Happy Valentine's Day

     Lately Nursing school has been taking up more and more of my time, which means my amazing husband has found himself filling in my shoes more often than not.  He's been wonderful about it, and I've really been impressed with just how quickly he willingly took on my share of the load so that I could devote more time to my studies.  That being said, there's definitely been a huge learning curve, for both of us, and what would this blog be without a funny story or two (or more) of my sweet husband navigating his way through this new uncharted territory?
     Just about every pay day, y'all have read my stories of misadventures to the commissary, and you've heard (and ignored) my pleas to remind me to not bring my husband to the store with me in the future.  Well the other night, I decided to be smart and send my husband to the store by himself.  He asked me to go with him, but I declined because Monkey needed help finishing her homework, and I still had some homework of my own to take care of, so off he went to the store alone.  Five minutes after he left I got a phone call.  It was J, telling me that the commissary was closed (it was Monday, of course) and that he'd be headed to Walmart instead.  I thanked him for the head's up (as this would mean he'd be gone longer than expected) and hung up the phone.  About three minutes later my phone rang again.  It was J again, asking if Rouse's would be better than Walmart.  I told him it really didn't matter to me.  Rouse's is a tad more pricey, but it's locally-owned so I let him decide, and got off the phone in order to help Monkey with her homework.  Another 5 minutes went by and my phone rang yet again.  It was J.  He wanted to tell me he chose Rouse's and what would I like for dinner?  I told him I'd leave it up to him since he was cooking.  I told him I really needed to concentrate on my homework now that Monkey was finished with hers.  I reassured him that I trusted him to make these choices alone, and then I got off the phone.  Ten minutes later, it rang again.  Guess who?  J wanted to know if I wanted tacos for dinner.  He'd just grab some ground beef, since we had most of the other ingredients at home.  At this point I should have said "yes that's fine dear" and left it at that, but I was trying to finish up some stuff on my computer and I was not thinking clearly, so I said something bout having a burrito for lunch and not really wanting Mexican food again.  Then J started asking about various types of meat I may be interested in, and I lost my patience, asked him to figure it out, and got of the phone hastily.  At this point I realized I wouldn't get much studying accomplished, as Monkey was finished with her chores and getting bored, so as I got out the craft supplies, I called my sister because she had asked me to call her earlier that day.  As I'm filling her in on my husband's antics, I hear a beeping noise on the line.  J again!  I put my sister on hold only to have my husband ask me if I preferred flaky biscuits or the Grands.  Apparently he had settled on breakfast for dinner, and just wanted to hear my voice telling him that was a good idea.  I told him to stop calling me and just come home and start cooking.  I hung up, switched back to talking to my sister, and decided I would never send him to the store alone again.  That notion was only confirmed when 5 minutes later there was another beeping sound in my ear.  I didn't answer that time, and he finally stopped calling.  I think he missed me, because he came come with a King Cake and a bag of Hershey's Kisses with Almonds :-)
     As much as I pick on him, I am going to miss my husband this weekend.  He's going to his mom's so that Monkey can enjoy the Mardi Gras parades.  I stayed behind to study for my OB/Peds final exam.  The house is very quiet without them here.  Of course, this means my husband is getting out of Valentine's Day.  Somehow he manages to do that every year.  Oh well, it really isn't that important of a holiday in my opinion.  If it were my birthday or an anniversary, I may be more upset.  I was really more upset that I wouldn't be able to make special snacks and crafts with Monkey than anything else.  I did make up for that a bit, though, with these cute lunches and by helping her make some special goodies bags for her Valentine's Day party at school.

Heart Chef's Salad (Kinda)
 

     Okay this one didn't quite come out the way I wanted it, but it was still a yummy lunch, so I'm including it.  I laid out a couple of slices of ham, topped that with a layer of sliced Monterrey Jack cheese, and finished it off with a layer of salami.  I log-rolled the whole thing, and sliced it into little rounds.  I positioned two rounds each on a toothpick.  They were supposed to look like hearts when I did this, but I didn't quite get it to work at 0530.  Unless you turn your head and squint, that is.  I shrugged it off and placed the toothpicks on a bed of lettuce and spinach and added a few diced tomatoes and slivered almonds.  I included a bit of Italian dressing, some strawberries, a few Wheat Thins, and a NutriGrain bar.

Cupid's Lunchbox

     For this lunch, I simply cut two slices of bread and a couple slices of ham using a heart-shaped cookie cutter to form the sandwich.  I added a cheese stick with a sweet message written in permanent marker on the wrapper.  Next I threw in some celery sticks and a few crackers.  The final touch was a pair of Cupid's arrows that I made by threading blueberries, orange wedges, and strawberries onto a wooden kabob.

 DIY Lunchable: Valentine's Version

     I know I use this idea a ton, but it's just so versatile.  I cut two types of cheese (Colby Jack and Monterrey Jack) into heart shapes.  Next I cut turkey pepperoni slices into hearts.  I added a bit of blueberries and strawberries I had cut to look like hearts.  I also included some Ritz crackers (not pictured) for Monkey to make cracker sandwiches with.

