There is a lot of pressure at this time of year to get that perfect holiday card with the perfect picture of the perfect family. (I won’t even go into the Christmas letter)
I’ve done the picture card for many years. I always put a lot time, energy and thought into selecting the picture and the card.
But this year, I’ve been really busy, really stressed. I tried several times to upload a photo (or two!) to a site, to get that perfect card. I spent time selecting the photo, the card etc.. but it just wasn’t happening.
So I made the decision that it just wasn’t worth the additional stress to get the card done, addressed, stamped, sealed and mailed.
I decided to send the same picture but send it via e mail.
I sent the “card” out to friends and family and the response has been immediate and amazing!
I’ve received replies from friends wanting to catch up, connect and comment on the photo. (You never hear from people after you put that card in the mail!)
I’ve gotten e mails hailing me as “ahead of my time”, “queen of technology” and “being green”. Friends have even said they are going to jump on the e mail card bandwagon. (It seems everyone is running a little late and is very stressed this year).
So who knew I was starting a revolution!
Happy Holidays!
~Kellie
Wednesday, December 16, 2009
Monday, December 14, 2009
Easy Recipes...
For holiday entertaining – these are my go to, never fail (EASY!), family favorites, recipes –
Turkey Wrap
1 pkg large fajitas
2 containers Aluoette vegetable cheese spread
1/2 lb sliced turkey
spread the cheese on the fajita
place the turkey on top
roll up
wrap in Saran Wrap
refrigerate for 1 hr or overnight
slice and serve
(makes about 40 slices)
Chicken Dip
3-4 boneless chicken breasts - cooked and shredded
8 oz cream cheese
1/2 cup Franks Hot Sauce
1 jar Marie's Blue Cheese Dressing
mix all together
bake at 350 for 30-40 minutes, until bubbly and slightly brown
serve with tortilla chips
Totellini & Pesto
1 pkg tortellino
1 container pesto sauce
1 container sour cream
cook pasta until almost done - drain, rinse in cold water
mix pesto and sour cream
refrigerate both tortellini and sour cream mixture for 1-2 hrs. or overnight
serve in chip and dip bowl w/ toothpicks
Apricots and Blue Cheese
1 package of Sunsweet Apricots
fill indentation in apricots with small spoonful of blue cheese
serve at room temp.
Baked Brie
1 round of Brie
1 Tbsp. Craisins (dried cranberries)
3 or 4 dried apricots – sliced ---- optional
Granulated brown sugar
Place the brie in the freezer for 1 hr.
Using a knife, remove the white rind.
Grease a small baking dish
Break up the brie into the baking dish and sprinkle the
Cranberries and apricots throughout.
Bake in a 305 degree oven until melted and bubbly (about 10 – 15 minutes)
Sprinkle w/ brown sugar.
Serve warm
Artichoke Dip
2 cans (14 oz. each) artichoke hearts
1 cup mayo
1 cup sour cream
½ cup Parmesan Cheese
Crackers
Preheat oven to 350
Chop artichoke hearts coarsely
Mix mayo, sour cream and parm cheese.
Add the chopped artichoke hearts and mix thoroughly.
Pour into ungreased baking dish.
Bake for 20 minutes,
Serve hot.
Cheesy Bread
½ baguette, cut into 2 inch slices
½ small yellow onion, thinly sliced
1/8 lb thinly sliced, cooked ham
¾ cup white wine
½ tsp black pepper
1 ½ cups grated Gruyere Cheese
Heat oven to 400 degrees F
Place the bread in a buttered, ovenproof skillet or a 9 in sq. baking dish
Scatter the onion and ham over the bread
Pour the wine over the mixture
Sprinkle with the pepper and Cheese
Bake until the cheese has melted and begun to brown, about 20 mins.
Vegetable Salad Bars
1 can crescent rolls
1 pkg. (8oz) cream cheese
1 pkg. DRY ranch dressing
2 rounded tsp sour cream
2 rounded tsp mayo
½ small head cauliflower
½ sm bunch broccoli
2 sm carrots
Shredded Cheddar, Swiss or Monterey cheese
Shred the veggies in a food processor
Unroll the crescent rolls and lay out on the jelly roll pan – pinch together the seams
Bake as suggested
Let cool
Mix together cream cheese, dressing, sour cream and may – you can let this sit overnight.
