My Special Efforts...Every Day!

Making it Special!
While my children were growing up, we made it an everyday event to eat dinner together as a family, and to set our table with “fancy” table settings. We always set the everyday table with cloth napkins, stem ware and real plates. Each night we sat together as a family and prayed together for a blessing on the meal, then ate with what others would see as “extreme or special”, but to us, was normal.
We did this, to make sure that
1. Our children were never uncomfortable with “fancy” table settings, and
2. also, to keep paper out of the landfills.
You see, I needed to do the laundry each day anyway, so throwing in a few extra napkins was not a bother, as it saved the land, and saved the wallet!
I made most of the napkins from bargain bin material, and we had the plates and glasses anyway, so why not use it every day…after all, my husband and children were just as special as guests!! I love setting a stunning table, so each night it was a joy for me! And, if I am confessing here [and I am] we have and had a dishwasher, so really, doing dishes only meant cleaning the pans that I cooked in, not washing the actual dishes we eat from and even if you eat from paper plates, you are still using pots and pans to cook in!!!! As far as a dishwasher goes…. I bet you have one too!!!!.
So why not make it a point in this new year to treat your family as special as guests...everyday, just a little bit of effort will show your husband and children how much you love them. They are so very worth it!!!

All That Shines....Well, Candle Holders Anyway!!

Making Everyday Things Extra Special!
I am in love with Mercury Glass….cannot get enough, love the sparkle and shine, love the silver, love it over and over again!!
Have I said that I love mercury glass?? No?
Well, I do!! When I decorate my rooms, it is the "go to" glitter that I love to put in a room to bring in that bling an sparkle, and glamor that I love!! Sigh....... it is pricey at times, and for the most part, difficult to find. BUT! I have found an alternative that, while not the same, hits the same notes, and in the right venue, looks wonderful! Looking glass paint!! I found mine at Hobby Lobby, and if you sign up for their e-mails, you can get coupons for 40% off any one item or free shipping and with the perfect storm, you can do both! That is what I did, getting free shipping and 40% off of the paint, as I do not live in a town with a local Hobby Lobby.






Soooooo I took 3 differing sizes of votive or tea light holders, (I always use tea lights, to avoid having to clean melted on wax out of my candle holders) and went down to my basement…the area that is for crafts and woodworking, not the area that is our family room! I put the votives on an area that will not be wounded by wandering spray paint,




and spritzed them all with a bit of water.












This keeps the votives from an all over even spray, and gives it a bit of an antiqued surface.

Spray the looking glass paint on the inside of the cups, and the water prevents the paint from sticking to every area, giving you the look you want!
Allow to dry, and voila!
A look that is amazing! All for the low, low price of…ummm free?
Free for me, as I already had all the materials, but for you, about 50 cents, as you can find clear glass votives at any thrift store for 5 to 10 cents each, and you will get many, many uses out of the can of spray paint!

Making that table, buffet or counter look extra special for the ones you love is so much easier and inexpensive, it is almost criminal!!!

You Too, Can Be The Hit Of The New Years Party!

Ok, here is an easy way to be a hero at your New Years Party and there is VERY little work involved!

Baked Ricotta Cheese!!! And, the best part is, that you will make your own ricotta!!!!

Scared?

You shouldn’t be!! It is soooooooooooooooooooooo easy, and so very, very good!!!! This is the way I made my own ricotta cheese!

4 cups whole milk….must be whole milk, as part skim ricotta will not give you a creamy product.
1 cup heavy cream

3 tablespoons of a really good white wine vinegar or fresh squeezed lemon juice – and it must be fresh squeezed, not out of a bottle!

1 hefty teaspoon of kosher salt

That is it!

Bring the milk, cream and salt to a boil….it will not be a huge rolling boil but a sustained boil is a must. Turn off the heat, and pour in the vinegar or lemon juice, which ever you are using….stir well and let is set for a couple of minutes. Stir again so break up the curds and

pour into a fine strainer over a bowl and allow to drain…

this can take up to 30 minutes depending on how thick and dry you want the ricotta.

This is what it looks like!!Refrigerate for later use or mix up for baked ricotta!

