I can’t tell you how much I have enjoyed the last few days getting caught up with everyone’s blogs.  I sure miss being able to post and socialize with everyone.  I hope to make more time in 2010 to blog.  It is a great way to document our lives and memories as a family.

I am looking forward to ringing in the new year this evening in the comfort of my home with those I love, my hubby and children.   I think we might play the new computer game we received for Christmas while we wait to ring in the New Year. 

I need to think about my goals for 2010 and will post about those later I am sure.   We have had a good 2009 and look forward to creating a wonderful 2010.  

As with every post lately, I am thinking about what to make for New Year’s Eve and New Year’s Day.  Our lives are so packed with traditions around food, so my kids are already planning what we should have tonight!  So I guess that means I need to go to the grocery store, after I plan some special treats for tonight and tomorrow!

New Year’s Eve (appetizers)
Pizza Dip
Shrimp Cocktail
Popcorn Shrimp
Egg Rolls
Honey BBQ Wings
Cheese Sticks
Hawaiian Bread/Spinach Dip
Veggie Tray with Dip
Sparkling Juice

New Year’s Day

Crab Legs

Parmesan Potatoes
Pull Apart Garlic Bread from Frugal Girl.com

Veggie – use up rest of squash

Wishing you a wonderful night bringing in 2010 with those you love!!

Happy New Year!

The year end brings no greater pleasure
than the opportunity to express
gratitude and good wishes to my readers.

 I am going to share this here as well as on my book blog, Reading in White Bear Lake.  It has been a very slow year of reading for me.   Life and work have gotten in the way of my sitting around and reading into the wee hours of the night.  Since I am no longer going to Duluth for work each month, my nights to read in the hotel room are gone as well.  Alas, I have only read 28 books in 2009, but some very good ones!! 

Jen’s Best Books of 2009

1.   The Hour I First Believed – Wally Lamb (5/5)

2.  The Crying Tree – Naseem Rakha – (5/5)

3.  A Year On Ladybug Farm – Donna Ball – (4.5/5)

4.  At Home on Ladybug Farm – Donna Ball (4.5/5)

5.  The Lost Symbol – Dan Brown (4.5/5)

6.  The Story of Edgar Sawtelle – David Wroblewski (4.5/5)

7.  The Kindness of Strangers – Katrina Kittle (4.5/5) 

8.  Lace Reader – Brunonia Barry – (4.5/5)

9.  Moloka’i – Alan Brennert – (4.5/5)

10. Things I Want My Daughters to Know: A Novel – Elizabeth Noble – (4.5/5)

I love making my list of best books each year.  I forget about all the great books I read in the beginning of the year!  Next, I will enjoy reading other book bloggers lists which will certainly make my “To Be Read” list even longer!

We tried a couple of new recipes this year for Christmas Eve.  The following were hits and will be added to our online cookbook.

PARTY CHEESE BREAD

1/2 Cup Butter, melted
2 Tbsp. lemon juice
2 Tbsp. Dijon mustard
1-1/2 tsp. garlic powder
1/2 tsp. onion powder
1/2 tsp. celery salt
1 round loaf sourdough bread
1 lb. Monterey Jack cheese, cut into thin slices

In a small bowl, combine the first six ingredients; set aside.  Cut bread diagonally into 1 inch slices to within 1/2 in of bottom of loaf.  Repeat cuts in opposite direction. Arrange cheese slices in cuts.  Drizzle butter mixture over bread.

Wrap loaf in foil; place on a baking sheet.  Bake at 350 for 15 minutes. Uncover; bake 10 minutes longer or until cheese is melted. 

*Taste of Home Simple & Delicious – January/February 2010

SMOKED SAUSAGE APPETIZERS

3/4 cup red currant jelly
3/4 cup barbecue sauce
3 Tbsp. prepared mustard
2 pkg (1 lb each) miniature smoked sausages, drained. 

In a large saucepan, combine the jelly, barbecue sauce and mustard.  Cook, uncovered over medium heat, for 15-20 minutes or until jelly is melter and mixture is smooth, stirring occasionally. 

Add sausage; stir to coat.  Cover and cook 5-6 minutes longer or until heated through, stirring occasionally.  Serve with toothpicks. 

