Fresh Blueberry Muffins - Yum, Yum

Happy New Year!!  Here's hoping 2013 is going to be an auspicious and fabulous year for one and all. We waved goodbye to 2012 and never looked back.   Everyone survived the end of the Mayan calendar (hooray) and we headed right on in to 2013 with a big smile on our face.  Can you see me brushing my shoulders off, waving goodbye as I forge ahead into the new year?  Here is hoping you can and will do the same.  Bye Bye 2012.  It was nice knowing you.

Now, the holidays are over and the gloom of January sets in.  Gray days.  Cold weather.  I'm really not a fan, but did you know that January is national soup month?  Yippeeeeee!  Who doesn't love soup?  I could eat it every day - seriously - even in hot weather.  Soup is delicious and nutritious.  You can get lots of veggies in one pot and that means you don't have tons of pots and pans to clean up after the meal.  If you make the batch big enough, there are left overs (sometimes for days) and soup tastes better as it melds and meshes all the flavors together.  Soup can also be frozen to enjoy at a later time.  Mmmmm, mmmm, mm.

During the "post Christmas let down", some of the family came down with the grippe, the creepy crud.  You know, the scratchy throat, hacking cough, runny nose misery.  Kids, parents, Pawpaw and Uncle Ty.  So Grandma whipped up a batch of home made chicken noodle soup, also know as Jewish penicillin.  Yes, science has found that chicken broth has medicinal value in relieving congestion.
(www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2000/10/001018075252.htm).  You can find a recipe for home made noodle soup on my blog post of September 17.  We just finished up the last of this batch for dinner tonight.  It is just perfect for these miserable January days.

To go along with the chicken noodle soup, I made a batch of fresh blueberry muffins.  Super.  Delicious.  Blueberries are known as one of the super foods high in antioxidants and are also really good for our immune system.  It's beneficial that they taste really good too.

Here is what you need to make these muffins:

1/2 cup butter, softened to room temperature
2 cups unsifted all purpose flour
1 cup sugar
2 large eggs
1/2 cup milk
2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp salt
1.5 - 2 cups fresh blueberries (dust with flour so they won't sink in the muffin batter)
1.5 tsp vanilla

Topping:  cinnamon sugar (2 Tbsp. cinnamon, 1 Tbsp. sugar)

preheat oven to 375 degrees F

Cream the softened butter and sugar with a mixer until light and fluffy.  Add the eggs, 1 at a time.  Mix thoroughly.

Combine the dry ingredients in a separate bowl.

Gradually add the dry ingredients to the butter/sugar mixture until thoroughly combined.  Add the milk and vanilla.  Add the flour dusted blueberries.  (don't skip this step, it keeps the blueberries from sinking to the bottom of the muffins).

Spray a 12 cup muffin pan with cooking spray.  Fill each cup 2/3 full.  Sprinkle cinnamon sugar on top.  Bake 25-30 minutes until a toothpick inserted in the center muffin come out clean.

Let me tell you, these hit the spot with that home made chicken noodle soup.  They would also be delicious to serve for breakfast or brunch, or as an afternoon snack.  If you have a muffin monster at your house, give these a try.  It's a great way to start the new year.

Everyday Donna

Things to Remember:

If you reduce stress, eat a healthier brain diet [singling out foods like spinach,blueberries and salmon], get aerobic activity each day, that is going to protect your brain and possibly lower your risk for Alzheimer's disease or at least delay the outset,

~ Gary Small

Cheesecake Filled Strawberries - Fabulous for New Year's Eve

Do you love cheesecake?   Strawberries?  Cheesecake with strawberry topping?  Then here is the perfect recipe for you that is SO much easier than baking a cheesecake.  Really, these are so simple and absolutely divine.  These would be perfect for New Year's Eve or a football Sunday or for dessert or just because.

Our youngest son has spent the last year living in California.  He made these one night for a backyard movie night and said they disappeared almost instantly.  I suggested he make some for Christmas Eve and let me tell you - they are as good as he said, maybe even better.

