Merry Christmas

I'm on my way home to celebrate that day when Love became flesh...

Merry Christmas my dear friends!

It's almost here...

I love this time...

Can you feel the excitement?

HE is almost here!!!

As I was baking and making gifts tonight, I began to reflect on Christ's birth. Birthday's are big in my family, and praise be to God for that. But as I was baking and making away, I was blessed to stop and savor the moment of preparation for Christ's birthday party (aka Christmas).

You know with gifts and such, I've always tried to look deeper into the seeing the gifts as a reflection of God's love for us and a fraction of the Ultimate Gift He gave...but now I kind of like to add to the mix, the thought that I'm preparing for a big party. You know you decorate for a party, you prepare food, you invite loved ones and you give a gift for the person of honor. And that's when it hit me, the gifts I give are like a party favor for the King's birthday! I mean seriously who wouldn't want to go to Jesus' Birthday Party?? It may sound crazy, but we are big party people in my family. Birthdays are a BIG DEAL, and why wouldn't I want to make an even BIGGER deal over Jesus...

So while I've been preparing spiritually for the big day, I also have a few favors for those celebrating Jesus' Birthday

(gluten-free cake truffles..did you know I'm gluten sensitive and my lil' sis is a celiac)

(For those who cannot enjoy schnapps in their cocoa, these will definitely suffice)
(For those who bathe, well...take a bath that is)

(and for those who I get to see on Friday--please excuse my huge mess)

So what are you doing to prepare for Jesus's big day? What's helped you keep focus this Advent while preparing for Christmas?

Do share :0) and then go drink some cocoa!

Proving that the best things happen with a vanilla bean and while you dance...

So today I did something I've never done in my whole entire life.

I cooked with a real vanilla bean. Shocking, I know. I can't believe it's taken me this long to do so, either. I've eaten dishes in which people have used one, but there's something about trying it yourself and it turning out delish...

and well

A REAL vanilla bean. Life will never be the same.

Seriously. Nor my pockets or waistline (or lack thereof...)

It will have you yelling "TASTE THE GOODNESS OF THE LORD!" once you have savored the marvels of this wonderful bean.

So Praise God for the fabulous creation of the vanilla bean.

And here's what I made:

Homemade Salted Carmel Sauce
Courtesy of Confections of A Foodie Bride

Ingredients

• 1 vanilla pod
• 1 cup heavy cream
• 5 Tbsp unsalted butter, cut into pieces (at Christmas, I use the fancy European-style butter)
• 2 tsp sea salt or fleur de sel
• 1 1/2 cups sugar
• 1/4 cup light corn syrup
• 1/4 cup water

Instructions

1. Use a knife and slit the vanilla pod in half along the length of the bean, stopping about 1/2 inch from the end (this way, the pod stays in tact for easy retrieval and disposal). Scrape each side of the pod with the knife and place the beans and pod in a small sauce pan.
2. Add cream, butter, and salt to the sauce pan and warm until boiling.
3. Turn off heat and set aside.
4. Boil sugar, corn syrup, and water in a 3- to 4-quart heavy saucepan, stirring until sugar is dissolved.
5. Boil, without stirring but gently swirling pan, until mixture is a golden caramel.
6. Pluck vanilla pod from the cream mixture and carefully add the cream mixture to the caramel (mixture will bubble up) and simmer, stirring frequently, for 3 minutes.
7. Pour into heat-safe glass measuring cup or dish (that can accommodate approx 3 cups). Let sit until cool.
8. Pour into small glass jars and store in the fridge

Secondly,

For those of you who don't know. I have a bit of an obsession with musicals. In fact, I've been known to break out into random song in dance to prove that they really do happen.

But nevertheless do I digress, but I do love them.

Especially those involving singing, dancing, handsome men being men, lovely ladies being ladies and pretty dresses that twirl like a dream while you're dancing.

Case in point: White Christmas.

I love this movie. I honestly cannot remember the first time I saw it because I've been watching it since before I can even remember. In fact, when I was little I would dream about being older and going out to dances wearing the dresses from this movie...yeah somethings never change and I need to get on that...

But again I digress...

But I do love this number. I love this number so much that (God willing) whoever the man I end up marrying, might just have to strut this number with me at our wedding...because the best things happen while you dance, right? (Darn movie makes sappy ;0) ). Enjoy!

Celebrating the Sabbath:The Sunday Southern Seven

(Merry Christmas Darling...We're apart that's true...)

Good Sabbath Everyone!! (I always feel like someone from Fiddler on the Roof when I say that--ah well mazeltov..right?) Anyways...


Well it's hard to believe today marks the last (4th) Sunday in Advent, which means.....Christ is coming soon!!! Yay!!

This has been a very beautiful week, thanks be to God! Do you ever have those moments when you just know someone is praying for you? I don't mean like your friend called you and told you he/she was praying for you. But those little moments where your soul is being uplifted to a peace beyond anything you could have asked for...it's just beautifully awesome. So whoever you are, Thank you! Thank you for asking God to flood my being with gratitude for the abundance of blessings God has most recently poured down on me.

