Christmas Day 2014

Christmas Day!!!

Came and went :(

I feel like that always happens....

We started our festivities by packing Brandon's humongous truck with presents, people, and fur babies and got on the road to the ranch. 

Christmas at the ranch is pure bliss... There is nothing but clean country air and family. We unpacked and the boys shot skeet while mama and I started some early cooking. I enjoyed this special time because this Christmas is the first Christmas in 5 years that Brandon has been able to spend with his mom. I flew her down from California as part of Brandon's Christmas gift so that she could spend this special time with my family and her son :) It was probably one of our best Christmases yet. 

Here our some pictures from our amazing day!!!

I got Julia Child's famous cook book!!! Ya'll I am in heaven...Beef Bouginon (sp) here I come!!! The blog is about to BURST with new recipes :)

Christmas Eve 2014...I love him more than ever :)

Good Morning!!! *Christmas Morning* After the breakfast casserole which I blogged about here, coffee, and yummy sausages...we sauntered over to the PRESENTS!

Good Morning!! Grant and his GF Baillie

Brandon and Laurie

uh oh duckies.. better watch out.. baby got some new Binoculars and duck vest!!!!!

and I was spoiled rotten :)

This cook book was given to me by my brother.. I cannot even go into detail because I will never stop talking about how amazing this book is!!!! 

My new arm party from my hubby

mama got pearls!

daddy got his binoculars

My little family

My big baby

Mom and me

Our traditional Christmas dinner * Beef Tenderloin, spinach artichoke salad, whipped bacon bourbon sweet potatoes, and a wedge salad ( no pictured) DROOL.*

I hope everyone had a great Christmas!!!

Bananas Foster Bundt Cake

Just call me the #bundtcakequeenya'll

Last night we held a very special Christmas dinner with our close friends. I feel so blessed to be a part of the San Antonio community. Just to think a year ago we celebrated our first christmas in the house that we bought together and now it has become a place where all of our best friends meet for dinner parties and share memories and laughs over a bottle of wine.  I am cherishing this Christmas and the simplicity of our sweet home that we have worked so hard on because future Christmases will most definitely be filled with the pitter patter of little baby feet, messy faces from licking the cookie batter, and squeals of excitement from all of the Christmas cheer. This has been a beautiful holiday season and I am grateful to have a husband that is so wonderful to share it with.  One of my favorite ways to celebrate the season is to BAKE!!!  Joanne came in from Ft Worth and we had so much fun baking together and getting all of the recipes ready for this fun dinner! Obviously from my blog you may notice that I have an obsession with bundt cakes?? I think Bundt cakes are so awesome because they are SO easy and turn out so pretty. This cake was created from a fabulous blogger Shay Shull, and I created this recipe to share last night and it was a major hit.  Bananas Foster is mine and Brandon's all time favorite dessert and i just HAD to make it :) Enjoy!

Shopping List

One box  yellow cake mix

two boxes vanilla pudding mix

four eggs

1/2 cup veggie oil

1 1/4 cup water

rum extract

two ripe banana sliced

one cup of brown sugar

one stick of butter softened and sliced 

1 cup pcans

Procedure

Preheat your oven to 350 degrees

in your bundt pan, place the butter pats inside and stick inside oven until melted

once melted, take it out and crumble brown sugar, a few dashes of rum extract, the bananas, and the pecans then set aside.

in a bowl combine cake mix, puddings, eggs, oil and water and mix

once mixed well, pour batter into bundt pan( over the sugar banana mix) and bake for 45 minutes.

when done let the cake cool a bit then invert onto a plate and WALA!!! 

Its beautiful right ?? :)

Chicken Gloria

Yesterday, Brandon and I had a HUGE shopping day...

It started with the idea to buy back porch furniture and a chimenea ( SP?) he actually agreed and took me to pick out the furniture I wanted!!!! He is so sweet sometimes :) Then we went to the home organization store and bought some containers and baskets to organize this house of ours...after we were up to our eye balls in home organization goods we remembered that we needed to go to the grocery store. Oh joy. 

So off we went.. I scoured pinterest for something easy and therefore Chicken Gloria came to be!

Quick. Easy. Yummy.- My staples when cooking something new!

Shopping List

three boneless skinless chicken breasts 

8 oz of pre sliced mushrooms

sherry wine ( I just used what we had)

2 tablespoons butter

1/2 cup whole milk

salt/pepper

cream of mushroom soup

slices of muenster cheese (3)

fresh parsley

flour

Procedure

Start by salt and peppering your chicken on both sides, Then lightly dust them in flour. 

Heat up some oil in a pan then gently lay the chicken in the pan and brown on both sides.

Place the chicken in a  9 by 13 glass casserole dish and set aside.

To the chicken drippings add your butter and mushrooms. Saute' until tender...salt and pepper them too. Add a dash or two of wine and cook for another 1 or 2 minutes. Then add your one can of cream of mushroom soup, and the milk. Stir until nice and smooth.

pour this mixture on top of your chicken in the baking dish and bake COVERED IN FOIL at 350 for 30 minutes. Once finished, top the chicken with the slices of muenster cheese and pop back in for another 2 minutes until cheese is melted and bubbly serve over rice or noodles and top with fresh parsley. This is such a yummy dinner y'all!!!!!!

Christmas Cookies

Are you ready for some cookie baking?? 

I am thinking this year I am going to be making these....

and maybe these......

Oh and possibly these...

I will be baking up a storm these next couple of weekends....I absolutely love to give cookies as a gift  wrapped in a really cute DIY box with a ribbon or those cute tins you can find just about anywhere!!! These are truly a gift from the heart and I find that neighbors, co workers, and friends love getting them!! I will list the recipes these upcoming weeks along with a few of my favorite Christmas time Bundt Cakes and loafs....get ready to bake!!!!

xoxo

December Goals

My absolute FAVORITE time of year is finally here!!!! I have been sticking to most of my monthly goals with the exception of a few here and there but for the most part I really like having a little set list of goals to keep me busy and going all month long :) Christmas always has been my absolute favorite time of year..I start listening to Christmas music after Halloween :/ I create a Christmas voicemail each year...and just feel happy all month long during December :) its my favorite time!!!!!

1. Bake my annual tins of cookies for the neighbors, co workers, and various friends

2. Watch a Christmas movie every night

3. enjoy a date night down at the river walk with my husband where the BIGGGG Christmas trees are and all of the festival lights :) 

4. Take family christmas card pictures and mail them before December 5th

5. adopt an angel from a tree at Church

6. Plan and host a Christmas dinner with close friends

7. Start taking yoga three times a week

8. GIVE this blog a MAKEOVER

9. work on our back porch makeover 

10. Enjoy time with my FAMILY

There you have it!! My goals for December ...I think it's a pretty good little list!!!

THANKFUL 2014

Happy Thanksgiving Everyone!!

This year I have so much to be thankful for and I mean to soak up every second of my blessings and remember to give thanks not just today but every single day. The Lord has been good to me and my family and I am so grateful. My thankfulness does not come from the materialistic items I am surrounded with , or big houses, or nice cars.  For me, it comes from a year of struggle. This past year was challenging for me as I learned to adjust to the many new aspects of life and the trials that come with it. During my time in the valley I have become so much stronger and learned to completely lean on God. Where there was once worry, now there is prayer..my anxieties have been lifted and I am replaced with a true peace that is only given from Him. I will be weak at times in this life but now have the knowledge and ability to trust God and lean on him in times of need. My biggest blessings are coming because God has answered our prayers :) I am SO thankful!!!

Holiday Breakfast Casserole

Good Morning!!!

I am a little late on posting this for Thanksgiving but you could totally make this casserole for Christmas morning or even New years.. or really any time you have a bunch of people gathered together for breakfast :) I started making this casserole 4 years ago and ever since my family has requested it for every single holiday!! Enjoy!

Shopping List:

10-12 eggs

four stalks of green onions chopped

1/2 pound sliced mushrooms

one 16 oz container of cottage cheese

two cans of diced green chillies

1 lb shredded monterrey jack cheese

1 cup of flour

1 teaspoon baking powder

1/2 tsp of salt

1/3 cup of melted butter 

one roll of pork sausage 

Procedure:

Begin by browning your pork sausage in a pan over medium

once browned remove and set aside in a separate bowl.

To the pork drippings add a few slices of butter and your chopped green onions and mushrooms

cook until soft.

Add your eggs in a large bowl and whisk well.

Add the green chillies, cottage cheese, and cooked pork sausage mix in well.

Last add the cooked mushrooms, green onions and finally the bag of cheese. Mix until all the ingredients are combined. Place aluminum foil over the bowl and refrigerate overnight.

Next Morning

In a small bowl sift together the one cup flour, 1/2 teaspoon baking powder, and melted butter.. mix and then pour into the egg mixture. 

pour entire mixture into a casserole dish and bake at 350 for 45-50 minutes. 

Happy Holidays!