Holiday Cranberry Sauce

I'm not a fan of cranberries (although I do love to decorate with cranberries!)   :), but this recipe.... this I love! 

This recipe has been in the family for years, and it comes down through my mom's side of the family.  

It's quick, simple, and delicious.

Holiday Cranberry Sauce

2 tbsp Butter

4 large Apples

1/4 tsp Cardamon

1/4 tsp Allspice

1 bag Cranberries

1 cup Sugar

1-1/4 cup Water

Peal, core, and dice apples.

Melt butter over medium heat, add apples & allspice.  Cook 10 minutes, stirring occasionally.

Increase heat to medium-high and stir in cranberries, sugar, and water.  Heat to boiling.

Reduce heat to medium and cook uncovered 6-8 minutes, until cranberries pop and mixture thickens, stirring occasionally. 

Bon Appetit!!!

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Merry Christmas!!

First, the happy Christmas stuff:

That 70's Show dvd, Christopher's favorite

After the excitement of opening presents:

Playing with the new Barbie RV:

Puzzle time!

Time for a game of Chess

Playing with cousins!

Being with family @ Christmastime...  nothing better!

Now the not so happy Christmas stuff...

       Two days before Christmas mom was diagnosed with breast cancer.  Her lymph nodes are involved, which is never good.  :(   The plan is to start chemo first, then surgery.  Today is New Year's Eve, and I keep thinking what a rotten way to start the new year....

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Post Holiday Quiz

This made me laugh.


Do you suffer from UHES?

Read the Post Holiday Success Quiz to find out!











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Christmas 2010

I love our little, quiet family Christmas's.
I fear this year was our last one.
Does that sound terribly rotten to say out loud?

We spend all day in our jammies.
We don't leave the house.
Nobody comes over.
We do our own thing.
It's so relaxing.
Perfect.

We open our presents.  And then we go our separate ways... someone puts a new puzzle together, someone plays a new video game, someone reads a new book from Santa, someone takes a nap.  It's peaceful.  Enjoyable.  Calm.  Perfect.

Later in the day, we sit down together and play games, or play wii together, or watch a new movie that Santa brought.  We laugh, we argue, we enjoy each other.  Perfect.

This year, it started snowing on Christmas night... and it snowed for almost 24 hours straight.  A beautiful way to end Christmas day.  And the day after Christmas we ended up with over 14 inches of snow... we shoveled, we played, we threw snowballs, we made snow angels, we looked on in wonder as it continued to snow.  And then friends came over, and we ended the day with some game time... we laughed, we argued, we enjoyed each other.  Perfect.




Perfect.

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I'm dreaming of a White Christmas....

A couple of weeks ago I was excited that we had temperatures in the low 30's...
                         ....today I woke up at 5:30am to 25*, with a windchill in the TEENS!  Sweet.

And, thanks to the "Heroes at Home" program sponsored by Sears, we received a $50 Sears gift card.  We went out to Sears, and got Megan a pink winter coat & a pink hoodie.  **She likes pink**  Thank you Sears... it is greatly appreciated.

For the very first time in our 18 years of marriage, we bought a *REAL* Christmas tree this year.  It is beautiful and smells so good.  I can smell it throughout the whole house.  I've always been a colored light person, but we've switched over to white lights the past two years.  It looks so serene... it's very calming.  The outdoor lights are also white, and it looks so crisp and clean.  I didn't think I'd ever be a white-lights person, but I really love them.

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Nov 28

(This is a monthly challenge:  I am posting EACH DAY for things that I am thankful for during the month of November.)

I am thankful for my children's excitement.  I've had no interest or motivation to decorate for Christmas... but their energy and excitement put me in the spirit today.  










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