people to celebrate with.


And really, that last part?  Right there?  Yeah, that's really what it's all about.  The family and the friends to share it all with.


Happy Holidays, everyone!

Happy Christmas! Merry New Year!

Hope you don't mind my absence.  I was slaving away enjoying my days off before Christmas and didn't put blogging very high on the priority list.

I'll do a post later about all that, but to get to current topics- MENU MONDAY!!!!

On a Tuesday.  Again.

Anyways, food this week?  There's a lot of it.  I mean, hello stuffing your face week!

Monday- Christmas dinner out with the Brudders!!!!  Both of my brothers work at a casino (in the restaurants) so they never get off for the holiday.  SO.  To deal with that and the fact that we live a sizeable distance apart, we met half way and ate at the Fuji Steakhouse.  It's like Benihana's, only a little cheaper (same great taste if you ask me!).  Boy was it yum.

Tuesday- Lasagna
Wednesday- Take your pick of leftovers- Christmas dinner or lasagna
Thursday- I'm thinking Taco Melts
Friday breakfast- Doughnuts!  We love us homemade doughnuts.
Friday dinner- Maple Glazed Chicken with rice and carrots.
Saturday breakfast- Breakfast burritos- if we like them I'll share the recipe.
Saturday dinner- Probably Chili or eating out- it's my cooking day
Sunday breakfast- Pancakes?
Sunday dinner- Beef stroganoff?  I think so...

As you can tell, this is all made up on the spot.  I have a menu, but we've drifted so far off the map that I don't remember what it says- just what's in the freezer.  The good thing is I have probably a week's worth of meals still in the freezer!  Yay for not needing to make so much this month!

PS- The Christmas ham (and apple dumplings) were delicious.  Recipes to follow... Probably tomorrow.  I will try, though!

PSS- Link up ya'll

Happy Friday!

What makes my Friday so happy?  You mean outside of my weekly pay day and Mike's double-bi-weekly pay day?


I have an adorable pup curled up with his head on my heart.


And we're staying in to cuddle.  By choice and much to the sadness of our friends (who are at shadowbox Live as we speak).


I have a cute and warm rice bag on my toes.


My Christmas cards are finished.


And my hubs is on his way home.


What more could a girl ask for?


Happy Friday, everyone!

Grown Up Christmas List

mostly grown up, anyway....

All I want for Christmas is........................



POWER TOOLS!!!!!

jigsaw blades, a carpenter square, a tool belt, clamps, drill bits, screws, a nail punch, a sander, a workbench, saw horses....

BOOKS!!!!!

Brave New World, Atonement, Memoirs of a Geisha, Winnie the Pooh, Moby Dick, Five People you Meet in Heaven, Adventures of Sherlock Holmes, The Three Muskateers, Charlie and the Chocolate Factory...

And gift cards

Jo Ann Fabrics, Home Depot, Restaurants...

But the motherload of all things?

Despicable Me.  For real.  I saw it, loved it, and it was amazing.  I want my own little set of minions one day, I swear.

I'm so excited about Christmas, but so not... I'm very excited about my list, but I'm really bummed about Mike's Christmas gift.  First, he got a super awesome birthday present just a few weeks ago (an Ipod Nano), but the condition was that I was spending twice as much as budgetted, so his Christmas gift would be (lots) smaller.  So it's sad already.  But then?  He tells me he wants this really nice thing from where he works that costs over my limit BUT if HE buys it, he can use his employee discount and it's NOT over budget... So he got that.  For himself.  So now I have a grand total of $15 to spend on him on something that will surprise him.  I'm at a loss.  Help?

Other than that, more things to come!  Including a beautiful hand-knit scarf that I just so happened to make for my mother.  For her birthday.  It's a nice and easy pattern that looks like it's not.

What's on your list this year?

Wee Bit of Me- Just for fun!

 {one} did you buy a christmas tree this year?Nope.  Had our trusty fake one with lights and all!


{two} what is your favorite holiday tradition?Decorating the tree and picking out our yearly ornament. {three} do you open your gifts on christmas eve or christmas day?It varies.  We open ours usually Christmas Day, but it's hard to tell when we'll see our family each year.


{four} at what age did you stop believing in santa claus?I don't remember how old, but I remember when it happened... I would say 7 or 8?


{five} do you fill stockings?No... We don't.  But we will when there are kids around. 


{six} handmade presents or store bought presents?From friends or For friends: Handmade.  From mom/dad/hubs/etc: Store bought.  For mom/dad/hubs/etc: Can go either way- depends on what they want!


{seven} do you have a favorite christmas meal?Mike and I are starting a new tradition- We are having Apple dumplings for breakfast, and maple glazed ham for dinner.  YUM


{eight} is your christmas tree real or artificial?Fake.  It's easier, and safer for the pets.


{nine} what is your favorite christmas song?I love Vince Gill and his daughter singing "Let There Be Peace On Earth"I also like Christina Aguilera's "Silent Night"


{ten} did you send out christmas cards this year?Working on it!  We have 20 in the mail with about 20 more to make, only half of which need mailed... Too many friends and family, I swear!

Link up, folks!