this is our happily ever after

Christmas 2010

Merry Christmas from the snowy and cold Midwest.  I must say that there's nothing prettier than a white Christmas.  Brian and I have been lucky enough to have two white Christmases in a row here in Illinois! We enjoyed our last Christmas without children by sleeping in, well I slept in while Brian excitedly shoveled the two driveways at my parents house.  We finally began brunch at 10 and started openning gifts around noon.  Brian and I left our gifts to each other at home, so Christmas lasts a long time for us...which makes me so happy! 

Mom and Dad have some of their Harley Club friends coming for dinner tonight, so it should be a lively time! 

Mom is currently working on a Caramel Italian Cream Cake that I pointed out to her in the December issue of Southern Living.  Italian Cream Cake is my favorite cake, so this is a total treat to me. 

 

We're also having the Pancetta Wrapped Beef Tenderloin and Lemon Garlic Green Beans and Twiced Baked Potatoes....seriously yummy food!

 

 
I have taken some photos of the snow, but can't load my photos on my Mom's computer, so they will have to wait!  I pray that you are having a wonderful Christmas!  Blessings--A

 

night at the Tompkins

Last Saturday night we went to my aunt and uncles for a fun family night.  We always start in the kitchen hovering around the bar as we snack and drink.

Mary and Chelsea

After eating we all headed outside to sit around the fire pit...It was about 50 degrees, the perfect night.

One of the big reasons we all got together is that Andrew is back in town....he and his wife live in Madrid, so we only see them twice a year. Andrew is on the left. 

Such a fun night

Christmas at Home {Almond Butter Toffee}

This is an EASY recipe I make every Christmas.  My Mom developed the recipe when she taught microwave cooking classes eons ago and it's still a favorite in our family.  Here's what you'll need to get started.

1 stick of unsalted butter

1 cup of sugar

1/2 tsp salt

1/4 cup water

1/4 cup sliced almonds

2 hershey bars

Directions:

Take a 2 quart microwave safe measuring cup.  Drop the stick of butter in the bottom of the bowl.  Pour sugar, salt, and water on top. Use the butter paper and wipe along rim of measuring cup to keep from boiling over.   Place in microwave for 7 minutes on high.  Then add 30 second increments until the toffee mixture is the color of light brown sugar.

Place almonds on buttered sheet pan. 

Pour the hot toffee mixture over the almonds. 

Don't scrape the bowl or stir the toffee.  Let cool for a few minutes.  Top with pieces of the chocolate bar and let melt slightly...spread chocolate. 

Cool for 10 minutes and then stick in freezer to harden.  Break into pieces and enjoy!

almost Christmas

It's almost Christmas and I have all of my gifts bought and wrapped.

Well I have everything wrapped that I have recieved.  I still have a few gifts en route that were ordered this week.

Tonight we're having a our small group Christmas gathering...I'm making chili

I made 3 dozen monster cookies for the Christmas Eve at our church.

Granted, we won't be at our church Christmas Eve because we leave early tomorrow to fly to St. Louis.

Yep, we're leaving early in the morning and I haven't packed a single thing :(

Santa came down our street Sunday night...I love it when Santa comes on a firetruck! You can hear Santa coming from a mile away...I get chill bumps and run outside and wait as I hear him getting closer and closer!  It makes me feel like a kid again!

 

Christmas at Home {roasted chipotle rosemary mixed nuts}

I made these a couple of weeks ago for a party and they were a hit.  The recipe is adapted from the Barefoot Contessa's newest cookbook  How Easy is That?  Sidenote:  If you have someone in your life who loves to cook buy them a Barefoot Contessa cookbook.  Her recipes are pretty easy and always delicious and the food photography in her cookbooks is awesome.  In fact, I've seen some of her cookbooks at Marshalls and many are currently carried at Costco :0)  I love Costco!!! 

Ok, back to the recipe:  Here's what you need:

vegetable oil

3 cups whole roasted unsalted cashews (14 oz)

2 cups whole walnut halves (7 oz)

2 cups whole pecan halves (7 oz)

1/2 cup whole raw almonds (3 oz)

1/3 cup pure maple syrup  (not the fake stuff with High Fructose Corn Syrup!)

1/4 cup light brown sugar, lightly packed

3 T orange juice

2 t. ground chipotle powder

2 T. minced fresh rosemary leaves

Kosher Salt

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. 

Brush a sheet pan generously with vegetable oil.  Combine the cashews, walnuts, pecans, almonds, 2 T of vegetable oil, the maple syrup, brown sugar, orange juice, and chipotle powder on the sheet pan.  Toss to coat the nuts evenly.  Add 1 T of the rosemary and 2 teaspoons of salt and toss again. 

Spread nuts into an even layer.  Roast the nuts for 25 minutes, stirring twice with a large metal spatula, until the nuts are glazed and golden brown.  Remove from the oven and sprinkle with the remaining 1 T of rosemary.  Toss well and set aside at room temperature, stirring occasionally to prevent sticking as they cool.  Taste for seasoning.  Serve warm or cool completely and store in an airtight container at room temperature. 

 

thirteen on thursday

1. I've been really lousy at blogging lately...not sure why...it just hasn't made it to the top of my priority list these past couple of weeks. 

2. However I spent all day Monday working on Project Life with Kelly and I realized how much I appreciate the time I take to document our everyday lives.  So, I'm really going to try to get back on the blogging wagon again...and focus more on what's going on around here (although that is probably boring to my readers, it serves as a way for me to document and journal)

3. Speaking of Project Life...Becky Higgins has two new styles of project life that will be on sale through amazon sometime this week or next week.  Seriously, this is as simple as scrapbooking gets and helps to focus on the everyday.  If you find that your photos stay on your computer or piled up in your office, this is for you.  Check our her video to learn more.  Also, it would make a great Christmas gift for those busy moms who wish they had time to be creative!  I have last years Project Life kit and can attest that it's high quality, well thought out, and easy to use. 

4. I spent most of Tuesday testing one student at school...and by testing I mean he took the Math test while I worked on addressing my Christmas cards!  If I have your address be looking for it soon!

5. My Christmas shopping is almost done...but now I need to wrap things and get them in the mail...and I realized that I really need to get on that tomorrow! 

6. My oven stopped working last night...it's gas and it won't ignite.  Just what I wanted to spend money on this time of year. 

7. Brian and I are strongly considering putting our house on the market early next year.  There's a lot going on in our lives right now that we are praying about and seeking God's guidance for...moving to a new house may be in the cards for us early next year. 

8. The thought of packing up our house makes me want to cry....the thought of packing up our house and moving with a new baby makes me want to cry harder...although I know my Mom will come and help out!

9. No, there's no news on the adoption front...but I fully expect that God's perfect timing will be right smack in the middle of another change in our life. 

10.  So Long Insecurity is proving to be one of the best "self help" books I've ever read.  Every woman 18 and older should read it with a friend and then have some authentic conversations about what you've learned about insecurity and how it affects you personally. 

11. Zoe LOVES sitting under the Christmas tree...she is the reason we put it up this year...no, I'm not kidding! 

12. I was so excited to see Nat and Kat win the Amazing Race on Sunday.  If you don't watch Amazing Race you should, it's an awesome, fast paced show about people racing around the world to win a million dollars. 

13. I uploaded some photos from my little Canon tonight and found some awesome shots from our vacation this summer that Brian took on his hike with my Dad in the Grand Tetons.  I can only imagine how much snow is covering this area right now!

yummo cheese dip

I made this cheese dip for Ken's birthday party on Sunday and it was a hit...actually it's always a hit!  I got the recipe several years ago from a friend of the family and don't know the accurate name, so I've named it Yummo Cheese Dip...because it's YUMMO! If you're assigned to take an appetizer to a gathering make and take this and you'll be a hero :) 

Here's what you'll need:

1 package of Cracker Barrel sharp cheddar cheese, grated

1/4 cup finely chopped red onion

1 (8oz) package of cream cheese (reduced fat is fine) room temperature

1 cup of mayo (I've used Hellman's light before and it works fine too)

Optional (but in my mind necessary)

1/4 cup cooked crumbled bacon

1 tomato seeded and chopped

Mix the first 4 ingredients together (add some crumbled bacon if you wish).  Place in shallow baking dish and bake at 350 for 20-25 minutes.  Top with remaining bacon and tomato and return to oven for a couple of mintues.  Serve with wheat thins or other crackers.

 

LIGHT in the world

Our sermon series at church this Christmas season discusses the symbols of Christmas and how they can bridge the gap between historical symbols to the  Real reason for the Season.  One of the pastors used this video to show an amazing act of how to share and be the Light in this world.  By the end of it, I had chills and tears in my eyes.  Enjoy and then go and be a light in your world this Christmas season.

  

life lately + random photos

I'm going to take a quick break from Christmas at Home posts in order to document what's been going on in the Moore family. 

**I'm back to tutoring Reading with 3rd and 4th graders at Falcon Pass.  It's just 2 days a week and it's perfect for me. 

**I ordered my Christmas cards this year.  Didn't make them, didn't design them...just picked them out...typed up what I wanted them to say...and ordered them.  One thing I'm trying to teach myself is to use my time wisely...in preparation for motherhood.   I could spend hours (days) making 100 by hand...or hours (days) designing them online and then paying to print them...or I could just use a template I loved and go with it.  I decided to let go of my Martha Stewart, everything must be homemade pride, and make it much easier on myself.  It's not like I don't have many other creative endeavors going on...getting caught up on project life...trying to finish my 2008 scrapbook...beginning to think about my new blog banner with my 2011 word of the year...making Christmas gifts this year. 

**We haven't heard anything about the adoption process, except that the holiday season is typically quiet in adoption agencies.   Until then we are enjoying time together and looking forward to our last Christmas without children. 

**We had two Thanksgivings this year, one with Brian's Aunt and Uncle and cousins, and one with my Aunt, Uncle, and cousin. 

**We shopped for baby furniture this weekend, although we didn't buy anything...we did make a budget and I got an idea for what I want...and I say, I, because Brian doesn't really care what we choose for the baby...I can say that I'm pretty confident we're going with a white crib.   

**I just finished the Mark of the Lion trilogy...and loved each and every book.  Trying to decide what to read next.

**Yesterday we celebrated our dear friend Ken Olivers, 60th birthday.  He and his wife Danice, one of my dearest friends, have been back in the states for about 2 months for some medical treatments.  Just when they were hours away from boarding a plane to return to Kuala Lampur, Malaysia, Ken broke his ankle.  He wasn't thrilled about the suprise party Danice had for him, but we were happy to be there...soon they really will get on a plane and head across the world! (photos coming soon)

**All of my Christmas decorations are up...ok...not all...but all that I wanted to put up.  Yesterday, Brian put lights up outside...so we are officially festive! 

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My favorite tea this season, with my favorite mug

Cava at the Lenehan's

This is what Brian wrote on our menu board while I was cooking Thanksgiving dinner...thankfully we didn't have that much turkey!

I've always felt kind of guilty about drinking soda because it has high fructose corn syrup in it...but now HEB (a Texas grocery chain that rocks) has cola, Dr. Pepper/Dr. B, Wild Red, and Root Beer with pure cane sugar.  It is divine...and cheaper than brand name soda.  I allow myself 3 per week.  And as I found out on Friday when CB came over...the cola becomes a party in a glass when you add vanilla rum!

this is totally random...but I've switched to Finish dishwasher detergent.  It's Amazing and there are frequently coupons ;)

I have a few recipes coming tomorrow...check back then!

Christmas at Home {be merry and bright}

I found this adorable download on Becky Higgins blog, printed it out, and stuck it in my wire "frame". 

I will tell you that she has another beautiful quote that you can download, but after researching for a couple of minutes, I discovered that the quote was said by a person in the Mormon church.