Christmas at Granny and Papaw's

I was in a posting mood this evening!  Unfortunately, my mind works one way and blogger works the other.  I was posting in order (starting with Christmas Eve), but blogger posts them the opposite way.  So, we'll start with Christmas and work our way backwards :)

After Christmas at our house, we headed to Granny and Papaw's (Andy's parents) for our Christmas with them.  The kids had a great time (as did the adults)!

 Why is it my son cannot keep his clothes on?  :)  

 I'd say Ellie likes her boots!

Granny Sue looks happy!

Keep reading...there are more Christmas posts below!

Christmas Morning

Unfortunately, we didn't get too many shots of Christmas morning at our house.  Santa was very good to Ben, and Ben was very good to us (he didn't wake up until 9:30)!!!

 His Christmas ornament (Lightening McQueen, of course)!

 Just one of the many, many cars/trucks/tractors he got!

Our neighbors stopped over in the morning and dropped off a present for Ben.  It was green and it had wheels...of course, Ben LOVED it!!!

Christmas Eve

We spent Christmas Eve with my parents and had a GREAT time!  For the first time in three years, all of the kids were healthy.  This made for a nice evening (no one was opening presents from a quarantined bedroom).  As you can see, it looked like all the kiddos had a wonderful time!

The whole family 

My AWESOME parents!

Great picture!

 Now, THAT is excitement!

 Finally, a blue tractor :)

 Matching boots :

What an ensemble :)

Cookies at Grandma's

Let the Christmas posts begin!  This will be the first of several, as we've had many, many Christmas celebrations (and another one to come in January).  We started the Christmas weekend with all of the grandkids decorating cookies at Grandma Debbie's.  Yum, yum!!!

 Just a few sprinkles :)

 Of course, there had to be some taste testing!

 Hard at work!

 Grandma has a cute little helper!

 So serious :)

Making more icing

The finished products!

In the way of progress...

The Hoosier Heartland is finally being built, and progress can actually be seen on our drive up north (we even get to drive on it for about 2 miles of the trip).  Unfortunately, with that progress comes some loss.  Many homes along the route have been abandoned and are boarded up and ready to be torn down.  If any of you are following the local press, you'll notice that a 200 year old burr oak tree was on the chopping block as well, but thanks to the resilience of the farmer who owns the land, it has been spared.  You can read about that here.

Right in the path of the new highway is a house that everyone going north or south on 25 passes, and many may notice it's beautiful old barn (you can close your eyes and imagine what it must have looked like when it was new).  

This house holds a special place in my heart, because I remember driving by with my grandpa several years ago.  He told me, as we passed by, that his grandparents had lived in that home.  They didn't own it, but had lived there during the depression and had been share croppers.  After talking with my uncle, I learned my grandpa was actually born in this house.

Now, over the course of the years, I've forgotten many of the details, but I always remember that day with Grandpa each time I pass by.  Yesterday, on my way home to my parents, I stopped to take a few photos.  From the looks of things, I imagine the house is a few weeks away from demolition.  I'm glad I had my camera in hand.  

Christmas Vacation at it's Best!

A blanket, a pillow, and Thomas's Christmas Adventure on TV...perfect!

Kitchen Connection - Apricot Crescents

My mom makes these, and we both agree...they are a wonderful cookie to make for the holidays.  They're pretty, delicious, and most of all, easy.  She got the recipe several years ago out of Country Woman Magazine.  Enjoy!

Apricot Crescents
1 c. butter (no substitutes)
2 c. flour
1 egg yolk
1/2 c. sour cream
1/2 c. apricot preserves
1/2 c. flaked coconut
1/4 c. finely chopped pecans
Sugar

In a bowl (we use a food processor), cut butter into flour until the mixture resembles coarse crumbs.  Beat egg yolk and sour cream; add to crumb mixture and mix well.  Chill several hours or overnight.  Divide dough into fourths.  On a sugared surface, roll each portion into a 10" circle.  Turn dough over to sugar top side.  Combine preserves, coconut and pecans; spread over circles.  Cut each circle into 12 wedges and roll each wedge into a crescent shape, starting at the wide end.  Sprinkle with sugar.  Place points down 1" apart on ungreased baking sheet.  Bake at 350 for 15-17 minutes or until set and very lightly browned.  Immediately remove to wire racks to cool.

A neat idea...

My mom is full of ideas, and this is just one of her latest ones.  This is magnetic paint with a border of red latex paint...so cute!

It's Christmas Time!

Last weekend, we celebrated the first of many Christmas celebrations.  Of course, the highlight for Ben was opening the presents.  For Andy and I, we enjoyed seeing family that we don't see very often...it was a great day all the way around! 

 Sweet sisterly love! :)

"Let me read you a story, Daddy"

Merry Christmas!!!



Kitchen Connection - Greek Pasta Salad

We have our first family Christmas party of the season tomorrow, and I'm supposed to bring a salad.  I saw a variation of this on allrecipes.com (one of my favorite sites), and I thought it sounded yummy.  After making, I've decided it's not just yummy, it's delicious!!!  And, of course, it's super easy to make!  Enjoy!

Greek Pasta Salad

1 box rotini pasta, cooked to al dente and drained
1 package cherry tomatoes, halved
1 package fresh, sliced mushrooms
1 package pepperoni, cut into strips
1 can black olives, drained
1 package crumbled feta cheese
1-2 bottles of Greek dressing (I used the Kroger brand)

Mix all ingredients together (except for cheese), and refrigerate a few hours or overnight.  Mix in cheese before serving.

Trains, Trains, Everywhere!

Ben LOVES trains (actually, that's a bit of an understatement...Ben LOVES, LOVES, LOVES trains)!  We are very lucky to live near a train museum.  It is open throughout the spring and summer, and opens for 10 days every December for an open house.  Tonight, we took Ben there, and he was SO excited.  He could hardly speak because every time he turned his head, there were more trains.  Of course, I took my new camera, but forgot my SD card, so, thank goodness for my trusty cell phone. 

 It's hard to see, but this is a train track that they built especially for the open house - it goes 10 feet in the air, around a Christmas tree.

 "Look Daddy!"

"All Aboard!"

All Dressed Up...

...and ready to go to the high school choir concert (of course, the drum will have to stay home, much to his dismay)! 

Peppermint Bark

I'm so happy that we're approaching Christmas. I love everything about this holiday...the lights, the decorations, the celebrations, the break from work, finding the perfect gifts for family and friends, and most of all, seeing the excitement in Ben's eyes! As we get closer to December 25th, I'm getting more and more into the spirit of the season...a few nights ago, I thought I would try my hand at creating peppermint bark. I found this recipe on pinterest.com (a sight that I absolutely LOVE and recommend to everyone). The original link can be found here.

First, you need to gather your supplies...silicone mold, chocolate bark, white chocolate bark, candy canes and oil.

Unwrap the candy canes, and crush them into small pieces.

Melt 8 oz. of the chocolate with 1 tsp. vegetable oil. Once it is melted, divide it evenly between the silicone molds. Use a toothpick to spread the chocolate evenly within the mold.  Sprinkle with chopped candy canes.  Put the mold in the refrigerator for a few minutes for the chocolate to set up.

Repeat with white chocolate (melt with 1 tsp. oil, and spread over first layer).  You can also stir in a few drops of peppermint oil in with the melted white chocolate, if you'd like.  Top with candy cane pieces, and return to refrigerator for a few minutes.  When set up, carefully remove from the silicone tray and enjoy!