Cover roll with cream cheese mixture
Pat on shredded vegetables
Sprinkle with cheese
Press firmly
Cover w/ Saran Wrap and refrigerate
Cut into bars and serve.
Will keep for several days
Tortilla Soup
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 large onion – chopped
2 garlic cloves – minced
¼ cup chopped cilantro
½ tsp cumin
2 jalapeno peppers – finely diced
2 scallions – chopped (green & white parts)
5 cups chicken broth
2 cups diced chicken or turkey (pre cooked – get rotisserie from store)
1 cup frozen corn
At least 1 can kidney beans
2 Roma tomatoes
8 oz. shredded cheddar cheese
Tortilla chips
Sour cream
Heat olive oil in large stockpot over medium heat.
Add onion, garlic, cumin, cilantro, jalapeno & scallions.
Cook for 2-3 minutes
Add chicken broth and bring to a boil
Simmer covered for 20 mins
Add beans, diced chicken, tomatoes & corn
Serve in bowls and garnish with more tomatoes, cheese, tortilla chips & sour cream
Breakfast Casserole
2 cups shredded cheese
¼ cup butter
1 cup light cream
¼ tsp pepper
½ tsp salt
2 t dry mustard (Coleman’s)
12 eggs slightly beaten
1 lb sausage – optional
Can use spinach, tomatoes, mushrooms, whatever
Spread cheese in baking dish
Dot with butter
Combine cream, S & P, & mustard.
Pour half cream mixture over the cheese
Add beaten eggs
Add sausage
Pour rest of cream over top
Bake at 350 for 30-40 minutes – until bubbly
Turkey Wrap
1 pkg large fajitas
2 containers Aluoette vegetable cheese spread
1/2 lb sliced turkey
spread the cheese on the fajita
place the turkey on top
roll up
wrap in Saran Wrap
refrigerate for 1 hr or overnight
slice and serve
(makes about 40 slices)
Chicken Dip
3-4 boneless chicken breasts - cooked and shredded
8 oz cream cheese
1/2 cup Franks Hot Sauce
1 jar Marie's Blue Cheese Dressing
mix all together
bake at 350 for 30-40 minutes, until bubbly and slightly brown
serve with tortilla chips
Totellini & Pesto
1 pkg tortellino
1 container pesto sauce
1 container sour cream
cook pasta until almost done - drain, rinse in cold water
mix pesto and sour cream
refrigerate both tortellini and sour cream mixture for 1-2 hrs. or overnight
serve in chip and dip bowl w/ toothpicks
Apricots and Blue Cheese
1 package of Sunsweet Apricots
fill indentation in apricots with small spoonful of blue cheese
serve at room temp.
Baked Brie
1 round of Brie
1 Tbsp. Craisins (dried cranberries)
3 or 4 dried apricots – sliced ---- optional
Granulated brown sugar
Place the brie in the freezer for 1 hr.
Using a knife, remove the white rind.
Grease a small baking dish
Break up the brie into the baking dish and sprinkle the
Cranberries and apricots throughout.
Bake in a 305 degree oven until melted and bubbly (about 10 – 15 minutes)
Sprinkle w/ brown sugar.
Serve warm
Artichoke Dip
2 cans (14 oz. each) artichoke hearts
1 cup mayo
1 cup sour cream
½ cup Parmesan Cheese
Crackers
Preheat oven to 350
Chop artichoke hearts coarsely
Mix mayo, sour cream and parm cheese.
Add the chopped artichoke hearts and mix thoroughly.
Pour into ungreased baking dish.
Bake for 20 minutes,
Serve hot.
Cheesy Bread
½ baguette, cut into 2 inch slices
½ small yellow onion, thinly sliced
1/8 lb thinly sliced, cooked ham
¾ cup white wine
½ tsp black pepper
1 ½ cups grated Gruyere Cheese
Heat oven to 400 degrees F
Place the bread in a buttered, ovenproof skillet or a 9 in sq. baking dish
Scatter the onion and ham over the bread
Pour the wine over the mixture
Sprinkle with the pepper and Cheese
Bake until the cheese has melted and begun to brown, about 20 mins.
