Cheese Ball

My mom's cheese ball has been around for as long as I can remember at each Christmas get together. She's made it forever. And now, I have taken over making it.
So here is where the problem starts.
This year, I go out to buy all the ingredients...and it's always hard to find the little Kraft jars of Roka...but after searching in many stores, I find it.
Well, this year...after going to half a dozen stores...I still couldn't find it.
Only to look on the Kraft website and discover that their message board is CRAMMED full of THOUSANDS of angry customers complaining because Kraft decided to NO LONGER MAKE the Roka!!! Do you know how many holiday recipes are now messed up this year? I was so upset. This is the ONE treat I look forward to each Christmas.
Well...
Thankfully, someone posted a "substitution" and I'm hoping and praying it works and turns out just as well.
Many of you have asked for this cheese ball recipe so...here goes...and I hope it turns out well for you with the substitution...and my apologies if it doesn't. :(


Cheese Ball

2 jars Kraft Old English Cheese

1 jar Roka (discontinued, see substitution)
(substitution 8 oz of cream cheese mixed with 1/4 cup blue cheese crumbles, mix until smooth/creamy...now because the Roka is only a 5 oz jar, you won't need all of this mixture...only 5 oz. will be needed of this mixture)

2 pkg. (8 oz each) cream cheese

small chopped onion

dash Worcestershire sauce

Mix all ingredients together, refrigerate. Form into a ball and roll into chopped pecans and parsley. Serve with crackers.

Butter Mint Pillows

So I found another new recipe I wanted to try.
Butter Mint Pillows...although I have to admit, mine look more like "patties", LOL!
They are delicious though! Practically melt in your mouth!
All credit goes to Woman's Day magazine. :)

Butter Mint Pillows

1 stick (1/2 cup) salted butter
1 box (1 lb) confectioner's sugar, plus extra for dusting
2 tbsp heavy cream or milk
1 tsp mint extract
red and green liquid food coloring

In large bowl, beat butter until creamy. With mixer on low, beat in sugar, cream and extract until creamy and smooth.

Turn sugar mixture out onto a work surface lightly dusted with confectioner's sugar; knead until smooth and satiny. Divide mixture into thirds. Tint one pastel pink (2 drops red), one pastel green (2 drops green), and leave remaining portion white. Cover each portion with plastic wrap to keep it from drying out.

Line 2 baking sheets with nonstick foil. Lightly dust work surface with confectioner's sugar.

Working with one color at a time, roll out 1/4 cupfuls of the mint mixture, using your fingers, into a 1/2 inch thick rope. Cut rope into 1/2 inch to 3/4 inch pillows. Transfer mints to prepared baking sheet with a spatula...be careful, mints are soft and will squish easily. Repeat with remaining mint mixture.

Let air dry at room temperature for 1-2 days until firm enough to handle. Transfer to covered containers.

A pressie? For me?

I had a pretty rough day today...
...and we'll just leave it at that.
Rough day on the job.
So anyway...Wednesdays are always busy, chaotic, and stressful.
Not only do we work till 5:30, but most every week...all our clients are running late.
Then add to that, I swear, EVERY Wednesday, Evan will have a test in EVERY SINGLE class.
So he and Jamie are cramming and studying like crazy in order to prepare...before Jamie makes dinner...
So the we can have a quick dinner...
Before...
Rushing off to church.
Well...
Tonight, we come home from church and the light on my answering maching is flashing.
A knot in my stomach...
I swear, every night I get a message...it's generally a client asking if they can come early, stay late...(sigh)...
So...
I push the button.
And listen...
It's my Avon lady.
I think, "I don't have anything ordered..."
And she says, "Hello Melody, Just wanted to let you know I stopped by and you were gone. I left a little bag on your porch...there's a little gift there for you. I just wanted to let you know how much I appreciate your business and how nice it's been getting to know you."
Awwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwww!!!
How sweet!
I totally wasn't even thinking...
She does this every year.
For the past three years, she's surprised me with a little gift!
So I go out to the porch and there's the bag.
Inside is a gift all wrapped up.
I open it and it's the most adorable snowman watch!
She's just the sweetest gal.
And this just made my day.
Sometimes after a bad day...it's just these little things that come our way to brighten things up! :)

Progress in Royal Rangers...

