Spent the weekend baking, but I got it all done!!  I baked about 6 different cookies, and did a couple of them each day starting Friday, so it wasn’t too bad.  I am so proud that my Roshky/Kolaczki turned out really good this year.  Last year I had problems with them opening up when they baked.  I told my mom, maybe I needed to put my babushka on, but that wasn’t necessary.  My Polish just kicked in this year, and they turned out.

Saturday my daughter, and the two boys and I went to see the reindeer.  They basically were just lying around in their pen.  I thought we could actually take pictures WITH them, but we could only take pictures OF them, still so cute to see up close.  So those pics are at the bottom.  The weather was too warm, so the Ice Sculptors have been postponed.  Hope everyone is enjoying their preparations for the holidays and not stressing too much.  I actually enjoyed decorating the sugar cookies this year.  The Christmas carols were playing, and I took some time making them all fancy.  It was actually quite relaxing.  Last week for me and the boys with school before Christmas break…Woohoo!! (Yeah…the teacher is probably more excited, lol)

Linking-up with Sandra at Diary of a Stay at Home Mom.

THE WEATHER OUTSIDE IS:
😐 Warm-ish.

WHAT I’M READING/HAVE READ:
I finished The Mistletoe Inn by Richard Paul Evans!!  It was really good!!  Just when I thought I had it figured out…yep…love stories like that!!  Five stars and two thumps up!!

FAVORITE RECIPE TO SHARE:

Roshky/Kolaczki

1 (8-ounce) cream cheese, softened
2 sticks butter, softened
2 cups all-purpose flour
2 (14-ounce) cans fillings of choice
   (apricot, prune, raspberry, etc.)*
Confectioners’ sugar

*I use Solo brand apricot and Prune Plum and a Nut filling as follows:

Nut Filling:
2 cups finely chopped walnuts
1 cup sugar
3 egg whites

Mix until well blended and moist.

1.  Mix cream cheese and butter until light and fluffy. Add flour 1 cup at a time and mix well. Wrap dough in plastic and refrigerate overnight.
     
2.  Heat oven to 350 degrees. Roll out dough 1/4-inch on a surface that has been dusted with equal parts confectioners’ and granulated sugars (not flour), because the granulated sugar will act as ball bearings and help keep the dough from sticking. Cut into 2-inch squares using a pastry cutter. Place 1/2 to 1 teaspoon filling on center of each square. Overlap opposite corners of dough to the center over filling.  (I put my apricot and Prune Plum filling in separate zip lock bags and cut the corner off, and use it like a piping bag to put the filling on the center of the square).

3.  Bake for 12 – 15 minutes or when corners start to brown. Cool and dust with confectioners’ sugar. These tend to become soggy if held for several days, so store them tightly covered (or freeze) without the confectioners’ sugar. Dust with confectioners’ sugar just prior to service.

ON THE TV:
I started watching episodes of Quantico, and I am hooked!!

LOL CHUCKLES, AND GIGGLES:

HOLIDAY PREP TO DO:
The only thing really left for me will be wrapping the gifts.  Got my shopping done (all online) and finished the baking!!

FAVORITE VIDEO/BLOG POST:
Elf Yourself…too much fun!!  I saw another blogger (Hugh’s News and Views) post one of these, and when I showed the site to my kids, we just had a little too much fun with it!!

FROM THE CAMERA:

We got a smile out of one of them, but other than that…

they look a little bored, lol.

QUOTES:

ON MY HOLIDAY PLAYLIST:

11 More sleeps until Christmas!!

Late post today.  Had a busy weekend preparing and attending the Library’s Fundraising Gala.  It was a lot of work, but fun to decorate, and was worth it.  It was a beautiful event, and many of the guests hinted at what it would be like next year.  My daughter and I made ourselves all fancy and had a nice time.  See the pics below.

Linking-up with Sandra at Diary of a Stay at Home Mom.

THE WEATHER OUTSIDE IS:

WHAT I’M READING/HAVE READ:
Still reading The Mistletoe Inn by Richard Paul Evans.  I am about half way through it, but didn’t get much reading time this weekend.  It is really good so far, I like when I can’t figure out a character.  Hope to finish it tonight.

FAVORITE RECIPE TO SHARE:
Next to Roshky, this is my next favorite Christmas cookie.

Chocolate Filled Snowballs

LOL CHUCKLES, AND GIGGLES:

HOLIDAY PREP TO DO:
I am planning on doing some baking this week.  We had a lot of leftover goodies from the Gala.  My son is a busser at a local restaurant, and they had a holiday party over the weekend, he brought home some kind of cake from that.  Then my neighbor gave us a tray full of cupcakes from one of their Christmas events.  Never thought I’d ever say it, but that’s a lot of sweets 🙂  Looks like I’ll be baking at the end of the week, if I’m not in a sugar coma.

