Monday dawns...day after Christmas

What's your tradition for "Day After"?  Here it involves sleeping in, drinking coffee, and wondering what's to eat...I told Hubby I think our new tradition should be going to pizza buffet at Double Dave's!  (:  While we wait for everyone to actually GET UP and get going I can haul out the leftover snacks from Christmas Eve...including this dip I made from the last can of pumpkin from Thanksgiving:

I served it with graham crackers - yummy.  Even good for after Christmas breakfast!  (:  Go here for the recipe.  I made it in my new Pampered Chef stoneware pie plate from my sister - so pretty! 

I see  Chicken Pot Pies in my future in 2012...

Now to rouse everyone into getting dressed...pizza rolls and salad are calling my name...

A very Cannary Christmas Eve...

Hello!  What had you been up to today?

We've had a very rainy and cold day here at Camp Rustown...but hearts are warm. 

We enjoyed Overnight French Toast with bacon for a late breakfast..

Did a little last minute shopping at World Market and HEB.   Got the fixin's for dirty martini's...

...and enjoyed them with hot Artichoke Heart Dip...yuuuum...

Hubby finished up all last minute gift buying and we finished wrapping the gifts - each child gets  a different wrap.  No one will know which is theirs until Christmas morning!  

...and Santa doesn't wrap. FYI...so there will be more added to this pile...

Then we set a beautiful last minute table with things we already had, 

added some white napkins and gold chargers...

We will eat by candlelight...magic!  Chicken enchiladas, salad, and wine.  It will seem like a four star restaurant and we will all be hungry after church gets out around 8 p.m.

As the day winds down, I reflect on how fast the season goes by, and how I can slow it down, just a little, and truly live in the moment.

Merry Christmas Eve!

Wimberley Winter Wonderland 2011

We took a trip to the hill country to visit Maggie's shop and bop around for  the day.  It was an overcast and chilly day - perfect for Christmas shopping!

  

  

  

 

  

 

We stopped at Wimberley Cafe for lunch.

 

My sister's shop 

Can't wait to visit Wimberley again soon!

Gina

Wimberley Winter Wonderland

We took a trip to the hill country to visit Maggie's shop and bop around for  the day.

It was an overcast and chilly day - perfect for Christmas shopping!

 So many fun shops with local art

 Lights and greenery strung everwhere

 Quaint little houses turned into gift shops on the square

 

 We got our exercise walking everywhere!

 

We stopped at Wimberley Cafe for lunch.

 

The boys enjoyed just hanging out together and we tore up some delicious burgers!

 We had just missed a big Christmas "To Do" on the square a few days before, 

but found plenty of fun places to pose for pics.

My sister's shop is all decked out in tiny white lights and has the most amazing salsa, sauces, treats, wine...

...and lots of samples to try...

We got Hubby some treats for his stocking.  Fun!  Can't wait to go back soon!

In just three days...

You will be a teenager!  

 Thirteen years have gone by in a flash - so hard to believe.

I will remember that Christmas forever - the sense that we were finally completing a group of people to love and cherish and call a family.  A day that all of us welcomed you as a gift of love to our family. 

 Happy Birthday, Grayson! 

We will never forget that Christmas is your special day, too because having you as a part of our family means so much to all of us 

Gina

In just three days...

You will be a teenager!  

 Thirteen years have gone by in a flash - so hard to believe I actually blinked...

I will remember that Christmas forever - the sense that we were finally completing a group of people to love and cherish and call a family.  A day that all of us welcomed you as a gift of love to our family. 

 Happy Birthday, Bubbie!  

We will never forget that Christmas is your special day, too because having you as a part of our family means so much to all of us 

Christmas cookie tray 2011

I made a last minute cookie tray for Hubby to take to work one day last week.  Just found the ingredients for some basic stuff and ran with it!

Chocolate Pretzel peanut clusters, Russian Teacakes, and Jam Pastries.  YUM.

The clusters were made using the recipe off the package of some chocolate bark I've been wanting to use.  I subbed in pretzels for the chow mein noodles since I already had pretzels on hand.  They also have peanut butter in them - they were so easy and really good!

These Russian Teacakes go by many names - Sandies, Mexican Wedding Cakes, etc.  I made mine with walnuts as pecans have priced themselves out of my budget.  They are simple to make - here is a recipe that's very similar to mine.

I lined them up next to the pile of clusters and kept baking...

Last but not least were the jam pastries.  This recipe called for pie crust, jam, cinnamon sugar, and nuts.

You roll out the dough onto the sugar and press it in.  Then spread the jam on, sprinkle the nuts, roll the whole thing up, and slice to bake.

I think they came out so pretty!  Looks like I slaved for hours, but really,

I spent maybe one hour total on the whole thing!

I think these would be good for breakfast, too.  Today is another baking day at my house in preparation for the cookies we leave out for the Fat Man.  What's on your last minute agenda?  Any cookie baking?

Gina

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