Belated Birthday Celebration

December certainly gets busy, so we held off on my birthday movie and lunch until today.  Saw The Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug (second in the series) at AMC. Loved it! Of course Audrey made me watch the first movie (An Unexpected Journey) before we went so I would be "caught up". I had read the J.R.R. Tolkien story as a youth so was familiar with the plot line. Knew the spiders were going to make an appearance! Audrey laughed when I was squirming in my seat.

Then we went to Clinkerdagger's for a late lunch. They seated us by the window.

Audrey ordered the fettuccine and John ordered the turkey combo sandwich. He started eating before we could snap a picture! Audrey thought hers was too spicy (it was) so John traded with her halfway.

I ordered my favorite, the open-faced crab sandwich with the Broadway pea salad. Yum!

Christmas Day 2013

When we got home on Christmas Eve, we did open the presents Santa left for us. Always thoughtful! John got a Griswold Family Christmas t-shirt, Audrey got Batman pajamas, I got new slippers and PJs, and the cat got lots of paper to swat around the room.

We woke up on Christmas morning and opened presents. Audrey got some Xbox games, some Disney blu-rays, and a Wacom tablet and case. John got the Good Wife series, the Bond series, and a new winter coat. I got a pashmina (if you don't know what that is you must listen to the humorist Jeanne Robertson on Youtube "Men Don't Know the Style in NYC"), an EWU turtleneck, Crock-pot hook-up set, some serving dishes, a french rolling pin and a shortbread baking pan. John wanted to put something in our stockings and got Poo-Pourri for each of us - "Spritz the bowl before you go and no one else will ever know". (Another for you to checkout on Youtube called "Girl's Don't Poop - Poo Pourri ad")

For our Christmas meal we had prime rib, garlic mashed potatoes, cranberry fluff, fruit salad, and more of the pimento cheese stuffed celery. Then we watched Christmas movies for the rest of the day, enjoying time with each other.

Cranberry Fluff
1 cup cranberry juice
16 oz whole berry cranberry sauce
3 oz package raspberry jello
1 cup heavy whipping cream, whipped

Heat cranberry juice in a medium saucepan. When boiling, add Jello and stir until dissolved. Stir in cranberry sauce. Chill until thickened. Fold in whipped cream and serve

Creamy Fruit Salad
10 ounce can pineapple chunks, drained
11 ounce can mandarin oranges, drained
1 medium apple, cored and chopped
1 cup grapes, halved
1/2 cup sour cream
1/2 cup sweetened, shredded coconut

Combine the fruit in a large bowl, tossing well so the apple can get coated in the pineapple and orange juice to prevent browning. Stir in the sour cream and coconut, gently tossing to coat. Refrigerate for at least 4 hours prior to serving to allow the flavors to meld together. Serve chilled.

Christmas Eve

We went to mom's for Christmas Eve. Everyone brought a couple items to add to the menu of appetizers and desserts. Note for next year - we each only need to bring one thing... way too much (yummy) food!  We brought Cougar Gold cheese and crackers; pimento cheese stuffed celery; Jalapeno Popper Dip; and two types of meatballs (Swedish and BBQ). Recipes are at the end of this post. Yup, we could have brought less food!! Note John taste testing the cheese? He's wearing his new Christmas t-shirt (Chile Dogs) that we got in New Mexico. See the green and red chiles on the dogs? Refers, of course, to the "Red or Green" salsa question you have when eating in New Mexico.

The Cougar Gold cheese is a great story. I tried to pick some up at the WSU Spokane bookstore and they said they would be out of stock until January. I sent an email to my Safeway store manager in Pullman asking if he would know how to get some. He (Ray Stirling) and the Assistant (Rob Knapp) went to the WSU creamery, bought 2 cans ($30 each), brought them up to Spokane and then would not let me pay for them! Said "No.. drop it....we love you". Sweet!  PS - as an interesting side note, John reminded me that while we were in New Mexico in the gift shop at Los Poblanos, they had WSU Cougar Gold cheese in their cooler. They had to include the cost of shipping, so their retail was $49. Interesting to see a bit of the Pacific Northwest on our trip to New Mexico.

Cheyenne entertained us with some piano music. She does not look thrilled, but I think she enjoys sharing her talents. I thought this picture of Mariska and Cheyenne was great!!

Below are pictures from our gift opening. Top photo: tree in library, Grandma, the girls - Cheyenne, Mariska, Audrey. Bottom photo: Tyler and Mariska, the group (Dakota, Mom, Audrey, Shaune). Grandma got Audrey a Susan Boyle CD, a WSU Cougar key chain and some earrings. She gave John pistachios and gave me some earrings and a light aqua, (very soft), knitted scarf. We gave her some DVDs for her movie collection and some lavender items from our Los Poblanos stay.

This was the first year that we did not do a gift exchange between families (only to/from grandma), so we made sure to have some activities to keep everyone entertained. One of the activities was a clay thumbprint showman ornament. Supplies included Polymer clay (white, black, orange, and assorted colors for scarves), eye-hooks, and thumbs!  Roll three balls of white clay. Stack them closely together. Press the thumbs evenly into each of the balls. Add decorations. Insert the eye-hook. Bake the ornaments according to package instructions. Cool. Optional: Paint a thin coat of glaze over ornament. Mom's is the red scarf, mine is the blue scarf, Cheyenne's is the pink scarf. Then Michelle got off work and she and Mariska made the cutest ones - the ones along the bottom.

