Very Addicting Snack Mix...

We tried a new snack mix recipe yesterday. I found a recipe on line, and my mom and I modified it to our taste.

1-17.9 oz box Crispix cereal
2-12oz cans of peanuts
1-1 lb. bag mini pretzel twists (I think butter braids would be better)
6 qts popped popcorn
2 family size bags of plain M & M's

Glaze:
2C. butter
2/3 C. Karo Syrup
2C. Brown Sugar

Directions:
Melt butter. Add in corn syrup and brown sugar. Bring to a boil. Boil for 3 minutes and remove from heat.
In a large bowl, mix together all other ingredients (except M&M's). After the glaze mixture has cooled a bit, pour it over ingredients in large bowl. Stir to coat well. Pour onto sprayed cookie sheets and bake at 250 for 10 minutes. Remove from oven and either pour onto wax paper to cool or into large bowls to cool. When mostly cool, add in M & M's. Store in airtight containers.

The Twelve Days of Christmas...at our house!

♪♬On the first day of Christmas, my loving son found for me...♬♪♪

 ♪♬...a chicken in a maple tree! ♬♪♪

♪♬On the second day of Christmas, my loving son found for me...♬♪♪

♪♬...two Harlequin pitchers! ♬♪♪

♪♬On the third day of Christmas, my loving son found for me...♬♪♪

♪♬...three Bobwhite quail! ♬♪♪

♪♬On the fourth day of Christmas, my loving son found for me...♬♪♪

♪♬...snowmen watching! ♬♪♪

♪♬On the fifth day of Christmas, my loving son found for me...♬♪♪

♪♬...five green eggs! ♬♪♪

♪♬On the sixth day of Christmas, my loving son found for me...♬♪♪

♪♬...Six Christmas cards! ♬♪♪

♪♬On the seventh day of Christmas, my loving son found for me...♬♪♪

♪♬...seven Fiesta shakers! ♬♪♪

♪♬On the eighth day of Christmas, my loving son found for me...♬♪♪

♪♬...eight vintage tablecloths! ♬♪♪

♪♬On the ninth day of Christmas, my loving son found for me...♬♪♪

♪♬...nine dotty bowls! ♬♪♪

♪♬On the tenth day of Christmas, my loving son found for me...♬♪♪

♪♬...ten glass salt cellars! ♬♪♪

♪♬On the eleventh day of Christmas, my loving son found for me...♬♪♪

♪♬...eleven swanky swigs! ♬♪♪

♪♬On the twelfth day of Christmas, my loving son found for me...♬♪♪

♪♬...twelve cookies baking! ♬♪♪

Hope you got a chuckle out of our 12 days of Christmas song-we sure had fun coming up with it!

Wishing you and your family a very Merry Christmas!!

Caramel Corn-YUM!

I made a TON of this for gifts this year-hope you enjoy the recipe as much as we do!

2C Brown Sugar
1/2C Karo Syrup
2 Sticks Butter
1/4tsp Cream of Tartar

Combine and bring to a boil. Cook 3-3 1/2 more minutes. Remove from heat. Add 1/2 tsp baking soda. Pour over 6 quarts popped popcorn. Mix well. Bake at 200 degrees for 1 hour on cookie sheet. Dump out on wax paper to cool.

On the Twelfth Day of Christmas...

♪♬On the twelfth day of Christmas, my loving son found for me...♬♪♪

♪♬...twelve cookies baking! ♬♪♪

The Possibilities are Endless!

I am so loving these Fiesta mixing bowls! I can't decide how to put them together.

 I could go on and on...mixing and matching...and mixing and matching. Have I told you lately how much I LOVE Fiesta?

On the Eleventh Day of Christmas...

♪♬On the eleventh day of Christmas, my loving son found for me...♬♪♪

♪♬...eleven swanky swigs! ♬♪♪

YAY! Adam got a job...I think...

Adam (my 19 yr old son) sent me a text message this afternoon while I was at work that said, "I got the job". I sent back the "YAY! Congratulations-proud of you" text. Then I asked, when do you start?  (he interviewed for a CNA position at a nursing home). How much will you be making? How many hours will you be working? Will you still keep your other job? He answered..."sometime in January", "I don't know", "I don't know"."yes" and "4pm-12am".

He has to go for a physical (and I'm assuming a drug test) at their choice of doctor, but he isn't even sure if they take our insurance. He had two papers to give to his current co-workers to fill out as references, and a direct deposit form. They hired him, gave him a new hire packet, but never checked his references, and haven't given him any details as to how much per hour he will be making, or how many hours he will be working...when I asked him why he didn't ask-he said he didn't want to seem greedy by asking right off the bat! LOL!

