Christmas Indulgences

I don't know about you, but every year when it comes time to make and bake goodies to give as gifts or take to parties I spend lots of time looking for new recipes to try. I like to poll the audience (Facebook) and search Pinterest. 

So far, these are the three recipes I've made and shared: Christmas Crack,

Source: mommyskitchen.net via Dawn's Diversions on Pinterest

Spicy Crackers & Pretzels and Pioneer Woman's Slice and Bake Cookies.

Source: thepioneerwoman.com via Ashley on Pinterest

 Everyone has loved them. I also have the ingredients for Pioneer Woman's Christmas Cherries. 

Source: thepioneerwoman.com via Ashley on Pinterest

I'll be making those this weekend along with another batch of the slice & bake cookies. Priss is having a cookie exchange party. I'm looking forward to all those wonderful cookies! 
I'm going to share the recipe for the Spicy Crackers & Pretzels that I got from my mom. It's so easy, no oven involved! 

Click on picture to enlarge for recipe. To save, right click and then Save As. 



~Mrs. Albright RHOK'n the recipes, like a....

Tis The Season

It's the most wonderful time of the year - except when you are sick or injured. We interrupt this delightful Christmas season to bring you a list of our ills and spills.
It seems like the housewives and their families are under attack.
I would call and tell you all about it but I would need my voice back first.  You might catch every third word if your hearing is decent.  I'm also beginning to think breathing is overrated.  This weather has kicked my asthma into high gear.  Right now, I'm living on Hall's cough drops, steroids and inhalers with a side of Delsym cough syrup.  Chin up, my friends, if you haven't had a Hall's cough drop in a while, the wrappers provide all sorts of inspiration with sayings like "power through it."  

Mrs. Sinclair had her knee drained and her gall bladder out in the last two weeks.  She hit a new low when she had to accept help walking into the doctor's office from an elderly gentleman who drove her to the door in a golf cart.  You just can't make this stuff up.

There is a lot of this going around.

Mrs. Albright's daughter was sick on her birthday yesterday.  Her birthday party has already been rescheduled twice.

Consoled by her birthday gift - a Nintendo 3DS!

Her PJ days are coming to an end today as she returns to school. Finally!
Mrs. Hart fell down.  Between her knee and shoulder, she's feeling it still.  That's okay, the doctor got to take a peek today when she went in with a congested head.  In a yelling match, I don't know if she or I would get a word out right now.

In addition to having problems with allergies, Mrs. Montgomery's son came home with some skin missing after a PE incident.

Guess I should have warned you because that was just plain nasty.   This same child gets to go to an elbow specialist tomorrow for a previous injury.
I would like to not here that Mrs. Montgomery tried to turn the conversation over to dog poop at this point, but I did not take the bait.
Now you have seen the truth behind the scenes.  We are Christmas-ing along like the rest of you and doing our best to not let our decrepit bodies and exhausted children get us down.
Please excuse our whining and this short interruption from the merriment.
Now, let there be JOY!
You're feeling it, aren't you?



Mrs. Priss

**cough cough** wheeze wheeze** like...


(That was my version of "Merry Christmas to You!")

Make Your Own Ornaments!

We get pretty excited about Christmas around here.  

My family started decorating Thanksgiving week - and we're almost done.  Our pace is killer - as in so slow it's killing me!  I start shopping early for extended family so I can hand them wrapped presents at Thanksgiving.  Yes, I'm so cheap that I refuse to pay shipping.  I even started baking (*gasp*) things that can be frozen for later in the month.  Yes, it's true.  I love having things done early so I can just coast and enjoy the season!

It's only December 5th and I'm curious how many of you are as immersed into the Christmas season as my family is.  Mrs. Albright, Mrs. Hart and Mrs. Sinclair are all either done or almost done with their shopping and decorating.  Only Mrs. Priss (that would be me) has started baking.  The other housewives have declared me insane on this one.  Most of the RHOK have only wrapped a minimal number of gifts.  Mrs. Montgomery is on a different track.  She has done very little for Christmas and plans to do a little each day to prepare.  I think she is just making sure the family celebrates her birthday first.

Over Thanksgiving break, I decided on a whim to put my boys and niece to work creating dough ornaments.  My mom used to make these with me when I was a little girl.  Sadly, mine have only slightly improved over the years - but they are still fun to make!

After you mix the dough, you begin making your ornaments.  Roll and flatten the dough into the shape want to make.  To attach other pieces, dampen your finger with some water and moisten the area you want it to go to "glue" it in place.

The "Before"

After you get your ornaments just right, put a bobby pin or a paper clip in them (so you will have a place to attach a hook later) and let them dry out.  I usually put mine in the oven on a baking sheet at about 200 or less.  I leave them in the oven overnight and keep going until they completely dry out.  If you aren't going to be able to check them every couple of hours, just turn the oven off but leave them in.

Once they are dry and they cool off, it is time to paint!  I use acrylic paint and a variety of paintbrush sizes.

Jacob is having fun with his creations!

Our crazy ornaments.

The "After" for my tree

It was fun to see what my boys would create.  Michael stuck with Nintendo themed ornaments.  Jacob stuck with his own creation - Evil Toast!  Believe me, it's going to be a hit someday.  No stealing his idea!

Eeeeeeeevil Toast King!

These are mine. Just plain ole Christmas.

Once the ornaments are painted and dry, spray them with that shiny stuff that makes them look all pretty and glossy.  That's what you call it if you are not really a crafty gal.

Those of you who are crafty would call it... I dunno.  Clearcoat? Spray Gloss? Varnish?

You decide.

Ready to hang on the tree!

If you want to try this at home, I am attaching the recipe for you.  And if you actually make some ornaments, please post them on our Facebook wall.

~ Mrs. Priss

Enjoying the Christmas season like...

Elfing Around the House

Last year was our first year to play along with the frenzy known as Elf on the Shelf. My then four-year-old daughter really got into it. She was better behaved in the month of December than she was all the other 11 months combined. (Yes, I know how that sounds. Don't you judge.) You better believe we were going to continue with this little Elf tradition.  I'd like you to meet Mr. Fred Jack Tubbington...

Fred Jack made his arrival on Sunday and on Monday already had a special little project for my girls. My teen daughter loves the spirit of all things Christmas and is happy to play along to make things fun for her little sister. 

Fred Jack's letter to the girls with directions. 

Peppermint Hershey Kisses ready to plant in the sugar 

Camryn was completely enthralled by all of it. She couldn't stop looking at him for the longest time. 

She took the directions very seriously, as all good little girls should. 

Here she is "watering" her peppermint Hershey Kisses with kisses.

After all the planting and watering and kissing was finished the girls went to bed. When the awoke the next morning this is what they found... 

CANDYCANES

Does your family have an Elf on the Shelf? I'm really bummed they didn't have the girl elf last year because now I'm wanting her! Have you come up with some creative ways for your elf to interact with your kids? We'd love to know. If you've done a blog post about it, leave a link to your post in the comments and we'll be by to check it out. Also, one of our housewives, Mrs. Hart,  hosts an Elf on the Shelf link-up you can participate in. 

I wish I could take full credit for this fun candycane project, but I found it where else but, Pinterest! 

You can also find ideas on Instagram under the hashtags #elfontheshelf #elfingaroundthehouse . 

~Mrs. Albright 

Looking for creative ways to top Day 1, like a....