Christmas Card Photos

Every year I wonder where to put the beautiful smiling faces of friends and family who send us a photo or photo card for Christmas.  This year I found a place I really like.

I taped them to the door which is right beside the kitchen sink.  I love having them there and being able to see them.  Of course, they do become part of the landscape and don't catch my eye nearly as often as when they were first taped onto the door.  But every so often, one will catch my eye and I smile, thank God for the blessing of that friend or family and pray He will continue to guard and keep them.

Grammar Nerds - Cringe or Laugh!

The first time I passed this sign, I was driving Hannah to an organ lesson. I looked at it and began wondering:

"Why does it say 12 foot? Was that on the board and they just didn't get it cut off or painted over? What could that 12' mean? Is there some code that the followers get but I am missing?"

In the few moments it took me to contemplate these thoughts, Hannah asked, "Shouldn't the apostrophe go before the twelve?" And the lightbulb went on inside my brain.

Of course they meant it to be short for 2012, but didn't pay attention in grammar class and misplaced the apostrophe. I wonder if they were in the same class as the people who made the sign by the side of another road we travel which reads:

"Wish'in to be fish'in?"

Halfway to 30

Our dear Ellie had a birthday this week.

She chose to have sausage-egg bake and blueberry scones for breakfast, and shrimp francesca with feticinni alfredo for dinner (or lunch).  Since her father had a very busy schedule on her birthday night, we ate her birthday supper of hotdogs, boxed macaroni-n-cheese, Pringles, and lemonade the next evening with Grandpa and Grandma, her Uncle Matt, and her cousins Alison and Emily.

Oh and don't forget the cake and ice-cream!

All her siblings wanted to decorate the cake.  So I divided it into parts and let them decorate their own section!

Unfortunately our tradition of always making home-made ice-cream for birthdays has fallen away due to our ice-cream freezer breaking and me forgetting to find a replacement!

She got some lovely gifts.

From her siblings

From Grandpa and Grandma

Also from Grandpa and Grandma

From Dad and Mom - it is to hang on the wall and hold all her hair things, make-up, and other goodies

Last week, Ellie bought The Hunger Games.  Although she has read the entire series, as has her sister Hannah, she wanted to own the books.  And she wanted her father and I to read them so we would then take her and Hannah to see the movie.  I finished the book in a couple of days.  I knew that her siblings were buying her the other two for her birthday and it was a bit of torture to wait till she opened the gifts before I could get my hands on Catching Fire.  I'm glad she has read them and was willing to let me have the book.

So if you were peaking in our window last night after everyone left, you would have seen this:

It was a rainy, cold day and evening. And curled up in our favorite spots, finishing our wine, while enjoying a good book was a fantastic way to end the evening.

Happy Birthday my dearest Ellie.  I hope you had a good time, despite the cold!

A Book

My friend wrote a book.

I'm going to buy it and read it, and I think you should too.

Easter

Taken Easter morning at 5:30 am

 

Mustard Cheese Chicken

This is a favorite way of eating chicken breasts in our home:

Mustard Cheese Chicken

Thaw however many chicken breasts needed for your family.

Mix together in a bowl:
1-2 eggs
1-2 Tbsp spicy mustard
maybe a little water, if it needs to be more liquid-like for rolling.

Mix together in a second bowl:
Parmesan cheese and shredded cheese (it takes more parmesan than shredded, and I simply mix with my hands till it feels like a good mix and will coat the chicken nicely)

Roll the chicken breasts in the first bowl, then the second bowl, and place in a greased dish.
Bake at 400 degrees until done (about an hour).

Super-Easy, Slow-Cooker Pork Roast

This is one of the favorites for pork roast. It is nice to have slow cooker recipes for the days when life is too busy to cook. Hope you enjoy it as much as we do.

Lay sliced onions on the bottom of the crockpot. Put pork roast on top.

Mix together:

• Jar of apple jelly
• 2 Tbsp spicy mustard (more if you like stronger flavor)
• 1/2 cup water or chicken broth
• Salt and pepper to taste

Pour over roast and cook on low all day.

I often serve this with rice and sautéed green beans and onions, or a salad.