Tara's Favorite Things

Joining my first link party here through this great blog! 

Erica and I both wanted to list our favorite things so you'll be getting 24 from this blog! I tried to stick with my 12 favorite things just from this year. (Things that I've been introduced to this year.)

 So here they are in no particular order: 

 1. Denise Austin's fat-blasting Yoga DVD

I really love doing yoga.  It's helped with my knees and back.  But a lot of times I feel it's more relaxing and for flexibility than a good workout.  Not this DVD!  It is a workout!  I originally checked this out from the library and ended up buying my own copy because I was rechecking it so often.  There's two sections and I can do the first part fairly well.  It's hard but it goes fast and I feel like I'm working out.  I'm still working on the second section! 

 2. Unbroken by Laura Hillenbrand 
This is one of my favorite books EVER.  It is an amazing true story about a pilot in WWII.  His experiences are inspiring.  I won't say anything more because I don't want to give it away if you haven't read it yet.  (I am already giving this for Christmas presents this y
ear.)

 3.  Our Trampoline

This is a life saver with 3 active boys!  We've kind of dragged our feet about getting one because of space and liability issues but we're glad we let Grandma and Grandpa get us one! : )  Our boys love it, too!!

4. Downtown Abbey
I know I'm not the only one that loves this!  I can't wait for Season 3!!!

5. Emerald Cocoa Roast Almonds 

I get these from Sams.  They are so addicting!!  But I don't feel too bad about eating them since they're fairly nutritious.

 6. Xyron exLaminator

This was a birthday present and I love being able to laminate things I make that I want to stand up to my children.  Sometimes I even make up things just so I can use it!  It so easy to use and works great!

7. Carrots Love Tomatoes by Louis Riotte

I love to garden and this book is kind of like an experienced gardener's gardening journal.  I feel like she's sharing her secrets of success.  And I find it so fascinating how plants can be beneficial or not for each other- companionship planting!

8. Sherlock Holmes

I just wish there were more episodes!  This is one of the best mysteries I've seen.  You can't ever guess what's going to happen next!

9. My skechers

These were a hand-me-down and they are so comfortable!  Plus I think they look a little more stylish than my beat up sneakers.  My feet are really finicky about shoes.  I can't wear just anything, but no problems with these!

  10. "Christmas Day in the Morning" by Pearl S. Buck

I cry every time I read this to my boys!  My sister gave this to us last year for Christmas and it's such a wonderful story about a son's priceless gift to his father on Christmas morning.

 11. Canon Rebel T3

I just got this camera and I have probably taken close to a 1000 pictures already.  It's so great to take a picture and have it turn out!  And with a 2 year old that will not sit still or pose for the camera, this camera can keep up!  I am excited to learn more about it but in the meantime I can use the automatic setting and the camera knows what to do!

12.  Fiesta Dinnerware!

Technically, this is not new to me this year but for every birthday and Christmas my mom gets us a new set/color of Fiestaware.  There are so many different bright and fun colors!  They make anything on your plate look even better!

Thanks for the party, Melissa!

What are your favorite things?

Christmas Treats- Snowball Cookies

I LOVE making Christmas goodies to share (and to eat). This recipe is for Wedding Cookies but during the holiday I like to call them Snowball Cookies. They are so buttery and sugary and just melt in your mouth. If you are not a nut lover, don't get scared away. I'm not really a huge nut person, but I had no idea these had nuts in them for the longest time.  Just chop them really small. I used walnuts because that's what I had in my freezer.

 The dough is really sandy.  The recipe says to roll it into balls, but really its more like squishing it together.  I abandoned my cookie scoop after this picture.

 Here they are ready to bake.  Do you use stoneware pans?  They are the best.  You can tell I love mine and use it tons, huh?

I didn't get a picture while rolling them in the powdered sugar, but that's easy.  Just roll and then let them cool completely before sharing (devouring). 

The recipe I used is from the Lion House.  Good stuff.

Snowball Cookies (Wedding Cookies)

1/2 c. granulated sugar
1 c. butter, softened
1 teaspoon vanilla
2 c. all purpose flour
1 c. chopped walnuts or pecans
powdered sugar

Preheat oven to 350. Line cookie sheets with parchment paper (or just use stoneware pans like I did).  In a large mixing bowl, cream together sugar, butter and vanilla.  Add flour and mix well.  Add nuts and mix.  Roll into 1 1/2 inch balls and place on prepared cookie sheets.  Bake 10 to 12 minutes.  The tops of the cookies should have slight cracks in them and the bottom edges should be just barely light golden brown.  Roll cookies in powdered sugar while very warm.  Makes 3 doz.

After Dinner Chore Chart, Spinner-Style!

I think the time has come for me to pass on some of my dinner chores!

 Hallelujah!  This is why I had children, right?  Just kidding!

