December Fun Times List

since noone sends me christmas cards we are using our card tree to put things we would like to do this month.

things like make hot chocolate, game night, look at christmas lights.

hopefully it will help us be more focused on family activities.

they want to remove the card when we do the activity so i really need some christmas cards to keep it from being empty. don't make me have to buy my own.

Decorating the tree

It isn't finished... I need to buy a star and it needs a skirt and I need hooks to hang all the red ornaments. The kids each get an ornament each year and they put all of them on this tree. They usually have a tree in their room, but all of them decided they don't want a tree in their room anymore. They are so weird.

Cutting down the Christmas Tree

On Saturday we went to a tree farm to cut down our Christmas tree. I have never done that before so it was a nice experience to get to choose our own this year.

Back over the mountain home and we had a beautiful sunset.

Thanksgiving Meal

I hope everyone had a wonderful Thanksgiving! Mine was wonderful. I didn't do much after cooking and eating, just enjoyed being home with my family. My husband fried two turkeys and I made sweet potato casserole, southern peas, corn, dressing, green bean casserole, and heated up some Sister Shubert rolls. We also had the pecan cheesecake pie that I posted about earlier. It was delicious.

Thanksgiving just isn't right without dressing. For non southerners it isn't stuffing or really the same as a stuffing mixture. Southern dressing is totally different and we wait all year for it. It is so good!

Fried to perfection! It was nice a moist and had such a good flavor.

Grocery deals

Publix
6 Cheeze Its $1.64 ea- (2) $1 off 3 Q= $1.31 each
Jif $2.93- .55 Yellow Adv Q= $2.38
6 Campbells Soup $1.19- $.50 double Q= $.19
2 Blue Diamond almonds $1.59- $.50 double Q= $.59
5 Pedigree Dentastix $1.89- $1Q= $.89
7 Suave Mens Shampoo clearanced to $.75- one $.50 double Q
2 Suave conditioners clearanced to $1.19 ea
2 Theraflu $3.50- $2Q= $1.50
4 Martha White muffins $.80 ea- (2) $.55/2Q= $.52 ea
3 Pedigree Good Bites treats $3-$2= $1
2 Chex $1.67- $.50 doubleQ= $.67ea
2 Bugles $1.67- $.50 double Q= $.67 ea

Total=$34.40

Rite Aid
Got 2 Be styler $4.99-$4.99= free
Phillips ear buds $4.99-$4.99= free
2 Hershey bars $.50 ea- $1/2 UP reward= both free
Vaseline Intensive Care lotion $2.99-$2 UP= $.99
Gillette shave cream $1.99- $1 Up= $.99
Fleece blanket $1.99-$1 UP= $.99
Contact Solution $7.99-$.799= Free
3 Ludens cough drops $.99 ea (my favorite)

I used gift cards from transferring prescriptions to pay

CVS
Colgate toothpaste $3.99-$3.99 ECB- $1 Q= made $1
3Herbal Essence shampoo $3.99-$.399- $.50 Q= Made $.50
2Renpure Organics conditioner $4.99-$4.99= both free
2 Carmex lip balm $.99- $.99 ECB= both free
10 Reeses $.79-$.79 ea= all free
King size trix $1.59-$1.59 = free (not in photo, was in mine and Caitlyn's bellies)
Advil $.99- $.99= Free
2 LA hair stylers $2.99-$2.99= both free
4 Listerine pocket packs $2.99-$2.99= all free
Gillette deoderant/old Spice Deoderant $4-$4-$2Q= made $2
Phillips earbuds in photo below $6.99-$6.99= free
I rolled the ECBs to pay and did two different transactions



Walgreens
blah blah blah- I got it all free or some they paid me to buy when I used a coupon. I rolled the Register Rewards and paid very little out of pocket.

Pecan Cheesecake Pie

Southern Living Pecan Cheesecake Pie

This pie is better in a deep dish pie pan as the comments said it overflowed the regular pie plates.

1 refrigerated pie crust

8 oz cream cheese, room temperature

1 egg

1/4 tsp salt

1 tsp vanilla extract

Beat all ingredients with a mixer on medium speed until creamy. Pour into pie shell.

Chop 1 1/4 cup pecans and pour over cream cheese mixture.

1 cup light corn syrup

1/4 cup sugar

3 eggs

1 tsp vanilla

Whisk ingredients together and pour over pecans.

Place pie pan on baking sheet and bake at 350 degree preheated oven for 50-55 minutes. My pie was still very jiggly so I put aluminum foil on the top and baked an additional 15 minutes. Remove from oven and cool on wire rack for 1 hour. Serve or cover and chill for up to two days.

Christmas tree topper

I am breaking all rules and decided to go ahead and decorate the foyer for Christmas. I am going to leave the family room/ kitchen area until after Thanksgiving, but I have so much to do on my staircase and foyer tree that I wanted to get it out of the way. It is an old tree I am using in here, but the first time to put up a tree in the foyer in this house. I want a 15 foot tree but that will have to wait until next year. I don't have ornament hooks so am not finished with the decorating, but did the topper and sash around the tree. I am so happy with the polka dots and lime green and red. Love, love, love.

Chicken casserole

Tonight I tweeked another recipe I saw and made a really good casserole. You will need:
2- boxes chicken flavored rice a roni type mix
2 cups cooked chicken, cubed
1 can whole kernel corn, drained
1 can cream of chicken soup
4 oz cream cheese

In a large skillet saute rice mix in butter per package directions. Add the water and seasoning packet per package directions. While rice is sauteeing place cubed chicken in a 9X13 baking dish. Pour rice and water mixture over the chicken. Then add corn and soup. Stir well to incorporate the soup into the water mixture. Bake at 350 about 35 minutes or until water is absorbed and rice is cooked through. Cut cream cheese into small cubes and stir into chicken dish to melt the cheese and blend it in. This was so good.

Fall photos of the kids

Homemade vegetable beef soup

I made a roast with potatoes and carrots in the crock pot yesterday. I am always left with a little piece of roast that is not enough to feed us another meal so I always make soup with it. I pour all the juice from the crock pot into a large pot. I add a can of petite diced tomatoes or tomato puree, corn, butterbeans, green beans, or really whatever I have around. I add all juices from either the can or the cooking liquid if I am using leftover vegetables from the refrigerator. If I am using frozen vegetables I add a little water. I tear the roast into small pieces and chop the potatoes and carrots into smaller pieces also. Let this simmer about 20-30 minutes.