Jennifer Lambert

A Sacred Balance

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Easy Dressing Recipe

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November 23, 2021 By Jennifer Lambert 1 Comment

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I have a shortcut to make an easy and delicious dressing for Thanksgiving.

The shortcut is to use storebought cornbread and stuffing mix. I have often made my breads from scratch, but we really can’t much tell the difference and it always made way too much and I hate waste.

My mom didn’t add cornbread, but I like the mix of textures and flavors. My mom also didn’t use the sausage in her dressing recipe, but I find it adds a nice texture and flavor. Some people like oysters and chestnuts. You can make this your own, with whatever flavors you like. There are different flavors and brands of stuffing mix and I often add in some fresh herbs like sage.

I start with sausage and veggies. I saute those in butter. It smells wonderful!

I like to crumble the sausage really fine so it all melds together well.

I add in crumbled cornbread and the stuffing mix. For this recipe, I used half the square of the storebought cornbread and about half the bag of stuffing mix. Probably 2 cups of each.

I pour just enough chicken stock (you could use turkey stock, vegetable stock, or homemade stock) until it’s wet and well-mixed.

It should be cool enough to add in the eggs. We don’t want those to scramble!

I spray my 8×8 pan with olive oil. I actually like to cover my pan in the fridge for overnight.

Ready for the oven!

This was always my favorite dish on Thanksgiving. It’s actually simple and so flavorful and makes great leftovers.

Print

Easy Dressing

Course Side Dish
Cuisine American
Servings 8

Ingredients

  • 1/2 tube breakfast sausage
  • 1 carrot peeled and chopped
  • 1/2 onion chopped
  • 5 celery stalks chopped
  • 2 T butter
  • 2 cups cornbread
  • 2 cups herb stuffing mix
  • 1-1.5 cups chicken stock
  • 2 eggs

Instructions

  1. Sauté sausage and vegetables in butter until cooked through.

  2. Crumble in cornbread and add bread mix.

  3. Pour in chicken stock and mix. This should be cool enough to add in eggs so they don't scramble! If not, wait until cooled.

  4. Mix in eggs. It should be quite wet.

  5. Pour into greased 8×8 pan. Cover in fridge for overnight.

  6. Bake 350* for about an hour or until firm and browned on top. Serve warm or room temperature.

What’s your favorite Thanksgiving food?

Linking up: Ginger Snap, Ducks in a Row, Ridge Haven, LouLou Girls, Suburbia, Stroll Thru Life, OMHG, Try it Like it, Miz Helen, Slices of Life, Jenerally Informed,

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Filed Under: Recipes Tagged With: holiday, recipe, thanksgiving

Pandemic Holiday Tips

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December 2, 2020 By Jennifer Lambert 15 Comments

For many people, life as they knew it has been put on hold due to the restrictions we all must adhere to with COVID-19. The days of waiting patiently for life to return to “normal” have passed. In fact, there has been enough time that has passed since the virus hit in early 2020, that we can confidently say, we have developed a new normal. 

At first, this new normal was odd. Anything new is going to be strange to our human brain. We like consistency, predictability, and familiarity. It is what helps us to feel safe and secure, the most basic of our human needs.

We are now about to embark on another adventure in experiencing something new – The Holidays.

This is a time of year that we typically would travel, visit family, go to parties at friends’ homes and restaurants, as well as within our workplaces. We typically deliver presents to share holiday cheer with others. Perhaps your family spends time in service for organizations or with individuals who need extra help and extra support during this time.

While these traditions were part of the bedrock of the holidays, they are most likely not available to us this year. Although this season will look quite different than years past, we may be able to find some hidden treasures in our new “holiday normal.”

Here are a few suggestions to help you get through this new “holiday normal” that are based on the science of how our human brain is wired with a sprinkling of strategies to improve your relationships and boost your resilience. So, in other words, these may be things you choose to add to your life, regardless of whether or not we are in the middle of a pandemic.