THING’S I’M LOOKING FORWARD TO:
This Saturday, the town will have over a dozen ice sculptors on the main street.  Also, the reindeer will be back with their trainer, where you can take pictures with them.  OMG  the reindeer!!  They were in the parade on Friday, and the one was so adorable!!  It’s like he had a personality, his face was just too adorable!!

FAVORITE VIDEO/BLOG POST:
I found this video a couple of years ago, and I don’t know how.  Probably looking for the Pentatonix rendition of Little Drummer boy, which is really good.  This is an added twist.  This guy is a drummer, and he does videos just drumming to various songs.  This is the behind the scenes video which I thought was so much fun to watch, just to see what these guys did to make this video.  The actual video plays in the upper left hand corner, but you can watch it here.   I have always enjoyed watching drummers (my brother is one) because they always seem to have so much fun.  Awesome drumming!!

PICS FROM THE GALA:

The Food Table.

Decorations…There are two fire places in the library, this is one of them.

The library has some beautiful architectural features.  It was expanded some years ago, but they kept the original design of the building.  Me and my favorite girl!! ♥

All these decorations were brought in and put up by one of the residents, he also works for the city.

Music provided by the Heavenly Harps.  This is a mom and her three daughters.  All three girls have been classically trained on piano as well.  She has a few more kids at home, and she home schools them as well.  The Harp music is just simply beautiful.  They also do healing music, for more information you can visit their website:  heavenlyharps.net

These are the front cases that are in the entryway.  My mom, daughter and I decorated these.  The wooden sleigh is my mom’s.  Her dad made it in the summer of 1958.  He made one for each of his kids, which has been a treasured keepsake for them, since he passed away the day after Christmas that same year.

QUOTES:

MY HOLIDAY PLAYLIST:
I really like Ariana Grande.  This is my get-up-and-go Christmas song 🙂 My daughter has been singing this one around the house, you’ll be singing it too once you listen.

18 More sleeps until Christmas!!

Had a really nice Thanksgiving, enjoying all the leftovers 🙂  On Saturday, our local High School football team played in the State Final game at the Indianapolis Colts stadium.  This is not the high school I went to, (actually our rival) but it’s the one my son went to for his senior year, and is right across the street from us.  They didn’t win, but it was an accomplishment nonetheless, and an awesome memory for those students to play at Lucas Oil Stadium.

Linking-up with Sandra at Diary of a Stay at Home Mom.

THE WEATHER OUTSIDE IS:

WHAT I’M READING/HAVE READ:
I finished Marry Me at Christmas by Susan Mallery.  The scavenger hunt was a lot of fun. But I had downloaded the one from one of her previous Christmas stories, and I kept checking the list, and I was like I’m usually into the details of a book, but hadn’t come across any of the things on the list after like 4 chapters.   Yeah…wrong list, lol.  Like all the other Fool’s Gold Christmases, there was a wedding in this one.  Good holiday stories.

What I am starting next for my holiday reading is The Mistletoe Inn by Richard Paul Evans.  This is an actual book, and it’s one of those books that’s a really nice size, hard covered, beautiful cover design…my eyes will be crossing from the small print though, LOL.  My mom got this one from the library, and it sounds really good.  Romance, Christmastime, a writer’s workshop at the Mistletoe Inn, two aspiring writers sharing their dreams, their writing and their troubled pasts…yeah…this oughta be good 😉

FAVORITE RECIPE TO SHARE:
These are easy to make, and a great way to use leftover turkey.  I add mozzarella cheese when I make the sandwiches, (and a little mayo on my own).

Cranberry BBQ Turkey Sandwiches

1 can (14 ounces) jellied cranberry sauce
1 cup reduced-sodium beef broth
1/4 cup sugar
1/4 cup ketchup
2 tablespoons cider vinegar
1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce (or soy sauce)
1 teaspoon yellow mustard
1/4 teaspoon garlic powder
1/8 teaspoon seasoned salt
1/8 teaspoon paprika
6 cups shredded cooked turkey breast
12 sandwich buns, split

In a large saucepan, combine the first 10 ingredients. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat; simmer, uncovered, for 20 minutes or until sauce is thickened.

Stir in turkey; simmer 4-5 minutes longer or until heated through. Spoon 1/2 cup onto each bun. Yield: 12 servings.

ON THE TV:
I watched this the other night with the kids, and it was so much fun to watch.  On the Food Network, All-Star Gingerbread Build with Food Network’s master bakers, Duff Goldman and Ron Ben-Israel, and HGTV’s Property Brothers, Drew and Jonathan Scott.  So much fun, our favorite bakers and builders!!  They had to build a 12′ x 12′ Gingerbread house, that had furniture on the inside, and a yard on the outside.  They were awesome!!  The prize was a donation in their names to a charity.  The Property Brothers were on opposite teams, and it was so much fun to watch their twin/sibling rivalry come out, add Duff’s personality to that, and watching Ron Ben-Israel use a power saw…too much fun!!