These cheesecake filled strawberries are really easy to make and here is what you need.


About 28 strawberries (we used 2 boxes)
1 8 oz block cream cheese, softened
4 TBSP powdered sugar
1 tsp vanilla

Cut the tops off the strawberries, wash and dry them,  and hollow them out with a pairing knife.  

To make the filling, beat the softened cream cheese with a mixer until smooth.  Add the powdered sugar and vanilla.  Mix until well incorporated.  Take a small zip lock bag and make a small cut to remove the corner.  We used a piping tip in the bag, but you don't have too.  It just makes it a little fancier.  Fill the bag with the cheesecake filling and pipe some filling int each strawberry.  Do your very best not to eat them all while you are making them.  That, my friend, will be a challenge!

Serve.

That's it.  How much easier is that than making a cheesecake?  You can also crush some graham crackers and dip the filled berries if you want.  We didn't want.  Your choice.

Not only are these beautiful to look at, they are amazingly delicious and easy to make.  What could be better?  Easy.  Delicious.  Beautiful.  Everyone will think you slaved for hours and hours making these.  Just don't give away the secret that you didn't.

While looking on Pinterest, I saw several variations on this theme and the one idea I might try next time is to dip the berries in chocolate after you fill them.  Chocolate covered cheesecake filled strawberries?  Oh my, oh my, oh my.  That would be somewhat like gastronomical heaven I think.

New Year's Eve is just around the corner and you might really want to consider these.  They are fruit after all and everyone needs fruit.  Right?  And, some cheesecake.  Right?  And, maybe some chocolate.  Right?  In these you get all three in one delicious bite.

Give these a try.  You are going to be SO glad you did and if you have to eat gluten free, these are right up your alley.  Just make sure your vanilla is gluten free.  Make.  Eat.  Enjoy.   It will make ringing in the New Year that much more enjoyable.  Thanks Tyler!

Everyday Donna

Things to Remember:

It's time to ring out the old and ring in the new.   May we increase in wisdom, love, and compassion and decrease our fears and judgements.  donna

Next, It's New Years Eve - Try Some Spinach Parmesan Dip

Hello everyone!  We survived December 21, 2012, to celebrate a joyous Christmas.  Thankfully, the Mayan calendar just repeats.  Here's hoping your Christmas was wonderful as well.  Now that the hooplah has died down a bit (just a bit, there is more to come on Saturday), it's time to kick back and think about New Year's Eve.

Do you go out?  Do you have plans?  Do you share the evening with friends, family or just your special someone?  Do you have a potluck or prepare everything for a party yourself?  Whew, there is always so much to think about and plan.

I thought today I would start you with some New Year's Eve ideas for delicious snacks that we have been enjoying for years.  For Christmas Eve, I made our favorite spinach dip.  Our youngest son Tyler and I are BIG fans of spinach dip.  Since he was just a little fellow, he and I have always shared spinach dip as an appetizer when we go out to eat.  Actually, we have eaten spinach dip for our dinner on several occasions.  Why?  Because it is SOOOOO good.

This recipe comes from my St. Louis Days, St. Louis Nights cookbook that is one of my favorites.  The copyright in the book is 1994, so I have been making this delicious dip since then and it never fails to please.  Here is what you need:

1 10 ounce package frozen chopped spinach (thawed and drained)
1 1/3 cups grated parmesan cheese, divided
1 large onion, chopped
1 clove garlic, chopped
4 ounces cream cheese, softened
1 cup mayonnaise
1 jar drained artichoke hearts (optional - we love them)
salt and pepper
thinly sliced jalapeno peppers, optional

Defrost and squeeze excess water out of spinach.  Mix together spinach, 1 cup Parmesan cheese, onion, garlic, cream cheese, and mayonnaise.  Season mixture with a little salt and pepper to taste.  (I actually don't add any).  Place in a greased casserole dish.  Top with thinly sliced jalapenos, if desired, and remaining 1/3 cup Parmesan cheese.

Bake at 350 for 20-30 minutes until hot and bubbly.  Serve with crackers or tortilla chips.  MMMM, MMMM, delicious!!

My friend Don's son got married a few years ago and I made a huge pan of this for his wedding shower.  It was a major hit - there wasn't any left.  Everyone wanted the recipe and so I gladly shared.  It is not only easy to make, it is easy to eat waaaaay too much of it.  I just keep telling myself it's spinach and spinach is good for you, right?  That's my story and I'm sticking too it.

This recipe is easy to multiply.  For Christmas Eve, I doubled the recipe for our family.  For Don's son's wedding shower, I made a roasting pan full and it tasted just as good as the original recipe.  Just make sure your pan is big enough to hold whatever you make.

Give this fabulous recipe a try, you are going to like it!!  Hopefully, we won't be buried in snow or ice come New Year's Eve and everyone will get to have a good time.  Here's hoping 2013 is a wonderful year for all of us!

Everyday Donna

Things to Remember:

We will open the book.  Its pages are blank.  We are going to put words on them ourselves.  The book is called Opportunity and its first chapter is New Year's Day.  ~Edith Lovejoy Pierce

Yellow squash, Onions, Rotel and Baby Spinach Satuee'

It turned cold today with really gusty winds blowing.  A few times I thought I might have to get out my ruby red slippers.  At least the cooler weather makes it seem a bit more like Christmas.  It's hard to get in the spirit when the temperature is 70 degrees.

Grandma has been working her fingers to the bone, let me tell you.  My goal was to hand make as many Christmas gifts as possible this year.  That means I have spent a lot of time at the sewing machine making puppet theaters, seat belt pillows, super hero capes and hooded towels just to name a few things - all for the grandsons.  We also made giant bubble blowers and beautiful beaded hand held bubble blowers that will be given with really cute buckets to hold the bubbles and a bubble recipe for making giant bubble solution.  Let me just say, I will be making myself a seat belt pillow (they are awesome) and a giant bubble blower.  Who doesn't love bubbles?  There will be tutorials coming for these things, but probably not before Christmas.  I am just frantically trying to get it all done.  The boys will be receiving a few things from the store, but the majority of things are one of a kind, hand made originals.

While sewing away this afternoon, I had to think about dinner.  What we were going to have?   I decided fish sounded really, really good.  So, I put some that I had frozen in a bowl of cold water to thaw.  You can find my recipe for fried fish on my blog post of January 12, 2012.  Then there is the proverbial question of what to serve with it.

Do you stand in front of your refrigerator and look and look, trying to figure out what to fix?  Then, you close the door, walk away, come back, open the door and stand there looking and looking, like there is going to be something totally different in there?  Hopefully,  I'm not the only one who does this.  While looking in the refrigerator for the second time, I had to get serious.  Hmmmmm, there was some yellow squash, zucchini squash, a bag of baby spinach, onions, carrots, broccoli and cauliflower.  Decisions, decisions.  I chose the yellow squash and spinach and dedicated the zucchini for zucchini bread which I will be making later - recipe to follow.  Now what?

I diced up an onion and minced a clove of garlic.  I put the big sautee' pan on the stove and put a couple of rounds of extra virgin olive oil in the pan and turned the heat on.  This is one of those "wing and  a prayer" dishes which means I am making it up as I go.

I put the diced onion in to sautee' and cut the three large yellow squash into 1 inch pieces.  When the onion was nearly translucent, I tossed in the garlic and squash.  I let the squash cook until tender.  Now, how to flavor it?  I used a little salt and fresh cracked black pepper, a couple splashes of balsamic vinegar and dusted everything with grated parmesan cheese.  It was looking good and smelling really good.  Now what?  I opened a can of Rotel, drained it and added the contents of the can.  After letting that heat through, I added a bag of baby spinach and let it wilt down.  Not only was this dish colorful, it was delicious!  What a quick and easy side dish.  We all know that colorful food is good for you, full of antioxidants and vitamins.  Even better!

Here is what you will need to make this dish:

1 medium yellow onion, diced
1 clove garlic, minced
3 large yellow squash, cut into 1 inch pieces
1 bag baby spinach leaves
1 can Rotel diced tomatoes and green chiles, drained
Grated parmesan cheese to taste
Extra virgin olive oil
Balsamic Vinegar to taste
salt and pepper to taste

Dinner was quick and easy tonight which is exactly what I needed.  There is one more sewing project to be finished and then hopefully I am done with that.  There are still a few other projects that need finishing, but I am finally seeing light at the end of the tunnel.  Hip hip, hooray!

Do you have all your shopping done?  Gifts wrapped?  Cookies baked?  If you do, lucky you.  Me, not so much, but we are getting there - one gift at a time.  Saturday is cookie baking day with the grandsons.

Everyday Donna

Things to Remember:

When things are hectic, you can still take time to make a delicious meal.  They don't have to be elaborate meals, just flavorful, delicious and nutritious.  Due to all the stress this time of year, it's very important to eat healthy food.

 Happy holidays one and all.  One week from today is Christmas day.  Where has the time gone?  Where has the year gone?  Tempus fugit is the Latin phrase.  Time flies - that is my only explanation.  As I get older, it really seems to be the only explanation.  Remember waiting breathlessly, eagerly?  Counting the days until Christmas?  I'm counting the days all right, just hoping I get everything done in time.

In the midst of all my projects for our grandsons, I had one in mind for myself that I had been trying to get done to fill in that big blank space on top of our entertainment cabinet.  I had seen this on Pinterest and fell absolutely in love with it.  This is exactly what needed to go in that big blank space.  The idea came from a blog called Beyond The Picket Fence.  Her's is stunning, made on old barn wood.  Unfortunately I was fresh out of old barn wood.  We spent some time looking in antique shops and even the Habitat ReStore where I have found some great things for projects in the past.   No luck this time.

Dan had made me some 2' x 2' pieces of MDF on frames for another project that had not come to fruition, so I decided to use one of those.  The big problem with MDF is it is so smooth, it has absolutely no grain to work with.  What to do, what to do?

Dan had made a simple frame on the back by nailing pieces of 1 1/4" trim to the MDF to give it support  and made it look more finished from the sides.  To make the wood look old, he used a screw driver and made gouges all over the wood.  He tried using a hammer to make dents in the wood.  MDF does NOT dent.  So, I took a power sander and some really rough sandpaper and roughed up the top of the wood, then used a wood rasp to rough up the edges of the board.  It's not ideal, but really looked great when finished.

Next, I used some Annie Sloan Chalk Paint in graphite and dry brushed in on the MDF for a base coat. I did not want a solid, finished painted piece of wood.  It needed to look distressed and old.  The next layer of paint was some flat black that I applied using a rag.  Then a layer of Annie Sloan Chalk Paint in Chateau Grey which has a greenish tint to it applied with a sock.  Final layer was some more flat black lightly applied with the inside of a tube sock which was sort of like terry cloth.  These paints all dry very quickly so I was able to do the layers between working on another project.  For the final step, I used some sand paper and lightly sanded over the wood so different colors of paint showed through.  This is how the finished piece looked at this point.  This took about an hour and a half total.

To make the star, I drew a 5 pointed star in the center of the board with chalk and Dan put a long screw in the wood at the tip of each point.  Using double sided satin ribbon, I started at the top and followed the star  to finish at the top and tied a knot and cut the ends in inverted points.  The original had a big shoe lace type bow at the top, but I didn't have enough ribbon.  Oops.  That's what happens when  you are winging a project.   I like this just fine though.  If you want a big bow, get at least 4 yards of ribbon.

This is absolutely gorgeous and so easy to make.  It took about an hour and a half from start to finish.  Not bad for a beautiful one-of-a-kind art project.

Ack, look at that crooked candle.  Should have double checked before taking this picture.  Perfectionism is my enemy.

If you know my love of all things stars, you will understand how happy simple projects like this make me feel.  This will live on our entertainment center even after the Christmas decorations are all removed.  The picture doesn't show how pretty the sheen of the ribbon is against the black wood.  Simply lovely.

This would be a great gift for anyone.  You could do the star in any color ribbon, I just happen to love red.  If you had old wood, even better.  I will continue to look for old wood whenever I have the chance, because now I have a lot of other ideas for it!

It's time for Grandma to get back to the workshop.  There is so much to do and so little time left.  Tempus Fugit.  The sewing machine sings a siren's song.  Really!   Have you never heard it?  I hear it in my sleep.

Everyday Donna

Things to Remember:

The tragedy at Sandy Hook Elementary School reminds us that time is precious.  Use it wisely.  Be kind and loving to all those around you.  Cherish each moment, spend time with those you love.  Be grateful.  Share what you have.  Be good to yourself.  You will not pass this way again.

The Mayans Grew Cocoa - Celebrate 12.12.12 With A Chocolate Pie

Happy 12.12.12 to you one and all.  Not only did the Mayans give us a calendar, but they also were growers and consumers of chocolate.  So what better thing to give you today than a wonderful and easy recipe for chocolate cream pie made with cocoa powder.  Yum.  Yum.  Yummmy.  Yum.  Yum.

According to my research, cocoa has been used forever in middle America by the Mayans and Aztecs.  It was actually used as currency it was so highly valued.  (Smart people!)  Here is some information I found on Wikipedia.

Mesoamerica history

A Mayan chief forbids a person to touch a jar of chocolate

Chocolate has been used as a drink for nearly all of its history. The earliest record of using chocolate dates back before the Olmec. In November 2007, archaeologists reported finding evidence of the oldest known cultivation and use of cacao at a site in Puerto Escondido, Honduras, dating from about 1100 to 1400 BC.^[9] The residues found and the kind of vessel they were found in indicate the initial use of cacao was not simply as a beverage, but the white pulp around the cacao beans was likely used as a source of fermentable sugars for an alcoholic drink.^[9] The Maya civilization grew cacao trees in their backyards,^[10] and used the cacao seeds it produced to make a frothy, bitter drink.^[11] Documents in Maya hieroglyphs stated chocolate was used for ceremonial purposes, in addition to everyday life.^[12] The chocolate residue found in an early ancient Maya pot in Río Azul, Guatemala, suggests the Maya were drinking chocolate around 400 AD.

 Not only were the Mayans mathematical geniuses, the knew a really good thing when it came to what we call chocolate!  What would our world be like today without chocolate?  I can't even conceive of such a world, can you?

Now I really, really like chocolate, but I would classify Dan as a chocoholic.  Do you know any of those?  I checked to see if there is a dictionary definition of such a thing and there actually is!

choc·o·hol·ic

  [chaw-kuh-haw-lik, -hol-ik, chok-uh-]  Show IPA

noun

a person who is excessively fond of chocolate.

This really made me laugh - who knew?  I thought it was mostly just a crazy word we used to describe someone who REALLY loved chocolate.  Like Dan.  Like how he keeps going to the cabinet and eating chocolate covered raisins as I type this.  Yes, that kind of chocoholic.  He even eats my chocolate chips if there is nothing else here that is chocolate.  How many times have I gone to the cabinet to get out the chips to make cookies and there may be one or two lonely little chips in the bottom of an otherwise empty bag?  I can't even count the number of times.  It could be worse, I know. Chocolate does raise those endorphin levels and maybe that's why Dan is such a happy guy.  Guess I should eat more chocolate.

Today, I thought I would share this easy and fabulous chocolate cream pie recipe with you that I have been making for years and years.  Just looking at the picture made me want to jump up and run to the stove and make one.  Maybe I will still do that.  It is 12.12.12 after all.

Here is what you need:

1 9 inch DEEP dish crust  (if you make your own crust, makes sure and use a deep pie pan) 

Using a fork, poke holes all over the bottom and sides of the crust to keep it from forming big bubbles while baking.   Bake in a 400 degree oven until lightly browned, about 8-10 minutes.  Remove from oven and let cool.  

For the Filling:

1 cup granulated sugar
3 egg yolks beaten  (save the whites if you are making a meringue to top the pie)
a pinch of salt
2 TBSP cornstarch (or 4 TBSP AP flour)  I use cornstarch so the pie is gluten free
6 TBSP cocoa powder
2 cups milk
1 tsp vanilla

Mix the sugar and egg yolks in a deep saucepan.  Add the salt, cornstarch, cocoa and milk.  Bring to a boil over medium heat, stirring constantly so it doesn't stick.  Cook until thickened.  

If you have never made your own cream pie filling before, it takes a while so don't get frustrated with all the stirring.  It can take up to a half hour for the filling to thicken.  You may ask how you will know when it is thickened.  It's really cool how "all of a sudden" the pudding mixture will tighten up and it will be hard to stir.  At this point, remove it from the heat and add the vanilla.  Mix it well.

Pour the filling into the baked pie crust.  Cover with plastic wrap, pressing the plastic wrap all over the pie filling to the edge of the crust.  Remove any air bubbles in the plastic with your fingers.  This keeps a film from forming on the top of the filling.

Put in the refrigerator until ready to serve.  Add Cool Whip or fresh whipped cream.  You can also make a meringue and bake it in the oven.  If you do this, do not cover the filling with plastic wrap.  Just sayin'.

Just look at that beautiful chocolate filling.  Doesn't it make you wish you had a piece to eat right now?

If you want to make a gluten free pie crust, here is what you need.

1 cup gluten free Bisquick
5 TBSP cold butter
3 TBSP  cold water

Put the Bisquick in a deep bowl.  Cut the cold butter into small cubes and put in in the bowl with the Bisquick.  If you don't have a pastry cutter, use your hands to squeeze the butter into the Bisquick until it forms small pea like clumps.  Otherwise, cut the butter in with your pastry cutter until you have small pea sized pieces.  Add the cold water a tablespoon at a time.  Mix with a fork until the dough forms a ball.  You may need a tad more water.  Just add a few drops at a time until you have a nice ball.

HERE IS WHERE THIS CRUST DIFFERS FROM A REGULAR PIE CRUST!!

Place the ball of dough in the bottom of a deep pie pan.  Using your hands, press the dough down, out and up the sides of the pie pan until you have a smooth crust covering the entire pan.  Crimp the top edges like a regular pie crust.  Don't roll this dough, it won't work.  Gluten is what makes dough stretchy and this dough doesn't work that way.  Using a fork, punch holes all over the bottom and sides of the crust.  Bake in a 400 degree oven for 8-10 minutes until lightly browned.

This is actually easier than trying to roll a crust and place it in the pie pan.  Who knew?

Meringue

If you want to make a meringue, use the three egg whites that have been brought to room temperature.  Beat them with a mixer or whisk until soft peaks form.  At this point, add 6 Tablespoons of sugar, 2 at a time and beat until stiff peaks form.  A stiff peak will stand on it's own like a small mountain.  Using a spatula, spread the meringue over the pie filling and place the pie in a 350 degree oven.  Watch closely and remove when the meringue has turned a light brown on the top.

Now, I have a hankering for chocolate pie.  Guess I better fire the oven up and get busy.  Happy 12.12.12 everyone.

Everyday Donna

Things to Remember:

We won't see 12.12.12 again until 2112, which means most of us won't see it.  Celebrate today!  Make a chocolate pie.

Christmas Time's A Coming - 2012

 Oh the best laid plans of mice and men - and Grandma.   Today was going to be the big push to start work on special projects for the grandsons for Christmas.  But it did not happen, because one daughter had a writing deadline to meet and the other daughter's nanny called in sick.  Know what that means?  Right! Grandma and Pawpaw combined forces and did some babysitting to help out said daughters.  But, that is all right.  We will just begin the project tomorrow.  (I hope)

Tonight, I wanted to show you our sunroom, or what I can photograph of it.  It is a long, somewhat narrow room and I can't find a way to get a good photo of it, so I will just show you the highlights.  Pictured is my pencil tree.  It reminds me of a Charlie Brown Christmas tree and there was something about it that spoke to me and I just had to bring it to our house to live.  It is decorated with my favorite Christmas memory from childhood, bubble lights.  They are not easy to find, so I keep a good supply of replacement bulbs in case any of them burn out, which they do from time to time.  Did you ever have bubble lights on  your tree?  It is totally mesmerizing to sit and watch the different colored lights as they bubble away.  It is one of my most favorite things to do at Christmas time.  Most of the ornaments on the tree have been handmade by yours truly through the years and it just makes my heart happy to look at this tree.

We have a large entertainment center that holds our dinosaur of a television and all the other things that go with a television - DVR, Wii, DVD player,  and a wireless printer for the computer - so much stuff, so many wires.  Ugh.  Anyway, it serves somewhat as the "mantel" in this room and it has always been decorated.   Yes, I have a thing for birdcages.  Don't ask why, I don't really know.  They just intrigue me.  The birdcage always sits on the entertainment center along with the big red candleholder our youngest son gave me for Christmas years ago.  You see, I love red glass.  Did you know it takes gold dust to make red glass?  There's a bit of trivia for you.  The red goblets are used as tea light holders (have had them for many years), along with red glass candlesticks and red mosaic candles holders.  Throw in some large red and gold ornaments, glittered stars, greenery and lights and you have a beautifully decorated entertainment center.  If you look really close, you can also see the red jeweled garland that is intertwined with the greenery.

See that big blank space on the wall behind the candles sticks?  I am working on a project to go there and will share the DIY with you when its complete.  I can't wait to get it finished.

Our sun room is our tv/family room.  All of our movies and games are stored in bookcases, there are cabinets holding overflow of china and casserole dishes that won't fit in the kitchen cabinets, my telescope is housed in this room, and there is  a play space for the grandsons.

Next to their little table is a chalkboard that Dan and I made for them to do art on.  We used a piece of 1/4 inch masonite that we found precut at Lowe's.  It is 4' high x 2' wide.  Dan cut the trim from a piece of 1 1/4 inch trim.  We painted the entire thing with black chalkboard paint that you can get at any hardware or paint store.  We put an anchor chord on the top and anchored it to the wall with a cup hook.  The little ones like to throw some elbows when drawing on the board and we didn't want it falling on them.

Grandma drew them a little Christmas message.  Guess who's coming to town?

This little shabby chic hutch is one of my favorite furniture pieces in the house, have had it for years.   It is decorated with some of the Santa Belly candles I wrote about in my post of November 12, 2012.

There are 6 windows across the back of the room and last year I put garland and lights over them.  It was a major chore and I decided not to do it this year since we had to move all the furniture to hang the garland, so I used some of my Dollar Tree snow flake garland and I made some 10 " snowflakes from the Martha Stewart paper my daughter gave me.  They look very pretty hanging above the windows.

 Here is the last decorated cabinet in the room.  My favorite piece is the little frame that holds  an antiqued piece of fabric that was hand embroidered and says "Dear Santa, I can explain".  Makes me laugh every time I look at it.  The oil lamp on the right belonged to Dan's grandmother and is one of my prized possessions.

Every room in our house is decorated for Christmas.  The bedrooms have trees and small decorations, even the bathrooms.  I know it's a lot of work, but I love it.  Some day we will be unable to do it, until then bring it on!

Thanks for joining me on our tour of the little yellow cottage for Christmas, 2012.  I so appreciate your reading my blog and hope that it inspires you in some way.  Now, it's time for Grandma's workshop to get really busy!  I will let you know what we are making - so many fun things for the grandsons!

Everyday Donna

Things to Remember:

Memories are but a journey we take in our minds, but relive in our hearts.  unknown