Spin Cycle - Christmas morning brunch

I do my darndest to NOT leave my house on Christmas Day. When The Girl was little, we started inviting the grandparents over for brunch on Christmas morning and it has evolved into our tradition. I think if I made anything else I'd be in big trouble with The Girl, and that's okay, because these are both recipies that require that they be made ahead. I usually have Christmas Eve off, so it isn't an issue, but this year I'll be "working from home." I think I'll be able to fit it in (wink, wink).

Overnight French Toast
1 stick of butter
1/2 cup light brown sugar
1 tsp cinnamon
12 slices Pepperidge Farm white toasting bread (very thick)
5 eggs, well beaten
1 1/2 cups milk

Melt butter with brown sugar & cinnamon. Pour into a 9x13 baking pan. Place 6 slices of bread din pan; put remaining 6 slices on top of those.
Mix eggs with mil and pour over bread, covering completely. Cover and refrigerate overnight.
Bake at 350 uncovered for 45-50 minutes. Flip bread over onto plates and cut diagonal. (It makes its own syrup!)

Egg, Cheese Bake
9 eggs
3 cups mil
1 tsp dry mustard
9 slices buttered bread (Pepperidge Farm firm bread)
1 1/2 cups shredded cheddar cheese
1 1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp. pepper

2 cups Corn Flakes
1/2 cup butter, melted

Spray 13x9 pan with cooking spray. Cut buttered bread into cubes and spread into pan. Mix eggs, milk, mustard, cheese, salt and dpepper. Pour over bread. Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate overnight. Remove 1 1/2 hours before baking. Bake at 350 for 45 minutes until eggs are set in the middle. (As it puffs, stick a knife in center.) Combine corn flakes and melted butter. Sprinkle over eggs. Bake for additional 15 minutes.

You can also add sausages, crumbled bacon or tomato.


Note - to save myself from cracking all those eggs, I usually buy some sort of "milk carton" eggs. I've made it both ways and there doesn't seem to be much difference.

So, now you know what I'll be doing at around 11:00am Eastern Time on Christmas morning - stuffing my face with overnight breakfast treats!

Go see Jen over at Sprite's Keeper, she's got all sorts of yummyness going on over at her place!

Spin Cycle - Two EASY Holiday Treats

I love to bake and have made some pretty elaborate stuff in the past (have also had some pretty elaborate disasters, but that is a post for another day), but these two very simple treats always get rave reviews.

Pretzel Treats
"Snyder's Snaps" square pretzels
Hershey's Kisses
M&M Candies

Preheat oven to 170. Line a cookie sheet with parchment paper and spread the pretzels in a flat single layer on the paper. Unwrap the Kisses and place on Kiss on each pretzel (an excellent job for kids to help with!). Place in oven until Kisses soften, about 5 to 10 minutes. Remove from oven and immediately push one M&M into each Kiss to mostly flatten the Kiss. Cool in the refrigerator until the Kisses re-harden.

Since the fine folks at M&M's (the one candy to have when you're having more than one) make them in colors for many holidays, these can be made for all occasions. I have had these made with Rolo candies instead of Kisses, too, but I prefer the original with the Kisses.

The Mailman groans when he sees me making these. "You're not making those AGAIN?" but there are places that we go that I'll be yelled at if I show up without them.


Peppermint Bark
30 starlight peppermint candies (or any peppermint candies)
2 1/2 boxed Andes mints
1 1/2 bags white chocolate chips

Cover a cookie sheet with wax paper. Unwrap peppermint candies and put into two Ziploc bags. Using a hammer or mallet, crish the candies. Melt Andes mints in the microwave and spread on the wax paper. Melt the white chocolate chips in the microwave and add the crushed peppermints (you can reserve some to sprinkle on top, too). Spread over the Andes mints. Cool in the refrigerator for one hour. Cut or break into bite-size pieces.

