Thanksgiving Blessings

Blessings to you and your family this Thanksgiving


I decided to post this news early.

WIN A FREE RETREAT!!!WIN A FREE RETREAT!!!WIN A FREE RETREAT!!!WIN A FREE RETREAT!!!!

Yes you read right. We are giving away a free retreat on Christmas Eve. All you have to do is leave us a comment. You can leave one comment per day from now until Christmas Eve.

Want more chances to WIN? Tell your friends to leave us a comment with your name and we will enter them and you will get 3 more chances to win. SO PASS IT ON. Who wouldn't like to win a free retreat at http://scrap-n-away.com

It's beginning to feel a lot like Christmas!

Ok, I know we haven't even had Thanksgiving yet, but I couldn't resist playing Christmas music. I'd throw in some snow too if I just knew how :-) I finished my Christmas shopping today and I'm so excited....no more shopping WOO HOOOW!

I also did my shopping for Thanksgiving dinner today. I couldn't believe all the people at the grocery store in the middle of the day. That's worth a double WHOO HOOOW on being done with Christmas shopping :-) Can you tell I'm just a little excited!

I was hoping to try some new recipes this year but my Mom and Mark both want the same old traditional stuff we always have. I might try sneaking something new in but it won't be that new stuffing with artichokes I was hoping to try. DARN! The both said yuck to that. I'll have to try it at the retreat.

I have a surprise for all of you who read my blog so be sure and come back after Thanksgiving your not going to want to miss this! I think you'll be excited.

Happy Thanksgiving!

Still under construction

Here's what it's been looking like around our house here in Oxnard. Mark's been busy working on our front entry. It will sure look different when he's all done. I wish I had a before picture to share with you...it looked like a something right out of the 70's gold glass in all! He does such a great job but don't let him know I told you. I'm still not living down hiring the contractor's.

Look at all the goodies that came in my pizza box from Stephanie at Homegrown Hospitality. Don't you wish you had joined in on the fun?

My pizza box has arrived!

I'm so excited my pizza box from Stephanie at Homegrown Hospitality arrived today! I'm taking her Holiday Joy non kit kit class on line. If you've never taken a class from Stephanie you should. She's so very talented and her classes are so much fun.

I can't wait to get started on my album. I'll have to take some pictures and show you all the goodies that came in the box tomorrow! I need to get my gingerbread garland done before I can get started on my album. Hopefully these adorable little guys will be done tomorrow.

Stuffing Recipe

Here is a turkey recipe that also includes the use of popcorn as a stuffing -- imagine that. When I found this recipe, I thought it as perfect for people like me,
who just are not sure how to tell when poultry is thoroughly cooked, but not dried out. Give this a try.



8 - 15 lb. turkey
1 cup melted butter
1 cup stuffing (Pepperidge Farm is Good.)
1 cup uncooked popcorn (ORVILLE REDENBACHER'S LOW FAT)
Salt/pepper to taste

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Brush turkey well with melted butter
salt, and pepper. Fill cavity with stuffing and popcorn. Place in
baking pan with the neck end toward the back of the oven.

Listen for the popping sounds. When the turkey's butt blows the
oven door open and the bird flies across the room, it's done.


Sorry lady's but I couldn't resit. I hope you had a good laugh.

Want to play in the snow?

This is what it looked like at the retreat a couple of weeks ago. We woke upto a light dusting of snow. It continued to snow for awhile then melted by the time we need

Lost comments

Thanks for all the nice comments....sorry I lost the comments when I was tying to post them. I'm not sure what I did when I went to post them but somehow I lost them all. I will learn how to do this one of these days.... Hopefully SOON!

For those of you who asked if you were already on my newsletter do you need to sign up again No just make sure you leave me a comment so I know to put you in the drawing. I will put your name in the drawing 3 more times for every friend you refer to who joins our newsletter and leaves your name on my blog.

I have plans to start sewing my ornaments tomorrow. Maybe I'll have something to show you soon.

Pink Pink and more Pink

Here are some of the pictures from the album I just did for my friend Marie and her daughter. I hope you enjoy them. Sorry about the flash but I needed to get the album to them this evening.

Marie thank you for letting me put the pictures up so everyone could see them and for giving me the opportunity to make your daughter's album. I always feel so privileged when someone trust me enough to do their albums for them.

It was so much fun getting to do a little girls album. I hardly ever get to use pink. As many of you know I have 6 grandsons and a tomboy. She really isn't a tomboy anymore, however she never really was a girly girl when she was little. No cute little frilly anything for her not even nail polish. She's older now and starting to notice boys so there maybe a chance soon. (Mom and Dad if your reading this close your eyes about the boys. Your not suppose to know).