LOL CHUCKLES, AND GIGGLES:

HOLIDAY PREP CHECKLIST:
I am the head elf on the exterior illumination, and got that done on Sunday.  It was a bit chilly, but I’m glad it is done 🙂 “250 Strands of lights….100 individual bulbs per strand….for a grand total of 25,000 imported Italian twinkle lights.”  (Clark Griswold)  LOL…it’s not that extravagant, but pretty enough.

We started on the inside decorations, my daughter and youngest son are having fun, it’s like HGTV in here.

THING’S I’M LOOKING FORWARD TO:
Friday – Illuminated Christmas Parade and Tree Lighting.  Did I mention the live reindeer?!?!?
Saturday – Decorating the library for the Christmas Gala
Sunday – Library Christmas Gala: Decorated Christmas trees, music by The Heavenly Harps, finger food and beverages.

My mom is one of the librarians, and the President of the Friends of the Library, so I volunteer to help set-up their bigger events.  They haven’t done a Christmas event like this, so it should be really nice.  I mean what’s not to like, Christmas time at the library!!

FAVORITE VIDEO/BLOG POST:
I saw this last year, and it is too funny.  These two guys, lol.  Now whenever I hear The Twelve Days of Christmas, I think of these two.

QUOTES:

MY HOLIDAY PLAYLIST:
We are now listening to Christmas music 24/7.  So I’ll be sharing my some of my favorites.  This one reminds me of my childhood.  I just love this arrangement.

The first snow fall in my area was a bit uneventful, though it seemed that EVERYONE else all around us had much more than we did.  Most of the day it was rain with some snow, but by the afternoon we did see some big fluffly flakes, and it did put a thin blanket of white on everything, and now the weather on Sunday was fa-reezing.

Hoping everyone has a wonderful week, and a very Happy Thanksgiving!!

Linking-up with Sandra at Diary of a Stay at Home Mom.

THE WEATHER OUTSIDE IS:

WHAT I’M READING/HAVE READ:
Just finished Thrill Me Susan Mallery’s Fool’s Gold sixth year, and 18th book.  I’m looking forward to adding some books geared around Christmas for this holiday season.  I’m starting the season off with book 19 in this series, Marry Me at Christmas.  I just visited Susan Mallery’s web site and found that with this book she has included a literary scavenger hunt.   There is a list to print out, and twelve objects to find while reading the book, that’s different, and should be fun.  What I also like is that for each one of these books, she has pictures and bios on every character.  It’s fun to put a face to them as you read along.

WHAT I’M COOKING FOR THE HOLIDAY:
Turkey
Ham
Green beans with bacon
Corn
Mashed Potatoes
Sweet Potato Casserole (yep the one with the marshmallows)
Dressing
Mac and Cheese (homemade, not the Kraft in a box, which is what I thought of when I first heard serving Mac and Cheese for Thanksgiving 🙂 )
Brown and Serve Rolls and/or Hawaiian Sweet Rolls

Dessert:
Oreo Surprise
Banana Pudding

I’ll also be helping the twins make a few things for their Friendsgiving on Wednesday at their friend’s house.  It’s the first year they are doing this, should be interesting…a bunch of 20 year-olds “planning” dinner, but with this group of friends, it will definitely be a fun time for them.

LOL CHUCKLES, AND GIGGLES:

THING’S I’M LOOKING FORWARD TO:
On Thanksgiving night, my daughter and I will participate in the Shop in your Pajamas-O-rama.  We usually meet up with my sister and her daughter.  There are a couple of stores in town that will be open at 8 p.m. until Midnight.  One is a gift shop that has unbelievable Christmas decorations, and several trees decorated throughout, they serve coffee and hot apple cider.  They have two cats roaming around too, it’s just a real cozy atmosphere, and it’s one of the older buildings in town, so it has a lot of character.  If only I had about $1000 just lying around, I’d spend it easily in this place.  A girl I went to high school with has a t-shirt shop that we stop at, and her partner has a unique gift shop as well, where she makes a lot of the stuff in there.  She takes old wooden windows and paints sayings and quotes on the glass, they are just gorgeous.  It’s just a real fun time, and a great way to kick off the holiday season.

So many things happening in town for the holidays, which include the holiday parade, with real reindeer, the Library’s Gala Fundraiser, Ice Sculptors on the main street, and a chance to take pictures with the real reindeer!!

It is the most wonderful time of the year!!

FAVORITE VIDEO/BLOG POST:
My daughter shared this with me.  She asked me if I had seen the Adele “Hello” video, and I hadn’t, just heard all the hype.  So she was like, you don’t have to watch the whole thing, just a little bit, it will be well worth it once you see this.

We LOVE Miss Piggy!!

FAVORITE PHOTO FROM THE CAMERA:

© 2015 Liv’s Photography

QUOTES: