Deviled Benedict's

My mom gave me this egg plate for Christmas. This plate was a great gift. Although it does sort of seem out of place, until you know the whole story.

Mom came to visit GR a week before Christmas. We went to Meijer Gardens. As we walked through the building, admiring the many Christmas trees from around the world, we noticed an egg theme on many of the trees. It seems that the tradition of using decorated eggs is not just for Easter!

I do enjoy deviled eggs, I also love snow (I can say that again after last winter), snowflakes, snowmen, etc. All these things combined and now you can see why this is a great gift.

I was catching up on some dvr'd shows (Giada At Home), and she made some Eggs Benedict Deviled Eggs (you can find the recipe here). I thought: well, we have some ham, eggs, panko, and I have this new egg plate. I had to make them.

I'm calling them Deviled Benedict's and no, there aren't any left. They made a great lunch. If you ever want to make a twist on deviled eggs, I highly recommend this recipe. It may be my new Christmas tradition.

snow legs

On my way to my HPC meeting Wednesday night, I had a flashback to driving in New Jersey. In that flashback I remembered how every day, driving on the Parkway, drivers would slam on the gas and then slam on the brakes. From twenty feet forward, to a complete stop. It was almost everyday that I couldn't wait to come back to the midwest.

And here I was Wednesday evening, on 131, not doing what had caused me great stress all those days in NJ. With all the snow and cold, drivers were being courteous, everyone was leaving plenty of space between them and the car in front of them, no one was driving like an idiot, everyone was going the right speed, no one was slamming on their brakes, everyone was paying attention. It was like a choreographed dance of the snow cars.

Bill calls that "snow legs"; what we need to find in order to drive safely through the winter. You may know the term as "sea legs" which we became familiar with on our cruise seven years ago. But here, in the winter, we need snow legs.

Who knew we'd be finding our snow legs so early? Of course after last winter, how did we have time to forget?

This leads me to my snowflake request of years past. I don't need them this year. However, if you have incorporated them into part of your Advent activities, or need something to do on a snow day, I will gladly accept them. I'm just not making my usual plea.

The Snowflakes worked too well

For the third year, I asked friends to cut out snowflakes with or without their kids. Check out last year, where we didn't get much snow until January, and the handmade snowflakes filled the kitchen.

This year… is a much different story.

Shannon and Greg have added snowflake making to their Advent socks. I am honored and I love their creativity. Their snowflakes are the the two in the center and the one to the bottom right. The top right snowflake is one of the window clings from my parents. 

The one on the upper left is very special. Chandra is a counselor for adopted kids and youth. She specializes in adoptions from other countries. One of her clients needs to keep their hands busy and during December they were quite busy cutting snowflakes. Chandra told this client about my snowflakes. The next session, this youth brought in a snowflake. They told Chandra that is was especially for me. I teared up when Chandra gave it to me and told me the story.

Isn't that beautiful? Today I want to recognize how thankful I am for that young person and for all of those who have sent me snowflakes this year and in the past. 

We have enough snow though (this is officially the 2nd snowiest season on record, 1951 holds the record with 132" and I hope we don't get that much more snow, we're at 107.8" currently). I typically wait until spring officially starts before I take down my snowflakes, but this year I may not wait until then. They may come down at the beginning of March.

On March 14, 2013 this photo was taken. I don't think we'll see crocus that early this year.

Third year for snowflakes!

Calling all crafty friends, kids who can use scissors, or anyone who wants to join the fun!!!

Last year, and the year before, I asked you to send me snowflakes. They are then taped to our sliding glass door for me (and anyone else who cares) to enjoy. They bring me great joy every morning as I drink my coffee in the kitchen. They remind me to pray for those who made them, they remind me of fun memories with those friends, and I love snowflakes, so they just make me smile.

Whether there's real snow on the ground or not.

You can see last year here.

It's that time. Start folding and cutting.

I can't wait to see what you create this year!

Snowflakes...

... just in time for spring.

I have realized a lot since having my laptop stolen. 

One of those things was that I never posted about the snowflakes I received. I put the call out asking for friends to send them to me. But then never shared the beautiful pieces I have been enjoying this winter.

I received twenty-seven snowflakes. I had to use the kitchen window as well as the doors (I didn't tape them as far down as the floor, so the cats could still see out).

Even my parents got in on it and sent me two window clings.

My friends are amazing and smart. They have taught me that coffee filters make the best paper to use when cutting snowflakes. They have also been wise about researching patterns.

Alisha and two of her three girls (Maddie and Lizzie), created some of the most intricate snowflakes I have ever seen made out of paper.

On this one, the ends are covered in scotch tape, so the photo doesn't really do the snowflake justice.

