Why Bother?

Did you ever spend hours doing this...

 

And this....

 

And this...

With the satisfaction of knowing that your house looked like this:

Just to turn around and find it had already been messed up again and looked like this?!?!?

I do that a lot. And this is what I do...

I'm thinking about getting a sign like this, and just forgetting the whole thing!

So there you go...

Maybe a little bit of exaggeration in there when it comes to the messy house part. But it's how I feel my house looks sometimes. And I am tired and frustrated.

There's no lesson here. No tips. No recipes. Just showing you how I feel. Erg.

MERRY CHRISTMAS!

Well...the holiday is finally upon us. I had to work until 3:00 p.m. today. After arriving home, I spent a few minutes wrapping last minute gifts for Phillip, and then I started decorating snowflake sugar cookies. With help from my sweetie, we got all 54 iced. Some look better than others. LOL.

We just got back from my grandmother-in-law's house for the annual Christmas Eve festivities. Now I'm going to straighten my house, so I can put out Phillip's stocking, and go to BED!!! We'll exchange gifts in the morning, and then we'll go to my mother-in-law's house for the day.

I'm so thankful for this beautiful Christmas season, and the reason that we have it. It's wonderful to celebrate the birthday of the King of Kings. As we celebrate His birthday, I hope you have a wonderful Christmas day, and I'll see you all sometime after tomorrow.

Merry Christmas, my friends!

Eggnog Update

Well, for starters, the eggnog was delicious. I will tell you that it was a little too thick. We blended in some extra cold milk this morning, and it's great! It's different than the A&E eggnog we normally buy. I didn't like it more. But most importantly, I don't think that I liked it less. Which means simply this...

When I want eggnog, there are times I'll buy A&E. But there's also times that I'm going to make this. YUM! Will just depend on what mood I'm in.

Secondly, I had someone ask why it was so important to temper the eggs. The short simple answer is this. Anytime you pour beaten eggs into hot liquid, they're going to cook before you can get it mixed properly, which causes 2 problems:

1. Your mixture will be gritty with little bits of cooked egg in it, and
2. It won't thicken properly, because the eggs aren't mixed through to help it set up like it's supposed to.

This should be done anytime you're cooking something where you have to add eggs to a hot liquid.

Tempering does add a step, but it's worth it. You beat the eggs. Mix 1/2 cup of the hot liquid to the eggs while beating vigorously. Now the temperature of the eggs is closer to that of the liquid, and you can add the eggs to the hot liquid while mixing quickly, and they won't cook before being mixed properly.

And now...my next question is this. Is there something you would like to see here? If you have suggestions or requests, please let me know. Otherwise, I will continue to post as I have been.

Adventures in Eggnog

Homemade Eggnog

My latest adventure in cooking is not quite over yet, but I think I'm going to be happy! For years, our family (at least most of us!) has only drank Anderson Erickson eggnog. Most of us tend to turn our noses up at most other brands. That being said, I was nervous about making homemade eggnog. How would it compare to A&E? Would I like it? What would it taste like?

Three things led me to the decision to try this special Christmas treat:

1. A sense of adventure,
2. I always love a new challenge in cooking, and
3. I needed something Christmasy to blog about.

So I pulled out eggs, milk, spices, and pan this evening. I measured, whisked, heated... Now I'm waiting (not so patiently I may add!). It has to chill overnight. But two things I know..

1. I liked what I tasted when I couldn't help but sneak a spoonful of the warm mixture before I popped it into the fridge, and
2. I'll definitely be drinking some before I leave for work in the morning!

I'll update you on how we liked it after we get a chance to really drink some tomorrow. In the meantime, here's the recipe.

EGGNOG
3 1/2 cups milk
1 1/2 tsp. vanilla
1 tsp. cinnamon
1 cinnamon stick
Pinch of cloves
6 egg yolks
3/4 cup sugar
1 cup cream
1/4 tsp. nutmeg

Put milk, vanilla, cinnamon, cinnamon stick and cloves in a large pan on medium-high heat. Whisk and heat slowly until the mixture starts boiling, being careful not to let it stick. Let sit 2 minutes and remove cinnamon stick. Beat egg yolks and sugar in a bowl with a hand mixer until pale yellow and fluffy. Temper eggs by pouring 1/2 cup of hot milk liquid into eggs while continuing to beat (this is VERY important, in order to keep eggs from cooking before properly mixing). Immediately start mixing milk mixture on low, and slowly pour in egg mixture. After throughly mixed in, return to medium heat. Cook for 5 minutes, but DO NOT LET BOIL (this will curdle the eggs)! Mixture will thicken slightly. Remove from heat and add cream and nutmeg. Whisk to mix, and place in refridgerator to chill overnight. Serve with a sprinkle of nutmeg or cinnamon.


