Blessings

At church today, the youth speaker talked about making a gratitude list of 100 things. I'm not going list 100 items, but I will show you a picture of my top 24!  Not pictured are numbers 25-29 (Elder Aaron + my brother and family who are in Texas awaiting the birth of blessing number 30!

I had to be pretty bossy to get this picture taken. It was cold outside and they wanted to be in the house eating birthday cake.  I wish it was taken with a better camera too.  But it was worth it!  What really matters is that we got a picture of my wonderful family.  Spending a few hours together was a great way to finish up the year!  I love these amazing people!

Cauliflower Soup

We love cauliflower! I found this recipe on Pioneer Woman and just tweaked it a bit. I used up the last of the stock from the two turkeys I cooked at Thanksgiving.  It was my first time making stock, not sure why I never tried it before. The homemade stock was delicious, but I'm sure the soup would be just as yummy with regular chicken broth.

• 1 stick Butter, Divided
• 1 onion, diced 
• 1 carrot diced
• 1 stalk celery, diced
• 1 whole (to 2 Whole) Cauliflower Heads (roughly Chopped)
• 2 Tablespoons Fresh Or Dried Parsley (chopped)
• 6 cups chicken broth or stock
• 2 bay leaves
• 6 T flour
• 2 cups milk
• 1 cup Half-and-half (optional)
• Salt and pepper to taste

Preparation Instructions

In a large pot melt 4 T butter. Add the onion and cook for a few minutes, or until it starts to turn brown.

Add the carrots and celery and cook an additional couple of minutes. Add cauliflower and parsley and stir to combine. Add a bit of stock so it doesn't dry out.

Cover and cook over very low heat for 15 minutes. After 15 minutes, pour in chicken stock or broth. Add 2 bay leaves. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat and allow to simmer.

In a medium saucepan, melt 4 T butter. Add flour, salt and pepper and whisk to combine. Add milk slowly, whisking constantly.

When thickened a bit, remove from heat. (Optional: stir in 1 cup half-and-half.) Add mixture to the simmering soup. Allow to simmer for 15 to 20 minutes. Check seasoning and add salt and pepper.

Christmas Schedule 2012*

*all times approximate and based on my sleep-deprived memory

12:01 AM  Christmas is here!  We are all sleeping peacefully.
12:30 Lavender awakes crying.  She is teething and in pain.
1:30 ditto
2:30 ditto  Apply Oragel and give Tylenol.
3:30 ditto
4:30 ditto
5:30 ditto
6:40 Lavender is asleep, but Evan is sitting in our room waiting for us to wake up.
7:00 We roll out of bed with a grumpy baby.
7:04 John videotapes the kids coming down the stairs
7:05 Evan unwraps his unicycle
7:45 Wrapping paper and boxes everywhere.  We set up the computer for THE CALL!

7:55 John makes eggs and samples his new hot sauce collection

8:05 Ryan, Molly and the girls arrive
8:10 Skype call from Elder Aaron

8:30 John & I open a wonderful photo book filled with letters and testimonies from our kids
9:10 We say goodbye to our missionary, wonder if he's warm enough and agree he seems happy
9:12 Time to open more gifts
9:40 Cute little girl toys fill the living room

10:10 Brianne and Leighton take their parents home for naptime
10:20 Lavender sleeps - Hallelujah!
10:30 Bakers come over.  The kids compare and share.  Lots of Doctor Who, jewelry & One Direction
11:00 Grandpa & Carolyn arrive with what seems like a sleigh-full of gifts
11:15 The kids help carry in boxes and more boxes of presents
11:30 Bakers head home, I put the ham in the crockpot
12:00 Marianne's cheese ball, crackers, grapes, carrots and hummus for lunch.  Cookies & candy too.

1:00 Molly, Ryan and girls return
1:15 All three girls giggle and play.  Lavender cries and grumbles, finally falling asleep on Ryan.
2:00 Papa John, Brianne and Marianne head to the park.  Evan follows on his unicycle.

