Good Morning!

Can I start off by saying, BURRRRR!!!! I hope it’s warmer where you are. Our high today is supposed to be 29(F) or -2(C). I hope they don’t send the kids out in this for recess today:( I know they will though. I can’t remember what the state mandate is on this, but to me, it’s torture for kids to have to be outside in this cold. Sarah woke up this morning all clogged to the gills:( Last thing she needs is to be out in the cold. Jamie’s teacher doesn’t make them go out unless they want too. This is great for Jamie because he HATES being cold so much. So he and one or two of his friends stay in and watch Star Wars:) I love Jamie’s teacher. He’s also Jamie’s golf coach so he will ask Jamie to stay after school sometimes and hit some balls with him. They did it on Wednesday, but Jamie didn’t stay long because he was so cold. We’ve got to get him some gloves that will keep him warm but not be to bulky that it hinders him.

Sarah had her first Nutcracker performance yesterday:) Can I just say… it was not the company’s finest performance. The smaller kids all did wonderful:) The guy who dances the Nutcracker, his head fell off and he chased it across the floor. At the same time, the music skipped forward into the Toy Soldiers … they had to stop and regroup the mice. Turned the lights off (which the kids in the audience screamed)… It was pretty chaotic for a few moments there. So the mice ended up dancing the dances they had danced 5 minutes before… After that, the older kids (leads) just weren’t at their best. I have seen these kids dance many times and I know they are better than what they were yesterday. Also, there were two dancers that didn’t have their props (Spanish didn’t have her fan and a party girl didn’t have her doll– and they were both in the front rows of their scenes.) This is very out of character for this company. I’m sure they’ll get it together and today will go much better because they have so many talented dancers.

Yesterday afternoon, our school had Market Day and all of our pies came in for our fundraiser. My sweet friend, Lori, came to help do Market Day and she surprised me with an my birthday gift:) Our birthdays are on the same day (Sunday-Nov 23:) and I had planned to drop her gift off on her birthday… Anyway, I was SO excited:) SHE knitted me this awesome scarf. I’m a huge Harry Potter fan and it’s a Gryffindor scarf:) It’s amazing. It’s so thick and just perfect! She also gave me a Mint Pedicure Kit from the Body Shop:) How sweet is that?:) I was just so bowled over by the scarf. I know she knits and she is very talented that way, but this is really beautiful. She actually sold one to someone at school last night after they saw mine;).

I’m supposed to be going with Aunt Kathy today to go shopping and out to lunch for my birthday. I love to shop, don’t get me wrong… I just hate shopping for clothes for me:( Absolutely hate it. I’d so much rather go shopping for candles or things for other people, just not myself. I think if I were tall and slender that would all the difference in the world. And I am going to leave it at that before I get even more depressed before I walk out the door to go.

The recipes I have added today are holiday dressing recipes:) All sorts of different dressings – rice, oyster, cornbread, chicken and dressing.. all sorts of good stuff:) I’m sending you MY absolute, without a doubt, favorite dressing recipe– this is my ‘wouldn’t be Thanksgiving or Christmas without it– Momma’s Cornbread Dressing:) YUM:)

And I’m also sending you the link for the Oyster Dressing. My aunt (Martha) loves oyster dressing.
Stay warm!!:)

take care,
~kat:)

Momma’s Cornbread Dressing
http://recipesunlimited.barefootkat.com/thanksgiving/mommas-cornbread-dressing

Oyster Dressing
http://recipesunlimited.barefootkat.com/casseroles/oyster-dressing

I’m so excited!!

Paul surprised me last night with what he’s working on for RecipesUnlimited:) I had no idea he was up to something but he is hard at work, redesigning the site!:) And it’s so me! I love it love it love it. I can’t wait til he finishes with it. I’ll be able to post pictures and all sorts of cool stuff:) Yay! No definite date set on when it’ll be done, but it’s going to be exciting:) I have to learn to add recipes in a new way he says. It really does look scary, but I’m sure I’ll figure it out after he shows me 15 or 20 times:) Yeah, it’s exciting:) *does a happy dance*:)

