Santa Claus Was VERY Good To Me!

First let me say Merry Christmas to you.

I think I must have been a very good boy based upon the presents Santa Claus left for me this Christmas.

First off, I got a very large and when I say large, I mean LARGE, Red Cherry flavored GUMMI BEAR! (see picture)

The bear weighs in at like 5lbs or so, is at least a foot long or in comparison larger than a football. And, I do have to report to you right here and now that it does taste REALLY good too! The quality of the Gummi Bear is awesome and if you would like one just head on over to www.candyship.com you won’t be displeased at all. Oh and I must sadly report that the bear is now missing his entire head, poor thing, I just don't know how that happened. (licks lips...)

Guess what else I got? I also received an iPOD Touch. Looks just like an iPHONE without the phone.

This thing will surf the net, get my email and do just about pretty much anything you ask of it. Dang pretty too may I add. All I can say right now is yee haw y’all! LOL!!

Okay I admit, at first I can remember "MANY TIMES" saying I was too old for an iPOD but after playing around with it, well it’s simply awesome! It works well with my iMAC and my pc’s. And since opening it up and charging it, I have added 1137 (you read it right) songs and 4 games from the APP store and still have plenty of room left, this thing has some computing power to be so little.

And we boys know that our toys are all about power now don't we?

I also got an Xbox 360 Pro 60 GB model with two games included in the bundle. They are Kung Fu Panda and Lego Indiana Jones. Again, I have said to many people, many times that I was too old for a game system as well as an iPOD, but Santa saw fit to bring me one and test my inner child….

Well Santa was right, I am still YOUNG AT HEART AND I LOVE IT!! I am hooked now, what can I say. I also have two other games for it, Madden NFL ’09 and Call of Duty “World at War” and I can foresee many, many hours being consumed by this thing in the near future and wow you should see it on 65” of TV! (jaw drops to floor!)

Oh yea and we were also blessed by the UPS man Christmas Eve who came bringing a gift basket assortment of Mrs. Fields cookies and brownies, what can you say about that other than OH HOW YUMMY MR. UPS MAN!!

I loved Santa’s visit, it was really quite wonderful for me this year as I was truly blessed beyond anything I could have ever imagined and I am a very lucky guy for sure. I am very happy with my life right now (besides a few health issues) and the way that it is presently going, the blessings are abundant all around me in my life, in the people I share my life with and I know my heart has been truly touched by them all.

Oh, and Santa just so you know, I do believe.

So Christmas day is passing quietly at my house with everyone playing with their new gifts and napping in between eating frenzies.

A fine time has been had by all so far.

Happy Holidays and Happy New Year Y’all!

Remember; “A smiling face makes the world a better place”

And so does Santa Claus….Ho Ho Ho!

P.S. And tomorrow I will fill you in on the Christmas Dinner Menu! Yea buddy!!!! Good Eatin’ around here for sure.

Merry Christmas Everyone

As I write this blog, it's Christmas Eve and I am watching the Santa Claus tracking reports on our local CBS Channel 5. Last update I heard he was in Japan around 10am. I am so excited that he is coming just hope I don’t get some lumps of coal in my stockings…uggggg!

The apple pies are done, so is the pumpkin and the German Chocolate cake is fresh out of the oven, it is going to be the foundation for the “Dessert Eating Extravaganza” tomorrow. While my Christmas dinner menu is just a tad different from my Grandmother's from years past that I can remember, I have spent most of today so far just as she did, preparing for the Christmas eating feast.

Things seem to be in order now. But, now, for the big decision, do I eat a piece of pie or the cake just to make sure it tastes good enough for possible visitors? It's difficult for me to decide which I like the best cake or pie? Things that make my taste buds go hmmmmm? LOL!

You know what? I think that Christmas Eve is actually my favorite time of Christmas.

The anticipation is at its highest, the lights are the brightest, and the feeling of "Goodwill toward men" is the strongest for me. I was just sitting here thinking about one of my early Christmas Eve memories. The first time I left cookies and milk out for Santa. I got up really early before everyone else so no one could get to the tree before me in the hope I could catch Santa there, but all I found was the cookie plate and milk glass both empty and realized Santa had actually been there already and look, TOYS!!!!

Absolutely a magical moment for me, and still is.

Merry Christmas everyone and I hope you enjoy the following poem by Warren Jenning, its Santa’s Christmas Eve Prayer and it just about sums it all up for me.

I just love this poem.

Santa's Prayer on Christmas Eve
By Warren D. Jenning

The sleigh was all packed,
The reindeer were fed,
But Santa still knelt
By the side of the bed.

"Dear Father," he prayed,
"Be with me tonight,
There's much work to do,
And my schedule is tight."

"I must jump in my sleigh
And streak through the sky,
Knowing full well
That a reindeer can't fly."

"I will visit each household,
Before the first light,
I'll cover the world,
And all in one night."

"With sleigh bells a-ringing,
I'll land on each roof,
Amid the soft clatter
Of each little hoof."

"To get in the house
Is the difficult part,
So I'll slide down the chimney
Of each child's heart."

"All this is to honor
The birth of the One,
That was sent to redeem us ...
Your most Holy Son."

"So to all of my friends,
Least Your glory I rob,
Please Lord, remind them
Who gave me this job."

Grandma’s Fantastic & Favorite Christmas Cookie Recipe

Fond memories, I am always talking about them aren't I?

One of my fondest memories was my visits to Grandma's house at Christmas time. More specifically, Grandma's goodie table, always piled high with at least a dozen different goodies.

Twice a year I was allowed to pick, and choose, and eat all I wanted those times were Thanksgiving and Christmas. (at least that was according to Grandma)

Please enjoy my Grandmothers favorite cookie recipe and share them with your family and friends. Remember! Grandma said they can have all they want, after all it's Christmas time y'all.

Grandma’s Favorite Christmas Sugar Cookies

Ingredients:

2 cups Flour
1/2 cup Butter
1/2 cup Sugar
1 teaspoon Vanilla Extract
1 Egg
2 teaspoons Baking Powder
10 Swirls of Love

Directions:

Cream together the margarine, sugar, vanilla and egg until light and fluffy.
Add the flour and baking powder.
Add some swirls of love by sticking your finger in and swirling it around, this is the special ingredient that adds your love to the mixture.
Blend until well mixed.
Chill the dough for 2 hours (or overnight).
Roll out on a lightly-floured surface until 1/8-inch thick.
Cut with a cookie cutter.
Place on an ungreased baking sheet.
Bake in a 375-degree oven until lightly browned, about 10 minutes.

Cool before storing.

Serve to your family and enjoy.

HAPPY HOLIDAY’S Y'ALL!!!

Christmas Things To Do And A Baby

Could Christmas possibly be this coming week?

And not just "this week" but in five days?

Is anyone ready for this the special day that seemed to creep up on us this year?

Okay I admit at first, I kind of figured that all my friends and I are behind in our cards and gifts and decorations because we are all just frigging lazy, but then I started running into people I did not even know who were also complaining they didn't have enough time to get ready for Christmas this year.

Want to know my theory? Do ya? Well, I'm going to tell you anyway like it or not.

With the economy, gas prices and just trying to get by on a daily basis I think people are so busy with their lives the holidays have been put on the back burner and have become not as important to people as they once were just a few short years ago.

Now, here we all are wishing for more time to accomplish all the items on our “things to do” list.

Okay people relax, take a deep breath and have some patience. Okay so maybe you didn't find all the presents you wanted to buy this year. Maybe all the decorations didn't make it onto your house and tree. Maybe you never found the time to enjoy the nighttime holiday fireworks display in your home town. And maybe (if your into this kind of thing) you didn't get to see your favorite Christmas TV show.

One more time, relax take a deep breath. What you got done is done and what you didn’t get done isn’t done. Dec. 25 will be here very soon whether you've checked off all your things to do or not. Okay you think you have it bad let’s go back in time a little, shall we?

Let’s think of all the chaos that happened leading up to that first Christmas night.

Imagine being nine months pregnant and not even knowing the father first hand, riding your pregnant butt around on a donkey. Think about it when you are in labor, riding in an Ambulance on these bumpy city streets is difficult enough, but riding a donkey? Can you say “Ugggggg…”

And then, then you find out that the only place to give birth to your baby is in a smelly, old, dirty stable that hasn’t seen new shavings or a pooper scooper in several months. But you're pregnant as all get out. Your water has broke, and you are now focused on your baby that is about to be born. The baby will be born without the assistance of Doc Hollywood or Nurse Cratchett, oh yea and without the comfort of an epidural to ease the pain.