2:50 Evan comes home with an injured hand
3:00 Food preparation, snacking, laughter
3:30 Bakers return
4:00 Ham, sour cream potatoes, rolls, corn, green beans, orange jello, sparking cider.  Full bellies.
4:45 Presents!  Cousin gift exchange!
5:20 Brianne passes out her dollar store presents.  I got a foot long plastic lizard!
5:30 Cookies etc.
5:45 White elephant game.  Because we haven't had enough gifts yet.
6:00 Laughter.  Popular items:  "Life Is Good" sign, brownie kit, pumpkin full of Halloween candy.
                       Less popular:  used hard hat, "Big Jesus" skateboard video, luau in a box
                       Popular, but disappointing:  Bacon flavored gumballs (tasted like Chloraseptic spray)
7:00 Everyone loads up and heads home.  I insist they take all of their white elephant gifts.
7:02 We take a deep breath and listen to the quiet!
7:15 Lavender to bed
7:30 RELAX and clean up a bit

8:15 Watch the Doctor Who Christmas special
8:35 We ask Evan lots of questions during the show.  He answers patiently.  Most of the time.
9:30 Skype with (John's sister) Susan, Dave, Holly & Josh
10:30 Bedtime  Ahhh!
11:00 Lavender awakes crying. Sigh!
11:20  I close my eyes and think about our wonderful Christmas day filled with family and fun. So much more enjoyable that last Christmas when I was pregnant and feeling miserable!

'Twas the Night Before Christmas

And all through the house
Not a creature was stirring
Not even a mouse
Because we were all at the cemetery!

After my mom passed away we wanted to come up ways to remember her that were fun and that the kids would enjoy.  One of the things we decided to do was to decorate her grave a few times a year.  We were a little late with our holiday decorations this year, but on Christmas Eve we finally made it to the cemetery.  We decorated the tree near her grave with red jewels and silver snowflakes and we put poinsettias on her headstone.  Mom always loved Christmas, decorations and the color red, so it was a good combination!

Alyssa holds Lavender beneath the decorated tree.

Rudolph

My girls

Cammi liked being Rudolph, but Lavender wasn't so sure about it.  We had fun singing Christmas carols, but certain people got embarrassed during "Grandma Got Run Over By A Reindeer," especially when someone drove up to visit a nearby grave.  It may have been slightly inappropriate, but my mom always thought it was a funny song!

We headed back home and Ryan and Molly join us for our traditional Christmas Eve dinner of pizza, salad and vintage soda.  Then the kids acted out the nativity story while Emma read from the second chapter of Luke.

Some motley wisemen and shepherds and a complaining baby Jesus.

Our knitting narrator

 

A reluctant angel

Mary, great with child (or something!)

Evan shared a great video he saw in his seminary class and then we watched a couple of other short Christmas videos.  Finally, the kids got to open one present.  Amazingly, they all got Christmas pajamas!

Ready for Christmas!  Bring it on!

Santa Baby

Merry Christmas!

A Christmas Favorite

Almond Popcorn

1 cup butter
1/3 cup sugar
1/2 cup corn syrup
1 tsp almond extract
16 cups popcorn
4 cups mini marshmallows
2 cups sliced almonds

In a large bow mix the popcorn, marshmallows and almonds and set aside.  In a heavy saucepan mix the butter, sugar and corn syrup.  Bring to a boil.  Once it starts to boil, stir for three minutes.  Remove from heat and mix in almond extract.  Let cool for a couple of minutes.  Pour over popcorn mixture and mix until well coated.

Oh So Yummy Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Cookies

So did you know I use my blog as a recipe book?  It is a quick and easy way to find my favorite recipes.  It is even more convenient when I am shopping and want to make sure I don't forget anything I need to make my favorite soup, casserole or dessert.  Before my iPhone/blog/recipe-filing-system, I often came home from the store without a crucial ingredient.  Does that ever happen to you?

Last night I got my munchkin in bed and I decided to bake, but I couldn't find the recipe on my blog.  I had to dig through my recipe box and when I finally found the card, it only had half of the recipe!  Why would I write half of a recipe down?  Who knows?  But I did.  I finally found the recipe on Marianne's blog.  Later I found a link to the recipe on my blog, but it isn't quite the same.

Since my post baby bedtime baking time is at a premium, I want to make sure this recipe is easier to find next time.  These cookies are so delicious, I don't want anything to get in the way of my baking.  Thanks to my cousin LaRae for the recipe!

3 sticks butter

2 cups brown sugar

1 cup sugar

1 egg

1 t vanilla

15 oz can pumpkin

4 cups flour

2 t baking soda

1/2 t baking power

1/2 t nutmeg

1 t salt

2 t cinnamon

2 cups oats

2 cups chocolate chips

Mix butter and sugars.  Add the rest of the wet ingredients.  Mix the dry ingredients in a separate bowl and add to the wet.  Mix well.  Add the oats and chocolate chips.  Bake at 350 for about 12 minutes.