(I did cook my sauce on the stove to melt, but then put the sausages and sauce in the crockpot for a few hours on low)

*Taste of Home Simple & Delicious – January/February 2010

BACON CHEESEBURGER ROLL-UPS

1 lb ground beef
6 bacon strips, diced
1/2 cup chopped onions
1 pkg (8 oz) process cheese (Velveeta), cubed
1 tube (16.3 oz) large refrigerated buttermilk biscuits
1/2 cup ketchup
1/4 cup yellow mustard

In a large skillet, cook the beef, bacon and onion over medium heat until meat is no longer pink; drain.  Add cheese; cook and stir until melted.  Remove from the heat. 

Flatten each biscuit into a 5 inch circle; spoon 1/3 cup beef mixture onto each biscuit.  Fold sides and ends over filling and roll up.  Place seam side down on a greased baking sheet. 

Bake at 400 for 18-20 minutes or until golden brown.  In a small bowl, combine ketchup and mustard; serve with roll-ups.   Yield:  8 servings.  (I made these with 2 cans of the little buttermilk biscuits. They turned out more appetizer size)

*Taste of Home Simple & Delicious – January/February 2010

Great appetizers!  Hope you enjoy them!

MONDAY – OCB – Old Coyan Buffet

TUESDAY – Meatloaf/boxed potatoes/Veggie

WEDNESDAY- Grilled Chesse and Soup

THURSDAY – Unstuffed Cabbage   /Vegetable

FRIDAY – Hamburgers and Fries

For more Menu Planning inspiration stop by and visit Tina at Mommy’s Kitchen  or Laura at Organizing Junkie.

While I enjoy Coymas, I love Christmas!!  My favorite day of the year is Christmas Eve.  I love attending Christmas service with my children and celebrating the real reason for the season, the birth of our Savior!! 

We have traditions of how we celebrate Christmas Eve each year, that have become very special to us.  We always attend Christmas Service together.  The plow has gone by our house and we are nearly dug out so we will be able to attend service at 4:00.   I am so looking forward to the service.  

After church we come home and start making our feast of apprtizers.  Each person selects one favorite they want and I try a couple of new appetizer recipes too!   My children love shrimp so there is always alot of that!!  So we snack on appetizers in the living room.   We have a great time!   After eating, we exchange gifts between ourselves and watch a Christmas movie.  This year we will be watching The Nativity.   It is a quiet evening with the family celebrating the birth of Christ!     There is nothing better……

Christmas Eve Appetizers -2009

Deviled Eggs
Shrimp Cocktail
Popcorn Shrimp (Stovetop – fry)
Smoked Little Sausages -Pg 19 NEW (Stovetop – 25 minutes)
Mozzarella Sticks (450 – 8 minutes)
Bacon Cheeseburger Roll-ups – pg 56 NEW (400 – 18 minutes)
Crispy Noodle Shrimp (Bake at 400 – 15 minutes)
Party Bread – pg 19 NEW (350 for 15 mins/uncovered 10 more)
Hot Artichoke Dip – (350- 20 minutes)

May the Lord bless and watch over you and your loved ones this Christmas and upcoming year. 

Merry Christmas!! 

6 – Unstuffed Cabbage  (Didn’t Make)

Items for the Cookies Exchange:

Cinnamon Sugar Cookies  (Add to Website)
Chocolate Oatmeal Drops
Cocoa Mix

7 – MONDAY – working Late – (Mix up the night before) (Add to Website)

Duggar Family Tater Tot Dish
1 lb ground turkey cooked, seasoned, drained
2lb bags tater tots
1 can cream of mushroom
1 can evaporated milk
1 can cream of chicken
Brown meat & place in large cass. dish.
Cover with tater tots. Mix soup & milk together.
Pour over top. Bake at 350 for 1 Hour.
(One of Daddy’s Favorites!) Makes 1- 9”X13” pans

Add Mixed Veggies to meat before doing rest of recipe

8 – Anoka – Grilled Cheese and Soup  (make Deviled Eggs)  (didn’t Make)

9 –Jen’s Work Potluck – Deviled Eggs

Baked Pork Chops and Rice & Peas  (make night before)  (didn’t Miake)

10 – Christmas Program at 6  - Chicken Salad Sandwiches (make night before)

11 – Friday – Chuck Roast – French Dip Sandwiches – Fries

Making Chex Mix  Oringinal Chex Mix – Ranch Chex Mix  

Original Chex Party Mix – (Add to Website)