Yup, your all natural in a stable full of chickens, donkeys, ducks geese and all the other animals that you couldn’t imagine would be there watching you have your baby. Your only assistants to this birth are animals, and your new husband “A carpenter” who couldn't possibly know what to do when a new bouncing baby boy comes kicking and screaming into the world. If it had been a 2X4, he had that covered with his handy dandy hammer and nails.

OKAY STOP!! Have you ever wondered who cut the baby’s umbilical cord? Or how they did it? (I shudder at the thought)

This Christmas, remember, it's not all about the presents, shopping, cooking and decorating. It doesn't matter whether you're showered or shaved, a carpenter or a shepherd all that matters is you understand what the season is really all about. Spending time with your family and loved ones and giving of yourself unselfishly to help others.

Can you feel me on this one?

Happy Holidays and Merry Christmas y’all!

Hide The Apple Pie At Christmas Time

8 days till Christmas, can you believe that?

Have any favorite Christmas Memories growing up?

One of Mine was playing hide the Apple pie with my Grandma C.

We both REALLY loved good Apple Pie and my grandmother made the absolute best you could get, bar none. She would make her own crust and it was always so sweet and crunchy. No yucky gooey crust for her, it had to be crunchy. She would brush it with some home made butter and sugar mixture and that would form a crunchy glaze, man I could have just eaten the crust it was so good.

Back to the game, anyway, Grandma C. and I would take turns hiding the pie from each other, one year it was her, next year it was me.

One year, I took it over next door to my other grandmothers house and hid the pie. It was almost two hours before my Grandma C. figured out where I had taken it, as she said it was her "Only Logical Choice" as I was too young to drive anywhere and too lazy to run away with it. So as an excuse she went over there to my other grandmothers to visit my Aunt Andrea who had came in from out of town, it was then she happened to see my other grandmother's pie plate sitting on the dinner table with something under it. My Aunt Andrea was so dang funny about the pie because she swore that Grandma C. had sent the pie over there for her to eat while she was visiting us for Christmas. We almost had a "all woman family brawl" break out over that pie.

I just had to laugh at them because that was very funny to see as I sat there in a chair being all "Mr. innocent," like I had done nothing at all.

Finally, my grandmother would decide that she'd had enough of the game. She would then declare a winner in the game and would make me quit playing with it and bring the pie back to the kitchen so people could eat it. Grandma C. would always argue that she and I were the only two that ate Apple pie anyway. (This part was not completely accurate.) But we would always put it back with the other pies, which were usually almost gone by then. Then we would grab a knife and sit down and share a huge piece, with me perched on a chair on my knees eating out of the same plate as she did.

The first time one of my friends was over at the house for Christmas and saw our game, when we got to the end when Grandma C. was done playing, my friend asked why we didn't just get our own piece since the piece we were sharing was big enough for five people. Grandma proceeded to tell her that it was “old time” tradition and that I had started eating her Apple pie when I was like 16 or so months old. I swear I think I can remember that first piece of Apple pie still, yummy!

Both my Grandmothers are gone now, and I miss them both so much. But I would bet you a “Gold Toilet Seat” that somewhere in heaven Grandma C. and Grandma S. are looking down here at all of us, eating Apple pie and smiling after each bite.

I can still remember the fun my Grandmothers and I had during this time of year, boy what memories.

Happy Holidays Y’all!

Sunday Was Messalicious

Messalicious? Is that a new word? LOL!

Yesterday was bad! Very bad.

Nothing worked as it should have, nothing happened what I wanted to and I to top it off I could not really sleep last night at all, but my usual early morning Mountain Dew did wake me up today, that’s a good thing.

Okay so recently say for like the last two weeks or so, I have been having these whelps come up on my face and hands. Why? I have no idea at all. I tend to think they are a reaction to some new medication I have been taking and if you throw in a really bad dose of “nervous tension” then you have what I call a “reaction to life!”

I have no idea what’s going on with me but I have a Doctors appointment today and maybe they can shed some light on the subject and give me some kind of an idea as to what the heck is happening in regards to the “humpy bumpys” all over me. I will be posting this after I get back so I should know something, hopefully.

