M-I-C --- See Ya Real Soon

Has it really been this long since I posted? I guess it has been my 12 days of Christmas. Time has flown by -- though not how I anticipated.

I fully intended to post more frequently. I certainly didn't intend to miss my weekly postings at the least! I guess this just means I won't run out of things to say in the near future. If I could just carve out the time and energy to say something.

Mostly I just want to touch bases with my bloggy friends. I don't want to lose my vast numbers of readers due to laziness!

See ya reeeall soon~

(If you have never watched Mickey Mouse Club reruns, I apologize for my post title)

Christmas Craft: Snowman Ornament

I combined and idea I saw here with an idea I saw here and we made these snowmen.



Make sure you use microwave popcorn. We used regular popcorn and it turned out okay eventually.

We are going to make some other stuff with clear ball ornaments too. What have you made with them? (They are 50% off right now at Joann's if you can get to one).

I am thankful for the icy weather that is forcing me to NOT finish my Christmas shopping and TO spend time doing fun things with my younger kids. We have several fun things lined up just in case the weather stays icy. What do you do with your kids when you are stranded at home?

Laurel's Blog, New Update

For anyone who has been following my cousin's progress after being burned in a car accident, there is a new update here.

As the update mentions, her husband was laid off after the accident as well. His employer loved him but there is just not a huge demand for custom cabinets right now.

If anyone is interested in making a donation to her family let me know. It would be a great charitable Christmas donation if you were considering one. There is an account set up in her town. Also, gift cards for anywhere including for food, clothing, utilities and gasoline are wonderful. I will make sure they get to her. They have no TV or computer either and she can't do much so I know she must be bored. I guess this is one positive about her hubby being laid off -- he can be with her and also drive her to appointments.

Many people in their situation still have several luxuries. When I spoke to her last I asked her if she had memorized all of the Perry Mason reruns since she can't do much. She just laughed and said no -- because they have no TV or computer. She reads some but can't hold a book for long periods of time. She has no iPod either, but they did get a CD player after the accident. The van had no player so theirs was in the van that burned.

Anyway, a few of you have asked me about updates so I thought I'd let you know there is one there now.

Stranded. Darn.

As I mentioned yesterday, it snowed here. And we don't get much snow in these here parts. So it's a pretty big deal.



Due to treacherous driving conditions because of ice, church was canceled yesterday. And all activities for tonight too. So we actually stayed home all day for two days!

May the snow stay long enough for me to get caught up on stacks of projects. You see, this way I can stay home, give rides to no one -- and still not be the villain who is not giving rides to anyone. Yes, that's the way uh-huh, uh-huh I like it. Uh-huh.

I loved staying all cozy all day yesterday. Except for playing in the snow of course.

We had nowhere to go. No agenda. It was pleasant.

I made the yummiest coffee cake evvv-uhr. Believe me when I say it.


You make the batter, pour pecan sauce over it, then bake it. Can you see it glistening?


I also made Salted Caramel Cocoa. With fresh whipped cream. And I mean fresh.
(That link no longer has the caramel sauce recipe so go here instead. This is a really, really great recipe and very versatile too).

Maybe it should have been ice cream!

I made mine a coffee. With a little something extra added. I discovered that Salted Irish Cream Caramel Coffee is very tasty indeed. Very.

I will be making these items on the first snow of the season every year. They are winners. In the taste category.

As for the nutrition category? Well, I'll just leave that one blank.

What kinds of foods make you feel all warm and snuggly? Any snow traditions (involving food or not).

(P.S. If you'd like to see more snow pics, you can look here, on our family blog)

Menu Plan Monday: Let It Snow!

Snow! Snow! Snow!

Soup! Soup! Soup!!!

We usually only get snow only once per year. Today is the day! It is a day to stay home and celebrate. The rest of the week is a possibility too, as the temperatures will stay very low.

Because we don't get much snow, not many of us know how to drive in it very well. Adding to the drama of the day, it is very cold, so some of our roads are closed because of ice. Okay, I don't care if you DO know how to drive in snow. Ice should not be skated upon in a car. Bambi comes to mind...

The news coverage is showing cars sliding everywhere -- on side streets, on freeways, on BRIDGES! People are getting out and walking around. They are stopping and putting chains on cars. Very dangerous.

