The Eve of a New Year

Well, 2011 is about to draw to a close,and it's been a really good year overall. I have no complaints!

Tonight we are going to have a seafood dinner-lobster,scallops,shrimp and steamers-and it will be our last big blow out for quite a while.Any leftovers will be made into a nice seafood chowder-with potatoes. Apparently the Shaw boys just make a basic chowder. Considering that they grew up in Portsmouth,right on the ocean,you would think they would make a proper chowder! LOL!

We also have a bottle of bubbly,to ring in the New Year.Rick might have a sip,if that. The last few years I have been lucky to make it to midnight-as soon as the countdown is over, I head for bed! That's OK,though,I have enough New Years Eve parties under my belt. :) At this point,I am more than content to have a few drinks at home and not be out on the road with a bunch of drunken revelers!

People are making their resolutions,and I admit that I no longer make resolutions ( or perhaps,I no longer call them resolutions)because I usually give up on them by February (namely regarding my weight). I have,however, been thinking about what I can do to make myself a better person and to create the type of home I want-meaning,a house with feeling. One of my biggest problems is detail.Now, I am all about the big things. I like to make sure those things get done. However,it's the small things that tie everything together that I seem to let fall to the wayside. For example: a year or so ago,we repainted the living room,put up new trim,etc. I never put the pictures back on the walls. They are still on the floor in the bedroom. Why wouldn't I just put them back up? It's simple,and takes no time. Who knows? I just never did. Silly,isn't it? Another example is the kitchen chair cushions. Over  a year ago,two of the cushions had their ties come off. They were here and there in the house,and a couple of months ago I was able to track them down and I put them in a drawer so they would all be together.I actually sewed (well,my definition of sewing) them back on. Sounds pathetic,but to me that was a big accomplishment! So I am determined that this year,all the loose ends in the house will be tied up.Here are a few:

-organizing the attic
-going through the Christmas ornaments...I have many I no longer want and am going to make some projects with the old glass ones
-make my computer corner an area of inspiration with photos and loved items
-finally frame the photos that have been waiting for years to be displayed

There are many more,but I don't want to bore you with the whole list.You will hear about them enough!

I hope you all have wonderful New Year,and that you are all blessed with much happiness!!!!! A toast to 2012! It's going to be fabulous!!!!!

Christmas Abundance

While to me Christmas is about family,I do admit that I received some fabulous gifts. Much thought was put into all of them,and am very grateful for that,because it makes it mean more that way.

The first gift I received was from my Dear Friend Michelle:

Missing from the above photo is a can of Stonewall Kitchen gluten free pancake mix,and bottles of Butter Pecan Syrup and Maine Wild Blueberry Syrup (we used them Christmas morning!).The pouring bowl is gorgeous! There is nothing more annoying than trying to make pancakes and having the batter go all over the place when you pour it,or ladle it,or however you try and do it. I also love the color,it's a great compliment to the kitchen.The two towels are very special. They were made by Carl,an older gentleman in our Garden group.He and his wife Kay have a loom and they make all kinds of wonderful things. Fabulous!!!


Here is the group of the rest of the wonderful gifts I received:

Zach gave me the lovely photo album,the "Concert for George Harrison" DVD,and the hanging tea tin collection. Now I can have different teas for a while,and it looks great in the kitchen. Rick gave me The Tudors DVD set (not pictured) and the lab created ruby ring,earrings,and necklace. Brother B gave me the ear buds for my Kindle, the calculator(he bought a calculator for each of us,since we can never find the one calculator we own),and the dishcloth crocheting book. My Mom gave me money, and my sister Linda gave me the pretty blue green necklace with earrings to match. The necklace is made up of ribbon fabric.I love the color and the fact that it's different! (The I tunes gift card on the printer is Zach's-it was in his stocking).

As you can see, not only was I blessed with the nearness of loved ones,I was blessed by the generosity of family and friends!

Stuffed Mushrooms

I got this recipe off the internet from "Annie's Eats."


                                                  Stuffed Mushrooms

24 whole fresh button mushrooms
2-4 cloves garlic,coarsely chopped
2 tsp.vegetable oil
8 oz cream cheese,softened
1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese
1/4 tsp.pepper
1/4 tsp.onion powder
1/4 tsp.cayenne pepper
Bread crumbs and minced fresh herbs,for garnish (optional)


Preheat oven to 350. Lightly grease a baking sheet with cooking spray. Clean mushrooms with a damp paper towel.Carefully remove the stems from the mushroom caps,setting the caps aside for later.Add the stems to the bowl of a food processor.Add the garlic to the food processor as well,and pulse in brief bursts until the mushroom stems and garlic are finely chopped.

Heat the oil in a large skillet over medium heat.Add the chopped mushroom stems and garlic and cook until all the moisture has disappeared,about  5-7 minutes.Lower the heat to medium-low.Stir in the cream cheese,Parmesan cheese and spices.Stir together until the mixture is smooth and creamy;remove from the heat.Using a small spoon,fill each mushroom cap with a generous amount of filling.Arrange the mushroom caps on the prepared baking sheet. Top with bread crumbs,if desired.Bake for 20 minutes or until the mushrooms are hot and liquid starts to from under the caps.Transfer to a serving platter,garnish with fresh herbs if using ans serve immediately.

I pre made the mushrooms,and kept them the fridge until it was time to cook them,and it worked fine. The come out very light,with just a slight kick of cayenne at the end. Everyone loved them-there were none left!

Enjoy!!!