Anyhow, back to Sunday, I watched TV a little, laid around the house a little trying to recuperate from the difficult week before. It was then that I decided I wanted breakfast for supper. I had visions of “heaping mounds” of pancakes, thickly fried bacon and some scrambled eggs. Yea, that’s what I had visions of in my head, but what I ended up with was something completely different.

First let’s talk about the pancake batter. I had mixed myself up some very tasty pancake batter and trying to save some time and energy I grabbed the hand mixer and decided to whip up the mix. However, I didn’t have a very good grasp on the mixer and it slipped into the bowl and slung pancake mix everywhere! On me, the cabinets, floors, ceiling and roughly about 12 feet out into the breakfast room area.

So, at this point I was perplexed to say the least....

Okay after I cleaned that all up and fished the mixer out of the garbage after I had gotten very mad at it. I washed it up and then proceeded to make me up a new batch of batter which did go a little smoother this go round. So everything is going smoothly, we have bacon frying up in a skillet, we have pancakes cooking in my handy dandy “Perfect Pancake Pan” and life is good, I thought....

Next came the scrambled eggs, I went to the fridge got out a dozen eggs and proceeded to crack them into a bowl being very careful not to include any unwanted egg shell pieces in the mix. I had cracked about five or six of them and then added in my usual “dash” of whole milk and black pepper to add that little something I always like. As I was swishing and beating my eggs I again lost my grip on the bowl and BAM! It happened, we had eggs running down the cabinet, all over the floor, and all over me.

It was a nasty, egg goo mess to say the least.

As for me, I was now head to toe in pancake batter and egg splashed goo. You could have thrown my clothes into a skillet and cooked them, it was that bad. I was a real live, walking, talking, breathing kitchen terror with whelps the size of Kansas at this point.

So, as I sit here and write this I am laughing out loud at myself because you know this is one of those times when I wished I would have had my video camera going. That video would have won an Oscar for “Worst Kitchen Disaster of 2008.”

Go ahead laugh, I am! LOL!

I just had to share my Messalicious Sunday with you.

Happy Holiday’s to you all…

A Happy Steak Day It Was

You hungry? I dang sure am especially as I sit here thinking about writing this blog. So lets talk about food today, yea I know your gonna say “Billy I am watching my weight!” HECK WITH THAT!! It’s the holidays lets watch it after January 1st, 2009, LOL!

Friday, December 12th was my birthday and I thought I'd go out for a nice steak dinner. So I waited till Saturday the 13th and went to Longhorn Steakhouse.

I know it’s a chain restaurant and it probably isn’t the best Steakhouse to go eat at as I would have preferred Ruth Chris’s to any Longhorn establishment but have you tried getting reservations lately? You would have to know President Elect Obama to get a seat these days.

So we drove out to West Mobile and found ourselves over on Airport Blvd at the only Longhorn in town, yes were a one “LONGHORN” town and proud of it. Anyways, the place was very relaxed, private and toned down, maybe because of the lighting and the fact that there were very few people eating at the time. What I like about it is even though they have a bar in there it is very child friendly for a place like that (it's not a bar, it’s a Steakhouse.)

I asked for a table in the back in one corner of the joint and our hostess took us on back there. Our waitress brought a “HUNK” of bread for us to munch on while she took our order. The bread is kind of crispy but has a great flavor if you were hungry like I was. Okay to be honest you could have given me one of my ostrich boots I was wearing to chew on and that probably would have been good at the time with some butter on it.

We ordered the “Texas Tonion” and “Shrimp and Lobster Chowder” for starters. It was some mighty tasty starters, I must say!! Kinda salty and spicy was the Tonion and delicious was the chowder, need I say more!

My main entree was the Texas T-Bone 16 oz. hearty NY strip and a tender fillet in one cut. Chargrilled over an open flame. I ordered it medium rare and I don’t use steak sauce. I am a firm believer a real steak eater never uses steak sauce because it hides the flavor of the meat and any steak connoisseur wants to know what the meat tastes like.

The steak, it was pretty dang small if you ask me! But it was "FRIGGING" good! Yumm! Yumm!!! It definitely hit the empty spot in my belly! I certainly didn't have enough red meat though! It left me wanting for more! I don't know if that's good or bad. It came with salad and a side item, so I opted for the loaded baked potato that helped fill my big belly basket a little.

