Meme Fun

Mega Meme

1.Do you like cheese? Yes, but I'm not terribly cheese adventurous. Pretty standard stuff, and let's skip the mold if we can.

2.Have you ever smoked? Nope.

3. Do you own a gun? Disc shooters, Nerf guns, cap guns, water guns, guns chewed from toast, guns fashioned from Kid'nex and Lego...

4. Do you like listening to Christmas music? my IPod is jammed full. Thanks, Hubby.

5. Do you get nervous before doctor appointments? Silly, but yes. Usually jacks my blood pressure up a bit, too.

6. What do you think of hot dogs? Tasty junk food. Let's do all beef, lite. Grab the mustard.

7. Favorite Christmas song for all time? O, Holy Night

8. What do you prefer to drink in the morning? orange juice

9. Can you do push ups? I think I can... I think I can...

10. Who is your favorite Grey’s Anatomy Character? I watched this show one time years ago and can't remember a single thing. Now, House. That is a medical show I watch.

11. What’s your favorite piece of jewelry? wedding ring

12. Favorite hobby? reading

13. Do you eat “exotic” foods? no

14. Do you have A.D.D.? Why do you ask?

15. What one trait do you hate about yourself? I procrastinate way too much. Maybe you should ask me tomorrow...

16. Middle Name? Ellen

17. Name 3 thoughts at this exact moment? "I wonder what tv show the boys are watching" ; "It's a bit chilly in here." "I could go for Diet Pepsi right now."

18. Name 3 things you bought yesterday? blueberry pie for DH's birthday, rice, strawberry milkshake

19. Name 3 drinks you regularly drink? water, Diet Pepsi, orange juice

20. Current worry right now? Getting "back on the wagon" with my diet and exercise routine

21. Current hate? TRAFFIC

22. Favorite place to be? Out for dinner or the movies!

23. How will you bring in the New Year? champagne, finger foods, my boys, and a movie

24. Where would you like to go? IKEA

25. Name three people who will complete this? Anyone! (Let me know, so I can come look.)

26. Do you own flip flops? brown and teal Carolina girl

27. What shirt are you wearing? red and white

28. Do you like sleeping on satin sheets? I don't know

29. Can you whistle? only by breathing in

30. Favorite color? purple

31. Would you be a pirate? No, I hate the torn clothing look, but have you seen my profile pic?

32. What songs do you sing in the shower? VBS songs. I Am A C...

33. Favorite girl’s name? Ellen Rebecca

34. Favorite boy’s name? It's a three way tie!

35. What’s in your pocket right now? wadded up tissue and a cell phone

36. Last thing that made you laugh?

37. Bed sheets as a child? rainbows and unicorns

38. Worst injury you’ve ever had? cut my foot on a beer bottle

39. Do you love where you live? There's some great things about living here.

40. How many TV’s do you have in your house? two

41. Who is your loudest friend? Susan H!! ;)

42. How many dogs do you have? none, but have a puggle?

43. Does someone have a crush on you? Three little boys keep smiling at me and bringing me stuff...

44. Do you get embarrassed easily? more easily than I like

45. What is your favorite book? Atonement Child by Francine Rivers

46. What is your favorite candy? chocolate

47. Do you know all the words to the Fresh Prince theme song? no

48. What song do you want played at your funeral? Now Thank We All Our God (And I don't mean that tongue in cheek...); Praise to the Lord, the Almighty; I'm But a Stranger Here, A Mighty Fortress Is Our God

49. What were you doing at 12 AM last night? sleeping

50. What was the first thing you thought of when you woke up? Did I sleep that late??

Post Christmas Tour 2008: Bring Your Hazmat Suit

Just a few days ago many of us delighted in spending hours peering through the blog windows of bloggers everywhere. It was great fun to sneak a peek at a bit of their Christmas decorations and preparations along the trails of Boomama's Christmas Tour of Homes 2008.

Many of you stopped by my place and left lovely comments and directions to share in your tour. I thoroughly enjoyed my visits to so many blogs. (And I am still sneaking in a new visit or two. There are over 1000 blogs linked to the tour!)

