This is a continuation of yesterday’s post. Today we will talk about hanging out in Homestead, Florida. Still going to attempt to avoid discussing Christmas Day because that really is going to be a long post!
After arriving we didn’t really stay up late. Mostly sat and chatted. Christmas Eve I set about exploring the decorations. I have always LOVED holiday decorating and I love to check out what people have on their tree….but only if they don’t do a themed tree. No offense but themed trees just aren’t adventurous enough for me. However, Kyle’s aunt did do a themed tree of sorts.
This small tree was decorated with handmade and hand decorated sugar cookies. It is freaking adorable! She makes this every year and as her many visitors stop by (and I am serious when I say she should install a revolving door at the front of the house) they can take a cookie or two with them. She let the 5 children take as many as they wanted when they left lol. I asked her if it was ok if I borrowed her idea and did the same here at home. She was absolutely tickled and said no one had made an effort to carry on that tradition and she would be honored. Warms the heart doesn’t it? The tree in the background I could not get a good shot of. It is well over 10′ tall and covered in an eclectic array of ornaments. I think I spent an hour staring at all of the ornaments and still didn’t see them all.
One of the other cute little items she had out was her Christmas Flamingo.
The flamingo has been a family joke and she has grown to love her flamingo. This one was a gift she received many years ago. I personally want to steal it. But now I can’t because I just incriminated myself
We spent our days relaxing. I got quite a bit of knitting done. The kids went swimming both Christmas Eve and Christmas Day.
Although it is hot outside the water is quite cold. Colder than I expected. I didn’t jump in until Christmas Day when the water hit 70 degrees and outside temps were 85. The hubs spent all the time he could with the kids in the pool. They loved it and I think out of the entire trip that is the one thing they can’t wait to tell their schoolmates about.
We also watched lots of tv specials.
And eating alot. OMG did we eat alot of wonderful good food. Christmas Eve we had Oyster Stew and a Seafood Stew. I am not a fan of oysters so Seafood Stew was what I opted for. YUM! Christmas Day was “roast beast”. My mother in law made shrimp just for me, she also made me some cheesy eggs one morning so I didn’t have to eat the egg casserole that had sausage in it. I had informed her she didn’t have to cook special food for me but she reminded me that I went out of the way to make her a chicken for Thanksgiving dinner (she is allergic to turkey). I thanked her and kept quiet after that. I still don’t see it the same. I am just making dietary changes, it’s not like I am allergic to red meat and pork lol. But anyway it was sweet and my digestive system appreciated it. The one thing we ate that I really loved was the hubs cousins’ homemade pesto with pinenuts. Oh. My. Gawd. Even my kids loved it and they really don’t like anything!
And while we were visiting we squeezed in a trip to the Everglades. We discovered that our $10 fee to get in is good for 6 days. So now we are talking about taking a trip down for a week so we can spend more than a day at the park. It is awesome seeing all of the alligators, birds, and turtles.
Here it is, the first one my kids ever made! I hope that we get snow more often in the future. They enjoy it so much. I just hope if we get it, we get it without the power outages. There are still over 30,000 people without power here in WNC. My heart goes out to all the people without the power and the workcrews busting their butt to get the power back up and running.
We are supposed to get more on Thursday. We are supposed to leave Wednesday. We are faced with a new problem because of our dog. See normally when we go out of town we arrange to have someone come by in the morning to let her out and feed her, then someone comes by in the evening to bring her in and refill her water. We leave out an exceptionally large bowl for water so that she is well hydrated. But now with another snowstorm coming (and coming from the Gulf which usually does us in) I am worried that people won’t be able to get over here. She can’t handle being out all night and if someone can’t get to her she won’t be fed and watered well. My neighbors are all going out of town so I am worried. We are trying to find someone who can take her to their house. Otherwise I may have to stay home so that we can be sure she is taken care of. NOT something I am happy about. I checked boarders and most are full and the ones that aren’t are demanding more money than I can handle. Hell by them time we paid a boarder we wouldn’t have anything left to drive down! So yea, it’s not looking real holiday like for us. Well for me anyway. Hopefully we find out today what is going on with that and maybe have the issue resolved.