My dad who happened to be with me ordered some chicken dish I can't remember what it was now. He said it was tasty, succulent and moist. I did taste it and well, did I mention that I really, really do love steak!

And, of course, what's a birthday without a birthday cake? Compliments of Longhorn I had the Chocolate Stampede, two peaks of chocolate cake packed with six (yes, six) types of chocolate including chocolate mousse, fudge icing and chocolate shavings! Served with vanilla bean ice cream, fudge sauce and whipped cream. Goodness gracious that was just about as close to heaven as I have found on this planet.

Finally, what you will see above is the picture of my steak right before it left this heavenly world for a better place, MY STOMACH!!

I just had to let you look at it… Look, yea that’s it, look at it, that's what I was doing.

<BIG EVIL TOOTHY STEAK EATIN' GRIN>

Happy Holidays Y’all!

Howdy "Ho-Ho" Neighbor

YOU: Hey!!! Where in the world you been?

ME: Me?

YOU: Yea you!

ME: ummmmm huh? (insert Blond moment here)

YOU: Where have you been? No blog, no email you just disappeared, went missing!

ME:What do you mean? ? I been here the whole time...

YOU: Yea Right!!!

Okay well you got me, no I haven't really been around at all. I have been busy with life and stuff and well I didn't have a lot of time for computing or blogging or any other word ending in "ing" for that matter.

You know when life altering things happen to you they usually happen and you just don't realize how much of your life will get consumed by them. I made a big decision a few months back in regard to my health. Life will be much better after taking the leap of faith that I did, I just know it. Because, to be honest for the last 14 years I have been battling something in my life that I finally removed from my life completely, now I am positive it was the right choice for me.

But as with all sunny days there are rainy days. I found out last week that a friend of mine tried to kill himself, why I have really no clue. He is going through a divorce and personally I think it was just a cry for help. I think without all of the support he does get it would be a lot harder to bear than it is. I am optimistic about his issues working out for the better, really I am.

How am I really you ask? Well I am festive and happy these days. Been through a week of just pure "hell" and have been really tired and not feeling well. I had a bad case of hives/welps on my head, arms and hands caused by an unknown source (probably a reaction to medications i have never taken before), and other medical issues as well. I don't really wish to talk about that stuff to people that don't know me, you know its a privacy thing. Yea I know what your saying "Privacy in a blog? Are you kidding me?" Yea well there are somethings in my life I am sure people are just not concerned with and this very well may come under the heading of "who would really care anyhow?"

But anyhow, it all seems to be working in my favor, positive mental attitude and positive physical attitude makes "Billy" think his life is working out for the better now. Okay so I admit I missed my blogging exploits and hope to be back full steam very soon. I may in fact just wait till after the first of the year and get back into the swing of things after the holidays are gone by.

Well that is my update as boring as it was. I know that I usually don't do blogs like this but heck this is really the first time I have sat down at the computer in almost a week really to do something constructive. I posted a recipe the other day, but heck what did that take me to type out 2 minutes? Maybe?

People, remember to do something nice for someone this Holiday Season, its all about giving of yourselves and trust me there are people out here who need a little cheer and a helping hand this year.

HAPPY HOLIDAYS Y'ALL!!

Oh, and for the Pagans out there "Happy Solstice" there you happy now?

Favorite Christmas Recipe: Christmas Maple Pecan Pie

I don't know about y'all but Pecan pie is one of my favorite pie's most anytime of the year. I especially like to have it around as a "comfort" food because there ain't nothing anymore comforting than a big ol' hunk of Pecan pie and a cold glass of milk.

However, my Grandmother used to kick it up a tad bit at Christmas time when she would make her famous "Christmas Maple Pecan Pie" which was a must have around my parts of the woods during the Holiday Season. This recipe of my Granny's is made even better when you add the vanilla and gooey, sticky maple syrup. She would make about 5 or 6 of these pies and I can guarantee you that by the 27th of December people was wondering where the pie went.

Ingredients

-1 9-inch purchased or homemade, unbaked
-1 cup coarsely chopped pecans
-2/3 cup sugar
-1 cup maple syrup
-3 eggs
-1/4 cup melted butter
-1 teaspoon vanilla

How to Cook It:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

In a mixing bowl, beat together maple syrup, sugar, eggs, melted butter and vanilla with an electric mixer until slightly thickened, about 2 or 3 minutes give or take a beat or two.

