A Drink To Lily the Pink...

My mother asked for some of my Christmas Beverage Recipes. so I love to share.
Holiday Egg Nog (the way I make it)
14-18 eggs (depends on my mood and the family chickens moods)
2 1/4 - 3 c. sugar (see above and to your taste)
3/4 tsp salt
2 bottles (1 0z) rum flavoring (Save a bottle for sniffing...hey if I wasn't trying to be a good Mormon, I might try to be a good pirate. I also recommend Kroger brand flavoring and it goes on sale a lot)
1 gal whole milk
Beat the eggs until light and foamy. Add sugar and salt and beat until thick and lemon colored. (Hey it still looks egg colored to me!). Stir in milk and flavoring and chill at least 3 hours. You can sprinkle with nutmeg if desired.

Peppermint Pleaser (the way I make it)
1 gallon whole milk (obviously you could use any milk all the way to skim, but then you might freak out at the final ingredient.)
1 c. sugar
8 TB crushed peppermint candy (Hey it's candy canes and if you want this pink you better make sure they have the artificial coloring and aren't the 'healthy' white kind. Put them in a double Ziploc bag and give to an older child with a meat tenderizer....works great!)
1/2 tsp. peppermint flavoring (see recommendation above)
1/4 tsp salt
1/2 gallon vanilla ice cream.
Mix it all together. Pour back into milk carton (I have to recruit an extra container at this point.) Distribute the crushed candy proportionately. Refrigerate 24 hours and shake before serving. The real recipe has you chill this without the ice cream and whisk the softened ice cream at serving. But then they are expecting you to have a fancy punch bowl and cups and all that. They don't know that people at our house have been known to chug if they think no one else will drink anymore and they can have it to themselves.....Hmmmmm maybe I feel like a chug!

Handeling Sunday Night

Sorry this is such a late post.....we had a very successful food drive at Meadowbrook Elementary. We plan to serve waffles at 5:30 tomorrow night with singing to follow. We would like be singing around 6:30. If someone has a waffle iron to help speed up the waffles we would gladly accept. If you have a Messiah score, please bring it. I have a few here and plan to pick up a couple more. We can always share. We may even get to sing "Baby" tomorrow!

Hallelujah!

Although I don't like the 'holidays' , I do love Christmas. I love to remember what happened try and comprehend it's impact in my life. One way that I accomplish this is through music. To anyone wishing to celebrate the same way- Messiah sing-a-long (with the stereo) on Sunday December 14th. Please leave me a note in the comments and I will contact you with further information. Dad has offered to make waffles so I need a head count. Even if he isn't your dad!

The Gift of Family

We had a wonderful Thanksgiving Day together. It felt complete and I honestly just breathe in the peace and overwhelming love of our Father in Heaven when we are all together. These pictures are just a twinkle of our day.
As you can tell, the grandchildren were the high point of the day.

Now to tackle the Christmas tree.

Do You Hear The Echoes Sing??

Singing the songs around the World....to all the people that love me and like to enjoy Christmas music. Stress Rehearsal is coming up.... I am feeling very 'unready'. So I am trying to stand in the back and may be singing 'Watermelons and bananas', but I would love you to come. Any suggestions on a treat for me to bring? Love you all. IN case you can't read the invitation. Saturday November 29th. 6:60 PM ...my church

To All My darling Children

I have had several inquiries about the time of the feast. I plan to have dinner on the table around 1:00. I am so, so Thankful for YOU!

To All The Johnson Children

To all my darling children that are planning on coming for Thanksgiving. I need a head count to arrange for seating. I also have had inquiries about the menu and offers of help. Here is what we usually have:
Turkey (ordered the biggest I can get!)
Rolls- Stephanie generously offered to bring these
Mashed Potatoes- Superman will make these
Frozen Salad
Raspberry Salad
Relish Tray with Deviled Eggs
Cheese Ball With Crackers
Shrimp Dip with Chips
A vegetable- Either Green Bean Casserole or canned corn
Celery Casserole- I use this in place of dressing which I would be the only one eating anyway.
Yams????- Shall we try them this year?
And lots of pies....for Grandma's house although we are selfish and keep the best ones at our house. I plan to make:
Pumpkin
Cherry Almond Mousse
French Silk
Pecan Chocolate Chip
I am still thinking about the rest. If you want to bring something, just leave a comment. Morgan has offered to help with the table decorations. We might not do the M&M Turkeys unless there is an uprising. I am borrowing a children's table for the little ones.
By the way, I have the greatest children in the world and I don't care who knows it. They are my treasure and I love being with them, I wonder if they know that? I also am trying to be a more hugging person. Help me?

