Weekly Rewind 12/27-1/2/10

This past week has almost gone by like a blur, except I do have pictures to remind me of the things we actually did.  Right now we're fighting an unidentifiable bug that's brought a few of us down (in other words, everyone has different symptoms with a few in common).  But, the week started out beautifully as we enjoyed all of the extra time with Mountain Man.

~Monday we enjoyed the River of Lights.  Having our new camera allowed us to capture with exceptional clarity many of the displays.  Don't worry.  If any of our family actually visits us at Christmas, we'll be sure to take you!  (Hmm, it's been over 7 years since we've had family enjoy Christmas with us....)

Notice the absence of sweet Peep from these pictures.  About 20 minutes after arriving to see the lights, Peep broke out into the loudest of cries and continued until I could get her back to the van (about 15 minutes later which felt like about 2 hours because of the crowd  I had to get through and the many people observing that she must not be happy.....ya think?) :)  Scribe was gracious enough to follow me back to the van where we promptly warmed up Peep and fed her, and she was soon her happy self.

~Tuesday evening we enjoyed playing games and talking smack (well, just some of us) with our friends, the Heckendorns.  The children enjoyed playing outside, dressing up, watching some DVDs, and playing games as well.  We managed to leave their abode around 2:00 in the morning and got home almost an hour later because we ran into quite a bit of snow.  Can you believe that, except for Peep, all of our children were awake when we left to go home?

~Thursday we enjoyed spending the evening with our friends, the Radigans.  We enjoyed a yummy dinner together, played games, watched some football (well, the guys did), enjoyed delicious desserts, rang in the New Year, and finally parted about 2:15 in the morning.  Yes, we do have some crazy friends, don't we?  It was lots of fun, and we're hoping to make it a tradition to spend New Year's Eve together.  Here's an especially cute picture of the "pajama group" as they called themselves. (Elisabeth wasn't feeling well and had already fallen asleep.)

~Friday we enjoyed visiting with some friends at their New Year's Day open house, pretty much relaxing the rest of the day.  Yesterday Mountain Man and I enjoyed dinner and a movie.  Today we have a couple of children on the mend while Mountain Man and Scribe are hoping and praying to feel better soon.  Meanwhile, all of us are bracing ourselves for the return to "normal" as we know it, but Queen Mom thinks it might elude us for a bit longer. :)

Great Reads to Start Off 2010

Here's quite a variety of thoughtful posts to help make 2010 a year of more intentional living.  To God be the Glory!


New Year's Questions

Got Goals?

Embrace the Rain

A Beautiful Reminder to Give Thanks Every Day

Beautiful Resolutions

The Kind of Bible Reading Plan I'll be Following

Wonderful Way to Include Readings in Family Worship!

Looking Beyond Today

A Wanted Child

A Tamer Tongue

5 Hits and A Miss

I've tried several new recipes over the past week, and thankfully, only one was a flop!  That one would be the Overnight Crockpot Grits. 

The night before I was making those, after getting all my ingredients put together, I checked the recipe site again to find out the serving size.  That's when I noticed in the comments a good ol' Southern gal crying foul on this recipe because it's really Polenta and not Grits.  I decided to give it a try, but our grit-lovin' family was disappointed.  Mountain Man, being the easy-to-please guy that he is, was the only one who enjoyed a hearty serving of these fake grits.:)

So, here is the applesauce muffin recipe that I made the other day.  These truly were moist and delicious, and I didn't even add the nuts in. 

The Crockpot Fajitas were great, too, although I'll try a different fajita seasoning next time and add more since we do like the spicy flavor.  We stir-fried the peppers and onions instead of adding them to the crockpot.

2 lbs. thin cut stir fry beef (or chicken)
1-2 packets of fajita seasoning
1 onion
2 bell peppers
1/2 c. water

Put meat in crockpot...can be frozen or thawed.  Cut the onion and peppers in strips and add to crockpot.  Add seasoning and water.  Cover and cook on low for 8-9 hours or high for 6.  Squeeze fresh lime over meat before adding fixings if you desire.
~Stephanie O'Dea
Make it Fast, Cook it Slow

In addition to the grits, I made three more new recipes on Christmas Day.  They're all keepers, and the Mini-Frittatas are quickly being added to our breakfast rotation because they really are simple and delicious. The possibilities are endless as far as what you add to the eggs.....peppers, onions, bacon, sausage, cheese, etc.

Mini Frittatas

8 eggs
1/2 c. half-half
1 tsp. salt
Assorted mix-ins such as shredded cheese, peppers, cooked sausage or bacon, etc. (make sure whatever meats you use are already cooked)

Heat oven to 350 degrees.  Coat 12 cup muffin with non-stick spray.

Whisk together eggs, half and half, and salt.  Even distribute among muffin cups. ( I poured the mixture into a liquid measuring cup to make this easy).  Add about 2 T. mix-ins and sprinkle with Parmesan cheese if you like.