Stir in the chopped pecans (Eat a few while your at it, you know you gotta) and pour the mixture into the prepared pie shell.

Bake for 55 to 60 minutes or until a knife poked into the center of the filling comes out clean.

Let cool completely and serve slightly warm with some whipped cream or y'alls favorite ice cream on top.

Happy Holidays and I hope y'all enjoy the pie! Remember to save me a piece! :)

"Growed Up' Small Town

I was just sitting here thinking about the old days, back when I was growing up and the town I lived in and all the people I knew.

Growing up in a small southern town had a lot of good times and bad, but oh, how I miss it. Yea I still live in a small town, it’s a totally different kind of small town and no where is quite like where you were “growed up” is it?

Our town was very small, so small that everyone knew you who lived there. It was very nice because we had our own little community.

There were no major stores in our town. There however was a small store. A family owned Quick Stop where you could buy bread and milk and a limited amount of groceries. The Grossman’s they owned it and lived in an apartment above the store.

I remember, you could get daily made fresh barbeque around lunch time. I can still remember stopping by on Saturdays and getting a few of Mrs. Grossman’s pulled pork bbq sandwiches, if I remember right even back in the late 1980’s they were like .75 cents a piece, what a deal. They also had the old Soda Fountain with the bar and the chrome round seats that you could sit at and drink your coke at. That was something else, and Mr. Grossman, for just a little more would make you a great ice cream float, wow those were the days.

A Soda Fountain, that’s something you don't see very often these days anymore.

At the Quick stop, in the summer time you could buy fresh vegetables from the garden if you wanted too. I can remember going up there with pennies, you could buy bubble gum back then for a penny. Okay I am going to show my age on this one, can you remember when you could buy a candy bar, and I am talking one bigger than you buy now and it was only .25 cents. A pack of cigarettes was way less than a dollar if I remember right. Since the time I lived there the Grossman’s retired and Mr. Grossman has since passed away. I have to admit, LOL when I was growing up I thought they should have been retired many years before that. They didn’t have kids to carry on the tradition so the last time I went through there looking around, the store was boarded up with an 8’ chain link fence around it.

We had a post-office that was also the town hang out for us. We used to sit in the parking lot at night and watch the red light change colors and drink beer, boy was that exciting. LOL, you could walk in front of the post office and look in the glass window and see if there was anything in your box. I use to get mad as heck when they would tell me what was in my mailbox before they would even hand it to me.

Like I said earlier in this blog, everybody knew everybody and everyone's you’re your business. If you wanted to know anything, just go to the post office or the First Baptist Church, you would get 411 and find out what was going on in town without even asking to be told if you just listened.

Grandma happened to be on the Town City Council and was a member of the Church and on several Church Committee’s till her death. Boy, granny would always come home after Church or from hanging out at the Town Hall and give me all heck about what she heard I was doing around town, she could tell me who I was dating, who I was seen smooching with, who I was hanging out with and how much money I had in my pocket just from the local gossip. Heck sometimes I think they knew what I was going to get into even before I did.

We had neighbors who grew fresh gardens and sold their produce down on 12th Avenue, it was kind of like a road side Farmers Market. I remember going down to one truck all the time, it belonged to Mr. Spann, I think he was sweet on my Grandma, anyhow I would go down and buy tomatoes. I would tell him I need fifty cents worth of tomatoes. After that stop I would be carrying a large bag of tomatoes home. What we pay five dollars for today would probably cost us thirty cents back then. I don't know if everyone got that many or if he was just being generous cause of my Grandma, and my family and the fact that fifty cents worth wasn't many "tomaters" I guess. But he sure did give us a lot. Then there was corn on the cob, grandma would send me down to buy a dozen and he would always throw in some extra. What a guy! And he always said “he knew I was a growing boy and needed to eat.”

Times sure have changes back then everybody looked out for everybody. Now a days no one wants to get involved in anything that has to do with helping you or lending you a hand. Back then if you needed help with anything you just picked up the phone and you would probably have two or three car loads of folks come over to lend a hand with whatever it was you needed help with.

LMAO, did I forget to mention getting into trouble around a small town. You think no one sees you, until you get back home and then you know they did. I used to do things and before I got home the “Grandma’s” were at the door tapping their feet with that look in their eyes. Boy did I get my butt chewed out many a day when I got back home from some of my adventures.

