Happy Thanksgiving!

This week will be a busy one. I may not have time to blog between cleaning, holiday decorating, and cooking. I am hosting Thanksgiving for my mother-in-law, sister-in-law and niece, which means I will be roasting only the second turkey of my life. I am sure this venture will lead to some hilarious stories...so stay tuned! My husband took a much deserved vacation and is off all week, so I am planning on spending lots of extra time with him. In the meantime, I will be gathering thoughts and material for some future postings after Thanksgiving. I want to wish you and your families a wonderful Thanksgiving. Be grateful for each other! Love each other! Eat some turkey!

Here is a special photo/music greeting from us! This is my first attempt at making a photo slideshow, so I apologize for not synching the music and photos correctly. There aren't enough photos to last the entire song, but you can still listen to the entire song....it is a very pretty song. Thanks again to Stephanie at Stewart Imagery for these beautiful fall pictures!

If you are interested....the song is "Home" by Vanessa Carlton from her album "Heroes and Thieves."

Beautiful Jewelry

Lisa Leonard is a jewelry designer that makes lovely one-of-a-kind pieces. I do not have a Lisa Leonard piece (yet), but I have been admiring her work online for awhile. Today I discovered that there is a Lisa Leonard jewelry giveaway over on Simple Mom. I love many, many pieces for myself. However, if I win the giveaway (wouldn't that be a lovely surprise!), I already know what piece I would pick to give as a gift. I have a special person in mind who would receive the gift. I can't reveal her identity now, but next week I can. She is near and dear to my heart. You should enter the giveaway yourself! Click here to check it out!

Beef: It's What's For Dinner!

In the last week, I have been extremely pleased that two totally random blog readers have requested that I cook more on my blog! I love cooking, I love blogging, and I love making people happy! So after weeks of drooling over this Pioneer Woman recipe, I decided to give it a try tonight. Even though I have become much more confident in my cooking abilities in the last year, I still usually start with a recipe. This recipe turned out to be AMAZING. I can only describe it as Christmas for my taste buds. I have to dedicate tonight's post to two people. The first person is Kayleigh, my future sis-in-law. Kay is a senior in nursing school. She is extremely bored in her Thursday ethics class and reserves that special time in her week to read my blog! This is also for Kayleigh because she just discovered with me last weekend that she actually loves bleu cheese....who knew?! This post is also dedicated to my brother, who happens to be Kayleigh's fiance. My brother, Michael, eats more beef than a cattle rancher. For Christmas last year, I got him a box of meat from Omaha Steaks and he seriously almost wept with joy. Before you health nuts go scrolling down and judging this recipe, I will just put it out there right now....it isn't the healthiest of recipes. Thank goodness my friend Sheri, the registered dietician, admitted to not ever reading my blog recently (shame on her). She may not approve of this recipe. Enough of all that...let's get to it! Join me as I celebrate the magic of beef and bleu cheese.

Below is a picture of all the ingredients you need to create MAGIC. Yes, I said it. MAGIC. You will not believe me until you try it yourself. I did try to make some changes from the original recipe to make it a teensy bit healthier. I used reduced fat bleu cheese and Smart Balance Omega-3 sticks of butter. You can't say I didn't try. This is the official "Before" shot of the sauce that will rock your world.

If your onions look like the picture below...KEEP COOKING THEM. They need to look much darker in order to be ready to contribute to the magic of the sauce.

Into the carmelized onion goes the heavy cream. I have no idea how to swap this ingredient for something healthier. If you know of something, post a comment! I might listen. I might not.

After the carmelized onions and cream work their magic together, you add the blue cheese. You stir it until it is all melted.

DRUM ROLL......

This is what our finished plates looked like. You put a nice bed of sauce on your plate. Lay the steak on top. Add whatever sides you wish. I chose to make asparagus and the amazing rolls that I have told you about before (another Pioneer Woman recipe). There are a few different ways to prepare asparagus. I like to drizzle olive oil over the fresh asparagus, then sprinkle a light dusting of salt and pepper over them. Then you bake the asparagus at 350 degrees until they just look done.

This meal includes the following good things:

protein, two veggies, healthy oil, dairy, and a starch, and lots and lots of happy taste buds.

You can't beat that!

Here is the easy recipe:

Grilled Ribeye Steak with Onion Bleu Cheese Sauce

Ingredients:

• 2 whole Ribeye steaks
• 2 tablespoons butter (healthy alternatives work)
• salt
• pepper
• 4 tablespoons butter
• 1 whole yellow onion, sliced
• 1 cup heavy cream
• 1/2 cup Crumbled Bleu Cheese (reduced fat works)

Preparation:

Salt and pepper both sides of the steaks. Grill the steaks in 2 tbsp of butter until they are medium or medium well. Saute onions in 4 tbsp butter over high heat. Cook for 5-7 minutes, or until dark and carmelized. Reduce heat to simmer and pour in cream. Cook for 3-5 minutes, or until reduced by half. Stir in bleu cheese until melted. Serve steaks on generous portion of sauce.

Pioneer Woman gets full credit for this recipe. I wish I could make up my own fabulous recipes, but I'm not there yet!

By the way....people who know us well, know that my husband despises onions. He did not eat the sauce. I planned on saving the leftover sauce and half of my steak for lunch tomorrow. When I went into the kitchen the sauce was GONE. The skillet was washed out. I am typing this loudly because hours later, I am STILL bitter. I still love him though.

Goodbye, Autumn

Delicious autumn! My very soul is wedded to it, and if I were a bird I would fly about the earth seeking the successive autumns. - George Eliot

I am a little sad that Autumn is almost over. It goes by way too fast each year. If you blink without really noticing the beauty, it can all pass you by. My idea of perfection is looking up through swaying branches with leaves of red and orange against a backdrop of a clear blue sky. The air is so crisp in the fall and doesn't have the heavy, humid quality of summer air. I miss autumn already.

The Sister-in-Laws To Be...Holiday Magic

On Saturday, I spent the entire day with my future sis-in-laws. There is one rule, and one rule only, for anyone crazy enough to marry into our family. They have to LOVE the Christmas season. They have to be filled with JOY at every family gathering during the holiday season...and if they aren't....THAT'S IT. They would immediately be kicked out of the family. Luckily, they are following the rules. This first picture is the typed itinerary for the week leading up to Christmas. It was created by Amber, my youngest brother's fiance. She is super organized (she noticed what was lacking in the family and immediately stepped up to the plate). She LOVES making schedules. We don't ask why....we just gladly accept the organization. Our first task of the day was to meet at Starbucks for breakfast/caffeine (it's all the same), and to map out Amber's family itinerary. Here is the itinerary and a picture of Amber being super organized, and a man in the background wondering what the heck we are doing.

Earlier when I picked up Kayleigh, my other brother's fiance, she stepped out of the house looking oh, so trendy. She said that she was feeling a "rock star vibe." She carried the rock star vibe in her heart all day. She was very difficult to control in public.

Fashion Rule #101: When hanging out with girls in their early twenties, you must accessorize in a way that will NOT make you look like their mother. I chose the very large flower ring. I was hoping it would distract other shoppers from my new eye wrinkles and stray gray hair.

(Please note: This is only my first fashion rule that I have shared on the blog. However, when giving fashion rules, one must start with the number 101 to appear to be more knowledgeable. I am sharing this secret tip with you because I like to help my readers.) Check out the ring!!

Today we discussed many important, worldly matters....like Twilight. We are very brainy like that. The girls suggested that I am now a "cougar" because 30 year olds should not lust after boys who are not even 18, like the actor who plays Jacob. Wow, I am now a cougar. Raaaaaawr! In a calendar store, we found a Twilight calendar (something every good person needs). The flash in the camera blocked out Bella's face. Ooooops! I guess it's just me and Edward. Sigh.

(Please note: I didn't want anyone thinking that I have something going on with Edward from Twilight, so I left my wedding ring on for this special photo.)

My future sis-in-laws have a major thing for boots. I think they may actually love boots more than they love my brothers. Kayleigh fell in love with these white boots that looked exactly like cottage cheese but felt like HEAVEN. They were like little kids in a candy store when they saw the wide array of colors of boots that Gap has to offer this season. Kayleigh was so amazed by the colors that she shouted out something that I can't write in my blog. Let's just say she was super thrilled.

Those crazy girls are SOOOO immature. They force me to do really silly things, like putting on this flashlight for your head. Okay, I'll confess. I put on the head flashlight while they weren't looking. Kayleigh was checking out and talking to the cashier. I yelled out, "Hey Kayleigh, look!" She turned around, along with the cashier, and busted out laughing. After this episode, the girls made me walk at least ten feet behind them through the mall.

Then Amber saw her dream car....a Smart car. She got into the display car and stuck her head out the top. This was hilarious and cute until the security guard walked up and shook his head. Then we slowly backed away from the display.

Early in our day we took a picture of me with this snowman. He literally filled our hearts with joy and holiday spirit. We all kind of fell in love with him. The snowman is very quiet, but he LISTENED to us and didn't laugh at us. We love men like that. Throughout the day, the girls talked a lot about how wonderful it would be if we had this snowman at our holiday festivities for the years to come.

The girls harassed me all day about the snowman. After hours of walking around and dealing with their antics, I caved. I didn't want them to have a tantrum. I know all about tantrums. Soooooooooo......

Here we are carrying a life size snowman through the mall to the car. His name is Xavier. Don't judge.

In conclusion, I love Kayleigh and Amber! I have no idea how two girls, so intelligent, beautiful, and sweet were able to fall in love with my two brothers who are possibly the two grossest human beings I know (love you boys!). I am thrilled to have them join our crazy family and experience EVERY holiday for the rest of their lives with us. Now if Amber could just get us all to stick to the itinerary and be on time.....now that would be a true Christmas miracle!

Happy Thoughts

Holly Golightly: Listen...you know those days when you get the mean reds?

Paul Varjack: You mean the blues?

Holly Golightly: No...the blues are because you're getting fat or because it's been raining too long. You're just sad, that's all. The mean reds are horrible. Suddenly you're afraid and you don't know what you're afraid of. Do you ever get that feeling?

Paul Varjack: Sure

Holly Golightly: When I get it the only thing that does any good is to jump into a cab and go to Tiffany's. Calms me down right away. If I could find a real life place to make me feel like Tiffany's, then I'd buy some furniture and give the cat a name.

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Today, I got the mean reds. So here's to happy thoughts, like Tiffany's, and here are some of mine (in no particular order).

Audrey Hepburn, my blog, moonbeams, fairy dust, Santa Claus, Pollyana, Barbies, Anne of Green Gables, Edward and Bella, Lindsay and Matthew, Avery and Piper, Rosemary and Olive Oil Triscuits, Cinnamon Vanilla creamer, South Pacific, Alexis, Facebook, Lisa, Grease 1 and 2, dancing, leaping, hanging upside down, bookstores, tutus, giraffes, these amazing rolls, my blankie, crunchy leaves, empanadas, bubble baths, ribbons, paint, angel wings, mermaids, Singing in the Rain, raindrops, dewdrops, Diet Dr. Pepper

And the crazy thing is that no matter how bad the mean reds get, there are always more happy thoughts waiting to be had. The list could be much, much longer.

Who Cut the Cheese...

Who cut the cheese? Sargento did! They cut the cheese to look like little Christmas trees. So this is how it went in the grocery today:

Avery: Look, Mom. That cheese! It's so cuuuuuuute. We have to get some.
Me: No.
Avery: Pleeeeeeeease. It's cuuuuuuuute. I want some. (whining voice begins)
Me: I don't think so.
Avery: I WANT THAT CHEESE.
Me: If I get you that cheese, would it make you sit in the cart and be quiet the rest of the
time in the store?
Avery: Yes.
Me: Throw it in!

And that is how I got pressured into buying "cute" cheese cut out like Christmas trees. Nothing says "Christmas" like cheese. Since when is cheese cute? Below is the cheese. Next to the cheese is the package of "cute" mini pepperonis that I agreed to buy last week.

Now, prepare yourself. Below is a picture of what happens when you put the cute cheese on a festive holiday plate and top each cheesy tree with a mini pepperoni star. MAGIC HAPPENS. Holiday magic that could only happen because of the geniuses at Sargento and Hormel.

Isn't it just plain cute???

I do understand feeling joyful over cheese. Here is Avery eating her prized cheese while wearing the gingerbread man pajamas that she wears every day unless we leave the house. Avery wearing pjs all day....also HER IDEA.

And if the excitement isn't enough yet....I took the camera into the kitchen, handed my husband the new cheese, and said, "Quick. What's your first reaction to Christmas tree shaped cheese?" And here you have it.

And you wonder where my children get their flair for the dramatics...

I did some major eye rolling over this "cute" cheese today. However, Avery came up to me with this sheet of notebook paper covered in scribbles. She said it was a poem that she wrote about Christmas that she thought of after we bought the cheese! Dude....cute cheese inspires poetry!! The best part is that even though she wrote all scribbles, when she actually "read" the poem to me, it was very involved...detailing the joys of the holidays. I love when Avery writes poems!

The main reason I am blogging about this is because someday when my children are grown, I want them to know (AND HAVE PROOF) that when we were poor, I still bought the special, cute Christmas tree cheese! They'll say, "We didn't have much that year, but by golly, we had that awesome cheese."

Have you ever done anything ridiculous in the store to keep your kids happy? Post a comment...I love to hear from you guys!