Pumpkin Coffee Cake

If you’re looking for a coffee cake recipe that’s just a bit different, this is the recipe you need.  It has the usual glorious crumble, cinnamon and other warm spices, and lots of pumpkin.  It’s really delicious when it’s just a bit warm too. And it’s perfect for the holidays, which by now, are long gone.

I started this recipe back in October, made it again in December but I’m just now getting around to posting it.  Life has been crazy hasn’t it?  I set some things aside like my hobbies and recipe creating, and tried to concentrate more on prayer, yoga, meditation and reading.  My day job workload has been a bit overwhelming too, and along with COVID life these days, I just needed to concentrate more on “me”. 

And, I have been dealing with tummy issues again so I am trying to figure out what I can eat and sadly, the foods my system no longer tolerates.  Sad to say it is a lot of healthy foods, like berries with little seeds, avocados (crying here!), certain nuts….

Anyway, this cake went well with my tummy in more ways than one!  It’s so satisfying and tasty, warm and cozy.

First thing I started was the streusel topping.  In a medium bowl add brown sugar, flour, cinnamon and softened butter.  Then cut the butter into the sugar/flour mixture until you have some nice crumbles.  Set that aside and grease an 8 inch square baking dish, I use glass for  my baking.

Next comes the cake batter.  Put all the dry ingredients into a large bowl.  I used my stand mixer with the paddle attachment.  I made sure the dry ingredients were well blended.  In a smaller bowl place all of your wet ingredients and blend well.

Add the wet ingredients to the dry ingredients, blend ell with the paddle attachment but don’t over mix.  Remove the bowl from the stand and stir by hand to make sure everything is mixed in.

Pour half the batter in the baking dish, place half of the streusel over the batter. Carefully spoon the remaining batter over the streusel, spreading the batter to sides of the baking dish.  Top with the remaining streusel and bake.  Easy!

The hardest part is waiting for the cake to cool.  Once it is cool enough to cut but still a little warm…dig in!

This would be great with a maple glaze or apple cider glaze.

Here’s the recipe:

Pumpkin Coffee Cake

Streusel Topping:

½ cup brown sugar

¼ cup flour

1 tsp cinnamon

4 T butter, cubed

Cake:

2 cups flour

1 tsp baking powder

½ tsp baking soda

½ tsp salt

1 tsp pumpkin pie spice

1/8 tsp each of ground cloves and allspice

½ cup brown sugar

½ cup sugar

2 eggs

1 cup pumpkin puree (NOT pumpkin pie filling)

½ cup vegetable oil

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees and place rack in the center of the oven.  Grease a 8inch square baking dish.
2. In the bowl of a standing mix with a paddle attachment, add all the dry ingredients and stir until blended.
3. In a separate bowl add the wet ingredients and blend well.
4. Add the wet ingredients to the dry ingredients and blend gently until just combined.  Remove the bowl from the stand mixer and gently stir by hand to make sure all ingredients are well combined.  Do not over mix.
5. Pour half the batter into the prepared baking dish and top with half the streusel.
6. Spoon the remaining batter over the streusel, one area at a time, and then carefully smooth over.  Top with the remaining streusel.
7. Bake for 30-40 minutes or until toothpick or cake tester comes out clean.

Merry Christmas!

I just want to wish you all a very Merry Christmas!

I want to wish you a Happy New Year that is filled with peace and joy, good health and happiness!

I’ll be back in January with more recipes and crafts!

Christmas Memories

I have always loved Christmas. I love the reason we celebrate, our Lord Jesus. I love the gift giving, I just adore giving my loved one’s gifts. I love the decorations and I usually go all out and decorate every room in my house!

And I cannot forget to mention all the wonderful memories I have from my childhood at Christmas. My parents always did their best to give my brother and I a wonderful Christmas.

My parents always had big family Christmas dinners, and while we ate our dinner we were serenaded by Andy Williams, Johnny Mathias and Bing Crosby Christmas albums. To this day that is still my most favorite Christmas music to listen to.

It was always my job to set the table. That is when we used the good utensils (they were not silver), and the good dishes; which I just unpacked and put in my cabinets to use. And guess what? They were not just good dishes, it was actually fine china!!!

I only remember having a live tree one year in my childhood. My Dad and I went to get the tree on a Sunday after mass. Back then little girls always wore dresses with little white socks and black patent leather shoes. I remember being so cold and telling my Dad that I was sure it was going to snow because it was so frigid.

