Adam by our front door with our Christmas wreath.
This year since Adam is older we have been enjoying taking him to all kinds of fun Christmas events around town. It is great to see what is offered in our community. We wish you all a very Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays! What a special time of year to spend with our son, we are so fortunate!
Reindeer:
A couple of weekends ago Paul took Adam to see live reindeer at a local nursery. It was such a special event. They had several reindeer that you could observe in a large pen so it was safe. What a fun holiday outing!
Adam watching the reindeer at Seven Dees Nursery.
Adam and the reindeer in their pen.
Alpenrose Dairyville:
This is an event that I recently heard about and it is free to all! Alpenrose Dairy nearby in Portland has a Christmas village that you can visit with lots of fun things to do. They had two large model train displays, a theater where you could watch holiday movies, "Storybook Lane" with live animals and beautifully lit, flocked trees, pictures/visit with Santa and more! We had a great time exploring this village with Adam!
Me with Adam on one of the old fashioned carts in Dairyville.
Adam having fun in one of the circus carts.
Paul and Adam in front of the sleigh full of presents in the theater area.
Inside Storybook Lane at Dairyville.
Macy's Santaland:
This is a very special place that reminds me of my childhood because we would take a special trip here to visit Santa and ride the train around the ceiling of the top floor of what used to be Meier and Frank and is now Macy's. The train no longer is in place but they had part of it for kids to climb in and explore as well as a large scale model train display and other fun displays. Adam did visit Santa and tell him "I want a candy cane" when prompted what he wanted for Christmas. He was a little shy about sitting on his lap or taking a photo, so we didn't end up doing that. He really loved the model trains and the big train though. What fun!
Paul with Adam looking at the train at Santaland.
Adam's First Preschool Christmas Ornaments:
This year was Adam's first time making ornaments in preschool. I was amazed at how wonderful and precious they are! I especially like the face on the gingerbread man!
A gingerbread man ornament that Adam made at school.
The sparkly ornament Adam made with beads.
Me with Adam at the downtown Portland Macy's Santa-land train display.
Adam in the front of one of the train cars that used to run on the ceiling at Meir and Frank's Santaland.
Adam's First Preschool Christmas Ornaments:
This year was Adam's first time making ornaments in preschool. I was amazed at how wonderful and precious they are! I especially like the face on the gingerbread man!
A gingerbread man ornament that Adam made at school.
The sparkly ornament Adam made with beads. Making Christmas Cookies:
The other day I made some sugar cookie dough and Adam helped cut out the cookies and decorate them. We had so much fun. He even told a story about the cookie cutters which I wrote down and pass along to you below. He was very patient with the cutting out process and had a great time picking out icing colors and sprinkles. His favorite decorations were the hot cinnamon "buttons." He loved to combine those with green sprinkles for a festive flair! Here are a few pictures of our cookie making adventures. Also, here is the link to the recipe we used. I like how the cookies were sturdy but still had great flavor! I also liked how pretty and shiny the glaze recipe was!
http://www.food.com/recipe/roll-out-classic-butter-sugar-cookies-christmas-or-holidays-223477
Cooking:
Since the holidays are approaching I have not done quite as many varied dinners as I usually do because I have been fitting in extra baking and other activities. I still made a couple of dishes we really enjoyed and also some amazing cookies! Enjoy them all!
Shrimp with Grits:
I made this dish upon request from my husband Paul. We all really loved it! This is a recipe from Paula Deen. I love how simple it is yet how amazingly delicious and fancy it seems!
Ingredients:
Vegetarian Nachos:
This is a twist on a dish I grew up with. We always had nachos as a bean casserole which we would dip chips into. It was one of our favorite dishes growing up. Recently I talked to my mom and found out the origin of the recipe. She said that it was from a "Sunset Magazine". The original was served in an oval dish with corn chips placed all around the rim. In our family we always had one small "section" of the nacho that had hot salsa on top reserved for my parents. This is a vegetarian version I made of the nacho dish I love. I made these for my husband's holiday potluck at his work.
