Happiness is the Wednesday Hodgepodge

Welcome to the 92nd edition of the Wednesday Hodgepodge. I feel like I'm running beside the car this week with the long weekend away, a Monday holiday, and then hubs tacking Tuesday and Wednesday on to that as vacation. And by vacation I mean he's painting the laundry room. I guess I won't go off on a tangent here about the joys of home improvement projects and how I made three trips to the paint store in a two hour time span since he was wedged behind the washing machine trying to get the baseboards taped. I'll just get on with answering this week's questions-

1. In your opinion, what's the most important job in the world? Oh, and parenting is a given so besides parenting, what's the most important job in the world?

It's impossible to choose just one because one, without the support of others, won't allow for a free, productive, and safe society. How about my top five? Farmers, our military, water/sewer/electrical engineers, doctors, and firefighters/police officers. That covers food, clean water, power, health and safety.

2. Share a favorite or not so favorite memory of a childhood birthday.

The first one that came to mind was a slumber party I had in the 6th grade. We didn't have big parties every year so this one stands out. My mom let me have quite a few girls over and we had our sleeping bags lined from one end of the living room to the other. When I was in school sixth grade was the last year at the elementary level, and we were full of ourselves I'm sure. We played truth or dare, stayed up til all hours, and ate way too much junk food. The party culminated with the girl sleeping beside me throwing up in her sleeping bag sometime in the wee hours of the morning. Good times.

3. Peanut butter-crunchy or smooth?

Smooth. I'm not a fan of the crunchy.

4. William Butler Yeats is credited as saying, " Happiness is neither virtue nor pleasure nor this thing nor that, but simply growth, We are happy when we're growing." Your thoughts?

Not sure I agree entirely. I guess it depends on what type of growing we're talking about. Growing as in learning a new skill or becoming more proficient at an old one, becoming more independent, building something for the future...then yes I'd say growth and happiness go hand in hand.

There are other circumstances in life where growth, while necessary, is also quite painful. A devastating illness? A broken relationship? You certainly grow from those hard experiences, and often that sort of growth opens the door to future happiness, but I don't know that we'd say we're happy as the growth is occuring.

Peace is what I crave, and that is possible in any circumstance.

5. What's something that makes you cringe?

Again with the list? I didn't think these questions thru very well, although I suppose there is someone out there capable of answering with 'just one thing'.

I am not that someone.

What makes me cringe? The sound of the dental drill, insects that crunch when you squash them, hanky panky movie scenes with my mother sitting beside me, listening to anyone floss their teeth, poor grammar from a public figure or educator, the old intro to ABC's Wide World of Sports where the ski jumper went careening off the side of a mountain...to name a few.

6. Name a song that always puts you in a good mood?

A song? Seriously? Just one?

Here are the first few that popped into my head...Dancing Queen by Abba, Born to Run by Springsteen, Firework by Katy Perry, Wagon Wheel by Old Crow Medicine Show, and Undignified by David Crowder Band.

7. The answer is yes. What's the question?

Is it sometimes hard to come up with these questions every week?

8. Insert your own random thought here.

I made the Texas Sheetcake cupcakes that are all over Pinterest lately for hubs birthday last weekend. As my grandma would say, "Oh my stars!" I could literally go swimming in the icing-so delicious! You'll find the recipe I used here.

I have more to say about the weekend and hubs birthday, but he deserves his own post so I'll save the rest for tomorrow. Better late than never, right?

Dashing thru the Wednesday Hodgepodge-Volume 57

Welcome to the Wednesday Hodgepodge...so glad you took the time to play along today. Be sure to add your link at the bottom of my post and in the spirit of Christmas go visit your neighbors and leave some comment love. Here are my answers-

1. Do you put Christmas decorations in every room of your house? If not, what rooms do you decorate?

We have some sort of decoration in most rooms of our house but I keep things pretty simple. The family room, dining room, kitchen, and sunroom are the main rooms decorated, and since I have a lot of house guests in December I usually add small touches to the bedrooms and bathrooms too.

2. If you could visit one of the Nordic countries (Denmark, Finland, Iceland, Norway, and Sweden) which one would you choose and why?

All of the above. Okay, I know that's not a choice but these are all countries I want to visit. Hubs has been to all of them but Iceland and even went ice diving inside the Arctic circle on a trip to Finland. I stayed at home and prayed he didn't have a heart attack because someone had to.

You sit in a steamy sauna then walk out to the ice in your birthday suit and then drop down into frigid water through a hole cut into the ice.

I guess if I must choose I'm going with Sweden because we have friends who live there. Or Norway for its stunning scenery.

3. What does the word faith mean to you?

I think all of us exercise faith in a multitude of ways on a daily basis and have been doing so pretty much since the day we were born. I could insert examples such as air travel, the brakes on my car, or the surgeon preparing to operate. For me though, the heart of faith is best summed up by one verse in the book of Hebrews (1:11)

"Now faith is being sure of what we hope for and certain of what we do not see."

It's been a tough few months around here as we have watched my niece battle cancer. I cannot imagine walking that road without faith. Faith is what allows us to find joy amid life's trials. To know peace when there is suffering. To feel hope for tomorrow.

4. You can go back to your childhood for one day...what day and age would you choose?

I'm going to pick a day that my siblings and I all remember. I was in the fourth grade and my dad had come home that fall after spending a year+ in Vietnam. Sometime later in that school year my sisters and brother and I were picked up early from class (which never happened) and my parents took us to Philadelphia to see the Ringling Brothers circus.

I guess in today's world that doesn't sound like such a big deal but in 1969 it was huge. My dad didn't throw money around and one of the things that stands out to all of us about that day is the way my dad seemed to love buying us anything we wanted. Snow cones, popcorn, cotton candy...these were all big treats to us and he just kept them coming. I think we all remember this day though, not for what we got, but for how we felt. My dad was a Marine and kept his emotions close to the vest most of the time. On this day he wore his heart on his sleeve.

5. When did you last have 'punch'? If its not too much trouble share your favorite punch recipe.

Probably last Christmas although there was a punch served at the party we attended on Friday. I'm not sure what was in it but it had cranberries floating as a garnish and they were so pretty. We always have punch on Christmas afternoon while we're snacking on appetizers. It's so simple and delicious:

one large can of pineapple juice

one jar of cranberry juice

one 2-liter bottle of 7-up

Combine and serve. I usually make an ice ring to keep it cold but regular ole ice cubes work too.

I saw a recipe on Pinterest for something called Grinch punch that I want to try on Christmas Eve...it looks so pretty and is the color of the Grinch. Click here to find the recipe.

6. Do you fill stockings at your house? Are stockings opened before or after the bigger gifts?

Everyone in my family would agree that stockings are our favorite part of Christmas morning. We fill them to overflowing and a few gifts always spill over into your chair too. There is always a tangerine (clementine) in the toe because there just is. Up until about 15 years ago my mom still filled stockings for her four grown married children and their spouses but in more recent years we each buy a stocking stuffer for our siblings and then the four siblings fill my mom's stocking.

As far as when they are opened, in our house it's definitely before the bigger gifts. We have our Christmas morning routine down pat and we do not deviate from that routine. Ever. I hope my future sons in law are reading this.

7. What takes your breath away?

When my daughters say something deep and wise, when they see a need and act on that need. I feel a rush of pride and amazement, not that they are smart and compassionate, but just that they are so grown up and thoughtful and see the world in a way that I admire.

8. Insert your own random thought here.

I'm using this space today to post my picture for the December photo challenge. Today's prompt is 'decked hall'...

Fa la la la la.

That Most Wonderful Time of the Year

It's Monday so let's talk about Christmas, shall we? Who has a to-do list as long as their arm this week? Who thinks blogging is a good use of their time anyway? I knew I wasn't alone.

Our weekend kicked off with a Friday night Christmas party at the home of one of hubs co-workers. Four of the party go-ers spent the night here afterwards which was fun...we had a leisurely breakfast before they all went on their merry way Saturday morning. After they left hubs and I may have accidentally on purpose indulged in big lazy naps and movie watching for a large chunk of the afternoon.

There I go again, making good use of my time.

Actually I could make the case for a good nap any day of the year, but especially in December. I felt like a new woman on Sunday and I'm pretty sure that's due to my Saturday afternoon siesta. We did manage to squeeze in a little wrapping and card writing too, and by we I mean me because hubs only wraps under duress. Plus he had places to go and people to see which is really code for work, so on Sunday he headed to his home away from home-aka the airport. Don't feel too sorry for him though because he's in the fairy tale village of Heidelberg.

Without me.

Which might make me sad except one of us has to be home to collect this little cutie pie from the airport in a couple of days-

Okay, so that's a picture from a long ago Christmas past but seriously, is she the cutest thing ever or what? Daughters coming home from university for the holidays makes me supremely happy. Especially daughters who love to bake and have worked in retail where they learned to tie beautiful bows.

I truly do have loads to tick off my list today so I will leave you with a picture of 'something sticky' which is our prompt for today's photo challenge....

