My Christmas Haul

This year Jim and I decided not to buy each other Christmas gifts and instead get a new computer for the cabin.  We'll also upgrade our internet service from satellite to DSL.  But that will all happen in a few months.  We give gifts to my niece and nephews but don't exchange with brothers and sisters anymore.  So, as far as my Christmas haul goes, there wasn't much under the tree for Cindy this year.  One of the gifts I got that I really, really loved was a ziplock bag of trim and rick rack from my SIL Theresa.  Just look at all this rick rack.  I don't know where she finds it, but it sure makes me happy that she buys it for me when she does.

And then all this pretty ribbon and other trimming.

This stuff is from Germany and is sort of like metal threads.

But wait, there's more! 

I now have more rick rack than I could ever possibly use in my lifetime, but that's not going to stop me from looking for more at flea markets, antique stores or garage sales.  There's just too many pretty colors and sizes and besides that I LOVE RICK RACK! 

♫ It’s Beginning to Look a Lot Like Christmas ♫

Today I finally got the tree up and some decorations out.  Like most everyone, we’ve accumulated way too much Christmas stuff and every year I put out less and less of it.  I have one box full of ornaments that always go on the tree and a few more things that get dragged out every year.  Here are a couple of my favorite Christmas things. 

I made this cross stitched gingerbread house some years ago.  It took forever to finish, but it’s become one of my very favorite handmade things.

  

  

This is a huge ornament Jim bought me one year.  It’s way too big to hang on the tree, so I set it in a candle wreath on top of the TV.
We were out and finished our Christmas shopping today.  It really wasn’t too hard, seeing we give cash and gift cards.  It’s not as fun as actually going Christmas shopping, but I’ve learned it’s what people like to receive. 

A Good Day for a Pot of Soup

There's nothing like a bowl of hot soup while in the middle of a blizzard. Well actually a bowl of hot soup is good most anytime. Today I decided to use up the rest of the leftover turkey (fyi, I cooked it last week, not leftover from Thanksgiving) and make a pot of White Chili. Oooo, this is good soup. It's something you just have to try. It's way better than it sounds.

White Chili with Chicken

2 cans great northern beans rinsed
2 cups cooked chicken or turkey
2 4-oz cans chopped green chilies
2 cans white corn or regular whole kernel corn
2 1/2 cups of water or chicken broth
1 cup chopped onion
1 clove of garlic, minced
1 tbsp olive oil
2 tsp ground cumin
1 tbsp lemon or lime juice
1/2 tsp ground cayenne pepper
Salt to taste

Cook onion and garlic in olive oil. Combine remaining ingredients in slow cooker and heat until good and hot. Serve with Monterey jack cheese and tortilla chips

One of my newest favorite things

I made a batch of these using all pecans and took to our family Thanksgiving get together and everyone loved them...especially me!

Spiced Nuts

1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper

1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon

4 cups unsalted mixed nuts, such as walnuts, pecans, hazelnuts and almonds

4 tablespoons unsalted butter

6 tablespoons brown sugar

1 teaspoon salt

Mix spices and reserve.

Directions:

Heat the nuts in a dry skillet and cook, stirring frequently, until they begin to toast, about 4 minutes. Or like I do, toast in the oven until you can smell them.  Add the butter and cook, stirring, until the nuts begin to darken, about 1 minute. Add the spices, the sugar, 1 tablespoon water, and the salt and cook, stirring, until the sauce thickens and the nuts are glazed, about 5 minutes.  Remove the nuts from the heat and transfer to a baking sheet lined with aluminum foil, separating them with a fork.  Let the nuts stand until cooled and the sugar has hardened, about 10 minutes.  Store in an airtight container.

Picture is from Taste of Home.

One of Mom's Recipe Cards

When I was a kid, I'd do just about anything to have one of these cookies.  My favorite Christmas cookie, without a doubt!

Winter Solstice

Finally it’s the winter solstice. Many people hate the first day of winter, but it’s a day I’ve been thinking about since late August. That’s when it becomes really obvious that the days are getting shorter. It’s a day to celebrate…only 4 days until Christmas, only 10 days left of the old year and the beginning of a brand new year. Soon we’ll notice the days getting longer and the shadows getting shorter. I look forward to spring as much as any one that lives in the north, but my train of thought is to enjoy each and every day.

Some years ago my job was a payroll processor. I commented to one of my clients about how I wished it was Friday. I’ll never her comment back to me…”Cindy, be careful or you’ll wish your life away”. How true. Time passes by fast enough. Seems like it was just yesterday when we were watching the leaves change color or eating that first tomato of the summer. Before we know it, we’ll be reporting sightings of the first robin, bluebird or hummingbird and the sounds and smells of spring.

So, happy first day of winter everyone! Enjoy the day, week, month and year because you only get one chance to enjoy them. And another thing for me to celebrate today…I got my H1N1 vaccine today.

More Christmas Stuff

Friday night we went to the bar down the street for supper. Didn’t have the Friday night fish fry, mainly because it’s not very good. Doesn’t compare to the fish we get at the bars up north. Anyway, the place was busy and the only open seats were at the bar, so that’s were we sat. Shortly after we ordered, an elderly gentleman came in and sat at the last empty stool next to us. We exchanged the usual small talk and then he gave us the these cards…one at a time. He didn’t give Jim the last one, but I cashed in on it before we left. I thought they were very clever. He said the second one was from a 100 year old card his dad had. A very nice man, 83 years old and going through his first Christmas without his wife. It was real easy giving him a big ol’ hug.

Saturday Elves Jim & Cindy did their annual Christmas cookie deliveries which involved a trip to the Dells. It was a nice way to spend a dark day in December.