1 pound dry pinto beans
1 onion chopped
3 cloves garlic, peeled
3-4 tablespoons butter
salt to taste
water
1. Place the beans, onion, garlic and some salt to taste in a crock pot. Pour enough water over to cover the beans. It should go 1-2 inches above the beans. Cook overnight or for 8 hours on the low setting.
2. In the morning, or 8 hours later, place the beans and about 1/2 to 3/4 cup of the bean liquid in a large saucepan along with the butter.
3. Mash the beans with a potato masher while cooking them over medium heat. Add salt to taste. Mash and cook the beans until they are fairly smooth. It is okay to have a few beans that aren't mashed.
4. Place the refried beans in a 13 x 9 casserole dish.
Casserole toppings:
1 package white button mushrooms, sliced
1 Anaheim pepper, diced
1 red bell pepper, diced
1/2 onion, chopped
Adobo seasoning to taste
Pico de gallo seasoning or chili powder to taste
1 package whole milk mozarella cheese, grated
salsa- if desired
olive oil
1. Heat your oven to 400F.
2. Heat some olive oil in a large frying pan. Saute the mushrooms, peppers and onion together until they are soft. Add seasonings as desired. Make sure to taste and add according to what you like.
3. Place the sauteed vegetables on top of the refried beans in the casserole dish. Sprinkle the grated mozarella cheese on top.
4. Place the nachos in the oven to bake for about 20 minutes. Make sure the edges are bubbly.
Enjoy!
Carol's Ginger Molasses Cookies:
My dear friend Carol perfected this recipe for these delightfully spiced cookies. In my book, they are absolutely perfect and everything I could want in a cookie! It is an amazing recipe and I love to make them for Christmas!
3/4 cup butter, melted
1 cup sugar
1/4 cup molasses
1 egg
2 teaspoons baking soda
2 cups flour
1/2 teaspoon cloves
1 1/2 teaspoons ginger
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon salt
Extra sugar for rolling the cookies in before baking
1. Mix the ingredients in order given with a stand mixer or a hand mixer.
2. Chill the dough for around an hour.
3. Roll into small balls and then roll in sugar. Place the cookie balls on cookie sheets lined with parchment paper.
4. Heat your oven to 375F.
5. Bake the cookies for 8-10 minutes.
Pretzel Caramel Peanut Bars:
This is a new recipe I tried this year. It is spectacular! It is from a Christmas cookie magazine I could not resist buying a few years ago.
Ingredients:
Cookie Base:
1/2 cup butter, softened
2/3 cup packed brown sugar
2 egg yolks
2 teaspoons vanilla
1 cup all purpose flour
1/2 cup crushed pretzels
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon baking soda
Peanut Butter Layer:
1 7 ounce jar marshmallow creme
1/2 cup creamy peanut butter
1/4 cup powdered sugar
1 cup salted cocktail peanuts
Caramel Layer:
One 14 oz. package vanilla caramels, unwrapped
3 tablespoons milk
1. Preheat oven to 350F. Line a 13x9x2 inch pan with heavy foil, extending foil over edges of the pan, spray the foil with cooking oil spray; set pan aside. In a large bowl, beat butter with an electric mixer on medium to high speed for 30 seconds. Add brown sugar, egg yolks and vanilla. Beat until combined, scraping bowl occasionally.
2. In a small bowl, combine flour, pretzels, baking powder, and baking soda. Beat in as much of the flour mixture as you can with the mixer. Using a wooden spoon, stir in any remaining flour mixture. Press mixture into the bottom of the prepared pan.
3. Bake in a preheated oven for 12 to 14 minutes or until lightly browned. Meanwhile, in a medium microwave safe bowl, combine marshmallow creme and peanut butter. Microwave on 100 percent (high) power for 1 minute or until softened and slightly melted, stirring after 30 seconds. Stir in powdered sugar. Spread mixture over crust. Sprinkle with salted peanuts.