DIY Mini Pizzas: Valentine's Version

     This is another one I've done before, but by cutting the pepperonis into heart shapes it makes it a special Valentine's lunch.  Included in this box was an English muffin cut in half, shredded Mozzarella cheese, turkey pepperonis cut into hearts, homemade pizza sauce, Wheat Thins, blueberries, and strawberry cut into hearts.

     I love making these special lunches for Monkey, and I hope one day she looks back fondly on the memories and sees that her Mommy just wanted to do something a little extra to make each day special for her.  Speaking of little somethings to make someone's day special, let me show you the little goodies she packed for her Valentine's Day party at school yesterday.

Aren't these goodie bags cute?

      First I found some cute goodie bags at Walmart.  Monkey picked out her favorite design.  We brought them home and filled them with the following goodies:

     First I printed off some hearts that said, "You are all 'write' Valentine!" on white card stock.  I let Monkey decorate the hearts while I punched two holes in the hearts to thread a cute Valentine's Day pencil through it.

     Next I printed off labels that said, "Your friendship blows me away, Valentine!" on white card stock.  I cut two slits in the label, and Monkey helped me thread Blow Pops through the labels.

   
     Then, I printed out these cute Valentine's Tic Tac Toe boards onto card stock, cut them out, and placed them inside snack-sized Ziplocs with ten Red Velvet M&Ms, five of each color.  Lastly, I added a label for each of her classmates to the outside of the bag.  You can skip this to make it easier on the teacher, but Monkey has a crush on one of the little boys in her class, so she wanted to make sure he got a specific bag.

     The baggies were fun to put together because Monkey was very involved, coloring, organizing, placing, and making sure each of her friends got a personal little Valentine from her.   The time we got to spend together making them almost make up for the fact that I won't get to spend time with her at the Mardi Gras parades....almost.    

I'm Hungry....Perhaps Blogging About Food Will Help

     I'm in time out.  Well, more of a self-imposed exile, actually.  You see, tonight my loving husband decided he would save me the trouble of cooking by preparing dinner without any help from me.  He and Monkey have been in the kitchen since 4:30, and I've been sitting here waiting on my food.  I'm starting to think I may have to eat the dog if it isn't ready soon.  At least J bought chips and salsa for the meantime.

     I was passing the time on Pinterest, pinning all kinds of yummy foods, but that didn't help my situation (go figure, huh?).  Then it dawned on me that I haven't blogged since the beginning of the month.  So that's why I'm here.  And because I have no food.  You know, cause blogging about food when you're starving makes perfect sense.....yeah.....

     Let me start by sharing a few more fun lunches I've been making for Monkey.  Over the Christmas break she told me she wanted to start eating cafeteria food.  I told her that was fine with me, but J piped up that she wouldn't get any say in what they feed her at school.  She quickly decided she preferred Mommy's lunches.  That didn't last long at all!

Monday: DIY Tacos
We've done DIY Lunchables and DIY Pizzas, so we kicked it up a notch for this lunch.

    Using a circle cookie-cutter, I cut circles out of 2 burrito-sized flour torillas.  I brushed the front and back of each tortilla with oil and sprinkle a little bit of salt over each.  Next I fitted the tortilla rounds into a mini-muffin tin and baked them in the oven at 350 for about 8 minutes.

     I chopped up some leftover chicken into tiny cubes.  I then added a bit of shredded cheese.  You can throw in some shredded lettuce and diced tomatoes too, but I just added a bit of leftover salad from the night before.

 Tuesday: Hello Kitty Sandwich

    
     I know I've mentioned these cute sandwich cutters before, and I know I've even used the kitty one before and shared it, but that just goes to show how versatile this one set of lunch gadgets can be.  I cut the bread and meat out with the cutter, and then I indented the top piece of bread with the kitty face stamp.  I used my food markers to color in the indentions.  I added some grape tomatoes, a bunch of grapes, and a cheese stick with a little message written in permanent marker on the wrapper.

     One of the things I love about packing Monkey's lunch is that I can slip little notes into the lunch box.  It's even more fun when it's on her food :-)

Wednesday: Ham, Cheese and Spinach Pinwheels

     As you can tell, tortillas are a staple in this house.  They last a while, so when we've devoured all the bread, there's usually still some tortillas on the shelf, so they make for a quick lunch.  For this one, I rolled a couple of sliced of ham, some cheddar cheese, and a bit of spinach into a log, and then I sliced the roll into pinwheels.  I also used a fun butterfly cutter to cut the cucumbers.  I added those, some grapes, and a granola bar (not pictured) to Monkey's lunchbox.

Thursday: Pete the Cat and His Four Groovy Buttons Lunch
     As most of y'all know from Facebook, Monkey entered her school Reading Fair with a project on the book, "Pete the Cat and His Four Groovy Buttons".  She got 1st place at the school fair, and then again at the district fair.  To celebrate, I packed this extra special lunch just for her.

     Using a round cookie cutter, I cut four circles from a burrito-sized tortilla.  I colored each one with food markers to look like four buttons of varying colors.  I then thinly sliced some turkey pepperoni (you could also used diced chicken like the mini tacos), diced a bit of tomato, shredded some lettuce, and added a bit of cheese.  The idea was she could make her own little soft tacos with the "button" tortillas.  I added some fruit and veggie sides, and sent her on her way.  She loved this one!

