Christmas time in near.....

I am a fan of all things Christmas, with one exception.  I'm not keen on kids writing a Christmas list.  To me, the Christmas list fosters greed and a focus on all things material, which it the antithesis of Christmas.  Christmas is about gift giving, not receiving.  Starting with God the Father giving us the gift of His son the precedent for Christmas has always been giving.  When kids sit down to write a list they are totally focused on themselves and on getting, getting, getting.  I want this....I want that.....wrong.

Now, I understand the practicality of the list.  Friends and family want to know what kids like, understand their interests in the hopes of purchasing something that will be loved and enjoyed.  But that's where parents come in.  I know my kid fairly well.  Ask me if you want to know what she likes.  I don't like encouraging kids to ask for specific items. It seems....icky.  Instead I prefer to teach them that getting any present is a gift.  I remind my daughter that someone who cares about her has taken their time, energy and money to select something that they think she will enjoy, and THAT is the gift.  On the flip side I also think it's important to teach kids about the value of giving; the importance of thinking of others first and the joy that comes from celebrating with others.

To that end, I've decided to write my own Christmas list this year.  It's intended to be an advent calendar of sorts.  Each day we'll do an activity that will help us enjoy the season and focus on the true meaning of the season, the little things that make it fun, and the joy of sharing with others.  Way better than anything you find in a store.

December 1:   Bake X-mas cookies
December 2:   Create a countdown advent chain
December 3:   Make X-mas cards
December 4:   Read  Luke 1:26-38
December 5:   Read How the Grinch Stole Christmas
December 6 :  Shop for stuffed animals to donate to a Children's charity
December 7:   Christmas colored manicures and pedicures
December 8:   Watch a Christmas movie
December 9:   Wrap presents
December 10:  Make Christmas candy
December 11:  Assemble goody bags for school and dance teachers
December 12:  Make peppermint hot chocolate before bed
December 13:  Watch a Christmas movie 
December 14:  Drive through the neighborhood to see Christmas lights
December 15:  Decorate Christmas cookies
December 16:  Make a book of Christmas carols
December 17:  Sing Christmas songs
December 18:  Do an X-mas craft
December 19:  Read Matthew 2: 1-12
December 20:  Read Christmas stories
December 21:  Bake goodies
December 22:  Read The Night Before Christmas
December 23:  Deliver goodies to the residents at an assisted living facility
December 24:  Read Luke 2: 8-22
December 25:  Celebrate the greatest gift of all time with family.

Finally!

Fall has arrived and brought with it my desire to make soup.  I love to make soups.  They are my favorite thing to cook.  Something about the layers and depth of flavor; about how it cooks for hours and allows the anticipation of eating to grow.  Perfection.

This will be the first installment of many soup recipe posts.

Happy Fall!

Potato Soup

2.5 cups of chicken broth

1/2 an onion, finely chopped

A whole bunch of minced garlic

2 carrots, peeled and finely chopped

1.5 cups of cauliflower

6 large russet potatoes, peeled and chopped

Cook on high in the crock pot for 4 hours. Use a potato masher or immersion blender to mix until it is your desired consistency. I like a few chunks.

After four hours, drop the heat to low and add:

1 block of cream cheese, cubed. Stir until incorporated.

1 pint of heave whipping cream (warmed, so as not to curdle)

2-3 cups of crispy, chopped bacon.

Let simmer on low for another two hours, stirring occasionally. I garnished it with a dollop of sour cream, some shredded cheddar cheese and chives.

SO GOOD and very filling.

Essential Qualifications:

Upon being asked by my daughter to read a book about some distressed princess who has to be rescued by a prince in order to fulfill her dreams, it struck me to ask her what she thought were the qualifications of a good man/husband and woman/wife.  I was pleasantly surprised by her answers, which I have listed below, exactly as she said them.  Check it out.

Men/husbands:

1. Believe in Jesus.
2. Be able to fix a car.
3. Be a gentleman.
4. Have good manners.
5. Be smart.
6. Respect his wife.
7. Be able to cook steak.
8. Make his wife laugh.
9. Be active.
10. Be a hard worker.

Women/wives:

1. Believe in Jesus.
2. Be funny.
3. Do activities with your husband.
4. Know how to cook and bake.
5. Be strong.
6. Try to look pretty.
7. Be willing to get dirty.
8. Be kind.
9. Love your family.
10. Be a team with your husband.

I will no longer cringe when she brings princess books for bedtime.  Her reality is better than any fairy tale.

Five short months away....

Is it twisted that I am already looking forward to Christmas?  I love decorating for Christmas.  Can't wait to get started this year.  Since all of my traditional and family ornaments are in storage I'm going to be starting from scratch this year, even making some ornaments.  I am so excited; like a kid waiting for Christmas.

Comfort Food 101

As a kid one of my fondest memories was my mom's homemade, baked macaroni and cheese.  I could eat pounds of that stuff.  As a grown up I still love mac-n-cheese but I no longer like it baked.  I don't like how the noodles absorb the sauce and get soggy; I prefer an al dente pasta, regardless of sauce. 

Today was a rainy, relaxing Sunday and I figured some childhood memory comfort food was in order.

Dump in the crock pot:

3 cups of milk
16 oz (1 big block) of Velveeta, cubed
2 cups of grated Monterey jack cheese
4 oz. of cream cheese

2 tbls. of mustard
1 tsp. of salt
1 tbls. of fresh cracked pepper
2 cloves of minced garlic

Let this cook on high for two hours, stirring occasionally.

Cook 1 lb. of your favorite pasta - elbow, shell....whatever will hold onto the cheese - and mix it into the cheese sauce in the crock pot.  Serve immediately.  It is ooey, gooey and delicious.

Enjoy!

Garden Soup

This is one of my 'go to' recipes.  Simple, delicious, healthy (don't tell anybody).  I first made this a few years ago in the summer when we had a flourishing vegetable garden.  At the time, I just went out and picked whatever veggies I had in the garden, thus the name.  It's perfect for a rainy day and makes the house smell super yummy while you wait to eat.

Garden soup is wonderful served with dumplings, homemade noodles or a great crusty bread.

*This recipe makes half a batch.  Typically I double this amount and cook it on the stove. 


Start with:

4 cups of chicken stock
1 can of diced tomatoes, with fluid
1 cup of water with 3 cubes of chicken bouillon
4 cloves of minced garlic.

Stick it all in the crock pot set to low.

 Add in:

1/2 a large onion, chopped
1/2 lb of carrots
5 stalks of celery
Salt and fresh ground pepper
2 tsp. each oregano, basil, rosemary
2 bay leaves

*optional -shredded meat from 4 chicken breasts, sprinkled with salt, pepper and garlic powder, baked at 350 till done.

Cook on low for about 3 hours.



 

After 3 hours add in:
1 large bell pepper (any color)                             1 large zucchini

On the stove top simmer for about 3-4 hours. In a crock pot cook on low for 5-6 hours.  The longer it cooks, the better is tastes.  For the BEST tasting soup, make it the day before you want to eat it.  Soups and sauces always tastes their best when they've had a day to meld together.

 

ENJOY! 

 

Italian Chicken and Pasta

I've said it before, I'll say it again; I love a crock pot meal.  Easy to make, easy to eat, easy to clean up.  Perfection. 

I started with four chicken breasts, 2 cups of chicken stock and a can of cream of chicken soup.

Then I added all this stuff:

Shove it all in the crock pot on low for about 4-5 hours.  Ten minutes before you plan to serve add in 1 cup of shredded mozzarella cheese and two table spoons of sour cream.  Serve it over pasta, I used penne. 

Pretty and yummy.  Enjoy!