Kitchen Tree

Many years ago, I planned to have a decorated tree in every room, but somehow I stopped with six trees. Sometimes six trees seems to be plenty, but when I see how many ornaments I have accumulated, I occasionally think I should pick up a few more small trees. Although you can buy them inexpensively during after-Christmas sales, they take a lot of room to store and a LOT of time to put up and take down every year. So I have mixed emotions about the "tree in every room" concept (especially with Lily in the house)!

This year, I'm donating my table-top tree (I'll eventually replace it with another small one) so I'm down to five trees. I sometimes vary the location of the trees, occasionally putting a medium-sized tree in the kitchen. This year, I put a smaller "pencil tree" in the kitchen as it takes less space and works with the theme I had in mind.

This year's kitchen tree has sort of a folk-art theme. I started out with some very old red apples and heart ornaments, then I added a few cookie cutters. Finally, I added set of Cosmo Cricket ornaments I made last year. The nice thing about having a lot of ornaments is that it's easy to make a "themed" tree without buying anything new. I just mix and match using what I have.

If you look closely, you'll see that this tree is tied to the window with fishing line. So far, it is still intact! :-)

It's all about the hair

I'm weeks behind Cathy Zielske's online class I'm taking over at Big Picture Scrapbooking. This is probably not a surprise, but I do not like to fall behind! Fortunately, you can catch up on the missed projects anytime. I'm frustrated with myself that I got so far behind, but I'm very motivated to get back on track!

Here's a layout from class I just finished up using one of Cathy's fabulously simple sketches. If I recall, this one was about white space, but I could be wrong. It exemplifies all the things I love about her style: clean lines, minimal embellishments, solid colors, and ample room for the story.

If you click on this layout, you should be able to read the journaling. In a nutshell, it's all about the process we use to achieve "show choir hair". We spend enough time on the hair during show choir season that I thought it worthy of documentation. :-)

Oh, Christmas Tree!!!

This traditional song has taken on a new meaning at our house. After last year's multiple Christmas tree disasters, I hoped that this year Lily would have outgrown her interest in our trees.

No such luck.

Within a few hours of putting up three of our trees, she had knocked one down twice.

So (like last year) all the trees are now tethered to stationary objects with fishing line. We have so much fishing line going to and fro that our house looks like it has been booby-trapped. Of course, we keep tripping over it. Daughter got the idea to mark some of the more dangerous spots with pink Post-It flags, but Lily immediately took them down.

We'll see if the Christmas trees make it until Christmas. At this point, it appears to be unlikely. :-)

Toys from my childhood

Over the summer, I moved the contents of my parents' attic to our house. Most of the stuff in the attic, it seems, belongs to me. All summer and fall it sat in our garage because I couldn't find the time or strength to go through the boxes.



Over the weekend, I tackled this little project. I went through box after box of my old games, puzzles, and dolls. They were dusty and dirty, but for the most part, everything was still intact and just as I remembered it. It's really important to me that childhood treasures be stored carefully and with respect, so I cleaned everything up and packed it in labeled plastic containers to store in our basement. I'm not ready to part with any of these goodies!

I grew up in the 60's and 70's, so if you're about my age, maybe you'll remember some of these treasures! My Fun Flowers set (box and some of the tin molds are shown) was one of my favorite things. I loved to make all kinds of flowers and shapes with it. (Notice how these flower shapes are the same ones popular today?) I also found a few boxes of paper dolls (including a set of Dawn Doll paper dolls), my snow-cone maker (complete with instructions), a music box, my Lite-Brite (with all the pegs, of course), games, puzzles, and books. In addition to the goodies shown here, I cleaned up a dozen baby dolls and packed them away.

This is only a fraction of the things I have from my childhood. Credit goes to my mom for saving all of this for me. It's great to be able to hold these treasures in my hands and remember back on the part they played in my childhood.