The nice Andes mint people also make Andes chips that are sometimes sold with the chocolate chips in the supermarket, and this makes life a whole lot easier. They aren't always available, though. I bought a new (new to me anyway) Nestle's product "Dark Chocolate and Mint Morsels" a few days ago, but haven't tried them yet. I sometimes use candy canes instead of starlight mints - they just seem easier to break up.

Want some more holiday goodies? Just reading about them doesn't add inches to the hips, does it? Go see Sprite's Keeper, she's also the keeper of the Spin Cycle list.

Spin Cycle - My Christmas Wish

For more Wishful Spinning, head on over to see Sprite's Keeper.

I have been thinking about this all week, wondering if I would write it. I was thinking of it this morning when I woke up at 3:13. I was thinking of it again when I saw the clock at 4:13. I did fall back to sleep, but I don’t know when. My wish . . .

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

My wish list is pretty short and pretty simple, however it seems pretty impossible.

I wish my oldest brother would get over whatever it was that made him walk away from his parents and siblings 15 years ago. I wish that our family could be whole again.

Honest to God, I have no idea what pushed him (them) over the edge. The only things I can imagine that would be bad enough to make me walk away from my family are unthinkable. I am the youngest of four, and this brother is the oldest, older than me by seven-plus years. He and his wife and their two children were living with my parents, trying to save money to buy a house. It was a bad idea from the start. The relationship had been volatile for years. They had lived with them before and it hadn’t gone well, but my parents felt that they couldn’t say no. When I questioned my dad about it, he told me that he had to say yes, even with misgivings, because what if one of the other kids needed help some day? How could they say yes to one of us if they had said no to them? I said “easy” and he laughed and said he wished that was the case.

It is a huge understatement to say that my mother and my sister-in-law are two very different people. It is a big house, but still tight quarters given the people involved, and things happened. My sister-in-law re-arranged stuff in my mother’s kitchen. My brother spent money that my parents didn’t think he should be spending when they were living rent free in their house to save money. My sister-in-law has a temper, my mother holds things in. My father is strong willed and opinionated, but certainly not mean spirited. Things were said, things were not said. It was pretty bad. Then my parents went away for a week of vacation. When they came home, my brother and his family were gone. The rooms that they had occupied were empty, and they were not gentle to the house on their way out.

Everyone was stunned. And that is when it got really bad. It got back to me that my sister-in-law had told people that my parents had kicked them out. I heard that they were sleeping on the floor of my sister-in-law’s mother’s one bedroom apartment. I found out that they found a house soon after. I don’t know if it was in the works when they snuck out of my parents’ house, but I have always assumed so. I had always been Switzerland in previous messes and had always been able to maintain contact when one side wasn’t talking to the other, but my brother basically told me it was him or my parents, I couldn’t have both. I got no answers as to why.

I tried for a while to keep in touch. I sent Christmas presents to the kids and they were returned. I ran into my brother at one point and had a civil conversation with him and thought, “maybe now enough time has passed.” I was wrong. He told me not to come to my niece’s, my godchild’s, First Communion, that I wasn’t welcome. That was when I stopped trying. I couldn’t set myself up to be hurt by them anymore.

Yet, I continue to hurt. I think about them all the time. Every. Single. Day. My niece was five when she was in my wedding 17 years ago, my nephew seven. That is the girl and boy I remember. I wouldn’t even know the woman that she is today at 22, the man of 24. I wonder what they think of us. I wonder what they’ve been told. My daughter is ten, and she doesn’t even know they exist. I keep saying that I need to have a conversation with her about them, but I don’t know how. On some level, she knows about my brother, because there are pictures of the four of us as children in my parent’s house, but no one really talks about them in front of the kids. How do I bring it up to her? How will I answer the questions that I know she will have? I have too many questions myself.

My brother has nieces and nephew’s he has never met. His children have cousins that they don’t know. Our grandmother passed away seven years ago. She lived with us for many years when we were kids, was a huge part of our lives, and she never got to see her great-grandchildren again before she died. My sister’s husband never knew my brother and his family. He has met them briefly once or twice. He knows the story, but didn’t live it. The Mailman lived it with me, and still gets to see me cry on the kid’s birthdays or when something has made me think about them more than usual. He hugs me and says nothing. There is nothing to say. He misses them, too. He and my brother were friends, played golf, had a few beers, liked the same music. My niece is the first baby he ever held, the first kid he ever knew well “from the beginning.” My other brother and his wife and kids were on the periphery of the whole thing. They live a ways away and didn’t live it day to day, so they were hurt, but not as profoundly as those of us that still live in the same town with family that has walked away from us. Yes, they still live in the town where we all grew up, as do my sister and I. My parents have lived in the same house for over 40 years.

So, my wish for this Christmas season, as my brother approaches his 50^th birthday in February, is the same as it has been for too many Christmases now, to have my family whole again. Our parents are getting older. Mom won’t really talk about it, which is typical of her. Dad will talk about it too much given the opportunity; over analyze every sighting or mention of them. I know that things will never be the same, too much time has passed, too much has happened, but I believe that it isn’t too late for there to be some kind of relationship. I’ll send a Christmas card again this year, as I have done on and off for the past 15 years, and hope that maybe, just maybe, this will be the year that I get one back. I won’t be surprised if there isn’t one.

25 years of Orange and Blue

In 1985, just after high school graduation, The Mailman got together with his brother and some friends and they formed a baseball team.  Yup, this is baseball, not softball.  They picked a name, they picked colors, orange and blue.  Our town has a league which I guess is pretty unique.  Anyone out of high school can play.  It is almost exclusively players from within the town, with rules as to the number of "out of towners" any one team can have.  If you are "from" the town, you don't have to still live in town to be considered an "in towner."  There are six teams, they hire umpires, work with the town to get fields, get insurance, etc.  It is a lot of fun for the guys who play, and is pretty competitive.  Ten or so years ago they instituted a draft, because a few of the teams were getting all of the better players (I'm torn on this one, think that you should be able to play with your friends . . . ) and the they even switched to wooden bats (I'm against this, because it costs way too much money, which seems to come out of my family pocket).
Fast forward to 2009.  The 25th season of this team.  Three of the original players from 1985 remain - The Mailman, his brother, "E," and the friend who hosted the party where the team was formed, "Rippa."  The ages of the players this summer ranged from 18 to 44.  They played well, but lost in the final game of the playoffs.
This Saturday is a celebration of the 25th season the the Orange and Blue.  There will be much beer consumed and many stories told.  It has been a huge part of my life and of our life as a couple.  There are times when I hate it, because it is all consuming for The Mailman for the two or so months that they play.  When The Girl was a baby and little enough to still need to be "watched" it was always an issue.  I was supposed to be at work until 5:30, games start at 6:00, it was a logistical nightmare.  We haven't ever taken a mid summer vacation.  Ever.  Our week in Maine at the end of August is chopped up by The Mailman needing to go back for playoff games.  When I get aggravated, though, I have to remind myself of the good things.  My sister met my brother in law at a party in our back yard.  He was a member of the team, someone I had known for years and I don't think I ever would have thought to put them together.  They've been married 14 years and have two great kids.  I have made some great friends with players and their girlfriends, some of whom have become wives.  These are "kids" that are younger than I am that I never would have crossed paths with had it not been for this team.  My dearest friend Sara is one of these people.  Sara and her husband, who still plays, are now "family" and we're anxiously awaiting the birth of their first child after the first of the year. 
At the core of this team is an "Orange Family" and I can't even imagine what my life would have been like if there hadn't been that party on Line Road in 1985.  I'll continue to bitch about it, because it is a hassle sometimes and The Mailman more than pays his way financially to keep the team afloat (and keep them in 30 packs), but I know in my heart that this is my team, too.  And I know that when the day comes that The Mailman has to hang up his cleats, that I will miss it.  But I know that there will always be room for us along the fence behind the third base bench.  Especially if there is a cooler in the back of The Mailman's truck.


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For more free spinning fun, whirl on over to Sprite's Keeper.

