Happy New Year's Eve

Well, it's the last day of 2011.  Hubby is in bed sick, kids are in bed sleeping and watching tv.... That's ok, I'll bet they will be up late tonight.

I want and probably need to think about the grocery list (after last night's midnight search for one more roll of tp) AND unpacking the pile of loot we brought home from Grandma's house.  But I'm still bent on enjoying the last few days of the break.  Can I make clearing my desk and organizing the toys a symbol of the fresh new year?  Take down the tree and put away decorations to be treasured again next December? Of course, that's what I always do.  My goal for contentment this year has been to live in the moment and enjoy what we have and where we are now.

It's really a time-management issue.  How much do we pack into each day's schedule?  Can we stop and enjoy each moment?  ...knowing there is something on the stove or a bill that needs to be paid or a permission slip that needs to be signed.  But don't forget that load of towels that needs to be transferred to the dryer.  More important than these is to make sure to capture those memories and grant a smile and hug and love on those little ones as much as they'll let us.  Some are more skilled at this than others - not worrying about the little things that is.  I am a details person so it seems all of the to do's that are yet to be done are crammed into my head, sometimes in list form sometimes in a big nasty mind-boggling pile.  So I've struggled with shuffling things from one pile to the next, putting "home" things in my work back and taking work things to be done at home, thinking that I'm productive but only creating more brain-burning in the end.

Today I'm going to enjoy my kids being home (well 2/3 of them anyway) and take them to one more movie, grab a few snacks to ring in the new year and say "goodbye" to 2011.

Note to self:  we have milk don't forget the toilet paper this time.

Feel better Michael - you have a birthday to celebrate tomorrow.

Cookies...continued

So we had friends come for dinner last night.  Nothing formal or even planned.  We just shared a casserole and cookies and enjoyed a few minutes of fellowship.....before we went back to our last minute to-do lists.  Next on my list was decorating those sugar cookies.  Kristina stayed to helped.

I made icing and added food coloring but realized the colors were more spring-like than Christmas red and green.  We used sprinkles and the kids made combo-color designs and had fun regardless.

Before we knew it, it was 9:30 and we remembered the kids have school tomorrow.  Yikes. 

Brush teeth, read stories and off to dreamland we go.  

Sugar Cookie Cutouts

Mason has been very interested in holiday baking.  Tonight we made sugar cookie cutouts.   He chose his favorite cookie cutters, I had to steer him away from the bunny though.

Funny, he thought this was Superman.

These are some of the same style/shape cutters we used when we were kids.

  

 

  

 Maybe tomorrow we'll decorate them with icing and sprinkles.

5 Days Til....

5 days and counting......

What are you doing for the next five days??

finishing Christmas cards to friends and family far away (some of them may be mailed on Dec 26)
preparing Christmas eve dinner list and checking it twice (that reminds me I have to take the turkey out of the freezer)
wrapping up those last minute gift items  (one more trip to the mall?)
wondering if and wishing we'll have snow on the day
smiling at the thought of having all of the kids in the same house for more than 24 hours
answering a 5 year old's questions about Christmas and Santa and cookies for the jail and life in general
baking cookies and other goodies and nibbling without guilt

but most important, I want to continue Celebrating the birth of Jesus my Savior and I pray that like Mary, I can truly treasure these things in my heart.  The important things that last.  Christmas really is the best story ever told and it's more than a story, it's a gift for each person to accept and unwrap.

I love Matthew Henry's Concise commentary from Luke 2 quoted here:

2:8-20 Angels were heralds of the new-born Saviour, but they were only sent to some poor, humble, pious, industrious shepherds, who were in the business of their calling, keeping watch over their flock. We are not out of the way of Divine visits, when we are employed in an honest calling, and abide with God in it. Let God have the honour of this work; Glory to God in the highest. God's good-will to men, manifested in sending the Messiah, redounds to his praise. Other works of God are for his glory, but the redemption of the world is for his glory in the highest. God's goodwill in sending the Messiah, brought peace into this lower world. Peace is here put for all that good which flows to us from Christ's taking our nature upon him. This is a faithful saying, attested by an innumerable company of angels, and well worthy of all acceptation, That the good-will of God toward men, is glory to God in the highest, and peace on the earth. The shepherds lost no time, but came with haste to the place. They were satisfied, and made known abroad concerning this child, that he was the Saviour, even Christ the Lord. Mary carefully observed and thought upon all these things, which were so suited to enliven her holy affections. We should be more delivered from errors in judgment and practice, did we more fully ponder these things in our hearts. It is still proclaimed in our ears that to us is born a Saviour, Christ the Lord. These should be glad tidings to all.

Caramel Success

I woke at 3:15 this morning.  It happens.  Tried to go back to sleep but gave up at 4:06.  I was thinking of last night's 3rd attempt to make caramels and was curious to see if they had set up.  This time last Sunday morning I had come down to check batch #2.  They looked pretty good so I cut and wrapped a few in wax paper and went back up to shower.  When I came back down, they had all melted and run through the edges of the wax paper.  Boo.  I read a few blogs and realized I didn't cook them quite to the boiling temp that they needed to go.  Batch #1 was thick and hard but tasted like praline without the pecans.  I cooked that one too fast and didn't use a candy thermometer.

So we tried again...Batch #3.  My husband said he admired my persistence.  Hmmm.  Does he really think I'm stubborn?  Well, I know I am but I told him I was DETERMINED.  (I was thinking:  if this doesn't work I won't be trying again.)

4:10 a.m. report:  IT WORKED!!!  No I didn't wake my family to tell them the good news but they won't be waiting to read this blog to find out either.  We have caramel success.

Wow, it takes as long to cut and shape and wrap those little caramels as it does to stir and get them to the exact temperature.  Now what's next??  I am tempted to try a chocolate caramel recipe that I found.  Meagan is voting for red velvet whoopie pies with peppermint cream cheese icing.  I told her we could try those next year.  She said:  "Next year is only a few weeks away."  Smart girl.  They will make a nice Valentine treat.

In the meantime, these soft and chewy caramels will make great little gifts in a pretty bag or box.   It's all about the packaging for me.

Meat Day!!

What a joy it is to work with such a great group of people.  Yesterday was our annual staff Christmas lunch road trip to Fogo de Chao.  Pdan has treated our staff to this tribute to meat for the past few years.

Have you ever been??  It seems each year we have a newbie along and get to enjoy it through their "first-time" eyes again.  The seasoned ones in the group, we've got it down to a science.  We don't waste our time, space or chewing energies on just any 'ole piece of meat.  We make choices and turn away any offers of something that might not be a favorite or that's not wrapped in bacon.  Eat a little salad then one, two, three....go!  Flip that coaster card from red to green and the meat begins to descend upon and around the table carried on large skewers by friendly men dressed as gauchos.

Someone might ask - "why start with salad, why not go straight to the meat?"  Well, for one, we're not total barbarians and we have to prepare and begin slowly.  Besides a Brazilian salad bar has so many different things that you won't find on any other salad bar in town.  It's part of the experience as is the red/green coaster.  If you forget to turn it back over to red, they keep coming and making offers of meat.  Turn it to red, and they know you are taking a break.  It becomes somewhat of a game.

My favorite selection this year was the filet-mignon wrapped in bacon.  It's the only one I tried twice.

Other complimentary foods offered on the table are the cheese rolls (I've been gluten-free for the past 2 visits so I just remember them being light and airy and fairly good as dinner rolls go), mashed potatoes, flan and warm cinnamon-sprinkled plaintains.

We finished our meal with dessert and shared a slice of turtle cheesecake and a papaya cream.

Carol, we missed you even though you're not a meat fan.  You were in our thoughts.
Pdan thanks for the gift not only of a nice meal but fellowship and time spent.

2011

2009

2008