Cake Balls (or Baby Cakes as I call them)

I went to a friends last week for a Recipe Exchange Party (which I hope to host mine own before Christmas) and we were each suppose to bring a dessert or appetizer to share. As I thought about what to make I decided I wanted to make something easy but not the plain ole cupcake or brownies. I looked for quite sometime online for ideas and recipes and finally I stumbled upon these...Cake Balls. I like to call them Baby Cakes though. Its so simple and easy to make! Might I add they look pretty adorable too! :) If you want the recipe let me know-they got LOTS of compliments on taste and appearence! I got the recipe/idea from Bakerella (http://www.bakerella.com/category/pops-bites/cake-balls/) so feel free to see all the other neat things that are posted on this blog - You should also check out the "Cake Pops"... those are even cooler! :) Hope you enjoy!

Pretty White Lights

I was cleaning up some dishes on Wednesday evening, the day before Thanksgiving, and I happen to turn and glance out the window to find pretty white lights outlining the shops in town on the main street! I was simply estactic as I love christmas lights! This is a view from our window of the pretty white lights! We hung a strand of colored lights in our window to help add a little Christmas decor to the streets of St. Marys! :)

Fresh Cut

MMMMMMMmmmmm

Vibrantly colored fresh cut veggies that

are just waiting to be seared up into a

delicious shrimp fajita!

Tastes I LOVE This Time of Year

Homemade Cranberry Sauce

Sweet Potatoes

(roasted, baked, mashed, or made into a pie

or anyway they come!)

Homemade Stuffing

What are some of your favorite Thanksgiving side dishes? Is there one you can't live without? Or one that you have to have cause it reminds you of your younger years?

My aunt always used to make Ambrosia which I absolutely love as well but no one makes it like she used to. The ones I've had are made with puddings or all kinds of other things added to it. Her's was always the best and probably will be in my mind...unless I come up with a version I like better ;) But... chances are I won't!

The First Thanksgiving, a traditional feast and day of thanks passed down to us through the ages

"In 1621, the Plymouth colonists and Wampanoag Indians shared an autumn harvest feast which is acknowledged today as one of the first Thanksgiving celebrations in the colonies. This harvest meal has become a symbol of cooperation and interaction between English colonists and Native Americans. Although this feast is considered by many to the very first Thanksgiving celebration, it was actually in keeping with a long tradition of celebrating the harvest and giving thanks for a successful bounty of crops. Native American groups throughout the Americas, including the Pueblo, Cherokee, Creek and many others organized harvest festivals, ceremonial dances, and other celebrations of thanks for centuries before the arrival of Europeans in North America.

Historians have also recorded other ceremonies of thanks among European settlers in North America, including British colonists in Berkeley Plantation, Virginia. At this site near the Charles River in December of 1619, a group of British settlers led by Captain John Woodlief knelt in prayer and pledged "Thanksgiving" to God for their healthy arrival after a long voyage across the Atlantic. This event has been acknowledged by some scholars and writers as the official first Thanksgiving among European settlers on record. Whether at Plymouth, Berkeley Plantation, or throughout the Americas, celebrations of thanks have held great meaning and importance over time. The legacy of thanks, and particularly of the feast, have survived the centuries as people throughout the United States gather family, friends, and enormous amounts of food for their yearly Thanksgiving meal."

Thankful

HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO MY DEAR SWEET FRIEND IN MEXICO! Hope you have the bestest of birthdays!!! Miss you!

Traveling Tourists: Sunset at Mission Beach

SUNSET

Finally an evening with no clouds or haze to cover the sunset! Sunady night, which was our last night in San Diego, we were finally able to watch the sunset on the beach! I was estactic as I have always wanted to watch the sunset over the Pacific! We spent a little time goofy around in the sand and playing with the waves but we got to watch the sunset and it was SO beautiful... Pictures don't do it justice as it was amazing... as are many sunsets wherever we are but, this was a special one...