Vegetable Salad Bars
1 can crescent rolls
1 pkg. (8oz) cream cheese
1 pkg. DRY ranch dressing
2 rounded tsp sour cream
2 rounded tsp mayo
½ small head cauliflower
½ sm bunch broccoli
2 sm carrots
Shredded Cheddar, Swiss or Monterey cheese
Shred the veggies in a food processor
Unroll the crescent rolls and lay out on the jelly roll pan – pinch together the seams
Bake as suggested
Let cool
Mix together cream cheese, dressing, sour cream and may – you can let this sit overnight.
Cover roll with cream cheese mixture
Pat on shredded vegetables
Sprinkle with cheese
Press firmly
Cover w/ Saran Wrap and refrigerate
Cut into bars and serve.
Will keep for several days
Tortilla Soup
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 large onion – chopped
2 garlic cloves – minced
¼ cup chopped cilantro
½ tsp cumin
2 jalapeno peppers – finely diced
2 scallions – chopped (green & white parts)
5 cups chicken broth
2 cups diced chicken or turkey (pre cooked – get rotisserie from store)
1 cup frozen corn
At least 1 can kidney beans
2 Roma tomatoes
8 oz. shredded cheddar cheese
Tortilla chips
Sour cream
Heat olive oil in large stockpot over medium heat.
Add onion, garlic, cumin, cilantro, jalapeno & scallions.
Cook for 2-3 minutes
Add chicken broth and bring to a boil
Simmer covered for 20 mins
Add beans, diced chicken, tomatoes & corn
Serve in bowls and garnish with more tomatoes, cheese, tortilla chips & sour cream
Breakfast Casserole
2 cups shredded cheese
¼ cup butter
1 cup light cream
¼ tsp pepper
½ tsp salt
2 t dry mustard (Coleman’s)
12 eggs slightly beaten
1 lb sausage – optional
Can use spinach, tomatoes, mushrooms, whatever
Spread cheese in baking dish
Dot with butter
Combine cream, S & P, & mustard.
Pour half cream mixture over the cheese
Add beaten eggs
Add sausage
Pour rest of cream over top
Bake at 350 for 30-40 minutes – until bubbly
Thursday, December 10, 2009
Christmas books for children
I thought I’d share some of my family’s favorite Christmas books.
(And these are in no particular order)
Happy Holidays
~~Kellie
The Polar Express by Chris Van Allsburg
How the Grinch Stole Christmas by Dr. Seuss
The Crippled Lamb by Max Lucado
Alabaster’s Song by Max Lucado
The Christmas Miracle of Jonathan Toomey by Susan Wojceichowski
Merry Christmas Big Hungry Bear by Don & Audrey Wood
Santa’s Book of Names by David McPhail
Mr. Willowby’s Christmas Tree by Robert Barry
Snowmen at Night
and
Snowmen at Christmas by Caralyn Buehner,
This is The Star by Joyce Dunbar
Santa Calls by Willam Joyce
Christmas Day in the Morning by Pearl S. Buck
Who’s That Knocking on Christmas Eve by Jan Brett
I’ve Seen Santa by David Bedford
The Wild Christmas Reindeer by Jan Brett
Santa Mouse & Santa Mouse Where Are You by Michael Brown
Bright Christmas, an Angel Remembers by Andrew Clements
Rocking Horse Christmas by Mary Pope Osborne
How Santa Got His Job by Stephen Krensky
(And these are in no particular order)
Happy Holidays
~~Kellie
The Polar Express by Chris Van Allsburg
How the Grinch Stole Christmas by Dr. Seuss
The Crippled Lamb by Max Lucado
Alabaster’s Song by Max Lucado
The Christmas Miracle of Jonathan Toomey by Susan Wojceichowski
Merry Christmas Big Hungry Bear by Don & Audrey Wood
Santa’s Book of Names by David McPhail
Mr. Willowby’s Christmas Tree by Robert Barry
Snowmen at Night
and
Snowmen at Christmas by Caralyn Buehner,
This is The Star by Joyce Dunbar
Santa Calls by Willam Joyce
Christmas Day in the Morning by Pearl S. Buck
Who’s That Knocking on Christmas Eve by Jan Brett
I’ve Seen Santa by David Bedford
The Wild Christmas Reindeer by Jan Brett
Santa Mouse & Santa Mouse Where Are You by Michael Brown
Bright Christmas, an Angel Remembers by Andrew Clements
Rocking Horse Christmas by Mary Pope Osborne
How Santa Got His Job by Stephen Krensky
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