{this moment}~Believe

A Friday ritual. A single photo - no words - capturing a moment from the week. A simple, special, extraordinary moment. A moment I want to pause, savor and remember. - Amanda Soule

From the Kitchen~

(Homemade gifts for a few that have done so much for me this year)
Also just a little frugal tip on Christmas gift baskets:  A few years ago I got fed up with both the cost and wastefulness of bottom of the basket filler.  You know the kind, the shredded bits of paper/raffia that comes in a myriad of colors and costs about five dollars at a craft store per tiny bag.  Well, I still wanted my baskets to look beautiful, but I didn't want to spend 5 dollars per basket on something that gets thrown out and adds nothing to the overall gift.  Solution you ask?  Christmas tree!  Yep, that's right!  Just snip a few pretty sprigs from the overgrown bottom of your Christmas tree and lay them in your basket!  It creates a wonderfully fragrant and festive look, costs you nothing and you can;t get more biodegradable than that!  I promise the lucky recipients will be charmed and you couldn't ask for a more frugal and stylish way to make them your own.

(My famous Orange Cranberry Walnut Cake)

(Raine's Teacher Gift)

(From the Chickens)

(Goodies to Go)

Rainebow the Red-Nosed Reindeer

(A silly little something found in her stocking, and yes it blinks)

Christmas Eve Fruit Wreath

Well I am sure I am not the only mom this week that was cringing at all the goodies being consumed by my little one.  In fact I will totally admit that at the end there, while Raine wasn't looking, I started throwing some of those said goodies into gift baskets set to leave the house to go to other families and holiday homes!  As Christmas eve rolled around and I was in full on baking mode trying to finish those last couple homemade gifts before the big day, Raine popped in the kitchen and asked what she could have to snack on while she watched a Christmas movie before bed.  I could easily have given her any number of treats lying around and though this magickal time right before the big guy comes certainly called for something that would light up her eyes,  I so didn't want the last thing she ate that night to be filled with sugar and who knows what else. 

So thinking quickly, I grabbed for the two oranges I had just zested and started to slice.  Before I knew it this simple fruit had been formed into a Christmas eve wreath of sorts and with a few on hand raspberries and blueberries to round it out and fancy it up, I was ready to present her with a healthy masterpiece of mama made proportions.  It was devoured with glee and any visions of sugar plums that may have been on her mind the moment before evaporated when she caught site of this colorful creation.  I think that this may become a new tradition that both mother and child can enjoy!

The Archer~

One of the items under the tree this year from Santa was a big girls u-curve bow and arrow set. It was completely unexpected by it's receiver and has already gotten lots of action.  See girl and here bow below...

(See, she's already a pro)

I braved the windchill to take a little video of here in action, so with out further ado...

Christmas Dinner~

Per Raine's request this year we had a lovely meal of rotisserie lemon and thyme Cornish game hen with steamed green beans and scrumptious roasted sweet potatoes and onions tossed in olive oil, brown sugar, cinnamon, and thyme.  It was to die for and we will definitely be putting these cut little birds back on the menu again!

Popcorn, Pumpkin, & Pie~

A Chickens Thanksgiving

Lemon pie anyone?

Why yes, thank you!

How about a little pumpkin?

Of course!

And last but not least, popcorn chicken!

Gotcha didn't I!