So we picked out the tree and took it home. The only tree decorations I remember is the silver tinsel that we got to pull out of box in little strings and toss on the tree.

The only tree that I remember was the silver foil like tree that rotated, there was a light that sat on the floor that had a colored disk on the front, that rotated changing the colors from red, blue, yellow and green. And the tree had bows that snapped on the tips of each branch, they looked like the bows we buy to put on our gifts.

And my favorite memory was when Dad would put up the outdoor decorations! The only types of lights we had were those large bulbs, and we always had the multicolor lights. He would string the lights to the roof line of the entire house, and around the doors and windows.

And in the windows he would place plastic electric candles with orange lights, anyone else remember having them?

On the roof we had a Santa and all his reindeer, including Rudolph. Rudolph had a red-light bulb for a nose, of course! I am not exactly sure how old we were when he stopped putting the set out, but I do remember that he went from the rooftop to the yard. I think that transaction may have been when we stopped believing in Santa.

I am super sad that Dad got rid of the set. Oh how I wish I had it but he got rid of it a very long time ago.

One of the things we did as a family when I was little, was drive around and look at all the lights. There was one house we went to every year that I can only say resembled the Griswold house. And the yard was FULL of lighted décor. There is a house not far from me that does this too, I love taking my grandkids there to see everything that they have set up.

One year when my two boys were little, I drove into a development that I was not familiar, and I could not get us back out! One of my boys gave me directions though!!! LOL My own homegrown GPS Kiddo!

When my kids were small, I always bought live trees. We made our own ornaments because money was tight since I was a single mom. I didn’t even have the money to buy lights for outside, but they didn’t seem to mind as long as I would drive them around to see the lights around town.

And now in my more mature years, I no longer put up a big tree. I started using artificial trees about 12 yrs ago. Last year I didn’t put up a tree at all, in fact I sold it! I was perfectly happy with all my Christmas décor around the house.

But this year I was nosing around Target (my guilty pleasure) and found a tabletop tree with sparse branches. It was mine! My Mom gave me handmade crocheted snowflakes a very long time ago, and they go perfect on my new tree. When it’s time to put Christmas away, all I have to do is carry the tree to the basement and throw a cover over it!

Some of the ornaments my kids made, I still have. I will be putting them in a basket and setting them out to enjoy and remember.

I really enjoyed searching for and finding these childhood photo’s. My parents and my brother have all passed but I know they are still with me.

Wishing you a Merry Christmas!

 

Eggnog French Toast

I hope you have been enjoying the holidays, giving thanks for family and friends and loving them with all of your heart.

Did you serve eggnog? Any leftover eggnog? If you tried this recipe for Mudslide Eggnog, you might not have any leftover!! But I did so I used it to make French toast. You can also use it in your pancake recipe but for today, I made French toast. And it was very yummy!

 

Since it was only me I was feeding, this was just for 3 thick slices of bread. I used ½ cup of the eggnog, 1 egg and just enough milk to thin out the batter a little, maybe about 2 tablespoons. I also added ground cinnamon and nutmeg, I didn’t measure the spices but maybe about ½ teaspoon of the cinnamon and 1/8 teaspoon of the nutmeg. You can adjust the spices to your preference, or even omit but when you drink eggnog, there is usually at least nutmeg sprinkled on the top.

With the thicker slice of bread, mine was probably about ¾”, it will soak up more of the batter. A thinner slice would not need as much so you need to think about that when you are using and adjusting this recipe. I also like to let the bread sit in the batter for a few seconds so that it absorbs the batter through to the center of the bread. Softer bread won’t take long to absorb the batter, denser bread would take a few seconds more.

I like to cook the bread in a fry pan, some of you probably would rather bake them and that’s fine. I just prefer the pan method. I use a medium low heat and flip the toast several times to guarantee that it will be cooked through.

Now, the syrup. Use your favorite but don’t smother the toast with syrup or you will miss out on the eggnog benefit! Maybe you don’t use syrup at all, and that is fine. Personally, I do not like to sprinkle powdered sugar on my French toast, especially for this recipe.

So if you want to give this a try, just remember to balance out the thickness of your bread for the batter and double, triple, quadruple, etc the recipe as needed.

Eggnog French Toast

Serves 1, making 3 thick slices of toast

½ cup eggnog

1 egg

1-2 T milk

½ tsp ground cinnamon

1/8 tsp ground nutmeg

Heat frying pan on medium low heat, grease pan if needed.