  1. Set the Tone: You set the tone of what this holiday will feel like for your children. They certainly will get messages from your community, their peer group, and the news, however, how you feel and talk about the holiday in your home will have the greatest influence on how they feel. Start by asking yourself, am I already setting myself and my children up for being disappointed? Boost your awareness by noticing how you are talking about the holidays with others, especially when your children are present. When you listen to the things that you say, do you feel uplifted or upset? When your children talk about the holidays do you feel your own body get tense or weak? Although you think your children can not sense this inner state, they can, and it greatly affects how they will feel. You can also use a mindfulness platform like Ninja Focus that can be a great companion for your children to check in on “how they are feeling” and listen to guided tracks from wellness experts.
  2. Make a List of Things You Do Not Have to Do: Rather than focus on what has been lost by listing all of the things that you cannot do this holiday season make a list of all of the things that you DO NOT HAVE TO DO because of the pandemic. Having worked with families for over 2 decades, I have found that many of them become overly burdened this time of year because of all of the obligatory things that they must do either personally or professionally. Start this list by titling your paper, “All of the things I do not have to do, and I never enjoyed doing anyway.” After you create that list, how does it feel when you read it?
  3. Focus on What Truly Matters: Without all of those obligations, you now have a lot more time to focus your energy on what truly has meaning to you and your family. Time for another list. What are some things that you wished you could have had more time to enjoy if you were not running all over the place during the holidays? How many times have you purchased gifts for your children, but then not have time to actually play with them? Focus on those things.
  4. Make New Traditions: It is a great opportunity to make some new traditions and get your children involved in it. Whether you are celebrating a specific holiday or simply taking some time off of work because school is closed, now is the time to collectively decide what family or individual things your children would like to explore during this time and perhaps share with you. Plan ahead, and yes, create another list by asking your children about things they are really interested in doing or learning and find creative ways to explore these things together.
  5. Spend Quality Time and Bond as a Family: Last but not least, remember that this is the perfect “storm” for you to actually BE together, as a family to talk and connect. Ask any child psychologist and they will tell you that the best way to raise children to be self-confident, respectful, happy, and secure, is to give them THIS most important present — YOUR PRESENCE. Simply being side by side, listening to each other without being rushed, speaking honestly about their dreams, fears, desires, challenges, and joys. This is what cultivates a happy home and healthy relationships.

Remember the most important thing is to spend a few moments each day enjoying the company of your children this holiday season. It can bring your family closer and boost your mood. If you think it helps, include yoga and mindfulness exercises into your daily routine. 

Ninja Focus is a great resource with short and easy to follow mindfulness exercises and meditations that you can practice as a family with your children.

We’re enjoying winter walks, exercise videos, arts and crafts, kitchen creations, holiday movies and music, and lots of reading. We’re enjoying Advent devotions every night with dinner and a Tomte story after our homeschool read alouds.

Happy holidays!

Linking up: Random Musings, Three Peas, Grandma Ideas, Anita Ojeda, Anchored Abode, Soaring with Him, InstaEncouragements, Little Cottage, Ridge Haven, OMHG, Suburbia, Create with Joy, Ducks in a Row, Girlish Whims, Fluster Buster, Ginger Snap, LouLou Girls, Penny’s Passion, Debbie Kitterman, Slices of Life, Answer is Choco, Simply Sweet Home, Momfessionals, iThrive, Grammy’s Grid, Fireman’s Wife, CWJ, Imparting Grace, Life Beyond the Kitchen, CKK, Being a Wordsmith, Everyday Farmhouse, April Harris,

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Filed Under: Family Tagged With: Christmas, holiday, quarantine

Kiwi Crates Gift Guide

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November 11, 2020 By Jennifer Lambert Leave a Comment

KiwiCo inspires kids to see themselves as makers — engineering and creating their own innovative designs and outcomes. Their core offering is a monthly subscription which has delivered millions of hands-on projects. These fun and enriching STEAM projects are designed to spark creativity, tinkering, and learning. Ultimately, their mission is to provide the next generation of innovators with the tools and a foundation to become creative problem-solvers and critical thinkers.