 Friday: BLT Wrap---Bacon, Love, Tomato

      For this wrap, I layered a slice of ham, a couple of slices of cooked turkey bacon, a sliced tomato, shredded lettuce, and a bit of Ranch onto a tortilla and rolled it up.  I added a special message with my food markers.  Then I threw in some colorful Goldfish, a bunch of grapes, and a bit of broccoli and called it a day.

Update:  My husband finally fed me, and it was delicious!  Well worth the wait.  I would post his recipe, but I was too hungry to take pictures.  I should have though, because he says that was so much work he's not sure he'll be doing it again any time soon :-/  Oh well, it was fun while it lasted.

     Since I don't have pictures of tonight's feast, let me share a recipe that doesn't take 2 1/2 hours to cook.

Taco Soup
1 lb ground turkey (or ground beef)
2 cans diced tomatoes
1 can tomato soup
3 cans sliced olives
1 package taco seasoning or 2 TBS homemade (recipe below)
1 can kidney beans, drained
1 can corn, drained
Shredded cheese (optional)
Sour cream (optional) *We substitute plain Greek yogurt.  It tastes the same and is bester for you.

Brown ground turkey (or beef).  Add taco seasoning and the amount of water listed on package (if using homemade add 1/2 cup water).  Cook until 1/3 of water is left.  Dump in all the canned foods.  Bring to a boil and reduce heat to low.  Simmer 20 minutes.  Top with shredded cheese and/or sour cream, if desired.

Homemade Taco Seasoning
1 Tablespoon chili powder
1/4 teaspoon garlic powder
1/4 teaspoon onion powder
1/4 teaspoon red pepper flakes
1/4 teaspoon oregano
1/2 teaspoon paprika
1 1/2 teaspoon cumin
1/2 teaspoon sea salt
1 teaspoon black pepper

This doesn't make a ton, so I typically double or triple it when I make a batch.  Then when I see I'm getting low I'll add some more.

Enjoy :-)

Chef for a Day

     Okay guys, I know I post a ton of recipes onto this blog, but I've never really considered myself a chef.  "Cook" or "Foodie" seem much more appropriate to describe my dabbling in the kitchen.  Yesterday, however, I felt like a real chef for a bit.

     Years ago, I read the novel Julie and Julia and although I heartily enjoyed the story, I had no desire to master the art of French cooking myself.  Yet, when I found this link on Pinterest, my interest was most definitely piqued.  Upon seeing my pin, my sister commented, "Once you master this, blog it with a recipe, then I'll try ;-)".  I laughed it off, and the pin got lost in the sea of other food I wanted to try.  This past week as I was going through my Main Dishes board on Pinterest I rediscovered the pin, and, curious, I finally clicked on it.  I was taken to a site in which the first thing I noticed was the following video.  Before reading anything else I watched video, and I was hooked.  Pepin made deboning a chicken look so easy with his fluid movements and his simple explanations.  After the second viewing, which J watched with me, I decided I would do this.  This statement was met with apathy from J, and a comment of, "okay, but no spinach".  I didn't care; I was going to debone a chicken, stuff it with deliciousness, and serve it for Sunday dinner.  It would be an epic challenge with glorious results that the muses would one day sing about!

     As it got closer to the day I decided to invite some friends over to revel in the glory that is good food.  Then the day actually arrived, and I set to work early in the morning in order to make sure everything was perfect.  I viewed the video once again before getting started.  Confidence oozed out of me as I danced around my kitchen to Alicia Keys' "I am Super Woman" setting out my cutting board, knifes, a pot for all the bones to make stock, my computer so I could reference the video, a kitchen towel, and the garbage can (just in case).  Finally, I was ready to begin.

     I rinsed my chicken and patted it dry.  Then I moved it to the cutting board, and (with my non-chicken-y hand) hit play.  I followed Pepin flawlessly as he cut the wings and made "ze little lolliPOP" (which I threw in the roasting pan with the rest of the chicken).  My confidence wavered slightly as I struggled to remove the wishbone. (He makes it look so easy!)  I got it out finally, though, and was read to move on.  My ego took another blow as I cut the skin of the back, because my cut was not nearly as flawless nor as easy as his.  I blamed his experience and amazing knives and moved onward.  Finding the articulation was easy. (Thank you, Nursing school!)  Then I heard it, that mocking comment Pepin makes right around the 3 minute mark, "It should not take you but a minute to bone out a chicken"....... I frantically looked at the clock and realized I had already been at it for 15 minutes.  (I kept having to call J into the kitchen to pause the video for me.)  I began to wonder if this was all a big mistake, and then I envisioned my friends arriving to see my sloppy chicken that somehow managed to be burned on the outside and raw on the inside.  I comforted myself with the knowledge that they wouldn't judge, and that there was always Domino's in a pinch.  I pressed forward again.  (I didn't literally press anything as my hands were full of chicken goo, but J obliged by pressing the play button.)  At this point my confidence began to grow again as I started to undress the poor chicken.  I had no problems getting the carcass out, and I called jubilantly to J to come feast his eyes on my brilliance.  He obliged by glancing my way and nodding, which I took as adoration and praise.  Next I removed the fillets, apologizing to Pepin for resorting to the use of my knife.  Then Pepin and I scraped the chicken fillet from the sinew.  Next I followed Pepin's lead in taking the bones from the legs and wings, only growing slightly frustrated when my bone did not break on the first hit...or the second...or third, but ultimately, the sixth time was the charm, and we pressed on.  Finally I had a completely deboned chicken.  I celebrated my victory by waving the floppy chicken suit in J's and Monkey's direction while singing, "I deboned a chicken, I deboned a chicken".
   
