Simple Girl

This is perhaps your easiest holiday appetizer.  Ever.   With only two ingredients, it may be my shortest blog post ever! If you're not too sure about the combination, just imagine Mango Salsa.  But instead of imagining palm trees, imagine jingle bells.  It's that good. Maybe we should just call it Holiday Salsa! Combine a can of whole berry cranberry sauce with a jar of salsa.  Feel free to add more or less cranberry sauce.  Whatever you have on hand will work! Serve with a side of Sweet Potato Chips and you've got Thanksgiving wrapped up in a single bite! THIS POST MAY BE LINKED TO:  MONDAYS :    MADE BY YOU MONDAY ,   FLOUR ME WITH LOVE ,  MANIC MONDAY ,  TUESDAYS :  TALENT SHOW TUESDAYS , TRICK OR TREAT TUESDAY  ,    MANDY'S RECIPE BOX    WEDNESDAYS :   WORKS FOR ME WEDNESDAY ,   GINGER SNAP CRAFTS ,  THE DIY DREAMER     THURSDAYS:   FULL...

My Little Peanut turned 13 this month and this was her birthday dinner request:  turkey, stuffing, cheesy potatoes, green bean casserole, cranberries and 7-layer salad.  Sigh. I remember when all she wanted was Macaroni and Cheese and Hot Dogs. Anna loves 7-Layer Salad.  It's the reason that I'm bringing it to not one, but TWO Thanksgiving dinners this year!  Someday she will be going to go off to college and I won't be there to make 7-Layer Salad for her.  That's why I am recording this recipe.  I am recording this recipe in case she goes off to college and just has to have 7-Layer Salad, but when she tries to call me, I have my phone turned off because I'm in a Hot Yoga class or I'm finding my inner Rembrandt or her dad and I are at a movie. On a school night.  By ourselves.  Oh, wait.  I'll still have more kids at home.  I guess that won't be happening. If you haven't figured it out, 7-Layer Salad is sort of a general t...

When your kids go to a Sugar Free School, sometimes you have to think outside the box when it comes to birthdays.   I was willing to give up the sugar, but I wasn't willing to give up the cake! This Sugar Free Gum Cake provided the perfect solution for celebrating our teacher's birthday last week! It was surprisingly easy to put together.  First of all, start with two styrofoam cake rounds. (Available at Michael's.) Buy some contrasting grosgrain ribbon and cut each piece an inch longer than the circumference of each cake. Fasten the ribbon with pearl corsage pins (also available at Michael's) at the top of each cake.  I love how the pearls give it some dressmaker detail! You can reinforce the ribbon with a few glue dots. Attach two glue dots to the back of each pack of gum.  Attach the gum around the outside of the cake. For added reinforcement, tie some more ribbon around the packs of gum.   Add more glue dots to th...

We still have our pumpkins out and the neighbors just put up their beautiful Christmas Tree.   I know. I watched the antecedent event through my window. This metamorphosis of the seasons means one thing. It's Shoebox Time! National Collection week is November 18 - 25! Samaritan's Purse has been delivering shoeboxes filled with gifts to children in Third World countries for twenty years. Our family has joined in the fun for nearly 15 years! Our kids love the process of giving and Operation Christmas Child is a perfect, hands on way for them to show love to others. You can even track your box to it's final destination ! How cool is that? The first thing you need is a shoebox. You can use a shoebox that you've found in the bottom of your closet, or, what I recommend, BUY A PLASTIC SHOEBOX WITH A LID ! The box is part of the present, after all. Now, here's my next tip:  YOU DON'T HAVE TO WRAP THEM ! I don't mean to go all Scrooge-y on you, bu...

The funny thing about dogs is that after they enter your lives, they view themselves as equals. Where you go, they go.  Where you sleep, they want to sleep. What you eat, they assume that they should be eating, too.  They become an integral part of your family. Today, on Anna's 13th Birthday, her sisters made her breakfast in bed. Guess who was right there? That's right.  The dog. He's never one to miss a party.