Friday Funnies

More Christmas Freebies

Another crazy but cute Christmas game for your computer --The Other Side of Claus

See Santa's Dancing Deer here (This is very cute)

One of the coolest sites. Watch 101 Classic Videos Online Watch

Funny 3 Little Pigs Christmas



Get great Christmas wallpaper for your computer here: Wallpaper

Wordless Wednesday

Granddaughters and Gingerbread Men

I am having so much fun this Christmas with my 4-year old granddaughter. She is so enthusiastic about everything! She helped pick out the christmas tree. She practically decorated it herself (minus the lights) and she wrapped presents.
She would wrap as many as I would give her! So much energy and excitement!

The best part of the weekend was the gingerbread men! She did a great job.




She was obviously pleased with the outcome.

We just used one of the $8.00 kits from Walmart. If you want to make your own, here's Rachel's recipe.

Gingerbread Men
1/4 c. boiling water
1/2 c. butter
1 tsp. Baking soda
1 tso. cinnamon
1 tsp. ginger
1/2 c baking molasses
3 c. flour
1/2 tsp. salt
1/4 tsp ground cloves
1 egg
1/2 c brown sugar

Melt butter in boiling water. Add all the other ingredients. Then chill the dough for 2 hours. Roll out and cut into shapes. Push red hots (buttons) into the men before baking. Bake at 350 degree for 8-10 minutes. Cool and decorate with frosting. Makes 24 cookies.

Also here is a Kraft recipe: Gingerbread People

Aside from my own "personal" treasures, I do have some web loot to share.

You can get free and legal Christmas music directly from the artists.
Feels Like Christmas

Santa's Christmas Ride Game

You can download the exe and play the game on your computer.
Santa's Christmas Ride




You can chat live with Santa for free Chat With Santa

Friday Funnies

IF YOU SEE A FAT MAN ...

Who's jolly and cute,
Wearing a beard and a red flannel suit,

and if he is chuckling and laughing away,
while flying around in a miniature sleigh,

With eight tiny reindeer
to pull him along,

Then let's face it...
Your eggnog's too strong!

Free Christmas Web Treasures

Here are a couple of little treasures I ran across that I would like to share with you.

Amazon.com is giving away 25 free Christmas downloads! They will have a new song everyday until Christmas!

Amazon



You can also get Curious George Christmas With A Monkey here

Andy Griffith, Away in a Manger

The Coolest, safest and most beautiful Christmas Screensavers here at Graphics Blandishment

Wordless Wednesday

Snowflakes and Apple Butter

I just made some apple butter for Christmas gifts and it came out great! I got the bacic recipe from Rachel's blog. You can see my process here at Just Put It In A Crockpot

Looking around for little web treasures the way I do, I found this little gem.
Facts Of Life Christmas

I've been into football more than usual this year; especially, college football. I found this handy little site to keep up with who plays who and when on the college bowl games. Hey, girls like football too! 2009-2010 College Bowl Football Games

If you like the Christmas Classics, like I do, here's one for you

Here is mine and my youngest daughter's favorite Christmas song.

MAKE A SNOW FLAKE

Items You Will Need:

Elmer’s Glue, 1 small bottle per person

Q-tips, 30-60 per person, or more, depending on the
number and size of snowflakes you want to make.

Waxed paper, one 18 inch sheet per snowflake
Glitter, optional (glitter glue also lends a neat effect)

Procedure:

Spread a sheet of waxed paper on the table surface. This will be your working space. Using Q-tips, design a snowflake on the waxed paper. Q-tips may be bent, broken in two, or used whole for different effects. In general, the end with the cotton swab should create a corner with a neighboring swab.

The best-looking, most accurate snowflakes are six sided, although three-sided works well too.

Experiment by arranging three or six Q-tips in a sunburst fashion, with one end meeting in the middle. These will be your stems. Using more Q-tip pieces, repeat patterns between the stems. Keep in mind that every Q-tip must be connected to the whole.

When you have finished your snowflake design, squeeze a puddle of glue over each joint. Do not skimp! Use lots of glue. A large puddle is needed to connect Q-tips together. Don’t worry if the puddle spreads and loses shape—it will harden clear and contribute to the overall crystalline effect of the snowflake. For a sparkly effect, shake the snowflake with glitter before the glue dries.

Set the snowflake on the waxed paper aside until the glue dries. This will take several hours, and maybe even overnight. Continue making more snowflakes!Try different sizes by using different lengths of cotton swaps for the stems.

When the glue has dried completely, carefully pull the snowflake away from the waxed paper. If an

insufficient amount of glue was used to hold the Q-tips together, simply return the snowflake to the waxed paper and cover with more glue. You will have to wait again for the glue to dry. Then remove the snowflake from the waxed paper. Use clear fishing line to hang from the ceiling. Tada! You have an instant blizzard!

Get some snowflake design ideas from here


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Friday Funnies #5

Kids Who Look Like Their Pets

Pomegranates

Last year, my Mom gave me a pomegranate. She was shocked that I didn't know what it was. She said they are so good. Just slice 'em, salt 'em and eat 'em. She warned me that they were very sour and very sweet. Yuk! Bitter was a better description, at least, to me. I saw them in the store last week and did a little research. I bought a couple. They actually taste good... when you eat them correctly.

The seeds look like jewels and are called arils. They are used as the topping on the Jewel Cake recipe.

The story behind the pomegranate is really interesting. Apparently, some people believe it's the original forbidden fruit of the tree of life in the Garden of Eden. I thought it was the fig or the apple.

You can read more here:

Here's what I've learned about this creature. It is not the little green things that grow on vines that we used to step on and pop out on the playground.

Here's how you get into it.

Cut the top off (the end with the little tail). Then slice it all the way around just to the center. Soak it in water for 5 to 10 minutes, then start pulling it apart and separating the seeds from the pith. (Don't you just love that word? PITH!).


The seeds will sink to bottom and the rind will rise. You can easily skim over the top with your fingers and remove it. Drain the water off those beautiful jewels and your done!


Okay. What do we do with them now? Well, I had to play with them for a while. They really are pretty; and I just couldn't stop munching on them.


You can juice them or eat them alone or mix them with ice cream or yogurt or put cool whip on top or try out these recipes.














Spinach Pomegranate Salad

Ingredients

* 1 (10 ounce) bag baby spinach leaves, rinsed and drained
* 1/4 red onion, sliced very thin
* 1/2 cup walnut pieces
* 1/2 cup crumbled feta
* 1/4 cup alfalfa sprouts (optional)
* 1 pomegranate, seeds separated
* 4 tablespoons balsamic vinaigrette

Directions

1. Place spinach in a salad bowl. Top with red onion, walnuts, feta, and sprouts. Sprinkle pomegranate seeds over the top, and drizzle with vinaigrette.


Pomegranate Margarita

Ingredients

* 1 cup tequila
* 1 cup triple sec
* 1/4 cup confectioners' sugar
* 4 cups ice
* 1 cup pomegranate juice
* 1 cup fresh lime juice

Directions

1. Pour the tequila and triple sec into a pitcher. Sprinkle in the confectioners' sugar, and stir to dissolve. Add the ice, and pour in the pomegranate juice and lime juice. Stir to mix, then serve. You can add more tequila to taste if you're a professional.

Pomegranate Ice Cream

Ingredients

* 1 cup heavy cream
* 1 cup white sugar
* 1 cup pomegranate juice
* 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
* 1 pinch salt

Directions

1. Stir together the heavy cream and sugar. Stir in the pomegranate juice, vanilla extract, and salt. Add the mixture to an ice cream maker and freeze according to the manufacturer's directions.



Blushing POM Holiday Cheesecake

Ingredients

* Crust: 2 cups graham cracker or chocolate cookie
crumbs
* 1/2 cup granulated sugar
* 1/2 cup (1 stick) butter or margarine, melted

* Filling: 4 8-oz. packages cream cheese, softened
* 1 1/4 cups granulated sugar
* 4 large eggs
* 3/4 cup milk
* 1 tablespoon vanilla extract
* 1/2 teaspoon salt

* Topping: Juice from 34 large POM Wonderful
Pomegranates* or 1 1/2 cups
POM Wonderful 100% Pomegranate Juice
* 1/3 cup granulated sugar
* 1 tablespoon cornstarch

* Garnish: (Optional) 1/3 cup arils from 1 large POM Wonderful
Pomegranate
* Fresh mint leaves

Preparation

* Crust: 1. Preheat oven to 400F.
* 2. Stir together crumbs, sugar and butter until moistened.
* 3. Press evenly into bottom of a 13 x 9 x 2-inch baking dish.

* Filling: 1. In a large mixer bowl beat cream cheese and sugar on medium speed of electric mixer until fluffy. Beat in eggs, milk, vanilla and salt just until blended. Pour over crust in pan; spread evenly.
* 2. Bake for 15 minutes, then reduce heat to 350F and bake 20 to 25 minutes more, until cake is firm at sides and soft-set (jiggles slightly) in the center. Do not over-bake.
* 3. Cool cake in pan on a wire rack for up to 2 hours, then cover and refrigerate for 2 to 4 hours before serving. (Refrigerate cake for up to 1 week.)

* Topping: 1. Prepare garnish Score 1 fresh pomegranate and place in a bowl of water. Break open the pomegranate under water to free the arils (seed sacs). The arils will sink to the bottom of the bowl and the membrane will float to the top. Sieve and put the arils in a separate bowl. Reserve 1⁄3 cup of the arils from fruit and set aside. (Refrigerate or freeze remaining arils for another use.)
* 2. Prepare fresh pomegranate juice.*
* 3. In saucepan combine juice with sugar and cornstarch. Bring to boil; reduce heat. Cook and stir for 2 minutes. Cool slightly; spread glaze over cake.
* 4. Sprinkle reserved arils on top; garnish with mint leaves if desired.

What do you do with your pomegranates?

Want more recipes?

Pomegranate Apple Bread


Jewel Cake

I Love Apple Pie

After all that food, I'm 3 pounds heavier. I don't do New Year's resolutions but this might the year.

One of my favorite dishes this year for Thanksgiving was my apple pie. I seem to have a bigger taste for apples this year than usual.

Here's how I made it:

4 regular size apples (I used 2 red delicious and 2 golden delicious)
1/2 cup flour
1/2 cup sugar
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon nutmeg
a dash of ground cloves
5 pats of butter or stick margarine
1 premade pie crust (2 pack)

I don't like for the spices to overwhelm the natural apple flavor but I prefer a little spice to no spice at all.

Put all the ingredients into a large bowl (except the butter) and mix together. Coat the apples well.

Line the pie pan with one of the pie crusts. Arrange the coated apples onto the crust. Sprinkle the rest of the mixture over the apples.

Place the butter pats around on top of the apples and put one in the center.

Top it with the other pie crust. Pinch the edges together and cut slits in the top.

Bake at 425 or 45 minutes.

A sad thing happened the day after Thanksgiving...



R.I.P Bootsie - You were a part our family for 16 1/2 years. You brought us so much joy and we will miss you terribly!