Cinnamon Honey Butter

This is absolutely fabulous!  Found it at www.flythroughourwindow.com.  Did I mention it was fabulous?  She mentioned it was like Texas Roadhouse Butter.  Nah, it's better!

Ingredients
2 sticks of butter, softened
1 cup of confectioners sugar
1 cup of honey
2 tsp. ground cinnamon

To Prepare
1.  Add ingredients to mixing bowl.
2.  Start to mix on low and increase speed to highest of high.  Be sure to scrape sides and mix, mix, mix.

3.  Add to canning jars and serve it right out of jar.

I served this with our rolls for Thanksgiving.  Wow!  I think I am keeping this on hand for everyday use as well.  lol!

Puppy Christmas Pictures

I have been going crazy trying to find where I saw this adorable idea.  Where it is possible for more than one person to have the same idea but if I see an idea that I use, I give credit where credit is due.  When I finally find my source, I will be sure to update this post.  

This idea was adorable!  Wreath around the Puppy for Christmas photo opportunity.  Steel and I spent the better part of a half hour trying to get a good picture of Puppy.  Puppy was NOT cooperative!  Lots of chasing, chewing, playing, re-grouping, etc.  

The results:

Merry Christmas from Puppy!

(Whether he likes it or not...lol)

Messy Elf and Santa Pillow - Day 8

We woke up to this mess in the living room...

We followed the yarn to find the culprit...

It was sure a good thing that that Elf stuffed yet another goodie is our Santa Pillow...

A Lego dog with two bones...I think I would love to work for Legos!



Hanging Wreaths on Second Story Outside Windows

Provided you have double hung windows....

I bought wreaths and ready made bows.  I attached the ready made bows.

I am hanging the wreath out the top of our double hung windows so I need something to hang it with, with a bit of length to trap it in the window when closed and something to just make sure it doesn't fall to the ground by some odd chance...  So I chained 3 zip ties together with a washer on the end.  

I opened the top window and slipped the wreath through and shut the window on the zip tie chain.  My washer really sin't doing anything but making me feel better that should the window lose it's grip that my wreath will not go crashing down to the ground.  

This is a look at a wreath from the inside...

Wreaths from the outside...

Great pic with the wires, huh?  

Elf Gift Bags and Gift Ideas

Santa and his Elf had this great idea!  Those little goodies can sure add up, especially when the Santa Pillow is put out right after Thanksgiving, before December even starts!  As of this morning, the Elf has starting giving Steel a Lego gift from the Lego City Advent Calendar.  I saw the same one for $32!  Wow!  That's a little over a dollar a day which is a bit more to handle than a Lego man per day!  Great thinking guys!

The Lego City Advent Calendar comes in a box...

Lego gifts are separated into 24 compartments with instructions on the compartment door...

The tag was made from an old folder...

With labels counting down the days, printed on address labels, cut and a hole punched in it...

 The tag was attached to a small gift bag with curling ribbon...

What a cute little package...

That Santa and Elf sure have great ideas!

Wacky Elf and Santa Pillow - Day 7

Can you believe where we found that wacky Elf today??!!??

True to form, he brought back a wonderfully gift wrapped goodie from the Pole up north...

The goodie was a Lego fireplace and man dressed as Santa with gifts in his backpack.

Mashed Potatoes and Gravy

I wanted the real thing (potatoes) this Thanksgiving.  I do cheat at times when it comes to mashed potatoes.  Bob Evans have a fantastic side that you can buy that we really love and it is so quick and easy.

Ingredients
Potatoes
5 pound bag of russet potatoes, peeled and cubed
1/4 cup of butter
1 cup of sour cream

Gravy
Turkey drippings
Wondra flour - My Grampa was a great chef and told me to always use wondra when making gravy
jar of prepared gravy (Yes, I cheat but see my reasoning below...)

To Prepare Potatoes
1.  Put cubed potatoes in pot covered in water and boil until very tender, stirring often.  (Cook until fork tender and then some.)
2.  Strain potatoes and transfer to a mixing bowl.  (I use my Kitchen Aid mixer.)

3.  Add butter and sour cream.  (No milk is needed.)
4.  Mix.  Start with a slow speed and increase slowly.
5.  Transfer to serving dish.

To Prepare Gravy
1.  Spoon dripping into a sauce pan and place over medium heat.
2.  Slowly add Wondra flour, whisking continuously.
3.  Add prepared gravy.
I decided to doctor the prepared gravy because I add so much butter under the skin of the turkey, most of my drippings are butter and I was afraid that the gravy would end up being a butter gravy instead of a turkey gravy.  The prepared gravy in just not good enough on it's own and this little doctoring made all the difference.  We (the hub and I) thought it was great.