Traveling Tourists: In & Around San Diego

IN & AROUND

We spent four days in San Diego. We got there Thursday and left Monday morning. We rented a little condo on the Isthmus of Mission Bay - Mission Beach. The width was litterally two small blocks. We could go left and walk a little block to the beach or to the right and walk a little block to the bay. It was pretty cool. Down the street was the grocery store where we bought food for the time we would be there. It is called Raulph's and has an underground parking garage. This is because there is like absolutely no parking anywhere! There is an escalator that takes you in and out of the garage to the store. The carts have these little things next to the wheels that fit into the grooves on the vender belt of the escalator to keep it from running away or dragging you down. I made Dom take his time so I could hurry to the bottom to document it. The lady who we rented from co-owns a restaurant with her son called the Firehouse. She gave us a $25 dollar gift card to use. We decided we would use it to eat out once and from the looks of it... I was like um, we can go somewhere else...well this was my reaction because it looked like up scale and I was like uh, can I wear flip flops inside?! Needless to say they have a downstairs with a small bar and booths for a more quiet dinner or you have the "outside" which is upstairs on a huge deck with a canopy and lights and fire warmers. There was a second bar upstairs and lots of people who were just having a good time. Very laid back and great service - not to mention the absolutely mouth watering food! It was definitely worth it and we both were glad we decided to go there. The prices were reasonable too and they were having $3.00 a pop for all their beers. (if you click on the picture you will be able to see it much better)

Traveling Tourists: Maritime Museum & Bay Cruise

MARITIME MUSEUM

We spent the day at the Maritime Museum. We got our hand stamped with two tall ships and leisurely visited all the ships and submarines. We went aboard the Star of India, the Medina, the SS Surprise (was the ship used in the film "Master and Commander"), the Berkley and two submarines; one was an American Sub and the other was a Russian Sub. In the American sub we were able to walk around and through the whole thing. In the Russian sub we had to crawl through a few places - their subs are not as movable friendly as the American sub. We went aboard all the other ships at our leisure and saw the sleeping & captain quarters as well as the cargo area etc. We pretty much had free rein of the ships so that was nice.

After visiting some of the ships we bought a bonus ticket for $3.00 (yes, ONLY three dollars!) for a Bay Cruise upon a little boat that took us all around the bay with a full fledge history lesson for an hour! It was definitely worth the three dollars and the breath taking experience it gave. It was down right awesome. We got a completely different look at the city of Sand Diego and the port as well as view of Tijuana Mexico. Yes, I said Mexico! It was a little hazy so it wasn't a clear sight but was said the view on the other side of the big bridge was Mexico. We thought of going there just to say we went to Mexico but so many friends warned us not to so it seemed like a better idea to play it safe this time. Anyway, the Bay Cruise was by far the best part of the "museum" ticket which was only like $12.00. It was really nice that everything wasn't as expensive as I would have thought for California - so that was a plus for sure! We saw the Naval yard and one of the ships we saw had just come back from a six month deployment at Sea. We also "drove" right under the arm of the largest naval ship in the world.

There were also two humungus cruise ships at the port. I have never seen one in person before but they are by far the largest ships I have ever seen... I never even imagined them to be as large as they were. One was about to leave that night so we got to hear the horn blow and see all the passengers with their life jackets on going through a pre-sail safty lesson. It's amazing how some things can make you feel so small! (if you click on the picture you will be able to see it much better)

Traveling Tourists: Sea World in San Diego, California

SEA WORLD, SAN DIEGO

We got to spend the entire day at Sea World. We had to of walked about 5 miles that day with all the walking this way and that way we did. We got to pet the dolphins and starfish and see SHAMU the whale and see the polar bears and penguins and lots and lots of aquatic life. It was really fun to see it all. We even got to go on a water raft ride.. of course me and the 12 year old next to me got soaked in our seats... go figure! We also went on a ski lift-like device that carried us over a part of the bay from one side back. It was neat but I didn't like it at all... hence I am afraid of heights and it made squeaky sounds! (if you click on the picture you can see the little pics in it much better)

Merely a Monday

Today is Monday and let me tell you - I am in a mood today! After running a quick errand and Mass I came home with the intention to clean - aka Clean the sink of dishes, vacuumn the floor, put laundry from the weekend away, etc. Then the next plan was to tackle the pile of pants and shorts that need mending... yes, I have a pile... isn't that pathetic? Lol Well only three things but I have been putting them off and I really need to fix them. Anyway, I was not in a mood to clean or do anything productive today. So, I planned to listen to Christmas music (ONLY because its the first day of snow and it just made me in a Christmas time mood) and get in a good, cheerful, cleaning mindset so I could tackle my chores. So I dug out a cool bandana for my hair and some dangly's for my ears and an apron - just for looks. :) So, needless to say - I am almost done! Yay!