And the time I was 13 and got caught drinking down by the river. There were eyes everywhere, even if you couldn't see them. I remember the time a friend and I wanted to buy beer. At the time I had money and he didn't. We actually found someone to buy us some beer, but it cost me a six pack for him too. His name was Bill, they people around town called him “Bicycle Bill” because he had a souped up bike with believe it or not a 12 volt car battery in a basket and had it equipped with a cb radio, Bicycle Bill was way a head of his time in communications. Anyhow, my friend wanted some beer and I wouldn't give any to him. Well, I was out walking around and he caused me to drop the beer and two cans busted, talk about getting mad. But who could I tell, I wasn't supposed to be drinking, I was only 13 at the time. But sooner or later I did get even with him, boy did I!

I could go on and on about living in the little country town but I am running out of typing area and I am sure you are running out of patience to read further.

If you have ever lived in a small country town when you were growing up then you can probably understand where I am coming from if not then you don't know what you have missed in life.

Happy Holidays!

Favorite Christmas Recipe: Pecan Cranberry Pound Cake

I don't know about you but the one thing I really love about Thanksgiving and the Christmas holidays is the food!

And when I say look forward to it, I mean REALLY look forward to it. Don't get me wrong I am not saying Christmas is just about food, Christmas is about bringing families together and celebrating, but hey food is good too!

In the past I have posted recipes and stuff but not a lot of people were really interested in them. So today I decided that I would post a recipe or two a week till Christmas. These recipes are of my favorite Christmas time recipes and I hope you enjoy them as much as I have.

If you have any questions or recipe requests just send me an email and I will try and help you out.

Pecan Cranberry Pound Cake

-1 1/2 cups cranberries (coarsely chopped)
-1 cup chopped pecans (lightly toasted in oven)
-2 1/4 cups sugar
-1 cup unsalted butter (room temperature)
-5 large eggs
-1/4 cup sour cream
-1/4 cup Gran Gala, or any other type orange liqueur you can find.
-2 tsp. Grated orange peel
-2 tsp. Vanilla extract
-1 1/4 cup all-purpose flour
-1 cup cake flour
-1/2 tsp. Salt
-Powdered sugar

Preheat oven to 350 degrees & grease up a bundt pan with a non stick cooking spray.

Set the toasted pecans & chopped cranberries aside while preparing the cake batter.

Use a handheld electric mixer and mix the sugar with the butter until light & fluffy. Mix in the eggs, one at time.

Mix in the sour cream, the orange liqueur, vanilla & orange peel. Combine the all-purpose flour & cake flour with the salt.

With the mixer on slow speed, add the dry ingredients to the egg mixture & stop when all of the flour has been added. Mix by hand until just combined.

Mix in the pecans & the cranberries. Pour the batter into your prepared cake pan. Tap pan on counter to release any air bubbles.

Bake until tester inserted in center comes out clean, about 1 hour. Cool cake in pan for about 10 minutes. Turn out onto rack & cool completely.

Wrap in plastic & refrigerate at least 1 hour & up to three days.

Dust cake with powdered sugar before serving.

Happy Holidays

"The Tree" A Christmas Memory

Christmas memories, boy do I have them.

One of my favorite memories of Christmas past has to be of the Christmas tree.

Since I was raised mainly by my grandmothers we always had a huge Christmas tree every year that I can remember, except for that one or two years where we had one of those cute aluminum Christmas trees, that was so early 70's. The house was big enough to fit a pretty good sized tree into.

But outside, down by the front gate, there were two very special small looking pine tree's growing. They were special as they never got over 7 feet tall that I can ever remember.

Every Christmas we would go outside, down the walk and decorate the "outside" trees. Mostly with popcorn strings that the birds would eat on for awhile. Also we would use a few of those "FAT" outdoor lights with some simple decorations that would not be damaged outside in the elements.

When I was like 8 or so years old, my uncle Larry came by and added a couple of lights on what looked like Santa's North Poles out near the gate. They were striped and looked like huge candy canes. He also set it up where more Christmas lights could be plugged in out there. I can remember we strung some of those white lights around the tree and I waited for it to get really dark outside so that I could flip the switch and turn them on to light the way to Grandma's house.

At that age, Christmas was exciting, magical and amazing to me.

I have always loved having a real Christmas tree rather than a fake one. It's the smell and the life it brings to your home. The enjoyment of decorating it, sitting around the tree opening gifts and those tree side family chats that are always special.

The tree, it mean's Christmas is here. It has to be one of my favorite Christmas memories.

Do you have a special Christmas memory? I bet you do if you just take time and think about it.

Happy Holidays to each and everyone of you and remember;

"A smiling face makes the world a better place"

What Does Christmas Mean To Me?

I got an email today and in it someone asked me what did Christmas really mean to me? I just kind of sat here with a blank stare on my face and well I couldn't remember what it did mean to me. So I gave it some more thought and decided to blog about it.

I will admit that over the last 6 year’s I kind of have lost my heart for Christmas, and what it meant to me or anyone else for that matter. Before the Christmas of 2002, I used to love Christmas, it was one of my favorite holidays. I used to really go all out on that holiday, with big meals, big gifts and a big tree. But after that Christmas I went through some personal problems with my marriage and my life. I lost that gleam in my eye for the holiday known as Christmas, and to say the sparkle in my eye had been lost would be an understatement.

But! Recently I am starting to find my “Holiday Heart” again and for once in a long, long time I have decided in my head and my heart that I will share my holiday spirit with anyone and everyone I can come in contact with. I want to be able to share myself, my love for my fellowman and my love for the good Lord above on this special holiday. And I hope to continue this for the many holidays that are to come as well, or as many as I am blessed to still walk in this life.

As I sit back and look back on my life, I see many blessings that have been afforded me, and instead of sitting around feeling sorry for myself because of the lack of family, lack of holiday spirit or other issues that have brought me down in the past, I have decided I am going to find my spirit, find myself and find my Holiday Heart once again.

So, what does Christmas mean to me? Everything! It’s all about the Family being together, although, my family has had it very rough through the last few years, with loads of changes in the past 15 years or so, my divorce and my grandmothers passing away, Christmas will always be my families favorite time to stop for a bit, and spend time together remembering the past, joking and laughing while looking forward to the future Christmases that we will have together.

Oh and one more thing, one of the best ways to experience Christmas joy is to give something of yourself. Material giving is fine but this is a time of year when you can give of your time and of your talent.

Is there an organization in your area that serves a hot Christmas dinner? Go sign up to help cook or serve on that day and use part of your Christmas day to take care of someone less fortunate in your town.

Nursing homes can be very lonely places during the holidays. Can you sing? Or play a musical instrument? Call the nursing home and book some time to go and share your talents with the seniors. Christmas is also a good time to reach out to neighbors. Bake an extra batch of that special fudge you make every year and take them over next door to your neighbor. Or you could make a cool, neat and cheap fruit basket and stop by to visit the elderly person down the street. Make some egg nog or hot chocolate and have a small neighborhood open house for a few hours during the Christmas season, just let people know that you care.

Remember it’s all about giving and there is no gift any better, than giving one of yourself this holiday season.

By the way, the following 10 Commandments of Christmas came in an email to me the other day and I have decided to share it with you. It contains some good advice that will help keep us “ALL” in check this Christmas:

1. You shall not leave ‘Christ’ out of Christmas, making it ‘Xmas.’ To some, ‘X’ is unknown.
2. You shall prepare your soul for Christmas. Spend not so much on gifts that your soul is forgotten.
3. You shall not let Santa Claus replace Christ, thus robbing the day of its spiritual reality.
4. You shall not burden the shop girl, the mailman, and the merchant with complaints and demands.
5. You shall give yourself with your gift. This will increase its value a hundred fold, and the one who receives it shall treasure it forever.
6. You shall not value gifts received by their cost. Even the least expensive may signify love, and that is more priceless than silver and gold.
7. You shall not neglect the needy. Share your blessings with many who will go hungry and cold if you are generous.
8. You shall not neglect your church. Its services highlight the true meaning of the season.
9. You shall be as a little child. Not until you become in spirit as a little one are you ready to enter into the kingdom of Heaven.
10. You shall give your heart to Christ. Let Him be at the top of your Christmas list. Anyone keeping these commandments is sure to have a blessed Christmas.

Oh and one more thing that is not on the list that is very important;

"Be patient with everyone around you this holiday season."

Patience is indeed a virtue and one that I learned late in life.

Happy Holidays my friends.