Subscriptions across brands can be ordered on a monthly, 3 month, 6 month, or annual basis. Users can also purchase single crates through the store.

Kiwi Crates make great gifts for birthdays and holidays.

  • KiwiCo’s monthly subscription crates come filled with age appropriate STEAM projects for kids, from toddlers to teenagers, and even adults! STEAM stands for science, technology, engineering, art, and math. Every crate explores a different theme designed to spark creativity, thinking, and learning.
  • All projects, inspiration, and activities are created by a team of product designers in-house in Mountain View, CA, and rigorously tested by kids.
  • KiwiCo offers eight different product lines spanning a variety of interests and age ranges – for kids from age 0-104 (kids at heart!).

Which Kiwi Crate is right for you?

  • Panda Crate (ages 0-24 Months) Developed in partnership with Seattle Children’s Hospital, each crate helps babies learn by doing what they do best — playing, exploring, and most importantly, interacting with the adults in their lives. Crates arrive every other month and are filled with two-months’ worth of content!
  • Koala Crate (ages 2-4) delivers fun hands-on activities to engage the natural curiosity and creativity of preschoolers in play-based learning.
  • Kiwi Crate (ages 5-8) delivers young innovators all the materials and inspiration needed for fun hands-on projects that explore art, science, and engineering.
  • Atlas Crate (ages 6-11) sparks kids’ sense of adventure and curiosity, inspiring them to see themselves as citizens of the world.
  • Tinker Crate (ages 9-16+) allows young innovators to discover and learn about science, engineering, technology, and math through hands-on activities.
  • Doodle Crate (ages 9-16+) invites young designers to build creative confidence by experimenting with art & design techniques in monthly hands-on projects.
  • Eureka Crate (ages 14+) teaches kids (and kids at heart!) how to apply principles of science and math to engineer solutions and make awesome things they’ll love using every day.
  • Maker Crate (ages 14+) Whether you’re 14 or 104, a first-time crafter or an experienced maker, we’ve designed each crate to include a chance to experiment with a new technique, draw inspiration from real designs, and take pride in a finished project that’s both fun and functional.

Prices start at $19.95 per monthly box (which is discounted to as much as $16.95, when you prepay for a year) and go up to $29.95 (or as low as $24.95 with a full-year term). 

You can earn points and 11% cash back with Honey and Rakuten!

Give the gift of wonder and discovery.

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Filed Under: Family Tagged With: Christmas, giftguide, holiday

Celebrating Holidays

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June 29, 2020 By Jennifer Lambert 5 Comments

Maybe some of us didn’t grow in healthy homes or with families who celebrated holidays in ways we want to continue with our own children.

I grew up an only child and I felt so much pressure to make birthdays, Mother’s Day, and Father’s Day special since I had no one to share it with.

I feel pretty whiny about writing this, but it seems like it needs to be said.

I spent my own money that my grandma sent to buy thoughtful presents for my parents. They were seldom appreciative. I remember my father demanding I buy my mother flowers for their anniversary one year when I was a teenager and I bristled at that chore since I felt it was not my responsibility. I remember many birthdays and Mother’s Day when she unwrapped perfumes and whatnot that my father purchased and said were from me. We usually went out to dinner for steak on birthdays.

My mother always wants more and loves shopping as entertainment. I don’t share that hobby. It stresses me out.

I remember most of my birthdays were when my father was out of town on business trips. My mother invited her family and my school mates and neighborhood friends. I realized when I got older that my father didn’t like gatherings.