Kevin and I are just kind of chuckling about how discombobulated this whole situation is. He doesn't want our advice-after all, we are just dumb parents and he is 19 and he knows what he is doing. I can so totally remember being 19 and knowing it all-except I was getting engaged at 19-not getting a second part time job!

We'll just have to wait and see how it all works out! He will be working at a nursing home facility about 20 minutes away...not the one that is just the other side of town by the same name and owners...hope he figures in the extra gas money and time!

Sometimes Patience Pays Off!

Remember a few posts back when I was at the Williamston Antique Mall, and was trying to decide if I should get the five Fiesta mixing bowls that were on sale-but still really expensive? I ended up not getting them because I just couldn't spend $175 on bowls-not even vintage Fiesta bowls!

Since then, I've been really keeping my eyes peeled for them and have a million saved searches on Ebay for them. I've picked up a couple here and there very cheaply, and was thrilled. Last week, I won a set of 4 on Ebay for....ready? Are you sitting down?? $23.72-for all FOUR!!! I guess that is confirmation that I did the right thing by walking away!

In the set, two of them have damage. One has a large chip that has been glued back on, and a couple of cracks, and one has a hairline crack. The other two are in GREAT shape! I felt like jumping up and down-as I kept saying to myself-"I got a 6! I got a 6! I got a 6! I can't believe I actually got a 6!" Number 6 bowls have been very scarce, almost as scarce as number 7's-at least in my price range.

So now, with these additions, I have 3 - #4's, 2 - #1's, 2 - #2's 1 - #3, and a SIX! I'd like to sell the latest #4, but it's in rough shape-do you think anyone would buy it? I would be fine on display nesting in the set because they all fit so tightly together, and even on it's own with that side turned toward the wall or back of a cabinet, it would be o.k....

 See the chunk that was glued back in on the green bowl's rim?

 This is the #6. It has only one small ding on the rim with a little wear also.

 A #1 in yellow-in excellent shape.

 A #2 in red in pretty good shape-a little wear and a small ding on the rim.

See what I mean about the chip not looking so bad if it's turned to the back?

Considering their age, they really are in great shape! Now I need to finish off the set (or sets since I am collecting two sets), and sell the green one. I need to find 2 - #7's, a #6, 2 - #5's and a #3. I'd like to find another in the dark blue, and a couple in the ivory-but I've noticed the ivory seems to be really hard to find.

Slow and steady wins the race! I'll keep watching and waiting, and hoping!

On the Tenth Day of Christmas...

♪♬On the tenth day of Christmas, my loving son found for me...♬♪♪

♪♬...ten glass salt cellars! ♬♪♪

Sneaking out on a Sunday afternoon...

Today Auntie and I took off for a couple of hours to check out a local estate sale company's moving sale. They do estate sales, and have a store where they sell the excess, and they were moving to a new location. They didn't feel like hauling all the treasures to the other side of town, so they had a huge sale.

 I know everybody and their brother made these when they were younger-but I didn't, and I really like them especially for a quarter!

 This is actually a hat-it will be a Christmas gift.

 New looking lawn chairs $4 for all 4-perfect for by our sand volleyball court next summer!

 A Christmas platter for 50 cents-perfect for giving away Christmas cookies!

A Corning french white dish to replace the one broken by one of my guys-only $1.50!

We stopped at their new location-but didn't find anything we couldn't live without. Then we made a quick stop at Treasuremart!!! Auntie didn't get to go with me last week when I went and we were going right past anyway...

Usually they aren't open on Sundays, but because of the holidays, they have been open the past few. I learned today that you look at the date on the price tag, and for every month that the item is in the shop, it goes down 10%. 

I found this Candlewick salad set. I've been looking for a set for a few years-so I was thrilled to find it!

It looks a little scuffed in the picture, but it is just sticky residue from the price stickers-that I haven't washed off yet!

I stopped at Walmart on my way home to pick up a site-to-store order that I've been waiting for. 

 Looks kinda like Fiesta-don'tcha think? I like it!!

Only 3 days to work next week, then my parents are here for a few days. Looking forward to getting a pedicure with Mom on Thursday (she just surprised me by asking me to go with her), and going out to lunch!

It'll just be my parents and us for Christmas Eve and Christmas Day-then on the 26th-we celebrate with all of my Dad's brothers, and their kids and their kids. I'm looking forward to seeing everyone again. We are doing appetizers only this year and not a big meal with all the fixins. Any suggestions on some easy appetizers? I don't know what to take-everything and nothing sounds good right now...tell me what you like to make-I need ideas!!!