Here it is, Monday, my last day off before we fly to Alaska, I am so excited to see my mom, sisters, brothers, nieces, nephews and children! Today my goal . . . Christmas cards! I have to get them done, I really do have to get them done! Right now I am in the kitchen baking - yummy rum cakes - mmmmm delicious. These are from my sister's recipe and she has banned me from giving it out. Can I just say they are delicious? My brother in law Chad was here for our family Christmas dinner last weekend and had a slice of my rum cake along with a beer, and his comment was. . . mmmm WOW a Beer AND a shot! Anyone who says the rum burns off during cooking, bypass their rum cake and head right straight to my house, I'll fix you right up! Does that give you any idea?

This weekend I made Orange Slice Fudge (this candy is one of my mom's favorites) and my Father in law fell in love with it . . . thank you very much! I also took a tray to work and they too enjoyed it thoroughly, I even made a special tray for Pennie and Donavan who enjoyed as much as my father-in-law did. I will add the recipe here, just in case, anyone reading this would like to try . . . it really is delicious and very easy to make!

Orange Slice Fudge (recipe from a year of GIFTS of good taste)

1/2 cup butter or margarine
3 1/2 cups sifted confectioner's sugar (otherwise known as powdered sugar)
1 can (5 oz.) evaporated milk (do they really make a can that small?)
1/3 cup cocoa (Hershey's cocoa is the best!)
1 package (11 1/2 oz) milk chocolate chips
1 package (10 1/2 oz) mini marshmallows
2 tsp. vanilla extract
1/4 tsp. salt
1 cup chopped orange slice candies

Line a 13x9 baking pan with aluminum foil; lightly grease the foil. Place butter in a large microwave safe bowl; microwave on high for 1 minute or until the butter melts.
Stir in the confectioner's sugar, evaporated milk, and the cocoa. Microwave on high 4 minutes or until the mixture comes to a boil, stirring it every 2 minutes. Continue to microwave 4 minutes longer, stirring every 2 minutes. Now add the chocolate chips, mini marshallows, vanilla and the salt. Put in microwave just for a minute or 2, taking out to continue stirring until marshmallows are melted; stir until well blended. Now stir in those chopped orange slice candies. Pour into your prepared pan and refrigerate 4 hours or until firm. Cut into 1 inch squares, cleaning your knife frequently. Store in an airtight container in the refrigerator. Important tip: if you leave the lid ajar just slightly no one will hear you sneaking pieces from the bowl - LOL!

Hope you guys enjoy, see you later,

Another day in wintery paradise

Why is it always so long between my posts - even I am surprised by how long it has been! We celebrated our family Christmas with my hubby's family, any my friend Michele, her hubby Mike and there 2 children Colt and Avery (my honorary grand-babies who I love dearly!) last Saturday night here at hour home and it was wonderful! I baked and cooked for 2 days and it was worth every minute.

Just finished wrapping presents, my sister Nikki called me this evening and all the packages we mailed to Alaska arrived today - one less thing for me to have to stress about, which is really nice! Tomorrow I will mail my grand-daughter Shelby's gifts to her - can I just say I miss her desperately. It has been almost a year (December 26th) since her father came and said he was taking her sledding and "disappeared" with her! Because she is in Sault Ste Marie Michigan and the "custody" battle is far from over, we don't get to hear from her - very sad really. Breaks my heart on a daily basis . . . enough said.

Still trying to figure out what to buy my 15 year old sports son - - - any ideas, please ship them my way, I am struggling more and more as he outgrows being a boy and turns into a young man, but can I just say I love this boy so much!

Cody and I will leave for Alaska to spend Christmas with my family (the first time in 6 years - and I am soo o o o o o o o ready! John will join us on the 23rd, already miss him. I work this weekend and a couple of days this week and then officially off for 14 days beginning on Friday, and yes, I am ready for it . . . it is much needed.

Still have some rum cakes to get made and gift baskets made for my co-workers, but those will be fairly easy once I get my hiney in gear and get to working on them. I haven't made a Christmas card one, but hope to remedy that this week. . . I so have to make Christmas cards this year or I will be so mad at myself.

Well ladies, I do hope this is not my last post for this year . . . I keep saying I will do better and I fail to do so, I am thinking that will be one of my new year resolutions. I still don't have a fax machine - - - honestly that is not true, I do have one, however, because my computer is Vista and my fax works on something else (I can't even remember right now) I don't have a working fax. I am hoping to find a good sale during Christmas so that I can begin scanning my cards, and scrapbook pages, and altered items that I have both received and hope to get done.

Much love to all of you who wait around for me to get some blogging done!