But I have hoarded dishes and dinner clean-up for myself long enough and I think I'm ready to enlist more help.  This is not only for myself (though part of me thinks this will probably not be any easier for me) but for them, too!  I think it's important that my boys learn how to do some housework.  It will make them better husbands and men.  (And my daughter-in-laws will thank me someday.)

So I got this idea to make an after dinner chore chart with a spinner.  Nothing fancy- I made in the Paint program.  I laminated it, cut out the circle and arrow (spinner) and attached the spinner with a brad in the center.  Every night each family member takes a turn spinning the spinner and where it lands is their chore for the night.  I'm hoping the game aspect of it will make this more fun, at least at first.  

We  presented the spinner at our Family Council on Sunday.  And so far the boys are excited to take part.    

I will let you know how it goes!

Chocolate Peanut Butter Candy Pizza

Now this is my kind of pizza!!  

We are big chocolate paired with peanut butter fans around here and we tried a new recipe over the weekend that was a huge hit!  I got this recipe from a booklet of Christmas recipes that my mother-in-law gave me years ago.  Now you can find the recipe at  Betty Crocker.com.  I'll include it as well...

Chocolate Peanut Butter Candy Pizza

Makes 16 servings

1 c packed brown sugar

1/2 c butter, softened

1 egg

1 1/4 c flour

1/4 c baking cocoa

1/2 t baking soda

1/4 t salt

Peanut Butter Pizza Sauce (see below)

1/4 c Spanish peanuts

1 bag (1.63 oz) M&Ms

1 package (1.6 oz) Reeses peanut butter cups (2 candies), cut up

1/4 c semisweet chocolate chips, melted and cooled

Heat oven to 350 degrees.  Mix brown sugar, butter and egg in medium bowl with spoon.  Stir in flour, cocoa, baking soda and salt.  Pat dough in ungreased 12-inch pizza pan.  Bake 10-12 minutes or until edge is set.  Cool at least 30 minutes.  Make Peanut Butter Pizza Sauce.  Spread over cookie pizza.  Top with peanuts and candies.  Drizzle with melted chocolate chips.

Peanut Butter Pizza Sauce

1 bag (10 oz) peanut butter chips

1 can (14 oz) sweetened condensed milk

Heat ingredients in 2-quart saucepan over medium-low heat, stirring constantly, until melted and smooth.

Enjoy!!

Christmas Advent Calendar

I'm a little late in posting about our advent calendar, but this is one of our favorite Christmas decorations so I didn't want to ignore it on our blog.  I made this two years ago and it was so fun to make!  Felt is the best invention ever!  Here is a picture of it yesterday.  In case you can't tell, its basically a big piece of white felt with a green felt tree on top.  There is an ornament for each day in numbered pockets.  My kids take turns putting up the ornaments each day.

 And here is what it will look like on Christmas day with all the ornaments on the tree.  Can you believe there are only 18 days left until Christmas!  Oh boy!  I've got some shopping to do!

 Some of my favorites:

Christmas Quilts

 It may not be warm enough for snuggling up under a Christmas quilt right now but that won't keep us from trying! Sometimes we turn our ceiling fan up high just so we can justify snuggling under the quilt and reading Christmas stories!

 I've made a couple of quilts throughout the years and have one that I'm ready to get started on. My first quilt is a lap-size one from a pattern I got from the magazine McCall's Quilting. I love the poinsettia fabrics in this! 

 The next one I made I love partly because it's a scrappy quilt. I used scraps from Christmas quilts and crafts I'd made throughout the years. I love that with quilts you can take a bunch of small little scraps of fabric and make something as beautiful and whole as a quilt.  I can't think of the name of the pattern- can anyone help me out, please?

With my Mom's help, I used her quilting machine to quilt poinsettias throughout, which looks especially nice on the white fabric. 

It's great for playing peek-a-boo under, too!

 And now I'm ready to get going with this gorgeous fabric! It's by Kate Spain for Moda and it's called flurry. I found it on fabric.com a year or so ago in July. They were having a great sale on it.  

I have wanted to use this great pattern featured on modabakeshop by Angela from Fussy Cut.  

 I'm hoping to a get some free time at night to start working on it and hopefully I'll have pictures to share before too long!

Nativity Puppets

Before we had children, Jer and I were nursery leaders at church for the 18 month old children.  

We had about eight 18 month to 24 month old children.  They were adorable but it was quite a challenge to keep them happy for 2 hours and try to teach them a lesson and sing songs when most of them couldn't talk. My Mom made me these wonderful puppets to use with them at Christmastime and they are still a favorite at our house.  

 I've said it before and I'll say it again, I LOVE FELT!  

It is so easy to create with and great for things like this!  

I love the details on each one- yet they are so simple.

We use them to act out the nativity story or the boys just like to play with them around the house.  Thanks, Nana, for making these for us!