Also today we have a birthday party to go to. The kids will love that, it’s at CHuck E Cheese….the place I won’t have a birthday party at. Don’t get me wrong, Chuck E Cheese is a great place. It’s just ours is super tiny and has got nothing on Fun Depot. Fun Depot is similar but about 10 times bigger and offers laser tag, an indoor go kart track, outdoor go kart track, indoor putt putt, bumper cars, AND a batting cage. Yea, lots more going on at the Fun Depot! But anyway, we are going to Chuck E Cheese and they are excited.
Today I also finish my father in law’s scarf. Doesn’t matter if I use up the second skein or not, I am done. Been working on this thing for 2 weeks and I am seriously tired of looking at it. Been using the hubs as the model and I am sure that despite the fact it doesn’t reach the tops of his pants yet, it’s ok. Why? Cause hubs is much bigger around then his father. So yea, it’s gonna be done today. YAY!
Oh and last night’s Winter Solstice ritual was cancelled I was so looking forward to it but I don’t blame them. So Molly and I will probably do something small here at the house tonight. She will love that since I usually work alone lol.
Oh and check out this cool timelapse video of the snowstorm!
Last night we had a gathering of friends at the house. I trimmed our guest list and not many showed up from that. Which was fine, I was pretty grateful it was just a few of us. As much as I like being a wannabe-socialite, sometimes intimate parties are best!
In the morning we went to the inlaws for breakfast. Mr. P’s “Belgium brother” (he was an exchange student in high school and has been adopted so to speak) was in town but had to leave yesterday. So we rushed out to squeeze in a visit. While there my mother in law sent me home with an angel she made.
Isn’t she darling???? Her robe is a knitted washcloth and the body is a cone peice of styrofoam with a small ball for the head. I absolutely love her and will pack her carefully at the end of the month. I like the simplicity of putting her together and I plan on making some witches just like this for Halloween/Samhain. I think my mother in law plans on making more in the future but with her older granddaughters.
Once we rushed home (a wee bit late than planned) we set about getting the house prepped for guests. One of the things I needed to do was decorate my yule log. SInce we usually have a live tree, I will use some branches that are removed from bottom and top to decorate with. But this time I don’t have that option. So while at Big Lots the other day I picked up some fake christmas floral peices for $1. I then took them apart and hotglued the peices into the ridge Mr. P had made for me.
I wasn’t sure about using blue and gold with a red candle but I don’t always use a red candle. The blue I was stuck on since it makes me think of cold weather. The gold I like for wealth. And once I got it together it really seemed to work. Some of you may be wondering why I have a yule log like that instead of a traditional one. Well, I don’t have a fireplace. I have contemplated doing something outside with a yule log but I don’t really feel drawn to that idea. With this I get the fire through the candle and I can light it for 12 days. No worries about a rampant fire running for 12 days in the yard either. So if you are someone who doesn’t have a fireplace but wants a yule log, I would recommend doing something like this.
A little later guests arrived. We had mac and cheese’s, bread and a couple desserts. I made a turkey, stuffing, and my homemade cranberry sauce.
This is my infamous brown bag turkey. Does it not look yummy???? I changed things up a bit and stuffed it with onions and pears. We forgot about that creating a lot of juices and we got juice everywhere taking it out of the oven lol.
One friend came by with spirits. Budweiser, scotch, and vodka. I had some Cranberry Sierra Mist on hand….add vodka and YUM!
All in all a nice night. I got pleasantly buzzed and fell asleep quickly. Come January we are going to have a movie night with pizza. Can’t wait!
So I got the cookies done in the knick of time for the bake sale. BUT. They taste bland. The sugar cookie recipe I found needs to have the cookies decorated and I had nothing on hand. So I told Molly to tell her teacher that if they wanted to they could, we just couldn’t do it.
As for the scarves, I completed another!
