Decking the Halls

The Jansson family is getting into the Christmas spirit. Our Christmas cards were mailed this weekend and we did a little decorating inside today. Our stockings are now hung by the chimney with care and the tree is trimmed (with a few wrapped gifts beneath it)!

Through all of this, we've had the cutest little "reindeer" helper! Don't you agree?!

Next weekend the weather is supposed to be dry so Mr. Jansson is planning to put lights up outside (pictures to come). Have you started your holiday decorating yet?

Tree Trek 2011

In line with Jansson family holiday tradition, we drove up to Stanwood, WA this morning to cut down our tree at Alan Acres. We do this every year on the day after Thanksgiving with Mr. Jansson's family.

Watson came along again this year on the trek and he was pretty well behaved. At first he loved this pony and they got along great but as soon as Mr. Jansson gave the pony a pet, Watson lost it. (He's a jealous little guy and thinks all of Mr. Jansson's pets should be reserved for him.)

 We chose a noble fir again this year. Mr. Jansson did a wonderful job sawing it down! (I was supervising Watson's mission to pee on all the other trees.) 

 I usually buy an evergreen wreath at Alan Acres but they had pretty, fresh holly wreaths this year so I mixed it up a bit and took one home. 

This is one of my favorite Jansson family holiday traditions. I love that it's truly a family activity and that all three of us can go together. I also like that we (i.e. Mr. Jansson) cut down our own tree - it makes it so much more special (and the tree lasts so much longer than one from a pre-cut lot). We hope that y'all had a wonderful Thanksgiving and that you too are getting into the Christmas spirit.

Pie with a Tennessee Twist

Figuring out tomorrow's menu? Asked to bring dessert to your family's get together tomorrow? I've got a fast, easy and delicious pie for you try! It's the pecan pie all of us southerners love but with a little touch of Tennessee (whiskey).

Perfectly placed pecans on my pies - ready for the oven!

Ingredients:

1 pre-made, frozen deep dish pie crust 

1 cup light Karo corn syrup

3/4 cup sugar

3 eggs

3 TBS melted butter

1 TBS Tennessee whiskey

1 tsp vanilla extract

1/4 tsp salt

1 cup pecan pieces

1 cup pecan halves

Directions:

Preheat your oven to 350 degrees. Combine all your ingredients except the pecans. After combined, stir in the pecan pieces and pour into your pie crust. (Crust doesn't have to be completely thawed.) Top with pecan halves. Place your pie on a cookie sheet and bake between 50 - 60 minutes. You'll know the pie is done when it's set (i.e. doesn't move when shaken). I hope you and your loved ones enjoy this little taste of home - I know I will!

To: You, From: The Jansson Family

Thanksgiving will soon be here and I know there are other folks out there like me who have started to prepare for Christmas. Have you ordered your Christmas cards yet?

After searching through a ton of personalized Christmas card websites, I chose to go with Shutterfly once again this year for ours. I thought the design was super cute, I was able to customize my message and I couldn't beat the price! (I saved $20 by using the following codes: "ship30" to receive free shipping on orders over $30 and "card40" to receive 40% off.) Here is a sneak peek of our Christmas cards:

Photo Card

View the entire collection of cards.

Pretty cute, huh?! They'll be in the mail soon family! If you haven't already, check out the selection (and pricing) of Christmas cards at Shutterfly.com, I don't think you'll be disappointed! 

Lots of love,

 

*By agreeing to embed my card image here, I received a discount code from Shutterfly for $10 off my next order.

Friday: Food with Friends

Today's Friday: Food with Friends comes from one of my very best friends, Kelly. I asked her if she'd be willing to share a recipe here on the blog and she graciously agreed. This hamburger stew would be the perfect ending to a cold day (Kelly suggests paring the stew with cornbread to make a meal).  Sounds amazing! Without further adieu, here's Kelly.

An oldie, but one of my favorite photos: Kelly and I in our TN gear after the UAB game in 05. Love you!

The Food: Hamburger Stew

The Friend: Kelly

Ingredients

4 to 5 potatoes cut into small, bite-sized pieces

Chopped onion

1lb hamburger 

1 can tomato sauce

1 can green beans

1 can carrots

1 can corn

1 can diced tomatoes

1 can black eyed peas

Garlic powder

Salt

Pepper

Directions

Boil potatoes until tender. While the potatoes are cooking, brown your hamburger, cook until no longer pink and drain. Next, add the hamburger to your potatoes and water. Then, add in the rest of the ingredients and bring to a boil. Simmer on low for 30 minutes and then serve!

A huge thank you to my dear friend Kelly for sharing this recipe! As the temps continue to drop, I'll be trying this very soon. I hope the rest of you enjoy.

Spreading Holiday Cheer (a little early)

Mark your calendars! Between 2pm and 5pm, November 17 - 20, when you purchase one holiday drink you'll receive another holiday drink (of equal or lesser value) for free!

Chocolate, Pecans, Bacon - Oh, My!

