Random Dozen

1. Do you find it gross to share drinks with family? Friends?auto
I don't seem to mind drinking after my husband, but I cringe at sharing a drink with my kids. They aren't as germ conscious as they should be.
2. What have you learned this year? (You didn't see a question of that weight coming, did you? At least not for #2.) blogging has its ups and downs, just keep going.

and I was looking over my past blogs and found that when I whine I get more comments, Please don't encourage me, I get the whining from being the youngest child of four and the only girl.
3. When do you dismantle the Christmas decorations?
Our traditions are to put up the tree and decorations on thanksgiving, but I usually just take them down whenever, then I like to decorate the house in snowflakes and snowmen.
4. Something you wish to accomplish before the end of 2009 is:
Figuring out how to survive air travel, this will be my third time to fly and the second time to leave the country.
5. How do you feel about winter (after Christmas)?
I think if the sun were out longer in the winter I could handle the cold better, otherwise it depresses me and makes me want to hibernate like the bear I can be.
6. Have you participated in after-Christmas sales?
no
7. Do you have plans for New Year's Eve?
Just Family
8. Is there anything special awaiting you in January?
My sons birthday, and a cruise to the Caribbean, cant wait
9. If your life this year was a movie, what category or genre would it be? (Romance, Comedy, Drama, Thriller, Suspense, Farcical, etc.) A craft show.
10. How much time per day do you spend blogging? Please do not lie. I will know.
Less than an hour
11. Who runs your household?
My wonderful husband, I cant seem to keep a checkbook balanced.
12. Share one hope/dream for 2010.
That the war would end in Iraq, and that gods will for my life will be done.

Merry Christmas

We are having a fun Christmas, the kids are out of school and are bored already. We are ready for Christmas, and we are hoping to get to go skiing in Michigan over their vacation.

These are a few Christmas ornament I painted in 2007. I had so much fun. My father-in-law cut them out of scrap wood, and I sanded an painted them. I did four sets of each ornament, but was disappointed to find there was no market for them at our local craft fair, I ended up giving most away to friends and relatives.

This year I made this jacket, I invited a friend over and we had

so much fun doing it together. We used a pattern that I use a lot, it has three layers of fabric and the seams turn out to look like chenille, I had loads of scraps of fabrics and love finding good use for them.

stuck, STUCK, STUCK#%**

I am so dreadfully stuck in my blogging, and am so stuck that I don't know how to move on, I am so computer illiterate that it make my spelling look good.

I wanted to put a picture of the boy from the Christmas story with his tongue stuck to the flagpole but I couldn't get it to upload. I think it was a copyrighted, can you go and pay for a picture that you want? and how do you get the permission?

I was so aggravated with not being able to change my wallpaper that I slammed the lid on my laptop down, the computer got me back because I was sitting in my recliner at the time and when it shut one of my breast was in the way ouch! Mammogram any one?

fall into flavor

My son loves this stew so much he gets all excited like the cartoon character dog snuggles, if he could jump to the ceiling and float to the earth to show his great pleasure he would.

He is such a character, don't worry about his gun I cant get him to kill one of our roosters, they started to fight to the bloody end and we had to separate them, the only way to get peace back to the coop is to keep only one rooster, and no one wants to be the one to kill the extra rooster. For now they are in separate cadges.

I call this salsa stew because I have other recipes that have the name southwestern in them. It takes time but its well worth it, I use mild salsa and fresh herbs when I can.

Southwestern stew

Ingredients:
2 pounds beef stew meat, cut into 1-inch cubes
2 tablespoons canola oil
2 cups water
1-1/2 cups chopped onion
1 cup salsa
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 tablespoon dried parsley flakes
2 teaspoons beef bouillon granules
1 teaspoon ground cumin
1/2 teaspoon salt
3 medium carrots, cut into 1-inch pieces
1 can (14-1/2 ounces) diced tomatoes, undrained
1-1/2 cups frozen cut green beans
1-1/2 cups frozen corn
1 can (4 ounces) chopped green chilies
Hot pepper sauce, optional
Hot cooked rice, optional
Directions
In a 4-qt. Dutch oven, brown meat in oil over medium heat; drain. Add the next eight ingredients; bring to a boil. Reduce heat; cover and simmer for 1 hour. Add carrots; return to a boil.
Reduce heat and simmer for 20 minutes. Add the tomatoes, beans, corn and chilies; return to a boil. Reduce heat; cover and simmer for 15-20 minutes or until beef and vegetables are tender. Season with hot pepper sauce if desired. Serve over rice if desired. Yield: 8 servings.

