Homespun Holiday January 12, 2012

What a wonderful, blessed Christmas we had!  Here are some of the highlights:

I scored this beautiful tree on black friday- next best thing to a real one, most people couldn’t tell it was fake!

The REAL garland to give the home a piney smell.  Also scored on black friday!

Ara and James loved the tree this year.  The ornaments were never in the same place and we had quite a few bite the dust, unfortunately.

Our first fire in the fireplace 🙂

Ara and I strung cranberries to make garland and then juiced the rest.

This year we did quite a bit of holiday baking!

Peppermint Bark chilling in the fridge

Baking Maple Granola for gifts…

Along with 6 dozen cookies: 3 dozen chocolate chip and 3 dozen toffee crunch

Packaged and ready to go and one left for Paul and I to munch on…

We took the kids to see the Christmas train display

Made gifts for our family…

…started to knit the kids stockings… and then decided to let that go this year, maybe next.

What a sweet Christmas it was!  Quiet, no places to rush off to, celebrating with family and friends the birth of our Lord.

So grateful for the blessing of God’s Son sent to earth and the blessings He continues to send everyday.

I hope you and your family had a very blessed Christmas as well!

What’s Cookin’ Wednesdays January 11, 2012

Jen’s Coconut Muesli

Mix in a bowl a handful or two of oats, a handful of chopped raw walnuts, a handful of raisins or chopped dates, 1/3 banana torn into chunks, and sprinkle with coconut flakes.

You could toast these and drizzle with honey if you wanted more of a dessert but for breakfast, I just toss a handful of coconut flakes on top.

Serve with cold milk of choice. Great with nut milks and coconut milks as well!

Feminine Friday September 12, 2008

hosted by thebarefootmama.com

It’s time, once again for Feminine Friday! To review how to participate,

Kelly at thebarefootmama.com shares:

To participate in Feminine Friday, each Friday simply blog one of the following:

• An outfit that you own (or a photo of a favorite look) that exhibits your femininity
• A hairstyle, accessory or piece of jewelry that is special and makes you feel beautiful
• Something in your home – can be nonwearable, of course – that represents your femininity (it can be anything!!)
• An inspiring or thought-provoking article, book review or quotation on any topic related to femininity

Feminine Friday is not about being a cookie-cutter. Share what femininity means to you and how you define modesty, beauty and being a Daughter of the King.

This Friday, I want to share an experience/item that makes me feel particularly feminine. I love cooking with my daughter in the kitchen with our aprons on. There is something about putting on an apron that makes me think of all the other women that have donned one in the task of nourishing their families. Yes, an apron’s purpose is to keep your clothes from getting dirty and having handy pockets for items but I think that secretly, the real reason for an apron is to add beauty to an ordinary, everyday task.

What’s Cookin’ Wednesday August 6, 2008

picture courtesy of allposters.com

Today I am putting a roast in the slow cooker with some carrots potatoes and garlic water. Paul particularly loves it when I make roast in the slow cooker and since tonight is church, having a crock pot meal simplifies things.

What about you? What’s cookin’ in your kitchen? Post it in your blog or post your favorite recipe and leave the link here!

What’s For Dinner? July 28, 2008

I’m not entirely sure how this parmesan chicken will turn out because I am omitting breadcrumbs but we shall see. If it is super yummy, I will let you know. Here is the recipe that I am going to use:

Ingredients

1 clove garlic, minced
1 stick unsalted butter (1/2 cup or 1/4 pound), melted
2/3 cup grated Parmesan cheese
2 Tbsp chopped fresh parsley
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon garlic salt
A large pinch of Italian seasoning (herb mix)
1/8 teaspoon ground black pepper
2 lbs of skinless, boneless, chicken meat, cut into pieces no larger than 2×2 inches

Method

1 Preheat oven to 450°F.

2 In a bowl, combine the minced garlic with the melted butter. In another bowl mix together the Parmesan, parsley, salt, garlic salt, Italian seasoning, and pepper. Dip chicken pieces into garlic butter, then into the Parmesan mixture to coat.

3 Place coated chicken pieces on to a 9×13 baking dish. Try to leave a little room between each piece. Drizzle with remaining garlic butter and bake uncovered 15 minutes, or until chicken is cooked through and juices run clear. Note that the chicken will get much more browned on the bottom side than on the top.

Serves 4-6.

What’s for dinner at your house?