Good morning!

It sounds like a very blustery day out. Again, I can hear my metal “Welcome” sign outside my front door banging around and our icicle lights are moving around. TODAY…. is TREE DAY:) Yay!! We are getting our Christmas Tree today:) We’ve all been looking forward to this all week long:) Paul is still asleep, but I’ve put sausages (bangers) in the oven for him when he does wake up. I figure that’ll get him off to a good start:) We went to the Irish store in Tinley Park yesterday. Paul surprised me by taking the day off. However, that almost went pear-shaped because Matthew got sick in the middle of the night Thurs night/Friday morning…. but he was feeling better yesterday morning and Aunt Kathy told us to bring him there. He went over and laid on her couch in front of the fireplace and played his Nintendo and watched tv all day. He said he really enjoyed it. He was feeling much better by last night, thankfully.  It’s been going around the school again–especially 3rd grade from what I understand (Matthew’s grade). Both 3rd grade teachers and one of our lovely cafeteria ladies (Mrs. Laura) was sick as well:(  Hope they feel better soon. It’s no fun to have the flu.
So Paul and I went to Tinley Park, like I said. We bought Danish bacon, Irish bangers (regular size and coctail ones for Christmas lunch). We picked up Chocolate Digestives, Ribenas (IN THE BOX!!! WOOHOO!! *happy dance*),  mince pies, cherry bakewells, Paxo (that’s Paul’s kind of stuffing for Christmas), oh gosh, I can’t remember what all we got, but we are ready for tonight and Christmas:) Afterwards, we went on over to Orland Park to the World Market. *I* love that place. Paul loves that place. It’s a shame we only go there around Christmas though. We picked up gifts for all the kids’ teachers and a few other bits and bobs.  By then, it was time to head home to pick up the kids from school and grab Matthew from Aunt Kathy’s.  We still had a couple of errands to run, but the boys didn’t want to go, so we took Sarah and ran over to Target and Borders. All 3 kids are in major need of new clothes. I don’t know when they grew but they did! Matthew put on his most favorite silky — oh I don’t know what you call them.. they are kind of like what basketball players wear but these are thicker… pants. They were literally 3 inches to short:)  They were fine for him to go to Aunt Kathy’s in of course but no where else! Bless his heart:) We picked Sarah up a couple of pairs of jeans and a new *ahem* Camp Rock shirt… Yes, I was so happy that we weren’t all caught up in that yet… well, those days are over. Also, we picked up a new pair of boots for her. Poor kid. Her only shoes she’s had to wear lately were her tennis shoes and Mary Jane Crocs.  I was going to make Paul ‘bangers and mash’ last night, but we ended up running home and picking the boys up and we all went to a Mexican restaurant and had supper. It was really a nice day..
Today, we need to go shop for the boys and find Sarah a nice Christmas sweater to wear. We are going into Chicago this week to see Santa at *sigh* Macy’s. I miss Marshall Fields. I can not, in good conscience, call Macy’s Marshall Fields anymore. It’s soooooo far from that. It’s disappointing anymore. The windows are not MF standards. The Walnut Room is not what it used to be. In fact, it’s downright horrible. For the first time, we are going to go elsewhere for supper after we visit Santa and look at the windows at Macy’s:(  I heard it’s a Chicago theme this year. Boy howdy, is that a far stretch. Last year, they did (it was either Nutcracker or Cinderella), but it looked like something Tim Burton put together.  I’d like to make it to the Kindermarket but not sure how cold it’ll be and if Aunt Kathy can make it through there.  Even though she had her knees replaced last summer, she now has other problems with her ankles and shoulders.
Oh, before I go, we had our staff Holiday luncheon on Wednesday and I think it went over ok.  I ended up making the ham and the roast beef. Monica made a gorgeous spinach salad with red onions, strawberries, cucumbers and a raspberry vinegrette and a lovely triffle.  I am going to get her recipe (she told me, but dang if I can remember what all she said!) and I’ll post it for yall. I also think that will have to be our desert for Christmas dinner:)  There was a huge Caesar salad, several different breads, chili, chicken noodle soup, and a huge assortment of deserts.  Julie and I went in and decorated the room on Tuesday afternoon. I think everyone enjoyed it. It feels so good to have that over with though.  The next big thing coming up doesn’t really have anything to do with school and it’s in January.  Monica, Elizabeth, possibly Maria and I are going to be making supper for one of our local homeless shelters. There will be about 80 people.  When we had our Santa breakfast last weekend, Matthew sat on Santa’s lap and asked him for 3 things – A cure for cancer; food, water and shelter for the homeless; and a Pokemon Ranger game:)  That made me cry, I was so proud of him. So, this will also be part of Matthew’s Christmas.  I told him he could go and help serve the food.  Jamie and Sarah won’t go this time, because it’s a small place and if anyone else wants to bring their kids to help, we want to have space for them. We did this for 4-H several years ago. It was a great experience for Jamie and Matthew (and me!).
Ok, I think I’ve rambled enough. Yall’s eyes have probably glazed over by now:)  I hope yall have a wonderful, wonderful weekend:) I’m leaving yall with a couple of Christmasy recipes:)

take care!!
~kat:)
RecipesUnlimited.com

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Eggnog Custard Pie

Gingerbread Men

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Scraps and Bobs is one of my new websites. Everything there is free for use. It’s just bits and pieces that I have made that I can’t use anywhere but maybe other people can:)  Check it out!!:)

