I was able to fit a blog in :)

Thanksgiving flew by like lightening now Christmas is here! My FAVORITE time of the year :) Parties, baking, music, friends, baking, family, baking and the celebration of Jesus birth. I always wished December was longer, maybe like 8 weeks instead of 4, but people said thats what makes Christmas so special. I disagree. I'm the type of person who could celebrate it for 6 months. Its hard to believe you do so much work for such a short time. I have made boat loads of sweets already and i still have a week left. Why is it at Christmas time you love to give so much? Its always a blessing to give to those who don't have much. I remember as a kid my family and I every Christmas would go see Mr Otis (the old school black farmer down the road) and take him goodies and fruit. They never had much, but they were always so grateful. I mean we were giving them apples, oranges and some left over cookies we had around the house, and you would have thought we were giving them the world. We still carry the tradition on, and I'm sure next week will be there, and he'll still have that same thankful smile. Christmas is so special. The time you spend with your families, the memories you make with friends, the presents you get.. and you wonder, what in the name they were thinking when they bought that??.. its just best to smile and say thank you:) Oh boy did i ever get one of those one year! I best keep my mouth shut! :) Merry Christmas to all and to all a gross night.. love shrek

The Happenings.....

We just got back from the Mid-West, oh how i love it up there :) Not too cold yet, trees have already turned, started Christmas shopping, we cooked for about ten men while we were there. Couldn't try too many new recipes due to the fact that we would have to make about 3 pots of everything. Men sure do eat alot!! :) P.S. we did happen to have a UFC Fighter with us up there and he ate a whole pot himself... but thats another story.

I was able to take some pictures on the farm of my little, darling Princess.

Today is the day we put up Nana and Grandpa's Christmas tree, twenty minutes into hanging the ornaments Princess E broke her first one. :) I thought the one i gave her was plastic, boy it sure did fool me when it busted into one thousand pieces!!! I love this time of year, I just wish it was cooler and not in the seventy's today!!! ..but we have on our Christmas music, so that gets us in the mood. Have i ever mentioned that my mom CANNOT have just a normal tree with all the pretty little sentimental ornaments?? Instead she has this enormously, huge tree that is like twelve foot tall and spreads it seems like six foot around!!! It is absolutely gorgeous!! Nothing like Mom's Christmas tree! E has put three ornaments on the tree, she hangs them from the lights...thats where their suppose to go, HELLO DOES ANYONE NOT KNOW THIS?? That's what we've been doing wrong this whole time....

Speaking of time, I sure do miss my hubby, all i will say is its hunting season, so therefore i have no husband :(

The Best I've found....

This is in the top 3 for my most favorite breakfast meals! It is undeniable, without a doubt, the best french toast you will ever put in your mouth! It will make you fat and happy!

Baked French Toast

Ingredients

1 loaf French bread

8 large eggs

2 cups half-and-half

1 cup milk

2 tablespoons granulated sugar

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon

1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg

Dash salt

Directions

Slice French bread into 20 slices, 1-inch each. Arrange slices in a generously buttered 9 by 13-inch flat baking dish in 2 rows, overlapping the slices. In a large bowl, combine the eggs, half-and-half, milk, sugar, vanilla, cinnamon, nutmeg and salt and beat with a rotary beater or whisk until blended but not too bubbly. Pour mixture over the bread slices, making sure all are covered evenly with the milk-egg mixture. Spoon some of the mixture in between the slices. Cover with foil and refrigerate overnight.

The next day, preheat oven to 350 degrees F.

Spread Praline Topping evenly over the bread and bake for 40 minutes, until puffed and lightly golden.

Praline Topping

1/2 pound (2 sticks) butter

1 cup packed light brown sugar

1 cup chopped pecans

2 tablespoons light corn syrup

1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon

1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg

Directions

Combine all ingredients in a medium bowl and blend

well.

Stubborn kid!

I'm not sure if its the stubbornness of Daa Daa coming out or what?..but i can't get E to look at the camera for nothing. Trying to take a picture of her is like pulling teeth around here. I love dressing this kid up, she is my paper doll! Ha! Remember those things? Eventually I did get one good pic of her LOOKING AT ME AND SITTING STILL!!!!!!

I have a migraine I'm going to bed!

Pumpkin Muffins

I woke up one morning last week and was craving pumpkin muffins, I searched the internet and found a really easy recipe for them. I decided to try, and oh my word they were DELICIOUS!!!!!!!! I am going to make them again soon! Too bad i didn't have a screened in porch and an old rocking chair, I would have felt like my Granny when i was sipping on my coffee and eating that yummy muffin.... man i sure do miss her. :( I still have her, however, Alzheimer's took most of her about 3 years ago. On with happier thoughts here is the muffin recipe...

Pumpkin Muffins

Ingredients:

1 package yellow cake mix

1 (15 ounce) can pumpkin puree

1 teaspoon of ground cinnamon

1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg

1/4 teaspoon ground cloves

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Grease a 12 muffin pan.

Mix together all ingredients. Spoon into muffin cups.

Bake for 20 to 25 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center of one comes out clean.

Can you get in easier than that?

I used William Sonoma's Pumpkin Puree and did not add ground cloves, but I'm sure just the regular pumpkin puree will be just as good!! :)

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Carving Elmo/Grover to Life

Daa Daa was bringing Elmo to life tonight..untill... he was thru and he had carved the GROVER stencil instead of ELMO! ha.. they look alike to me :) As soon as E saw it she was screaming, " MELMO, MELMO!!" So what we thought was Grover was suddenly MELMO!

...and we made ghost chandeliers... moooohahahaha mooohahahahaha!!!