December 2011

Guess I’m becoming one of those “once a month” bloggers. December was packed with family, travel, and my favorite, Christmas cookies. Here are some highlights!

Matchy Cousins Ready for Christmas

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Disneyland at Christmastime

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Christmas with Jeff and Jenna

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Christmas with Grani and the Newkirks

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Christmas with the Boys

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Christmas with the Gransee’s

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A Happy New Years at the Cabin

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What a great day! We are blessed to be so close to both sides of our families, so we had a very full day of yummy food and giving thanks. I really love Thanksgiving.

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This is what happens when you try to take a picture of all the little ones at the end on the night. Not so great! Next time I’m going to try to remember to take a group shot before they are all worn out!
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The boys have been asking for smoothies every day. They call them “salad smoothies” because I put a bunch of spinach in the blender when I make them. Even Lincoln likes them!

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Pretty refreshing when it is so darn hot out. My favorite rendition is a sandwich thin or bagel with garden veggie cream cheese topped with thin slices of english cucumber and a sprinkle of dill.

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We had fun testing out my new kitchen for our annual Christmas baking day this year. No new cookie recipes to share because we made the same ones as last year. But I did try a new recipe from my mother in law for everyone to munch on while we were baking that I loved. I would describe it as a cross between caramel corn and rice crispy treats. Easy to make and highly addictive!

Soft Caramel Corn
2 bags microwave popcorn (I love to use PopSecret Homestyle)
1 stick of butter
1/2 cup brown sugar
8 large marshmallows
Pop popcorn and remove unpopped kernels. In a small saucepan, melt butter, sugar, and marshmallows over medium heat stirring frequently until everything is dissolved. In a large bowl, gently mix popcorn and caramel sauce together. Spread mixture on a lined cookie sheet and allow to cool.
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