Soup-er Share

I am 'challenging' (is it is tag?) my favorite people to post a favorite soup recipe to share. I love soup season. I am sharing one of my favorite recipes.
Mushroom Barley Soup
1 1/2 lbs. cubed beef (I use a cheap roast)
1 TB oil
2 c. finely chopped onions
1 c. diced carrots
1/2 c sliced celery
1 lb. fresh mushrooms- sliced
2 gloves garlic, minced
1/2 tsp. thyme
1 can beef broth
1 can chicken broth
2 c. Water (I usually add more)
1/2 c medium pearl barley
1 tsp salt (opt.)
1/2 tsp. pepper
In soup pot, brown meat. Remove with slotted soup and set aside.
Cook onions, celery and carrots in drippings over medium heat until tender, about 5 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add mushrooms, thyme and garlic. Cook and stir 3 minutes. Add the broths, water, barley salt and pepper. Return meat to pan. Bring to a boil, cover and simmer 1 1/2 - 2 hours or until meat and barley are tender.

I love this on a chilly afternoon. It is even better with Dilly Rolls, but that's another posting.

This is Halloween, Everybody Make a Scene

I love that Halloween song. "everybody's waiting for the next surprise". We had a great Halloween. A big pot of chicken soup with homemade noodles simmered on the stove. It was delicious with the dead breads. We trick or treated and haunted and made homemade root beer. How delectable!

Ethan changed from a cat to a vampire. He was so cute.
We had dancing and partied until we were pooped.


Alaina discovered the joys of Grandma's at Halloween, here she shared a dance with Grandpa.
Morgan and Kenny were here...Colton was a pumpkin. We missed Cory and Isabelle, but hope they got lots of candy and are throwing a sugar fit or two.
Now my Halloween decor is settled in the attic and Thanksgiving has settled peacefully on our home.

Half As Old As My Grandmother

Last week I turned half as old as my grandmother....try and figure that one out. What a great birthday I had. When I got to school, Bonnie my friend and the school's secretary (one and the same) had decorated my room. I loved it. There were streamers and confetti all over and a coffin full of candy. The confetti was all over my chair and stuck to my bottom....there was a trail of glitter through the school all day! Three of my gorgeous daughters surprised me with lunch and I just enjoyed every minute of it! I got a very short visit with my bff Lesley. And a romantic dinner with my honey buns. I am loaded with gorgeous flowers and gifts and I feel loved.....I don't feel any older than I was last week!

Trunk or Treat- Smell My Feet

So I went to the ward Trunk or Treat which I hate. But it turned out great because all my goblins were with me. I was accompanied by Cory the Dragon (But his parents kept thinking he was a devil!), Alaina the Pirate, Isabelle the Spider and Ethan the Black Cat. They were terrific. Even Colton was there with his parents. (Next year, we will dress him up cute!) I am so blessed!

Two, Two ,Two Tags in One

I have been tagged a lot and I admit that I don't always 'play'. These looked kind of fun. I am combining them and 'tag' anyone that thinks they look fun. Do them separately if you wish. The first is to go to your pictures files. Choose the fourth file, choose the fourth picture.
My files are a mess so I hope I chose the right one. But it is fun for me. We had taken the kids living at home to the top of Bountiful Peak for an evening of star watching. This was in August, during the Perseid Meteor shower. We were right on top and ate our dinner on the cooler and off our laps. Then we settled in for a night of shooting stars....It ended up shooting lightning. We had quite a fireworks show. We saw a few shooters after the storm, but the 'wow' of the night was really the storm. This is a picture of my sweetheart-Superman. He takes us pretty fun places.

The second tag is to name 6 quirky things about yourself. My whole life is quirky and I don't know how brave I am or exactly what quirks I will share, but here goes.
1. I can't pay full price for anything (other than groceries). The way I shop for clothes especially, is to look at the clearance tag and if the price is low enough, look at the article of clothing and see if I can live with it.
2. We have Marinda's cat living with us. She is mentally ill. I feed her, take care of her litter box etc. She doesn't like me and I don't particularly like her, but if she disappears for a day or two....I cry.
3. I have to have my pillows a certain way to sleep. The firm stuffed pillow is on the edge of the bed vertically, my regular pillow is fluffed up with a few more feathers toward the end of the bed for my neck to be supported and then I grab 'squishy' pillow. If I am having a hard time falling asleep, I grab the big pillow and hug it also. I also LOVE cold pillows. So I am enjoying the 'open window' weather we are having right now.
4. Chick flicks aren't my favorite movies...they are low on the list, but I really enjoy watching movies with my daughters and friends. (My daughters are my friends also). I like to watch comedy and mystery mostly.
5. Christmas isn't my favorite holiday. It isn't even second or third. Here is why. I love celebrating the Savior's birth. Especially through music. I love being with family and friends. I even love the decorations at my house and the fresh tree.....I hate what 'the world' has done with the holiday that they call Christmas. Obligated to give gifts to every person you have ever met. It doesn't matter what it is, it is never. good enough. Trying to get a gift that shows what your loved ones mean to you, but the object is money. Watch the news, that's all they talk about from November on (even sooner sometimes) The poor retailers. People aren't spending enough. I love Easter. Everything is waking up and living. I can remember the gift given to us all at a price we could never afford. I can offer myself to my family and friends because I want to not because it is expected of me.
6. I love jewelry, but I don't like wearing it. I love to play with it in my jewelry box, but I don't often wear it. I love sparkly things. If someone is wearing something glittery I feel like I am being hypnotized and I have to look at it. I will even stop talking to stare. But I don't wear glittery. What is wrong with me!

A Patch of Pumpkins

Although it is now called Fall Break..it will always be UEA to me. I spent part of UEA on a pumpkin farm with Ethan and Marinda and Superman. He was super. He hauled pumpkins all over for us. Ethan loved the pumpkin patch and made sure every pumpkin he touched received a lot of pats. The hay maze was great as he discovered he could run away from Mom. We saw some friendly specters and sat with some scarecrows. The only thing that could have made it better would to have had some cousins with us.

Up Up and Away

... and boy was it a beautiful balloon! Meadaowbrook Elementary was blessed to have a hot air balloon visit today. There is a BalloonStampede this weekend at Antelope Island and they came to tell us about the event. They showed the students the math and science needed to pilot a balloon. It was fascinating to see how the balloon was inflated, how they hold it down, how to load passengers and then deflate and pack the balloon. When they asked if I wanted to go up. I said, "Noooooo." But I loved being close and taking pictures. I am glad there are fun moments like this in my job. If you take the Clipper, look for some of the faculty in the balloon!

A Visit from Her Highness

I was blessed with a visit from Princess Alaina Grace this afternoon. First she insisted that we had on the proper foot apparel. Yes, she made me put on a pair of princess shoes also. I put my big toes inside and kind of walked on the edges of my feet. I was glad when we started to play house and cars. When we took the tent outside to play, she saw the pool and insisted on filling it up.





Notice the princess shoes, her second
pair of the day.

We then had to wake up Poppie to see if he wanted to swim with us. "Get on a shoot", she told us. When we went out she made sure we were both soaked. It was very refreshing....while I have been preparing this, she has discovered Poppie's ice cream salt! Good thing I have a supply of vacuum bags.

College Bound

Lacey is following a quest for knowledge. I am so proud of her. We helped get her ready with a 'party' to 'shower' her with recipes and college
necessities. Thanks to everyone that helped her out.







We took her to her apartment today. We met two of her room mates and they look very nice. ( I thought the one girl's dad was her boyfriend! He looked so young. I think he was flattered. Or he thinks I am old and blind. )
I stifled sobs all the way home. I tried to explain to the males in the household why I was crying. Hayden couldn't understand. I can't tell him, that the reason he doesn't understand why I have to cry, is the reason I am crying. I am missing that feminine thought process. But I am so proud of my best friend in the house and her achievements. I know she has many wonderful adventures ahead of her. I know my heart will quit pinching me soon. I love her! Make me 'happy' of you Lacey June.
I will email her address to anyone that wants to send her a little card or anything.









