Overwhelmed

Overwhelmed. That pretty much sums me up right now.

It's the same way every year.

So much to do. So little time.

Things I want to do vs. things I have to do.

There are gifts to make, gingerbread houses to build, cookies to bake and decorate, candy to make, cards to write, shopping, wrapping, tying....The list seems endless.

I love doing all of that stuff and more.

But being Mrs. Claus is a full time job. And my elves can only help so much.

Blog Land compounds the problem. I see the pictures: perfectly decked out houses, beautiful baked goods, handmade gifts that look like they took hours. Afternoons spent making ornaments with the kids. Volunteering. Crafting. Caroling.

Again, the list seems endless.

I want to make oodles of festive things: a tree skirt, stockings for the family, a Christmas quilt , an advent calendar, decorations and ornaments, a Christmas banner, pom-pom garland....

The list seems endless.

But what ends up happening? I get caught up in it all, and I don't enjoy the season.

That is oh so Grinch-y.

So this year I am going to sit back in my rocker and pare it down.

I am going to do what I can do.

I'll craft what I can craft. Gift cards will be my safety net.

We will make do with our same old tree skirt and lame stockings. Santa and his elves could care less.

Advent calendars, Christmas quilts, and banners will be put on next year's to do list.

I'll bake our favorites. Nothing wrong with sticking to the tried and true.

I will really try to make that pom-pom garland. But if I don't get to it I will not feel bad.

I will stop trying to keep up with the Blog Land Joneses. It's an exercise in futility.

And above all else...

I will enjoy the season more.

What's For Dinner?

This is late.
Things are hectic outside the kitchen.

Sunday: homemade tomato soup, BLT's

Monday: breakfast tacos, black beans, tomatoes, guacamole

Tuesday: grilled chicken, wild rice, green beans, tomatoes

Wednesday: The Mexican Skillet Dish, zucchini, cornbread

Thursday: fish, mac & cheese, peas, carrots

Friday: hamburgers, oven fries

Saturday: out

The tomato soup is Angry Chicken's and is posted here.

The Boy thought the BLT's were the best. Especially the "B" part. It's a very rare treat in this house.

Hope your week is off to a tasty start!

My Favorite Snow

Our recent brush with winter brought back memories. Memories of my favorite snow.

I lived in Minnesota for almost ten years, so I have many to choose from. But one stands out above all the rest.

Christmas Eve, 2004. My favorite.

I had been sailing rough waters in the previous months. I was pregnant and filled with trepidation. In less than a year I had suffered two miscarriages and the current pregnancy was off to a rocky start.

I was keeping the baby a secret from friends and family. I told myself that it could be "real" at Christmas. I would be out of the thick woods and could spread the word. Besides, if I didn't do it my growing belly would do it for me.

I had it all planned out in my head. My whole family would be at my grandparents' house for the holidays. I would put a big red bow around my waist and announce their gift: A new grandbaby. Everyone would hug and laugh and cry tears of joy. They would all rub my belly and debate if it was a boy or a girl. You can't beat that.

That vision got me through a lot of scary moments. I clung to it in the days leading up to Christmas.

But things didn't go down that way.

Mom suffered a bad fall and had to have surgery. She wasn't up for visitors, much less travel. So, we decided to spend Christmas in Houston and get the family together another time when we could all be together.

Crushed. That's how I felt. Of course I was worried about my mom, but I couldn't help being disappointed too. I didn't want to divulge my big secret over the phone. I had so many emotions riding on this picture I had created in my mind.

I persevered. You can't wallow in self-pity on Christmas. We carried on with our usual traditions, one of which is driving around looking at the lights. As I was getting The Boy bundled up, The Mr. comes in and exclaims: You aren't going to believe this, but it's snowing.

And not just a couple of flakes. It was really snowing. Big white fluffy flakes. Covering everything.

On Christmas Eve.

Speechless. Tears. Tears, not from sadness, but from joy.

