December Kisses

I had this Christmas Countdown given to me many years ago and I love to still use it. For this countdown calendar all you need to use are Hershey Kisses!!! My favorite Christmas Kisses are the Peppermint and Mint Truffle. All I do each year is take some saran wrap and wrap the kisses in it. I tied ribbon in between each kiss so they wouldn't fall out. Pretty simple and fun! 

Here is the poem to help you remember to eat a kiss each day!

Book Review

This book is a children's novel and it intrigued me since I love language! This particular book it not quite like any other book I have ever read. It is a very slow paced book that leaves you with a lot of questions in the beginning. It is one of those books that doesn't fully make sense until the very end. I enjoyed this book, but make sure you stick with it until the end. 

Penne Pasta Bake

Let's just say that if I had it my way we would eat, breathe and sleep pasta. But since I have people around here who like a little meat this definitely pleased everyone. I really liked this dish. It is just a little different than eating our normal spaghetti. I found this recipe at Chef-n-Training and she has some easy recipes but beware most of them are desserts. 

PENNE PASTA BAKE

1 lb lean ground beef

1/2 medium yellow onion

3 cloves garlic

16 oz. penne pasta

2 (26 oz) marinara sauce jars

6 slices provolone cheese

6 oz. shredded mozzarella cheese

16 oz. sour cream

Bring a large pot of lightly salted water to a boil.  Add penne pasta and cook until done (about 12 minutes) then drain.

In a large skillet, brown diced onion, 3 cloves of minced garlic and ground beef over MEDIUM heat.  Add spaghetti sauce and warm through.

Preheat oven to 350 F.  Lightly oil or spray a 9x13 baking dish.

Layer as follows; 1/2 pasta, 16 oz sour cream, 6 slices of provolone cheese, 1/2 sauce mixture, remaining pasta, remaining sauce mixture, 6 oz shredded mozzarella cheese.

Bake 35 minutes at 350 F or until cheese melts

Side Notes: I only use 1 jar of marinara because 2 is way too much for me and I didn't like having a 2nd layer of noodles because they went hard and crispy. 

Thankful Tree

Each year after all the Halloween decorations are put away and candy is consumed I like to think about the next upcoming holiday. Thanksgiving is a day that is forgotten quite often and let's face it not quite as fun as Christmas. I for one wanted to make it a point this year to be better at being thankful for all that I have and all that I have learned this past year. 

I have seen this concept for a thankful tree in many places but here is my version. I found some sticks from outside and stuck them in a vase with dried beans so they would stay in place. Then I pinned on felt leaves in different fall colors. One each leaf I then write what I am thankful for and can look at it everyday as a constant reminder of how truly blessed I am. 

Book Review

I like to look at book reviews on blogs and I found this book on several so I knew it needed to be on my reading list. I tried reading this book a couple of months ago during a hard time and it was a little too much for me to take but I picked it back up and I have to say I liked it. This book is about the roundup of French Jews in Paris during WWII. It tells the story of two people Sarah during the roundup and Julia in present day. I had a hard time with the first 50 pages or so but then I it picked up after that and I really enjoyed it. This book is a heavy read in the sense that you need to be prepared to read something very serious. I would highly recommend this book. 

Quick Coffee Cake

When I was younger I remember staying at my aunts house and she would frequently make a coffee cake for breakfast. Now I don't drink coffee but that doesn't mean you can't enjoy some good olde coffee cake. 

Quick coffee Cake

1 c milk

1 egg

¼ c melted margarine

1 ¾  c flour

1/3 c sugar

2 t. baking powder

½ t. salt

Crunchy Topping: Melt 2 T margarine. Blend in ¼ c firmly packed  brown sugar, ½ t. cinnamon, ½ t. nutmeg and ½ c crushed cornflakes. Sprinkle over coffee cake batter.

Preheat oven to 400°. Grease bottom of 9” square pan. Beat milk, egg and margarine until well mixed. Add dry ingredients, mix only to moisten. Turn into pan cover with topping. Bake 20 to 25 minutes, until edges pull away from the pan.