2016 - Year in Review

Another year in Texas!!!!  I am still loving this state, more than I can say.  A Montana Girl I will always be, but . . . . gotta love Texas too.  I have thoroughly enjoyed this year and all that it brought.  Some not so good, but most crazy wonderful.  Here's the recap -

New Year's Eve

New Year's Eve is upon and since Mister and I rarely spend New Years Eve preparing or participating in the whole "party" scene, it's a great day to do other activities as the crowds are just not there.   We are just going to have a fun day together on the last day of 2016.  Am I sad or glad to see it go?  Well, in all honestly, I'm kinda glad.  This year has definitely had it's rough spots and I'm looking forward to some new experiences next year.  Fingers are crossed anyway.

The Dallas Museum of Art opens at 11 a.m. and since that's our first destination, I guess I should get dressed and ready to go.

The reason for the trip is that there are two exhibits we have not yet been able to immerse ourselves in and don't want to miss.  The first is "Divine Felines:  Cats of Ancient Egypt" and the second is "Art and Nature in the Middle Ages."  Both are absolutely wonderful and as we slowly work our way through them, we discover numerous items to peak our curiosity and gets me questioning.  Yep, that's me -- always wondering.

We also check out a wonderful batik exhibit (that's an entry all by itself so click HERE) and then are surprised with "Shaken, Stirred, Styled:  The Art of the Cocktail."  As we enter, Mister spots one of the collections and points them out.  What fun.  We own that set too.

Flowers from My Love

Just because - or maybe I'm sorry . . .

Merry Christmas!!

I ended yesterday's post wishing everyone a Merry Christmas and I'll start this one the same way.  I truly hope your hearts and filled with love and peace -- at least for today.  Hold each other close and make memories that can never be taken from you.  That's my plan.

After sleeping in a bit, I realize that if I want to finish my lefse before going to Abilene, I need to get up and get busy.  By 8 I am in the kitchen working away and my sweet man comes out to help thus enabling us to be finished in a little over an hour.  We settle in for some fresh lefse and tea for breakfast and then spend a little time opening packages and sharing in the fun of Christmas morning.  He has spoiled me once again and I am so lucky to have this man in my life.  This kids have sent some amazing treats and we just know there are many wonderful memories ahead of us.  This year is going to just be such fun.

Channeling my Cousin Cheri - Lefse Making

It's 5:00 p.m. on Christmas Eve and I have suddenly decided to make Lefse.  Now, keep in mind, I have not done this in YEARS.  Perhaps 30 or so as my daughter, Jen, remembers doing it with me once when she was young.  I was taught how to make it when still living in Bigfork and my cousin Cheri was visiting in Polson.  We spent one entire day making them and while I still remember the mechanics of it -- it has indeed been a while.  My children grew up eating lefse on Christmas Eve, but it was rarely made by me.  Up north you can buy it in the grocery store during the holidays.  I have yet to see it here in Texas.  That means, I need to get back to the basics and thought perhaps you'd like to take this journey with me today.

The first thing I do is make sure I have enough potatoes on hand.  I like Yukon Golds and therefore that is what I have, but they are not the starchiest potato and I remember that the starchier the better for lefse.  Oh well, these will work - they just may require a bit more flour along the way.  I'm never real big on measuring when cooking but ALWAYS when baking or working with a dough.  It's a bit of my own OCD.  I want 1 pound and, well, that's pretty dang close.  We are good to go.

Christmas Eve - Hmmmm

Well it arrived.  Even with all my procrastinating and wishing the month would just disappear, Christmas Eve is here.  This is such a tough day for me each year and I always think perhaps the following one will be easier than the last but it doesn't work that way.  Being a northerner and having 70 degrees doesn't help.  I miss family.  Period.  I miss making the days magical.  I miss little ones filled with delight.  I miss cooking for 25 people and making pies and caroling.  It's hard.  My sweetheart tries to make it better for me, but his family really doesn't "do" things the way I used to.  Ugh.  Okay -- enough.  It's time to get out of bed and face the day.

Mister says to get dressed and we are off walking to get coffee.  It did rain a bit last night and there is dew on the trees.  It's lovely and as close to an icicle as I'm going to get.  Trying to capture it with a camera is challenging though.

Nope, not my yard, but loving the droplets for sure.  Now, onto the coffee shop where we hang out for a couple of hours working the crossword and just visiting.

Oatmeal Raisin Cookies for Mister

It's Christmas Eve and I am doing everything I can to keep busy.  Next up are some Oatmeal Raisin Cookies for my sweet Mister.  They are his favorite cookies by far.  He has located a new recipe to try and I'll share it here with ya'll.  It is from the Gracie Mansion in New York.

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees and line two baking sheets with parchment paper (I used a silicone baking mat); set aside.

In a large bowl, using a spatula, cream together 1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter - room temperature, 1 cup packed brown sugar, and 1/4 teaspoon salt.  I didn't have quite enough dark brown sugar so I had to add a wee bit of light brown to fill the cup.  It'll be okay and dark brown sugar goes onto the grocery list.  The mixture will become almost pasty.

Next, add 1 egg, 1 teaspoon vanilla, and 1/4 cup water; mix until well combined.

OMG --- Vivid Autumn Beauty

Each day that the sun peeks out offers me a chance to truly embrace the beauty that is around me.  The cooler, rainy days are certainly helping the trees to give every last drop of color to us this year.  So absolutely gorgeous.

Christmas Decorating is Happening - A Peek

Just a little peek of what is happening at our home

Sunshine in Autumn

With all the dreary days of late, we finally have some sunshine and a chance to photograph the beautiful color surrounding our home.  Love, love, love this time of year.  These are the colors that make my heart happy.

A First Time for Everything

I can hear Mister out in the kitchen concocting something so I'm off for a peek.  He is making us martinis.  I've never had a traditional martini and thus, a new experience will happen.  Oh -- yes, I like them and this is only a prep picture -- there wasn't any ice in them when they were made.  Mister was just chillin' the glasses.

Thanksgiving Sunday

Our house empties out at 7:00 a.m.   Completely.  Even Mister and I walk out the door and down to the coffee shop.  As we enjoy our drinks, we are taking some quiet time to just sit and work a crossword puzzle.  Three hours later, we start the walk back home and while I work on the blog for a bit, we enjoy the first eggnog of the season.  Yum.

Around 4, Mister asks if I would like to go and get a beer from the Black Friday treats at Lakewood Growler.  He certainly doesn't have to ask twice.  We grab dinner from leftovers, eat, and head out.  What a great day together and we really didn't do much at all.  Recovery days are so nice.