My niece was told she had to find a way to get in to work today at Nordstrom. Treacherous. Shame on Nordstrom. I am glad she stayed home anyway. I'd rather she lose her job than some other things she could lose. And who, may I ask, is even shopping today around here?

Menu Plan for the week:

Today I am making coffee cake, Salted Caramel Hot Cocoa (adapt to coffee for me) and French Onion Soup. Will probably throw in some Nacho Spuds this evening when we watch a movie, snuggled together under blankets. If we have electricity.

The rest of the week I am making more soup. Check my sidebar for tons of tried and true, yummy soup links.

And Macaroni and Cheese. Or Loaded BBQ Potato casserole.

And maybe a roast, cooked in a dutch oven just like my grandma used to make for me, served with mashed potatoes.

Comfort food week. (Obviously I am not abiding by the food prescription my ND has me on this week. I told her I am taking a break for Christmas and she was fine with that).

Next Saturday we will celebrate Christmas with my husband's side of the family. It is also one of my son's 14th birthday. My MIL is a great cook and always makes comfort food. And each of us gals are also bringing part of the meal. I like taking salads and desserts best. We'll see what she wants me to bring.

I'll be working this week on our food plans for Christmas. My extended family does a soup cook-off and a cookie bake-off, usually on Christmas Eve. The gathering is at our house. We even give out awards. I'll show you later.

I am looking forward to The Princess (little sister) coming into town from California. She always stays with us over Christmas Eve night. She isn't married so doesn't have children and enjoys seeing ours get their stockings and gifts on Christmas morning. Sometimes some of my brothers stay over too. It's very festive.

Have a hunker-down-and-relax-under-warm-blankies-with-those-you-love kind of week!

Soup's On! Saturday: Past Soup Links

For Soup's On! Saturday today, I have finally finished linking each soup recipe on my side bar. I am still working on linking for a couple unlisted blogs. Other than that, they are all there I think! Look to the right, under my S.O.S. button. And, please, take the code for your blog too. Enjoy this week's festivities. And, if you live near me, stay safe in the impending snow and possible ice! Enjoy! We don't get it much. (If you want to link, leave me a comment and I will put up a Mr. Linky.)

Surmisionist History

Today I went with my Older and Wiser Sister with four of my children to O.M.S.I. For you who are not local, that is the Oregon Museum of Science and Industry.

We went to a planetarium show called Cosmic Collisions.

Robert Redford's classic voice narrated our show.

The pretty lights on a dark background, the dimensional planets and stars, and the movements that made my two year old turn around and snuggle close when he thought the planets were really coming at us were all mesmerizing.

Some of the ideas they presented were fascinating -- such as a spaceship possibly using gravity to slowly steer huge and devastating meteors away from earth.

I am assuming neither Mr. Redford, nor the writers, directors or producers of the the production were there when the Milky Way or the moon were formed. I mean, Mr. Redford is getting a teeny bit older. But not THAT old. Not as old as dirt. Or space dust.

There were no witnesses. No written word. No verbal word. No stories passed from one generation to the next.

Therefore, making "this is what happened" statements, and presenting theory as fact, is misleading my children.

Way to get my dander up.

(You've probably heard of "revisionist history"? That means someone has revised history, changed it from one form to another. But when history is told with no knowledge of what happened, when they just surmise about what happened, does that means it is surmisionist history? )

Several times they even alluded to knowing how long something took to happen or to form -- "it is hard to believe but the moon was formed in just one month". Something else took a week, something else six months. And they seemed to have figured out just how long it will be before the Milky Way collides with the galaxy Andromeda too. They have clearly figured out what happened to the earth that caused the demise of Dino. And they spelled it out in gorgeous animation that made it look real.

To quote a much loved and missed character "Danjuh, danjuh, danjuh".

I'm so grateful I was with my kids so we can discuss the difference between fact and theory. Who knows how inaccuracies, however they are conveyed, can have a lifelong affect on our lambs?

Be wary mom and dad. Talk about everything.
Discuss.
Debate.
Do Not Assume.
Demand truth be told to these trusting little ones in your care.

"...be ye therefore wise as serpents..." (Matthew 10:16)