Warm and Cozy: Baked Apples

I love apples.  They are definitely my favorite fruit.  I especially like the tart taste of a Granny Smith and other baking apples.  I found an easy recipe for baked apples and thought I'd give them a try for a healthy desert.

I modified the recipe a bit based on what we had in our pantry.  This was also a great simple recipe to do with children.

We used:
Granny Smith apples
lemon
raisins
granola
brown sugar
Smart Balance butter spread (I used this in place of butter)

We melted the butter and added it to the raisins, granola and brown sugar in a bowl.

We then cut the tops off the apples and cut the core out.  We then squeezed the juice of one lemon and rubbed on the tops of all the cut apples (this prevents browning).

Next, we placed the apples in a muffin tin and filled them with the granola mixture.

Once they were all filled to the brim with the granola mixture, we placed them in a 425 degree oven for about 10 minutes or until they were soft and brown.

While waiting, my kids licked the bowl clean.

When the apples were done, we let them cool in the muffin tins for about 10 minutes before serving.

My kids ate them like they were candy.

I am happy to find a new healthy desert alternative!

Baking notes:  Next time I would probably add a bit of cinnamon and cloves to the mixture.  I think cinnamon goes so well with apples and would improve the taste.

Eat Cake

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I just love the old British war campaign, "Keep Calm and Carry On."  

Many folks have updated this saying in different ways like this shop.

We have celebrated 3 birthdays in our family in the past 2 weeks and we still have one more to go next week.  January is a busy month around here.  Planning and preparing for birthday celebrations is wonderful fun but sometimes I need to rely on the saying above when things begin spinning.

As you can see, I am abiding by my new mantra for the month.

There is always next month to work on the waistline.

Sweet wishes...

I am constantly criticized for using the word "sweet" too much.  In light of that...

Have a super sweet NEW YEAR!

Monthly Organization: Project "Gift Bag Storage"

After all the merry Christmas gifts are open, there seems to be a plethora of gift bags and boxes left to store/recycle (I save mine to use next year).  Often times I just stash these under the bed or in the seasonal storage boxes in the attic.  

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This year as part of my continuing efforts to stay organized I tried to come up with a better system of storing gift bags of any kind.

I have a lot of closet hanging space but not a lot of stacking or floor space in my closets.  I needed a place to store gift bags with easy access for year-round gifts.  

I ended up taking high-quality metal coat hangars (they take up less space than the plastic ones) and hung my gift bags by their handles on them.  

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I have 3 different hangars with different gift bag themes:

1. birthday

2. baby

3. holiday

This seems to take up much less space than the under the bed option or a storage box.  They are also super easy to get to and see just what I have.

How do you store your gift bags and wrapping materials?

This year you...Part 2

This year you;
-seemed to enjoy ripping the paper off of gifts.

-listened when we said not to take ornaments off the tree.

-didn't think much of Santa which was a stark difference from last year when you sat in his lap very happily.  You preferred to watch him from afar rather than sit on his lap.

-enjoyed listening to your sister and Momma sing Christmas songs in the car.

-were happy to wear hats to keep your head warm.

-loved anything your sister had.

-enjoyed eating at breakfast with Santa but preferred stand and walk around the rest of the time (which bothered your sister who took it all very seriously this year).

-were overjoyed to see Christmas lights outside at night.  We often heard you yelling "liiiiiights" at the top of your lungs in the car at dark.

-began saying "ho, ho, ho" whenever we mentioned Santa.

-wanted nothing to do with sitting still or being quiet in church on Christmas Eve.

This year you...

This year you;

-were highly enchanted by Santa and chatted with him for about 10 minutes the day we saw him when Auntie G came to visit.

-were horribly disappointed when we had to leave church early on Christmas Eve and miss the candlelight "Silent Night" singing because your sister needed to go home.

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-carefully wrote a card to Santa on Christmas Eve and simply wrote your name and your sister's name and drew a picture of Santa with a beard.

-left 2 cookies, a handful of carrots and an espresso cup filled with Coke for Santa.  Everyone knows Santa likes Coke.

-slept so soundly all night and didn't awake until 7:30 am on Christmas morning.

-saw trains travelling beside the expressway and dreamed they were taking supplies to the North Pole.

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-worked very hard on your table manners because you were certain the little elves and trolls were peeking at you through the kitchen windows at dinnertime.

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-enjoyed any holiday craft/project that included candy or sweets.

-wished for 5 things for Christmas: princess stickers, princess haybaise (chap-stick), a purple wagon, flowers and a night-light like yours for you to give your sister.

-were totally captivated (along with your momma) by a dreamy breakfast with Santa at an old hotel in town.

-enjoyed laying under the Christmas tree.  Many a morning after breakfast, we'd find you there just gazing up at the twinkling lights and ornaments.

-read many bedtime stories by the lights of the Christmas tree.

-wore your red sparkle shoes everywhere (thanks, Target).

-you sang lots of Christmas songs.  Our favorite were:  The Hawaiian Christmas Song by Bing Crosby, All I Want For Christmas Is You by Mariah Carey, Away in a Manger, Oh Come All Ye Faithful.  You sweetly sang: "oh come let us adore he" instead of "him."

Camilla

Camilla is a family name.  It has been used for many generations in all kinds of forms.  A few years ago, my mother thought it would be suitable for me to own a Camilla flower in my garden.  It was beautiful when she gave it to me in the pot from the store.  I planted it in my one of my front beds with few expectations for it to bloom as vibrantly as it did when it was given to me.  A year went by and no blooms.  I toyed with taking it out of the flower bed but kept it in because it was a Camilla flower and it had nice greenery -- even with no blooms.

Last year, it bloomed.  It was a tiny little bloom but gave me enough hope for more blooms to come.  All year passed and there wasn't a thing.  The leaves on the plant seemed to grow weary from the stress of heat and sun and shade.

On Christmas Eve, my girl came running to me and said that I should come see the beautiful flower in the garden.  I quickly brushed her comment off because everyone knows that there is absolutely nothing that blooms my garden in the winter.  {I am a huge fan of plants that take care of themselves and die away in the winter and then return in full glory in the spring.}  My girl insisted that I come see this flower so I walked out to the garden with her.  I was completely awe-struck by the beauty of a single bright bloom on the Camilla plant.  It had glorious red petals with a golden center.  Standing among the greenery of the bed, it couldn't have been more perfect for Christmas.

I love the little miracles that seem to pop up when you least expect them.