                       

     I stuffed my bird with a stuffing of my own creation, the recipe for which I will gladly share below.  I was inspired by this recipe I found, but I meddled with it quite a bit before I was ready to use it.  After stuffing my bird, I tied it up under Pepin's careful guidance.  Finally I was done!  I was so proud of myself for this epic achievement.  All other cooking journeys seem pale in comparison.  For one glorious moment, I was a chef!  Then I came back down to reality this morning as I woke up exhausted and fed my child cereal.  Oh well, it was fun while it lasted :-)

Chicken Galantine with Pork Stuffing
1 large whole chicken, deboned
10 red potatoes, quartered
2 large carrots, sliced
2 lemons
1 garlic pod, separated and ends trimmed off
Baby bella mushrooms (I used 1-1/2 8oz containers of mushrooms)
3-5 fresh sage leaves, chopped
1 tsp garlic salt
minced garlic and 1/2 stick butter (if cooking mushrooms separately)

For the stuffing:
1 cup Garlic and Herb bread crumbs
3 small cloves garlic, peeled
1 onion, peeled and quartered
18 fresh sage leaves
1/2 cup uncooked white rice
5 sausages, skins removed ( I used Johnsonville's Sweet Italian Sausage)
1/2 TBS garlic powder
1 tsp Tony's

Debone chicken by watching Pepin's video (above).  Cook rice.  Combine cooked rice and remaining stuffing ingredients in a food processor until combined.  Stuff chicken as shown in the video using half of the stuffing.  Once chicken is tied up place in a greased roasting pan.  Add potatoes, carrots, and garlic cloves to roasting pan.  Squeeze the juice of one lemon into a bowl; add garlic salt and chopped sage leaves.  Rub over the chicken.  Cut the other lemon in half, and the juice from one of the halves over the carrots and potatoes.  Reserve remaining lemon half.

Remove the stems of the baby bella mushrooms and stuff with remaining stuffing.  arrange around chicken in roasting pan or bake separately in an 8x8 dish with minced garlic and butter.

Cover roasting pan with aluminum foil and bake at 350 for 15 minutes.  Remove pan from oven; remove and discard foil.  Return roasting pan to oven and bake for another 45 minutes.  Removed chicken from over, and squeeze juice of the remaining lemon half over the chicken.  Return to oven to bake for another 30 minutes.

Meanwhile cover mushrooms with foil and bake at 350 for the entire time the chicken is baking, an hour and a half.

Once chicken is cooked through, removed from oven and transfer to a serving platter.

Slice the chicken and serve.  Enjoy!

     I am happy to report that all the hard work was well worth it.  My friends arrived just as this chicken was finished roasting, and we all enjoyed digging into the scrumptious meal immensely.  We had a good night with great food and even better friends.  

Here's to a New Year

     Tomorrow is New Year's Eve.  Another year has come and gone, and I'm amazed at how fast this one went by.  It seems the older I get the faster the years fly, not to mentioned that ever since Monkey was born they seem to be reaching lightening speed.  As bittersweet as it is, I'm looking forward to this new year.  This year Monkey will be 6 years old.  I will finally graduate from Nursing school in the fall.  I'll take the NCLEX in September, and (hopefully) I'll begin my first nursing job before the year is out.  Just as 2015 will mark the beginning of my Nursing career, it will also bring the close of J's Navy career.  Who knows what new adventures that alone will bring. At any rate, I think it's safe to say that 2015 will be a year of many firsts, and I'm ready to meet them head on.

     As with many of you out there, the beginning of the New Year makes me think about what changes I can make in my life, and although I'm not one for New Year's resolutions, the holidays and all the goodies they entail have me wishing for a bit healthier fare in the near future.  Thankfully, my awesome MIL gave me a Magic Bullet which will come in handy as I get back on the smoothie wagon.  In the meantime, though, I have been indulging a bit too much in food like this:

Easy Crockpot Burritos
Adapted from FoodPusher blog

2 lbs stew meat, ground beef, or chicken
19 oz can mild red enchilada sauce
1 beef bouillon cube
1 can refried beans
7 burrito-sized flour tortillas
1 cup cheddar cheese
Optional Toppings: guacamole, sour cream, diced tomatoes, sliced green onions, shredded lettuce

Place beef, bouillon cube, and enchilada sauce into a crockpot.  Cook on low 7-8 hours or high 3-4 hours, or until meat is tender and flakes easily.

Once beef is tender, heat refried beans in a microwave or on the stovetop according to package directions.

Grease the inside of a 9x13 baking dish or spray with cooking spray.  Set oven to broil on high.

Assemble burritos by placing about 1/2 cup drained meat in the center of a tortilla.  Add a about two scoops of beans to the center.  Fold the sides in and roll up like a burrito.  Place inside the greased baking dish.  Repeat with the remaining tortillas or until all the meat is used up.  Pour leftover sauce from the crockpot over the top of the burritos.  Sprinkle with cheese.  Broil for 2 minutes or until cheese is melted and bubbly.

