Christmas Cookies

Thanks for the Chicken, Walter

Our family has been working on our eating habits...not dieting, just eating healthy, nutritious foods. The foods God has given us to eat. Less processed foods, and more fresh, wholefoods. We have been transitioning and making gradual changes, since January. I have been buying organic milk, and meat that does not have added hormones, and organic produce. Lots of whole grains, very little sugar. (I still have not kicked my Starbucks habit, still my favorite treat). We watched the documentary "Food, Inc." a few months ago, and that is kind of what got us interested in making these changes, among some other things. Anyway, we have also been going to the Farmer's Market and getting some locally grown food for a couple of weeks...cantaloupe, squash,tomatoes, zucchini...all from Dunlap. My next big step was to start buying fresh from the farm, grass fed meat....this was a big step...kind of grossed me out...but....yep, I bought 1/2 a ("processed") chicken from a guy named Walter on Saturday. My chicken was "processed" last Thursday, I bought it on Saturday, and we ate it for dinner last night. It was delicious...the best chicken I have ever had. All these changes are taking me back to Little House on the Prairie...always knew I had a connection with the Ingalls.

Zucchini Chips: These are delicious!!!!http://www.100daysofrealfood.com/2011/06/28/recipe-zucchini-chips/#more-1551

This is my second attempt at bread...it looks a little prettier every time.

http://www.food.com/recipe/kitchenaid-whole-wheat-bread-142352

Dear Blake,

I would like a bread machine for Christmas.

Love,

Alisha

We finally got Claire's chest of drawers out of layaway. Glad we have room for her things now.

Her room is complete!

Will she be a gymnast?

104: Wordless Wednesday: While Mama is Drying Her Hair and Little Boys Discover the Spice Rack Edition

28: Mater the Greater

This was the first one...a little scary.....

Jackson loves Mater from Cars. I saw these cupcakes on Bakerella, and thought Jackson would enjoy making them. I actually thought about making them for his birthday party....but making one "Mater" involves three cupcakes...and I am not sure of many three year olds that need 3 cupcakes with icing and M&Ms in one sitting. A couple of them turned out cute...some of them looked a little scary....Jackson and Emma could have cared less....they just wanted to eat the decorations.

22: The Pioneer Woman

Has anyone else tried any of the Pioneer Woman's recipes? They are delicious!! I have made the Chicken Parmesan, Pinto Beans, and Chicken and Dumplings. I am starting to enjoy cooking so much...I may need a new apron! And another one for my sweet, little helper!

21:Valentine Cookies

On Friday, I babysat Ms. Emma, and Abby and her mom came by for a visit. We made Valentine cookies...just sugar cookie dough and sprinkles. Yummy! I think Claire looks like Blake in this picture....

15: Bowling

First things first: Somebody stole our snowman's teeth. RUDE! Jackson was upset and cried...he didn't understand why someone would take something that didn't belong to them. Hard to explain that to a 2 year old! I wrote a note a posted it on our snowman, requesting that his teeth be returned. They are still missing.

Saturday night, the Blazek's invited us over for dinner, and then to go bowling. It was hilarious. Jackson loved it, until he mashed his fingers...he got very upset and had a total meltdown. They are a little bruised today, but he is okay.

Yay for the Yule Log

The newspaper had an article and recipe this week for an edible Yule Log. I saw this, and wanted to make one to take to the Freeman Christmas on Sunday...but it was way, way too complicated for me to make. The recipe is the same one that the baker at Rembrant's uses..they only sale these during the month of December. I called to see about ordering one...forty dollars...no thanks. My mom is a great cook, and this was a recipe was a little more on her level. So she helped me make it...I so wish I had not forgot to take my camera, so I could have documented the process. But, we had fun, it looks pretty, and it tasted AMAZING!!!


These reindeer cookies, Jackson and I tackled solo.
I was up until midnight working on wrapping and some other things Saturday night....guess who was up until 1:45. We love her...should have known better than to decorate her room with owls. She is indeed our little night owl...sweetie pie!!

Sweet Smells of Christmas and Smiley Girly

This is one of my favorite Christmas books from my childhood. And Blake's too. It is a scented storybook about all of the different smells of the season (Christmas tree, apple pie, candy cane, a Christmas orange, hot cocoa, and a few others). We have read it to Jackson the past several days....so when I ran across a recipe for Teddy Bear Muffins in a Publix magazine a few weeks ago, I thought Jackson might enjoy making them....and he did! Claire thought it was pretty fun, too. They were much tastier (and prettier) than the disastrous birthday cake from a few weeks ago.