Spinning Halloween

I loved Halloween as a kid.  I remember going out with friends in the neighborhood - the dads would take the kids out and the moms would stay home giving out the candy.  There were a few neighbors that would give the dads their own treats (in frosty cans), and we'd travel the block and beyond in a big pack, each with a pillow case for our loot, crunching through leaves. 
My mom sewed a lot when I was little, so she made me some great costumes - Raggedy Ann, with red yarn wig, and a bright yellow and green clown with a big white collar with ric-rac around the edges are a few that stand out in my mind.  One year when I was nine or ten, my dad decided that I should be a die, as in one half of a pair of dice.  He got a big cardboard box and cut it down to a cube, painted it white and painted on the dots.  I remember it being really cold that year, and I was the only one that didn't mind wearing my big, puffy jacket!
In Jr. High, I stumbled across my grandfathers tuxedo (with tails AND collapsible top hat!) in the attic, and that was my costume for a number of years.  It is probably still hanging in the back of the closet in what was my room at my parent's house.
After The Mailman and I got married, we bought a house on a busy street in town and went for years without having a single trick or treater ring the bell.  I dutifully bought candy every year, "just in case."  And then The Mailman and I ate all the candy.  The Girl is a September baby, and was just a month old when we took her out for her first Halloween, dressed as a flower.  She was adorable and slept through the whole thing.  We took her to see all the grandparents and The Mailman stocked up on Resse's cups "for her." 
We moved to our current house a few years later, and it is at the end of a pretty long dead end street so I figured we'd have a boatload of trick or treaters, but we really don't get too many.  The street doesn't have a lot of kids, but it is starting to change over as some of the older folks move out or pass away and the younger people are moving in.  Unfortunately, there aren't too many kids The Girl's age, but we keep hoping.  Her one friend across the street goes to her aunt's house in a nearby town to trick or treat, where they apparently give out "the good candy."  So, we'll still go to visit the grandparents, and The Mailman and I will split the duties taking The Girl out.  So far, she's okay with the plan.  We'll see what happens next year!
The Mailman and The Girl will be carving the pumpkins tonight or tomorrow, so I'll post pictures when they do.  It is funny, because I always carved a pumkin before The Girl was born, and The Mailman really didn't show any interest (Halloween isn't really his "thing," excpet for the Resse's cups).  A few years ago, though, once she was old enough to be part of the process, he took over the carving duties.  They sit side by side at the table, and I'm only there to clean up the muck.

Check out some more Halloween Spins over at Jenn's haunted house.  It isn't too scary, I promise!

And remember, as a wise man named Linus once said, "You've heard of the fury of a woman scorned, haven't you? Well, that's nothing compared to the fury of a woman who has been cheated out of trick-or-treats."

Spin Cycle - I'm a crafty starter, not so much finisher

So, here I was all ready to jump into the Spin Cycle with my room full of unfinished projects, and what to my wondering eyes should appear at the Sushi Bar, but Jan's entry on the very same topic. Oh well, I guess I'll jump in anyway. I'm sure there's plenty of room for all of us non-finishers.

Our house has an extra bedroom on the first floor. I claimed this as my Craft Room. It is also know as the Crap Room. It is where unfinished projects go to die . . . Unfortunately, it is also where all the crap goes when we don't feel like looking at it in the rest of the house anymore.

The Mailman recently straightened up the Crap part of the Craft Room, so currently we have:
On the table -

• partially finished scrapbook from Disney trip in 2005.
• partially started scrapbook from Florida/Disney trip in 2007.
• mostly taken apart old PC and its HUGE monitor (The Mailman's project, he hopes to bring it back to life. It died a horrible death in January of 2008 and was replaced with my beloved iMac)
• lots and lots of envelopes with pictures of who knows what in them

On shelves #1 -

• boxes of old photos, photo albums
• plastic container with stamping supplies
• more envelopes of pictures
• The Girl's barely started baby album (which I really, truly do regret not doing)
• various and sundry pieces of old photo and/or video equipment
• another box with pictures in it

On shelves #2 -

• many, many craft project kits that The Girl has received over the years. Many of them have been started, never finished (I guess it is hereditary, eh?)
• various other crafting supplies belonging to The Girl
• packages of scrapbooking paper
• sewing supplies, fabric, etc.
• a mystery box on the bottom shelf that I'm not going to open today . . .
• two bags with yarn and a Knifty Knitter (love that thing! I did actually finish a bunch of scarves at one point, trying to keep myself busy - not eating - while watching TV)
• some Christmas stuff on the top shelf.