Good morning:)

How is everyone? Hope your weekend was wonderful. Our’s was really nice but can I say how relieved I am that Saturday is over?
We had our Santa Breakfast this weekend at the school. It was really wonderful. Huge turn-out, the choir sang, it snowed:) It was really great, but it’s been such a huge thing on my mind since August and now it’s over *HugeSighofRelief!* Now, we only have the Holiday Staff Luncheon on Wednesday and we are done for a little while at least:)

Paul and I went to the Sarah Brightman concert on Thursday night. It was so great. She sang so many of our favorites, Nessun Dorma, Nella Fantasia and Phantom. It was amazing! I can’t wait til she comes around again:)

I’m having a hard time putting thoughts together for this post today because there is so much still going on. I’m looking for places for fundraisers (restaurant nights), a local homeless shelter that we thought we might try to feed, ordering items to pick up for the luncheon on Tuesday, shopping for table toppers for the luncheon. Tomorrow I am supposed to be helping Aunt Kathy with her house for her party tomorrow night. I also have to make croutons and veggie roll ups tomorrow night AND I just remembered I am supposed to be bringing more deserts for Wednesday. Ok, I’m beginning to panic. I’m also trying to decide if I should just make the roast and ham and slice that — what would be the cheaper option. I ordered 2 trays of sandwiches already but if I can make it cheaper…. Argh..
Ok, I better get going! Leaving yall with these recipes and Sarah Brightman.

take are all!!
~kat:)

These make wonderful gifts:)

Pasta Soup Mix (Gifts in a jar)

Butter Crunch Cookie Mix (Gifts in a jar)

Good Morning:)

Hope everyone is warm this cooooollllld December morning. It’s 16 degrees outside. I had to run Paul to the train station this morning before the kids went to school. I hate that he had to walk from the train station to work this morning. Chicago is always 10-20 degrees colder (especially in the winter).  Then I had to run up to the school and post a some flyers. Jamie is at home today because he’s having tummy problems. He’s watching an episode of Oprah right now. It’s the one with Al Gore talking about Global Warming. He loves Oprah. I don’t let him watch them all, just the ones like this that are informative.

I’ve got to go do some crisis cleaning in just a few minutes. Aunt Kathy is coming tonight to watch the kids. Well I am taking them to her house at 4p.m. and then she’s taking them out  to supper then they are going to go to her house and help her with some of her decorations and then back here I believe.  Paul and I have a date tonight:)  So I’m looking to FlyLady to help me out a little:)

Ok, I have to get going. I want to get started before I decide I have other things I need to do.  Check out Quizopolis and find out which Reindeer you are:) Apparently, I’m Cupid:) It’s a little Christmas fun for yall:) Leave me a comment and let me know which one you are!!

Here are a couple of Christmas/Holiday recipes ya:) If you find any problems on the site, please let me know:)

take care,
~kat

Roast Christmas Goose

Deep Fried Turkey

Good morning!

How is everyone? We have snow and I think we are getting more today/this evening. We woke up to a lovely white blanket Monday morning. Jamie had a doctor’s appointment in Chicago that morning and so I took the Durango into the city. I just felt safer in it since it’s heavier than my little Honda. I’m glad I did. The roads were wet, but there were also patches of ice I could feel when I drove over them. That’s a scary feeling. My first instinct is to hit the breaks … which isn’t a good idea at all. Lake Michigan was gray and angry looking. The waves were enormous. They crashed against the sea walls and the breakers. The spray was coming onto Lake Shore Drive. I wish I could have taken a video of it for yall but no way to stop, of course. The houses in Lincoln Park looked so lovely with the snow and their holiday lights and wreathes. That’s my favorite part of Chicago. If we ever had to move Downtown, I would love to live in that area in one of those gorgeous brownstones. No pressure there on Paul of course!!:)

How are yall doing with your shopping and getting ready for the Holiday Season? Paul got our lights up outside on Sunday (Yay!:) They look really pretty at night with the snow. We’ll probably get our tree not this weekend but the next. Everything is just coming so fast. I need to get all of our gifts wrapped and sent off to England and Louisiana very soon. I’m horrible about getting things in the mail. Absolutely hopeless.

Elizabeth made it back from Poland on Monday. I spoke to her this morning. She called. I was giving her a few days to decompress and rest before I called her. She seems really down. She is hoping that if she gets back into a routine she’ll start to feel better. Get her mind off of things and get back to normal.

I’d better be off. I have a LOT to do around the house and some things to do at school today. Sarah has classical ballet this evening. I’m sure they will begin to put their recital dances together very soon. Thankfully Matthew isn’t doing indoor soccer right now. I don’t know if they are going to even do it in January. I know it’s good for them to keep going, but it is really nice not having to deal with it for the moment. Jamie was golfing after school with his teacher/golf coach until it snowed.. so now he’s not doing that either. Still a lot going on. Maybe after next week (as far as school functions are concerned) things will slow down considerably.

Today, I’m leaving yall with a recipes to get yall into the Holiday/Christmas spirit!! I hope yall enjoy them:) Also, I’m leaving yall a video of my most favorite Christmas song — sang of course by my most favorite men, Il Divo!:) Paul took me to see them a couple of years ago. Haley Westenra opened for them. It was such a great show. Hope yall enjoy the video:)

take care,

~kat:)

Christmas Scent in Your Home

Eggnog