Winter wall hanging

For the past few years, I've done some freelance work for Better Homes and Gardens' annual Christmas book, Christmas from the Heart, which is released in July of each year. I received my copy of the latest book a couple of days ago. Meanwhile, I just finished some work for next year's book, which I won't see until next summer! :-) This beautiful annual book features great recipes, decorating ideas, and craft projects for the holiday season. The book is available on the BHG website here.

Since I now have the latest book in hand, I thought I'd share a couple of projects from last year over the next few days. One of my favorites was this winter wall hanging. I love the quote. AND I still love those American Crafts felt snowflakes! In fact, I believe I'm hoarding the few I have left!

Feline Friday

Notice any similarities?
A difference: Only one was stuffed!

Post-Thanksgiving Lily says:
"My diet starts tomorrow!"

Happy Thanksgiving

Even though I've had a very rough past few months, I am still blessed beyond measure. I have so many things to be thankful for this year. Here are just a few, in no particular order.

I'm thankful for my blogging / e-mail / Facebook / and in-person friends, far and near, who bring me smiles every day. Some I've met and some I may never meet, yet we're all connected. Thank you from the bottom of my heart for all the inspiration, support, and encouragement you've offered me this year.

I'm thankful that I know what it feels like to have a mom who loves you unconditionally.

I'm thankful for a daughter who challenges me, makes me think, and is (slowly) molding me into a better person by being her parent. I'm thankful for the opportunity to help her discover who she is meant to be.

I'm thankful for blogging...how it weaves us together in a big (yet little) global neighborhood.

I'm thankful for a spouse who understands me (most of the time, anyway) and supports me. I'm thankful for our shared history and goofy inside jokes.

I'm thankful for the Butterball Hotline.

I'm thankful for Clorox wipes. Yes, I am.

I'm thankful for Tinsel who, even though she has bathroom issues, sleeps on my lap every evening and stands on my foot when she's hungry.

I'm thankful for my extended family members, who have listened to me, hugged me, and shared stories with me.

I'm thankful for fonts -- especially Helvetica, Wendy Medium, and Futura.

I'm thankful for Lily, whose incredibly loud purring and never-ending antics are a source of delight.

I'm thankful for my relationship with my dad, who I've come to understand and appreciate in new ways this year.

I'm thankful for those good-smelling plug-in things from Bath & Body Works.

I'm thankful for my faith in God, which has been greatly tested and strengthened this year.

I'm thankful I can hop in the car or jump on a plane and travel to new places.

I'm thankful for the snooze button.

I'm thankful for interesting non-fiction books.

I'm thankful for Diet Coke, without which I would have some really long days.

I'm thankful for my work, which has provided an outlet and a refuge during this very difficult year.

I'm thankful for new paint colors in our house.

I'm thankful for my dear Aunt Carole, my inspiration for all things creative.

I'm thankful owls have made a comeback.

I'm thankful for Cranberry Bliss Bars at Starbucks.

I'm thankful that I still have a sense of humor.

I'm thankful for lower gas prices.

I'm thankful for digital photography.

I'm thankful for the recumbent bike at the Dreaded Fitness Place.

I'm thankful for Picasa.

I'm thankful for scrapbooking, which allows me to document and make sense of our lives.

I'm thankful I've been in some very dark places, because now I appreciate the light.

I'm thankful for my Born sandals and my Born shoes.

I'm thankful for dirt to dig in, flowers to plant, and happy mistakes to make in the garden.

I'm thankful for my fuzzy pink socks and warm sock monkey jammies.

I'm thankful that I can write.

I'm thankful for a cup (ceramic, not Styrofoam!) of something warm to drink.

I'm thankful for music to listen to, play, and experience.

I'm thankful for my barn coat.

I'm thankful for carry-out pizza.

I'm thankful that I'm alive and well and still have a lot more living to do.

Cranberry-Currant-Walnut Sauce

Many years ago (pre-parenthood), I actually enjoyed cooking and had some aspirations of being an accomplished cook one day. My downfall was that I never liked making everyday food; I much preferred cooking dishes for special occasions.

