Pillows I gave as Gifts

Had 2 different scenes and the backs all the same.

Early a.m. snow on the 26th

They were saying we could get 6" or more but only got a 2 or 3".  Wind was fierce.  To the south of us aobut an hour there was 8 to 20"!

We are starting our candy/cookie making.  Will do cookies on Sat. and get trays delivered on Sun./Mon..  Pickles took over an empty bag immediately.  I got everything out to see what I needed to pick up yet---more real butter and a few more bags of chocolate chips.  Large box of cereral, peanut butter and sugar missing here as hubby was mixing the first batch of peanut butter balls.

Christmas light display

Some pictures were blurry.  The Santa area is beautiful.  Had my flash on with the Santa picture and could never get another one due to people around.

More I got done......

Made 15 more  bags of reindeer feed so that is 79 for this year. 

The ornaments are for friends from 2 funerals.  I got the flowers after I knew the family had theirs and let them dry several months. Normally I get a picture and shrink them down and put some inside (like in the green ribbon ones) and then I will take a picture and put it on fishing line and around the green ribbon.  Waiting for Allen to find the line--can't find what I had in craft room.

The last couple ornaments I made are from the water beads from my daughters wedding which was 5-21-11!  They are hard little pellets and then you put into water and they swell up.  They bounce and can break open.  Come in several colors. We have 1 full 5 gallon bucket and one that is either 3/4 or 1/2 full of them.  I will put black/lime green ribbon on them yet.  We had them in glass cylinders and then a greenish tea light in them with other decorations on about half the tables.

Slowing getting stuff done for the holidays!

Tie Wristlet

This is the wristlet that I made for my daughter Jaymee.  She went thru and picked out the one she wanted.

Christmas Tree for 2012

Still have to put my Angel topper on it and straighten out the skirt but it is done.  95% of my ornaments are homemade from my grandmother, my kids, sister, swaps or myself.

My new picture

I purchased a gift bag from Wal-Mart and a frame from Dollar General and we put this together. 
My mom used the back side and put hers in a white frame.  So 2 pictures from a $2.50 bag.

Pineapple Banana Hummingbird Mini Loaves

1 pkg. yellow cake mix
1 box vanilla flavor instant pudding
4 eggs
1/4 cup vegetable oil
1 teasppon cinnamon
1 can (20 oz) crushed pineapple, juice drained and 1 cup reserved
2 medium ripe bananas well mashed (1 cup)
1/2 cup chopped pecans or nut of your choice
Preheat oven to 350.  Combine cake mix, pudding mix-dry, reserved pineapple juice, eggs and oil in large bowl with mixer for 2 minutes or until blended.  Add crushed pineapple, bananans and nuts mix just until blended.  Pour batter into 5 foil (I get 6) loaf pans sprayed with cooking spray.  Bake for 40 minutes or until toothpick inserted into center of cake comes out clean.  Cool completely.
Pineapple & Cherry Nut Mini Loaves
Substitute 1 cup Maraschino Cherries drained and halved for the bananas and omit cinnamon.
Crean Cheese Glaze
Combine 2 ounces softened cream cheese with 1 tablespoon milk and 1/2 cup powered sugar.  Drizzle over cooled loaves.

Carrot Casserole

Carrot Casserole
1 lb. sliced carrots
1/2 lb. Velveeta Cheese
1 stick butter
2/3 package Ritz crackers approximately 15-20
Cook carrots till tender.  Melt butter and cheese in saucepan, and add crushed crackers.  Mix cheese sauce into carrots. Put into a sprayed casserole dish and bake 15 minutes in a 350 degree oven.

Check out the Giveaway

On my sidebar you will find The Old Parsonage and she is having a giveaway for 2 books.  LeAnn has a nice blog so go check it out.

Companions

This is our dog Shorty (Shortcake) and a stray cat that appeared awhile back.  You would see the cat come up into the yard and eat Shortys food and now for the last few weeks you will see it come out of the dog house. It has a round spot to one side of where Shorty lays. The other a.m. I saw this and had to get a picture. They will sleep by each other.

Cloth Tic Tac Toe

Will put this in the boxes we are packing to send out to one of our Sunday School ladies grandson who is overseas.

Tree in backyard

This tree really has pretty color this year---even after our drought. The one picture is columbines that are starting up. We have roses blooming yet in this area. Not are norm.

Tie wristlet

Moon

Just a few more miscellaneous shots.

Nature

Few miscellaneous shots from my yard

Chocolate-Cherry Cookie Balls

got my new Kraft Food & Family yesterday and this recipe is in it.

1 pkg. 8 oz cream cheese softened

36 Oreo cookies finely crushed

40 marachino cherries patted dry

12 oz semi sweet chocolate melted

mix cream cheese and cookies until blended.

Shape into 40 (1 1/4") balls press to flatten. Top each with a cherry wrap the mixture around the cherry to cover completely. Roll into balls and freeze 10 minutes.

Dip balls into melted chocolate and place on wax paper line cookie sheet. Refrigerate 1 hour or until firm.

Store in container covered in fridge.

Stupid Pie

I was at a Fall Festival yesterday and all I brought was a cookbook (like I needed another one but..) and saw this recipe. I bet it wouldn't be bad and am anxious to try it.


3 egg whites, beaten 1 cup sugar 1 tsp. vanilla 20 Ritz crackers crumbled 1/2 cups nuts chopped (your choice) Beat egg whites, sugar, and vanilla until stiff. Fold in Ritz crackers and nuts. Mix well. Pour into a 9" greased pan. Bake at 350 for 30 minutes.

Redoing our dining room chairs.  It is my grandparents dining room set.  Cherry wood.  Going to the solid color.  Have a tablecloth in plaid, smaller than the furniture plaid.

Folklore of the persimmon

Over the weekend my husband opened up about 10 persimmons and they all had a spoon in them.

In the one picture we have the spoon raised up alittle.

So they say:

spoon shaped means lots of heavy wet snow forecasted

fork shaped powdery light snow and a mild winter predicted

knife shaped bitter icy cutting winds for next few months will occur

So Southern Illinois should see snow. Last year there was a fork in the seed and we had a super nice winter---but paid for it with the drought and hot summer. I don't mind alittle snow, especially if it comes on a week-end when I am off!

On an evening drive

around a long country block a few things we saw. Probably over 20 deer total. The sunset the Lord provided was beautiful.

Stuffed Shirt

for my nephews 6th birthday. He loves Mario.

Christmas is......

in 100 days!!!

Much better

I finally got one done with the ring. Have about 6 or 7 to redo and more to make. Ordered rings last night.

My Birthday Gift

Mom made me a bear out of my dads suit. He died in June 2005. I have the collar folded up in the one picture. My sisters also got one on their b'days.

Peanut Butter Cookies

1 egg
1 cup sugar
1 cup crunchy peanut butter

Mix together roll into balls and flatten with a fork dipped in sugar. I roll them into the sugar and then flatten them out with a fork.
Bake at 350 for 10 minutes.
I usually get about 27 cookies out of it. I have also used creamy peanut butter before but my family likes the crunchy.

Lily Mae

This is the baby of my daughter Jaymees best friend Erin. Lily was born on June 25th and her due date was August 20th. She weighed 3 lbs 7 ozs at birth and is now 6 lbs 10 ozs at 2 months old today. Jaymee had a small cookout and they were there along with daddy, Allen and I, Jaymee and Ryan and then Jaymees MIL and step FIL. Lily is so content and such a cutie pie.