Happy 2015!

A very brief message from the children:


I only look a little bit demented in this picture from last night:



We stayed home and babysat for New Year's Eve, but I blew up two packages of balloons and Blaze helped me make confetti to put into five balloons which we hung from the ceiling and he popped at midnight.





I baked cupcakes and put out lots of snacks just before midnight, as well.







Here's to a great new year!



We're planning to take it easy today, but vacuuming will probably happen:

Happy New Year!

We didn't go anywhere for New Year's Eve, but we had a good time at home. We covered the table with party foods (mostly made out of things left over from Christmas) and watched regeneration episodes of Dr. Who.





DH even got dressed up in the new vest I gave him for Christmas and made a pitcher of sangria.



When we were not eating, DH and I cleaned up and repainted this picture frame that we had purchased for $2 at a charity resale shop.



One of Blaze's gifts for Christmas was a chibi picture of two of the members of the League of Steam, which we received for supporting their resent Kickstarter campaign, but I wanted the picture to have a nice frame before it went up on his bedroom wall.

Because I didn't like the yellow matting that came with the picture frame, I went over it with alcohol inks in mixed metallics and browns, the same method I used for some of my Christmas gift tags.



DH removed the class from the frame and did an excellent job of cleaning it.

I spray painted the wooden frame with the "beaten copper" spray paint left over from the "Big Wheel".

First thing this morning, the picture went into the frame and was hung on Blaze's bedroom wall.





Our new year is off to a pretty good start.

I hope everyone has a wonderful 2014!

Happy 2013 !

This is the ball that Blaze created for us to drop at midnight:

Orange Shortbread Cookies

I have been baking and the house smells wonderful. One of the treats we will be having later today, as part of our New Year's Eve celebration, will be orange shortbread cookies.




Orange Shortbread Cookies


1 Cup butter, softened

3/4 Cup powdered sugar

1 teaspoon grated orange rind

2 teaspoons frozen orange juice concentrate

1 3/4 Cups unbleached white flour

pecan halves



Pre-heat oven to 300 degrees F.

Cream butter and sugar together with an electric mixer. Add orange zest and juice concentrate. Beat. Add flour and beat until a dough is formed. Roll the dough into a log shape and cover with plastic wrap. Refrigerate 30 minutes - 1 hour, until the butter in the dough has set up. Cut the "log" into 1/2 inch slices and place on a cookie sheet. Press a pecan half into the center of each cookie. Bake for 30 minutes.

Makes about 2 dozen cookies

Happy New Year!

We've had a fun New Year's Eve! We drove down to Tavares, FL. to ride on a 105 year old train, The Orange Blossom Cannonball. The trip was organized by the Central Florida Steampunk Association, so it was a costume event. Our costumes attracted a lot of attention from the train employees, who all turned out to be big fans of steampunk.

I brought a basket full of little bags of coal shaped chocolates and Blaze passed them out to everyone in our group, as well as the conductor and one of the other employees. I even surprised some kids who were waving at the train as it passed by, by throwing them a bag of chocolates.

This is what our trip was like:



We are now back home, eating snack foods, and watching the New Year's Eve celebrations on t.v.
We talked about going downtown for the countdown at midnight, but decided to just relax at home.

Have a wonderful 2012!

Easy, Child Friendly New Years Party Food

Brie en Croute

1 wheel of Brie cheese

2 sheets of frozen puff pastry, defrosted in the refrigerator over night

1/4 cup of your favorite jam (I used some guava jam)

1 egg yolk mixed with 1 teaspoon of water

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.

Place Brie in the center of one pastry sheet. Spread the top of the cheese with jam.



Fold the pastry over the cheese, making sure it is sealed. Smooth the pastry with your fingers. You may use the second pastry sheet to cut out decorative pieces, using cookie cutters, to stick to the top of the Brie en Croute. The pastry is sticky enough that no water is needed to stick the dough together. Brush entire thing with egg wash. Bake 20 minutes or until golden. Let rest for 30 minutes before serving. Serve with apple slices and crackers.


Homemade Chex Mix

Fresh grapes, baby carrots, and celery sticks

Sandwich roll-ups, sliced, and screwed with stick pretzels



Place tortilla with cheese in the microwave for about 45 seconds, before adding the other sandwich fillings. This will made the tortilla easier to roll. Use a toothpick to poke a hole through the slice of roll-up, to make it easier to add the pretzel.

Grasshopper: A Festive Holiday Cocktail

DH gave me a bottle of Creme de Menthe and a bottle of Creme de Cocoa for Christmas, so I could make my favorite after-dinner cocktails, grasshoppers.



1 oz. Creme de Menthe

1 oz. Creme de Cocoa

1 Cup half and half

Just to make this more festive, I topped my drink with light whipped cream and a sprinkle of green sugar.

The Trip Home

Here is our trusty navigator, Gaspar Perdido, in his place of honor on the dashboard, all set to direct us back to Florida.



Ready for another long car ride:



Blaze is actually a very good traveling companion, who seldom asks, "are we there yet?"

Windfarms in Indiana:





New Year's Eve: watching the countdown to midnight on t.v. in a room at the Holiday Inn Express in Franklin, KY.





Since Nashville, Tennessee was the nearest big city, this is the New Year's celebration we were watching:

First Night in St. Petersburg

We had a great New Year's Eve in St. Petersburg!



Our room at Hotel Indigo:







This was the first time that Ula got to wear the new jacket that I gave her for Christmas. She looked very pretty and got a lot of attention from people admiring the jacket.







Dancing to Zydeco music:







Drum circle:





Under the Baobab tree:





The New Year's Eve full moon:



St. Petersburg waterfront:




Fireworks at midnight:

Happy 2010!

We spent New Year's Eve in St. Petersburg, Florida, but our first stop was Treasure Island, where we played on the beach ( Ula wanted some pictures of herself at a beach to make her friends jealous when she returns to school in Minnesota).







Chasing Seagulls: