Staying in touch with those that mean the most

Let's face it, it can be challenging to keep up with friends and family that you don't see very often. I have a lot of these people in my life: Grandma(s), Grandpa, BFF's (Carrie, Kylah, Amy, Zac, Court, the list just goes on and on...), Godmother, Aunts, Uncles, Cousins.  Thanks to a little invention called Facebook I believe we all have an easier time keeping up with the day to day activities than our parents did with their loved ones. But is Facebook really a good substitute for face to face visits or chats on the phone (or a good old fashion letter)? I don't believe so (is your Grandma on Facebook? Mine either).  The thing I love about the people I miss every day that I can't see them, is that when I do see them it is as if we haven't missed a single day and that is so much fun.

I got the idea for this post after having a special visit with one of these special people (Kylah).  She gave me a tip for doing better at staying in touch with Grandparents:

• Mail pictures of you and your activities, they want to see what you have been doing
• Call on your way into work at 7am. Let's face it, they've been up for at least 2 hours.

After recently losing a Grandparent this is more important to me than ever. I am really going to make a better effort at staying in touch with my long distance loved ones.

 

And how about a shout out to those people who become your own special people because they are your special peoples' special people?  Courtney's bachelorette party was an absolute blast (she thinks so too based on her expression)!

Christmas Cookies

I now present my Christmas cut out cookies.  When you read the ingredients you might think they sound gross.  They are 2 parts Shaull/Russell/Brunmeier family tradition, 1 part delicious and I love them!

Christmas Cookies
1 cup confectioners sugar
1/2 lb butter (room temp)
2 1/2 cup flour
1 tbsp milk
1 tsp vanilla
Stir well, roll on floured counter and cut with cookie cutters. Bake at 325* for 10-12 minutes on slightly greased cookie sheet.

Frosting
Confectioners sugar
Milk
Vanilla
Food coloring
You kind of have to eyeball this one, if it looks too runny add more sugar, if it looks too thick add more milk. Careful, a little goes a long way.

Run run as fast as you can, you can't catch me I'm the gingerbread man!

I decided this year that I wanted to try a new kind of cookie to go with my 4 holiday staples (more about that later).  I searched around online at allrecipes.com, marthastewart.com, and a few others and settled on these:

Molasses-Gingerbread Cookies

Makes about 2 dozen town houses, 4 dozen deer or trees, or 6 dozen men. I cut this recipe in half.

• 5 1/2 cups all-purpose flour, plus more for dusting
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 1 1/2 teaspoons salt
• 4 teaspoons ground ginger
• 4 teaspoons ground cinnamon
• 1 1/2 teaspoons ground cloves
• 1 teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg
• 2 sticks (16 tablespoons) unsalted butter, room temperature
• 1 cup packed dark-brown sugar
• 2 large eggs
• 1 1/2 cups unsulfured molasses
• Royal Icing

Directions

1. Whisk together flour, baking soda, salt, and spices in a medium bowl.
2. Beat butter and sugar with a mixer on medium-high speed until fluffy. Add eggs, 1 at a time, beating well after each addition. Beat in molasses. Reduce speed to low. Gradually add flour mixture, and beat until just combined. Divide dough into 3 portions, and wrap each in plastic. Refrigerate for 1 hour.
3. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. On a generously floured piece of parchment, roll dough to a scant 1/4 inch thick. Brush off excess flour. Slide dough and parchment onto baking sheets, and freeze for 15 minutes.
4. Cut out desired shapes. Transfer to parchment-lined baking sheets, and freeze for 15 minutes.
5. Bake cookies for 6 minutes. Remove sheets from oven, and tap them firmly on counter to flatten cookies. Return to oven, rotating sheets, and bake until crisp but not darkened, 6 to 8 minutes more. Let cool on sheets on wire racks.
6. Spoon icing into a pastry bag fitted with a very small plain round tip (such as Ateco #0 or #1). Pipe designs on cookies. Let cookies stand at room temperature until set, at least 2 hours (preferably overnight). Cookies can be stored between layers of parchment in airtight containers for up to 1 week.

The whole time I was making these little devils all I could think was "who in their right mind enjoys making these? They better be worth it."  They are SO.MUCH.WORK. Between the refrigerating, the rolling, the freezing, the rolling, the cutting, the freezing, the baking. I did not enjoy making these in the slightest.

So here is how they turned out:

First, during step 2 I thought there was no way this could be right, I must have done this wrong. I mean, how can this turn into a delicious cookie?

Then, these little fellas popped out of my oven and I thought OK, these are pretty cute.

And then, I went to get the last batch and after all that work...

A moment of silence for these fallen soldiers. I'm not sure what happened, maybe I didn't freeze them long enough, or perhaps I left them on the pan too long or took them off too soon?  What a disaster.  Since it was 10:30pm I decided to wait on frosting their little faces until today.  Maybe I will update my post with the finished product or maybe I won't, we'll see how they turn out.

Update: I frosted their little faces and they turned out just OK. They taste fine I guess. Not delicious enough to go through this escapade again...

