The Adventures of Molly Chicklet–Elf On The Shelf

2012 was our first year participating in this fun Christmas adventure with our Elf On The Shelf Scout. It turned into a very serious look into the psychological warfare that can be done on an 8 year old that BELIEVES there is a Santa and NOTHING you can tell her will sway her for that belief.

Princess Cara is all bout Santa Clause. She knows we get her presents too, but Santa always brings her stuff too. This year, we introduced Elf on the Shelf and from the moment we read the book and named our scout (which gives her her magic to get back & forth from the North Pole to your house), Princess Cara was all about it and (obviously) I had BETTER be about my job too.

 

Our Scout Elf was named Molly Chicklet  and from that moment, just looking at that face and mischievous side eye, I knew I had best be a tad creative. Not “bad elf” creative – that is not how I wanted PC to see Molly Chicklet – just good ole fashioned fun. All was well until I had to go out of town for a training class and The EOTS Daddy-gate debacle, where Molly Chicklet appeared to get violated by one of our cats and was found laid out on the kitchen floor. HYSTERIA!!! Molly had lost her magic - SOB; Santa wasn’t going to come – WAIL; CALL MOMMIE – she’ll get Santa to understand. 911 call from the FireMarshall and I had to, on my feet, come up with a restoration of Molly Chicklets Magic plan. I had to make a “call” to Santa to get instructions and then Skype back with the plan of action…all before the school bus came.

 

Jesus be a fence.

 

I was able to convince PC that the plan (put Molly back in her box, sprinkle cinnamon & sugar over the box while saying her name 3x, put her back in the first place we set her – mantle place and all would be set right) would work and she got on the school bus satisfied that all was right in the world again.

 

WHEW CHILE! However, the FireMarshall was a BIG FAT FAIL and I had to supervise from New Orleans EVERY.SINGLE.DAY till my return. SIGH.

 

Christmas Eve was Molly’s last day with us. She fly’s back to the North Pole on Christmas Eve until next Christmas time. Princess Cara woke up to find a note from Molly Chicklet and Santa (who ate all the pizza we left out – Santa is sick of all those damn cookies and want some real food) and the absolute joy and excitement on her face was PRICELESS!

 

So, here are some of the Adventures of Molly Chicklet…

                 

                     

 

                

Did y’all know about this Elf on the Shelf business? Did you get an Elf Scout for your family this year? I hope you had as much fun as we did.

 

MERRY CHRISTMAS

2012 Thanksgiving Feast Menu

It’s that time of year again for giving thanks, sharing blessings with family & friends and feasting till you explode. Every year, the Queen Mum and I put out heads together to plan a menu for our Thanksgiving Day Feast featuring old favorites yet always adding in/trying something new.

 

Once again, I believe we are going to put our foot off in this dinner ~ of course, we are having help with the superior culinary turkey roasting skills of our BFF Joe Pollhein, Sr. (yeah, that turkey last year ~ finger lickin’, tryptophan inducing awesome). P.S. We are at 15 people so far. I LOVE IT!!! So, without further ado:

 

Thanksgiving 2012 @ True Blessings Estate

 

Appetizers

Avocado, Bacon & Tomato Crostini’s

Crab Rangoon Dip

 

Main Course

Cider Bourbon Glazed Roast Turkey w/Homemade Gravy

Crown Roast of Pork w/Fennel-Apple Stuffing & Cider Bourbon Sauce

Glazed Ham

 

Cranberry Sauce w/Pinot Noir

Three (or more) Cheese Macaroni & Cheese -Erin

Queen Mum Baked Beans

Balsamic Green Beans

Spiced Mashed Squash w/Marshmallow Meringue

Wilted Garlic Kale

Cornbread, Sausage & Pecan Dressing

 

Dessert

Pumpkin Cheesecake with Gingersnap Crust

Rum Raisin Bread Pudding

 

Libations

Pumpkin Spiced Mudslides

Coquito De Mami Morrillo

Wine

 

We gonna throw down. The doors to the Estate are open if you don't have a place to hang your hat & pull up a seat. Bring a bottle of wine and wear stretchy pants (or bring some sweats for the inevitable tryptophan coma). Give me a holla if ya wanna join us.

Do you plan a menu or go with the traditional staples? Do you have your menu planned yet?

Cooking w/Love: Amazing Avocado House Party

Now this was a great time!

 

Carving Pumpkins & Roasting Pumpkin Seeds

I had nothing to all day while waiting for THE PHONE CALL but drink champagne…and Carve Pumpkins! So, that’s what I did. In between glasses of mimosas (which really became more and more like orange colored champagne as time passed), I carved our pumpkins and separated the seeds out to roast.

 

 

 

Not too shabby for a tipsy carver, huh? I used the recipe below for my pumpkin seeds…and they are DELISH!!!

 

Sweet & Spicy Pumpkin Seeds

 

1 egg white
1/4 cup natural cane sugar
1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper
scant 1/2 teaspoon fine grained sea salt
1 cup fresh pumpkin seeds

 

Preheat oven to 375. In a medium-sized bowl whisk together the egg white, sugar, cayenne and salt. Add the pumpkin seeds and toss well. Drain off any excess egg white (using a strainer) and place seeds in a single layer across a baking sheet. Bake for about 12 minutes or until seeds are golden. Sprinkle with a bit more sugar and cayenne pepper when they come out of the oven. Taste and season with more salt if needed.

Makes one cup.

Vacationing Despite a Derecho

Friday night we were all staging stuff for a family vacation at a house we rented with some friends in OC when all of a sudden – like out of nowhere – it sounded like a freight train was speeding THROUGH our house and before we could even start severe storm preparations (filling up tubs with water, staging candles etc.) the power went out.

 

SIGH.

 

I got up the next morning and decided to go “foraging” for some food, more water etc. since out power was still out and I didn’t want to open the fridge to even pull anything out. Less than one mile up the street at our local shopping center, power was restored and doing brisk business.

 

SIGH.

 

I called the rental company to make sure we still had power – we were a GO – and we packed up the van & cars, sweating like I was doing the most intense workout EVER and rolled out, leaving The Prince at home to check on things (he went to a friends house/Grandma’s house in between) and take care of the Royal Cats & Royal Dog…and NO…we didn’t throw The Prince under the bus – he wanted to stay at home so not to miss any of his training & hang with friends.

 

But he is living up to his name – Prince Jordan, Heir to the Empire, Protector of the Realm…when he isn’t playing Xbox or at the Martial Art Center.

 

The trip to OC was uneventful and we arrived at the house by 4pm. We rented well! The house is awesome and when just when you think that four levels is going to be too much – there is a friggin ELEVATOR in the dang house. SHUT THE FRONT DOOR!

 

 

We had a loverly time just walking on the boardwalk – watching the sights. Let me tell you…the shenanigans, clothing choices and just plain “honey badger don’t give a fug” about anything mess going on down here…brings me joy for a people watcher lover. JOY!!

 

…and {{{O_O}}}

 

 

   

Yesterday, we spent the day on the beach…a BEAUTIFUL, RELAXING DAY…made all the more better with Sippy cups filled with special juice – FOR ADULTS ONLY! – and made FANTASTIC by the fact that the house was a block away from beach for refills. AWESOME!

 

The power is still out at home – almost 72 hours since it went out – but we got plenty here. Back to the Beach!

 

DMV – do you have power back on yet? How did you fare the Derecho? What are your plans for the 4th of July?

 

Have fun! Keep your Sippy Cup filled!

Remember & Honor

Thank you to all the men & women who made the ultimate sacrifice serving in the United States Armed Forces. We remember and honor the sacrifice you made to keep this country great.

 

GOD BLESS! THANK YOU!

I Got The Victory

We spent Resurrection Sunday with the family. The Fire Marshall and Princess Cara went off to church while I cooked and went on a short run. I put on my “Praise” track and as I was taking on that nasty little hill up Rt108 (which is part of the Clyde’s 10K run next weekend) the song “Victory” by Yolanda Adams came on. I tore that hill up singing at the top of my lungs…singing my life, my story…but I’ve got the victory!

 

Truly I been through the storm and rain
I know everything about heartache and pain
But God carried me through it all
Without His protection I'd surely fall
I been broke without a dime to my name
but all my bills got paid 'cause I called on Jesus name
You can't tell me that God isn't real 'cause
I got the victory and that's why I'm still here

I'm not worried 'bout material things I don't have
I just rest 'cause I'm sure in my savior's care
'cause I know that my blessing is on the way
I can't see it right now but I stand by faith
I fought many ,many battle's in His name
I held up the bloodstained banner and proclaim
that Jesus is the Truth and the Light
believe it when I say He will make it alright

 

What a glorious day it was!

             

      

            

Cooking With Love–Deviled Easter Chicks

I saw a picture earlier this week that originally came from Pintrest and then circulated on FB of these deviled eggs that looked like chicks hatching. KEEEUUUTE! I just had to make them. There were no instructions that I could find, but if I can make deviled eggs on the fly, I should be able to handle copying some deviled egg looking chicks just from the picture.

 

Start with some boiled eggs – like DUH. Oh, and (at least for me) let them cool completely and use a spoon to remove shell so that the egg remains smooth & unbroken. Then I cut them on an angle & used a small spoon to help get the yolk out without damaging the egg.

            

Put top & bottoms aside and make your filling. I have my favorite recipe…make your filling anyway you want. Once I had my filling ready, I put it in a quart size bag, cut out a corner and filled my eggs just as you would if you were working with frosting. Easiest way to fill an egg anytime.

            

                               

Once you have all your eggs filled (and over fill them as shown), put the caps on, add a sliver of carrot for the beak and whatever you want for the eyes. I hate olives so I used pieces of pickles…and WHA LA!

 

Deviled Easter Chicks

 

It looks labor intensive, but not really any more than making regular deviled eggs. This was fun and a huge hit!

 

Hope you had a Blessed Easter!

It’s Beginning to Look a Lot Like Easter…

Table Scape – CHECK

Dyed Eggs – CHECK

Cookies made/decorated – CHECK

Menu Planned – CHECK

Egg Hunt Set up – IN PROGRESS

Church Clothes picked out – CHECK

Sound of Music DVD Cued to cook by – CHECK

Ten Commandments Collectors Edition waiting – CHECK (thanks Q)

 

  

                 

The menu plans include but are not limited to (still a work in progress) the following:

Turkey with Apple & Pecan Dressing

Lamb Roast

Roasted Vegetables

Cajun Corn Maque Choux

Another Veggie/Dish TBD

Deviled Egg Chicks

Mozzarella Bruchetta

GO EASTER CAKE

 

                 

                                      

Princess Cara has been busy this morning decorating cookies & eggs. Princess Charlee is getting up the Easter Egg Hunt later today for our OWN Easter Egg Roll/Hunt on the True Blessing Lawn since FOR THE THIRD YEAR IN A ROW we didn’t get in the White House Lottery. HUMPH! I’m not bitter at all.

                  

How is your Easter shaping up? What you cookin’?