Baked Ricotta Spread…..
2 Cups Freshly Made Ricotta
2 cloves garlic, that you will shave on a zester
2 Tble Heavy Cream
¼ Cup fresh herbs….I use Basil, or Thyme or Parsley, or a combo or any.
1 ½ tablespoons extra virgin olive oil

Put the olive oil in the bottom of an oven proof ceramic dish suitable for a 2 cup volume. In a separate bowl, mix all the remaining ingredients, making sure to chop the fresh herbs finely….place in the baking dish. Bake at 325* for a20minutes. [I then transferred to a fondue dish to enable keeping it really warm throughout the meal] and serve with a crusty bread, or whole wheat crackers….it will be a huge hit!!!!!!!

Entertaining on a Budget, But Making it Really Special!

I had this blog post already done, and now am re-doing it, as I have decided to take another approach.

I had thought that I would tell you all about how inexpensively I put on our Christmas Dinner, and have realized that the concept would be better if I told you how YOU can entertain in a very special way, on a small budget!

The best way is to make it LOOK as special as you can! Pretty plates, pedestals, bowls, etc. We actually ate off of paper plates for our Christmas dinner, but all the food was presented in an fun, special way.

Here is photo of the desserts. The pedestal plates make things look so fun....while they are very simple treats!

Signs are key! Like the one announcing that a certain dessert was sugar and gluten free for all our guests who could not have it otherwise. It was simply a free download from the Internet, but made it special. My husband made the clips that held the sign out of scrap wood. He made 10 for me at a total cost of $2!

Now, all of my special plates, etc. are things that I have picked up over the years or were given to me as gifts. I have VERY little invested, but I do have an area in my basement to store all these items, so I do not take up valuable cabinet space on things that I use only 6 or 7 times a year...you will need to decide how much you can have, and shop (yes, even at the thrift stores!) accordingly.

There are many things that can be MADE into something special, and I will talk about that process another day....but use your imagination, as there are limitless possibilities!!

Coolest Boxes Ever!!!

A use for those empty aluminum foil, saran wrap, parchment etc. boxes!!! Shared by You're My Fave blog...a link for you....have fun!!!

http://www.youaremyfave.com/2011/12/14/festive-treat-boxes-are-my-fave/?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%253A+YouAreMyFave+%2528you+are+my+fave%2529http://

Big Plans?

I am planning on making my own Ricotta cheese for my baked ricotta spread that I will be placing on my food table for our Christmas Luncheon this coming Sunday....I have to admit, I am pretty excited to try this!!
I have not made cheese of any kind before, as it is just easy to pick it up from the dairy case in the local supermarkets! BUT, this time I am going to jump in and make my own yummy Ricotta!!! I am STOKED!!!
Here is a version of the recipe that I will be using.....
I will take pictures, document the process and post it for you in the next few days.....YAHOO!!!!! [can you tell that I am just a little excited!!]
No?
We I am!!!! I would turn a few cartwheels, except I am sitting at a desk and that makes it impossible....but in my heart and mind, I am on my 10th cartwheel!!

4 cups whole milk
2 cups heavy cream
1 teaspoon kosher salt
3 tablespoons good white wine vinegar

http://www.u-createcrafts.com/2011/12/christmas-neighbor-gift-ideareindeer.html

From U-Create blog....a last minute gift that is fun to make, fun to give and fun to get!

Have a great Monday!!!!

A Re-Post Of My DIY Smore Kits!

I posted this last Christmas Season and thought this was worth re-posting for you all, just in case you are in need of a last minute gift to give to someone special! Enjoy!!

