Fun Girlfriend Gift!

Here's a cool idea!

My friend, Aggie, had a great appetizer recipe

on her blog, 

http://aggieskitchen.com/

This idea evolved, as I showered 

(at least it wasn't 4 in the morning, when I usually get my best ideas).

I printed up her recipe and bought the shelf stable components,

dried figs, roasted pecans and balsamic.

I picked up some festive oven mitts and put all the 

items in them and tied the recipe on the loop. 

The girls were coming for lunch so I tied the mitts
onto the backs of their chairs.

How fun is that!?

They just need to grab some cheese to keep in the fridge and then 

when they need a last minute app, they're set!

I figure at the holidays who couldn't use a little somthin' up 

their sleeves?

So, here you have it. 

The basic concept is fun but you can totally adapt it.

If you have a favorite appetizer that has mostly

shelf stable ingredients then use that.
Merry Christmas!!!

Impressive Dessert

Ok, first a little spelling lesson.

If you're ever wondering if dessert has one "s" or two.

Just think that you would always like to have TWO desserts!

You're welcome.

Are you impressed?

How about now?

Here's my Christmas gift to you.

Need a pretty little dessert?

That's a box mix of gingerbread that I baked in the 

requisite square pan but then cut out with a round cutter.

And Martha.

Yep, she has a line of stencils for cake/cookie decorating.

They work.

You're welcome.

Again.

Cookie Palooza

Lory and I have a Christmas tradition:

COOKIE DAY!!!!

It started more years ago than I can remember.

I'm not sure how many kinds of cookies it started out at 

but I do know we have determined 9 is too many.

We set a day aside and just bake like maniacs.

 Lory brings all  her cookie sheets, cooling racks 

and storage containers.

I choose the cookies we will make, shop, prepare any dough's

ahead of time that need to be refrigerated and generally organize.

Lory lets me. 

I like it that way :o)

I'm an organizational freak. 

I make notes on each years list of cookies.

Who likes which ones best.

Ones we shouldn't bother with again. 

Or, why we won't be able to find the spritzer machine 

the following year. 

After three years of being sure it was "user error" and

that surely we could make that goofy thing work, we 

decided it was the machine, not us. 

It's in a landfill.

Where it belongs.

It will mock us no longer.

Lory and I are a great pair in the kitchen. 

Like I said, she lets me be boss.

She's happy to be grunt labor.

Neither of us gets too worked up about "instructions".

"Lightly dust" is relative.

Oh, yeah, another thing Lory brings....

the WINE!

Yep, as the day goes on those pesky "instructions" become

mere suggestions.

And Lory gets shorter :o)

Got Vegees?

Ever wonder what to do with the leftovers from

that holiday vegetable tray?

Me too. 

Last night I decided to roast them.

Pretty, huh?

I picked out the broccoli and cauliflower and gave them to Mike

with his dinner. None for me, they don't like me.

Whatever.

I pulled the tomatoes and red peppers and pulverized them

with an immersion blender. Today I'm going to saute some

onions and garlic in olive oil, add my tomato/pepper goodness

and have some amazing pasta sauce. 

Maybe a hit of red pepper flakes? 

Yum!

Oh, and PS, the left over fruit from the fruit tray?

Lay it out on a cookie sheet and freeze it.

Once it's frozen you can transfer it to a ziploc bag.

Smoothies!!!!!

A Work In Progress...Maybe

It's called the "Ugly Adolescent" stage

But, honestly, it didn't start out that great.

The floor looks better, right?

But I digress.

I'm not ready to give up on this little project.

I really think it has potential. 

Most creative endeavors hit this ugly stage.

The only thing is, I usually know where I am going next and 

I don't usually showcase the scary point.

Well, I don't know where I'm going next and you should 

all be afraid. 

Be very afraid. 

Christmas is coming.

And this "table" is mocking me. 

Maybe it just needs a new home....

Thanksgiving Battle Plan

I had a stroke of genius last year.

Some families work Thanksgiving where each person brings a 

dish to the host house and the host cooks the bird.

But what fun is that?

I'd way rather cook *with* you!

So here, everybody gets a job!

Gaye is in charge of getting enough sage in the dressing.

Breese is in charge of peeling 10 pounds of potatoes.

Once many years ago she commented that she didn't feel we had enough potatoes.

She is still paying for what she *thought* was a random comment.

 Mike, Dave and the dog and Big Mary 

stay out of the way and look pretty.

Shanna is mashing the potatoes. 

Gaye is grunt gravy stirrer. 

Grandma advises. 

Daniel, Michael and Michelle are in charge of 

water glasses and candles.

 I get to take the beauty shot :o)

We are a matriarchal family. 

But in a good way.

I figured out a couple of years ago that I really like putting 

Thanksgiving dinner together but I also really

enjoy a couple glasses of wine once all the food is doing it's thing. 

I also figured out after a day of much more cooking than eating, 

just one glass of wine makes me kinda forgetful.

This is where my stroke of genius comes in.

So, in addition to helping with the prep, each person is given a 

food item to be responsible for. 

It is their job to make sure their assigned dish makes it to the table.

Along with the rest of the food.

Preferably before Friday. 

Here's where Grandma's stroke of genius comes in.

Next year everybody gets a clean up assignment. 

Seems the division of labor on that front has been a bit off

in recent years. 

Go Grandma!!!!

Just Wanted to Share

Tuesday.

Sunday.

Seems people had a lot on their minds.

This wall is going to be fun.