Archive | December 2019

Storytelling – Christmas Express Train Set

Dec29

Our Holiday Stocking Holder

When my son was little, decorating for the holidays suddenly became more fun. Like a lot of little boys, he loved trains! When he was about 4, I found the perfect stocking holder set, a train! The set has become one of our holiday traditional decorations to put out on the fireplace mantle each year. When we moved from Virginia to North Carolina, we also had the chance to bring my husband’s oldest son into our celebrations. Which meant we needed another train car for the additional stocking. Finding another car to go with our existing train wasn’t easy and we were forced to find an alternative during that first holiday. Thankfully he’s 20 years older than our son, so he wasn’t offended But I’ve made it a mission to find an additional train car to go with our existing set. Enter eBay!

Here’s what I’ve found out about our train set. They’re rare and they seem to be VERY popular! Two things that create challenges for eBay buyers. It means they’re not listed very often. And they’re often very expensive! This year, 2019, there’s an Egg Nog car listed for $325 and the current bids are over $420. Wow! Still I’m determined. I’m hoping to find the Santa and one of the tanker cars to add to my set.

Continue reading →

Recipes: Swedish Meatballs

Dec20

Papaw’s Swedish Meatballs

Papaw’s Swedish Meatballs
When I was a teenager, my Dad started doing a lot of cooking on the weekends. I don’t know if he was just giving my Mom a break. Or if he simply had more time to do the simple things in life. I mostly remember my Dad working the Night Shift and sleeping during the day.  Of course his weekends were usually reserved for Golf.  Until the late fall and winter.

One of those winter weekend meals was what he called Swedish Meatballs. I wrote this recipe down one Saturday when I was helping to make dinner. Actually he told me to come make the meatballs, after he tossed everything into a big mixing bowl. Pretty sure he didn’t need the help. He just wanted someone else to get their hands into mixing and kneading the meat together with the eggs. Come on, what kid didn’t like playing in the mud and squishing the goop between your fingers. Cooking like this is the same thing. You just get to say you’re cooking, instead of playing in the goop.

Preparation Time:
20 minutes preparation,
30+ minutes cooking time Continue reading →

Recipes: Traditional Meatloaf

Dec1

Mamaw’s Meatloaf

Mamaw’s Traditional Meatloaf
When I was young, my Mom worked. In my neighborhood, she was the only working Mom at the time. She was a Nurse that had started out her career in the ER. Tough job! But she still found time for all 3 of her girls.

Every now and then, she would make a quick dinner. There were various versions of that, but my favorite was her Meatloaf. I don’t know if there’s anything special or unusual about the way she made it. She did tell me once when I asked to help make it, that she makes it the way her Mom taught her. But instead of using the spices and herbs from scratch, she simplified that seasoning with a packaged version.

When I asked her to teach me how she made it with my Grand Mother, she checked the pantry and thankfully we had all the traditional seasoning to give it a go. So this is her from scratch recipe. I still like it. Continue reading →

Recipes: Smothered Beef Bites

Dec1

Smothered Beef Bites

Vickie’s Smothered Beef Bits

Quick and easy to fix. Have you ever opened the freezer and tried to decide what to have for dinner? That’s how this recipe came about.

It was too cold to run out to the store. So we gathered what we had at home and threw something together that warm everyone up. While feeding that need for something different.

Of course here in the south, gravy goes with everything. And this dinner is no exception.

It’s a simple beef and gravy dish, served perfectly with potatoes and your favorite veggies. Continue reading →

Recipes: Race Time Meatballs

Dec1

Vickie’s Race Time Meatballs

Vickie’s Race Time Meatballs 

My sister makes great meatballs for Sunday game time. But in our house, the summer and early fall is time for NASCAR!

I’ve taken her Game Time Meatballs recipe and tweaked it a little to meet the taste of my Boys. Our version is more of a barbecue recipe that’s sweeter and hotter than my sisters. And we’ve played with the flavor of the meatballs a tiny bit too. Our version is also a bit darker on the table, because of the barbecue. So if you’re one of those folks who sets a table for contrasting colors, keep that in mind.

Like her Meatballs, you can serve our version in a bowl or fashion them into a sub with your favorite fixings. You can also cut them into quarters after cooking and turn them into a chunky dip for your favorite chips. And of course they’re always good with a warm corn muffin too! Continue reading →

Recipes: Game Time Meatballs

Dec1

Pam’s Meatballs

Pam’s Game Time Meatballs 

My sister makes the best meatballs for Sunday game time. Whither it’s football or in our house NASCAR racing, these meatballs make for a great addition to any coffee table feast!

Several times during football season you could walk into the house and be greeted by a wondrous smell of barbecue and fresh baking bread. You can have them in a bowl, on a sub or slice them up and try them as a dip with your favorite Tostitos chips.

If you’re interested in a more barbecue version of meatballs, try my Race Time Meatballs.

How ever you like your meatballs, you’ll like these! Continue reading →