Christmases were always pretty stressful when I was young. My mom is the youngest child of six and everyone getting together on Christmas Eve was bound to end in negativity on someone’s part. I was mostly too young to notice, but I knew my parents fought about it before and afterwards. Most years, my dad stayed at home while I accompanied my mother to the Christmas Eve party. My grandmother passed when I was 16, and it all deteriorated after that.

My parents usually send me a check, not divisible by 6, so I wonder every year who they don’t like. They’ve started wrapping and packaging weird handmedowns for my kids and it’s always a confusion when the kids ask me about their presents. Sometimes, I don’t know what to say. And apparently my mother thinks I need and use an inordinate amount of kitchen towels.

My parents possess three SUVs, pay a $850 mortgage for a 3500+ sq ft house, receive 3 retirement checks each month, and yet do not buy me or the kids anything for holidays. They constantly complain that they don’t have enough money.

It’s hard for me when my parents ask what I want for my birthday or Christmas and I tell them an item I really want, but they say, “oh, no, not that; what else do you want?” So I usually just say: “I don’t really need anything, thanks.”

As a mom of four, I am dealing with my own issues and trauma. I don’t want my kids to feel pressure. If they don’t want to celebrate my birthday or Mother’s Day per society convention, that should be ok.

I just want to feel cared for too.

I want my kids to realize that some people might have gift giving/receiving as their love language. It’s important to show people we love them in ways they can understand. I know my grandparents had this love language, but it might be only because I saw my grandma a few times a year and she felt a need to make up for a shallow relationship with things.

I am trying to work out my own hurt feelings when my birthday passes by with nothing. It seems that something or other always tries to ruin the day. I try to look at where I failed and how I can live better and model a better reaction to anger or fear and we can still celebrate more appropriately, perhaps without pressure or presents but still a rather cheerful greeting or hug.

I’ve tried to model celebrating with my kids’ birthdays, serving special meals, homemade cake, and presents. I ask their preferences which vary year to year as they get older. I hope I’ve done well. We’ve done away with flashy parties since we have no one to invite and we’re never invited anywhere. Perhaps they’re resentful but the younger three kids surely have little memory of the time before when I stressed over keeping up with others in that way.

I wanted a Pinterest-perfect holiday season before there was even social media. I wanted it to look like something out of style magazines on my husband’s lieutenant budget. Every year without fail, I cried over a failed expectation or the wine spilled or the pork roast was still raw in the middle.

I used to make myself physically ill planning events and holidays. Surely it wasn’t worth it. I don’t think anyone really noticed except that I was very upset if things weren’t living to my impossible level of perfection.

I needed to calm down and reflect on what was most important: relationships.

What memories do I want my family to have of holidays?

There were some recent Christmases when we traveled and minimally decorated and didn’t do presents, but the kids are too young to trade that and asked if we could do it more traditional from now on.

My husband has never shown interest in birthdays or holidays and all the work falls to me and I feel resentful. Years go by and things get forgotten until they roll around on the calendar again. Yet he bragged when we were dating what a thoughtful unique gift giver he was.

The stress of all the past years are like a tidal wave of trauma.

I don’t like knick knacks or presents that will just sit around and collect dust. I’ve purged and minimized so much over the years with all our military moves. I’ve streamlined and curated our possessions. While I have some regrets of items we had to sell or donate, I’m pretty content and I don’t just need more “stuff.”

When we first married, he bought himself a DVD player and surround sound system but wrote my name on the wrapped presents under the tree. I was maybe more upset by memories of my first husband only buying items for himself. I don’t care anything about electronics. If it weren’t for him and the kids, I wouldn’t own a TV.

He tried to buy me jewelry a couple times. The jade pearl necklace and bracelet set was obviously on sale because it’s missing some beads, but surely he didn’t know or look closely enough. He once bought me a children’s pearl necklace set that I returned to the store and he got very upset.

I told my husband just not to buy me presents anymore and he didn’t. He hasn’t.

Fifteen years have gone by.

He bought me caramel chocolates for our anniversary when he was last deployed. Everyone who has ever known me knows I loathe caramel.

