Heads up!! Regarding future posts, if you think you have something of interest that other people would enjoy learning- let me know about it in advance. I will be glad to feature you, your item, deal, or whatever as a "Friday Favorite!" I am always down for sharing a good deal, recipes, or neat things. Do not hesitate to contact me via email or social media! :)
1) Apple Cider
Last Friday I posted about my obsession with Starbucks Carmel Apple Spice. Guess what!?
I found the recipe at Walmart! You can buy one box with ten packs for $3.10! At Starbucks, you can buy one grande for $3.48. Score! I am sure this drink mix will be a seasonal item. If you would like to try it, hurry and see if you can find some at your local grocery! It is so tasty!
2) Favorite Christmas Ornaments
I am having a really hard time choosing my favorite Christmas ornaments this year. I really like the ornament above AND the ornaments below. This ornament is from the Alabama Forever collection. This photo is a re-post from Heidi Elnora.
Alabama Forever was founded in response to the April 27th, 2011 tornadoes that ravaged our state."What was founded as a response to the storms, Alabama Forever goes beyond disaster relief. Our core purpose is to help Alabama communities in need. Long after the devastation from the tornadoes has past we will be here to improve the quality of life for the residents of our great state. Rather than simply giving back, Alabama Forever will assist the residents and communities by offering viable resolutions to maintain the best possible life for the citizens of Alabama for generations to come."
I encourage everyone to check out their website. I actually bought this ornament above as a necklace when donations were being accepted for Tuscaloosa tornado relief. I hope to buy the ornament at a later date, too.
This ornament is a favorite of mine for two reasons:
1) It was a gift from my grandparents. Thank you Mawmaw Judy and Pawpaw Huey!
2) It is the White House Ornament for 2012 (Our first Christmas=Our first year)!!
Tony and I received a precious package from my grandparents out of the blue just a few days ago. I was a bit skeptical, but nonetheless waited for Tony to get home to open it.
Each year, my grandparents give all their children (8! 6 girls and 2 two boys) the White House ornament of the year. I am so excited they decided to start the tradition for Tony and I!
It was always very exciting to look forward to receiving the ornament each year. I believe my parents have a collection that dates back into the mid 1990s. I cannot wait to collect these ornaments through the years for our new family. This type of ornament is a gorgeous, historical, timeless treasure.
I have posted about these ornaments before. However, I adore them simply because they are our "first year" ornaments. If you are a 2012 newlywed there are precious ornaments at Bed Bath & Beyond right now specifically for couples from the Lenox 2012 Wedding Collection. The ball ornaments can be found at Village Jewelry & Sports in Butler, Alabama, and at Lazy Acres Farm in Chunky, Mississippi (Both have Facebook Fan Pages which will allow you to order online, if interested).
I am pretty sure that these ornaments can also be found at most generic gift stores in many areas or hospital gift store, as well. I am hoping to have our wedding date painted on the back of each ball as soon as I can unwind from school and find a little free time.
3) Beef Stew Recipe
A few weeks ago I posted about this beef stew. If you would like to read the entire post, click HERE. I made too much of the recipe at the time. Yesterday I pulled out the frozen portion to serve over the weekend since it is supposed to be rainy and dreary. I plan to eat beef stew and am currently making potato soup for Tony, as he does not eat most vegetables.
Ingredients Needed:
- 3 Cups Beef Broth
- 1 32oz. Chicken Broth
- 1 Can Tomato Paste
- 1 Can Diced Carrots
- 1 Can Kernel Corn
- 1 Can Small Peas
- 1 Can Diced Tomato
- 1 Cup Chopped Potato (Red or Yellow)
- 2 Tbl Brown Sugar
- 2 Tbl Vinegar
- 1 Tbl Salt
- 1 Tbl Pepper
- 1 Tbl Garlic Seasoning
- 1 Tbl Onion Seasoning
- Beef Stew Meat (I bought a 2lb package.)
- Shredded Chicken (I bought and diced a rotisserie chicken that was already cooked.)
Directions:
Combine all ingredients into slow cooker. Set to cook 6 hours on high or 8 hours on low. I checked mine and stirred every 30 minutes. Also, if wanted you can serve this over rice. My cornbread was a flop so I opted out and used croutons and rice as my side mixtures. These items were already in the pantry, so I figured why not? (Side Note: My crock pot was not big enough for all of these ingredients. I am not sure its exact size, but I believe it is in the medium family. If you are not sure what size your slow cooker is, I would recommend halving the recipe and draining all cans before putting into the crock pot. As you can see in the photo, my cooker is filled to the brim. This recipe made enough to fill two large Pyrex dishes. I ate on one dish over the weekend and froze the other dish.)
4) Chocolate Chip Cheese Ball Recipe
I am still sticking to my new rule of us having only one sweet in the house at a time. This week's sweet is a HUGE hit and favorite between our two families. I wish our siblings, Jordan and Mary Kathryn, could be here to share some with Tony and I. Actually, if they were here we would have probably devoured it the first night it was made!
If you have not tried this type of cheese ball, I would encourage you to do so as soon as possible! I add a little more brown sugar than the recipe calls for. I am not sure how much I add, as I "eye ball" it. The extra brown sugar gives it more color. Also, some recipes call to add chopped pecans, which is delicious, too! Tony only eats pecans by themselves so I did not add them to this recipe.
Directions:
Mix the ingredients together in a bowl. Form the contents into a ball and allow it to sit in the refrigerator for a few hours to harder. You will need some graham crackers or cracker sticks to serve.
Ingredients:
- 1 (8 ounce) package cream cheese, softened
5) Miss Mary Kathryn Marie
I have saved the best for last! I have to brag on my sister- This diva is turning into a gorgeous little lady, y'all! I am SO SO proud of my beautiful, smart sister! She has come such a long way since this time last year.
Miss Mary Kathryn is attending her first Winter Formal tonight. (Cue the waterworks!) When she called to say that she had been asked to go on a date, I was floored! Little did I know, not only was she going on her first date, but she was also going to her first dance.
The first thing that came to mind to say was, "You are not old enough to go on a date!" Literally, I had to hand the phone to Tony because I could not talk I was so choked up. (I am so emotional these days!) I pulled it together and told her how happy I was for her! Needless to say, we have been preparing ever since.We have been discussing everything from the dress, shoes, make-up, hair, jewelry, and what to do during a slow songs.
I wish with all my heart that I could be in Zachary tonight standing in as her paparazzi. I would love nothing more than to be there to make her feel special, beautiful, and loved. I hope my parents are not too old to handle all of it and her at once! :) I talked with my step-father this past week and he is planning to text me some photos ASAP once she and her date leave the house after their photo session. I cannot wait to see how gorgeous MK will be!
Time is flying! Before I know it she will be driving!
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