4. In a heavy, large saucepan , combine unwrapped caramels and milk. Cook and stir over medium-low heat until caramels are melted and mixture is smooth. Pour caramel mixture evenly over peanut layer. Cool in pan on wire rack. Using the foil, lift the uncut bars out of the pan. Cut into bars.
Makes 48 bars.
Enjoy!
Gingerbread White Chocolate Chip Bars:
This is a Martha Stewart recipe. The original asked you to make the bars in a jelly roll pan and pat them out thin. I read several comments that said it was better to put them into a regular 13 x 9 pan and bake them like brownies. I am very glad I did because they turned out soft and delicious! I also used white chocolate chips that I had on hand instead of the chopped white chocolate. My husband said these are like gingerbread brownies and he is right!
Enjoy!
Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays to all of you and I am looking forward to continuing this wonderful journey of wonder and discovery with you in 2012! I am continuing to discover who I am and what lies ahead for me and my family. I know that there are some amazing times coming up!
The other day I made some sugar cookie dough and Adam helped cut out the cookies and decorate them. We had so much fun. He even told a story about the cookie cutters which I wrote down and pass along to you below. He was very patient with the cutting out process and had a great time picking out icing colors and sprinkles. His favorite decorations were the hot cinnamon "buttons." He loved to combine those with green sprinkles for a festive flair! Here are a few pictures of our cookie making adventures. Also, here is the link to the recipe we used. I like how the cookies were sturdy but still had great flavor! I also liked how pretty and shiny the glaze recipe was!
http://www.food.com/recipe/roll-out-classic-butter-sugar-cookies-christmas-or-holidays-223477
Adam cutting out a star sugar cookie.
Adam decorating a sugar cookie.
Adam decorating a sugar cookie.
Adam telling a story about the cookie cutters.
This is the story that Adam told about the cookie cutters:
"Goodnight Moon" said the girl and the angel. "It's bedtime."
They were scary from that scary noise.
"Girl Angel are you there?" said the girl.
"Come on out, it's bedtime."
"Don't be scared. The moon is not going to be scary from those girls and the angel."
"They better fly to the moon."
I love this story and I am so happy that I wrote it down. It was a special memory that we made that day together making and decorating cookies and I love that Adam told a story using the girl, angel and moon cookie cutters! So creative and fun!
"Goodnight Moon" said the girl and the angel. "It's bedtime."
They were scary from that scary noise.
"Girl Angel are you there?" said the girl.
"Come on out, it's bedtime."
"Don't be scared. The moon is not going to be scary from those girls and the angel."
"They better fly to the moon."
I love this story and I am so happy that I wrote it down. It was a special memory that we made that day together making and decorating cookies and I love that Adam told a story using the girl, angel and moon cookie cutters! So creative and fun!
Cooking:
Since the holidays are approaching I have not done quite as many varied dinners as I usually do because I have been fitting in extra baking and other activities. I still made a couple of dishes we really enjoyed and also some amazing cookies! Enjoy them all!
Shrimp with Grits:
I made this dish upon request from my husband Paul. We all really loved it! This is a recipe from Paula Deen. I love how simple it is yet how amazingly delicious and fancy it seems!
Ingredients: - 1 cup stone-ground grits
- Salt and pepper
- 1/4 cup butter
- 2 cups shredded sharp Cheddar cheese
- 1 pound shrimp, peeled and deveined, left whole if small and roughly chopped if medium or large
- 6 slices bacon, chopped into tiny pieces
- 4 teaspoons fresh lemon juice
- 2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley
- 1 cup thinly sliced green onions, white and green parts
- 1 large garlic clove, minced
Directions:
1. To make the shrimp and grits recipe, bring 4 cups water to a boil in a medium saucepan. Add the grits and salt and pepper to taste. Stir well with a whisk. Reduce the heat to the lowest possible setting and cook the grits until all the water is absorbed, about 10 to 15 minutes. Remove from the heat and stir in the butter and cheese. Keep covered until ready to serve.