My husband never showed appreciation for the presents the kids made him or that I purchased “from” them. I guess he didn’t have a good model for that. He doesn’t much remember what his family did on Father’s Day, Mother’s Day, birthdays. Christmas was a huge affair, focused on the kids. I stopped buying anything for my husband on holidays. We were strapped for money for many years anyway and I convinced myself this was best.

I mentioned last year that maybe it’s not healthy for the kids to see us not give each other presents on holidays. The kids asked me about it and I didn’t have a good answer for them.

I need us to model for the kids a healthy relationship, healthy holidays, healthy celebrations. We need to do better.

He bought me a hoodie for Christmas and kept asking all.day.long did I like it; did he do good? It became exhausting.

We have no relationship with my husband’s family so I felt so inauthentic and impersonal sending them gift cards for every birthday and Christmas. They probably misinterpreted my desire and reason to end that practice but I found it almost impossible to find gift cards for them when we lived in Germany and we never found a replacement tradition. I want more than a gift card relationship. I’m not sure what kind of holidays he had with his two sisters and parents while growing up. I know Christmases were huge affairs with piles of presents. I can’t and won’t recreate that.

My parents are not generous with their time, affection, money, or things and it makes holidays difficult when I am torn between being their daughter and also a wife and mom to my own family.

My daughter works part time and I would never ask her or expect her to spend her own money on presents for me or her siblings, but she doesn’t have to brazenly announce that we are not worth her time, effort, or money. She needs to learn to express her frustration in healthier ways.

It is exhausting and painful for me to try to please everyone all the time.

Perhaps I should practice more what I preach: say what I mean and mean what I say. Precision of language.

Most people can’t really handle bluntness or boldness. They need things sugar coated because they’re used to word and mind games.

Children know what they want and aren’t shy about asking for it.

I collect presents for my children all year round for Christmas and birthdays. I pay attention to what they say they like and want.

I focus on food during holidays because those are good memories for me. My aunt always had a gorgeous spread on Christmas Eve, Easter, Independence Day. I learned a lot about decorating and cooking from her.

And my daughter criticized me for cooking too well that holidays aren’t even that special. What a backwards compliment.

Should I speak up and ask specifically for what I want on my birthday and Mother’s Day? It seems selfish and greedy. I’m not one to spend money on myself often.

It feels like a “Mommie Dearest” kind of a moment to sit them down and demand that that my kids do something for me.

But they all miss the point: The true gift any mother wants is not to do anything.

Lyz Lenz

I’m often overlooked and I don’t want my kids to grow up thinking that’s how to treat people, especially their own future in-laws. I want them to have healthier families than mine was and is, what I’m trying to teach them even with my mistakes.

It’s up to me to end abusive or traumatic cycles and this includes making holidays and celebrations a cheerful, not stressful time. I want my kids to have good memories. I don’t my kids remembering their mom sulking every Christmas because the cinnamon rolls overbaked a tiny bit and complaining about not getting anything for her birthday again this year.

Maybe my family doesn’t really know or remember my preferences, likes, dislikes so they just don’t do anything. Maybe they really are thoughtless and don’t even want to put forth the effort. But maybe my family just wants a bulleted list or PowerPoint presentation about what to get Mom on Mother’s Day, Christmas, my birthday.

Yes, I realize we are privileged. We don’t struggle financially or medically. We have nothing but time and effort to improve our relationships with each other.

How I like to celebrate holidays:

Breakfast: spinach onion Parmesan omelet or veggie frittata

Dinner: seafood. I especially love salmon and scallops.

Presents: Always welcome are books from my wish list, bird feeders, experiences, gardening items.

I like to keep things simple.

How do you celebrate holidays?

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Filed Under: Family Tagged With: Christmas, holiday, motherhood, relationships

Gift Guides for Everyone

This blog may contain affiliate links: disclosure. Please see my suggested resources.

