My Mother's Egg Nog

When my mother was a little girl, her grandmother, Lula Belle Wilson, made egg nog that had a little "kick" to it. Mom said it looked so good, with creamy goodness and a splash of fresh nutmeg on top. She wasn't allowed to have any, due to the alcohol, so she vowed to never add spirits to her eggnog, so that everyone could enjoy it. She kept that promise, and made eggnog for all. I cannot remember a Christmas without my mom's frothy, creamy eggnog.  This year was no exception, thank goodness!  While the homemade sugar cookies, and the crispy peanut butter balls dipped in chocolate are no longer, eggnog still is made for our family Christmas. Egg Nog, according to Shirley Oliver 4 whole eggs, pasturized 1 gal whole milk 1 T vanilla 1 c sugar, add more to taste 6 scoops of ice cream, vanilla (or eggnog if you can find it) Crack eggs into a mixing bowl.  Add 1 c milk and beat until well incorporated.  Add the rest of the milk, vanilla and sugar.  Beat

You are the Beloved #ourgoodlifebooklist

I was given this book in exchange for my honest review. Author Henri J. M. Nouwen is a well known writer of spiritual things, so when I saw this daily meditations book by him I knew I wanted it by my bedside. Nouwen was a catholic priest, professor and pastor whose books have been translated in more than 30 languages. He taught at Notre Dame, Yale and Harvard. His personal philosophies were that by revealing your most intimate thoughts, you built relationships and communed with God.  He called this "theology of the heart."   You are the Beloved is designed to remind you of that you are beloved of God, therefore you should live out your truth in your day to day life.  This book is a collection of the best of Nouwen's insights from previously published books and some never-seen-before writings.   You are the Beloved is a year long study in self worth. I read a few of this month's offerings and found them inspirational for the day's wonderings and

Pomegranate and Orange Champagne Punch #SundaySupper

Are you looking for a fun and festive punch to serve at Christmas? This delicious punch can be made with sparkling cider if you prefer a non-alcoholic drink.  Delicious and so pretty! 1 c pomegranate seeds mint leaves, about 10 4 c pomegranate juice 2 c orange juice 1/2 c Grand Marnier 2 bottles of Prosecco Mix the liquids together in a pitcher and store in the refrigerator until time to serve.  In the meantime, make ice cubes with the seeds and mint leaves for garnish for the punch. I used a rosemary branch for my garnish as it looks like a mini Christmas tree, but feel free to garnish with orange slices and mint. Make Ahead Dinner Party Recipes Ahead of Schedule Starters Beefy Au Gratin Potato Skins by Cindy’s Recipes and Writings Chocolate Strawberry Brie Bites by The Freshman Cook Easy Chicken Liver Pâté by Palatable Pastime Pomegranate and Orange Champagne Punch by Our Good Life Rainbow Hummus by Wholistic Woman Slow Cooker Spinach Artichoke Dip b

Show Me Adventure Kids!

I was given this doll and book in exchange for my honest review. Are you interested in something different for your kids?  Do you have a love of all things Missouri, or do you have a sense of adventure?  Then you will love this new series of books and dolls called Show Me Adventure Kids.   Designed for kids 7-10 years old, the books talk about life experiences as well as adventures in Missouri.  One of the Show Me Adventure Kids, Olivia, came to my house and I shared her with one of my neighborhood girls, and here is what she had to say: The doll is cute. Her hair and and outfit is cute. The story that goes along with the doll would be great for kids going through the same experience as Olivia.  Another neighborhood girl said that after she read the book, a new girl enrolled at her school and that it gave her the opportunity to introduce the new girl to her friends and to eat lunch with her and her friends.  She felt that reading this book gave her some insight to how the ne

Show Me Your Christmas Tree 2017

If you are new to my blog, I am Terri, a Missouri native, who loves loves loves Christmas!  No commas for me, I love Christmas so much!  Last year I invited friends from all Missouri to add a photo of their Christmas tree to my blog post.  This year, in partnership with Penny from Penny's Passions, we are giving you a chance to join us!  Click in the link below, and you can add a photo of your tree.  All I ask is that you add your town, like I did, below. This year I am sharing my daughter's tree in her room in our house.  The theme is a coastal one, which is appropriate, as we are going to spend our Christmas in Cabo San Lucas! My daughter actually did the decorating of this tree and she did a beautiful job!  I can see that she may have picked up a tip or two from me after all these years! This tree also is visible from the street, which is so lovely at night! I love seeing trees peeking through the windows!  let's take a little close up of this tree. A c

Blue Buffalo Holiday Santa Snacks #chewyinfluencer

I received this product for free in exchange for my honest opinion. It's Christmas time and I am all about the gifts for the dogs. When I spied these holiday themed treats by Blue Buffalo, I knew I needed to get them for Truman and Wilson. I placed my order but I forgot one thing. My two smarties know what the Chewy.com box looks like. So when they arrived in the mail and I set them on my table, they were going crazy over the box!  There was no going back, so I opened the box and showed them the treats.  Their first reaction was cautious and I couldn't figure out why.  Then Truman made it quite clear when he took it in his mouth and then carried it to the bowl and dropped it in.  These are hefty sized treats!  He did eat and enjoyed it. Just one was satisfactory for Truman. Wilson, on the other hand, my westie/I-think-he's-also-bulldog dog, gobbled it right up and asked for another.  Two were enough for Wilson! I do love that these are bigger than

Flourless Peanut Butter Chocolate Chip Cookies #SundaySupper

I host an annual cookie exchange for neighbors and friends and I love looking for cookies that I think will please my guests.  This year I made a Shortbread Cookie with Clove that I have already shared the recipe for, but I wanted to share this cookie, too, as it is so easy and delicious, fast enough for every day but delicious enough for a special treat! Did you know that Queen Elizabeth I was the first to make gingerbread men?  She had the dough cut to look like her own courtiers.  Wasn't that clever? Flourless Peanut Butter Chocolate Chip Cookies 1 c peanut butter 3/4 c sugar 1 egg 1 t vanilla 1/4 t salt 6 oz chocolate chips Preheat oven to 350.  Place a sheet of parchment paper on a cookie sheet.  Beat peanut butter and sugar together until well blended.  Add egg, vanilla and salt and beat until well incorporated. Stir in the chocolate chips. Place one rounded tablespoonful on the cookie sheet, leaving about 2" around the cookie.  Bake 12 minutes, or un

Christmas Angel Ornament

I was given the Ziploc ® Brand bags to use in my craft. When I was a little girl, I grew up attending the Baptist Church in my hometown.  My favorite time of the year was when we celebrated the Christmas season. Each week at Sunday School I would look forward to hearing the Bible verses that related to Jesus' birth and to making the weekly Christmas craft that our teachers would have read for us. The inspiration for this craft comes from those nostalgic memories of making ornaments in church. My parents would hang our ornaments on the tree and I would be so proud!  I want to share those feelings with today's kids, so I created this Ziploc ®  Brand products Christmas Angel ornament. I always have Ziploc ® bags in my house, or a quick run to Walmart is always so easy!  Don't you love products that are so versatile?  I sure do! Plus, the holiday design is perfect for this craft! Here's what you need to make this adorable angel:   1 Ziploc ®  bran

2017 Blogger Cookie Exchange Shortbread Cookies

I am participating for the very first time in The Great Food Blogger Cookie Swap hosted by Sarah at Fantastical Sharing of Recipes  and Allison from Pintertest Kitchen. The cookie swap has been a blogger favorite and I heard about it last year. I made sure that I kept informed about this year's swap and I was so lucky to be paired with some amazing bloggers!  I am so excited that in order to participate, we each had to send $5 to No Kid Hungry!  As you might remember, that is the same organization I had as my birthday fundraiser! No Kid Hungry  is an organization dedicated to ending childhood hunger. They believe no child should go to bed hungry.   If you'd like to help, too, go here. RescuesForJoJo  is an all-volunteer non-profit that helps “undesirable” shelter dogs find new homes. So far, they have saved over 70 dogs!   If your thing is dogs, and you want to contribute, click here   or send your donation via PayPal to rescuesforjojo@yahoo.com The idea

Savory Waffles with Pork Verde #TasteCreations

This Christmas season we are headed to Cabo San Lucas to spend the holidays by the sand and surf.  We've never done such a thing before and I have to admit, it has made the whole holiday a little, well, off.  I chose not to decorate as much and that seems weird, too. However, I am looking forward to spending quality time with my children and relaxing under the warm breezes of Mexico.  This is whale migration season and I plan to go and do some whale watching. This month for Taste Creations we are sharing Christmas Breakfast ideas.  I chose to work with one that will help us anticipate the upcoming trip.  We are doing Christmas at home on the Friday before Christmas. We will do all our favorite traditions, including Christmas breakfast and this may be the very thing that we eat! Savory Waffles with Pork Verde In the crock pot goes: 2 lb pork roast 1 1/2 c salsa verde 1 t chili powder a dash of cayenne pepper 1/2 yellow onion, sliced Cook on low for six hours.