Cheesy Ranch Chex Mix- (Add to Website)

12 – Wrapping at work – - Biscuit and Gravy / Scramble Eggs/ Bacon (Add to Website)

13   Cookie Exchange Party

Sausage Stuffed Mushrooms  (*New Recipe) (Add to Website)
Deviled Eggs (Add to Website)
Olive Cheese Bread (Add to Website)
Mexican Layered Dip (Add to Website)
Hot Artichoke Dip (PW Cookbook – pg 30) (Add to Website)
Hot Cocoa

14  -  MPTP –    Frozen Pizza and Salad

15 – working late to finish Audit

Country Ham and Cheese Macaroni Casserole

1 lb. smoked cooked ham, chopped
1 large onion, diced
1 lb. elbow macaroni
2 c. shredded extra sharp cheddar cheese (80z)
1 c. sour cream
1 can cream of chicken soup
1/4 c. margarine, melted
1 c dry, plain bread crumbs

Boil noodles according to package instructions along with diced onion, until noodles are done. Drain. Meanwhile, mix together rest of ingredients and add salt and pepper to taste. Mix in cooked noodles/onion and add to oven safe casserole dish (greased). Pour bread crumbs evenly over noodles and then pour melted butter over the crumbs.

Bake for 30-45 minutes at 375 degrees or until cheese is well melted.

16 –  home early CADI mtg

Cheeseburge Casserole

Cheeseburger casserole

“Paula Deen’s Cookbook for the Lunch-Box Set”

INGREDIENTS

• 1 pound ground beef

• 1 large onion, chopped

• 1 green pepper, chopped

• One 28-ounce can chopped tomatoes, with juice

• 1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce

• 1 teaspoon dried oregano

• 1 1/2 teaspoons salt

• 1/2 teaspoon pepper

• 8 ounces wide egg noodles

• Cooking spray

• 2 cups grated sharp Cheddar cheese

DIRECTIONS

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. In a large skillet, cook the ground beef over medium heat, stirring to break up the lumps, until all of the pink is gone from the meat. Get an adult to help you drain off the fat.

Add the onion and green pepper, and cook until the vegetables are tender, about 5 minutes. Add the tomatoes, with juice, and the Worcestershire sauce, oregano, 1/2 teaspoon salt and pepper. Bring to a boil, then lower the heat to low. Simmer the mixture for about 15 minutes.

Fill the medium pot halfway full of water. Add 1 teaspoon salt. Bring the water to a boil. Stir in the noodles and boil for about 8 minutes, until tender. Get an adult to help you drain the noodles. Return the noodles to the pot. Pour the tomato mixture over the noodles, and stir until blended.

Put the noodle mixture in the baking dish that you have sprayed with cooking spray. Top with cheese. Bake for about 15 minutes, until the cheese is melted

17  - Sorting – Sausage Ground    - Spaghetti  and Sausage/Garlic Bread

18 – Fare For All – Sausage Ground – French Bread Pizza

19 – Coyan Christmas – 7 Layer Salad, etc

20 – Pecan Crusted Salmon/(Very Good Add to Site) Garden Vegetables/ Crusty Bread

21 – working later –  Prep Night Before  (Add to Website)

Baked Ravioli

       2 Tbsp. olive oil

       1 (28 oz.) jar spaghetti sauce, any flavor

       24 pieces frozen Four Cheese Ravioli

       1/2 cup grated Romano or Parmesan* cheese

       2 cups meatballs, chopped (from freezer)

       5 oz. shredded mozzarella cheese

       sautéed peppers and onions, thawed (from freezer or see notes above.)

Preheat the oven to 400°F. Spread olive oil in an 8″x10″ baking pan and spread about 5 oz. of the spaghetti sauce around. Layer with 1/2 of the ravioli, 1/2 of the Romano or Parmesan Cheese, 1/2 of the meatballs and peppers and onions, and 2 oz. of the mozzarella cheese. Repeat layers, saving 1 oz. of mozzarella cheese for the top. Tent the pan with aluminum foil and bake for 1 hour 15 minutes

22 – Seafood Alfredo/ Garlic Bread  (Didn’t make)

23 – OFF –  GET GROCERIES – Shake and Bake Porkchops – / boxes Cheesy potatoes / Beans  (Didn’t Make)