Isn't that mitten bowl cute? I make several batches of this Christmas Chex Mix throughout the month of December. It's easy and delicious and completely addicting. We usually take a bottle of wine to our party hosts but I also like to package this up in a festive container tied with ribbon and a Christmas ornament and voila...a fun little hostess gift.

You can find the recipe online but it's Christmas so I'm saving you the trouble-

8 cups cereal (I use 3 cups each of rice and corn chex and 2 cups cheerios)

2 cups salted peanuts

2 cups pretzel sticks

1-12 oz. bag of red and green m & m's

1 lb. white chocolate

Combine the cereal, peanuts, pretzels and m & m's in a large bowl. Melt the chocolate and pour over cereal mix to coat. Dump it all out on some waxed paper to harden. Enjoy!

You want lists I got lists...

I'm participating in Susan's December photo challenge which you can read about here. The idea is to take one photo a day between now and Christmas that goes along with each day's word prompt. There are many wonderful photographers out there in the blogosphere, but sadly I am not one of them. I love pictures and I take lots of them, but I'm not a skilled photographer and I don't have a fancy camera. Today's prompt is 'a list'.

I might have a list or ten around here. Lists of menus for the many meals I'll be preparing over the holidays, grocery lists to go with the menu lists, lists of gift ideas, lists of gifts bought, lists of cookies to be baked, a Christmas card list...there's more. I do love me a good list. That being said, when you consider my lame photography skills I don't think taking a picture of all those lists would be very exciting for my readership. Ha.

As opposed to all these words I've written explaining myself. ahem

So here's my list.

In photo form-

I have a luncheon to attend today and I'm bringing a starter. There will be about 50 people at the luncheon and not a lot of oven space so I opted for something cold. These are the ingredients you'll need to prepare mustard-dill tortellini skewers.

Adorable German Baker Smoker is optional.

He needed to be in the picture I think.

Now I could put the actual list of ingredients and the steps to follow written in list form on my blog today but it's easier to direct you to the source-Southern Living. You'll find the recipe here.

I've made this recipe once before in the summertime and it's delicious. I think with its red, white, and green color scheme it works for a Christmas party too.

Hope you check many things off your list(s) this weekend! It's not too late to join the photo challenge... hop over to Susan's blog and add your link.

"But the angel said to her, "Do not be afraid, Mary; you have found favor with God." Luke 1:30 (NIV)

Greetings of the Season from the Wednesday Hodgepodge-Vol 55

I see Volume 55 and I think AARP and speed limits. Since I can't seem to tie either of those two thoughts into the Hodgepodge today I think we'll just get on with the questions. Be sure to link your own post at the bottom of mine and then go visit some of the friends and neighbors who have also played along today. Here we go-

1. Do you send Christmas cards? If so, about how many will you send this year? How do you display the cards you receive? Or don't you? (gasp!)

Definitely. I love Christmas cards, both the sending and the receiving. I especially love the cards with a photo enclosed. Our friends and family are scattered far and wide so I enjoy seeing how everyone has grown up during the year. I'm not a letter hater either so go ahead and brag on your kids to me because I truly don't mind. Call me nosy or call me curious or maybe just call me a blogger.

I have a cute little card holder I keep on my kitchen desk and that's where the opened cards go. I'd like to do one of the cute displays I've seen on Pinterest but haven't had a chance yet. We send roughly 100 cards and receive about the same.

2. When do kids become adults?

Interesting. My girls are in their early 20's so I guess they're adults. Okay yes, they're adults. Sigh. Sometimes I like to pretend they're still 8 and 10. I'm a mother, what can I say? My girls are independent, thoughtful, compassionate women I am proud to know.

I'm not sure chronological age is always an accurate measure of adult-ness. I know plenty of people who left their 20's behind a long time ago yet they still manage to have lots of growing up to do. I think we reach adulthood, hopefully in our late teens and early 20's, but the process is started much earlier. We need our parents to be parents and nudge us in that direction all along the rocky road to being a grown up.

Its not easy making your babies stand on their own two feet when what you'd really like to do is swoop in and make their way easy, but how are they to become adults if we don't let them test the waters? Have confidence in the children you've raised (staying on your knees doesn't hurt either).

Did you come here for advice today? Sorry-it just kinda spilled out onto the page.

3. Does your 'beauty regimen' change with the seasons?

How many people do you think will begin their answer to this question with the phrase-"Beauty regimen? What beauty regimen?" More than a few I suspect. I guess the biggest change for me is in hydration...winter means slathering myself in lotion a couple of times a day and upping the moisturizer on my face because the indoor heat tends to really dry out my skin. I also apply lip gloss in abundance because chapped lips=ewww.

