Good for the heart and soul...

A local radio station here does something every year called "Christmas Wish".  This is the description of it from their website...
"Every year, 101.3 KDWB finds local families, individuals, and
organizations in need of help during the holiday season. For nearly 20 years, KDWB has provided clothing, food, gasoline, car repairs, appliances, and so much more to people in and around the Twin Cities area. These are people who, through no fault of their own, but because of a death, job loss, injury, illness or other unforeseen matter have found themselves in need during the Holiday Season."

The link I've included below is one of the wishes that was honored today and guess what?!  It is one of my mom's co-workers, a fellow nurse!  Instead of explaining what happened I'll let you listen for yourself...:)

Click here for a little holiday cheer!

How freaking amazing is that?! 

Easy Enchiladas

This recipe is an absolute favorite of ours.  Whenever I ask Kyle if he has any cravings for dinner this is usually what he requests.  There are only 5 ingredients and I love that I don't have to bring an ingredient list with me to the store. 

Ingredients:

• 1 lb. ground beef or turkey
• 8-10 tortillas, I get the fajita size tortillas (8")
• 1 can red or green enchilada sauce-I've tried both and don't usually notice a huge difference
• 1  8 oz package of cream cheese
• 1 cup shredded cheddar or Mexican cheese

Directions:

• Brown ground beef or ground turkey
• Soften cream cheese in microwave and stir in half of the enchilada sauce
• Stir browned meat into the cream cheese and enchilada sauce mixture
• Place mixture in tortilla and fold (see picture), the amount of mixture I put in my enchiladas varies depending on how many I want to make.  I usually put about 3 spoonfuls and am able to make 8 enchiladas
• Spread remaining enchilada sauce over assembled enchiladas and sprinkle with cheese
• Bake for 17 minutes or until cheese is melted

Optional: Mix in refried beans, or after baking top with sour cream, salsa, or Cholula if you're into heat:)

If you try this recipe let me know if you love it as much as we do!

Mason jars, glitter, Christmas scents, oh my!

Lets be honest here, the Christmas decorations in this house went up before Thanksgiving.  I blame it on the snow we received, as soon as that first real snow fall hit, Christmas music was on in my car and I was hurrying home to deck the halls!  

Here are a few snapshots of my favorites this year...

Glitter, glitter, lots of glitter

Dancing glitter reindeer - Reindeer ornament

(The dancing reindeer is available online but it's a bit misleading.  The price it shows is for one reindeer not the whole set.)

 The glitter tree is also from JCPenney but it is not on their website.

One of my favorite things about the holidays are the SCENTS!  I spent about 30 minutes in Bath and Body Works trying to pick out the perfect scent and I am SO happy with my pick.  Little hint: B&BW has 2/$20 on their 3 wick candles quite often  so wait for that deal to come around again if it's not going on now!

White Barn Chestnut and Clove Candle

Boy was I pleasantly surprised with the adorable table runners Target had! There were two that I loved and if it weren't for my niece telling me she liked this one better I probably would have brought both home with me. Snowflake table runner



Candle holder - Redneck wine glass
 ( I got my redneck wine glass from a vintage sale but you can find them online at the link provided or even make your own with a candle holder and mason jar!)

  I plan on making a couple of holiday decorations this year so stay tuned for how-tos!

Thanksgiving 2012

Our Thanksgiving was everything I hoped it would be.  Full of family, food, tasty drinks, and the chaos of kids running around.  I’m so thankful that we have been able to spend time with both families on holidays every year.  We even got to sneak in a nap before going to my parent’s house, WIN!  I wish I would have taken more pictures but to capture all the funny, emotional, candid moments I would have to have my camera glued to my hands.(How would I drink my martini if I did that?!)  