The best dip in the world

Buffalo Chicken Dip: Everybody loves it! It is so simple and such a crowd pleaser. If you are looking for a great appetizer or snack to bring to a party, this is it.  The problem is, when I was given this recipe I was told it is top secret and the person who gave it to me reads this blog. So you'll have to email me if you want the recipe because I dont want to get into trouble for mass distribution.

Very Veggie Lasagna

More often than not Veggie Lasagna means white sauce. That is why this recipe is unique, it has red sauce.  There is no meat and lots of vegetables (read, lots of chopping!). It is well worth the work. I suggest chopping the veggies one night and doing the rest the next night unless you have endless amount of time on your hands and then you can do it all at once.

2 medium carrots julienned
1 medium zucchini, sliced
1 yellow squash, sliced
1 medium onion, sliced
1 cup broccoli florets
1/2 cup julienned red pepper
1/2 cup julienned green pepper
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 tsp salt
2 tbsp olive oil
1 jar (28oz) spaghetti sauce (I use Prego traditional)
14 lasagna noodles, cooked and drained
4 cups (16 oz) mozzarella cheese


In a large skillet, stir fry the veggies, garlic and salt in oil until  crisp tender.

Spread 3/4 cup spaghetti sauce in a greased 13x9x2  baking dish. Arrange seven noodles over sauce, overlapping as needed.  Layer with half the veggies, spaghetti sauce and cheese. Repeat  layers. Cover and bake at 350 for 60 - 65 minutes or until bubbly. Let stand for 15 minutes before cutting.

But let's not forget the most important part, the Le Creuset baking dish.

Bread Baking Bonanza

I don't know what came over me this week. Maybe the blustery cold weather was encouragement (boom).

First: Banana Bread. There is nothing ground breaking here just a pretty standard recipe. It should be a staple in all cook books.

• 3 medium sized ripe bananas
• 1 tsp. soda
• 1 tsp. powder
• 1 tsp. vanilla
• 1 egg
• 1/2 cup sugar
• 2 cups sifted flour
• 6 tsp. hot water
• 1/2 tsp. salt
• 1/2 cup chopped nuts (optional)

Mash up bananas (really fine). Add soda, vanilla and mix together, beat well. Add egg, sugar, flour, powder, water, and salt. Beat. Gold in chopped nuts (if desired). Bake in greased and floured 9x5x3 loaf pan at 350* for 40-45 minutes.

Second: Pumpkin bread. What is pumpkin bread? Does it taste like pie? Bars? Is it a dessert? Is it a breakfast food? After tasting it, pumpkin bread is not a breakfast food. I am going to put it in the dessert category because it is very sweet but not as sweet as pumpkin bars. Imagine banana or zucchini bread except pumpkin flavored and a bit sweeter.
(I halved this recipe and used only 1 loaf pan).

• 1 (15 ounce) can pumpkin puree
• 4 eggs
• 1 cup vegetable oil
• 2/3 cup water
• 3 cups white sugar
• 3 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
• 2 teaspoons baking soda
• 1 1/2 teaspoons salt
• 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 1 teaspoon ground nutmeg
• 1/2 teaspoon ground cloves
• 1/4 teaspoon ground ginger

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Grease and flour three 7x3 inch loaf pans.
2. In a large bowl, mix together pumpkin puree, eggs, oil, water and sugar until well blended. In a separate bowl, whisk together the flour, baking soda, salt, cinnamon, nutmeg, cloves and ginger. Stir the dry ingredients into the pumpkin mixture until just blended. Pour into the prepared pans.
3. Bake for about 50 minutes in the preheated oven. Loaves are done when toothpick inserted in center comes out clean.

Martha's Holiday Tips

Today I came across Martha's tips for a Stress Free Holiday. I have actually done a few of these:

• Draw up a Budget and Gift List Before You Shop. I made a big list before I went shopping, and checked it twice. We also made a budget and are doing pretty good!
• Tackle To Do's in Good Company. My sister-in-law and I did most of our holiday shopping together, and plan to make cookies together as long as schedules cooperate. It's not looking too good for cookie day right now though...
• Buy Baking Staples. I purchased a few baking staples my last trip to the grocery store that was "simple" meaning I wasn't buying items for a pot-luck or dish to pass situation.
• Create a Plan for Holiday Entertaining. I need to work on my plan for hosting Christmas Eve. I haven't quite gotten there yet.
• Make Space in Advance: I assure you my coat closet will never look like this.

What are your stress-free holiday tricks?

I dedicate this house to the Reed Family Christmas (2010)

I wish I could say a la Clark Griswold but alas our story is much different. We did not kick off our fun old fashion family Christmas by heading out into the country in the old front-wheel drive sleigh to embrace the frosty majesty of the winter landscape and select that most important of Christmas symbols. Instead we put up our faux tree and trimmed it with new ornaments from Canterbury Village. Blue, white and silver.