I'm not even going to go into the contents of the floor or the other surfaces in the room . . . it is just too depressing.

I have had some completions.
The Mailman and I had very nice needlepoint stockings by the time we got married.
The Girl's stocking? The one I started when I was pregnant? The Girl was either five or six when I finished. I do have to say, though, it is beautiful!
The window toppers in the family room? Yup, I made those.
Various pairs of shorts made out of obnoxiously patterned fabric for The Mailman for Jimmy Buffett concerts? Check!
Pillow cases for kids? Yup, made a bunch of those over the years.
Last year's Christmas cards met with rave reviews, but they took FOREVER to make and I don't know if I've got that in me again this year.

So I'm not a total non-finisher. I do enjoy being crafty, but I work, I try to keep the house and family running and I guess I'm just tired.

I always think of my Mom as a finisher. I'm the youngest of four, I'm five and a half years younger than my closest sibling. My Mom isn't so much into the "crafty," but man, can that woman sew! She sewed for me when I was young. The Girl now has some beautiful dolls that my Mom made for me. She's been making beautiful things for The Girl her whole life and for The Girl's cousins, too. Smocked dresses, christening gowns, sundresses, jumpers, and two years ago for The Girl, the most perfect First Communion dress and a First Communion dress for her American Girl doll. When I think back, I remember my Mom sewing when I was young, when she was a stay at home mom. She went to work when I was just about The Girls age because my oldest sibling was going to be heading to college. She mostly stopped sewing then, I guess, and really didn't pick it up again until she had grandchildren, or more specifically, granddaughters. I guess she was tired, too.

I've recently started sewing again myself. I got a project into my head for my friend's baby that is due in February (actually, I've had this project in my head for this friend's baby since before there was a baby). I've started on this project, and I'm really happy with the progress. I've got a deadline, so I'm confident that I'll finish (I can't guarantee that the finish won't be on the night before the baby shower, though!) The Girl wants to learn, too, so I gave her a project a few weeks ago, and she did a great job. We'll move up to a pillowcase for her next.

While working on my project two weekends ago, my low-end sewing machine gave up it's last proper stitch, so I found myself what I think is a pretty good deal on a nice, shiny, new sewing machine on Amazon. It came last week, and now I'm feeling extra motivated. It is going to rain on Saturday, so it might turn into a good project weekend. I got The Girl some flannel fabric with cupcakes on it, so I'm sure there will at least be a pillowcase made. Wish us luck!

For more crafty spins, whirl on over to see Sprite's Keeper.

Spinning my hate

Okay, so technically, I think I'm late for this spin cycle, but it has been one of those weeks, 'kay?

The Girl is in fouth grade this year, which is the end of elementary school in our town. At The Girl's school, every year, there is a fourth grade "Moving On" ceremony at the end of the year. So, during the first week of school we get a paper home looking for volunteers for organizing said ceremony. "Volunteers Make a Difference!" "We can't do this without volunteers!!" So, I put my name on the piece of paper and send it back in to school. I get an e-mail that the first few meetings will be at 9:00AM on Thursdays . . .
So, apparently, the only help that is wanted is the help of the clique of stay at home moms that have their mitts into everything and complain that they have to do it all?!
Consider me really, really irked.
I don't HATE these people, I HATE that they just don't get it. I hate that they don't have any comprehension that there are those of us out here that don't have the luxury of being stay at home moms. We HAVE TO go to work. We WANT to help. We WANT to be involved. Don't make it so G D difficult for us to be involved and don't complain that you have to do it all.

That is all . . .

Check out more weekly spins at Sprite's Keeper!