Wrappin' Up Another Week!

A Saturday morning at home together has been pretty rare for our family for awhile! On the weekends we've been home, Greg has had the boys in the woods pretty early.

Last Saturday, my mom and I went to the craft show at the school where she works. We were in a bit of a hurry because of a wedding later in the afternoon, but it was fun and we did pick up a couple of cute things!

This morning we are having our church Christmas dinner. We've always had it in the evening, but a couple of years ago I noticed that a lot of people were talking about how difficult it is to fit everything in before Christmas. There are company parties, family gatherings, Christmas plays, etc., and only so many Friday and Saturday nights before Christmas. This year we were blessed with a bonus week, but that doesn't always happen. :-) So, a few weeks back, I mentioned that it might be nice to have it at lunch time. The idea caught on pretty quickly, and we're having it from 11 a.m.-2 p.m. today. If it's a bust, we can always switch back to evening next year! This year it will definitely be a blessing because after the dinner today, we will be preparing Sunday dinner for a college choir that will be doing a Christmas concert tomorrow morning! So, with about 10 lbs. of slow-cooked bbq pork in the crock pot and a double batch of veggie bake in the oven, I'm all set. :-)

Lima is lucky enough to now be one of the cities involved in a milk war! A Ruler Foods (kind of an outlet for Kroger) has recently opened, and they advertised milk at $1.49. Aldi says they won't be beat, so theirs is also $1.49. Not sure how long it will last, but it's definitely a bargain for now! I was a little skeptical about our town having another grocer (we have a ton of them), but this is like an Aldi (pay for a cart and buy or bring bags) and they also have brand names AND accept coupons!
Woo Hoo!

Greg and I finally crawled out of our hole and went to the mall on Thursday. Other than sporadically going into one of the anchor stores, we haven't been to the mall in months. I was happily surprised to see one of my absolute favorite kid's stores almost ready to open! I found Crazy 8 in Ft. Wayne several years ago, and probably made my biggest Black Friday purchases at their store in Florence, KY this year. They carry modest, adorable, girl's clothing at very affordable prices (when you watch sales and clearance), and they go all the way up to size 14! That makes me h-a-p-p-y!

Hope you are taking time to enjoy all the festivities this year! Some are still asking for the Veggie Bake recipe...we tend to need these kinds of things this time of year!

Vegetable Bake (Pampered Chef)
3-16 oz. bags California Blend
1 cup mayonaise
1 tsp. pepper (use more to taste)
8 oz. shredded cheddar cheese
1-14.5 oz. can cream of mushroom soup
1 clove garlic (more or less to taste)
Spread California Blend into a 9x13 inch baking dish. Combine all other ingredients in a bowl, then spread evenly over veggies.
Bake @ 350 for 45 minutes, or until the veggies are like you like them (more tender or more firm).
Add French's Fried Onions (Cheddar Onions are great, too!), and bake another 5 minutes or until golden. Let set for 5 minutes or so before serving.
Enjoy!
***I make this alot because it is basically foolproof. Baking time can be adjusted by letting the veggies thaw before baking. If they are frozen solid, it may take more than an hour to reach desired tenderness.