Serve with optional toppings.

     I love that this recipe can be adapted for your preferences (and budget).  J prefers ground beef burritos, but I like the stew meat best.  Chicken is always a good compromise, and it's easier on the bank than beef, not to mention it has less fat than beef.  Plus I like any recipe that gives me the choice to mix things up without becoming a whole new recipes I have to memorize.

    Anyway, I hope everyone has a fun-filled New Year's Eve, and a wonderful New Year!

I'm a Procrastinator to the End

     Can you believe Christmas is this week?  That just sounds like crazy talk if you ask me.  I'm looking forward to Christmas, as I do every year, but particularly this year because with it I also get a bit of a break from school.  I'll be heading home to Louisiana for a few short days, but I'm glad I'll get to see family for the Christmas.  Now since I'll be out of town starting Wednesday, perhaps I should finish posting those Advent ornaments I've been working on.

Day 16: The Throne

   
     This ornament represents the scripture found in Isaiah 9:6-7 "For unto us a Child is born, unto us a Son is given; and the government will be upon His shoulder.  And His name will be called Wonderful, Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace.  Of the increase of His government and peace, there will be no end, upon the throne of David and over His kingdom, to order it and establish it with judgment and justice from that time forward, even forever.  The zeal of the Lord of hosts will perform this."  I explained to Monkey that since the beginning, God had a plan for a Savior, and that He left hints of the coming Savior all over the Old Testament, and I told her that here was another hint.  One day there would be child born who would be the Prince of Peace, and that child would be Jesus Christ.  We talked about how the Bible says He would sit on the throne of David, and I reminded Monkey of Ruth and her descendant Jesse and his son David, and I explained to her that David's family would branch all the way down to Jesus.

    To make this ornament I cut a bit of brown felt to look like a chair.  I added some white felt to look like the back of a chair or throne, I stitch the details on the chair in black thread before sewing the whole chair/throne onto a bit of blue felt for a background.  I added some green cord to hang the ornament with.

Day 17: The Lion

     The lion ornament represents the story of Daniel in the lion's den (found in Daniel 6).  I explained to Monkey that the people of Israel began to turn away from God, and in doing so the lang He promised them was conquered by other people who didn't believe in God.  Some people were captured and brought back to the lands of those conquerors.  One Israelite, Daniel, was brought to live in the courts of King Darius, and he found favor with the king, but this made other men jealous.  These other men decided to get rid of Daniel by tricking him into disobeying the king.  They knew that Daniel followed the commandments and wouldn't bow down and worship to anything or anyone but God, so they decided to use that against him.  They created a law that said the people should only pray to the king for 30 days and no other god or man, but of course, Daniel continued to pray to God. He was caught, and the punishment was to be thrown into a den of hungry lions.  I then explained to Monkey how the king didn't really want to hurt Daniel, but that it was his law, so he had to enforce it, and the king even told Daniel that he hoped Daniel's God would save him.  Daniel was thrown into the lion's den, but God sent an angel to shut the mouths of the lions so they would not devour him.  The king, who had been worried about Daniel all night, rushed to the den early the next morning to find Daniel unharmed, and had him taken out of the den.  Because the king saw Daniel's great faith in God, King Darius believed in God too and decreed that all people should treat Daniel's God with respect.

     To make the ornament, I started by cutting a bit of brown felt into what would be the lion's head and ears.  Next I cut a bit of orange felt to form the mane, cutting a hole from the middle of the main, so the face could show through.  Next I stitched the lion's face with some dark brown string.  I added the blue cord for hanging, and then I backed it all with a bit of blue felt.

Day 18: The Whale/Big Fish

     This scripture can be found in Jonah 1-3.  I told Monkey the tale of Jonah and the Whale (or big fish as it's referred to in the Bible), and how God told Jonah to go preach to the people of Nineveh to turn away from their sin and back to God.  Jonah, however, thought he could run away from God, so he hopped on a ship that was sailing in the other direction.  Of course, God knew where he was, and sent a great storm to rock the ship.  When the sailor's were scared they may drown in the storm, Jonah told them to throw him overboard, because he had angered God.  At first the sailors refused, but eventually they threw him overboard into the ocean.  The storm stopped, and God sent a great fish to swallow Jonah so he wouldn't drown.  Jonah stayed inside the fish's belly for 3 days and 3 nights, praying to God.  Finally God had the fish spit Jonah out on dry land, and this time Jonah listened when God told him to go preach at Nineveh.  Jonah urged the people to turn away form their sin, and they listened and asked God to forgive them, and because they did God did not destroy their city.

     For this ornament, I cut a whale from a bit of grey felt.  I gave him an eye and a mouth using black thread, and then I sewed him onto some blue felt before adding the green cord for hanging.

Day 19: The Town

     This scripture comes from Micah 5:2, "But you, Bethlehem Ephrathah, though you are little among the thousands of Judah, yet out of you shall come forth to Me the One to be Ruler of Israel, whose goings forth are from of old, from everlasting."  I explained to Monkey that this was another of those "hints" God had given His people hundreds and hundreds of years before the birth of Jesus, that He would be born in the little town of Bethlehem.