4. What's something you like to eat that might cause another person to turn up their nose?

I love picking crabs and the process does involve a little bit of the gross in that you have to scrape off the lungs and some gooey mush before getting to the good stuff. I also love escargot cooked in a garlic butter sauce, mussels in white wine, and grilled octopus. There are people who turn their noses up at that but I say they don't know what they're missing.

When I was a little girl I went through a phase where I put ketchup on my rice. I don't do that anymore but I know it did kind of disgust my fellow diners.

5. Gloves or Mittens?

Depends on what I'm doing...gloves for winter walks, driving around town and of course for just plain style...mittens for playing in the snow. I can wear either for skiing. Mittens are supposed to keep your hands warmer but I'm a little dorky with a ski pole so for the safety of everyone around me gloves are probably the better option.

6. What's the longest queue you've ever been in? Was it worth it? Queue=line but doesn't queue sound so much nicer?

The longest queue I've ever seen was the one at the entrance to the Vatican Museum and Sistine Chapel. Seriously it went for miles. Or kilometers. Whatever-it was long! We were with a tour group going thru the museum and I recommend that to anyone considering a visit. We bypassed the ultra long queue and pretty much went straight in.

The longest queue I've had to stand in was probably outside St. Paul's Cathedral in London on Christmas Eve. You had to get there early in order to get inside and in spite of arriving at a ridiculous hour the line was still wrapped around the block. Was it worth it? It was St. Paul's Cathedral on Christmas Eve...of course it was worth it.

7. Besides Christmas, what is one thing you are looking forward to this December?

Hubs, daughter2 and I will be attending a wedding later this month. We know the bride and her family from our years in the UK. She and daughter2 went all the way from grade 8 thru high school graduation together. They also spent quality time bonding in scouting and Young Life so we definitely want to be there for her big day. Daughter2 is excited because a few friends from high school will also be attending and she hasn't seen any of them since her last Christmas in England which was 2008. I love weddings, even those that fall the weekend before Christmas in a city famous for its crazy snow.

8. Insert your own random thought here.

I mentioned last week that hubs made a deliciously creamy wild rice soup as a starter to our Thanksgiving meal. Several people asked for the recipe so I'm posting the link here-

It came from the November issue of Family Circle magazine and I would definitely make this again-it was wonderful.

Sunflowers and Salsa

It was another hot and humid weekend so pretty low key here. So low key its hardly worth blogging about yet, here I am. We didn't do too much which is kind of what the hubs needed....I've said a time or ten that his schedule has been Ka-Razy lately.

Friday night we went out with friends for Mexican food. Their oldest daughter is getting married later this summer and after talking to them I felt like I should go home and vacuum the sofa for loose change because apparently, with two daughters we're gonna need it.

Saturday morning we went to check out a local farmers market. To be honest it wasn't any better than our local farm stands of which there are many. Lots and lots of farms in this part of North Jersey so I can pretty much pick up fresh fruit and veggies any which way I turn. And I know bears and farms are not what you think of when you hear the word 'Jersey' but hey people, the nickname 'Garden State' had to come from somewhere.

I remembered to bring my camera along because I wanted to get a picture of a field that is only about a mile from our house. I don't remember this field looking so lovely last July but maybe we were still in our post-relocation fog and it just didn't register. I can't believe that could be true because it qualifies for one of my favorite words...spectacular-

And NJ Dept. of Tourism really should be paying me a stipend for all the free advertising they get on this little blog don't ya think?

In other exciting yawn weekend news...my girls got me a subscription to Southern Living as part of my Mother's Day gift and I received my first issue last week. I always love their recipes and wanted to try the blueberry salsa. It's delish...and easy...and the recipe follows. Enjoy!

Blueberry Salsa

2 cups coarsely chopped fresh blueberries

1 cup whole fresh blueberries

1/4 cup fresh lemon juice

3 Tbsp. chopped cilantro (I will use slightly less next time)

2 seeded and minced jalapeno peppers

1/3 cup diced red bell pepper

1/2 tsp kosher salt

Toss together in a large bowl...

and serve immediately or chill 8 hours...

Happy Monday!

Essentially I'm talkin' food here...

Note: I've linked this post I wrote last week to the summer recipe exchange over at Fringe Girl...visit there for more summer recipes...read to the end of this post for two yummy summertime salads. Enjoy!