It is for my sister in law. I need to block it so it’s not so curled up. I like this pattern. Very easy knitup unlike some others that feel more tedious (like the ribbed I am working on for my father in law). Now when I showed this on twitter I got alot of “oh will you make one for me?”. I personally don’t mind making these for close friends and family but somewhere I sort of have to draw the line. So here is what I will do, you buy the yarn and send it to me, I will knit it and send it back finished. Leftover yarns will be donated unless you request to have it back. This particular patten takes about one skein of at least 250 yards. I used acrylic wool in oatmeal color, but I can do it with any type or color you want. Just remember that something thinner than wool will knit up looser and lacier.
Part of why I mention doing it this way is (1) I have alot of projects lined up to give as gifts throughout next year already and (2) I can’t go broke trying to get yarn when I have alot on my plate as it is. And don’t take that as I cannot get it done. If you send me yarn, I will get it knit within 2 weeks of the arrival of yarn. And too, this goes for any project….although the time constraints will change. A sweater isn’t going to get done in 2 weeks unless I quit working completely lol.
On other news I was going through my Ravelry queue and got it organized so that I get one project done a month. I refuse to allow myself to add any new projects unless I finish one. If I finish all of them early I will have lots of projects done for the year instead of the 12 I have allotted myself lol.
Ok, now I am off to get cracking on the last scarf!
So in my quest to get the holiday gifts done. Yesterday afternoon I got one scarf done.
And last night I worked on the apple butter. This batch turned out much chunkier than the last batch I did. Oh well, the older stuff is being handed out before the newer stuff anyway.
Now, I got a little frustrated with the school. The 4th grade is going on a trip across NC in March. Because of the need for cash, they are fundraising now. Which really sucks to be honest. Anywho I got a note on Monday (after I already went to the store and had no money left) that there is a bake sale this Sunday AND they need a donation of a baked good. I hope they don’t mind, I got one cake mix that will dish out a dozen cookies and that is all I can send. I plan on sending a note that they need to send notes to parents more than 4 days notice (they need the cookies at the school on Friday). Soooooo tomorrow I am working on those. I got two scarves left and those are coming along, should have another one done by next week. Hubs went ahead and placed an order with Swiss Colony for some gifts. I only hope they get here by the 22nd. He wants to take the gifts down to Florida with us and is getting pissy with me for continuing with trying to shell out enough gifts in time just in case they don’t. I do not want to be shopping on Christmas Eve in Florida after taking 2 days to go down. Matter of fact I want everything wrapped before we go down. So he can suck it (he is on my pissy list anyway at the moment).
Anyhow, that is where I am and hopefully will be done everything in time. I am trying not to stress too much.
Ok so technically it began on the 1st but really we are starting to feel it. The kids are enjoying their advent calendars. Cracks me up because it used to be a battle to get them up in the morning. Now they wake me up with their elephant-like running to the dining room to get their small peice of chocolate. In previous years I had to take it away by now because the boy would tear into all of it. Not just his either, he tore apart his sisters’ too just to get the candy. But this year he really gets the significance of counting down. Yesterday he mistakenly opened the 22 instead of the 2. Hey, he got the 2 part right lol. But he gently put the candy back, found the correct one, then apologized to me ever so sweetly.
The girls have started counting down the days until their vacation. They are dying to go shopping as well. Not to mention help me make cookies. Maybe I will let them help with the apple butter too. All I am looking forward to is a Christmas movie each night and some popcorn while snuggling with my babies. That is if I can get them to leave the Christmas Music Box alone.
I will be doing some video soon of our decorations. Probably closer to the 12th when i have to have my house super clean lol!
You know how everyone talks about the things their kids say? That is totally this post today! I do have a page devoted to the things my kids say (see Out Of The Mouths Of Babes) but yesterday deserves its very own post.
We started yesterday with a trip to the barber shop. A friend of mine has one right down the road from my house so Claire and I set off for a morning walk to get our hair trimmed. She needed hers fixed since she decided to chop it herself recently. I needed to get the hair off my neck. We had about an hour wait. Not too bad, made me happy for them since the last couple of months have been dead in their shop. Mr.P had the other two get dressed and pick up the house then they met us at the shop. My hair got done first by Mr. T , the owner. I then sat with Claire until owner’s sister was done with the current kid in the chair. Mr.P and the kids arrived just when Mrs. L got started on Claire. Mrs. L loves to talk and so does Claire. Unfortunatley for me, some of the things Claire wants to talk about have nothing to do with her. Their conversation started out innocent enough, Claire mentioned Mr. P & I took the girls to see New Moon. In the midst of the discussion Claire decided to inform Mrs. L that we sat the girls in the row in front of us so we could make out. My jaw hit the floor. I mean it wasn’t a lie or anything but that she figured it out AND decided to tell her hairdresser just killed me. Mrs. L wasn’t phased, she just said “I am glad to hear your parents are still making out”. LOL!
