Author Archives: ~~Rhonda

Living in a small town, I share my life with my husband Russell (married in 1977), five children (one still at home), and six cats (one indoors, the others outside).

I teach an online class called “The Christmas Notebook” which is about all things holiday prep. The many facets of celebrating Christmas comprises one of my favorite hobbies. Other favorite things include gardening, reading, cooking, and scrapbooking.

crock pot rotisserie-style chicken

November 17, 2009 – 10:53 pm

I made the rotisserie-style chicken in the crock pot for supper today. Instead of using a whole chicken, I used three boneless, skinless chicken breasts and six boneless, skinless chicken thighs. The seasoning is delicious. DH and DD both liked it, so we’ll be having this again. Wish you could smell this delicious chicken. The […]

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menu plan monday ~ november 16, 2009

November 16, 2009 – 5:24 pm

Christmas decorating is moving right along. We made the snowflakes for the front door last week. We cut the paper into rectangles to fit the window panes. It’s always fun to see what kind of designs we end up with. 🙂 Here’s the menu for the week. See anything you like? Monday beef stew Tuesday […]

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living room mantel

November 15, 2009 – 11:17 pm

This weekend, Genny and I finished the living room mantel decorations. The pictures are framed Christmas cards that tell the story of Christ’s birth. I added a little detail to the gold cloth on the mantel by using the hot glue gun to attach a bead trim to the hem. It added a nice extra […]

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sugar cookie crisps

November 13, 2009 – 8:18 pm

Sugar Cookie Crisps I found this recipe (called Sugar Cookies X) at allrecipes.com in November of 2000, and I’ve been making it ever since. They are sugary and crispy delicious. Preheat oven to 350*F. In a large bowl, mix till creamy: 2 c. white sugar 1 c. vegetable oil 1 c. butter 1 tsp. vanilla […]

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naptime for buttercup

November 12, 2009 – 8:50 pm

You can find Buttercup under the bubble light tree every afternoon, where she enjoys a long nap before DD gets home from school. She doesn’t bother the ornaments…just makes a little nest and snuggles in. And if DD is late, Buttercup prowls the front hall, crying until she gets home. 🙂 ~~Rhonda

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Christmas prep

November 12, 2009 – 1:28 pm

Last weekend we got a lot of decorating done. My daughter-in-law and my sister came to help. The dining room was finished, with the exception of one window sill. I need to paint a flowerpot white to complete that project. DH and our daughter-in-law put up the snow tree. “Snowing” it is the final (and […]

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Christmas card putz houses

November 11, 2009 – 8:08 pm

Putz houses, also called “glitter houses,” are little houses that make up a Christmas village. Popular from the 1920s on, they can be made from cardboard, card stock, and even old Christmas cards. I drew the pattern for this house based on the pattern for the Stone Cottage on the Little Glitter House site, which […]

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pizza braid

November 10, 2009 – 10:08 pm

Yesterday, for supper, I made this pizza braid. So good! Everyone loved it. We’ll be making it again. I must say, I altered the recipe a bit. The dough recipe was as follows: 1 pkg. (1 scant T.) yeast 1 c. very warm water 1/4 c. sugar [I used 2 T. sugar…I didn’t want the […]

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menu plan monday ~ november 9, 2009

November 9, 2009 – 9:43 am

I’m planning to finish the Putz house display this week. Almost done! Hopefully, the menu won’t suffer from the amount of Christmas prep that needs to be done. Monday Pizza Braid Tuesday spaghetti / homemade sauce homemade rolls green salad Wednesday Sour Cream and Dill Chicken egg noodles corn grilled asparagus spinach salad Thursday Cheesy […]

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tomato soup

November 9, 2009 – 9:15 am

This soup was scheduled for the menu this week, but we used it last Friday instead. It turned out well, so I’m posting the recipe. The bread for the sandwiches came out of the oven and was immediately sliced and toasted. Oh, so good! Tomato Soup You can use fresh celery and onion in this […]

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