In a flatter mixing bowl that will allow you enough room to dip the bread, add the eggnog, egg, and spices. Mix with a fork. Add milk to think out the batter if needed.

Dip one slice of bread at a time, making sure the bread has thoroughly absorbed the batter but not to the point where is falls apart.

Place in fry pan and toast on each side, flipping several times to ensure it is cooked through.

Serve with your favorite syrup, fruit, etc.

Mudslide Eggnog

Have you ever had a Mudslide Eggnog? I can promise you that you might want to give it a try before you say “no way”. I served it to a few of my friends that wrinkled their nose at the mention of it, but after they had a sip of mine I made one for them also!

Recipe is easy, 1 part vodka, 1 part Kahlua, 2 parts eggnog. Pour over some ice in a shaker or mason jar, shake and strain from the ice into a martini glass that is lightly drizzled with chocolate syrup.

Top with a dollop of whipped cream and a dusting of ground nutmeg. Enjoy!

Happy Thanksgiving 2017!

I am not quite sure how it became Thanksgiving week, 2017. It feels as though I just planted all of my spring flowers. But now they are gone and I have pumpkins on my front porch.

By now I am usually swimming in Thanksgiving meal preparations and ideas, but my son and his family bought their first house and they want to have the dinner.

But part of me is still thinking of everything that I usually do this time of the year. I guess old habits do really die hard!  I will miss getting up early on Thanksgiving morning to get my turkey in the oven, going back to bed and then waking up to the house smelling amazing!

I always had the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day parade on while I cook.  And the kids in me still enjoys Santa at the end!

I am a little late in sharing this but if you are looking for a meal planner, I have a link to my blog post that will definitely help, the link is here Holiday Meal Planner

There are also links to some of my recipes for the holidays in that blog.

If you need a little encouragement on how to survive all the expectations of the upcoming holidays, I have a link to my blog post here Less Stress for the Holiday Season

Hopefully some of my suggestions are helpful.

I have to admit, Thanksgiving is my most favorite holiday.  The only expectation is the fellowship and meal with family and friends.  But for me it is also the kick off to the Christmas holiday.

Remember to enjoy the holidays and your family and friends.

Happy Thanksgiving!

Less Stress for the Holiday Season

I love the Thanksgiving and Christmas holidays. Thanksgiving might be my favorite but only because we gather to share our love, our memories, and eat a delicious meal together. So for me, there is definitely less stress, and less to prepare for. The only expectation is the meal which I love cooking!

It is also the beginning of the Christmas season. The weeks leading up to the Christmas holiday, for me, are so very beautiful with all the decorations and lights. I love listening to the Christmas music; many songs awaken lovely memories from my childhood. I also love giving gifts, whether they are made by my own hands with love, or a carefully chosen store bought gift.

But then there are all those folks that I hear complaining about how commercialized Christmas has become. Or they are complaining about all the parties to go to and the food they must prepare to take to these parties. There are also complaints about buying gifts for people that they probably don’t want and they can’t afford to buy. And it breaks my heart to hear them say they can’t wait for Christmas to be over.

Christmas is no different than any other situation in life, YOU GET OUT OF IT EXACTLY WHAT YOU PUT IN IT! So if you go into it with disgust, dislike, and grumpiness…. That is exactly what you are going to get out of it!!

I totally understand how the holidays can also be difficult to get through because we may have lost a loved one, or we might be alone and have no one to celebrate with. Been in both of those situations, I know it is not pleasant and can be heartbreaking and depressing.

So hopefully I have come up with some ideas that might be able to help you get through the upcoming holidays with a little less stress. Maybe this will help you have a little more love in your heart. And maybe you will actually learn to at least like the holidays.