But, now Christmas is over. Christ is still in my heart, but I look like an elf caught in the sleigh's headlights! You wouldn't believe the mess!

Well, in the interest of keeping it real, and gathering the help of many hands, I bring you the Post Christmas Tour 2008. Swig the last of the egg nog, don you now your hazmat apparel, and as we like to say around here, "Hold onto your buckets!"Climb over the wrapping and packaging bits, avoid stepping on stray Legos, and take a look at the Christmas tree. It still looks festive, but gone are all the prettily wrapped packages. The toys and games were squirreled away faster than a pirate's buried treasure.

I know you can't see the pile up of cat hairs and dust gorillas, but would you mind vacuuming?

Well, now, don't go sucking up the markers and toys under there and watch out for the nativity scene. Let's get a space ship for those extra visitors!

And, as long as we are clearing up stables and removing the riffraff from Bethlehem's hotel district, let's get the Bionicle out from under Joseph's feet. No wonder the angel was telling them to Fear Not!

Since we are in the family room, I'm going to need a few properly trained people to fix the "Laundry Situation." Oh, my word. A few days of merriment and the washer and dryer are going to need to be kick started!! (Don't mind the green gun in the laundry basket. There must have been a " drive-by staining!!")

Which one of you brought the industrial cleaner and paint scrapers? Can you get the inch of cookie/soda/candy cane residue/crust off of the dining room table? Let's get that pretty centerpiece back up.

I don't' need to tell you that the dishes need washing, do I? Or that the trash needs to be taken out...

Alright. We may have things under control here.

Someone call the kids back from the beach.

Now, thank you so much for coming. Don't forget to take some LEFTOVERS from the fridge!! Where to next?

WFMW: Quick Christmas Cookies

Tonight my boys and I made a quick batch of a Christmas Cookie favorite we call, "Peppermint Wafers." I first had these a few years ago at a Christmas cookie swap and I instantly fell in love. I'm not usually wild about mint or no-bake cookies, but these are The Bomb. I promise. And your kids can help.

Obtain a package of Nabisco chocolate wafers. They are sold at the grocery store on the same shelf as the ice cream toppings. Now, don't even bother looking in the cookie aisle. They won't be there. I've included a pic, just incase you need more help locating the wafers.

While at the store grab a bag of white chocolate chips. (You couldn't read it if I made the print white, could you?)

You also need a few candy canes all smashed up. So, if you don't have any candy canes at home, get those while you are out and then smash them up with all your anger pent up while fighting the December traffic. (A hammer and a plastic bag make the smashing much more, well, neater.)

3 ingredients. That is it. You can do this!

Easy Peasy Directions:

Spread a bit of melted white chocolate (yes, you are going to have to melt the white chocolate) on a chocolate wafer. Sprinkle with smashed up candy cane bits. Let the white chocolate set and then share with the people you love the most.

Oh, pretty!

Quick Christmas Cookies work for me. Visit Shannon's blog for some more Works for Me Wednesday Tips.

And if you haven't stopped by my place for Boomama's Tour of Christmas Homes please come on in and I'll get you a handful of these cookies!

Christmas Tour 2008: Come on Over!

Boys! Get out of that tree! All the bloggers from BooMama's are coming over to see our Christmas decorations. Please help me get everything ready! A, start decorating the tree!

Ok. Light the Christmas tree. Woohoo!

D, go hide Jess Jingle so someone else can find him! Is the hot cocoa ready? Let's put out whipped cream and marshmallows. Candy Canes make perfect stir sticks.

S, Get out of the whipped cream! A, please go in the family room and put on my Faith Hill Christmas CD.

D, Thank you for putting the flame on that little Advent banner you made years ago in Mommy and Me Sunday School Class.

S, please get the Pastor's Party Mix ready for our guests to nibble.

I'll go turn on the little houses on the piano. Who put the toys from under the tree by the houses?
Boys, we'll finish the Peanuts puzzle later. Let's go get dressed!

Okay. We are just about ready! Dear, will you turn on the outside lights and invite everyone in?Merry Christmas, Friends.

May the love of Christ warm your hearts this Christmas and all year!

Yummy Hot Cocoa

1 (14 ounce) can of sweetened condensed milk
1/2 cup unsweetened cocoa
1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1/8 teaspoon salt
6 1/2 cups milk

In a large pot, over medium heat, whisk together the sweetened condensed milk, cocoa, vanilla, and salt. Whisk in the milk. Heat through, but do not boil. Top with marshmallows, whipped cream, or peppermint schnapps! Store any leftovers covered in the fridge. (Recipe doubles easily.)

Pastor's Party Mix

1 10 ounce package of mini twist pretzels
5 cups cinnamon Life cereal
5 cups Crispix
1 14 ounce bag of seasonal M&M's
2 cups salted peanuts
2 bags of Nestle white chocolate chips
1 tablespoon canola oil

Line your counter with waxed or parchmant paper. Use the biggest bowl (or pot) you own to stir together the pretzels, cereals, M's, and peanuts. In a separate, small bowl melt the white chocolate chips and canola oil in the microwave, until smooth.
Slowly pour the metled white chocolate over the cereal mixture and stir gently, but quickly. (I know... slowly pour, but quickly stir.) (This always seems to take more than 2 hands and just skip trying to use a spatula or spoon. Put your clean hands right on in there.)
Spread onto the papered counter and allow to cool. (I usually fuss with it a bit while it is warm. I try to stick the M&M's that never get any coating onto something already sticky. I break apart the really big blobs, but even if you do nothing, the stuff will be yummy.)
Store in an airtight container.

Makes My Monday

Cheryl, over at Twinfatuation hosts a bit of bloggy fun called, Makes My Monday. Here is a picture that makes my Monday. A few weeks ago my dad was in town and on his way home we all went to Dunkin' Donuts for a Dunkin' Run. I love, love, love my dad and it makes my day to see my boys and my dad together.

WFMW: Entertaining Tip

Having people over soon? Will you be serving steaks, nibbles, cookies, or drinks? Doesn't matter what you are serving, I know you will need a huge stash of napkins! Here's an easy tip to spruce up your pile of napkins.

Start with a neat pile of napkins.

Assuming you are right-handed, hold the pile in your left hand- at an angle. Use your right fist to hold the napkins in your hand.

Stretch out your right thumb a bit and begin to gently press and rotate your right hand into the stack of napkins. This should "smoosh and slide" your napkins off each other in a spiral fashion.

Put the napkins back on the table and remove the top one that you got all "smooshy".

Admire the simplicity and elegance that a pretty stack of napkins will give you! Leave a comment and then run on over to Shannon's blog for more great Works for Me Wednesday tips!

Cookie Swap: Mom's Thumbprint Cookies

My Buddy, Fuscia, hosted a virtual cookie swap yesterday. Boo-hoo. I didn't make it over there yesterday. But, I am confident that if I take over a tray of my Mom's Thumbprint Cookies she will let me help her sweep up the crumbs and drink some left over tea.

Mom's Thumbprint Cookies

3/4 cup BUTTER, softened (don't even think about using margarine)

1/2 cup sugar

1 1/2 cup flour

1 egg yolk
good jelly

Cream the butter and the sugar until creamy. Add in the egg yolk. Beat in the flour. Easy Peasy. These are little, dainty cookies, so shape the dough into small balls. (I use the small Pampered Chef cookie scoop.) Make a small indentation with your pinky in each ball of dough. Fill the indentation with jelly. (My mom told me she kept our baby spoon for just this job!) Don't overfill the indentations or the jelly will cook out and burn to your pan. My favorite is apricot jam. :)

Bake at 350 for 8-12 minutes. They should be just golden brown on the bottom and barely colored on the top. You might have to adjust the baking time to get the "browness" you like.

Don't say I didn't warn you: These are small enough to pop a few in your mouth every time you walk past the cookie jar, so consider having your jaw wired before preheating the oven.