Alright...here is my version of a "S'more" gift package. I have seen this 2 other times, once from where I cannot remember (and it looks little like mine) and the other was on HGTV, in which they went the route of a "hobo" style look, and in which I wanted a much more pleasant gift to give, so I got my creative juices flowing and made my own. I found these perfect boxes while shopping at Wal-mart, the cost was $3 for 5 boxes, which I found to be reasonable.First, I braved the cold (really cold!) winds yesterday, and went out to my favorite bush, which happens to be 10 feet tall! It is a snow ball bush that my Father planted for my Mother some 40 years ago, and I insisted must stay put when we got the land and built our home there....not sure the deliver drivers were as thrilled with my bush during the building process! But I digress.Back to the S'mores! I whittled the "sticks" to a point on one end to allow for the roasting of the marshmallows. That of course is the reason that the 2 votive candles are included in the gift...for the roasting process!Next, I put the marshmallows in a cute clear plastic bag found in any craft department of many stores, and closed it with a cutie pie snow flake seal. I put the chocolate bars in fun glassine bags, which I made myself, as I do not live at all close to a store that sells glassine bags, and did not want to order over the Internet and pay the outrageous shipping charges....soooooooooooooo, again I put my creative juices to work and made my own. *I will post another blog about that process at another date.Finally, graham crackers packaged in cello bags and loaded into the box!I am in love with the dark brown tissue paper that I used which I found through Oriental Trading and bought when they had a no shipping charge day. The label is simply one that I found as a free printable on the Internet and really liked. The "string" is a hemp that I tied the roasting sticks together with and also used to tie the box closed with a simple bow.I hope that this helps you with an idea for a homemade gift to give, anytime of the year, not just for Christmas. Any questions, just leave a comment and I will try to get the answer to you as quickly as possible!!

*P.S. I don't think I ever posted on making my own glassine bags...I am putting that on my list of "to do's" and really will post for you all the info on making those pretty bags for soooooooooo cheap!

Just a few thoughts:

I think that I am ready for Christmas….I have just two gifts left to purchase, and I know what those are to be, I simply need to get them.

I am being rather “personal” this year for Christmas….like pictures of my Mom’s great grandchildren in very normal un-staged photo’s will fill her with such love. My sweet Mother is going blind, and there are zero of her great grandchildren who live around here. These cherished pictures will be something for her to fall in love with over and over again.
Here is one of our sweet little Annabelle...tooooooooo cute!

I try to listen throughout the year to know what will delight my family. Like, for instance, our Son-In-Law told me a few months ago that he loves sixlets…who knew? And who knew that they make them in red, green and white for the Christmas Holiday? Well they do!!!! Stocking stuffer!!!

Do you buy presents for your pets? We hang stockings for our dogs, our daughter’s dog, and we have a stocking for Bruce the (female) hamster…sadly, Bruce passed away a week ago, and I still have the stocking up…"A" was very sad that his hamster died, our 4 year old "L" said “Well, she still looks cute!” I think she will be a “cup half full” person as an adult!

Do you have a room in your house that, no matter what you do, there is always an over abundance of stuff challenging you to organize, throw out, give away, etc.? I sure do! And the things that I choose to keep, I store in the basement storage area, and before I know it, it has made it’s way back to the room and I wonder why I clean it out in the first place!

I have a bit of baking to do for Christmas, I love to bake and I LOVE to cook. Maybe that is why I find the Thanksgiving and Christmas season so exciting!

Have an amazing Wednesday, and I hope you find true joy and peace with your families today.

Cleaning List Anyone????

Neat little list for you to do with as you wish, submitted by Apartment Therapy. com

HOW TO CLEAN YOUR HOUSE IN 20 MINUTES A DAY FOR THE NEXT 30 DAYS
1. Surface clean living room and kitchen (pick up stray items, dust, sweep, vacuum)
2. Clean bathrooms (toilets, showers, floors, walls, mirrors)
3. Surface clean bedrooms (put away toys, clothes, dust)
4. Surface clean "extra" rooms (basement, office, play room)
5. Surface clean living room and kitchen
6. Clean bathrooms
7. Clean all interior windows (white vinegar and newspaper works great and is cheap!)
8. Sweep and vacuum all floors in the house (don't forget stairs)
9. Surface clean bedrooms
10. Deep clean living room (mirrors, baseboards, dust artwork)
11. Clean bathrooms
12. Clean out closets (hang up clothes, mittens, jackets, hats)
13. Surface clean "extra" rooms
14. Deep clean bedrooms (organize drawers, check under bed, tidy closet, dust artwork, fans, lights, mop)
15. Surface clean living room and kitchen
16. Deep clean bathrooms (clean inside drawers, inside of trash cans, tops of mirrors, tile, mop)
17. Clean all door knobs, phones, entertainment equipment (remote controls), switch plates, banisters and other things that are repeatedly touched.
18. Clean out the refrigerator, take stock of food, organize pantry
19. Clean entryway, sweep porch (if you have one), clean out car (because they're often our home away from home)
20. Surface clean living room and kitchen
21. Surface clean bathrooms
22. Surface clean bedrooms
23. Sweep and vacuum all floors in the house
24. Clean linen closet, straighten towels, sheets or regular closet if not applicable
25. Surface clean living room and kitchen
26. Deep clean kitchen (scrub appliances, wash trash cans, base boards, wipe down and straighten cabinets)
27. Surface clean bathrooms
28. Surfaces clean bedrooms
29. Clean one item you've been meaning to get to and haven't (deep clean your stove, wipe down all light fixtures, tackle a particularly unruly area)
30. Sweep and vacuum all floors in the house
To this list you can also add chores that are to be done monthly or quarterly. It's easier to plan for larger tasks like steam cleaning a sofa or heavy traffic hallway, then it feels like part of the routine instead of that thing you keep putting off and dreading.
Habits are formed by doing and one of the best ways to change a bad habit is to replace it with another action. So if the time spent right when you come home from work is usually filled with email reading and a small nap, try switching it out with your cleaning instead. Making the 20 minute time slot routine will build good habits and help you stay on top of the game without feeling like it's a real chore.