I'm keeping my fingers crossed on this end!

Inexpensive Decorating Ideas

Most of us want our houses to look nice during the holidays. But if you're like me, budgets are tight. And some of that Christmas stuff can be SO EXPENSIVE!

Here are some tips for some fairly quick, easy, and best of all, inexpensive decorating ideas...

*Dip pine cones in gold paint, or use a mixture of water, glue, and glitter for a sparkling effect. Place on side tables and use to fill baskets or bowls.
*Find a fun way to display all of those Christmas cards you receive. I use tape to secure them to the door frames between my living room and hallway. They make fun decorations, and remind you of how much you are loved each time you walk through the doorway.
*Dip the rim of some pretty stemmed glassware in water and then in sugar a couple of times, letting sit for a few seconds between dipping. Let dry. Fill glasses with some pretty Christmas candies. (See photo above)
*Tie ribbon bows around some bright red and green Christmasy throw pillows to throw on your couch. They will look like Christmas presents.
*Have some ornaments, small artificial trees, etc. that aren't looking too shiny and pretty anymore? Spray paint them white for an elegant sophisticated face lift!
*Fill clear vases, bottles, or bowls with cranberries for a splash of red wherever you need one. They aren't an extremely juicy fruit, so they will dry before they would ever rot and go bad.
* Fill clear vases with water. Add a few drops of green or red food coloring (just a couple drops!), and place a floating candle in each one.
*Tie jingle bells to the knobs on your front door, and then every time you come home, you are greeted with the sound of holiday cheer!
*Make holiday swirled glass candle holders. Put a few drops of red paint inside a clear votive holder, shake it up, and watch the paint splatter into a modern art swirl. Let dry. Do the same thing with green paint. Dry thoroughly before use. (See photo below)

"Here we come, a-wassailing..."

Thank you to April for her request for my next recipe. She posted a question to my Facebook page: "Is there a difference between wassail and cider?? I figure if anyone knows, it would be you!" Thanks for your vote of confidence, April!

So...is there a difference?

Why yes...yes there is.

Cider is just cider. Wassail is apple cider based, but has a special blend of spices and citrus. Also, traditionally it has alcohol in it, but I leave that part out. 

Wassail (pronounced wos'el) was traditionally drank as a toast to good health. The name was adapted from the Old Norse ves heill which meant "be in good health".

There are MANY different wassail recipes, as varied as the people that made and drank them. This is an old recipe that was passed down from generation to generation. It is by far my favorite one!!!

WASSAIL
1 1/2 gallons cider
1/4 tsp. salt
1/4 lb. dark brown sugar
1 1/2 Tbs. whole cloves
3 sticks cinnamon
1/2 tsp. ground ginger
1/2 tsp. ground nutmeg
1 1/2 Tbs. ground allspice
lemons
oranges

Mix cider, salt and sugar in a large pot over medium heat. Tie all spices into a piece of cloth, and drop into cider. Slice oranges and lemons, and add them as well. Bring to a boil. Cover and simmer 20 minutes, stirring occasionally. When ready, remove spice bag. Serve hot. Leaving the citrus in it gives a pretty look while it is still the pot or in a punch bowl, but dip the wassail out around the fruit.

*******************************************************

Wassail is by far one of my favorite Christmas drinks. I hope that you enjoy it!

Plum Pudding

(Please forgive the poor-quality photos. I only have my phone, which doesn't take great pictures. I NEED A DIGITAL CAMERA!!!)

At long last, I think I am finally ready for Christmas. All of the presents are bought and wrapped. I know what I'm making on Christmas Day (just one quick trip to the grocery store for just a couple items). I only have 1 more party to cook for before then. I can finally breathe a sigh of relief!