Is it finally Wednesday? My husband travels a lot but this trip has felt especially long. He'll be home from Shanghai this evening and I just finished making a pot of spaghetti sauce and meatballs because he loves them. He has asked that I not prepare any river eel in 'special' sauce or any squirrel fish either, at least not for a while. For the record I've never prepared eel of any sort and I've never heard of squirrel fish which he said was pretty good. It's always fun to travel and try new things but always nice to come home to comfy and familiar too.

I headed down to my moms last Thursday afternoon to spend a few days there because fyi, a husband traveling on a holiday weekend just feels wrong. My mom and I like to go out to breakfast, do a little shopping and play many games of rummikub. Friday afternoon she took me out to lunch and we went to a new restaurant called 52 Seasons. Do you have this where you live because I think its a chain? I loved it...the menu changes every week, hence the name. Everything is seasonally fresh plus nothing on the menu is over 475 calories which is just a little added bonus.

Yesterday was my nephew's birthday...he turned the big 0-4. This is the first birthday he has celebrated that I've been in town for and it was fun to be a part of his big day. My sister and her husband had a cookout with family and neighbors at their house last night and the rain held off so we could sit out in their back garden.

Boys are so funny. They are such boys. He loves snakes and superheros and dragons and anything with a motor. Oh, and chocolate cake. He likes that too. We're definitely related.

Here he is with some of his buds...they have a little table built into an area underneath the swing set and that's where the kiddos like to sit and eat.

My sister asked if I would bring my pasta salad to the party...it's so simple and is always a crowd pleaser. I mentioned it once before on my blog and had a few requests for the recipe so I've posted it below. And because I'm killing time here until hubs gets home I've also included another summer salad recipe which is our family's favorite...enjoy!

Pasta Salad Supreme

1 1lb. box rotini, cooked al dente

1 -8 0z. bottle Zesty Italian salad dressing (or your favorite Italian)

1/2 jar McCormicks Salad Supreme spice mix (found in the spice section of supermarkets that carry McCormick brand spices)

1 cucumber, diced

1 pint grape tomatoes, halved if they are on the large size

1 green pepper, chopped

1/2 jar large black olives, pitted and halved

1 carrot, chopped

Cook pasta and then stir in the vegetables (I usually add other peppers if I have them on hand, sometimes green onion, really whatever you like). Stir in the dressing and seasoning and refrigerate for at least 2 hours before serving. You can adjust the amount of vegetables to taste. We like a lot of vegetables in ours.

Cucumber-Tomato-Onion Salad

2-3 cucumbers, sliced very thinly

3-4 tomatoes quartered

3-4 green onions diced

Sauce:

1/4 c. white sugar

1/2 cup apple cider vinegar

2 TBLSP mayonnaise

1 TBLSP milk

salt and pepper

Put the cukes, tomatoes, and onions into a serving bowl. In another small bowl whisk together sugar and mayonnaise. Slowly stir in vinegar. Add the milk and stir to combine. Pour over vegetables and refrigerate for a couple of hours before serving. It will be soupy. If you prefer it thicker you can increase the mayo. It's yummy!

Define weekend

I'm gonna make a list of stuff because none of it is related which is a nice way of saying its random except some might say that word is a tad bit overused on this blog so I'm going for something different. Raise your hand if you love a blog post that begins with the world's longest run on sentence?

Anyhoo-hubs left for China at the crack of dawn today. I did not go with him. I wanted to go with him and I could bore you (even further) with the whole long story of why it didn't work out or just say I couldn't organize the right flights at the right time using any of my trillion frequent flyer points so here I sit, at home in the Garden State. Which is lovely but it is not Shanghai. I haven't given up on accompanying him on a China trip. Or any trip for that matter. And may I just state for the record here that we've had a few too many one day weekends since moving back stateside?

2. Yeah, the above was #1. Forgot I was making a list. Hubs is such a trooper. Since May 5th he has has gone from NJ to SC to FL to SC to NJ where he made like Superman and switched out vacation clothes for work clothes in the long term parking lot of Newark Airport before heading back into the terminal for yet another flight, this time to Italy. Then on to London last Wednesday and home on Friday. Now off to China this morning and the summer travel is just getting started. Are you keeping up? It exhausts me just to type this.

3. Somehow we do manage to squeeze a fair amount into these one day weekends. When he arrived home late Friday afternoon the guys were here re-sealing our driveway. He went out to 'supervise'...so glad he was home and I didn't need to get involved in any way shape or form. That is not my cup of tea.