Here are is another fall favorite recipe

Baked Oatmeal

Prep Time: 15 minutes
Cook Time: 25 minutes
Ingredients:
3 cups oatmeal
3/4 cup brown sugar
1/2 cup margarine
2 eggs
2 cups milk
2 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon salt
Preparation:
Preheat oven to 375
Mix all ingredients together and pour into 13 x 9 inch buttered pan.

Bake at 375 degrees for 25 minutes.

This is good anytime if the year but it is especially good on a cold morning. It's almost like eating oatmeal cookies for breakfast!

Don't forget about our give away!

Give away

Here it is a great little give away full of goodies....don't you want to win this cute Debbie Mumm kit? All you have to do is go to our web site http://scrap-n-away.com and sign up for our newsletter then come back here and leave me a comment letting me know you signed up. The drawing will be Sat. Nov.22 GOOD LUCK! Be sure and tell all your friends....the more that play the more gifts I will be giving away.



Here are a couple of my favorite fall recipes.

My Grandma Dee use to make this cranberry sauce every Thanksgivings. I now make it every year for my Mom it's her all time favorite! She eats it on everything. I think she's even put it on her ice cream a few times. Enjoy!

Cranberry Orange Sauce

1 bag fresh cranberries
1 large orange
1 cup of sugar

Place all ingredients in food processor until it is coarsely blended. This recipe is better made a day ahead and refrigerated. After it has set overnight you may want to add more sugar sometimes the cranberries are very tart.



CREAMY PUMPKIN DIP

Dip gingersnaps or sliced apples in this creamy pumpkin dip. I like it with the gingersnaps it makes it taste just like Pumpkin Pie :-) YUMMM!

Dip Ingredients:
1 (8-ounce) package cream cheese, softened
1/2 cup Sour Cream
2 cups powdered sugar
1 (15-ounce) can pumpkin
1 tablespoon pumpkin pie spice

mix all ingredients together with mixer until creamy and refrigerate over night before serving. You can serve it right away I just like the taste better after it's been refrigerated it brings out the flavor of the spices.


I have more recipes to share with you tomorrow. I will also be trying some new ones this year. I saw an artichoke stuffing recipe that I can't wait to try. It makes my mouth water just thinking about. Anyone interested in a blog dieting support group? I'm feeling the need with the holidays coming! All the wonderful food and me with no will power. YIKES!

Have a great day!

I did it

I did it....I finally joined the blog world! Yes this lady is finally stepping into the 21st century. This blog will be about some of this and little of that.

Some of you know I just started selling Uppercase Living. If you'd like some great ideas for Holiday gifts check out my website at

http:/bonnieguess.uppercaseliving.net

Thanks to all of you who have held Open Houses for me. I appreciate you helping me get this new business off the ground. It's been great meeting your families and friends something I don't often get to do. I'm looking forward to holding the new ones I have scheduled.

I'm working on Christmas presents, making all the decorations for our Christmas tree, I also joined two Christmas swaps so I have two gifts to make them, remodeling the house in Oxnard, refinishing furniture for our bedroom here in Oxnard ( I'm not sure how this will turn out hopefully like I envision. I will post pictures as soon as I get the bedroom set done, I'm finishing up a scrapbook for a friend. I will try and post some of my favorite pages tomorrow.

For my Scrapbooking buddies I want you to know I will be giving gifts away
every week until Christmas. I will post a picture tomorrow. If you'd like to win all you have to do is sign up for our newsletter at http://scrap-n-away.com and leave me a commit here letting me know you added your name. So come back often and be sure and tell your Friends. Don't forget to leave your comments. I will be seeing who leaves me the most comments between now and Christmas and I will have a special present for you.

For those of you who have been asking about my Mom and Mark's Dad they are both doing about the same. Thank you for all your prayers. We hope you will continue to pray for them.

I thought if I kept track of how many days left it would help me get everything done. Anyone need encouragement? I know I do I always take on more than I should at the Holidays. I always want to make everything. Who in their right mind would just be starting to make all the decorations for their tree. Why not let me know what your making for the Holidays and we can keep each other on track.

I'm also cooking Thanksgiving dinner so tomorrow I will share some of my favorite Thanksgiving recipes with you! I know many of you have asked me to publish a cookbook....this is probably as close as I'm going to get. I will be posting some of my favorite recipes from time to time. Have a great evening!