Great Niece Holly

I got to meet and hold my only Great-niece when we visited with my Dad at the beginning of January. I always knew I was good, but now I'm officially Great (Great Aunt Annie, that is!)

Hey, I'll take whatever I can get! I loved watching my Dad interact with his great-granddaughter. My sister (I affectionately called her Granny the whole time) is the one with Holly at the end. It is exceptionally weird to call your sister Grandma. Just saying.

Tea Party Time

I found my old play tea set in the basement. So today, Princess and I had a tea party. Serving only the finest apple juice and mini butter cookies. We also had a lesson in not slurping your 'tea'. Judging from the happy look on her face, there will be many more tea parties to come.

Beautiful

I was coming home from grocery shopping and couldn't help but notice the way the trees all looked. It was as if they were dipped in white choclate and crystalized sprinkles (hmm, should I be worried that my references are almost always about food?!). The trees were just white, icey and gorgeous and it was hard to concentrate on driving. Beautiful.

Slow Cooker Italian Beef

Got a 2 thumbs up from both the kids and husband for this one. Definitely a keeper! From one of my favorite recipe blogs: http://mykitchencafe.blogspot.com/2008/12/slow-cooker-italian-beef.html
Slow Cooker Italian Beef for Sandwiches
adapted from allrecipes.com
1 1/2 cups beef broth
1 cup water
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon ground black pepper
1 teaspoon dried oregano
1 teaspoon dried basil
1 teaspoon onion salt (I used onion powder)
1 teaspoon dried parsley
1 teaspoon garlic powder
1 bay leaf
1 (.7 ounce) package dry Italian-style salad dressing mix (such as Good Seasons brand)
1 (5 pound) chuck roast
Combine water and beef broth with salt, ground black pepper, oregano, basil, onion salt, parsley, garlic powder, bay leaf, and salad dressing mix. Whisk to combine.Place roast in slow cooker, and pour salad dressing mixture over the meat. Cover, and cook on Low for 10 to 12 hours, or on High for 4 to 5 hours.
When done, remove bay leaf, and shred meat with a fork (I did this step about 45 minutes before eating so the shredded meat had time to absorb more of the juices in the crockpot). Serve on crusty rolls with cheese, if desired. (Its' really tasty with some mozzarella cheese)

Countdown Continues

Only 7 days left! How do I know? Because my kids are RELIGIOUSLY watching our countdown calendar and reporting to me numerous times a day. It's fun to see their excitement.

Besides counting down, we've been having lots of fun in the snow. Sledding yesterday and today and we even got the hubster to go with us today. I had forgotten how tiring walking up that hill could be, I just kept thinking 'activity points, activity points'. The kids put me to shame with their endurance.

Wolfgang also beat the pants off me when we played the Wii. Geez, that didn't take long. Sometimes it sucks getting old.

A New Obsession

I started reading Harry Potter with Wolfgang in December. We finished Book 1 on Sunday (took the whole month) and last night, the hubbie went to the library and picked up the 2nd book. Well, Wolfgang is already almost done with Chapter 4! I think he got my reading bug and I couldn't be happier. He sat on the couch after doing his homework, snuggled up in a quilt and was reading his little heart out. I was one proud Mama, so glad the reading gene was one thing he inherited from me (keeping my fingers crossed that it won't also be the stubborn/impatience gene!).

2 weeks to go

The countdown to Disney has started. Officially, we leave 2 weeks from yesterday. The kids are excited already and would have their suitcases packed if I would let them. I'm just hoping to get all the Christmas decorations put away before then. :)