4. Friday night we went out to dinner to a little Italian restaurant located on the boardwalk that runs along the shore of our town's lake. You are probably thinking, '...but didn't her hubs just spend a week in Italy eating Italian food every night?" Yes he did but a. you can never have too much Italian food and b. it was a gorgeous nite with ideal temps for al fresco dining and c. I did not just spend a week in Italy eating Italian food every night. I spent a week in NJ eating gourmet meals such as popcorn so he knew I needed a nice evening out. I had ravioli with shrimp and roasted garlic....yum! Hubs and I had a good catch up, sipped some wine and enjoyed the view.

5. Saturday we made a trip to the nursery and put a few plants outside...really just getting started and not in a big way as we need to do major landscaping to our back in the near future. Just need to find that pot of money. I don't want to go crazy putting things out there now only to remove them later. I'll concentrate on the deck pots this week. We also intend to knock the railing off the too small deck and put in a patio but in the meantime I need my flowers.

6. We went to the movies Saturday afternoon and saw Robin Hood. I liked it and thought Russell Crowe made a good Robin Hood. And I much preferred Cate Blanchett to Mary Elizabeth Mastrantonio who played Lady Marian in the Kevin Costner version. There was sadly no arrow cam in this one but plenty of sword slinging and raining arrows and most importantly the beautiful English countryside which always makes me happy. The movie confirmed a couple of things I already knew which were a. I was right never to cross the English channel in a ferry or boat of any kind and b. I love England but am so glad I didn't live there in the 12th century.

7. We grilled out Saturday night because nothing says I'm home like a bbq. I made Ina Garten's tequila and lime chicken which hubby grilled and it was delicious. I used bone in chicken breasts because I think they are much more flavorful...I am not a huge fan of the boneless skinless chicken breast. I also made a green onion slaw and we grilled pineapple with honey, lime juice and black pepper and that was wonderful. I love grilled pineapple.

Don't you hate when a list ends on an odd number like 7?

Hey, I know something else I needed to tell you. Three lovely bloggers left me awards on their blogs last week. I'm pretty sure that makes numbers 8, 9, 10 on my list which is now no longer odd. Whew! Go say hi to these ladies...I read their blogs, 'met' two of them thru the weekly Random Dozen and I know one in real life which is not something I can say about many bloggers.

First up is the Sweet Blog Award from Lori whose blog is Mountain Woman at Heart...she quilts and rides motorcycles and is crafty too. One thing I've discovered thru blogging is that some people got in line twice when the creativity genes were handed out and some of us must have been in the ladies room and we missed them altogether. I love Lori's blog header because it looks like it was taken from the deck of my brother- in- law's cabin in the Smoky Mountains...beautiful!

Next is the Sunshine Award from Mary at Life in a Small Town. Mary is sorta new to blogging but you would never know it from her writing...she seems like an old pro. And Mary's small town and my hubs small town may be one and the same. wink wink.

And finally (I know!)...Nel left me an award on her blog yesterday. Her site is Fastenau Facts.

For this award I'm supposed to list ten things I love and I did that once before on my blog so I'm gonna link to that post. At this point you probably feel like you've been reading this post since the dawn of time but I'll leave the link anyway.

Thanks for the awards ladies...I'm not going to tag blogs because I think we are all in agreement that this might just be the longest post about nothing in the history of blogger. Just know that if I follow your blog I love it, you bring me sunshine, and I think you're sweet!

The not-so-much a Pioneer Woman cooks

Before I start rambling let me announce the winner of the book drawing:

Congratulations Nel! Email me with your contact details and I will put the book in the post to you this week. If you didn't win this time check Nel's blog in the next couple of weeks as she'll be passing the book on to another reader soon.

Now, I don't know how it was in your neck of the woods this weekend but it was bitterly cold in these parts. And I'm not sure why I'm talking like this...evidently frigid temperatures make me talk like the Clampetts. Frigid temperatures also make me want to pull out my cookbooks and try some new recipes.

Okay, so I like cookbooks...love to buy them and love to read them but I'm not always good about remembering to actually cook from them. Like the rest of America I received a copy of The Pioneer Woman Cooks this Christmas. I've made several recipes via her website but on Saturday night I actually used the cookbook. I made her recipe for linguine with clam sauce and it was delicious. My husband loved it too but he struggled to understand the 'pioneer' part. She says this is one recipe that is maybe not as 'cowboy friendly' as some of her others but it is really tasty and also quick and easy...if you have her book give this recipe a try.

