Potluck Survival Guide by Cherie Kimmons

A few weeks ago I received a cookbook in the mail called Potluck Survival Guide (Care and Feeding of the Athletic Supporter). This book was sent to me by Five star Publications and was written by Cherie Kimmons. When I first received the book in the mail, I looked at the cover and didn't think that it looked like anything special. To me, the cover was a bit boring and not very appealing to the eye. BUT, don't let that fool you!

This book is great! Inside is a collection of recipes that are easy, fun, and perfect for any potluck event that you might attend. Although the title is a Potluck Survival Guide of the "Athletic Supporter" these recipes would most definitely work for any type of event including school/church functions, home parties, etc. In fact, I made the meatloaf recipe for just Pat and I and it was great!

Included in the book are recipes for:
Appetizers
Breakfast
Entrees
Soups and Sandwiches
Side dishes
Salads
Desserts

As a bonus, the author gives great tips for feeding children and athletes, getting the food to the destination, and much much more! If you entertain a lot, this book is a must! If you don't entertain, you will still find a load of valuable information. Kudos to the author Cherie Kimmons and Five Star Publications!

(Disclosure: We were provided this book, free of charge, by Five Star Publications, in association with MamaBuzz.)

Gingerpop Cookies

On Sunday, I took the kiddos to Michael's to pick out a craft project to occupy them for the afternoon. With a bit of convincing :) , they decided on the Gingerbread pops. SO cute and it looked like loads of fun! C'mon, cookies on a stick!! So we bought it. A steal for $8.99!

Since they were pre made cookies, all we had to do was mix the icing and start decorating.

And take a break for a little snack....



And then they were finished. Easy peasy. Just not how they looked on the box. at all.

The Elf on the Shelf

The Elf has arrived at the Kimball household! Thank goodness that he decided to come this year. Madison knows that when the Elf is here for the month of December then she needs to be extra good because he is watching her every move. If you are not familiar with The Elf on the Shelf then let me explain.

On December 1, Santa sends one of his elves to our house (and many other homes as well Via Amazon and other retailers). Included with the Elf is a book that explains that he has come to observe the children's behavior and report to Santa each night. After everyone has gone to bed, the Elf flies back to the North Pole to report then comes back to sit in a new place in the house before the kids wake up.

Its a very useful tool (can you say bribery?) and Madison enjoys telling the Elf exactly what she would like him to tell Santa each night. The downfall is that Madison gets up a half hour earlier each morning to see where he is hiding. Here he is perched in a few places around the house:

Edible Monsters

My kids have a favorite book that we have had around for a few years called GO AWAY BIG GREEN MONSTER! Its super cute and a great read. So after they pulled it out today and we read it a few times, I thought it would be fun to incorporate the story into dinner time. We made a similar project a year or so ago but neither Madison nor Cayden thought it was too exciting. Tonight they did!

Here they are making monsters by poking dried spaghetti through half of a hot dog. They pushed peas on the noodles for eyes and a nose.

And then we put them in some boiling.....

And Viola! Pat says I'm lacking a bit in the area of creativity. I think they are cute :) .

Visions of Sugarplums

Presented by: Lizzie at A Dusty Frame

Price: $7

Available at: A Dusty Frame

Description:

Visions of Sugarplums: A Collection of Christmas Cookery is a delightful e-book published by Lizzie of A Dusty Frame, filled with those exceptional recipes of holidays past. My mouth waters as I examine the contents:
Gingerbread Waffles

Warm Cranberry Punch

Sweet Potato Casserole

Moravian Cookies

Toffee Squares

Epiphany Cake

Julgrot (Swedish Rice Pudding)

Triple Layer Brownies

Vintage Molasses Cake

The book is sprinkled with holiday traditions from around the world and their corresponding recipes, like finding the lucky single almond in the Julgrot. You’ll find inspirational quotes, a section on making homemade ornaments from kitchen ingredients, suggested family traditions, snow day ideas, and a list of favorite Christmas books. And, of course, lots of love. Visions of Sugarplums is available for just $7 and is thoughtfully arranged with vintage illustrations—a lovely keepsake for yourself or a special gift for a friend

I recently was lucky enough to review this e-book by Lizzie over at A Dusty Frame. E-books are new to me and I didn't quite know what to expect when I downloaded it. But when I heard that it was a cookbook, I jumped at the chance to try some new yummy recipes.

Visions of Sugarplums is a collection of holiday recipes, arts and crafts, and snowy day activities to do with the family. Perfect to pull out at this time of the year with the kids! The recipes are easy (something which I need) and all look very tasty!!

I have yet to try any recipes but have looked through it several times noting recipes that would be perfect for the kids holiday parties at school and the neighborhood cookie exchange.

Up on the top of my list to try are:

Grandma's Goodies

Donkey Chow

Peanut Butter Dip

And of course the Gourmet Dog Biscuits for Bear!

For the price of $7.00, this is a great buy! You won't get this cheap in a book store for a holiday cookbook.

Dear Mom and Dad...

I'm sorry. I need to apologize for all I put you through when I was between the ages of 2 and 4 (and up until I moved out at 18 I'm sure).

I'm sorry for jumping on your bed at 5 in the morning to tell you that it was time to get up.

I'm sorry for preventing you from taking a shower by yourself in order to let you escape for 15 minutes of peace and quiet.

I'm sorry for asking you to take the time to make me a lavish meal of mickey mouse pancakes and buttered noodles only to feed it to the dog without taking one measly bite.

I'm sorry for changing the channel to Tom and Jerry when you were watching your favorite TV show. Especially since TIVO didn't exist back then to give you the luxury of recording it and going back to watch it at a later time.

I'm sorry for slamming doors when you told me I couldn't have one more Popsicle for dessert. If you still lived in our childhood home, I would pay to get the drywall fixed around the door frame.

I'm sorry for not letting you brush my hair before we went out in public. I'm sure it was quite embarrassing to be seen in public with a little kid that still had blueberry muffin mix crusted in her hair from licking the batter bowl the night before.

I'm sorry for repeatedly telling you that I was bored and had nothing to do and no one to play with when in fact I had an overabundance of toys and games sitting on the shelf in the next room over. I fully understand the idea behind giving me a nickel if I could be the slowest kid in the neighborhood to walk around the block backwards.

Remember how many times you said to me, "You just wait till you have kids. Then you will understand." Remember??

I understand. I totally and fully understand!

And now that you and I both know just how hard it really is, can you please come down here and give me a break? PLEASE?? I just need 15 minutes to take a shower in peace and quiet.

Fa la la la blah...

I'm having a hard time getting into the Christmas spirit. Maybe its cause there is no snow down here in the south (not complaining by the way). Or maybe its the annoying Christmas songs that have taken over my favorite radio station entirely too early. Would it have helped if I had gone shopping at 4AM on Black Friday to kick off the season? I don't know, but I'm not feeling the warm holiday fuzzies. Any ideas? Any offers to do my Christmas shopping this year? Bah humbug. Maybe I'm just being a Scrooge.