After that we headed off to lunch at Cici’s Pizza. Yea, we won’t be going back for awhile. I was on the toilet for 30 min last night. I swear I might have passed a kidney or liver or something. Anywho while we were there little man requested he get to see Santa. We have two malls in town. One is the big one and is crowded ALL the time. The other is smaller and at Christmas time is no more crowded than Walmart at 3 am on a Tuesday outside of the holiday season. We totally went with the smaller mall. I was thrilled to go. In the past the girls never had an interest in talking to the big man. Molly downright had fits. So I never made them go. Alex asked to go and I went bonkers with it. When we got to the mall, Santa was on break so we headed over to the bookstore to see what they had. Mr. P has been needing a new book to read for awhile and decided he would get one. The kids started finding stuff left and right that they wanted so I whipped out my phone and took notes. I did find two cute bags on sale, $14.99 at 75% off. We got one each for the girls and they are put up for Christmas. I might give Molly hers for her bday which is in exactly 7 days. We headed on back to Santa and there he was. Just one little girl waiting her turn. YAY! I hate long lines. So we talked with the Elf in charge and she allowed Alex and Claire talk to the big man seperatley but take a picture together.
Aww aren’t they adorable??? Yea, well that was until Alex decided to inform the 6 kids and subsequent parents who got in line behind us that Santa was fake. THEN proceeded to try and take off Santa’s hat and beard. The parents gasped and the kids didnt pay any attention to him. Leave it to my kid!
Hey! Thought I would let you all know that the flu left us as quickly as it hit us and no one else in the house is showing signs of being ill. We were vigilant at keeping others away from us, no easy feat with 5 bodies in a household. I am just glad that it’s gone and looks like it will stay gone. And I feel a need to get a billboard that says “It was flu, we don’t know what strain it was. DO NOT ASSUME H1N1!”. Seriously, you say you got sick and everyone jumps to the piggy flu. I don’t know if it was or not and would appreciate people not going frantic with the piggy flu pandemic. Just saying!
My request…..PLEASE let me know if you grab my blog button! I honestly don’t mind but I am finding blogs with my button whom also have blog buttons up for grabs and I had no clue they ever came by. I want to be able to reciprocate the linky linkage. And if your grabbing my button, I might not have visited you…..encourage me to come by please! So many blogs and it’s hard to find everyone. So don’t think your looking silly or attention seeking. I don’t see it that way at all!
Lastly, we were able to go to the parade this morning. We had fun but little man got tired about halfway through so we left. That was nice cause we beat the traffic. But now he is sad he missed Santa. I promised to take him by the mall so he can even sit on his lap and tell him what he wants. Finally I have a kid who WANTS to sit on Santa’s lap!
This last picture shows how bad it got after awhile. Yea, rude people blocking the view. Little kids couldn’t see jack! And that person in the red and green elf outfit on the right? Her job was to make sure everyone STAYED ON THE CURB!! Some of the parents with dance troupes and school bands had to do her job for her because she was too busy talking or watching the parade. And others were moving around her to see which caused the problem of the rest of us blocked from view. Thanks lady for doing your job!
Ok end of rant. Despite that, we had a good time. We may need to try a different spot. The website said the park we were sitting at was the performing area and all the performers stopped just before the park (and subsequently blocked from our view by people standing) and we missed the performances. So yea, better spots next year.
I don’t cook often on Thanksgiving, usually we go to the inlaws. I do cook Christmas dinner since we do a dinner with them on Christmas Eve. Although that changes this year with our trip to Homestead. Anywho I love to cook big meals. I usually precook all week long so that I spend the day cooking just a couple of things and reheat the rest (in the oven at that). Anyway I thought I would share a few of my recipes….perhaps you will find one you want to try out.