2. Rinse the shrimp and pat dry. Fry the bacon in a large skillet until browned and crisp, then drain on a paper towel. Add the shrimp to the bacon grease in the skillet and saute over medium heat just until they turn pink, about 3 minutes. Do not overcook! Immediately add the lemon juice, parsley, green onions, and garlic. Remove the skillet from the heat.
3. Pour the grits into a serving bowl. Pour the shrimp mixture over the grits. Garnish with the bacon bits.
Note: If you are serving this as an appetizer, spoon 1/4 cup grits onto a bread or salad plate. Top with 1/4 cup of the shrimp mixture. Garnish with a sprinkling of crisp bacon bits and serve immediately.
Vegetarian Nachos:
This is a twist on a dish I grew up with. We always had nachos as a bean casserole which we would dip chips into. It was one of our favorite dishes growing up. Recently I talked to my mom and found out the origin of the recipe. She said that it was from a "Sunset Magazine". The original was served in an oval dish with corn chips placed all around the rim. In our family we always had one small "section" of the nacho that had hot salsa on top reserved for my parents. This is a vegetarian version I made of the nacho dish I love. I made these for my husband's holiday potluck at his work.
The nachos before I put the cheese on top.
Refried Beans:1 pound dry pinto beans
1 onion chopped
3 cloves garlic, peeled
3-4 tablespoons butter
salt to taste
water
1. Place the beans, onion, garlic and some salt to taste in a crock pot. Pour enough water over to cover the beans. It should go 1-2 inches above the beans. Cook overnight or for 8 hours on the low setting.
2. In the morning, or 8 hours later, place the beans and about 1/2 to 3/4 cup of the bean liquid in a large saucepan along with the butter.
3. Mash the beans with a potato masher while cooking them over medium heat. Add salt to taste. Mash and cook the beans until they are fairly smooth. It is okay to have a few beans that aren't mashed.
4. Place the refried beans in a 13 x 9 casserole dish.
Casserole toppings:
1 package white button mushrooms, sliced
1 Anaheim pepper, diced
1 red bell pepper, diced
1/2 onion, chopped
Adobo seasoning to taste
Pico de gallo seasoning or chili powder to taste
1 package whole milk mozarella cheese, grated
salsa- if desired
olive oil
1. Heat your oven to 400F.
2. Heat some olive oil in a large frying pan. Saute the mushrooms, peppers and onion together until they are soft. Add seasonings as desired. Make sure to taste and add according to what you like.
3. Place the sauteed vegetables on top of the refried beans in the casserole dish. Sprinkle the grated mozarella cheese on top.
4. Place the nachos in the oven to bake for about 20 minutes. Make sure the edges are bubbly.
Enjoy!
Carol's Ginger Molasses Cookies:
My dear friend Carol perfected this recipe for these delightfully spiced cookies. In my book, they are absolutely perfect and everything I could want in a cookie! It is an amazing recipe and I love to make them for Christmas!
One of my favorite cookies ever- they are soft, spicy and crunchy-sugary!
Ingredients: Makes 3-4 dozen cookies
3/4 cup butter, melted
1 cup sugar
1/4 cup molasses
1 egg
2 teaspoons baking soda
2 cups flour
1/2 teaspoon cloves
1 1/2 teaspoons ginger
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon salt
Extra sugar for rolling the cookies in before baking
1. Mix the ingredients in order given with a stand mixer or a hand mixer.
2. Chill the dough for around an hour.
3. Roll into small balls and then roll in sugar. Place the cookie balls on cookie sheets lined with parchment paper.
4. Heat your oven to 375F.
5. Bake the cookies for 8-10 minutes.
Pretzel Caramel Peanut Bars:
This is a new recipe I tried this year. It is spectacular! It is from a Christmas cookie magazine I could not resist buying a few years ago.
The delicious caramel peanut cookie bars!