And then I purchased a pre-lit swag for 50% off from Hobby Lobby, some candle holders from Crate and Barrel, some stockings from Marshalls and some candles from Kohls and for the bargain price of $50 (after discounts and gift cards) I give you our holiday mantle.

This one is my favorite of the tree.

 So what would a Christmas season be without a trip to see good ol St. Nick? Yes, Griffin and Roxy went to see Santa Claus at Chow Hound in Breton Village.

And the best part was how tired they were afterward. Angelic :)

"Where do you think you're going? Nobody's leaving. Nobody's walking out on this fun, old-fashioned family Christmas. No, no. We're all in this together. This is a full-blown, four-alarm holiday emergency here. We're gonna press on, and we're gonna have the hap, hap, happiest Christmas since Bing Crosby tap-danced with Danny f*cking Kaye. And when Santa squeezes his fat white ass down that chimney tonight, he's gonna find the jolliest bunch of assholes this side of the nuthouse."  Enjoy your holiday-ing.

A Tribute to Grandpa Reed

Last Saturday, November 27th Josh's Grandpa (Harold) Reed passed away after a brief battle with brain cancer.  The visitation was Tuesday and the funeral was Wednesday.  It had been a while since I had attended both a visitation and a funeral, and even longer since I had done so as a family member.  The week of a loved one's passing is completely exhausting, mentally and physically.

During the funeral there were a few themes the Pastor discussed that made a lot of sense to me.

• Hope - In Michigan we say things like "I hope it doesn't snow too much tonight." And in that sense there is some level of doubt, will it snow? In the Bible hope is a sure thing. "The hope for eternal life" has no doubt associated with it. You will have eternal life but not because you hoped and got the preferred outcome of a 50/50 chance. Grandpa is living his eternal life now.

• Memories and the future - We will get together as a family over the years to come and we will remember Grandpa and tell stories and share memories. What Grandpa does not want us to do is stop living for the future because we're so focused on the past. We must continue to live for the future.

• Get out - Grandpa used the phrase "Get out" when he had a couple of visitors. Pastor said he knows Harold too well, he wasn't telling anybody to get out but rather he wanted "out" of this life, the pain, the suffering. He was expressing that he wanted to "get out" not asking anybody to leave. 

For those who have experience with brain cancer you may know that the tumors cause pressure on other parts of the brain that cause them to function improperly. This can cause many symptoms and it is not easy to watch a loved one suffer from this disease.  We are thankful that Grandpa's battle was brief and we will remember the great times we had together and hope for the day we will be reunited.

Here is a picture from our wedding last August. 3 generations of Reeds: Dad, Grandpa, and 2 grandsons.

When work gets crazy...

I tend to get crazy.  It is difficult to strike the balance of performing above expectations at work and keeping everything else afloat.  The one thing I can boil down any personal conflicts to when I feel stress at work is communication.  If I'm not keeping Josh up to date about work we tend to break down. I feel stressed out and misunderstood but its usually because I am not communicating effectively.  Maybe I need to read this book?

Griffin's First Haircut

Last Friday Griffin went to North Bark Pet Grooming for his first hair cut. They did a great job and they said he behaved wonderfully (which surprised us all).  I was a little surprised by how short his hair is now. He lost that puppy scruff that is so endearing but it is healthier for him so he doesn't get mats.  You can scroll down for before pics!

The Holidays

This year we will be in attendance at 11 holiday parties (at least). We're down a couple from last year's 13 and I haven't figured out how that happened, or maybe I just mis-counted.  Last year when we got home from party #13 I cried because the Garmin I received was not the Garmin I actually wanted and the Garmin I wanted was on sale but I couldn't bring myself to go to Target to make the exchange. Too much holiday partying?  I'd say so.  This year I am going to try and approach things a little differently.

• Do not plan a bathroom remodel for the first week of December
• Do not plan a vacation to Vegas for Thanksgiving
• Start Christmas shopping online early
• Take advantage of Black Friday for the best deals
• Plan a weekend to do the big clean... corners, behind furniture, base boards, you know the drill. This is looking like December 18th.
• Begin shopping early for hosting needs (festive plates, napkins, table covers). Save money by going to TJ Maxx and Marshall's
• Im going to *try* to not worry if I don't have a brand new, complicated, impressive cookie recipe for every party
• Wear dresses that are already in the closet with fun, new accessories
• Order the Christmas card now (done today - check!) so I can begin addressing and mailing the week after Thanksgiving.

Here is a shot from our Christmas Party a couple of years ago.  

And here is a sneak peek at the star of our holiday card. I really do think he was having fun

Time change

The time change certainly puts a kink in my evening plans.  We got Griffin, our Wheaten Terrier puppy, in July. Once he was old enough to behave on his leash we would go for a walk every day after work. Since it gets dark by about 5:15pm (Western Michigan), I'm not quite comfortable going for a 45 minute walk when Daddy (my husband Josh) isn't home.  Luckily, my work is pretty flexible so if we are going to be out all night I will go in a little early so I can come home in time to get in a walk before we head out for dinner club, soccer, fill in the blank here.  Look at this guy, isn't he a doll?