1. Eat & drink smart and healthy! This is so hard to do with all the baked goodies and homemade candies BUT try to resist making a meal out of unhealthy treats!  Go ahead and have that small slice of pumpkin pie or cake, have one cookie, indulge in that one piece of fudge.  But only allow yourself one treat so choose wisely!  Snack on healthy things like veggies and fruit, nuts, a piece of cheese or some peanut butter for protein.  Drink lots of water, add lemon for a little taste and detox.  Do allow yourself a holiday cocktail, or two, but alternate with water.  Waking up tomorrow with a headache or being hungover will just add to your stress level.
2. Meal plan! As mentioned above you want to eat healthy but still allow some treats, so plan your day’s menu/diet so that you are continually eating healthy.  Especially before you go to parties!!  Make sure you are planning your family meals according to your schedule, use a crock pot or casserole recipes for busy days and nights.  Make some casseroles, lasagna, anything that you can throw in your freezer.  Later in the week you will be thankful that all you need to do is pull out a casserole to thaw in the fridge while you are at work, and then pop it in the oven when you get home.
3. Parties! I have heard a lot of people complain and basically whine about all the parties they need to go to!  Really?  Please be thankful that you have friends and family that want to share the holiday with you, no one is promised a tomorrow.  You do not always need to say yes to every party, it is okay to say no so that you can stay home and take care of you and your family or just to rest.  If you really don’t want to go, then don’t.  We all need some alone time, but we also need our friends and families too.  Think of the memories and fun times you might have, think of some friends and families that you can reconnect with.  Visit for as long as you want, eat healthy and drink healthy, be thankful for the friendships and have some fun!!
4. Can you bring a covered dish? Yes, you can!  You do not need to go overboard and try to be a gourmet chef!  If you like to cook and prepare something fancy, great!  If you don’t, then just take something simple like cheese and crackers, veggies, or check out the appetizers in the frozen section of your grocery store.  There are some pretty good selections to choose from!  I love to cook but there are times when I just do not have the time to prepare something, so this works out well and they are delicious.
5. Shopping and gift giving. This IS enough to stress everyone out!  You really need to be smart here, don’t just buy a gift for the sake of buying a gift.  If that is your reason for gift giving, just stop!  First, make a list of people that you want to give a gift, then think about them and what they like, jot down some ideas before you shop.  Also, set a dollar amount that you are willing to spend on each gift and stick with your budget.  Keep receipts, jot down names on the receipt/tags just in case you need to return something, and keep them all in an envelope.  I usually suggest not giving clothes but if you are confident in that choice, then go for it!  Also, keep an eye out for sales, use coupons.  If you do not like wrapping your gifts, then bag’em!  That is the easiest and the least stressful way to go.  Keep in mind that a simple gift from the heart is all you really need to give.
6. Teach your kids about giving and receiving.  This is a challenge for most parents.  We don’t want our kids growing up to be materialistic and greedy; and we want to teach them about giving too.  Set boundaries for what they are asking for, have them organize and clean out what they already have, show them how fortunate they already are for what they have now.  Give your family members limits on what they can spend on your kids. If you have older kids and your budget allows, have your kids donate gifts to the needy, a shelter, or sponsor a family for Christmas. Have them volunteer at a food bank or as a family take a few bags to the food bank. Living in today’s world that is so materialist, I think this is something we all need to do.  Also, teach you kids the value of saying thank you as well as how to gracefully be thankful for a gift that they just unwrapped but don’t like!
7. Stress-less kids? This is a time that kids are super excited!  Remember when you were a kid at Christmas?  They have a lot of stimuli from all the toy ads on TV, so it might be a good idea to limit their time in front of the TV.  Sit down and chat with them about their wants, desires, expectations and then chat about giving to the less fortunate.  Talk to them about your childhood memories and realize that you are creating and shaping theirs.  Involve them in decisions about new traditions.  Make sure they are eating healthy, drinking plenty of water, limit their treats and make sure they are getting enough rest and sleep.  This can also be a busy time in school with reports and projects needing to be completed before their holiday break so make sure they are getting enough time to complete their school work.  Get them outside for exercise and fresh air!  This is also a time for the little germ carriers to be sick, not fun for the holiday.
8. Traditions! I love family traditions!  And I love creating new traditions!  Think back to when you were a child and the things that you used to do as a family, create those wonderful warm memories with your kids!! Slow down and enjoy the holiday season, celebrate it lovingly, and involve the kids!  Look online or on Pinterest for some new ideas.  Have fun!
9. Physical and emotional health.  Make sure you are getting your exercise too!  Get those kids outside and play, walk, hike, whatever you can find to do.  Don’t forget about your gym membership, even if you only have 30 minutes to use the treadmill or lift a few weights, or if you’re lucky enough to have a pool to swim a few laps.  Every little bit helps.  Don’t forget about your mental and emotional health.  For as much enjoyment and beauty as some find in the holiday, there is also disappointment, sadness and loneliness.  Meditate, pray, go to church, talk to friends, talk to a professional if you need to.  There is no shame in that!  Try yoga, sit and read or just sit and look at the tree and drink in the beauty and silence of the room.
10. Keep your life and the holiday in focus.  Easier said than done, I get it.  But try.  It’s so easy to compare your holiday life to others and be sad that you don’t have what someone else has.  Life isn’t fair, but this is your life and you only have one shot at it so stay focused.  You don’t have to have a lot of friends or a big bank account to enjoy the very beautiful and simple holiday.  Celebrate with the love of the family and friends that you are still blessed to have.  Don’t get caught up in the commercialism, that’s not what the holidays are about.  Remember, what you put into this holiday gig is what you are going to get out of it.