Then things started getting silly. Dakota was heard to say "Someone had too much eggnog". Cheyenne was heard to say "Grandma, your butt fell off" because her ornament needed some TLC before going into the oven.

Dakota and John played the slapping game. John is quite good, but I think Dakota gave him a run for his money. John was heard to say "Tell me when you've had enough".

Michelle had specifically asked if we could do Whoville hair like Cindy Lou Who on the Grinch movies. Michelle started with my hair - I thought she did an awesome job! Then Mariska did Cheyenne's hair and then Michelle and Cheyenne did Grandma's hair. Michelle was heard to say "Shaune, I need some wire cutters" as she made her way to Grandma's tree....shhhh!!

John was heard to say "Shaune, nice nuts!"

Cheyenne scared me with this fake mouse

We had a great time, a crazy time, a goofy time. Let's do it again!!

Grandma Whisler's Pimento Cheese Stuffed Celery
1 (4oz) jar diced pimentos, drained
Mayonnaise
Cheddar cheese, shredded (small shreds best - mixture of medium/sharp cheese is good)
Celery

No amounts - this recipe is by taste. Wash celery, pat dry. Mix pimentos, mayo and cheese in a bowl. Spread mixture on celery stalks. Cut into chunks. Can use leftovers on bread or crackers, but tastes best on celery.

Jalapeno Popper Dip
2 (8oz) blocks cream cheese, room temperature
1 cup mayonnaise
1 cup Mexican cheese blend, shredded
1 cup Parmesan cheese (divided)
4 oz an chopped green chiles (not drained)
40 can chopped jalapenos (not drained)
1 cup Panko bead crumbs
1/4 cup butter, melted
Dried parsley (optional)

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Spray a 2-quart casserole dish with nonstick cooking spray. Using an electric mixer, mix together the cream cheese, mayo, Mexican blend cheese, 1/2 cup Parmesan cheese, green chiles and jalapenos. Mix until smooth and totally combined. Spread the mixture into the casserole dish. In a separate bowl, mix together Panko bread crumbs, 1/2 cup Parmesan cheese, parsley and melted butter. Sprinkle crumb mixture evenly over dip filling. Bake for 20 minutes (on the middle rack). Do not overcook. Topping should be golden brown and the dip should be gently bubbling around the edges. Serve with your favorite crackers.

Swedish Meatballs
1 egg, lightly beaten
1/2 cup milk
1 cup soft bread crumbs
1/2 cup finely chopped onion
1 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1/3 teaspoon pepper
1 pound ground beef
1/2 pound ground pork
1/4 cup butter, cubed

In a large bowl, combine the first seven ingredients. Crumble beef and pork over mixture; mix well. Shape into 1.5 inch balls. In a large skilled, cook meatballs in butter in batches until no longer pink. (Or bake in 350 degree oven in rimmed cookie sheet for 30 minutes or until no longer pink). Remove and keep warm.

Dill Cream Sauce
2 tablespoons flour
1 cup heavy whipping cream
1 cup beef broth
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon dill seed
In a bowl, combine the sauce ingredients until blended. Stir into skillet. Bring to a boil; cook and stir for 2 minutes or until thickened. Serve over meatballs.

No Shave December

All of November, Audrey kept telling John to participate in "No-Shave-November". I thought she was either making it up or was something that the college kids were doing. Come to find out it was actually started in 1999 when a group of men in South Australia grew their mustaches out during the month of November for charity. It has continued to grow (hah) and finally hit North America in 2006. Well, John shaved all of November. However, he does not shave when on vacation, so took the growth started in early December and did not shave the month of December ......because in our house, we always do things differently!!

Cookies & Candy Baking

What do you need on cookie baking day? A regal looking cat with supervisory skills and a husband with a hammer!

We made a few old favorites: Bessie's Christmas Candy (recipe obtained from Bessie Riggin), Candy Cane Snowballs, and Soft Ginger Cookies. Then we tried a new favorite, Stained Glass Window Candy.

Bessie's Christmas Candy
1 package Almond Bark (white), melted in a double boiler
Then add:
3 cups Rice Krispies
3 cups Captain Crunch Peanut Cereal
1/2 jar dried salted peanuts
3 cups colored miniature marshmallows

Mix all ingredients well. Drop onto waxed paper. Let set. Break into chunks.

Candy Cane Snowballs
2 cups butter (no substitutes), softened
1 cup confectioners' sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
3 and 1/2 cups flour
1 cup chopped pecans

In a large mixing bowl, cream butter and confectioners' sugar. Stir in vanilla. Gradually add flour. Stir in pecans. Refrigerate for 3-4 hours or until easy to handle. Roll into 1-inch balls. Place 2 inches apart on un-greased baking sheets. Bake at 350 degrees for 18-20 minutes or until lightly browned. Remove to wire racks to cool.