November 28, 2019 By Jennifer Lambert 5 Comments

I try to recommend items that we love and currently use or have used when my kids were little.

I do most of my shopping online. I use some neat sites to save money or get cash back.

This year, I loved shopping for unique finds on Etsy. TikTok viral trends are exciting for my teens and we have a few of those under the tree. I always buy calendars for the upcoming year.

Gift Guides for Everyone

  • Foodie Gift Guide
  • 10 DIY Gifts with Essential Oils
  • 10 Gifts for Natural Living
  • 10 Gifts for a Military Family
  • 10 Gifts for Travelers
  • Best Gifts for Geeks
  • Gifts for a Homeschool Family
  • Top 10 Homeschool Items
  • Kitchen Tools for Kids
  • My Kitchen Essentials
  • Little Passports Gift Guide
  • Kiwi Crates Gift Guide
  • Lodge Cast Iron Cookware

Book Lists

Books for Every Season

  • Spring Books
  • Summer Books
  • Fall Books
  • Winter Books

Holiday Books

  • Easter Books
  • Christmas Books
  • Thanksgiving Books
  • Halloween Books
  • Valentine Books

Books by Topic

  • Pirate Books
  • Pumpkin Books
  • Poetry Books for Kids
  • Hispanic Heritage
  • Indigenous Peoples
  • Chapter Books
  • Middle School Books
  • Books About Siblings
  • Fantasy Books
  • Dystopian Books
  • Top 10 Books for Homeschoolers
  • Favorite Nature Books
  • 5 Life Skills Books for Teens
  • 9/11 Books
  • 10 Classics for a Bleak World
  • Books for Military Families
  • Parenting Books
  • Great Books for Writers
  • Women’s Literature Study
  • My Favorite Life-Changing Books
  • My Favorite Books I Read in 2018
  • My Favorite Books I Read in 2019
  • My Favorite Books I Read in 2020
  • My Favorite Books I Read in 2021

Amazing Amazon

  • Amazon Prime Book Box for Kids
  • How to Get the Most Out of Amazon Prime

What is the best present you ever received?

Linking up: Eclectic Red Barn, Random Musings, Mostly Blogging, Create with Joy, Silverado, Jenerally Informed, Shelbee on Edge, InstaEncouragements, LouLou Girls, Grammy’s Grid, OMHG, Suburbia, Thistle Key Lane, Stroll Thru Life, Soaring with Him, Anchored Abode, Ducks in a Row, Fluster Buster, Ginger Snap,Try it Like it, Artful Mom, Slices of Life, Imparting Grace, Ridge Haven Homestead, Modern Monticello, Simply Beautiful, Cottage Market, Hubbard Home, Answer is Choco, Momfessionals, CWJ, Being a Wordsmith, PIeced Pastimes, Anita Ojeda,

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Filed Under: Family Tagged With: book list, Christmas, giftguide, holiday

Little Passports Gift Guide

This blog may contain affiliate links: disclosure. Please see my suggested resources.

October 27, 2017 By Jennifer Lambert

Give your kids the world!

The best kids’ gifts inspire the imagination and keep kids interested and engaged. That’s exactly what you get with Little Passports monthly subscriptions!

Little Passports has the perfect gift for all ages:

World Edition

Ages 6-10, explore a new country each month with souvenirs and hands-on activities

Science Expeditions

Ages 9 and up, reveal mysteries of the world through science experiments & activities

Early Explorers

Ages 3-5, discover a new world theme each month, like Oceans, Music & Dinosaurs

USA Edition

Ages 7-12, learn about two new states each month, with activity-packed State Journals

Give the gift of Adventure!

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Aunt Betty’s Punch

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October 31, 2016 By Jennifer Lambert 3 Comments

I don’t remember too many family traditions that are unique.

We don’t have any real ethnic background. We had good Southern cooking at holidays and celebrations, but it wasn’t anything super special. It was sure better than any of those cooks on the Food Network though!