In honor of the blessing of gratitude I have been made aware of and also with the gratitude of God sending His Son down to earth. This weeks Sunday Southern 7 is a list compiled from a few of the many things I am grateful for:

1. A Welcoming Community. I have to say, people are not joking when they talk about Southern Hospitality. I have been so very blessed in relocating to a community where I am completely embraced in every aspect. Whether it's parishioners, coworkers, people I randomly meet at Christmas parties, everyone is so genuinely stinkin' nice. No lie. With over 85% of the population transplanting here from literally all around the world, people are very quick to embrace and take care of those who have been newly transplanted to the Upstate. It's very beautiful and I am so grateful to have moved to such a location.

2.Friends. I've always loved my friends and knew they were special, but in the last few years, I have grown a deep appreciation for the relationships we have cultivated throughout the years. These friendships that have withstood the test of time, location, mood swings, travel, etc.... I am so very blessed to have the friends that I do and look forward to making more fabulous memories and meeting new friends along the way.

(Me and the Fabulous JK enjoying caffeine & CO before we almost got mugged)

3. Job. Working for a parish you see people at all of life's stages, and I cannot say how grateful I am not only to have a job that provides me a living, but a job that truly wants to bring people closer to God. I love that I not only have the opportunity to go to daily Mass, but it's encouraged for me to go and for me to slip away to the Adoration chapel. I know working for the Church isn't always perfect (as is anything in this life) but, for what it is, and for what I've experienced thus far in my life, I feel a lot of peace with the opportunity that has been provided for me.

4.Washer & Dryer. Now mind you, I lived the last year without a washer and dryer in my apartment and had to either go to the laundry-mat or lug baskets of dirty clothes with me to my generous Mother and Sisters homes who had mercy on their Rachie and let her do her laundry. But thanks be to God, my washer & dryer were installed this week and I have the convenience of washing my clothes whenever I want to! Some may think little of this, but to me, it's a luxury, that I am so thankful for!

5. My Mom. She's great! And if you've ever met her or have heard about her life, she'll inspire you to no end. We've not always seen eye to eye and that's okay, because I still think she is by far one of the most fabulous people I will ever know in this life.

6. My Nieces and Nephews. The number one hardest thing about moving away from family was being so far from these fabulous little people. I have been called twice this week with their sweet little voices singing to me The First Noel and I LOVE it more than anything. What a privilege to hear their voices singing from the depths of their pure little souls to spread the joy of the season to their Auntie miles away...


7. My Sisters. I love them. They're the strongest women I know and are changing the world one life at a time. I cannot imagine my life without them.


(Honorable #8: Goes to my fabulous Brothers-in law and Stepdad. God bless these men! The fact these men are married to such strong women says a lot about the men they are and strive to be.)

Happy Sunday! God Bless and have a beautiful week!

Hi There...

Make A Little Music Monday!

So I decided to join my beautiful friend at Finding Great Joy on her 'Make A Little Music Monday' so here we go...

Movie of the Week:
Since Christmas is soon approaching and I am missing the midwest, my pick for this week is:

While You Were Sleeping




This is one of my family's favorites and what's not to love about falling in love in Chicago during the week in-between Christmas and New Years? Seriously! Sandra Bullock, Bill Pullman, Peter Boyle, Peter Gallagher, Glynnis Johns(the mom from Mary Poppins in case you didn't know), Peter Warden and many more. With such a fun cast and plot, you are certain to be crushing over rustic-midwestern Bill Pullman by the end of the movie (as if he didn't make you swoon in Spaceballs).



Song of the Week:



Recipe of the Week:

This is by far the absolute best Spinach Artichoke Dip you will ever eat. We make this for all our family get-togethers. Consider yourself lucky if this makes it out of the kitchen (because my sisters and I have easily devoured this dip of fabulousness)! Enjoy y'all!

(Photo Courtesy of here)

Hot Spinach Artichoke Dip
Courtesy of Paula Deen

Ingredients

• 1 (10-ounce) package frozen chopped spinach
• 2 (13 3/4-ounce) cans artichoke hearts
• 1/2 cup mayonnaise
• 1/2 cup sour cream
• 1 cup freshly grated Parmesan
• 1 cup grated pepper jack cheese

Directions

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Grease a casserole dish with nonstick spray.

Heat the spinach in a microwave oven on high for 5 minutes and squeeze dry. Drain the artichoke hearts and coarsely chop in a food processor.

Combine all the ingredients except the jack cheese in a large bowl. Stir well. Scrape into the prepared casserole dish and sprinkle the jack cheese on top. Bake for 30 minutes. Transfer to a chafing dish and keep warm over a low flame. Serve with bagel chips.

Link of the Week:

http://homesicktexan.blogspot.com/

(Photo courtesy of HERE)

If you love blogs, Texas, cooking, great pictures and great stories. Follow this! Such a fabulous foodie blog with great recipes. You will be salivating by the time you scroll through the first post


Picture of the Week:


Mi Manitas

(Aren't they beautiful?)

Words of the Week:

"Proving that the best things, happen while you dance."-Irving Berlin

Be sure to stop on by Finding Great Joy to join in on the M.A.L.M.M!!