Fun with the Family

This weekend, my family got together to celebrate Christmas in Midland, with my dad's side of the family.
We had a delicious spread for lunch, dinner and dessert. My cousin made these gorgeous- and YUMMY- cookies!
I love this picture of my brother and Grandpa!
My Aunt TMV is so great at capturing important moments!
Here are a couple of my cousins.
We decided to play a game of Taboo as a family- boys against the girls. It was a blast, even if the the two teams tied in the end.
But before long, it was time to open the presents.
We all received some wonderful presents!
I love this picture- no matter how silly it may be!
This little bib is for my cousin's baby, who'll be joining our family in a month or so.
My brother was helping my Grandpa model his new cardigan.
How about this "beautiful" angel? Every year my Aunt gives me a new holiday "treasure". This one is particularly "special", even though she's slightly green and has no legs. I love getting these- even though displaying them often requires a lot of explanation!
My cousin's girlfriend got a really sweet little teapot..
And my mom made my cousin some "Hooter Hiders". (Yeah- I cringed as I typed that.) They're these cute little smocks that allow you to breastfeed in public! Isn't that fabric cute?
Of the many traditions in our family, one of my favorites is the giving of Legos. Every year my mom gives all the boys some Legos- she's been doing it as long as I can remember. And every year, the boys race to try and put their presents together first... it's a hoot!
We had so much fun taking pictures- here's one of my brother and I!
We had such a wonderful holiday celebration with the family!
Oh- and can I share one more picture with you? Here's my brother and Grandpa- I just couldn't resist!
Thanks for stopping by- I hope you're having a great day!

Over the river and through the woods...

To Grandmother's house we go!

We celebrated Christmas with my Grandma M. yesterday, though our travel over river and through wood was aided by several handy expressways!
When we arrived, we had the chance to open some great gifts.
I got a box set of Ginger Rogers and Fred Astaire musicals...
My dad got a new book...
And my brother got a pair of fishing waders. Can you believe all that good loot?
I crocheted my Grandma M. a swirly scarf, which she modeled for a few pictures...
Boy did we have a fun afternoon!
And to top it all off, we had a yummy lunch to dig into after we worked up an appetite from opening all those presents.
We had Tarragon Turkey Salad Sandwiches, complete with toasted pecans and craisins...
Potato soup...
Caprese salad...
And ribbon sandwiches. Have you ever had one of these? You slice a loaf of bread the long way, before layering the slices with different kinds of salads and spreads. Not only is it interesting to look at, but it's really yummy!
And although our Uncle F. couldn't be there, he sent over the greatest dessert: Ice Cream Poinsettias!
Not only were they beautiful, but they tasted divine! My mom told us that her family used to have these on holidays, so it was a really special treat for our Christmas with Grandma M!
Thanks for stopping by- I hope you have a wonderful Wednesday!

Chicken in the Van

This week, I made one of my favorite casseroles for a family get together: Chicken Divan!
But we never called it that when I was a kid... my cousins, brother and I always referred to it as "Chicken in the Van". I love this recipe for a number of reasons: it's easy to make, it tastes delicious, and reminds me of home! I started off with some frozen chicken breasts and my mom's soup pot.
I then proceeded to boil the chicken until it was cooked.
When the chicken was finished, I assembled my ingredients. (NOTE: I was making a triple batch of this recipe, which should explain the quantity of ingredients piled below!)
One of my first tasks was to dice the chicken.
Eventually, I had everything squared away!
Then it was on to the sauce ingredients:
After that, my mom offered to stir so I could take pictures- isn't she great?
After a little while, the sauce was combined.
Into that went the chicken...
And frozen broccoli!
After a good mixing (to make sure the broccoli and chicken were covered), I spooned the casserole into oven-safe dishes.
Meanwhile, my brother grated some cheddar cheese for me.
I added a generous layer of cheese to the casserole, topped by a sprinkling of crushed-crackers.
While the casserole was cooking in the oven, I made some white rice.
When the casserole came out of the oven, the cheese was bubbling and it smelled incredible!
So I quickly spooned some casserole over the rice- talk about scrumptious!
If you want to make your OWN Chicken in the Van, here's the recipe:

Chicken Divan
3 chicken breasts, boiled
2 pkgs of frozen broccoli (10 oz. each)
2 cans Cream of Chicken soup
1 cup mayonnaise
1 tbs. curry powder
1 tbs. lemon juice
Topping (grated cheddar cheese and crumbled crackers)
Directions: Mix liquid ingredients together in large bowl, before adding chicken and broccoli. When everything is combined, add mixture to greased casserole dish. Sprinkle cheese and crackers over top. Bake at 350 degrees for 40-45 minutes.

Thanks for stopping by- I hope you have a wonderful Tuesday!

I was home for Christmas!

I was lucky enough to make it home on Christmas morning... and this glorious sight was there to great me as entered the house! But before we got to open presents, my little brother and I had to perform our "Christmas Miracle". Every year, we change into matching pjs when I get home... it's always miraculous, hilarious, and one of my favorite holiday traditions!
Here's a shot of my mom before we started opening presents...
And here's my dad, in his comfy leather chair!
As for presents, I made out like a bandit! I was able to add a few new cake plates to my collection- like this beautiful milk glass, hobnail one!
My brother collects crackle glass, and he got some really beautiful new pieces!
I also got this adorable book, about famous American women... don't you LOVE it?
And my brother totally surprised me by finding this huge slab of petrified wood! I love collecting petrified wood, and he was able to snag this for me at our local Rock and Mineral show.
After a fun afternoon spent opening presents, we sat down for a delicious dinner alongside my parents' Holiday Village.
I hope you had a wonderful Christmas! I'll have a few more holiday photos to share over the next couple of days-have a great Monday!!