8 ounces white candy coating
1/3 to 1/2 cup crushed candy canes

In a microwave-safe bowl, melt candy coating; stir until smooth. Dip the tip of each cookie into the candy coating, then into the crushed candy canes. Yield: 5 dozen

Stained Glass Window Candy
1 stick unsalted butter
1 package (12 oz) semisweet chocolate chips
1 package (10 oz) colored mini marshmallows

Melt the butter and chocolate together over the stove at low heat just until melted. Stir well and let cool 10-15 minutes. (Or you run the risk of melting the marshmallows when adding them). Stir the marshmallows into the slightly cooled chocolate mixture and stir gently until well-coated. Place the bowl in the refrigerator to let the mixture cool and firm up, only about half an hour. On a sheet of wax paper or aluminum foil, form the mixture into a log about 1 and 1/2 inch thick. Roll up the log and wrap tightly, sealing the ends so it looks like a burrito. Refrigerate at least 4 hours or overnight before slicing. Remove tin foil/wax paper before slicing. (*this is the tricky part!) Store in the refrigerator until ready to serve.

FAIL!  I've made these many times before and they are usually wonderful. They were the last cookies we mixed up and when they came out of the oven, I was tuckered out and defeated. (I don't know about you, but when I plan my baking day, I usually have grandiose plans on how many millions of different batches of adorable cookies and candies I'm going to make.... and by the time I get to only #3, I'm almost done!) Anyway, we scrapped the first batch and then realized what had happened... I saw "3/4 cup" in the recipe below and grabbed 3 cubes of butter = 1.5 cups!  That would certainly flatten them out.... I showed the picture to Audrey and she said I should delete it. I said "I have to post the fails 'cause people think I'm perfect". She literally fell to the ground in uncontrollable laughter. After about a minute of non-stop giggling, she breathed and then asked "Who does?" We were both laughing now : )

Soft Ginger Cookies
3/4 cup butter (no substitutes), softened
1 cup sugar
1 egg
1/4 cup molasses
2 and 1/4 cups flour
2 tsp ground ginger
1 tsp baking soda
3/4 tsp ground cinnamon
1/2 tsp ground cloves
1/4 tsp salt
Additional sugar

In a mixing bowl, cream butter and sugar. Beat in egg and molasses. Combine the flour, ginger, baking soda, cinnamon, cloves and salt; gradually add to the creamed mixture. Roll into 1 and 1/2 inch balls, and then roll in sugar. Place 2 inches apart on un-greased baking sheets. Bake at 350 degrees for 10-12 minutes or until puffy and lightly browned. Remove to wire racks to cool. Yield: 2.5 dozen

Cranberry Appetizer # 2

John had a potluck today at work and had signed up to take an appetizer. I found another cranberry recipe to try with a different twist. This requires a little planning to refrigerate overnight. They were both good. This one was a little sweeter.

Christmas Cranberry Dip
12 oz bag fresh cranberries
1 cup sugar
1 cup pineapple preserves
8 ounces cream cheese, room temperature
Buttery crackers, like Keebler Club

In a 2 quart baking dish, stir together cranberries and sugar. Cover and bake at 350 degrees for 30 minutes. Remove cover and stir to be sure cranberries have popped and released their juices. Add pineapple preserve and stir until well combined. Allow to cool to room temperature and place in an airtight container and refrigerate overnight. Spread cream cheese over bottom of a pie plate. Spoon cranberry mixture over cream cheese and spread out evenly.

Bunco Night

They had a Relief Society Bunco activity at Jill Nelson's house tonight. Asked each person to bring something to munch on. I found a new appetizer recipe to try. Those attending: Jill Nelson, Nicole Black, Nicole Simmons, Kami Berezey, Angie Abrams, Kim Heath, Lydia Stewart, Kim Whalen & neighbor Sara, JaNae Freedland, Stephanie Dubois, Alyx Cleaver and myself. It was hard to concentrate on the game when everyone had brought something yummy to try! They had multiple tables set up so we could rotate for each round. Overall I usually stayed at the losing table and ended the night with a pretty low score compared to others, but I did have one round where I continually rolled 17 times since I kept getting at least one of the number we were rolling for. I even rolled #4 x fours one time. Fun evening! And would definitely make this recipe again. I really liked the spicy and sweet combination with the cream cheese. It was best with tortilla chips (rather than crackers). Do need to plan ahead so you have time to chill. Made the house smell divine while cooking : )

Cranberry Salsa Dip
12 oz bag fresh cranberries
1 and 1/2 cups sugar
4 and 1/2 tsp apple cider vinegar
2 tsp cinnamon
1/2 tsp cloves
1/2 tsp allspice
8 ounce block cream cheese

Heat all ingredients except for cream cheese in saucepan over medium heat. Keep stirring as the cranberries pop and continue stirring until the cranberries are softened and the mixture has a salsa consistency (about 10 minutes). Cool the mixture and then pour over cream cheese. Serve with chips or crackers. Note: Make sure to store the cranberry mixture separate from the cream cheese as it will not store well. As long as not combined, both will store refrigerated for several days.