     This ornament was fun to make.  I cut out one solid piece of brown felt in the shape of four houses side-by-side, and I used black felt to define their borders and add windows and doors.  I stitch the whole piece to a black background before adding some blue cord to hang it on the tree.

Day 20: The Tablet

     
      For this ornament, I told the story of Zacharias who was visited by the angel Gabriel, who informed Zacharias that he and his wife, Elizabeth, would have a son whom they would name John.  The angel said that this child would grow to be a man filled with the Holy Spirit, and that he would make the way ready for Jesus.  Zacharias didn't believe this was possible, so the angel told him he would not be able to speak again until after the baby was born because of his disbelief.  Sure enough, Elizabeth became pregnant with a baby, and a son was born, and while the family members argued about hat the baby should be called, Zacharias wrote on a tablet "His name is John!".  Immediately, Zacharias was able to speak again, and he praised God.  This can be found in Luke 1:1-25, 57-66.

     For this ornament I stitched the words, "His name is John" on a bit of cross-stitch fabric.  I cut that into a U shape and backed it with white felt and then black felt.  I used a some green cord to form the loop with which to hang it on the tree.

Day 21: The Sandal

     I told Monkey that John grew up to be a man filled with the Spirit of God, and that he spent most of his time preaching to people about the coming of Christ and baptizing people in His name, and that one time he told people, "I indeed baptize you with water unto repentance, but He who is coming after me is mightier that I, whose sandals I am not worthy to carry.  He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and fire." Matthew 3:11.

For this ornament, I cut two pieces of brown felt to look like the shape of a sandal or flip-flop.  I stitched them together, and then I used dark brown thread to make the strap part of the sandal.  I added a loop of blue cord to hang it.

Day 22: The Angel

     In Luke 1:26-38 we see the story of how the angel Gabriel visited Mary to tell her of how she would become pregnant with the Son of God even though she was still a virgin, not yet married to the man Joseph (who was a descendant of David).  Mary was willing to be of use to God, calling herself his "maidservant" which shows her humility and willingness to be faithful to God and His plan for her life.  I plan on contrasting her reaction to the angel to Zacharias' reaction to his similar news.

     For this ornament, I cut the shape of an angel from white felt and stitched it to blue felt which I also cut into the shape of an angel.  I used a loop of green cord to hang the ornament on the tree.

Day 23: The Hammer

   
     This ornament represents Joseph and his story which can be found in Matthew 1:18-25.  I used a hammer because Joseph was a carpenter, but that fact is not in this particular scripture, it's mentioned later.  Anyway, this part of scripture talks about Joseph's reaction to the news that his wife-to-be was pregnant, and how he planned to divorce her quietly (he would need a divorce to end the engagement because although they had not come together physically, they had signed the marriage covenant).  But that night as Joseph slept an angel appeared to him, saying that he should not be afraid to take Mary as his wife, because the baby inside her was conceived by the Holy Spirit and would be the Son of God.  When Joseph awoke, he decided to listen to God and take Mary as his wife.

     This ornament is made out of light brown felt, which forms the handle of the hammer, and grey felt which forms the head of the hammer.  I stitched it together onto a bit of black felt which outlines the whole the.  Lastly, I added the blue cord for hanging.

Day 24: The Baby in a Manger

     A true procrastinator to the end, I have not made the final ornament, but I will post a picture when it's finished.  For this ornament I plan to read from Luke 2:1-21, which tells of the census that caused Mary and Joseph to make the journey to Bethlehem, even though she was close to term and could have the baby soon.  When they got to the town, all the inns were full, so they had to stay in the barn of one inn, and the baby was born and had to be laid in a manager (or feeding trough).  There were some shepherds tending their flocks that night, and they saw an angel of the Lord appear and announce the news of Jesus' birth, and then there was a host of angels in the sky, singing praises to God and proclaiming the birth of the Savior.  So the shepherds went to see this baby, and went away telling everyone of all they had seen.  Finally, as is the custom, 8 days after his birth, the baby was named "Jesus", which was what the angel told Mary his name should be.


     I hope you have enjoyed our little Advent adventure this year.  I sure have, and I think it will be a good tradition to partake in each year.  I'm certainly looking foray to using it next year, without having to worry about any last-minute sewing.

All Things Merry and Bright

     Yesterday was a rough day for me.  My sweet fur baby Bruce has recently gotten over a bout of Pancreatitis which put him through the ringer.  The vet gave him a clean bill of health just two weeks ago, but Tuesday I was back in the vet's office with the same symptoms as before.  Apparently Bruce had Chronic Pancreatitis which meant he would continually get these infections that would require treatment until his pancreas finally wore out.  After seeing what he went through last time with this, and knowing that it would be something he was continually fighting, J and I made the decision to let him go.  It was probably the hardest choice I've ever made.  I want to fix everyone and everything, and so to come to the realization that there was nothing I could do to cure him was one of the hardest pills for me to swallow.  So today with a heavy heart I said goodbye to what was the best cat I've ever had.  He truly was my baby, and I will miss him terribly.  Some people don't believe in a place for animals in Heaven.  Others will tell you they don't have souls.  Everyone is entitled to their opinion, so here's mine: no one who has ever truly bonded with an animal could tell you that they don't have something similar to a soul.  Maybe not a soul like you and I have, but some shred of a spirit perhaps.  There's more to these animals than flesh and bone.  Or maybe we just make them that in our own heads to fill a void.  I don't know, but either way, I hope I get to see him again someday.  It's a nice thought, and a comforting one.