On Sunday we were still living with arctic temperatures which called for homemade soup and cornbread. I'm pretty sure that as a little girl parsnips fell into the category of vegetables that needed to be secretly stashed in my napkin when mom wasn't looking followed by an 'excuse me may I leave the table to go to the restroom' request. Brussel sprouts would have fallen into that same category. Not so as an adult...in fact I don't think there is a single vegetable I don't love. Or dessert but that's a post for another day. I don't think I ever cooked parsnips before moving to England but they're a popular vegetable there and I fixed them pretty often, usually roasted in the oven with a little maple syrup-yum! Yesterday I made a delicious Cream of Parsnip soup that we all love... if you've never eaten parsnips give this a try...they are sweet and a perfect vegetable for a cream soup. You will notice pretty quickly that I'm nothing like The Pioneer Woman when it comes to combining photography with cooking but I consider it a success that I remembered to take pictures at all. Here's the recipe-

You will need:

2 tsp. unsalted butter

1 cup diced shallots (about 3)

1/4 cup diced onion

3/4 cup white wine

3 1/2 cups peeled, chopped parsnips (about 9 small-medium)

5 cups chicken stock

3/4 tsp white balsamic vinegar (I didn't have this and used cider vinegar...regular balsamic would change the color of the soup and the cider vinegar worked)

3/4 tsp salt

pinch pepper

3/4 cup half and half

In a soup pot over medium-low heat, melt butter. Add shallots and onion and saute, stirring until translucent, about 4 minutes. Add wine, stir well, and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to medium-low and simmer until wine is reduced by half, about 10 minutes.

Add parsnips, chicken stock, vinegar, salt and pepper and bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer gently, uncovered, until parsnips are completely tender, about 45 minutes.

Remove pan from heat and use immersion blender to puree the soup (or cool slightly and carefully puree in batches in food processor or standing blender). Transfer puree to saucepan and whisk in the half and half. Warm over low heat until steaming.

I served this with The Barefoot Contessa's Jalapeno Cheddar Cornbread which is fab-u-lous.

Seriously fabulous. I highly recommend...this cornbread recipe makes a large pan so I froze the leftovers. Enjoy!

A lot of a lots

I have been away from my computer for most of the past week due to the fact that I was cooking. A lot. And had a houseful of company. A lot. And my daughters were home and we needed to talk. A lot. And laugh. A lot. And today I am feeling slightly overwhelmed by all the words in my brain so I'm just going to dive right in and leave a few here.

Thanksgiving. Lovely. Filled with family and food and my sweet daughters and two little nephews who we loved having in the house.

Oh and fyi- little boys are completely different than little girls and I'm not talking about just the obvious here. Little boys can make all things silly. And little girls can talk. Boy can they ever talk! After dinner one night we sat around the table and my two daughters were telling stories about this and that and I wish you could have seen my nephews faces. I should probably add here that my girls talk reallyreallyreallyfast and they were telling these stories in a sort of tag team fashion and those little boys were completely mesmerized. Not so much with the content but more with the speed and all the words and the animation on my daughters faces. They sat absolutely frozen in their seats looking from one girl cousin to the other...kind of like a tennis match. They were trying their best to follow what the girls were saying but it was pretty much futile. My husband says they shouldn't worry though...that's how he feels most nights at the dinner table when the girls and I get to talking.

We were really hoping to have some wildlife in the yard to show the boys while they were here but I think the forest animals knew this was a holiday in which to lay low. Of course just a few hours after everyone took off we glanced out back to see 8 wild turkeys.

I suppose they knew we'd had our fill of bird on Thursday and Friday and that it was safe to come out. On Sunday morning we awoke to deer in the yard...four of them. Maybe they were with family for the holiday too and are just now getting back home. They are beautiful, particularly the bucks, and I did take a couple of photos but they were thru the window and the glare is bad so I'm not posting. I can't step outside to get their picture anymore as they freak when they see me raise my hand to my eye. I've tried telling them its just a camera but they're not taking any chances.

After all the company left on Saturday we went to see The Blindside. If you haven't seen this movie get yourself to a theatre...such a heartwarming story about love in action and how that impacts a life. Oh, and take some kleenex because you'll need it. And of course after a good cry you need food so we stopped at a favorite pizza place on the way home. Ahh....pizza...it's the anti-turkey.

The girls were headed back to uni on Sunday but before they left for the airport we did pull out the Christmas decorations and had a little tree trimming party complete with eggnog. We drink our eggnog in our German Christmas market mugs because that makes us happy. It was fun to pull out all the decorations this year. When we moved to the UK we only took about half of our Christmas boxes with us and the rest went to storage so a lot of the items we hadn't seen in several years. I have lots of Snow Village pieces and none of them came with us to the UK since the electrical current there is scary and is also the reason why there are no outlets in the bathrooms. The plus side is water boils instantly in the electric kettles there. Ooops-tangent. Told you...words...I have a lot of them.