Nutrition Facts: One serving (prepared with lean meat and low-sodium tomatoes and without salt and hot pepper sauce) equals 293 calories, 11 g fat (0 saturated fat), 82 mg cholesterol, 525 mg sodium, 17 g carbohydrate, 0 fiber, 31 g protein. Diabetic Exchanges: 3 lean meat, 1 starch, 1 vegetable, 1/2 fat.
Southwestern Stew published in Taste of Home August/September 1996, p29

COCK FIGHT, EWE

I Have kept chickens for 13 years and have never had a cock fight before,

at least not a bloody gruesome bunch like these two, I have herd that

once chickens get the taste of blood they will kill again, is that true?



I wish my kids were here to help me catch them I will put them in a cadge

until I can decide who gets to live. I love them both, WHaaaaa!

Any advice?

Random Dozen

Here's a picture of Tori our cat helping me with my last sewing project, She got to take a nap before I could get back to it, I will get a pic of it late this week for my blog, it is beautiful made with festive Holiday fabrics I had in my scrap pile.






1. It's early morning, about 2:00AM, and you're driving home. You come to a red light and sit there. There is no one in sight for miles around. Do you wait it out or run the light?I wait, My dad was arrested in that very same scenario. OUCH!
2. If you had the chance to re-do the last 24 hours, would you change anything? I Had the best day, My kids are well and going to school, I got to go to bible study, I went shopping, and now I am blogging, Life is good.
3. When you reply to some one's comment on your blog, do you reply in your comments or go to her blog and comment? (Or email her)I go to their blog, because who would think to go back to your blog for an answer.
4. Your favorite Disney movie is:
5. Do you recycle?yes
6. Games of strategy or games of chance?strategy
7. Do you have any recurring dreams?no
8. What did you learn from your first real job?I worked the night shift at Dunkin Donuts, I think I learned what true fear was.
9. Do you buy or borrow most books?My kids and I are Library Junkies, we have memberships to three libraries.
10. What fashion trend of the past did you say you'd never wear again but did?
11. When do you start Christmas shopping?Today I bought my first Christmas present. Hope I don't have to take it back.
12. Have you ever been so happy that you literally jumped up and down for a few seconds? If so, what was the occasion? Marriage proposal, finding out I was having a baby.

I used to make biscuit's that were so good, but used a whole stick of butter but gave me heartburn this recipe is just as good, I always put in a 1/2 C flax seed for more fiber. I could not get the picture to come in, this recipe comes from All RECIPES.COM, it is so good.


Honey Wheat Sandwich Rolls

"Hearty and tasty country style sandwich rolls. Honey, whole wheat and just a little bit of butter. They freeze well

Honey Wheat Sandwich Rolls
Ingredients
1 1/4 cups warm milk
1 egg, beaten
2 tablespoons butter, softened
1/4 cup honey
3/4 teaspoon salt
2 3/4 cups bread flour
1 cup whole wheat flour
1 1/4 teaspoons bread machine yeast
2 tablespoons butter, melted
Directions
Place ingredients in the pan of the bread machine in the order recommended by the manufacturer. Select dough cycle; press start.
When dough cycle has finished, turn dough out onto a lightly floured surface and roll out 3/4 inch thick. Cut out rolls with a 3 to 4 inch diameter biscuit cutter. Place on lightly greased cookie sheets; cover and let rise until doubled, about 1 hour. Meanwhile, preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C).
Bake in preheated oven for 10 to 15 minutes. When rolls are finished baking, brush with melted butter.
Nutritional Information 
Amount Per Serving Calories: 191 Total Fat: 4.7g Cholesterol: 26mg