Happy New Year!

Wow, what a year 2009 has been! My little girl turned 2 and my little boy started preschool! They are growing up too fast!

I decided to go back to school with much kicking and screaming and asking God if we could win the lottery so I would not have to and just be a stay at home mommy! I'm still waiting God....LOL!

Hubby still teaching with a stable job and he received a great evaluation this semester, kids have told him that they enjoy taking his class and a mother of a student sent him a nice note as well as sending it to the principle.

And of course, we finally got a NEW KITCHEN!!! I have enjoyed cooking in my new kitchen more than you know. I have had a chance to entertain a lot since summer.

As we roll in 2010 I think about how blessed we are with family and friends all around us, our health and a wonderful place that we call home. Happy 2010!

Oraganization at its finest!

Since our kitchen remodel I have not paid any attention to the basement (storage area). It was a disaster since they had shoved my stuff in corners to put in a new exhaust pipe and wood bits everywhere with nails etc... The basement is not big and not anything you can make into a room, just storage. So yesterday I got all of my Christmas containers out and took everything off the shelves and vacuumed the dusty, dusty shelves and the floor.

In the back here I have my Christmas decorations, in the middle my fall decorations and in front my Easter/spring decorations and as you can see I have a couple empty shelves.

As you walk down the stairs this is what you see to the right where I have the shelving.

Over to the left is my kid clothing section. I am slowly going through the boxes and selling them at the consigment store and in May at our big yard sale the rest will be gone!

I am happy that I can walk down there now and I know where everything is! I am now ahead 0n one of my New Years resolutions.

Jesus' Birthday Cake

This is how our Birthday cake for Jesus turned out. I used green frosting to write Happy Birthday Jesus and added some decoration to the cake (this replaced the evergreens that I never got). I used a sugar cookie for the star and an angel I had out for decoration. I think it turned out really cute and the kids enjoyed it. I had everyone read one part as I decorated the cake.

Yummy! Little missie thought we were singing Happy Birthday to her so she was acting shy in her cousins arms.

Little man was very excited to blow out the candles.

I think this is a tradition that we will keep. Next year I will make a German Chocolate cake and make a sugar cookie angel as well.

Whew.... Sugar Cookies!

**UPDATE**
All done!! And what did little man say to me as I told him that we needed to decorate the cookies? "I really don't like decorating cookies!" KIDS!

These sugar cookies were supposed to be done today, decorated and all, but I ran out of time and steam. Tomorrow the decorating will begin. I only made 2 dozen, but it takes so long....making them, chilling the dough, rolling them out, chill again etc...I made 3 Christmas trees for little man to decorate for Santa. Yes, the are free form trees...LOL! I have stars, presents, cupcakes and 2 ornaments to decorate(2 dozen in all).

This is why I did not get to the decorating....more cookies, candied walnuts and caramel popcorn.

Now, I need to get ready for Christmas lunch. I need to make the corn pudding and have it in the frig. I was going to make scalloped potatoes but realized that there will not be room in my oven for prime rib, green beans, corn and potatoes. Change of plans, garlic and chive mashed potatoes. I hope my prime rib turns out and I have enough food for everyone! I think I will have enough dessert..LOL! Oh ya, the birthday cake for Jesus too. I am thinking that maybe next year we need to have Christmas at my sisters!

Personalized Sugar Cookies

These are for little man's classmates tomorrow. I think they will like them!




Sugar Cookies:
Beat 2 sticks butter, 1/2 cup granulated sugar and 3/4 cups confectioner's sugar until fluffy. Beat in 2 egg yolks, 1 tsp vanilla. Whisk in 2 1/4 cups flour, 1/2 tsp baking powder and 1/4 tsp salt. Stir into the butter mixture, then chill 30 minutes. Roll tablespoons into balls and flatten. Bake 12-15 minutes at 350 degrees.

Powdered Sugar Icing:
2 1/2 cups powdered sugar
2 tbsp water
1 tbsp softened butter
1 tbsp light corn syrup
1/2 tsp vanilla
food color if desired

Combine and beat on low. Beat on medium speed once combined and add additional water until you get the right consistency. Add food color if desired.

Christmas Tree Hunt

We started off at a Christmas Tree Lot at Nees and Alluvial. We rode the train where little missie cried and we got off after one time around.

We let little man play one game because we were there, but it was $5 BUCKS! I was looking around at the trees and they were all over $70.00! I looked at my hubby and said COSTCO!

Here is Dad and little missie waiting in line to pay for our $41.99 noble fir tree. I know very exciting! This is where we got our tree last year. Not really like when we were kids and went to a real Christmas tree farm and ran around and dad cut the tree down and dragged it back to the car. Oh the memories we are giving to our children....LOL!

The kids freezing to death while mommy goes and looks at the trees and pick the one out she wants.

We finished the night off by stopping by the Fresno Donut House and letting the kids pick out a donut and going down Christmas Tree Lane. It was a pretty fun night after all!

Birthday Cake for Jesus

I got this Birthday Cake for Jesus from Cindy and I am going to make it this year. I am going out and getting all the things I need for it this week so it will happen! I think I am on top of things this year. Presents have all been bought, prime rib is hanging out in my freezer waiting to be cooked on Christmas, decorations up and cookies being baked! Hope everyone is having a good Christmas month so far. Here is the recipe if anyone wants to make it.