Easy Turkey – this is by far the best way to make a turkey imho. After the first year I tried to cook a turkey my mother in law shared with me this secret. It really isn’t a secret anymore since I share it with whomever will listen lol. You will need; 2 brown bags from your grocery store, a turkey, turkey pan, heel of a loaf of bread, and some olive oil(or oil of your choice). Preheat your oven to 350 degrees. Put your turkey in your pan and rub down with oil. Season to your liking and place the heel of bread on the breastbone of your turkey. Put the entire pan in the two bags, one on each end of the turkey so that the entire thing is covered with the bags. IMPORTANT!!! The pan MUST be inside the bags. If you put the turkey in the bags and then place in the pan you WILL have a fire! Put the turkey in the oven and cook 20 minutes per pound. No need to baste. With the bags enclosing the turkey and the heel it will create a self cooking bag. Another note: You will smell the bag as the turkey cooks, don’t be alarmed. Also make sure that your using the lowest rack in your oven. If the bag touches the top you will have another fire.
Green Bean Casserole – You will need:
16 oz pork sausage
1 cup of milk
2 10.75 oz cans condensed cream of mushroom soup
1 tbsp soy sauce
1 clove garlic minced
2 16 oz packages of green beans
12.8 oz of fried onions
First brown and crumble the pork sausage.
Preheat your oven to 350 degrees
Coat a 9×13 baking dish with cooking spray
Mix everything else except the fried onions and place in baking dish
Bake for 30 minutes
Sprinkle with onions and bake 5-10 minutes longer.
Pecan Pies – this will make 2 pies (great to give one to a neighbor)
1 cup sugar
1 cup light corn syrup
1/3 cup butter
4 eggs
1 tsp vanilla
1/4 tsp salt
1 1/4 cup pecan halves
2 shortbread crusts
Preheat oven to 325 degrees.
Cook sugar, corn syrup, and butter over low heat. Stir constantly until sugar dissolves and butter melts. Cool slightly.
Stir in eggs, vanilla, and salt.
Pour into pie crusts.
Arrange pecans on the top.
Bake for 50-55 minutes.
Peppermint Hot Chocolate – serves 8
3 cups heavy cream
3 cups milk
1/2 cup sugar
1/8 tsp salt
12 oz bittersweet chocolate, chopped.
6 drops peppermint oil
4 cups whipped cream
Chocolate shavings for garnish
In a saucepan, over medium low heat; combine the cream, milk, sugar, and salt. When the cream mixture just begins to steam add the chopped chocolate and stir until melted. Stir in the peppermint oil. Divide the hot chocolate among mugs and top with whipped cream and chocolate shavings.
Since my girls take a bus to our office in the afternoons, they need something to occupy them when their homework is done. Their favorite thing to do is decorate my door with pictures for whatever upcoming holiday there is. The Halloween stuff came down and they set about to decorate for Thanksgiving. I didn’t really supervise them over it: I envisioned pictures of family, indians, and turkeys plastered all over. What I got was not quite what I envisioned. One shows a turkey being shot. Complete with a bullet heading towards the poor turkey and one hell of a terrified look on the birds face. Another one features a trickster. A girl is coaxing a turkey to come to her, she even says “Come here turkey, we love you”. It’s apparent that she has a wicked evil grin on her face. Look closer and you see her holding a butcher knife behind her back. And Mr. P’s favorite picture is a glass of champagne and it says ” Get Drunk! It’s Thanksgiving!”. FYI….we have never shot a turkey, butchered a turkey, and I don’t make a habit of getting drunk at every single holiday event either.
The pictures have come down. My father in law thought they were hilarious! But I was concerned about what some of our clients would say if they came in and saw them. Actually it might have done some good, save a few turkeys this year. I was seriously contemplating not eating turkey anymore after the look of fear in shooter turkey’s face.
I was so looking forward to it but I don’t blame them. So Molly and I will probably do something small here at the house tonight. She will love that since I usually work alone lol.
