Tinsel Time

I was extremely excited for the holidays this year since it was our first in a house that we could decorate and really enjoy! Last year we put lights up outside but the inside was still demolished and there was nowhere for a tree or stockings, or anything fun like that. I got a little paranoid about putting up a tree once I started reading all about cats and their destructive nature. Would Buddy knock it over? Die of poisoning from drinking the pesticide infused water from the bowl? Play and destroy the pretty ornaments? Electrocute or entangle himself in the lights? Chomp on the branches and just be an overall annoyance to us? Well the answer is… Yes, just to that last part.

But back to our fun decorating. Here are some pics.

Pretty tree…



Stockings…



Chef nutcracker and classic dancing santa…



Outside (sorry, I don't have a pic...do a drive by if you want to see that bad). This is seriously the worst job. Why such a PITA? Tempted to hire one of those light hanging companies in the future. LOL. And on a side note, we have issues with the lights tripping our breakers when we do pretty much anything in the evenings outside the usual having a single light on indoors. Kinda annoying. Whatev…

Back to the cat, because it humors me, and maybe you if you are a freaky cat person too. He ignored the tree for a few days, then started getting nosey. Fortunately, the most he’d do is make a mad dash for underneath and hide out there. He’d sorta bite at the branches and maybe bat at an ornament every so often but nothing worth worrying about. What pissed me off the most was the mess it’d make when he’d run under, shake the damn thing, and a shit-ton of little needles would fall off. So my solution was to hurry up and wrap a bunch of presents and pile them up around the base. Did that help? See for yourself….

I spy cat.



What, you got a problem with somethin?



Just chillin'



Check me out mom. Pretty ornament.



I’m a little bitch cat. Trees are fun.



Don’t you love me?



Is this one for me?



I love him, I really do….

Racist Enchiladas

I’ve now tried both of Pioneer Woman’s enchilada recipes so I thought I’d give my little review and declare a winner.

Tester #1

Simple, Perfect Enchiladas!

I’d never made beef enchiladas before which is why I thought I’d try it this way. Using the ground beef though? I don’t know…not my favorite thing. Fine for tacos, but I didn’t care for the texture in the enchiladas. It was kind of mushy when all was said and done. Maybe it’d be better with shredded beef? I also think less sauce over the top, combined with baking it longer would have helped… Ah well. Not quite perfect in my book.

Tester #2 – WINNER!!

White Chicken Enchiladas

These were so friggin good! *Ignoring the ridiculously high fat content, please*. I tried to hide the sour cream going into the sauce since Ian thinks it’s so grody... He saw me though, didn’t say a word, and ate it anyway like a good boy. Then agreed they were way better than the last recipe and went back for a big second helping. Major success.

This time it’s just this way – in the world of enchiladas, my world as it is now, white reigns supreme…In the kitchen stadium….

All I Want for Christmas Is....

This Stuff!!!

My family makes it easy...has and always will make lists. We get started super early too which is nice so that we can spread out the shopping. When you're young it's easy to come up with a million things, and then you just want money once you hit the teenage years. At least I did. As an adult, married, working with a "real" job, etc, it's gotten a lot harder to come up with things to put on my wish list. Especially affortable things. I know my sisters don't want to buy me a Louis Vuitton. WTF is wrong with them?!? Well, I'm sure they WANT to and it's the thought that counts. It goes both ways...

Anyway, this year I was smart! I kept an ongoing list throughout the year of little things I saw here and there that I wanted (but didn't haaaave to have right away or I would have bought for myself of course). Ok, so maybe not everything is "affordable". I may still have to gift myself half of these things. Or maybe mom and dad will have had a particularly good year in the stock market and will be feeling generous. Hey! I've seen a rise in my funds recently. LOL. Santa, check it:



3D Wallflowers



Knife Sharpening Steel



Le Creuset® Black Onyx 6 3/4-Quart Oval French Oven

Compact/Mini Deep Fryer

KitchenAid® Ice Cream Maker Bowl Attachment

Creme Brulee Torch

Vacuum Food Sealer

Oxo Good Grips® Angled Measuring Cups (Set of 3 - 1 cup, 2 cup and 4 cup)

DVDs - Wizard of OZ, Mary Poppins

The Pioneer Woman Cooks: Recipes from an Accidental Country Girl

Label Maker

Lucky Brand 'Pleats of Love' Foldover Tote

Rabbit Wine Opener

Wii Fit

Demy Kitchen Safe Touchscreen Recipe Reader