My Aunt Betty’s punch was at every holiday and celebration.

It’s super simple and delicious. It’s versatile with fun flavors and colors to match any event.

Festive Punch

I grew up with cousins by the dozens and family events were huge. We always had Aunt Betty’s punch – at birthdays, Easter, Christmas, showers.

My Aunt Betty is 86 and has Alzheimer’s Disease now. My kids got to meet her a couple years ago, when we drove from Utah to Georgia, before flying to Germany. It was a bittersweet moment for me. She’s still so beautiful.

She was the greatest cook! I remember one time I spent the night at her house and she asked what I wanted to eat for dinner. I was probably about 7 or 8 and I told her, “Steak!” Can you believe that she had a little sirloin in her freezer? She thawed it out, seasoned it, and broiled it. It tasted better than any restaurant.

We’ve always lived far away, being a military family. My kids haven’t grown up with many family traditions.

My kids get super excited when we have my Aunt Betty’s punch. I’m making it a tradition because we live far away from family.

I made the punch for our little family Halloween party.

I used pineapple juice and ginger ale and rainbow sherbet. The result was ghoulishly fun.

Memories in a glass right here.

Aunt Betty's Punch

See how the sherbet blends with the juice and soda to make a fun foamy festive punch?

Foamy Punch

Any kind of sherbet can be used. I especially like using raspberry or lime. It makes such a pretty punch. I imagine you could mix it up with different juices or use a lemon-lime soda as well. Maybe a little vodka for extra oompf?

I’ve sometimes frozen fruit pieces (pineapple slices are gorgeous!) in juice cubes and floated that in to keep the punch chilled without watering it down.

Print

Aunt Betty’s Punch

Cuisine Beverage
Prep Time 5 minutes
Total Time 5 minutes
Servings 12 cups

Ingredients

  • 1 2 liter bottle ginger ale
  • 1 large can pineapple juice
  • 1 pint sherbet
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Filed Under: Recipes Tagged With: holiday, punch, recipe

Make Perfect Prime Rib

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December 15, 2015 By Jennifer Lambert Leave a Comment

I didn’t grow up eating prime rib like my husband did.

Christmas dinner was ham and turkey, kind of a repeat of Thanksgiving.

When my husband introduced me to this beef feast, I was hooked!

How to make the perfect prime rib:

Perfect Prime Rib

How to buy a prime rib roast

A full rib roast contains seven ribs and is about 16 pounds. For most families, a three-rib roast is plenty big enough and will feed seven to eight people or provide ample leftovers.

Which three ribs are the best?

We prefer the “small end of the ribs” or “first cut” —the area of relatively lean, flavorful meat next to the expensive short loin. You might also hear the three-rib roast referred to as ribs 10–12, since the full rib roast is actually ribs 6–12 from the upper rib section of the animal. The “large end of the ribs,” or ribs 6–9, is next to the chuck with more fat between smaller lean areas.

What’s the difference between Prime, Choice, Select?

Make sure you’re getting Prime.

Prime is the USDA’s best grade. It’s known for luscious fat marbling that locks in the flavor. Choice is the next best grade. Many grocery chains now sell Select, the next grade down. Select is leaner and lacks flavor. Be sure to check the label before buying.

Prime Rib Roast

Does it matter how old the meat is?

Dry-aged beef is preferable for the best flavor. It’s also more expensive. But it’s so worth it! The flavor is concentrated and the texture is more tender. You can dry age meat at home, but be prepared to give it two weeks or a minimum of ten days to make any difference in flavor.

Wet-aging is a fairly recent practice in which meat is stored in a vacuum-sealed bag for a while before being sold. This is just a way for unscrupulous meat sellers to charge higher prices for meat that was going to end up sitting in a plastic bag anyways.

Last year, we had to purchase two small prime ribs to feed our family of six.

Because we like leftovers. 

We are actually unable to purchase Prime grade meat through the commissary here in Germany.