Tear worthy moment:  My mom had all of us pick a family members name out of a bag and then we had to say something we were thankful for about that person.  After a few moans and groans from us "kids" we obliged and did what would make mom happy.  I am SO glad we did.  It was so sweet to hear what everyone had to say about one another.  My brother in law is a jokester and I figured he would make his into something comical but to my surprise the things he said about Kyle were completely heartfelt and almost brought me to tears.  Now here are the photos I was able to capture...

Pilgrim hat cookies made by Dez

Blake!

  


It was 60 degrees in the afternoon on Thanksgiving, by the time it was dark it was snowing!

Time for the siblings to pick a name for Christmas (notice my niece wearing Gma's apron-cute!)



 KEY LIME PIE MARTINIS!  I wish I could share with you what is in the mystery bottle but even we don't know.  My mom's friend makes these at the supper club that she owns and it's a secret recipe. 

 


Little piece of heaven



Us girls with our mom and our martinis

I hope you all had a fabulous Thanksgiving, now bring on Christmas!

I am SO thankful on this Thanksgiving Eve!

I am SO excited for the holiday festivities to finally kick off.  Tonight we will come together with FRIENDS to enjoy Thanksgiving Eve and have a few cocktails.  We’re going start out at a local restaurant for their half priced pasta and wine night.  Two things I am very thankful for ;)

 Tomorrow it’s lots of FAMILY time.  We will head to Kyle’s mom’s house at 11 for lunch.  Let me tell you, that is not a house you want to go to while being on a diet.  His mom and his sister are VERY good cooks. After spending some time there we will run to the grocery store to pick up the mashed potatoes I ORDERED.  I’m so ashamed to admit that but I wanted this holiday to be stress free and I could just see myself ending up with lumpy mashed potatoes and not having time to correct them.  So it is what it is and it will be just fine.  My mom is a nurse and is obviously not always guaranteed holidays off (someone has to help deliver those holiday babes:) so we don’t have to be to my parents’ house until later in the afternoon.  We just might be able to fit in a post turkey nap before heading over there.  Whoop whoop!  Our time there is spent eating, watching football, drinking wine/beer/key lime pie martinis, sneaking in a cat nap on the couch, and looking at the Black Friday ads and planning the shopping that will ensue that night.  (Let me just make it clear that we are not the crazy shoppers that get nasty, push and shove, or stay out all night.  We simply go for a few good deals and just for the fun of it)  We also have a moment where we all say what we are thankful for.  I love this part because everyone usually says something other than family and friends which we all already know we are so very thankful for.  For example, two years ago my nephew said he was thankful for Hungry Hungry Hippo.  See what I mean?  It’s the bestJ 

 It is going to be one busy day but it will be spent with my favorite people and I am SO PUMPED! Tonight,  I will say a little prayer that my parent’s oven makes it through the day (yes, their oven actually broke ON Thanksgiving awhile back. Thank goodness for good neighbors that let you use their oven!) 

                  

Ham and Swiss Sandwiches

My mom has been making these sandwiches for awhile and after seeing how people just go crazy over them I have started making them too.  I recently made 2 dozen of them for a Sunday football get together we had and they were the first thing gone. People can't just have one.  I can promise you, you will not be disappointed!

Makes 1 dozen

Ingredients:

• One dozen rolls-I use Kings Hawaiian Rolls but any dinner size rolls will do.
• Swiss cheese slices-I use a half slice of cheese for each sandwich
• 1 package of ham-any deli sliced style will do

Sauce Ingredients:

• 2 Tbsp. brown sugar
• 1/2 cup butter
• 1 Tbsp. poppy seeds
• 1 Tbsp. mustard
• 2 tsp. Worcestershire sauce

Directions:

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees
• Melt butter and mix in all other sauce ingredients 
• Spoon sauce over assembled sandwiches (ham and swiss cheese). 
• Cover with foil and bake for 17-20 minutes or until cheese is melted and tops are slightly crispy. (I've regfrigerated these overnight and baked the next day and they turn out just as good)

**Friendly little tip-make sure you have a mirror handy when eating these, those poppy seeds will be all up in your teeth but it's SO worth it:)