When Great Grandma Turns Ninety One

You might remember that last year we had a Party

for Great Grandma’s Milestone 90th Birthday.

However, I’d say that now, every birthday we celebrate

with her is a milestone!

Hubby’s sister invited us to her house for dinner.

She purchased Salmon, cause Great Grandma loves Salmon.

Hubby was in charge of preparing it on the grill.

The menu also included Rice, Salad, and Bread...

Along with our first Corn on the Cob of the season.

It was delicious.

For her gift, I found a cute basket and filled it

with some of her favorite consumable items.

After all, a Senior doesn’t really need

any more “stuff” for their house!

We included a bottle of Pino Grigio,

Harvest Wheat Crackers and Cheese,

Her favorite Sweet Snack Bars,

A Bunch of Grapes,

And Fresh Cut Flowers.

My Sister in Law gave her a roll of Stamps...

I think that is a genius idea for a

Senior Birthday Gift.

We topped off the evening

with a little cake and ice cream.

Happy Birthday.

Here’s to Many More!

Take care,

~Natalie

It’s the Most Wonderful Time of Year ~Christmas 2019 ~Now a Memory ~How We Spent Our Mornings

Like most families, after breakfast,

we all just hung out together...in our pajamas.

Our time together was short,

so we made the most of every minute.

A family friend let us borrow this tub of Legos for the week.

I’m not sure who had the most fun...

Was it Little Jack?

Or was it Uncle Jake??

Or perhaps it was Lizzie? Do you see how

she’d like to get in there to play, too?

So they constructed a Cat Mobile.

Her inverted hut provided a seat for her to ride.

A good time was had by all...

Take care,

~Natalie

It’s the Most Wonderful Time of Year ~Christmas 2019 ~Now a Memory ~My Christmas Day Report

Christmas Morning...

The first time we had all been together for a year and a half.

We had a wonderful time catching up.

When Hubby went out to the airport

to meet the late flight on Christmas Eve,

Amy kept me company as

I prepared an overnight coffee cake.

When it was baking, we all checked

our stockings to see what Santa brought,

and then had a light breakfast.

We needed to save room for our traditional family

Christmas meal at Great Grandma’s House.

When someone is 90 years old,

it is okay to relax and just be the hostess

while your family does all the work!

My sister-in-law was there early

to take charge of the preparations.

And then, when we arrived, I made the gravy,

Emily and Jake mashed the potatoes,

and Hubby carved the Roast.

Great Grandma really enjoyed her company.

Her table was lovely...She used her best China.

Our family gifted her with this Winter Centerpiece.

Great Grandma lives a short walk from

one of the only sledding hills in town.

We all had fun being outside and working off

some of those extra holiday calories,

and breathing in some of that cool, crisp air!

I hope you all enjoyed plenty of good food

and some outdoor activities with your family and friends.

Take care,

~Natalie

It’s the Most Wonderful Time of the Year ~Christmas 2019 ~Countdown...10 days ~Memories of Christmas Past

Thank you, everyone, for your sweet comments on my last blog post.

Hubby and I are so excited to host Christmas

for our family this year. 

After my morning coffee,

I start working through my To Do List.

Check out this cute plastic plate and bowl

that I found at Walmart. I bought a set just so Jack

can have his own special place setting.

It coordinates with this little plate I found at Target

that he can use for breakfast and snacks.

I washed up all the Christmas kitchen towels

and included all of the Lefsa cloths,

just in case we girls get a chance to make a batch.

I gathered all of the Christmas napkins I could find

in my stash...some paper, some cloth.

I also brought my snowman dishes out of storage.

They are all here on the counter waiting to

run through a cycle in the dishwasher.

I have not used them for years. I forgot how cute they are!

Plus, snowman dishes can stay in my cupboard until spring.

This is another photo from Christmas Eve 2014.

This year, we will set another place for Jack!

Enjoy the Holiday Season.

Spend time with family and friends!

Take care,

~Natalie

Thanksgiving Week ~Tuesday’s Tip of the Day ~Try this Tasty Cheese Ball

What does one do on the day after Winterfest?

Well, they plan their Thanksgiving Menu

and gather the necessary recipes, of course.

This is the appetizer I’m preparing for Thursday.

It is so easy, you still have time to make one too.

2 8 oz. packages cream cheese

1 tsp. garlic salt

1/4 tsp. smoked paprika

2 tsp. Worcestershire sauce

3 green onions, sliced

1 red pepper, minced

Hot sauce, optional

Salt and Pepper

2 cups shredded sharp cheddar cheese

With electric mixer, cream together the cream cheese,

garlic powder, smoked paprika, and Worchestershire sauce.

Gently fold in green onions and red pepper.

Stir in 1 cup of the shredded cheddar.

Season with salt and pepper and/or hot sauce.

On a sheet of plastic wrap, sprinkle 1/2 cup of the shredded cheese.

With your hands, pat the remaining cheese

on the top and sides of the cheese ball.

Tightly wrap, adding two more layers

of plastic wrap to prevent cheese mixture from oozing.

Add rubber bands to create the pumpkin shape.

Refrigerate for four hours or overnight

to set and become firm.

To serve, cut the rubber bands and unwrap.

Garnish the top with the stem of your red pepper.

Credit for this cute idea and recipe goes to the Today Show.

I saw it first on Instagram.

Here are some Tuesday Tips:

*Since our gathering is small,

I’ll make two small pumpkins instead of one large.

That way, one will stay in the refrigerator

to serve later in the weekend.

*This year, I am going to purchase the finely shredded cheese

and use a little extra to hopefully cover the entire pumpkin.

*Using the stem of the red pepper is a genius idea.

I saved it in a little snack size storage bag

to use on the second cheese ball when I brought it

to a Friendsgiving Gathering last year.

Have a wonderful Thanksgiving Week.

Take care,

~Natalie

Easter Weekend 2019 ~The Empty Nester’s Report

It was a beautiful Holiday Weekend.

My Newsfeed was filled with family photos 

with Easter Greetings.

I enjoyed seeing your children and grandchildren.

My, how they’ve all grown!

Hubby colored the eggs with me.

Since our kids were little, we always used cups with handles.

It gives them something easy to grip, and not spill!

Another tip is to drip dry the eggs on a wire cooling rack.

I baked another loaf of the Rustic Artisan Bread.

Do not be intimidated by Roomba.

The Easter Bunny stopped by early with a plant...

Beautiful buds, and the bulbs can be planted to last all summer.

Last year I found this tablecloth and centerpiece 

in the Target Clearance aisle.

I was happy to re-discover it this spring in my Easter Storage Tote.

Easter Sunday Worship at Zion.

Unless, you have small children, 

or a cat that cruises your table top, 

you can arrange your place settings early.

I like to set out all my serving pieces, too.

Then you have more time to visit when your guests arrive.

We served Ham, Grilled Salmon,

Baked Potatoes, Spring Berry Salad,

Grilled Asparagus and Roasted Carrots.

It was my Sister in Law’s Birthday,

So my MIL baked a cake.

After the meal, she opened her gifts.

MIL brought a hostess gift for me too!

It was a fresh smelling candle for summer.

The Easter Bunny left this very cute basket on the counter.

I like to keep my bunny decor out for a while.

Happy Spring, Everyone.

Take care,

~Natalie