Live and love well my friends!

Holiday Meal Planner

Can you believe it is almost the end of October?! We will be planning holiday meals in no time!

I like to prepare a much as I can before the meal. You know those holiday Hallmark movies where the family is together in the kitchen on Thanksgiving and Christmas. Each of them is preparing something. One person is making the pumpkin pie, another is preparing the turkey to roast, someone is peeling the potatoes. Yea well it doesn’t work like that in my family and I’m betting it doesn’t in yours either.

Don’t get me wrong, I do have some help getting things ready to serve but for one thing, my kitchen isn’t that big AND I do not have enough ovens for multiple things to bake at one time!

So I thought I would come up with a planner, to help me, and to help you. We all lead busy lives and some of you may be awesome at throwing a big sit down holiday dinner in a flash, but I am not. I need to and like to prepare ahead of time, so here goes:

HOLIDAY MEAL PLANNER

2-3 Weeks Before

• Plan your menu. If you’re thinking of serving new dishes, practice cooking them prior to your dinner so you and your guests won’t be disappointed.
• If you are going with the traditional turkey, decide if you are purchasing a frozen or fresh bird, place your order if necessary.
• Inventory your plates, utensils, glassware and serving dishes. Start shopping if you need to replenish!
• What linens are you planning to use? Make sure you have enough tablecloths, napkins, and placemats. Launder and iron now.
• Will you need extra tables and chairs? Whether you are renting, borrowing or buying new, start now.
• Most importantly (other than the turkey!), make yourself lists. Write down EVERYTHING! Your menu, wine/drinks, things to do, things to buy, you will be thankful you did!

One Week Before

• If you have not done so already, prepare your grocery list. Then rewrite in the location order of your market or in the order as: produce, canned items, bakery, bread, pantry items, and so on.
• Clean out your kitchen before you grocery shop. Make sure your pantry and fridge are free of any unused leftovers or outdated products. Wipe down the shelves in the fridge.
• Inventory your spices and herbs, discard out dated or old containers.
• Clean your house and decorate if you have not already done so. Eliminate clutter and if your family likes to play games, make sure they are ready to go.
• Make a plan for your cooking preparations. Use a calendar if you like or just make a list.

Sunday Before

• If you have purchased a frozen bird, and depending on the size, you may need to put in the fridge so it can start to thaw. Never leave the turkey thaw on the counter!
• The recipe for my Turkey Rub is here.

Monday and Tuesday before

• Shop for your groceries.
• Tie up any loose ends from above that you have not yet completed.
• Make the cranberry sauce. My recipe is here.
• If you are cutting up and cubing your own stuffing, do that now.
• I like to chop up any vegetables that I need on Tuesday. Whether it be the onion and celery for the stuffing and turkey, or veggies for my family to snack on as an appetizer.
• I work full time and usually cannot take off the day before so I like to make my pies and cakes Tuesday evening when I get home from work.  My pumpkin Pie recipe is here. And my Pumpkin Pie Ice Cream recipe is here.

Wednesday Before

• If you have not done so already, bake your desserts. Store in a cool place or refrigerate.
• Prepare any appetizers that can be made ahead, cover and refrigerate. My Three Cheese Roasted Red Pepper Dip is here.
• If your vegetables are not chopped and ready to go, do that now.
• If you are cooking a fresh turkey, pick it up from the market.
• Prepare any side dishes ahead that you can. I make my mashed potatoes now, place them in a large casserole dish, dot with butter and cover with foil.
• If you are making your mashed potatoes tomorrow, peel and cut them now, place them in a bowl of water, cover and refrigerate.
• Set up any extra table and chairs, set the table, place any table décor out now.
• If you are planning to use a cooler for bottled water or beer and extra wine bottles, do that now and sit outside in a safe place.
• If you’re planning on hot chocolate by a fire pit, my recipe is here. Or my Hot Cider Float recipe is here.
• Inventory your lists and make sure you are on track!
• Take a hot bath, pour yourself a drink and relax with a good book!

THE BIG DAY!

• Prepare your stuffing and turkey and get them in the oven.
• Reheat your sides.
• Prepare the gravy.
• Don’t forget ask for help getting things on the table!
• And you are done! Enjoy your day and your guests and have a wonderful time!