     Now I know the title of this blog is probably leading some to question if they've been brought here under false pretenses, and to those I apologize.  Usually I keep this blog light and fluffy and don't post too many entries that are morose or "deep".  I feel like the world is full of things that should make up stop and think, and that it needs more light and frolicsome things.  So that's what I try to make this blog, for myself as much as for anyone else.  So forgive me if I seem to take a 180 in a minute, but I am going to focus on all things merry and bright now, because as much as I'd like to wail about the loss of my favorite snuggle-buddy, life does go on.  So, not to be disrespectful or flippant about my recent loss, but what don't we move on to the happy things now?  How about I show you what that little elf of ours has been up to?

     Here we see our sweet Elman enjoying his favorite Christmas story while Monkey was at school.  I am particularly proud of this one because I needed no help from Pinterest to make his custom fitting glasses from a little paperclip I found in the junk drawer.  It would have been a bit better if I could have found my stash of regular wire, because it's more pliable, but Monkey got the idea.  I used a bit of black construction paper and some looseleaf to make his book.  I even went so far as to write out a bit of the actual story in the pages so he wasn't staring at a blank book.  

     This one was pretty fun because it uses one of my favorite kid toys.  I'm not sure if you are familiar with Goldie Blox, but if not you should be.  This is an awesome company that was started by a female engineer who wanted to see more toys on the market that got little girls interested in engineering.  I love all that this company stands for, so of course Monkey has a couple of their building sets.  The one seen pictured here is their original boxed set, and as you can see, Elman is taking his cues from Goldie.  He used her "Noodle Spinner" diagram to create his own "Tinsel Tangler".

     Next Elman sampled a few of cookies, only to spit them out and question my husband's baking skills.  Even he knew cookies that gross couldn't have been my doing ;-)

     Here we see Elman visiting Baby Jesus under the tree.  Monkey thought this one was too cute.

     Next, we what I didn't realize was a warped sight until just now.  J took Monkey hunting one morning, so Elman decided he'd go hunting too.  He improvised when he couldn't find a toy gun in Monkey's room and borrowed Iron Patriot's blaster to hunt down this little piggy.  And it looks like all the members of the manager scene are protecting baby Jesus from the horrible sight.  Elman actually gave up the hunt and retreated to a stocking not long after this picture because Bruce decided to make the hunter the hunted and almost made off with our elf.

     This one was a favorite of mine, simply because I hadn't made a single fake snowflake since I was in school, so it was fun to stay up late cutting these suckers out as J and I played cards.  Of course, Elman needed a fabulous addition to his little elf hat.

     Next, Elman helped himself to a spa day by borrowing Barbie's jacuzzi.  Monkey got in a bit of hot water herself when she decided Elman needed real water to soak in, and decided to fill up his jacuzzi with the real stuff.  The funny thing was, I didn't have cotton balls to fill his spa with, so I improvised by using the stuffing from a pad (I know, J was mortified, but hear me out).  I figured it looked the same, and know one had to know, but I'm glad I did, because when Monkey poured the water in there, none of it even made it to the elf.  It was all absorbed so fast he stayed nice and dry.  Score one for mommy's resourcefulness!

     This is another one I'm proud of because I didn't need Pinterest for it....well not 100% of it anyway.  I've seen several shots of the elf in the Rice Krispies box, but I decided to tailor it to what we had in the pantry.  So there, Pinterest, I see your Rice Krispies Elf, and I raise you a Quaker Oats Elf.  Your move Pinterest...

     Now one more thing before I go.  I'm waaay behind on our Advent Calendar, so I need to share the past few ornaments in order to catch up.  I believe we left off with Day 9.

Day 10: The Trumpet

     The trumpet symbolizes the fall of Jericho, and the story can be found in Joshua 6:1-5.  I reminded Monkey of God's promise to Abraham about his children numbering the stars, and how God had seen that one through.  Then I reminded Monkey of His promise to Jacob of the land He would give him.  This is where God fulfilled that promise, by bringing them into the Promised Land, starting with Jericho.  J and I marched around our house to show how the people of God marched around, and how they could have said, "that's silly, I'm not doing that", but instead they decided to follow God's directions, and when they did they were rewarded with the land that had been promised to them.

To make this ornament, I cut out a trumpet from yellow felt and stitched it onto a bit of blue rectangular felt.  Next I used yellow thread to form the little lines that make it look like the trumpet is blasting.  Then I added a bit of blue cord to hang it on the tree with.

Day 11: The Grain

     Next Monkey and I discussed how there was a famine, meaning no food, in the Promised Land so one man moved with his wife and sons to the neighboring land (I related this to how we moved from Lousisiana to Mississippi not too long ago to make it make sense to her), and how while they were there the two sons married women from that country (Moab).  I explained that these women didn't grow up worshiping God, but that they came to know God through their husbands.  Next we talked about how the sons and the father all died, leaving the three women alone.  The mother-in-law told her daughters-in-law to go back to their own families so they might find new husbands, and how one daughter did.  But Ruth was different, she decided to follow her mother-in-law back to the Promised Land, and I mentioned how she wasn't simply choosing her mother-in-law, but that she was choosing to follow God as well.  Because of her faithfulness, God rewarded her.  While in the Promised Land, she worked for a man picking grain so she could feed herself and her mother-in-law.  The man, Boaz, saw how hard she worked, and heard of her faithfulness, and decided to marry her.  I told Monkey that because she chose God, she became special in His eyes, and He rewarded her by making her the ancestor of Jesus (instead of "ancestor" I said "great-great-great-great-great-great-great-great- grandmother of Jesus, so she'd get it).  (For this one, I read the entire book of Ruth and simply condensed it for Monkey.)

For this ornament I took a circle of grey felt and used yellow and black thread to stitch what (I think) looks like heads of grain on the circle.  I backed it with another grey circle and added some cord to hang it.

Day 12: The Crown

     Before I started this story, I asked J and Monkey to help list a few of God's other names.  Monkey said Heavenly Father, Lord, and Majesty.  J said King of Kings, and that's exactly what I was fishing for.  God is the King of Kings, but I mentioned that once the Israelites got the land God had promised, they began to ask Him for a king.  God told them that He was the King of Kings, and that they didn't need an earthly king, but the people insisted they needed a king like the other nations.  God warned them that a human king would tax them and draft their sons into his service, and use their daughters to serve in his court, and he would take away some of their personal freedoms, but still the people insisted, so God told Samuel (God's prophet) to find a king for His people.  Samuel anointed Saul as the king.  I emphasized that Saul was big and strong and handsome, and that all the people thought he would make a good king.  Which he did, for a little while...  (This comes from 1 Samuel 8:4-22-1 Samuel 9:2 and 1 Samuel 9:17)

To make this ornament, I cut a crown shape form yellow felt, and then backed it on a circle-shaped piece of pink felt.  I made little knots out of purple threads to resemble jewels in the crown, and use black thread to highlight the crown's parts.  Finally I added a bit of blue cord to hand it on the tree with.

Day 13: The Horn of Oil

     I explained to Monkey that for a while Saul was a good king, but then he began to turn away from God and not follow God's instructions, so God told Samuel to go anoint a new king.  So Samuel took a horn of oil (here I had to pause and explain that one too), and went out to the house of Jesse (who was a descendent of Ruth, remember Ruth?) and asked to see his sons.  I told her how the first son came in, and he was tall and handsome and strong, and Samuel was impressed, thinking he'd be the next king, but God said no.  God told Samuel that Samuel was judging by what he saw on the outside, but that God sees a man's heart to judge him.  Then the second son came, and he was was too passed by, and so on and so forth until Samuel had looked at all but the youngest of Jesse's sons.  David was out in the fields with the sheep, and so Samuel sent for him, and when he came in, God said that this is the one He wanted to be king of His people.  So Samuel poured the oil on David's head, anointing him king of Israel.  (1 Samuel 16: 1-13)

For this ornament I cut out two pieces of light brown felt into J-shapes.  I stitched them to get using dark brown felt in a way that highlighted the opening of the horn and the bottom of it.  I used the brown thread to also make a strap for the horn of oil.  Next I used a bit of green cord for hanging.

 Day 14: The Jesse Tree

     This one was a little different, because I wasn't sure of where in the sequence to place it, but after talking about Ruth, Jesse, and David, I decided to go ahead and put this one in.  The scripture is from Isaiah 11: 1-5, and I read this one verbatim from the Bible.  It talks about a sprout growing from the tree of Jesse that was all but cut down, and how this sprout would have the spirit of wisdom and understanding, counsel and might, and knowledge and fear/respect of the Lord.  Basically this scripture foretells the coming of Christ.  I explained to Monkey that even hundreds of years before he was born, God was telling His people that there would be a savior one day.

This was one of my favorite ornaments to make.  I cut out two of the stump-with-branch shapes you see, and place them back-to-back, with a bit of green felt to resemble a leaf between the top of the branch.  I stitch the leaf in place before using dark brown thread to make the tree rings and little details on the stump.  Lastly, I added the blue cord for hanging.

Day 15: The Scepter

     
     This story comes from another favorite passage of mine.  I love the book of Esther, and I used a condensed version of the whole thing to explain this one to Monkey.  Basically Esther was a young Jewish girl being brought up by her uncle, and when the king asked for the most beautiful women in the land to be brought to him, Esther was one of them.  She hid the fact that she was one of the Israelites from everyone but her uncle, and she was chosen to be the king's new bride.  She became queen and found favor with the king, so when a plot was hatched to kill all of the Jews in the nation (including her uncle) Esther used her favor with the king to beg him to spare the Jewish, revealing that she was one herself.  The king granted her wish, and so Esther saved her people from being wiped out.  This was yet another example of how God was protecting His people and preserving the bloodline that led to Jesus.

I'm still trying to think of ways to make this one prettier, but I've got nothing.  I simply cut out what I thought was a basic scepter shape from two pieces of yellow felt, and sewed them together back-to-back.  Next I added the little purple starts to look like jewels in the scepter.  Finally I added a bit of green cord for hanging.

To see our Advent adventure from the beginning, click here.
To see what comes next, click here.