It’s another cold, blustery day here in the midwest. I can hear my little metal “Welcome” sign banging up against the house. It’s almost time for me to put out my sled with a big red bow:) I can’t wait to start listening to Christmas carols:) I’ve been sitting here this morning thinking about what I’m going to put on my Christmas platters this year. I think I have told yall, I always make Giant Cinnamon Rolls and take to my neighbors and such on Christmas Eve. Just something they can stick in the ovens in the morning. And this year, I think I may add a big jar of Hot Chocolate Mix. Anyway, back to the trays… I love putting these together and delivering them:) One of our dear friends, Mrs Diane, has done this every since I can remember:) Her platters usually had little bite size brownies, little rice krispy treats, pecan tassies, lemon squares, and a jug of her famous Sweet Tea:) (yeah her tea is awesome:) So I was just going through what I might put on mine which led me to posting some recipes for goodies:) I’ve added a recipe for the yummy Ambrosia Crunch and a cookie that is kind of like a pecan tassie, they are called “Honey Nut-Filled Cookies”. There is also a recipe for Lemon Poppyseed Cake (with almond–yum!) and I’ve added a couple of other goodies, so make sure you check them out.

I can report that all 3 kids are in school today! Woohoo. No headaches, no tummy aches. Everyone seems to be just fine *knock on wood*. Sarah is a bit miffed with me this morning because she wanted Eggs in a Basket for breakfast but we were running late and I told her she had to eat breakfast at school. I promised her though, that I’d bring her Eggs in a Basket for lunch. They are having pizza today, so both of the boys should eat that.

I’m off.. I am leaving you with a couple of the recipes that I added:)

take care,
~kat:)

Lemon Poppyseed Loaf Cake(s)
http://recipesunlimited.barefootkat.com/cakes/lemon-poppyseed-loaf-cake

Honey Nut-Filled Cookies
http://recipesunlimited.barefootkat.com/cookies/honey-nut-filled-cookies

Ingredients

• 1 venison roast
• liquid smoke
• garlic
• salt
• sugar
• pepper

Directions

Cut venison roast in 1/8 inch thick slices or as thin as possible. Soak strips in liquid smoke, garlic, salt, sugar and pepper overnight. Bake at 150(F) oven for 8 to 10 hours. Drape over racks. Store in jars.

Source: Sheldon Family Favorites – Don DeWees, Jr (given by Bev Sheldon)

Ingredients

• 1/2 cup soy sauce
• 4 teaspoons vegetable oil
• 4 teaspoons lemon juice
• 2 teaspoons Worcestershire sauce
• 1 teaspoon garlic powder
• 2 pounds cubed goose breast
• 3/4 to 1 cup all-purpose flour
• 1/4 cup butter or margarine
• 1 (10-3/4-ounce) can condensed golden mushroom soup — undiluted
• 1 1/3 cups water
• 1 envelope onion soup mix
• Hot cooked mashed potatoes, noodles or rice

Directions

In a large resealable plastic bag, combine the first five ingredients; add

goose. Seal and turn to coat. Refrigerate 4 hours or overnight. Drain and

discard marinade. Place flour in another large resealable plastic bag; add

goose in batches and shake to coat. In a large skillet over medium heat,

melt butter. Brown goose on all sides. Transfer to a slow cooker. Add

soup, water and soup mix. Cover and cook on high 4-5 hours or until meat

is tender. Serve over mashed potatoes, noodles or rice.

Source: 2002 Taste of Home Annual Recipes

Ingredients

• 1/4 c flour
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 1/4 tsp pepper
• 1 1/2 tsp garlic powder
• 2 pounds of deer steak cut into serving size pieces
• 2 Tbl oil
• 1 medium onion, thinly sliced
• 1 c. sliced fresh mushrooms
• 2 c water
• 2 Tbl Worcestershire
• GRAVY:
• 1/4 c flour
• 1/4 tsp salt
• 1/8 tsp pepper
• 1 1/4 c beef broth
• hot cooked noodles or mashed potatoes

Directions

In bowl combine flour, salt and pepper. Pound steak with a mallet on both sides to tenderize. Dredge steak in flour. In a LARGE frying pan brown steak in oil on all sides. Arrange onion slices and mushrooms between layers of meat. Add Worcestershire sauce and water. Bring to a boil, cover and simmer one hour. Remove meat,most of onions and mushrooms to a serving platter and keep warm. In a small bowl combine, flour, salt, pepper and beef broth until smooth, stir into pan juices. Bring to a boil over medium heat, cook and stir until thickened. Serve steak and gravy over noodles or with mashed potatoes.

Serves 8