I wish you the Happiest and Loveliest Thanksgiving and Christmas!

PS: And remember, your holiday will not be perfect! Don’t worry if something doesn’t work out as planned, laugh about it! I can’t tell you how many rolls I have burned because I put them in the oven last and forgot to set the timer!!

Girls Night for Christmas

I’m had a few girlfriends over for a Christmas get together.  So I needed to finish up with the final touches of decorating.

My front porch is decorated simply with a crate of firewood and greenery.  It will welcome my friends and family, letting them know they are welcome in my home and will be surrounded with warmth and love.

I set up a small nativity scene.  This has been in the family, it was my Dad’s and it may have been his parents.  I don’t have all the pieces, but I love it just the same!  My friends and I will know the true meaning of the season and our celebrating.

    

I would love to find more pieces, if that’s even possible!  As you can see, I only have 2 Kings and they are ….. twins!

     I also need a stable!

I have my table set for a holiday meal.  My friends and I won’t be sitting here for our gathering, we will be all in the living room curled up with all my Christmas pillows.

I’m providing the beverage, one of which is this specialty Christmas drink.  Found a recipe on Pinterest for a martini that I am sure the girls will love, the glasses are lined up and ready!

When it is time to say good night, they will each be leaving with a small hand made gift.  These plates were so easy to make.  I was inspired by a pin I saw on Pinterest, found the plates at Target and the gold and silver leaf pens at Hobby Lobby.

  
Have a beautiful and wonderful Christmas week!

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Christmas Home Tour 2015

I must be crazy to want to do a Christmas Home Tour this year!  I am so nervous to show you my home but yet I am also excited to share my cozy little place with you!

I have admired so many Christmas home tours on blogs, the homes are gorgeous!  And I love the all the different styles of decorating, rustic, country, traditional, contemporary.  It’s all so beautiful!

I want to warn you that I have been in my home for less than a year.  I still don’t have things the way I want them.  I need to paint, and there are still a few pieces of furniture that I am looking for and I still need curtains.  My house certainly does not look like it is worthy of a home tour, but I love my home and I love decorating for Christmas.  I just want to share my little corner of the world, a little place that warms my heart and welcomes all the family and friends that I have!!

I have been planning my Christmas décor for months!    Let me tell you how I started….

I have lots of family heirlooms that have been carefully packed away.  I have quite a few antiques that I have collected over the years.  And, I just have a lot of STUFF!  So I have been trying to be creative in using so many of the pieces to decorate.

The first thing I did was to start with an empty slate, I emptied all table tops and counters.  Then I set out what I wanted to use from my collections, and unpacked all the Christmas décor I had packed away.

I used old and new together in the décor, but I tried keep all the silver pieces together, and all the gold together.  That said, I do like silver and gold decorations together, and I love a light blue thrown in with it, maybe next year….

     

I keep at least one framed photo of my kids, grandkids and my parents on display.  My parents have passed on and I need to keep a picture of them out not only all the time BUT most definitely at Christmas. I have so many wonderful fond memories of my childhood Christmases, even though they are always in my heart, I still want their photo for all to see.

          

Some of the Christmas balls are new, some are hand-made mercury glass, and some are from my very first tree when I became a single mom… so many years ago!  Here’s a close up of the handmade mercury glass.

     

My Dad used to set up a platform train set when I was very small.  He was very detailed using black thread for telephone wire, he used mirror for ice on a pond, and there were train cars that actually functioned as if it were a real train.  The engine even blew smoke!  But sadly, Dad got rid of everything except a few of the trains.  But one of the things that I really loved were the little bottle brush trees!!  I can’t help myself!!

So I bought a few to set on my craft table.. Warms my heart when I look at them as it reminds me of that train platform so many years ago!

      

I thought decorating the kitchen for Christmas would be difficult and I would just go light on the decor, but it turned out to be easier than I thought AND I was able to use some of the heirlooms!

     

This cabinet I installed after I moved in, but I still haven’t decided on the type of counter tile I want, so I covered the plywood base with the shiny red cloth.

Even the sink area has a little sugared faux fruit for decor.

This corner is where I do all my cooking, and today, baking!  I left a few cookies our for visitors, and a little basket for tangerines and apples.

I also set out the  makings for hot cocoa, the grandkids will love this!

    

So, that’s it for now.  I didn’t get my nativity scene up yet, I’ll share that with you soon.

Merry Christmas friends!