I felt like baking today. I wanted to fix cookies but also wanted to try something new. As most of y'all know, bacon has been the go-to foodie fad for some time now. I came across a recipe for chocolate chip pecan bacon cookies and decided to jump on the bandwagon and give them a try.

I was not disappointed - these actually taste great (if I do say so myself)! Crisp around the edges and chewy in the middle, these cookies taste like nutty chocolate chip cookies with an occasional bite of salty bacon that really compliments the sweetness of the chocolate chips. Delicious! Here's how you make them:

Ingredients:

7 strips of bacon cooked crisp and chopped finely

1 cup all purpose flour

1/2 tsp baking soda

1/2 tsp salt

1 stick of unsalted butter at room temperature

1/2 cup sugar

1/3 cup light brown sugar

1 large egg

1 tsp vanilla extract

2/3 cup chocolate chips, semisweet

1/2 cup chopped pecans

Directions:

Cook 7 strips of bacon until crispy. (I prefer to cook mine in the oven on a baking sheet at 350 degrees.) When done, blot with paper towels and chop very fine. Preheat your oven to 350 degrees. In a bowl, whisk together your flour, baking soda and salt. Using your electric mixer, cream the butter and sugars. Next, add in the egg and vanilla until just blended. Add the dry ingredients and beat until the flour is incorporated. Then, add in the chocolate chips, pecans and bacon.

Drop tablespoons of dough about 3 inches apart on your Silpat/baking sheet. Bake for 8 to 10 minutes or until the edges turn golden. Transfer them to a cookie rack to cool. These should be stored in an airtight container. They'll  last on your counter for a couple of days but after that, transfer to the fridge (if there are any cookies left that is)! I hope you enjoy.

A Must Watch for Fall Fashionistas

For those of you who participated in the recent scarf swap hosted by Miss Sweet Tea, you might find this scarf tutorial interesting and helpful (I sure did)!

These are a few of my favorite things...

Halloween has come and gone. Thanksgiving is on the way and before we know it, Christmas will be here! I've started my Christmas shopping and have had a blast shopping for folks so far. To help spur ideas for your holiday shopping, I thought I'd share a few of my current favorite things (in no particular order) that would make perfect stocking stuffers.

• These leggings from White House Black Market - so comfy and a great basic.
• GinZing from Origins - I've only used it a few days but I think I'm in love.
• EOS Lip Sphere - after trying several flavors lemon is my favorite (it's got spf to boot)!
• A staple for any baker, I don't know how I managed before my Silpat.
• These socks are perfect with flats - they don't show, keep my feet warm, and best of all - stay in place.

The holidays can do a number on your waistline (hello tempting bread baskets and desserts) so I've compiled a few of my favorite current snacks too. 

• Babybel light cheese - 50 cals
• Eating Right sandwich slenders - 90 cals, 6 grams of fiber
• 1/2 cup fat free cottage cheese - 80 cals, 14 grams of protein (serve with peaches or pears)
• Light n Fit 4oz yogurts - 60 cals (try topping with a few multi grain cheerios for extra crunch)
• Dry roasted almonds (a couple of handfuls, aprox 20 nuts) - 112 cals, 3 grams protein, 2 grams of fiber
• Starbucks tall skinny peppermint mocha - 100 cals (when you need a little treat)

I hope these lists help give you inspiration and keep you on track. If you have any excellent stocking stuffer ideas or new, healthy snack tips let me know!

Hearty, Healthy (and Easy) Meal Idea

The other day I made an awesome dinner (if I do say so myself) with a ranch, bacon chicken as the main event. This chicken is incredibly easy, tastes amazing and (believe it or not) is even low in calories too! 

Thaw your chicken breasts. Lay them on a foil lined cookie sheet and grind black pepper on each. Next, sprinkle each breast with 1tsp of ranch dressing mix and then top each with 1 tbs of real bacon bits. Cook the chicken according to package directions.

This chicken is great paired with quinoa and zucchini or sauteed chopped brussel sprouts (just add in a touch of olive oil, 3 tablespoons of bacon bits, a pinch of kosher salt and a healthy grinding of black pepper)! Enjoy. 

Thank You Everyone!

For those of you who don't know, my birthday was yesterday. I wanted to thank everyone for making my birthday weekend so special! A big thank you for all the cards, sweet phone calls and facebook messages. I'd also like to thank my in-laws for hosting a birthday party for me on Sunday night (a special thank you to my father-in-law for outdoing himself on our authentic Mexican meal - it was wonderful)!

Work yesterday was SO FUN! My work group decorated our area as a Curves gym with an 80's twist. We had a blast leading exercise classes and stocking up the unhealthy snackbar! Here are a few photos from the fun day:

Most of the workgroup in costume - Rad!

Two of my favorites beating me up. Note I'm trying to work. ;)

Most of the office in costume after our hill climb class (we took the escalator down the hill).

Zombie eyeballs on sticks - my contribution to the scary potluck.

Thanks again to everyone. I'm one blessed gal!