Tonight, Nate came home with FOUR new badges! He was so excited. Now that he's moved into his new group and started out with his new uniform vest...he's been so anxious to fill it up with badges! On the back he stacked his Deuteronomy, BGMC, and Hobby merits. And he was super proud to have finally gotten his first patch on the front...the White Falcon! We are so proud of you Natee! Way to go! Keep up the great work!

The luckiest child in the WORLD!

I swear...the joke in our family has become "Nate HAS to purchase a lottery ticket for our family!".
The child is luckier than ANY PERSON I know.
If there's a game...Nate wins.
If there's a contest...Nate wins.
If there's a drawing...Nate wins.
If there's ANY luck to be had...Nate will be the winner.
He'll get the prize.
I swear...NO LIE!
Every single time.
If we need something picked, drawn, etc...we're all like, "Let Nate do it!"



So today, here comes Nate off the bus and I see he's carrying this darling stuffed reindeer. "Look mom! Look what I won! His nose lights up!"
They had a "Winter Wonderland" drawing in the lunch room at school today.
Guess who won?
Yep.
Nate got it.
The kids in his class said, "Nate! You win everything!"
He was just tickled pink! He LOVES stuffed animals!
He named him "Rudy"...as in "Rudolph".
And so...he has one more new friend to sleep with at night. LOL!

WELL worth reading...take a moment!

This is my friend Jen.

She is one of the original gals who really got me interested in blogging.

And the other day, she wrote a WONDERFUL post (in my opinion) and I would love it, if you'd all take a moment to read it as well. It's about the age old controversy of "Merry Christmas" or "Happy Holidays".

I think it's wonderfully well written and she speaks from her heart.

Jen is such a sweet gal...

So...

If you disagree...

Don't you be mean to her!

Or I'll come lookin' for ya!!! LOL!

Here is the link to her blog:

http://boveefamily.blogspot.com/2009/12/great-controversy.html

Surprise!

Today, one of my clients walks in with four HUGE bouquets of flowers! She further explains that her brother works in a greenhouse and always brings lots of fresh cut flowers to their family get-togethers and they had an abundance left-over after everyone took some home...so...

I got the benefit on this one! Woohoo! In she came with the most gorgeous cut flowers!

I didn't even have a vase big enough for the first set...so I emptied a pitcher I was using to store all my kitchen utensils in, LOL!

She brought these gorgeous orange and pink ones in this vase and they are just gorgeous.

Fresh cut flowers ALWAYS make my day! No matter who gives them to me! Thank-you J, E, M, and G!!! We appreciate it!

This week's Walgreens run!

I did pretty good at Walgreens this week.

I ran in and grabbed four cans of Campbell's cream soups, 2 jars of Lindsey olives, some WalZyr (Zyrtec) for Nate, two boxes of General Mills cereal, and some Dove soap. By the time I added in all my coupons and $7.00 worth of Register Rewards, I came out pretty good.

I only spent $9.69.

I saved $16.22.

Yep, I'd say I did good!

Annual Cookie Baking Day At Geeg & Papa's

Saturday we had our annual cookie baking day at geeg and papa's house. It has become a tradition that one Saturday in December we all go down and bake and decorate sugar cookies. And of course I have to have lots of pictures...which the grandkids love...NOT! LOL!

Here are some more of the grandkids/cousins.

A couple of me and Jess (my sister) in front of one of mom's gorgeous Christmas trees.

This one is one of my favorites of the two of us.

And I think I take after my Grandma Malone in the fact that I have to have one of each possible pose. Here's Jess and I with our kiddos.

And on to cookie baking! Mom always has a station set up for each cousin to roll, cut, and decorate their own dough.

Busy busy busy! Smile for a picture guys! Aunt Melly needs more!

I think Logan had frosting head to toe!

Some of their masterpieces!

And a few more!

Evan with one of his creations!

Ev wanted a picture of this little toy soldier he made before he ate it! LOL! We had such a fun day having lunch, cookie baking, visiting, and taking lots of pictures! Until next year...

What makes you smile?