One of the recipes I made a few times "back in the day" was this one: Cranberry-Currant-Walnut Sauce. This recipe comes from the original Martha Stewart Entertaining cookbook (those of you Martha fans know how old that cookbook is). Since I'm trying to change things a bit this Thanksgiving, I thought I'd whip up a batch this year. Oh, my...It's even better than I remembered!



This sauce is really quick and easy to make, and it smells heavenly while it's on the stove. It even has sound effects: As the cranberries boil, their little "jackets" burst open with a "pop!" It's a festive sound. :-)

If you're looking for a wonderful, super-simple cranberry sauce (which you could actually eat directly from the bowl with a spoon...it's THAT good!), I would encourage you to try this one. If you make it, let me know!

Cranberry-Currant-Walnut Sauce

1 pound fresh cranberries or
1 package (16 ounces) frozen cranberries -- I use fresh
1 ¼ cups sugar
1 cup red currant preserves (or jam) -- I have substituted raspberry
1 cup water
1 cup coarsely chopped walnuts
2 Tablespoons grated orange zest

Combine the cranberries, sugar, preserves, and water in a large saucepan; heat to boiling, then reduce heat. Simmer uncovered 20 minutes; skim the foam and remove from the heat. Stir in the walnuts and orange zest. Refrigerate, covered, overnight.

Makes about 6 cups

Pumpkin Gooey Butter Cake

Yesterday I tested a new recipe to try for Thanksgiving dessert. My mom's pumpkin pie was legendary, and although I have her recipe, I thought it would be too painful to make it this Thanksgiving. To make things easier, I'm going to try a few new dishes this year. So when my friend Connie shared this recipe for Pumpkin Gooey Butter Cake, I thought I'd give it a go.

Turns out it is a Paula Deen recipe. Paula is a southern cook who has programs on The Food Network. Her recipes do not skimp on the butter, cream, or sugar!

When making the Pumpkin Gooey Cake (now called PGC by my friends Connie and Sharon), I had a few helpers: Tinsel, Lily, and a Diet Coke. :-)

Pumpkin Gooey Butter Cake

Ingredients

Cake:

· 1 (18 1/4-ounce) package yellow cake mix

· 1 egg

· 8 tablespoons butter, melted

Filling:

· 1 (8-ounce) package cream cheese, softened

· 1 (15-ounce) can pumpkin

· 3 eggs

· 1 teaspoon vanilla

· 8 tablespoons butter, melted

· 1 (16-ounce) box powdered sugar

· 1 teaspoon cinnamon

· 1 teaspoon nutmeg

Directions

· Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.

· Combine the cake mix, egg, and butter and mix well with an electric mixer. Pat the mixture into the bottom of a lightly greased 13 by 9-inch baking pan.

· To make the filling: In a large bowl, beat the cream cheese and pumpkin until smooth. Add the eggs, vanilla, and butter, and beat together. Next, add the powdered sugar, cinnamon, nutmeg, and mix well. Spread pumpkin mixture over cake batter and bake for 40 to 50 minutes. Make sure not to overbake as the center should be a little gooey.

· Serve with fresh whipped cream.

Variations: For a Pineapple Gooey Cake: Instead of the pumpkin, add a drained 20-ounce can of crushed pineapple to the cream cheese filling. Proceed as directed above.

For a Banana Gooey Cake: Prepare cream cheese filling as directed, beating in 2 ripe bananas instead of the pumpkin. Proceed as directed above.

For a Peanut Butter Gooey Cake: Use a chocolate cake mix. Add 1 cup creamy peanut butter to the cream cheese filling instead of the pumpkin. Proceed as directed above.

