Christmas Countdown - 2015

[Festive Spirit]

Happy Rudolph Day and Friday friends! It's chilly here this morning and I'm wearing a scarf for the first time to work. It's more decorative than functional, BUT STILL. YAY!

Off to work...but should be finishing up not too late and enjoying a good birthday dinner with my husband tonight and tomorrow with a friend of his! So exciting. It's his birthday tomorrow! Hope you have a phenomenal day today--I'll check in as I can!

Thank you!

Hope works goes smoothly for you. Sounds like a fun weekend. Birthday wishes to your husband!

 

[Festive Spirit]

Good morning

Morning Irish Snow . Have a great weekend!

 

[Crown 84]

********** MILESTONE DAY **********


Good Morning, Fantastic Friday Friends and Merry Milestoners!

Incredible though it may seem, we have arrived at yet another Marker on our voyage toward Christmas Season 2015 and beyond.

Today's data:
Days to the Season: 49 (Seven weeks from today!)
Days to Christmas Day: 91 (Three months from today!)

Three quarters of the way back to Christmas.
My! My!
Will these incredible Milestones never end?
Well, to tell you the truth, there is only ONE more marker left between now and the start of the season and only TWO remain until Christmas Day!
(Don't believe me? Just check out the chart!)


A rain yesterday evening and overnight gave us a nice shot of needed moisture.
Today should see more of the wet stuff and cool temps.
We are currently at 66 degrees here under quite overcast skies.


Have a Fabulous Friday, Folks.
And enjoy the start of your Weekend this afternoon in your usual accustomed style, indigenous to members of the MMC Nation!

 

[AuntieMistletoeDear]

If I can schedule my remaining vacation days to my liking, I should be able to have off a couple days before Christmas. I usually hoard a few vacation days so that between Thanksgiving and Christmas, I have no five-day weeks ...

I submit my requests by the end of January for the year leaving a few unscheduled vacation days in case something unexpected pops up. I sure hope you get your well deserved time off, I suspect that things quiet down a bit closer to the holidays. This year I'll get 30 vacation days.

 

[Holiday]

 

[AuntieMistletoeDear]

I am loving the chill in the air once the sun gets low in the sky, it feels so invigorating in the morning when it is in the 40's.

I smelled snow in the wee hours, but alas it was only dew and it was foggy when I woke up. The nights are cooler and the afternoon is still summer weather. Neighbour was chopping up some fireplace logs that's a good sign.

 

[Holiday]

It is, thanks ... less busy than it has been. I hope there's no 5 PM crisis today!

I hope you were able to get out of there at a descent time last night & you can fully enjoy a day off today! Woo Hoo!!

 

[Holiday]

All this talk about baking is making me hungry!

Elizabeth has taken up baking from my mom. She bakes three loaves of fresh bread every week, using a starter my mom gave her that she has to "feed" once a week. She uses a portion of the starter with some bread flour, kneading the dough, letting it rise overnight...the whole 9 yards. I had it at lunch today, and it's out of this world!

Now I want to make some homemade bread to go with HMG's Bruschetta Chicken tonight!!!

 

[Holiday]

Yes, heat the bruschetta and definitely add your favorite cheese. It's so good!!!



It's so exciting!

I mixed it up last night & I added some feta & a small onion from the garden! Mmmm! I had a little taste & it was amazing!! The grocery didn't have any fresh basil so I had to use dried & I didn't have quite enough, so I added a little oregano too! I made the batch a little larger as I will be feeding 6 people tonight -good thing chicken breast were on sale yesterday! I'm excited to try it!!!

 

[Holiday]

Here you go!
This is an easier version that I made tonight. When I have the time I follow The Pioneer Woman's recipe, it's more work but so worth it. I promise this recipe is super yummy too!