One of the things that I am making for Christmas is an old-fashioned plum pudding. It has become tradition for me to make these every year on Christmas day, and this day will be no different. For those of you who have never had one, plum pudding doesn't really have plums in it. In the 19th century, any dried fruit was referred to as "plums", and in this case, it refers to raisins. A plum pudding is a dense heavy cake that is steamed in a plum pudding mold (see photo below). These can be purchased off the internet, and plum puddings aren't really that difficult to make. They just take a little bit of time.

Now...normally I would NOT advocate cooking with liquor, but if you want to do the traditional flaming of the plum pudding ceremony, which was popular in the 19th century, then brandy is a must. Because of this, I have added it to the recipe below. You can skip the flaming if you don't wish to do this. Please note that if you do decide to, all of the alcohol does burn out. That is completely up to you. I'm only including it because a couple of people have e-mailed me to ask how to make a plum pudding, and how to flame it, which we do at our Christmas event at work every December.

The recipe is as follows:

Plum Pudding
1/2 cup butter
1 cup raisins
1 cup sugar
1 cup sour milk (this can be soured by adding 1 tsp vinegar prior to adding to mix)
1 Tbs cinnamon
3 cups flour
1/2 tsp cloves
1 tsp baking soda
Brandy (optional)

Powdered sugar
milk

Fill a large pan with a couple of inches of hot water (the pudding needs to steam, not boil...so add enough water that it will create plenty of steam, but not enough that it will really touch the mold. Put some sort of metal rack in the pan to hold the mold up out of the water. Add all ingredients to a bowl and mix together all at one time (melt butter first). Butter your mold, and the lid. Sprinkle sugar in mold and swirl around until coated. Pour batter into the mold leaving about 1 inch of space. Put the lid on tightly and lower into the pan and let rest on the rack. Put on lid and let pudding steam for approximately 3 hours. Add more hot water as necessary to ensure the pudding always has water. Once you remove the lid to the pudding it should feel firm. This will tell you that the pudding is done.

If you wish to flame the plum pudding, keep it in the mold and in the pan of water to stay hot. You can't really oversteam one, and it needs to be hot or it will not flame.

Mix up a thick glaze of powdered sugar and milk. (A cup of powdered sugar and a VERY small amount of milk should work. You need it to be thick, but pourable.)

Pour 1/2 cup of brandy into a pan. Heat this on the stove until it is steaming, but not boiling. If you boil it, it won't work. While it is heating, which will only take a minute or two, unmold your pudding (If it sticks, run a knife around the outside. Then place it upside down on a metal or glass tray and shake gently until it falls out.). By now your brandy should be ready. Pour into a small pitcher, and carry everything very quickly to where your presentation will take place. Immediately pour the hot brandy over the hot pudding and light it with a match. It should burn for a few seconds to a minute depending on the amount of brandy. Once it burns out, immediately pour your glaze over it. It is now ready to be sliced and served.

It really is very yummy. If anyone has questions, I'd be happy to answer them.

A modern twist is to cook them in a crockpot with a little water around the mold. However, please note that this will take about 6-8 hours on high.

As Julia Childs would say, Bon Appetit!

And MERRY CHRISTMAS!

Menu Plan for December 16th - 31st

(The shopping list I use - See explanation below)

12/16 - Leftovers
12/17 - Patty Melts, Fries, Snickerdoodles
12/18 - Pasta with Artichoke Hearts and Tomatoes, Garlic Bread
12/19 - Taco Salad
12/20 - Orange Cinnamon French Toast, Chocolate Oatmeal Cookies
12/21 - Eat Out
12/22 - Crockpot Cabbage Rolls, Peas, Bread & Butter
12/23 - Leftovers
12/24 - Christmas Eve @ Grammy's House (Take something. Not sure what yet.)
12/25 - Christmas @ Mother-in-law's House (Take something. Not sure what yet.)
12/26 - Chicken Enchiladas, Mexican Rice
12/27 - Waffles
12/28 - Eat Out
12/29 - Cowboy Stew, Biscuits
12/30 - Leftovers
12/31 - New Year's Eve @ James and Dee's House (Take somethng. Not sure what yet.)

I still need to put something together to take to our 3 party's, but those will most likely be dessert items, and if so, I always have ingredients on hand for that.