*****

If you've followed my culinary (mis)adventures, you know that I need EASY recipes, and this one is! Here are a some tips: Be sure to buy canned pumpkin, not pumpkin pie filling which would be way too sweet. Second, do not overbake it. I should have taken it out of the oven at 50 minutes (as indicated in the recipe), but I gave it another 5 minutes and the bottom crust got just a tiny bit too brown. It will be wobbly in the center when you take it out of the oven, but I guess that is why it is called GOOEY! Also, this cake will NOT cut nicely unless you chill it, and even then it doesn't cut smoothly, again due to the gooey, custardy texture. And it tastes GREAT with whipped cream! But caution...you should only eat a tiny piece at a time. It is VERY rich.

Don't take my word for it: Click on the link above to go to Paula's website and read some of the 2,000+ reviews for this recipe. It's a fabulously easy dessert, and it even passed the test at our house, so I'll be baking this for Thanksgiving. If you try it, let me know!

All-State Music Festival

The annual all-state music festival was held this past weekend, featuring nearly 1,000 top high school musicians from around the state. Daughter was selected for the percussion section in the all-state band. I blogged about the audition process a few weeks ago here.

Here she is prior to the concert. Of course, she did not want her photo taken, but the Crazed Camera-Wielding Mother did it anyway. :-)

Here is one of many photos I took of the band. If you click on this photo to bigify it, you'll see her at the back of the band on chimes. She played many different percussion instruments throughout the program. During one song she went back and forth behind the band to play a few measures on one then another. Fun for us to watch! :-)

Here's a shot of the band, choir, and orchestra. As you might imagine, the concert was terrific. It was hard to believe we were listening to high school musicians.

Here's a shot of the audience. Take a look at the guy operating the TV camera. Because he was up on a very high platform, he was tethered in a little harness to the ceiling. I kept hoping he'd fly out over the band like Peter Pan but alas, he stayed on his platform. :-)

For those of you in Iowa, the concert will be broadcast on Thanksgiving evening at 7pm on Iowa Public Television, then re-broadcast on Sunday at 5pm. Details can be found here. If you get the opportunity, I hope you'll watch it. It's a great program and would be a nice way to spend the holiday evening!

Kreative Blogger Award and a bit of randomness

We've had a crazy-busy past few days, which means I've been a bad blogger. Hope to get back in the saddle again this week, although it's somewhat questionable because...

sit down...

I am HOSTING Thanksgiving this year. Given my track record in the kitchen, all I can say is this:

Be afraid. Be VERY afraid.

Hopefully no relatives will be harmed in the eating of the dinner. On the flip side, perhaps some good blog material will result.

Okay, continuing on...

I received this nice blog award from Toni and Sarah C. Thank you, ladies! Your blogs inspire me daily with creativity and positive messages!


Here are the rules of the Kreativ Blogger award:

1. The winner may put the logo on their blog.
2. Put a link to the person who sent you the award.
3. Nominate 5 blogs.
4. Provide links to their blogs.
5. Leave a message for your nominees.

I am nominating Lily, GingerKitty, Fonda, Kristina, and Cheri. Enjoy!

* * * * *

Random Photo Tag

Heather tagged me recently with this fun little assignment. You go to your pictures, open the 4th folder, and find the 4th picture, and share it on your blog. Then tag four of your friends to do the same thing.

Heather may not realize how hard it is for me to be random!! lol Of course, I had to analyze how my folders should be sorted in order to generate the 4th folder -- date order, size order, date modified...I finally settled on a sort and chose the 4th photo in that 4th folder, although it may get me in some trouble with Daughter. (Which is why I'm burying this at the bottom of another post!)

This photo was taken in 2005 at the state fair. Daughter (looking QUITE a bit younger then) had created an interactive poster about the fair to enter into a youth competition. (Gosh, can you tell that she likes straight lines and grids? This may be the ONE thing we have in common!) I do believe she received a blue ribbon for her effort.

Thanks for tagging me, Heather! This was a fun exercise, and harder than you can imagine, since there is hardly a random bone in my body! I'm tagging the following bloggers...Have fun!

Benita
Toni
Sarah C
Lynn
Sue

Feline Friday: One Hat, Many Looks

Coy debutant, scowling mobster, wholesome American Girl, and seasick sailor...all from one hat. :-)