BIRTHDAY CAKE FOR JESUS

Jesus’ birthday cake should be round to represent the world. It should be chocolate to show the sins of the world.
For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God. Rom. 3:23
The Lord saw how great man’s wickedness on the earth had become, and that every inclination of the thoughts of his heart was only evil all of the time. Gen. 6:5

The icing on Jesus’ birthday cake should be white to show Jesus’purity, which covers our sins.
But if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus, his Son, purifies us from all sin. I Jn. 1:7
Cleanse me with hyssop, and I will be clean; wash me, and I will be whiter than snow. Psalm 51:7

An angel can adorn the birthday cake to represent the bearer of the good news of Jesus’ birth.
But the angel said to (the shepherds), “Do not be afraid. I bring you good news of great joy that will be for all the people. Today in the town of David a Savior has been born to you; he is Christ the Lord.” Lk. 2:10-11

A gold or yellow star on the birthday cake represents the star that led the Magi to Jesus.
After Jesus was born in Bethlehem . . . Magi . . . asked, “Where is the one who has been born king of the Jews? We saw his star in the east and have come to worship him.” . . . They went on their way and the star they had seen in the east went ahead of them until it stopped over the place where the child was. And when they say the star, they were overjoyed. Matt. 2:1-2, 9-10

Twelve red candles on the cake remind us that Jesus’ blood covers us all of the time, twelve months of the year (or use red sprinkles or candies, if this color candle is difficult to find).
And surely I will be with you always, to the very end of the age. Matt. 28:20

Evergreens can be placed around the birthday cake to represent the everlasting life that Jesus promises to us if we trust in Him as our Savior.
For to us a child is born, to us a son is given, and the government will be on his shoulders. And he will be called Wonderful Counselor, Almighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace. Is. 9:6
Whoever believes in the Son has eternal life, but whoever rejects the Son will not see life, for God’s wrath remains on him. Jn. 3:36

Lighting the twelve candles on the cake reminds us that Jesus is the light of the world.
When Jesus spoke again to the people, he said, “I am the light of the world. Whoever follows me will never walk in darkness, but will have the light of life. Jn. 8:12

Sing “Happy Birthday to Jesus” and blow out the candles!


This cake can become a wonderful tradition for your family to remember that Jesus’ birth is the reason we celebrate Christmas. Use some or all of these symbols and change the presentation each year. Some enjoy reading the scriptures given, others read the Christmas story and explain the symbols. Younger children love making and decorating the cake, as well as getting out nativity figurines and reenacting the story complete with sound effects or carols.

Corn Pudding

My hubby got me the Food Network Magazine and I came across this recipe that looks easy, good and will feed a crowd.

Corn Pudding

4 ounces cream cheese
15 oz can of creamed corn
3/4 cup thawed frozen corn
1/2 cup cornmeal
1/2 chopped onion
2/3 cup milk
3 tbsp melted butter
1 beaten egg
1 tbsp sugar
1/2 cup shredded cheddar cheese
salt and pepper to taste

Beat softened cream cheese add creamed corn, thawed corn, cormeal and chopped onion and mix. Stir in milk, melted butter, egg, sugar and cheddar adding salt and pepper. Spread into a buttered 1 quart casserole dish and bake for 50 minutes at 350 degrees. Let stand 10 minutes before serving.

Family

My cousin posted this on her FB page and yay I got to save it from her! This is my mom's family. They were grape farmers back in the day. Let me tell you, that was hard work. My uncle took us out as kids and I think we lasted 30 minutes! My mom is the blonde in the front to the right.

These are my aunts and uncles names:

Grandma: Clara East
Grandpa: Shade White East
Uncles: Vester, Homer, Carl and Dennis
Aunts: Ole, Genevieve, Pearl Dean, Bessie, Freda Jean (my mom) and Veda.
I think I got them all.

Gingerbread House

I thought I would try a gingerbread house with little man this year. I have never made one myself and thought it would be fun. It was messy and of course did not look like the picture on the box, but it was an activity for the 2 of us to do. I think little man had fun and he did enjoy eating the candy!

We have to display it and out of reach of the dogs too!

Working on putting all the candies on the house. One for the house, one for me!

B-day Cake!

Little missie got a new baby for her b-day and loves her! She loves her Dora slippers too!

This was little missies b-day cake I made. It was supposed to look like an oreo cookie, but cakes and I like to fight, so this is how it turned out after much frustration!

Of course big brother had to help with all the presents.

Little missie was shy when everyone sang happy b-day to her. It was pretty cute!

Overall I think she enjoyed herself. Lots of food, fun and family. I am happy that Christmas is still a couple weeks away so I can get a little rest before more parties hit!

My 2 year old!

Happy Birthday to my precious little girl, you are 2 years old today!

You don't even look like the same person the day you were born. You had lots of black hair and were really red. You were in a hurry to get out and I was in a hurry to get you out! From start to finish...3 hours!

You are a spirited little girl. I have never had to guess what you want or if you are happy or sad. I know you will grow up to be passionate with a gentle heart.

You have a precious face and your dad and I love you very much!

You are ever changing and I thank God every day that he blessed us with you! Happy Birthday my 2 year old!