Bling, Sparkle, Sparkle, Bling!

I love me some bling!!!
A couple of pictures of our tree this year! I love the lights,

the sparkle and the joy that goes with decorating for the season….

and you can never have too much sparkle!!
Don’t you think!

Antiquing vs. Original

I took a picture of my fireplace a couple of days ago. I decided to put it out there in regular form and antiqued form.....now the voting is up to you!

The difference….a normal picture and the antiquing process.

I think it can be a very personal preference as to liking or disliking the antiquing process.

One picture is full of color, clear and bright. Antiqued changes it greatly, making them a bit void of color, not nearly as clear or bright.

Each have their place, and to me, each is quite beautiful.

Would I turn all of my photos antique? No. but there is definitely a time for it. What do you think?
Antiquing a photo: love it or hate it?

Healthy Christmas Cookies

Peanut Butter Christmas Cookies

Now these are my own recipe and are:
Gluten free
Sugar free
Dairy free

I know, I know…that in itself sounds…ummm…not so good. But in the words of my husband, “those things are dangerous!” I myself am not a big peanut butter person, in fact, I have never had a peanut butter sandwich in my life, as I would never eat a spoonful of peanut butter as I really don’t like it. But when covered in chocolate, it is quite tolerable and even yummy.

1 cup almond flour
1 cup coconut flour
1 tsp baking soda
½ tsp salt
½ c. honey sweetened peanut butter
½ c . coconut oil
½ c. xylitol
½ c. brown sugar sub.
1 tbl black strap molasses
1 egg
2 tbl. Heavy cream
1 tsp vanilla
Sugar free Hershey’s mini candy bars

Mix the flours, soda and salt together and set aside
Cream the peanut butter, coconut oil, xylitol, brown sugar sub, and molasses together. Add egg, cream and vanilla.
Add in the flour mixture in 3 additions. Roll into small walnut sized balls and put on baking sheet and sprinkle with a small amount of additional xylitol.
Bake at 350* for 10-12 minutes. Pull out and top with ½ a bar of the mini candy bars. Let cool and eat in moderation.

Now, all the ingredients that I use, aside form the candy bars are organic and or natural. Xylitol is a tree bark
and the brown sugar sub is a sugar alcohol (not alcohol like booze, but the cast off of the natural process of crystallizing pure cane.
Coconut oil is used in place of Crisco or butter, making them dairy free. It is a natural solid oil that is trans fat free and better for you than lard.

Please!!! know that even though these are sugar free, organic (without the candy bar, but there are organic, sugar free chocolates out there) gluten free and dairy free, they are NOT WITHOUT CALORIES! So moderation is still needed if you are concerned about calories.
BUT, there is a lot less guilt by eating something yummy, that is not full of over processed junk, that will make the Christmas Season a bit easier to face.
Have an amazing Wednesday!!
The coconut flour is found at health food stores The Almond flour can be bought, but I grind my own from raw almonds, in a coffee grinder that has never had coffee beans in it...you must chop the almonds first, and put mine through a sieve to make sure there are no large pieces of almond in it, which I just toss those pieces back into the grinder and finish the job!