Above is a copy of the grocery list I use. It's seperated out by category: produce, dairy, meat, canned foods, frozen, sweets & snacks, baking, bread/cereal, dry food, condiments, beverages, health/beauty, paper products, cleaning and miscellaneous. It's so great, because I put together my menu plan. I then go back and put together the grocery list based on those recipes. Lastly, I add things that I need that aren't on my recipes (shampoo, cleaning products, etc.) I usually shop at Aldi and Wal-Mart, so I generally make two of them...one for each grocery store. That way, I go through the store, and I get everything I need in each aisle. There's never any need to go back somewhere for a forgotten item. It's GREAT! If you'd like a copy let me know, and I'd be happy to send you one.

Happy menu planning and shopping!!!

Christmas time is here....

The Christmas season has hit with full force, and I was SO FAR BEHIND this year that it was ridiculous! However, I now feel that I am (sorta!) on track again.

The special event came and went, and then I realized it was time to go visit family in south Missouri, and I hadn't even STARTED my shopping yet.

I flew around and got what I needed to make it through last weekend, and headed to south Missouri for family Christmas....2 days ahead of schedule. I got to spend 2 days with my sister, and even got to bake Christmas cookies with her (we figured up that it's been at least 8 years if not more since we've done that)! I also got to spend a couple days with my parents, and we had a great time with the whole family.

I got back on Sunday afternoon, and since then have gotten a lot done. The decorating of the house is finally complete, as of today. There are even a couple of presents under the tree. I did some shopping today, and have finished up everything but a few items that I need to get for Phillip, as well as a few items for his stocking (does anyone know where to get lumps of coal? LOL!), but his big present is taken care of. I'd tell you what I got him, but then he'd probably decide to read my blog for once. Haha. I also got most of the Christmas cards finished, and thanks to sister-in-law Debbie for taking them to the post office, they will go in the mail tomorrow morning. Cleaning and laundry were also taken care of today.

So what's on the agenda now? Menu planning for the second half of December! I will be getting started on that tonight as soon as I get done blogging, but someone asked if I would start posting my menus, as well as my methods for menu planning, so here goes....

My method for menu planning is simple. This is the schedule that works best for me (although I alter it as necessary). It can be rearranged as needed to fit your life.

Monday - Quick meal as I get home from work and Phillip has to leave shortly afterwards
Tuesday - Cooking regular meal
Wednesday - Cooking regular meal
Thursday - Cooking regular meal
Friday - Eat out
Saturday - Crockpot meal
Sunday - Leftovers

I really only cook 4 days a week, and one of those meals is quick and easy (grilled cheese and soup, etc.). The crockpot meal I put together on Friday night so all I have to do is turn it on Saturday morning. This makes life very simple.

As far as my menu? I will post December 1st - 15th tonight, and the rest after I menu plan later. Please note that I got chicken on sale, so there are A LOT of chicken recipes on this menu. LOL. Phillip will be glad to not have to eat so much chicken in a few days. :)

12/1 - Christmas on the Farm - No cooking
12/2 - Pot Roast with potatoes and carrots, bread & butter
12/3 - Savory chicken stew with dumplings
12/4 - 3-cheese stuffed shells, peas, garlic bread
12/5 - Chicken with black beans, chips & salsa
12/6 - Orange cinnamon french toast (I don't eat breakfast, so occasionally eat breakfast for supper)
12/7 to 12/9 - In southern Missouri with family - No cooking
12/10 - Chicken parmagiana, cream cheese corn, garlic bread
12/11 - Chicken with rice and mushrooms, baby carrots
12/12 - Chicken with wild rice, bread & butter
12/13 - Baked pork chops, fried potatoes, mixed veggies
12/14 - Eat out
12/15 - Heather & Jeremy's Christmas Party - Take a pumpkin cheesecake

If you would like any of the recipes above, please let me know and I will post them. As for December 16th - 31st...I don't know what that holds yet, but we shall soon see. Good night all.

Still Alive!

Hello, all!

It has been awhile since I posted, but so much has been going on. First was the special event at work, which finally occurred last Saturday, with close to 1,000 people attending.

Now I am in southern Missouri visiting family through Sunday. Once I get home I will post more! Talk to you soon!