sugared pecans and a puppy

Here's what you'll need:

1 pound pecans halves
2 large egg whites
1 teaspoon vanilla (or 1/2 tsp. vanilla and 1/2 water, which is what I do)
1 cup granulated sugar
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon cinnamon

Here's how you do it. (For the pictures shown here, please know that I always double the recipe, so 2 pounds of pecans are shown)

Preheat oven to 250 degrees. Spray large cookie sheet (with a rim) with Pam.

Get two large bowls. In first large bowl, beat egg whites with vanilla until foamy.


In second large bowl, whisk sugar with the cinnamon and salt.



Now put all of your pecans in the bowl with the egg whites. Use your hands to cover pecans throughly with egg whites.



Dump all of that into bowl with the cinnamon sugar. Work quickly and cover coated pecans with sugar by shaking around in bowl vigorously or mixing with a big wooden spoon.


(shaking works best for me)



Spread pecans onto cookie sheet as evenly as possible. Place into preheated oven and bake for one hour, stirring pecans every 15 minutes. Stirring them as they bake is essential because if you don't, they all stick together.



It's easy peasy! They'll come out like this:



Better go ahead and make a double batch because people gobble these up!! You can get a two pound bag of pecan halves at Costco for $9.99, what a deal!



They are best if served a few hours after baking and even better the next day and the days following. Store in airtight containers (large canning jars are great for gift giving)!

Stay tuned for the famous Cracker Candy recipe, with pictures!

Meanwhile, stop looking now if you don't want to be dazzled by the Astro!

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This face is pretty innocent, yes?


Showing the Christmas toy who's boss!


He will kill these toes, but that's what they get for being exposed...HA!


Could I please have a drink, this killing stuff is exhausting!


Not quite ready for bedtime:



Be back soon with the cracker candy recipe (yep, Melissa, it's probably the one you're thinking, with saltine crackers) :)

santa baby

.....please send help!

This is one holiday season that I really have good excuses as to why things aren't getting done.

Excuse #1



And #2


(check out those paws!)

#3




All day it's all about Astro! He's a lot of work and after having three real people babies, I'd venture to say, about as much trouble!
When son and DH come home from work, if Astro is finally asleep in his kennel, I'm all SHHHHHHHHHHHHHH, HE'S ASLEEP!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! For goodness sake, he's finally sleeping!! He wakes up, goes outstide, eats, plays, go out again, eats and drinks some more, plays and then poops out for 30 minutes until we wakes up again and we repeat the cycle. Thankfully, he does sleep through most of the night, so at least we get some sleep.
It's all good...we love the Astro Dazzle.



Guess I should mention excuse # 4, which is a job that provides a paycheck for my time, so there goes the evenings!

Anyway, hopefully this coming week Santa will loan me an elf so that I might get my packages mailed, candies made, baking done, finish decorating, have lunch and shopping days with two different friends and maybe, just possibly, get a stitch or two in, which certainly didn't happen this week.

Nice things came in the mail this week. From the finisher, some of my stitching that she finished into ornaments for me:


Ewe & Eye & Friends Frosty Scissors Companion


Homespun Elegance Rejoice in Peace ornament


Birds of a Feather Bird and Wreath


Ewe & Eye & Friends Red House (? Not sure about that, a friend stitched this for me so I don't recall the name of the design).

Well, I hope you all are having yourself a Merry Little Christmas and enjoying the season. It's OK if everything doesn't get done. Hug a family member or a friend and take a picture of them or something in your house, or of the mass of people in the mall. It's funny what we get caught up in that's just not important or what it's all about.

Eat a cookie. They're good for you, especially a gingerbread cookie...did you know that Pillsbury makes rolls of gingerbread cookie dough? Can't ask for anything easier than that!

Coming up in the next day or so, my recipe for sugared pecans. Go out and buy at least a pound (or two), some eggs...make sure you have cinnamon, sugar and vanilla on hand and I'll tell ya how in the next post!

we are tired

This puppy business is exhausting.


need. more. sleep.



#1 son with Astro


Kiss this face.


Love this pup.


Astro came home Saturday and it's been JUST like having a brand new baby at home. I am utterly exhausted. But what a great doggie, so worth it. And I will share more when I have more time. There are presents to wrap, more shopping to do, more cracker candy and sugared pecans to make, baking, candy making, leaves to rake or sweep up, floors to be cleaned, laundry, oh and a real job, the peeps, pups and bunny rabbits and OHMY....better get crackin!

must. keep. stitching.

The power went out last night. It was kinda nice at first, after the initial shock of it all, because we had about 20 candles going (we do have a thing for the Yankee Candle store and that was proof...DH opens linen closet where candles not in use are stashed and said "What you need here are a few more candles". He's got NO room to talk since he bought half of them himself....ANYway)....grown children emerged from their rooms waving PS handheld and cell phones, iPods too, showing that they too, can contribute to the lighting situation. However. It was not enough light to stitch by! Dang. My good stitching days are limited and yesterday was one of them, does Garland Power & Light not realize how huge my stash is and how much stitching I must accomplish before time runs out??!!! It was horribly cruel. And a wee bit funny to be honest...DH goes into hall bathroom, shuts the door and flips the light switch. DUH....no power! Um, yeah, no popcorn either(microwave), no hot chocolate (stove top), but we did listen to music on my laptop (battery powered) and laugh when, after the power flickered on and off for about the third time, DH joked that the Rapture had happened and we got left behind...funny but then we did check outside to see if the end of the world was at hand!

My recent finish, as seen above, was finished earlier in the week. It's a Blackbird Designs Loose Feathers called Garland Fair. Love what it says, wish it for my family.

you'd better double it, trust me

Corn Dip

1 can Mexi-Corn or Fiesta Corn, drained well
1/2 cup chopped green onions
1/2 cup mayo (don't use Miracle Whip)
1/2 cup sour cream
3/4 cup grated Cheddar cheese

Mix everything together and chill overnight if possible...if not, at least for a couple of hours.
Serve with Fritos!