Give Thanks

The Holiday weekend is upon us. It's time to pull out the aprons, grab out the roasting pans, cookie sheets and pie pans. I'm excited to have everyone home for the holiday. There is nothing more important to me than spending time with my family.

I'll be baking and maybe blogging about the process along the way. But I wanted to take a moment to wish everyone a Happy and Healthy Holiday with their family and friends. I hope you all have some great time feasting with your loved ones.

And remember to give thanks...

Holiday Hands

The holidays are upon us and I'm starting to get the house ready...oh yeah, and my hands. I'm practicing on my nails. These blue nails help the white snowflakes really pop.

But I'll be doing other decorations and trying out other designs.

How 'bout you? Do you do any special designs for the holidays.

Catching Fire

I read this book a few years ago but it is still fresh in my mind and heart, which made seeing the movie a fun experience even though the story is so dark and sadly depressing.

There are moments of hope, such as when the tributes sacrifice themselves for Katniss and Peeta. They are hoping to be a part of something bigger than the Hunger Games. The Tributes are trying to start a revolution. And they do. Together they work to change more than their own paths, they are changing the world.

It's a very sad movie in a lot of ways but also it brings out the strength in love, hope and helping others.

I highly recommend this movie.

If you see it, let me know what you think.

OFF TO THE SCBWI FALL RETREAT

I'm off to see the wizard(s) and wizardesses of words and writing at Silver Falls and hopefully learn a thing or two. Plus this will be a great time away from the city to spend time reading and writing and talking with other like-minded folk.

If you want to read more about it, click over here.

Nothing Says the Holidays

Like Egg Nog. Yep, you heard me. When I was young, Mom used to make homemade Egg Nog and I still remember sipping it warm off the oven. I'd make my own, cold version-sans alcohol, after New Year's rolled around because Mom only made it from Thanksgiving to Christmas. Hot Buttered Rum was a celebration drink.

And last night, after dinner, we all started talking about Nogs of different varieties. Some people like the thin, low-fat version, while others like the super rich and thick heavy cream variety.

I myself prefer the homemade version and it made me think back to when Mom made those mugs of Hot Buttered Rum.

One thing was obvious from all of our talk, we all had differing opinions. So, my son ran up to the store and bought a couple different types.

Now, we don't usually sit around downing rum and Egg Nog, but 'tis the season. So we did a few taste tests.

And guess which one came out the winner:

Yep, the Classic because it had more "spice" than the other version, which seemed a little watered (or 'milked') down.

But then I wanted to add the "Hot-Buttered" equation to the party.

So I took a cube of butter and one cup of brown sugar and warmed them on the oven. Then I took the Classic variety of Egg Nog and warmed it on the stove.

Here's how I doctored up that store-bought Nog:

I took Two Tablespoons of my hot buttered rum batter and put it in the bottom of a mug, then I poured a generous helping of the classic nog liquid over the top and stirred in a jigger of rum (a little less in my cup). Then we toasted the holidays.

So, if you want Hot Buttered Rum for Thanksgiving but don't want to go to all the work to make it completely from scratch, this is the way to do it.

RECIPE:

INGREDIENTS:

One half-gallon of classic Nog
1 cube of butter
1 cup of brown sugar

INSTRUCTIONS:

Start with your store-bought "classic" Egg Nog and warm it slowly on the stove, stirring constantly.
Warm one cube of butter and one cup of brown sugar on the stove (until just before it turns to caramel) to make your Hot Buttered Rum Batter.

Take two tablespoons of your "batter", put it in a mug and pour the warmed classic egg nog over the top, then add your portion of rum  to the drink for a warm, comforting, celebration drink.

CHEERS!

Halloween Might be Over but this is one Creepy House

It sits on a beautiful corner in a beautiful city but no one walks on this side of the street, there is even moss growing on the walkways, as if people see it then turn away and cross the street, unwilling to stroll down the same side of the sidewalk.

Apparently it's a house with a haunted history . . . full of memories because no one passes by this house, at least not that I saw. There were trills of laughter and footfalls around me, always on the other side of the street.

Obviously this house has a story to tell because when people are too afraid to walk on the same side of the street, it makes me wonder...what happened in there?

Obviously it was a grand home at one time in history...so why has it been abandoned? The shutters are closed up, protecting the home for prying eyes...except for the turret. . . as if someone could be sitting up in that room, looking outside and watching...

I see the hidden beauty, masked behind years of neglect and I want to pull out a paintbrush and give it a fresh coat of paint, to spruce the place up a bit...

But then I see that "ONE WAY" sign stabbed into the grass out front...it seems to be pointing away from this house and away from this side of the street, like a warning.

I know when I was a child, this boarded up house, would cry out to me...calling me to want to sneak inside and explore the hidden rooms to discover its secrets.

But today, it was a little creepy...even crossing over to take a few photos. As if, I was invading this Grande Ole' Dame's privacy.

Beautiful...in an eerie sort of way.

DIY Floor Refinishing - Sanding the Old - In With the New

So, as you can see, the project isn't finished but...it is getting there. And if you didn't see the floors before my hubby began this process - let me give you a peek.

This floor is 123 years old. So it's OLD fir flooring that has seen its share of wear and tear. But before my hubby could strip the layers of paint away, he had to do a few minor repairs--there were a few weak boards he wanted to replace.

You can see him here, reaching down into a hole to make a patch in the floor, and of course he had to use old flooring so it would match.  (A note to gardening friends - do you see him on his knees - yes, he's using a favorite gardening tool of mine - a Knee Pad, so there is more than one way to use this tool).

Anyway, then he had to strip off the first layer of paint with a machine he rented from The Home Depot for $60 for the day.

(You can see his patch job there - it won't show up so much after he strips the paint away from the other boards). But then he started the job, going slowly over the floor and being careful not to take too much off. He was concerned about gouging the wood but this old fir is super strong and you can see it was much improved after the first pass.

Of course he had to go over the floor a second time.

And then he actually got down on his hands and knees (using my gardening tool again) to get the last stubborn bits of paint up off those boards.

It was an all-day project and it was definitely a dirty job - he wore a dust mask to keep from breathing in the tiny particles floating in the air.

And you can see all the dirt left behind from the sander.

We're going to put a clear Varathane over the floor to protect the wood from scratches and wear but that's a project for another day.