A Special Family

There is this family, that is now a part of our family,

and that makes me smile!

I took a few quick photos of them on Thanksgiving Day

that they are going to use for their Christmas Cards.

This special family is a part of ours, because our lovely youngest Daughter married into said family.....I have to confess, that B's Mother and I knew long before the couple that they were chosen by God to spend their lives together, and we are so pleased that they obeyed God and did as their Mother's said! Kidding (alittle) about that last thing!

So, I am just putting up the photo's for you to smile at too!

Have a supreme Tuesday!

Starbucks Recipes of the Season...

Courtesy of Fox News Page.....On average, Americans consume 3.1 cups of coffee a day and if Starbucks is your brewery of choice, that's $33 per work week for a grande-sized pick-me-up.
And now the coffee company is offering their seasonal holiday drinks, but at roughly $5.00 a cup, those sugary lattes will quickly burn a hole in your pocket.
So why not make them at home? With the right recipe you can enjoy your favorite Starbucks drink without putting a dent in your wallet.
Enjoy!

Gingerbread Latte
Starbucks' Price: $4.75 for grande
Recipe:First prepare the Gingerbread Syrup

2 cups water 1 1/2 cups granulated sugar

2 1/2 teaspoons ground ginger

1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon

1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
Combine all ingredients into a medium saucepan. Bring mixture to a boil and then reduce hit and allow for syrup to simmer. Leave uncovered for 15 minutes and then remove from fire.
1/2 cup fresh espresso

8 ounces milk, steamed
Prepare a double shot of espresso and steam 8 ounces of milk. Pour 1/2 cup of espresso into mug, add 1/4 cup of gingerbread syrup followed by the milk. Stir and serve hot.

Caramel Brulée Latte
Recipe:

2 oz. espresso or strong coffee

8 oz. steamed milk1 oz. vanilla bean syrup

2 tbsp. caramel ice cream topping
Brew coffee or espresso. Line mug with caramel topping, add syrup and then espresso. Steam milk and pour into cup.

Pumpkin Spice Latte
Recipe:

2 cups milk

2 tablespoons

2 tablespoons canned pumpkin

2 tablespoons sugar or sugar substitute

2 tablespoons vanilla extract

1/2 teaspoon pumpkin pie spice

1-2 shots espresso (about 1/4 cup of espresso or 1/2 cup of strong brewed coffee)
Combine milk, pumpkin and sugar in a saucepan and stir over medium heat until steamed. Remove from hit and stir in vanilla and pumpkin spice. Transfer the mixture into a blender and process for 10 seconds or until foamy. Or you can simply whisk the mixture until foam appears.
Pour into mug, add espresso and enjoy.

Peppermint Mocha
Recipe:

1/4 cup sugar

1/4 cup water

1/4 teaspoon peppermint extract

3 tablespoons powdered cocoa

3 tablespoons warm water

1/2 cup hot espresso

1 1/2 cups hot milk
Stir the water and sugar in a saucepan until sugar dissolves and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to a low simmer and add peppermint extract. Allow mixture to simmer for 20 minutes.
Mix cocoa and water in a mag until paste forms. Add espresso and 1 1/2 teaspoon of the peppermint syrup. Finally, add the milk and serve hot.

Eggnog Latte
Recipe:

1/2 cup eggnog

1/4 cup whole milk

1-2 shots espresso

Sprinkle of nutmeg for garnish
Combine cold eggnog with cold milk and steam. Add espresso shots to steamed eggnog mixture and sprinkle with nutmeg.
Chai Tea Latte
Recipe:

3 cups water

3 cups milk

6-8 black tea bags

1/2 cup honey

1 tsp ground cinnamon

1 tsp ground cardamom

1/2 tsp ground nutmeg

1/2 tsp ground cloves

1/2 tsp ground ginger
Bring water and milk to a boil. Add remaining ingredients, return to boil. Remove from heat and let steep for 3-5 minutes. Remove tea bags then filter. Serve hot or iced.

It's All In Your Attitude

I love this quote, and love how it hits you with truth.

"I long to accomplish a great and noble task,
but it is my chief duty to accomplish small tasks,
as if they were great & noble."
~Hellen Keller~

Amen, and Amen.

Have an amazing Thursday, and do everything, small, everything large, as a greatness!