You can tell it's almost spring, because Bill is itching to take these down. Thank you to all who sent me these individual pieces of art! They made my winter brighter and I thought of the creators often as I admired the snowflakes.

these snowflakes don't melt

Snowflake update:

While Mother Nature has not dropped nearly enough snow on West Michigan, the mailman has delivered quite the pile.

(these two, and I've added a third since I snapped this picture, are on the window above the sink)

I'm utterly impressed. I love every single one and just like the real things, each one is unique and beautiful. Thanks again to all who have sent them, and there's plenty of room for more if you haven't gotten to them yet! Don't know what I'm talking about? Read this post, and join the fun!

Disregard the yucky rain. Perhaps all these beautiful snowflakes will inspire (or challenge) Mother Nature to make some of the real stuff)!?

and so it begins...

the Christmas shopping. Officially, I started tonight. Unofficially I started back in August or September, but I can't tell you what I bought. I like surprises.

I didn't get the second coat of paint on the kitchen walls or trim. The first coat looks good though! I'll take a picture when there's good lighting.

I have my first snowflakes to tape on the new doors, but I'm waiting until all the painting is finished. I'll take pictures of those too! There's still time to cut, paint or creatively make snowflakes.

I also forgot to give props to Bill for installing the new smoke detector yesterday. And he cleaned up some stuff in the basement.

Here's to getting the kitchen finished before we decorate for Christmas!

Time for snowflakes

It's time for snowflakes again! Last year, I asked my friends with children (and even those without) to help their kids make snowflakes. Then I asked that they send the snowflakes to me. I hung the snowflakes on our sliding glass door. You can see the end result here.

It was amazing. They really dressed up the kitchen and brightened every morning.

I loved the creativity of each family.

If you would like to, please make a snowflake and send it to me! As soon as I start receiving them, I'll start hanging them on the door. I can't wait to see what I get this year!!

more snowflakes

Here is the last snowflake update.

And here is the latest!
As you can see the actual snow outside is melting because it's raining. Yuck. But you can see the snowflakes accumulating on the door! Pretty.The newest come from Rhea (the bottom two). Rhea is Sami's daughter (Sami is the Sr. High youth/Young Adult leader). There is also another new one (upper left corner) from Logan, Leah's son. His were all painted and emailed to me! Very twenty-first century.

Logan actually made three, but I only printed one (I was trying to save on ink). I tried attaching them to the blog when I received them last week, but they're pdf's not jpeg's so they didn't cooperate. That's okay, now he gets recognition.

This is a really fun project. If you are interested in sending me one, please do! I will accept any and all snowflakes!

SNOW!

We got snow!

I am probably one of the few people who is excited by this (excluding children).

I am also very weird in that I woke up planning on shoveling. I was excited to shovel. I pretty much told Bill not to help me shovel.

But he is a gentleman and would not let me be out there all by myself shoveling the entire driveway while he sat inside drinking coffee.

He's not like that.

I am. If I didn't like to shovel and he offered, I would sit inside while he shoveled...

But I'm not a man.

Or a gentleman.

So he helped me shovel.

We also received more snowflakes for the sliding glass doors! Aren't they pretty? These are from Alex and two of her kids, Courtney and Cameron (Claire and Quin - from the other family - are four days apart, so neither are old enough to be using scissors yet).

I added one of my own too. Let the snow fall!

snowflake update!

If you'll recall (or click here if you don't), I'm waiting for snow... flakes. From our friends and their children.

We received our first batch yesterday! I was thrilled to see them. It was "some snow, from some flakes". Thanks Shannon, Greg, Jack and Cade (Quin had fun observing)!! Here are the "fruits" of their labor:I love how unique they are (although, honestly, I am surprised that Greg didn't figure out how to make the Steelers logo in his snowflake...). They are beautiful and I can't wait for more!

snowflakes!

I thought of this last year, and meant to to do this earlier. There's still time, so help me out!


This is a picture of the sliding glass door to our backyard.
Sad and lonely, right?

For those of you with children who are old enough to use scissors or color, I would LOVE snowflakes! I think it would be so cool if you could have them draw a snowman or cut out a snowflake. Then mail it to us and I'll hang them on the sliding glass door.

Can you help me out? Will you do it?

And for those of you who don't have kids, or your kids are older... if you want to make a snowflake too, I'll take 'em!

Just in case you didn't know, snowflakes are my favorite. In fact the other day when I was baking cookies I said to Bill, "I need a snowflake cookie cutter!". Yesterday, Pat (a fellow Quotarian) handed me a birthday present. Tied to the outside was a cookie cutter snowflake!!! I was so excited!!

I think it would just be super special to have something from each of your children and my friends. There is no deadline. But I figured it would help you keep the kids busy next week when they're home from school on break!