In years past it has been our tradition to set a formal table for Christmas Eve Dinner. This year was no different, with the exception of an added guest. Many hours and days are spent preparing for this one meal where all the china and crystal is set for a festive celebration. Two days of shopping in two seperate cities were spent looking for some of the items for the dinner and two days of cooking culminated into a seven course meal which included an aperitif.
After the meal, as we were all finally able to sit around the living room, each of us expressed an interest in change. As tired as I was at the moment, I listened with interest. We all decided that next year we might lean more toward a more casual affair. I jokingly mentioned that we could have taken a quick weekend vacation for what it cost for the meal….OR we could have least dined on the most elegant cuisine and not had the worry of preparation and clean up afterwards. The time spent “working” could have been better spent playing games and interacting…all in the same room.
After a bit of consideration, I am thinking that this may have been the very last “fancy” Christmas Eve meal. Of course, I do not think I will resort to eating at Burger King as I did on Thanksgiving, but a less labor intensive meal will be in order. If this change does come about I will, however, refuse to change my own favorite rule of “MOMMA DOESN’T COOK on CHRISTMAS DAY!” just because I am simplifying Christmas Eve.

Though I am sad for the damage to his guitar, I think that this is such a cute song and video. Dave Carroll is such a cutie, I just cannot imagine any of those female airline employees not falling all over themselves to help him.

Well, I finally did it…I purchased Backyard Self-Sufficiency by Jackie French.

From the back cover…

“Self-sufficient gardens are beautiful: a ramble of productivity, a profusion of smells and colour.  We’ve forgotten how beautiful edible plants can be: fat, red apples and trendrils of grapes; bountiful red-flowering perennial beans, and soft, feathery fennel; the wide, bright blooms of passionfruit, and the scent of orange blossom on a summer night.  It’s like a Garden of Eden in your own backyard!”

Though she lives in Australia and her garden advice is based on Australian seasons and soil, Jackie French offers many ideas and suggestions that will be useful in moving forward with the development of our own self-sufficiency here in small town America.

You may recognize Jackie as the author of Diary of a Wombat, a delightful children’s book with whimsical illustrations. Diary of a Wombat is an ALA Notable Children’s Book, Younger Reader Awards Winner. When I was teaching fulltime, I used Diary of a Wombatin lesson plans and Writer’s Workshop. It is a great book for classroom filled with diverse learners and is mentioned in other educational/teacher resource books.
Mostly thought, Diary of a Wombatis just fun to read whether by an adult or child.

Remember the Dining on a Dime Giveaway we sponsored with
Living on a Dime a couple of weeks ago? Mrs. M. at Freaky Frugalite won the copy from our blog and I believe some of you purchased your own copy. Well, I am so excited. I received mine a couple of days ago and I could not be happier. I regret that I did not have an actual photo of the book when I posted about it because I think the graphics used before did it no justice. This is a really nice cookbook!

There are so many great recipes offered in this book that it was difficult to decide with which to start. The next morning after it arrived, I tried “Mike’s Baking Powder Biscuits” and the “Basic Muffins” recipe where I added some very ripe bananas. My family is so accustomed to eating canned biscuits that they were not certain how to act. Luckily the recipe was simple and the family loved them.I am in the process of making my very first sourdough starter with the Potato Flake Starter Bread Recipe from the section on breads and baking. Day 2 and counting. I will keep you posted.

Not only are there food recipes, but you will find recipes for beauty products, cleaning supplies and much more. There is a section on basic frugal cooking and even an herb guide. Menu ideas flow, along with helpful hints for picky eaters, and a pantry/shopping list keeps you organized.I am telling you, if you missed purchasing this book the first time around, take a look at it. You will not be disappointed. Drop by Living on a Dime to get your copy or to check out the other great eBooks on thrifty living and digging out of debt.

Busy, busy…..that is always my response these days when someone asks how I’ve been. “Busy-Busy!”

After my whirlwind trip to Texas to visit my stepfather after his bypass and to be moral support for my brother, I found myself running ragged back here in Kansas.

For awhile, we had other personal issues seemed to take over our lives here, but things are getting a bit back to normal.

Basketball season has begun and we are on a constant run with associated activities. Hais actually won the free throw contest with 13/15 score, followed by an additional 2/5…total 17/20 at the large annual tournament that we play this time of the year. She will most likely get to compete for the overall title at the Championship game on Saturday against other the other winners from the alternate locations of the tournament. We lost last night, so we will be playing for 3rd/4th on Saturday.

At this time of the year, my Ebay sales take over that little bit of life I have outside of basketball. All of that will die down on the 21st, and then the new push will be to get ready for our meager Christmas. Hais will be in Texas for the first portion of her break from school, but I will meet her and other members of my family for a small celebration in Oklahoma City. OKC is a good half-way point for us all.

I have not had an opportunity to do one bit of holiday decorating here. Our town is having a decorating contest for the first time I have known…and I am not going to be able to participate. In a way, that makes me sad, but then I think about the energy I am saving, mine and that of the electric company, I feel a bit better. At some point though, I AM going to have to put up a tree. The norm in my house is to decorate at least four trees…in themes…but moderation is the word of the month here.

So how is your holiday season going so far?