Anyway, when we decorate our Christmas tree every year it is tradition that hubs hides the pickle ornament and the girls have to find it hidden in one of the Christmas trees. Except of course my husband gave up years ago putting it in the tree and now they pretty much have to look all over the house to find it. Hiding a pickle ornament is supposedly a German tradition that says whoever finds the pickle will get an extra treat from St. Nick. This is perhaps more of a myth since the Germans I know have never heard of it but its still fun.

This year hubs left the pickle in a really obvious spot and the girls walked by it a couple of times before daughter1 finally noticed it hanging on the clock case. Whoever finds it hangs it somewhere on the tree...not sure they view that as an 'extra treat' but that's all I got.

I can't finish this Thanksgiving post without a brief mention of the angel pie. Firstly, these cuties baked the pies this year.

Let's just take a moment here.

If you are thinking that it looks like scrumptious custardy wonderfulness then you would be correct. Several people asked me last week for the recipe after I mentioned it in a post and I fully intended to publish it right here on the blog because I'm nice like that. However.... my sister in law was here and she threatened to have her husband hack into my blog and remove it if I dared and my brother in law is a bit of a computer whiz so I'm thinking I best not. I am on email though, wink wink.

Whew. Like I said...a lot of words. I feel better now so thank you.

If you need me I'll be in the kitchen with my German English dictionary

I recently joined a newcomers club in my little town and they have all sorts of fun activities happening each month. I signed up for their Gourmet Group and will be attending my first luncheon tomorrow. Turns out when you are part of the Gourmet Group you have to cook. I think I saw the word Gourmet and got all caught up in the idea of eating which might explain how I somehow got talked into preparing a main dish. I like to call this 'new girl phenomenon'. Next month I'll know to hop over there and sign up for the applesauce first thing. Did I mention this luncheon has a German theme? I'm pretty sure the only thing German I've ever cooked is a Brat and maybe some sauerkraut which let's be honest only really means I cut open a bag and put it in a pan. I guess I will just have to rely on my expertise at eating German food to know if my dish tastes as it should because when it comes to eating German food I rock.

Speaking of food and fun...we had a great time catching up with some old friends on Friday night. We first met J and J (referring to our friends here and not the pharmaceutical company) in 1991. Our daughter1 and their daughter 2 met in the first five minutes of their very first day of preschool and were kindred spirits from the word go. Seriously, we moms used to say their friendship at age 3 1/2 was like nothing we'd ever witnessed. A little side story here...in their class that first year there was another girl with the same first name as my daughter and there were two other girls with the same first name as J's daughter so in class they were always called by their entire name-first and last. This carried over outside of school and when they'd be playing at home they'd address each other by their whole name. They sometimes still do. We moved to another state when they were 6 years old. And to another country when they were 15. They are now 21. They are still friends. So sweet.

Anyway, we barbecued and J brought the dessert which was so cute I thought I'd share-

Isn't this fun? She baked a spice cake and iced it...the stem is a frosted ice cream cone. You're welcome.

Still more food news...I stopped at the local farm stand on Friday afternoon to pick up a few things and the lady working there kindly threw in an acorn squash for free.

I'd never cooked one before and let me just say it was easy and delicious. I baked this one last night and thought I'd share the recipe today on Fall into Flavor over at Linda's...click here for more wonderful cool weather cooking treats.

Baked Acorn Squash

1 acorn squash

1 Tbsp. butter

dash of salt

2 Tbsp. brown sugar

2 tsp. maple syrup

1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees F.

2. Cut the acorn squash in half using a very strong kitchen knife. The skin is quite hard so cut carefully. And don't tell my husband I did this myself...he says none of the women in my family should be allowed to operate sharp knives...there's a history of cooking incidents y'all...its a genetic thing I'm pretty sure.

3. Scoop out the seeds and stringy bits and run a knife across it to score in several places and then place in a baking pan, cut side up.

4. Coat the inside of each half with 1/2 Tbsp. of butter and a dash of salt (if using unsalted butter). Next add one Tbsp. brown sugar to each and then dribble one tsp. of syrup across the squash.

5. Add about a half inch of water to the pan to keep the skin from drying out. Bake for 1 hour and 15 minutes until it is really soft and the tops are browned. Allow to cool a few minutes before serving.

Spoon the buttery sugary goodness over all and enjoy.