Ethan loved the stairs, both inside and outside. He says Lacey's apartment is great!















Lacey's bed is ready for her. Don't worry, she has plenty of blankets.

IVe Been Tagged

I've been tagged. Not tagging anyone because it took too much brain power to do this!
WRITE 6 WORDS THAT DESCRIBE YOUR LIFE.
Here are my 6 words:

1. entertaining
2. learning
3. miraculous
4. blessed
5. growing
6. crazy

Grand Time for Me!

Grandma was treated to a day with Ethan and Alaina. We couldn't decide which activity was the best- The Zoo or Cherry Hills....so we did both. We enjoyed the zoo in the morning. (Alaina fell asleep just before lunch.) After lunch, we rode on the carousel and then the train. The kids were a little apprehensive about that big machine with the colorful animals. But once it got going and we started squealing, "Wheeee". They joined us. After that, the train was kind of boring.
We went home for naps....did they take one? I sure did.
Then we headed for Cherry Hills. It was fun for Morgan and the dads to join us. We stayed until closing. The two whales swam merrily in the Lazy River. Alaina enjoyed the "big' slide with her parents and Ethan scoped out the Pirate's Cove and posed for a photo shoot. The two children loved being together. They made raspberries at each other and giggled, floated around together and discovered the joys of chair climbing. It was a grand day for Grandma!

Playing Solitaire

This week I am alone. I was all excited about it until I realized that I have to care for all the animals, get the mail all week, water the yard by myself, clean the house be myself and be responsible. However, on the plus side, Steve gets to listen to the arguments all week!
I will still miss my little guys and girl. Pray that they don't get hit by lightning.

Tag

Tag

Game of Tag.

4 Places I visit frequently.
1. My bed
2. Smith's market and gas station
3. Bountiful Jr. High (Oh, to have summer band over!)
4. Cherry Hills (not enough these days!)

4 People who call/Text/Email me regularly
1. Steve or better known as Superman
2. My daughters
3. Mom
4. Pat Soper

4 Favorite food
1. Shrimp
2. Chinese
3. Candy Williams' Applebee's Chinese Chicken Salad
4. Potatoes

4 Places I'd rather be
1. Somewhere in the cool, green pine covered mountains, preferably in a cabin
2. Anywhere with my friends or children (of course with the grandchildren!)
3. Florida
4. Seattle or Victoria

4 Movies I'd watch over and over
1. Galaxy Quest (I do)
2. Oh, Brother Where Art Thou
3. Independance Day (Just in July, but ooh those guys look nice at the end, right girls?)
4. Jane Eyre- love those heaving bodice scenes

4 Bands/Groups I like to listen to...
1. Tabernacle Choir
2. Gracie Fields
3. Platters, Righteous Brother, Everly Brothers Era
4. Jenny Phillips

The 4 People I am tagging are....
1. Stephanie
2. Marinda
3. Morgan
4. Marian
Or who ever. If no one wants to that's fine. I thought It was fun! Just a way to get to know everyone!

Memories

1. As a comment on my blog, leave a memory that you and I had together. It doesn't matter if you know me a little or a lot, anything you remember. If we're only blogging friends write about a post that is most memorable.
2. Next, re-post these instructions on your blog and see how many people leave a memory about you. It's actually pretty funny to see the responses. If you leave a memory about me, I'll be sure to write one about you....either on your blog, in my comment box, or I will email you one back.
3. If the memory happens to involve my husband, please include him.
4. If you can't say something nice, don't say nothin' at all.

And please do this on your page too, so we can all share in the fun times together:)!!
(this idea is stolen from Tiffany)

A Great Weekend

We had a great weekend. We are all sun burned and sore, but have some great memories. It was great to get together with the Johnson cousins. What a fun time swimming. I loved the 'whale watching'.
Sunday, Carter received the Priesthood. He is a little in awe. We are so 'happy' of him. He was very grateful all day. We had a great dinner of Winger's Turkey, potatoes, salads, cornbread, rolls, many yummy desserts and drinks. Alaina has discovered her mother has another name- Stephie. She used it the rest of the day around us.
If you haven't read Steph's blog about the Kirby salesman yet... please do. I laughed so hard. I was sorry she had the experience, but I needed the laugh. Also if anyone could get a link to the Rowdy Goudy's new blog, I would appreciate it.