Bake until puffy and edges are golden brown, about 20-25 minutes.
~from Family Fun's Cooking with Kids

For dinner, I made these yummy Golden Honey Pan Rolls.  Mine didn't look as perty, but they sure tasted fine!  These are definitely sweet and would be delicious for breakfast, too.

And, finally, we enjoyed some Roasted Broccoli.  It was a big hit especially with Mountain Man and Scribe.  The added red pepper made it look quite festive, too.

Roasted Broccoli

2 tsp. olive oil

2-3 garlic cloves, minced ( I just used the stuff in the jar.:))

1/2 tsp. kosher salt

1 large head broccoli

1 red pepper, cut into small strips

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Mix olive oil, garlic, and salt together.  Cut broccoli into florets, and toss with oil mixture.  Add red pepper strips if desired.  Arrange in single layer on an ungreased rimmed baking sheet.  Roast for 12-15 minutes or until just tender.  Stir a few times while roasting.

Love,

Queen Mom

Bursting Smiles

"A laugh is a smile that bursts." ~Mary H. Waldrip

~those laughs inspired by sweet Boo, who always brings a smile to Peep's face

Christmas Joy

I love this camera!  My family was so patient with me as I took shot after shot.  I escpecially like not having a delay when taking a picture.  You actually get what you aimed for! 

There's A Rebel in Our House

No, not me.  The camera.

Yes, my Beloved bought me a Canon Rebel for Christmas, confirming what a dear friend recently told me, that I'm spoiled. :)

What fun it was taking pictures with the new camera yesterday.  As soon as I figure out how to upload to the computer, I'll share our Christmas moments with you.

I also tried 4 new recipes yesterday, and most of them were a hit, so I'll post those as well.

Love,

Queen Mom

The Good News of the Gospel

Merry Christmas!  Here's a beautiful post on why, as Christians, we have Christmas JOY.

"This is the good news of the gospel. It is not just a slogan on a beautiful card. We have joy because our Lord has won a great victory. The Christ child became the Warrior King who defeated sin and death. The gospel message of Christmas shows how God's ways are different from our own. He sends his Son to earth, not as a conquering hero, but as an infant, noticed only by shepherds and foreigners. His great victory is won thirty-three years later, not on a grand battlefield, but on the cross. The good news of the gospel is that the greatest warrior of all time has provided hope for a people who are more lost and sinful than they could ever imagine. These same people now have joy and riches beyond anything that they can conceive. The incarnation of Christ is the one, true, great hope for man. It is the one reason for joy."

Read the entire post by Jay Yount at Shepherd Press.

And here's another great article, "Where Does the Story of Christmas Begin?" by Al Mohler.

A Happy Christmas Eve

What a fun, busy day it has been.  We started the day off with these yummy applesauce muffins that have plenty of sweetness and lots of spice.  They are so moist, too.  Just don't overfill the muffin pan as I did.

I've been wrapping gifts much of the day, and Mountain Man dared to venture to Albuquerque to push through the maddening crowds   pick up a few things.  The children and I accomplished a bit more of our deep cleaning goals (we've been going room by room this week), and it feels great to sit in a space that is a bit less cluttered!

For dinner we tried what might become a Christmas Eve tradition.  Normally, we grab a meal out when we drive around to look at lights, but tonight we decided to make fajitas.  I cooked the meat in the slow cooker, and it was delicious and tender.  You can add the peppers and onions at the beginning or about an hour before serving, but we just sauteed them in a bit of olive oil instead.

We're packing up to see the pretty lights, listen to our favorite Christmas Carol audio and enjoy some Satellite hot chocolate.  I'll post the recipes later as well as some pictures of this evening if I manage to snap a few.

Love,
Queen Mom

Meet the Cookie Family

This is one of the most creative gifts we've ever received!  My dear, dear friend, Miss Caity, knowing my sentimental heart, made a gift that would not only satisfy my sweet tooth but would make me make me gush with awe, too.

Meet the Cookie Family....absolutely one of the sweetest families ever. :)    There's Mountain Man, Queen Mom, Scribe,  Scribe, Little Big Man, Whistler, Reaches Up, Boo, Little Bit, Peep, and even Baby-On-the-Way. (Some members are hiding behind each other.)  Can you imagine the time and effort that this gift required?  Perhaps it was effortless for my talented friend, but it looks like so much work.  Thank you, my friend, for such a priceless gift!

Here are some more close-ups.

Yes, we devoured this entire basket in a day, and I even let Peep enjoy the fun.  She ate Baby-On-the-Way's cookie.

"I can't believe Mommy is letting me have this."

"Ok, I think this is what I'm supposed to do.  I have been watching my siblings."

"Yeah, I've got the hang of this now."

"Mmm, thank you Caity!  I didn't have to wait until my first birthday to taste such delectable sweets!"

"It really is hard to eat just one bite at a time.    Moooommmmm, I'm ready to get cleaned up."