I knew that snow was a gift for me.

We stood in the driveway and watched as The Boy experienced his first snow. He caught flakes on his tongue. He jumped. He laughed. He squealed his little two year old squeal.

It was beautiful. Everything covered in a blanket of white. The lights casting colorful shadows.

When we returned home The Mr. said he had an idea.

The next day, Christmas morning, we revealed our secret.

And thanks to email, it wasn't over the phone.

Win

Championship teams find a way to win.

Sometimes it's ugly.

But still, they win.

No matter what.

Hook 'em.

Houston: We Have Snow

Today it snowed...a lot for south Texas. Especially this early in the year. I mean, it's not even winter yet.

It's a big deal, yo.

We had the puniest snowball fight ever.

Chased.

Dodged.

Blew "smoke".

Made footprints.

Watched in wonder.

Created a memory.

Pumpkin Pie

Growing up, my family didn't eat pumpkin pie. None of the menfolk were fans, so it was never made. You could count on cherry, pecan, and buttermilk pies to be there at holiday time, but the traditional pumpkin was absent.

That changed when I married The Mr. He loves pumpkin pie.

This meant I had to learn to bake a pumpkin pie.

Yes, I could have just bought one. But that would be cheating. I was raised that food served during the holidays be made from scratch...especially the desserts.

I was neither the chef nor the baker for our first Thanksgiving. But I did get to taste a pumpkin pie (store bought).

I was not impressed.

The crust didn't match the spicy nature of the pumpkin. And the pie itself was soggy.

I was determined to improve upon the classic pumpkin pie. It took a few years of experimentation, but this is what I came up with.

Don't get too excited. It's simply a few minor tweaks to the original recipe.

Change #1: I use a graham cracker crust. Specifically a cinnamon graham cracker crust.

You can buy these ready made, but I find that they are really thin and taste oily.

It's almost as easy to make one. There are a zillion recipes for a graham cracker crust. I use the basic graham crackers+sugar+melted butter combo. I like a thicker bottom layer, so I throw a few extra crackers into the food processor. That's your call.

Now for the filling. I follow the recipe on the back of the can...with one minor change.

I reduce the amount of evaporated milk.

The recipe calls for 12 oz of milk. This caused the filling to look soupy and it took forever to bake through. I don't know exactly how much I use, but the filling should look more like apple sauce. Ever since I stopped using the full amount, my pies have set and the crust is never soggy.

Here is the finished product.

The Mr. deemed it the best pumpkin pie yet.

The Boy begged for a piece every night. There was no fighting over him eating all his vegetables.

The Girl told her preschool class that "Mommy's pumpkin pie is my most favoritest food." She even bragged that it was made from scratch.

And that's good enough for me.

Hear Ye, Hear Ye

The day after Thanksgiving we made our way to the Renaissance Festival.

It had a little something for everyone: swords and armor for The Boy, flower garlands and wands for The Girl, and beer for The Mr. I was on the hunt for the perfect bodice.

The Offspring rode the ponies.

Flirtatious Renaissance men put flowers in my hair.

We watched knights joust...

...The Boy has decided that it's his calling.

The Offspring enjoyed an authentic Renaissance beverage. I had no idea slushees were in existence at that time.

The Boy sized up some swords...

...and braved a photo op with a dragon.

A woodland fairy was more to The Girl's liking. Too bad that fairy didn't have a magical spell to rid The Girl of her blue teeth, thanks to that authentic medieval slushee.

Hee, hee.

This poor chap must have spent too much time in the ol' Cock & Bull.

While I admired the yarn making...

...The Boy made his case for a mini pocket knife. Notice I'm not included in this discussion. Or the decision making process. Ahem.

As the sun began to set we headed back to the modern era.

The Lone Wolf was in the lead, well armed with weaponry.

A pixie fairy and a beer swiller trailed behind.

I, on the other hand, am still on a quest for the perfect bodice.