I have to share my "goodies" I received from Judy at Brocante etc. She had a give away on her blog and by nothing short of a miracle I won! See, I never win anything, ever, period. I am so lucky to have received this generous gift-thank you Judy from the bottom of my heart!

First is the sweet note she included in my package-is this the cutest card you have ever seen?

And behold, my wonderful gifts! A bounty fit for a queen for sure. Included are a cookbook I am anxiously looking forward to browsing at length for some new ideas for treats for Santa. Adorable holiday spatulas with designs. A fabulous tea towel with the twelve days of Christmas designs that will be PERFECT in my black/white kitchen as I have red accents. And last, but not least, TWO blooming teas!

Judy, your generous gift is a treasure I will have for years to come. Thank you so much! Now, I must find a clear teapot to enjoy a cup of tea and a long read of this book!

Where is the time going?

Seriously, where in the world has the time gone? The first week of December is gone and I have not even remotely finished my shopping, haven't even started to decorate, groceries to buy, cookies to bake, OMG!!!!!

Prince and I whacked down a sweet little baby tree on the dirt road coming home last weekend. It was supposed to be a joke for the Princess who is cutting her own tree this year and demands a monster. I am thinking I better just keep the darn thing, stick it in the living room, hang up a couple of dirty socks from the laundry pile and call her good. Maybe?

Well folks, OBVIOUSLY Martha the great doesn't live at my house now does she?

Happy Birthday!

Yeah I know, I really should say Happy Thanksgiving. I hope you have a wonderful day with family, friends, or quiet solitude-whatever you have going today make it terrific! Make sure to take the extra second to say thank you to all those who matter to you and let them know how special they are. Like to all of you, thank you for being the best blog friends a girl could ask for. I am very thankful for your friendship, encouragement, and humor!

But, for today I get a dual celebration. This day also happens to be the birthday of the most incredible man I know. Happy Birthday Prince Charming! Thank you for being my best friend, a compassionate husband, a gentle soul, a always unpredictable joker, and the love of my life. I cherish every moment I have been blessed with having you in my life and wish for you many, many more years of living life to the fullest.

I love you Prince Charming, forever and always!

PS Did I mention in the midst of all the Thanksgiving feast and preparation, I also had to make the most over the top carrot cake with cream cheese frosting you can imagine? Good thing I love him isn't it? HA!

Headed for the hills

Well, the day has finally arrived for the long dreaded drive to the MIL ranch. I hope I have remembered to pack everything, made the list, checked it twice etc. Oh well, improvise is my middle name if I didn't.

Best wishes for all your holiday preparations, enjoy the day!

New toys

Don't you just love new toys? Frankly the Prince says if I don't have a yard sale soon we may have to move, but I can't help it. I love to cook, experiment, try new things. I bought my new friend on, you guessed it, QVC, but I think there are other sources and there is always http://www.cookschoice.com/.

Meet my friend the Better Baker Gourmet Bowl Maker! They come in two sizes, 3 inch or 5 inch. Mine is the 3in as I thought it would be more versatile for things like party treats or if you are hungry you can just have two! Oh, the goodness you can make is endless. Seriously. You just make any old cake mix, bread mix, bisquit mix, whatever strikes your fancy. Poor in the molded pans, pop out when done and you have an edible bowl to fill with any old thing you want. The following are examples from their website to give you an idea.

Who wouldn't worshship you if you serve up a cinnamon pancake for breakfast filled with warm apples and some warm maple syrup?

Or impress the guests with a simple brownie mix filled with ice cream, drizzle with syrup. Good eats for sure.

And a final peek of sheer goodness, make an ice ring to serve up some shrimp cocktail! Genious I tell you, simply genious. Uniform sizes, endless possibilities. Think bisquits and gravy, chili in a bread bowl, stew in a sourdough bowl, pumpkin mouse filled spice cups, chilled soup in a ice bowl (slip a few flowers or fruits in the mold to be in the ice), strawberry short cake, quiche, oh my. I think the choices are endless! You can bet after this Thanksgiving chaos I will be whipping up a few varieties to try this out. Thinking a cheese cake deal for Christmas desert with a filling, hmmmm.... now if I just had my vanilla paste..............

Mourning the loss of a friend

I simply must share my sadness over the loss of a dear, sweet friend. This friend filled my home with love, tender moments, spicy flavor, subtle flecks of sunshine, warming the senses with the sultry flare of complexity. Yes, it is a sad, sad day and I will be forever in mourning. Seriously, forever.

My friends, it is with deep sadness I share with you the name of my VERY best treasured friend who is no more.





His name was Trader Joe's Vanilla Bean Paste. Simple, stately name, completely unglamorous, honest, and true. Yep, my friend has been called to the retail heaven in the sky, never to be seen, smelled, shared, or cherished again. My heart is heavy and my pantry is in full mourning. My baked goods will never be the same again, my senses forced to endure the more costly, less exotic taste of plain Jane old vanilla. Snob that I am simply refuses to accept the "alternatives" out there from "high class joints charging over 3 times what I will pay" for the delicacy. Sniff, sniff, sniff.

Suppose there is a Vanilla Paste Addicts Anonymous group out there I can join? I just want my vanilla paste back folks. Is that seriously so much for one girl to ask for? Pretty please?

I have been so busy with work there is little time to sit and write. We are rapidly approaching Thanksgiving which means a trip to Utah to see the MIL. While I love to visit there, the preparation leading up to it, the long drive, and the need for a rather short stay tend to make me a bit frazzled. She is no longer able to assist with the preparations for such events, so I get to haul all the fixins out to do it for her. I don't mind, but it does take some serious planning to be sure we don't forget anything. 100 miles to the nearest grocery store means you either take it or live without it for sure.

Making plans for the usual this year: turkey, stuffing, mashed potatoes, gravy, cranberry sauce, green bean casserole and of course the dreaded pies. The guest list has managed to shrink dramatically as SIL is going away with her brood so there will likely only be 8-10 for the dinner this time. I have already been warned there better be left over pie upon their return so still plans to make quite a few. Must remember whipped cream, forgot it one year and I was miserable. Selfish me likes LOTS of it on my pumpkin pie.

What are your dinner plans for this year? Any great dishes you can share or traditions you have?