And we’re not sure how to even order these at a German grocer.

Notice these have some marbling. Prime would have more marbling and less fat pockets.

We salt the meat about an hour before the paste to tenderize and lock in more flavor.

We prepared the paste, spread it on the roasts, and let it sit on the counter. It roasts best at room temperature.

We roasted them in the oven. The searing is last for our recipe.

Depending on meal timing and oven needs, we can roast and let rest and then sear the meat right before serving.

After allowing the meat to rest under foil for an hour or so, we slice to serve. I don’t like meat very rare, so we aim for somewhere between medium rare and medium.

This roast was the one we ordered and purchased this year. It was less flavorful than last year’s.

It’s always hit or miss with quality at the commissary, but this still ran us about $100 for a four-rib, 11-pound roast!

My husband loves fresh grated horseradish and I prefer the horseradish cream sauce with gravy. Two kids like it plain. Tori and Katie love gravy on everything.

Prime Rib Holiday Dinner

We often serve prime rib alongside mashed potatoes and green beans. This year, we had twice-baked potatoes and sautéed spinach.

The kids call prime rib “Christmas steak” and they look forward to it!

They love leftovers for a week!

Print

Perfect Prime Rib

Course Main Dish
Cuisine Holiday
Prep Time 1 hour
Cook Time 1 hour
Total Time 2 hours
Servings 1 slice/person

Ingredients

  • 1 5- to 6-lb. Prime rib roast patted dry
  • 4 oz butter unsalted, cut into chunks
  • 6 cloves garlic
  • 1/4 cup rosemary fresh, loosely packed
  • 1/4 cup sage fresh, loosely packed
  • 1/4 cup thyme fresh, loosely packed
  • 1/4 cup Dijon mustard
  • 1 T Worcestershire sauce
  • 1 T kosher or sea salt
  • 1 T coarse black pepper

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Filed Under: Recipes Tagged With: beef, Christmas, holiday, recipe

Christmas Cookies

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December 25, 2011 By Jennifer Lambert 2 Comments

We made several kinds of Christmas cookies this week.

Here is an amazing Peanut Butter cookie. 

It was on the package of my new Nordic Ware baking pans!

Peanut Butter Cookies
Little Helper Elf

I had a little elf helping…

Who knew he’d like cream cheese icing?

Little Mocha

Look at that proud face with his first big boy mocha!

He was so pleased to help in the kitchen.

Some of our favorites:

chocolate spice cookies
THE BEST chocolate chip cookies

The girls really loved these “snowball cookies” or Danish wedding cookies.

Danish wedding cookies or “snowballs”
Print

Snowball Cookies

Course Dessert
Cuisine Holiday

Ingredients

  • 1 c unsalted butter softened
  • 1/2 c confectioner’s sugar
  • 1 t vanilla
  • 2 1/4 c AP flour
  • 1 c chopped nuts (pecans or walnuts) chopped
  • confectioner’s sugar for rolling baked cookies in

Instructions

  1. Preheat oven to 350°F.
  2. Cream butter and sugar together until light and fluffy. Add vanilla and slowly add flour and mix until just combined. Fold in chopped pecans, beating at low speed, scraping bowl as necessary, until well mixed.
  3. Roll dough into little balls. Place on prepared cookie sheet about 2 inches apart. Chilling the dough for 30 minutes in the fridge helps the cookies stay round but we are never that patient!
  4. Bake cookies for 14 – 15 minutes until bottoms are just slightly brown.
  5. Remove from oven and cool on cooling rack until you can handle them comfortably with your hands.
  6. While cookies are still warm, roll them in icing sugar. Place cookies on cooling rack, once they have cooled completely, roll them in icing sugar again. Store cookies in an airtight container for up to 3 days or freeze for up to one month.

Happy Holidays!

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Filed Under: Homeschool Tagged With: Christmas, cookies, holiday, recipe

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