Merry Christmas From This Southern Girls Nest to Yours

Since we will be so busy today and tomorrow, I am wishing all my readers a very Merry Christmas!  I hope that y’all all have a safe and happy Christmas.

This is Kelsie’s Santa picture this year.  She had been talking about sitting in Santa’s lap for weeks….this was all she would give us! *smiles*

Home Made Apple Cider

I am not a fan of the store bought stuff at all.  I think it has an odd flavor whether it’s hot or cold.  There is just something “off” about it. 

We were at my brothers house for Thanksgiving and my niece made her famous apple cider.  This stuff was delicious!  I am now a fan of apple cider but only if it’s this recipe!

Here is a teaser of what the finale looks like!

Head over to Amanda’s {my niece} blog, Celebrating Life Series and check out this scrumptious easy recipe!  Which is surly to become a holiday favorite. *Smiles*

Procrastination – A Terrible Category

I am a huge procrastinator.  As a matter of fact at this very moment I have said since Sunday afternoon that I was going to fold the laundry that is sitting at this very moment in my living room staring at me. 

I started out this morning doing good.  I said today was the day I was going to clean the house all up, top to bottom.  Because we all know that Christmas is in 3 days and I will have to cook most of the day on Thursday for Christmas dinner. {we are going to Zack’s moms house and I am taking a few things}

So I unloaded the dish washer, loaded it back up, wiped down the counter tops…and then was greeted with piles of “stuff”.  Receipts, bills, stickers, papers, mail, etc on the end of the counter {what you don’t have that “stuff”?}.  Why does this “stuff” end up here?  We don’t have a place to put it.  So this made me stop cleaning house and think of what I should do with that “stuff”.  A cute basket perhaps?  Or maybe a decorative bowl?  Hmmm…I’ll do that later, I thought.  Back to cleaning house.

Ok, on to the boxes sitting around waiting to go back in the hall closet from last weeks water heater going out.  The floor is finally dry in there, but it still smells musty, so I throw two dryer sheets in there and think to myself I’ll give it a good cleaning {already cleaned it once with bleach and carpet cleaner plus Lysol} with carpet powder after Christmas.  I put the stuff back in there {finally} and think of what all else I need to do.

The laundry is still looking at me! {procrastinating}  I need to vacuum the den and bedrooms, I’ll do that last. {procrastinating}  I should start another load of laundry, I thought to myself, as I  enter the bathroom and greeted with a large pile of dirty clothes. {what you say, yours is all neat and tidy in a basket?} I’ll do that tonight, I think to myself.  {procrastinating}

Why is that I can make a list of all that is lurking in the wings waiting to be done but can’t seem to get it finished?  Procrastination – A Terrible Category!

Some days I can whisk through the house and not stop until it’s clean. other days I keep putting it all off until later. 

Today I am going to stop procrastinating and start doing it!

School Christmas Parties

Friday was a busy day of Christmas parties at the girls’ school.  Zack and I both went because I had to be at both parties.  First I helped out in Kelsie’s room and then moved on to Kayla’s.  Zack and Kelsie came and hung out in the last 30 minutes…

The kids had so much fun.  Kelsie’s class exchanged gifts that they purchased for each other on the field trip the week prior and ate tons of sugary goodies.  Kayla’s class made personal pizzas and “hung out”.  The girls were grouped together drawing and talking and the boys were grouped together playing PSP’s and and talking about video games. 

Kelsie really enjoyed hanging out with the big kids.  She loves Kayla’s teacher.  Kayla had her last year when she was in 4th grade and the teacher found out last year she was moving up to 5th grade.  Kayla got lucky enough to get her again!  Everyday when the kids come out, Kelsie yells out bye to her, even though we are in the car and she can’t hear.  She still likes telling her.  I hope she is still teaching by the time Kelsie gets in 5th grade or if she moves grades, I hope Kelsie gets her.  She is a GREAT teacher!

Christmas Goodies {Yummy!}

The other day I posted my recipe for Reindeer Food, because we have to feed those deer right?!  Plus we think it’s pretty scrumptious as well.  I sent a big batch of it today for Kelsies class and the beginning of next week I’ll make more for obvious reasons of course. *smiles*

Since I have been in the kitchen almost daily I thought I’d share a few more recipes we enjoy this time of year.

Oyster Cracker Snacks

• 1 bag oyster crackers
• 1 packet Ranch Dip Mix
• 1 tsp Dill
• 1/4 cup Canola oil {heated in microwave for 45 secs}

1. Pour warm oil over oyster crackers in a zip top bag and shake until thoroughly coated.
2. Add Ranch Dip Mix and Dill, shake until coated.

Haystacks

• 1 bag chow mein noodles
• 1 bag butter scotch chips
• 1 heaping tablespoon peanut butter

1. In large bowl add butter scotch chips and peanut butter, melt in microwave.
2. Once melted pour over the top of chow mein noodles and mix together until all noodles are coated.
3. Pick up little piles of noodles and place on wax paper or foil until dry.

Dale’s Sauce Chex Mix

• 3 cups Corn Chex cereal
• 3 cups Rice Chex cereal
• 3 cups Wheat Chex cereal
• 1 cup mixed nuts
• 1 cup bite-size pretzels
• 1 cup bite-size bagel chips
• 6 tablespoons butter or margarine
• 2 tablespoons Dales sauce
• 1 1/2 teaspoons seasoned salt
• 3/4 teaspoon garlic powder
• 1/2 teaspoon onion powder

1. Heat oven to 250°F.
2. In large bowl, mix cereals, nuts, pretzels and bagel chips; set aside.
3. In ungreased large roasting pan, melt butter in oven. Stir in seasonings.
4. Gradually stir in cereal mixture until evenly coated.
5. Bake 1 hour, stirring every 15 minutes. Spread on paper towels to cool.

Sausage Balls

• 1 (1-pound) package ground sausage
• 3 cups baking mix {I use Bisquick}
• 4 cups grated sharp Cheddar
• 1/8 tablespoon pepper

1. Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F.
2. Spray a baking sheet with vegetable oil cooking spray. 
3. Combine all ingredients in a large glass bowl. Mix well with your fingers.
4. Form into 1 inch balls, squeezing the mixture so it holds together, then rolling it between the palms of your hands to form balls. 
5. Place the balls on the baking sheet. Bake for 18 to 20 minutes or until golden brown.

I hope y’all enjoy!  What are some recipes that ya’ll make this time of year that you don’t any other time?

Life Always Throws You for a Loop

Things were going good and then bam, life slaps you in the face!

Yesterday I went to go and get a wonderful one hour massage by my cousin for review…by the way if you are locally in Panama City you should go enter the giveaway for a one hour Swedish massage, *smiles* You can enter that here.

Anyways…I came home relaxed and feeling wonderful.  I went to put on a load of clothes and take a bath around 4 yesterday afternoon…Got out and the kids were playing the Wii.  I heard water dripping from somewhere and thought it must be raining.  I peeked out the door and well it wasn’t raining.  I ask Kayla to take a walk around to see where she heard it coming from.  She got to the hallway and said “momma it’s coming from the closet”.  The closet where the AC unit and the hot water heater are located.  I got up thinking it was the AC because we totally forget to pour bleach down the drain {this has happened a few times}.  When I got to the closet and looked…water was leaking out the hot water heater!  OH NO!  I call Zack and tell him to come home that I don’t know what to do.  I call my sister n law because like I told Zack, I don’t know what to do.

My brother tells her to tell me to turn the water off to the water heater.  Ahh.  Ok, it stopped leaking out the top but still coming out the bottom {slowly, thank goodness, we have Pergo flooring}. 

It was a long night none the less trying to reach a plumber, without any luck at all.  Calling the two plumber like friends that know how to do this, but no luck, they can come over today but no water for the night!  I need to wash clothes…kids need uniforms for school…they needs baths…dinner, we haven’t even fixed dinner and no money to go out to eat. 

I got online to reply back to an message from Joelle {my cousin that gave me the massage} and told her what was going on.  Before the message got to her good, the phone was ringing and it was her significant other asking if he could help.  He and their son came over LAST NIGHT and they and Zack went to buy a new water heater and installed it, LAST NIGHT!  Thank you God, my prayers were answered. 

We all went to bed late, but we went to bed clean, fed, dishes and clothes washing. 

Life always seems to throw you for a loop when everything is going great!

From School Musicals to Gingerbread and Company Parties

Kayla tried out for choir this year because she loves to sing {a lot}.  Wonder who she got that from…hmmmm. *smiles* I was in choir myself when I was in elementary and middle school.  She got accepted and so they have been practicing for months now for the Christmas Musical, Peace On Earth.  The 5th grade choir puts on a show every year and this year was no different.  Kayla has come home every day and sang until she can sing no more.  She has stayed after school to practice…they were ready!

Kayla didn’t have a solo because she missed the try outs for that.  She didn’t tell me until the day after the try outs. : (  Oh well.  She was an understudy after trying out.  But the girls happen to come that night.

The little boy that played Santa Claus was hilarious!  He added a lot of little things himself. 

Then that night we built our gingerbread house!

Saturday night, Zack’s mom and grandmother came over to watch the girls while we went to Zack’s company Christmas party.  It was a lot of fun, the food was delicious. 

Yes ya’ll I am taller than Zack.  Only by one inch in all measurement reality.  When we are in normal shoes you can’t tell it, but since I was in heels, well there was a height difference. *smiles*

We had a busy weekend and it was a lot of fun.  Next weekend we are going to visit Santa!  The countdown is definitely on, only 11 days until Christmas!!  I still have two dirty santa gifts to get and a few more stocking stuffers for the kids and Zack.  Plus one “santa” gift for Kelsie, plus wrap a few things arriving by mail this week. Whew…I am gonna be busy!