The First Snow

My Philosophy: If it's going to be cold then surely there should be snow!

The first snow of the year! How exciting - Isn't it?! I love the snow and the first snow is always so exciting and thrilling because of its beauty that is magnificently simple. For a moment even the dirtiest of cities can seem peaceful and quite and yet so beautiful with its first coating of fresh snow. I love the snow - I am sitting here by my window and I am LOVING the view of the big fluffy flakes just racing from the sky to find their little spot on the earth to rest upon!

My car is to the left down there. My car is dark blue - as you can see its currently all white... white with snow!!! :)

Thank You's

Almost done writing all the thank you notes for all the wonderful gifts that we got for our wedding! I was so good after the shower - had those all done within a week! I had hoped I would be as good with these ones but... unfortunately I haven't been. Oh well. Proper etiquette says I have a year!

Decor of Winter Months

I was driving back from Mass today and saw that the men had just finished putting up one of the NOEL banners over Bertrand Street. This is my favorite time of year for decorations. I love the little white lights that are strung across the streets. They give such a cheerful sparkle to the town in the evenings. I certainly do hope they string lights across the streets here! I can't remember ever noticing if they do. I love how folks will spray their homes with winter decor - like candles with warm scents and greenery across their mantals, and have the sweet smells of cinnamon sticks to reach the nose of everyone who comes through their door. It leaves you wanting to take a bite right out of the air! Okay, well maybe not literally but you know sometimes you get candles that you take a sniff of you and you're like, "Man, that smells so good I could eat it!" Well, at least I have ...and I love the scents and sweets of this time of year that make our nose hairs giggle and our taste buds tickle! :)

Blueberry Muffin Pie

MMMmmm I made this yesturday and my is it yummy! I had a muffin mix but I don't have any muffin pans so I used a pie dish and decided I was craving sweet, so I mixed some oatmeal, a pinch of white sugar and some brown sugar together and sprinkled on top before I baked it. It turned out with a nice sweet and crisp topping with a soft fluffy muffin center. Not too shabby for a box mix (well it was in a bag but same concept).

Ever wonder what Santa does during the summer?

News Flash: Santa spotted at Mission Beach, San Diego California. Ever wonder what Santa does during the summer or how he spends his time outside of the North Pole?It is reported that Santa has lost a lot of weight and is working off all those cookies he eats in the winter months - He is getting ready for this season.

Mornings Rays of Sunshine

I love the mornings that are cool and crisp. I open the window in the living room and sit

beside it and just take a moment to soak up the morning rays of sunshine - *deep breath*

"Now I'm ready to start my day..."

For The Poor Souls in Purgatory

Out of the depths I have cried to Thee, O Lod: Lord, hear my voice.

Let Thy ears be attentive to the the voice of my supplication.

If Thou, O Lord, wilt mark iniquities: Lord, who shall stand it?

For with Thee there is mercifulforgiveness: and by reason of thy law, I have waited for Thee, O Lord.

My soul hath relied on His word: my soul hath hoped in the Lord.
From the morning watch even until night, let Israel hope in the Lord.

Because with the Lord there is mercy: and with Him plentiful redemption.

And he shall redeem Israel from all iniquities.

V. Eternal rest grant unto them, O Lord.

R. And let perpetual light shine upon them.

V. May they rest in peace.

R. Amen.

V. O Lord hear my prayer.

R. And let my cry come unto thee.

Let us pray

O God, the creator and Redeemer of all the faithful, grant to the souls of Thy servants and handmaids the remission of all thier sins, that through our devout prayers, they may obtain the pardon which they have always desired. Thou who are God, living and reigning forever and ever. Amen.

(Our Father and Hail Mary for the intentions of the Holy Father)