The older I get...
I realize more that it's the "little" things that really make me happy.
Oh sure...
Who wouldn't love to win the lotto?
Who wouldn't love to travel extensively?
But anymore...
The older I get, the more I realize it's the little things in life that make my day and put a smile on my face.

What makes me smile...

A good candle...first pick Yankee...but hey, Glade is coming out with some pretty good ones now too. I have to say, my whole house smelled of "Creamy Custard & Blushing Apple" last night...and it was divine.

A good lipstick...the perfect color...one that lasts...one that doesn't dry your lips and keeps them moisturized...lovin' the Avon Glazewear Lip Glosses.

A clean counter-top...I love looking in my kitchen when all the dishes are clean and put away, all the mail, school papers, church bulletins, and other "junk" have found their spots and I can actually SEE my counter-tops!

Cute socks...sorry, can't help it...I love warm, thick, quality socks with cute patterns on them. My feet are always cold and there is nothing better than cozy feet.

Homemade guacamole...a new discovery of mine...discoverd I like it...found a great recipe...and I could eat it till the cows come home w/ Doritos!

Great nail polish...PLEASE, this is one I need help with...I LOVE LOVE LOVE having pretty polished nails...but in my line of work, I SERIOUSLY (no lie) wash my hands probably one hundred times a day...is there a "stay put" polish that will last through all these washings? But anywho, great nails totally rock my world!

A good haircut...there is NOTHING that boosts my self-confidence more than a great cut. When a stylist does what I tell her, offers suggestions, and gives me input on how to style...it's great. A good hair day=a happy momma.

Coupons...yes, they excited me. Call me lame. But coupons really make me smile! I don't think I've paid full price for ANYTHING since February...and it's my full intention to continue this the rest of my life!

Magazines...they totally make my day. Seeing a new magazine in my mailbox just brightens my day. If you saw the stacks and stacks of magazines I have by my bed, your mouth would drop open...but I now have so many free subscriptions, I don't have time to read them all. But I totally adore my magazines, LOL!

Pink and yellow...yes the colors pink and yellow make me smile. Especially together. I think they are beautiful together. I told my husband, if I were single and had a house on my own, there would be some shade of pink in every room of the house, LOL!

Sugarless gum...it's a "must-have" in my purse. Addiction!

Fabric softener...Silly, I know...but you try a load of laundry without it...and dryer sheets just don't cut it. When I forget to put the Downey or Snuggle in the "ball" and I get a load of "crunchy" clothes...(shiver)...it's not a good thing.

Holidays...and not just the holiday themself...but the people and places who go out of their way to decorate and celebrate EACH holiday! Valentine's Day, St. Patty's Day, Easter, July 4th, Halloween, Thanksgiving, Christmas...I think I've got them all covered as far as decorations go...I may not have alot for some of the holidays...but hey, they all deserve their "due time". Why not have fun with it?

Fun mail...REAL mail. NOT e-mail. A real birthday card, a real Christmas card, etc...they mean so much more than an e-greeting.

Furry creatures...CATS to be specific...what can I say, they make me happy. I can have the worst day, and Oreo will climb up on my lap...and I start petting him, he lays on my lap...and the stress (temporarily) dissolves.

Accessories...yeah...shoes, jewelry, belts, scarves, purses...you name it...they're fun!

Autumn...the BEST season of the year in my opinion...the colored leaves, the pumpkins and gords, corn mazes, carving jack-o-lanterns, trick-or-treating, spiced cider, caramel apples...what's not to love!

Pictures...I'm no pro...but I take alot of pics...no one can ever say our family won't have memories captured. I get as far as posting them online, developing them to prints...but my scrapbooking skills are a little lacking. Oh well...I'm trying!

Blogging...I love it. Those who read this know. What you see is what you get. This is me. I don't share EVERYTHING. But you get alot. I say how I feel.

Coffee...latte', frappe', mocha, etc...you make it, I'll drink it!

Facebook...being able to reconnect with old friends and family...on a DAILY basis...just walking by my computer and seeing what everyone's up to...it's great.

Ya know...
I could go on forever...
But you're getting the picture...
These are the SIMPLE things that make my smile.
They make my day.
I'm a pretty simple person.
It doesn't take much to make me happy.
What makes you happy?