Chicken Pot Pie

Ingredients

• 2 cups diced peeled potatoes
• 1-3/4 cups sliced carrots
• 1 cup butter, cubed
• 2/3 cup chopped onion
• 1 cup all-purpose flour
• 1-3/4 teaspoons salt
• 1 teaspoon dried thyme
• 3/4 teaspoon pepper
• 3 cups chicken broth
• 1-1/2 cups milk
• 4 cups cubed cooked chicken
• 1 cup frozen peas
• 1 cup frozen corn
• 2 packages (14.1 ounces each) refrigerated pie pastry

Directions

• 1. Preheat oven to 425°. Place potatoes and carrots in a large saucepan; add water to cover. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat; cook, covered, 8-10 minutes or until vegetables are crisp-tender; drain.
• 2. In a large skillet, heat butter over medium-high heat. Add onion; cook and stir until tender. Stir in flour and seasonings until blended. Gradually stir in broth and milk. Bring to a boil, stirring constantly; cook and stir 2 minutes or until thickened. Stir in chicken, peas, corn and potato mixture; remove from heat.
• 3. Unroll a pastry sheet into each of two 9-in. pie plates; trim even with rims. Add chicken mixture. Unroll remaining pastry; place over filling. Trim, seal and flute edges. Cut slits in tops.
• 4. Bake 35-40 minutes or until crust is lightly browned. Let stand 15 minutes before cutting.

Thank you so much! Maybe I'll have to try this one next week!! I printed it off! I just looked up The Pioneer Woman's recipe -- that looks good too!

 

[Holiday]

just finished 3 apple crisps, I only bake them about 3/4 done then they go in the freezer when cooled down. This assures the apples to not turn to mush when reheated before eating. My wonderful son peeled all the apples for me

it gets served with french vanilla ice cream, drizzled with caramel sauce

So now it's 8:39am & I'm hungry for a nice big meal w/ apple crisp for dessert. HA! Looks delicious CS!

 

[AuntieMistletoeDear]

Good evening,

Another slow day at work, lots got done again. It was open house night at LC's school tonight so we went there and got to see all his teachers and his work. he is doing well nearly one month into the school year.
I was told that the egg nog will be in store next week, I don't like it myself but I love seeing it in store.
Time for some shuteye.
Goodnight, everyone.

Our EGGNOG arrived in time for the Canadian Thanksgiving last year. I remember my husband surprised me with a carton for our Anniversary. He's lucky it's not too hard to please me with a simple tasty gesture.

 

[AuntieMistletoeDear]

Happy Rudolph Day!!!!

View attachment 13703

I was thinking that very thing. Socrates the scarecrow is hanging on my front door, I'm wearing a Christmas nighshirt and had my coffee in a Santa mug this morning.
Happy Rudolph Day!

 

[Holiday]

It is going to be a good season this year, I did a risky move over the last month and re-trained all my employees slowly by introducing more and more daily tasks for all of them, It has worked. My area has never run better and I have employees doing a lot more now than in the past, and I am actually managing the area instead taking on everything myself.

That's awesome!

 

[Holiday]

Fridays don't really matter too much to me since I work on Saturdays, but I went through the day today thinking it was Friday. I still have two working days until my next day off.

Oh I hate it when that happens...

 

[Holiday]

Oh man, so do I...It was 46 degrees when I left the house this morning, had a hot mug of coffee, could see my breath and I was just loving the moment.....

That is a comforting feeling...chilly morning, warm coffee... I like to go for walks early in the morning this time of year w/ a hot cuppa coffee like that!

 

[Holiday]

Guess what, on my way into the house, I stepped over a Northern Ringneck Snake. Little guy, about 10 inches long. Kinda a chilly for him to be out and about, I guess he was either looking for food or a warm bed.... Here's a link if you want to see more info on this kind of snake~

http://www.fcps.edu/islandcreekes/ecology/northern_ringneck_snake.htm

That makes 8 snakes that I have found around the house so far this year.....

EEK! I'd have to move!

 

[Holiday]

That is the best week of the year to have off!

I agree!!! It works out well for me too this year b/c of the way Christmas & NY fall. We have 2 days paid holiday for Christmas & 2 days paid for the new year, I am off for 11 days straight & only use 3 days vaca!

 

[AuntieMistletoeDear]

View attachment 13726

As we were waitiing for our meeting to get underway lastnight, I sent a secret message in one direction and another in the other direction to see what would happen when the words came back to the only person I was "keeping in the dark" intentionally beause she couldn't stand the wait. When I asked at the end what the message was, someone had changed it and shouted "1,000 sleeps until Christmas". The joker.
Thankfully, we aren't waiting that long.

Our meeting was taking place next to the top of the ski hill, I scouted the trees - not reading for snapping Fall photos yet, but inching closer in some spots.

 

[Irishsnow]

Good morning, friend~
Happy Friday!
xx

Good morning snowflake x