Ingredients:
Cookie Base:
1/2 cup butter, softened
2/3 cup packed brown sugar
2 egg yolks
2 teaspoons vanilla
1 cup all purpose flour
1/2 cup crushed pretzels
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon baking soda
Peanut Butter Layer:
1 7 ounce jar marshmallow creme
1/2 cup creamy peanut butter
1/4 cup powdered sugar
1 cup salted cocktail peanuts
Caramel Layer:
One 14 oz. package vanilla caramels, unwrapped
3 tablespoons milk
1. Preheat oven to 350F. Line a 13x9x2 inch pan with heavy foil, extending foil over edges of the pan, spray the foil with cooking oil spray; set pan aside. In a large bowl, beat butter with an electric mixer on medium to high speed for 30 seconds. Add brown sugar, egg yolks and vanilla. Beat until combined, scraping bowl occasionally.
2. In a small bowl, combine flour, pretzels, baking powder, and baking soda. Beat in as much of the flour mixture as you can with the mixer. Using a wooden spoon, stir in any remaining flour mixture. Press mixture into the bottom of the prepared pan.
3. Bake in a preheated oven for 12 to 14 minutes or until lightly browned. Meanwhile, in a medium microwave safe bowl, combine marshmallow creme and peanut butter. Microwave on 100 percent (high) power for 1 minute or until softened and slightly melted, stirring after 30 seconds. Stir in powdered sugar. Spread mixture over crust. Sprinkle with salted peanuts.
4. In a heavy, large saucepan , combine unwrapped caramels and milk. Cook and stir over medium-low heat until caramels are melted and mixture is smooth. Pour caramel mixture evenly over peanut layer. Cool in pan on wire rack. Using the foil, lift the uncut bars out of the pan. Cut into bars.
Makes 48 bars.
Enjoy!
Gingerbread White Chocolate Chip Bars:
This is a Martha Stewart recipe. The original asked you to make the bars in a jelly roll pan and pat them out thin. I read several comments that said it was better to put them into a regular 13 x 9 pan and bake them like brownies. I am very glad I did because they turned out soft and delicious! I also used white chocolate chips that I had on hand instead of the chopped white chocolate. My husband said these are like gingerbread brownies and he is right!
These bars are soft, chewy, buttery and spiced just like gingerbread!
Ingredients:
- Vegetable-oil cooking spray
- 2 3/4 cups plus 1 tablespoon all-purpose flour
- 1 1/4 teaspoons baking soda
- 1 1/4 teaspoons salt
- 1 1/2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
- 1 teaspoon ground ginger
- 1/4 teaspoon ground cloves
- 2 1/2 sticks (20 tablespoons) unsalted butter, room temperature
- 1 1/4 cups packed light-brown sugar
- 1/2 cup plus 2 tablespoons granulated sugar
- 2 large eggs, plus 1 large egg yolk
- 1 1/4 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
- 1/3 cup unsulfured molasses
- 1 bag (11 to 12 ounces ounces) white chocolate chips
Directions:
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Coat a 13x9 pan with cooking spray. Line bottom with parchment cut to fit, and coat parchment. Whisk together flour, baking soda, salt, and spices.
- Beat butter and brown and granulated sugars with a mixer on medium-high speed until pale and fluffy. Add eggs and yolk, 1 at a time, beating well after each addition and scraping down sides of bowl as needed. Beat in vanilla and molasses. Reduce speed to low. Gradually add flour mixture, and beat until just combined. Stir in white chocolate chips.
- Spread batter into prepared pan. Bake until edges are golden, about 25 minutes. Let cool completely in pan on a wire rack. Cut into 2-inch squares or desired shape.
The beautiful Christmas wreath we put up this year.
Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays to all of you and I am looking forward to continuing this wonderful journey of wonder and discovery with you in 2012! I am continuing to discover who I am and what lies ahead for me and my family. I know that there are some amazing times coming up!
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1 comment:
As usual, your food is lovely and looks so good. The pictures are wonderful and I particularly enjoy Adam's decorations. Have a very Merry Christmas and Happy New Year. I am looking forward to coming blogs
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