Foodie Friday: Frozen Cranberry Salad

This is a great dish for any season.  We usually make it around the holidays, when cranberries are easy to find.  It is a good contrast to the normal hot foods each winter... it's also full of yummy fruit... disguised as a frozen treat!  Enjoy!

Frozen Cranberry Salad
Ingredients: (sorry no picture this time)
-3 cups (12 oz pkg) fresh cranberries, ground
-1 1/2 cups sugar
-1 large can crushed pineapple, drained
-1 pkg cream cheese
-2 cups Cool Whip
-1/2 cup pecans

Pour sugar over the cranberries and set aside.

In another bowl combine: pineapple, cream cheese, Cool Whip and pecans

Stir together ingredients from both bowls.  Pour into a flat 8x8 container, or individual cupcake holders.
Freeze... Enjoy!

My Christmas list...

For a while now I have toyed with the idea of learning to sew... I have tried all kinds of crafty stuff, but I have never attempted this.

Inspired by so many fabulous sewing blogs... I have decided I want to take the leap... this year I am asking for a sewing machine for Christmas.

I am kind of lost as to what kind I should ask for... anyone have any recommendations about good, basic, beginner machines?

Happy Wednesday everyone!

Ta Da!

A couple weeks ago I wrote about making Christmas crafts...  I said I couldn't show you because I planned to give them as gifts... well, I can't show all of my designs, but here is the first one.

I made these wall hangings to take Patrick's family when we went to visit for Thanksgiving.  I had so much fun playing around with the "font" and colors.  I also got to use my power drill to drill the holes for the ribbon.

I am working on some different color combos, etc... they are for gifts too... so it will be a little while before I can post them.

Hope you like it!!

Once a Dawg...

Always a Dawg... How Sweet it is!!!

Yesterday the Bulldogs shocked everyone when they knocked off #7 ranked Georgia Tech in Atlanta.  Winning is always sweet... but with this game there are bigger implications.

When you win the UGA vs GT game you get state bragging rights for the whole year.  It has been a tough year for the Dawgs... but this was the perfect ending... I'm so excited that we pulled it out.

It's certainly a GREAT day to be a Georgia Bulldog!!!

Thankfully... exhausted!

This was one crazy, busy, and wonderful Thanksgiving week!!  Unfortunately, I found myself saying over and over... "man, I meant to bring my camera"... so there really aren't any pictures... ooops!

Patrick came down just before I got off work on Saturday, that night we spent the night at my parent's house (because I have a one bedroom apartment... we can't stay here).   Sunday morning it was POURING down rain!!  We braved the elements to attend my church... and bring in my Operation Christmas Child supplies... so exciting!!  Dr. Stanley preached Sunday, so it appears Patrick's streak is over, for a while every time he came we had a guest speaker.  Then Sunday afternoon we had Thanksgiving with my parents, check out my post to read more about it.

Bright and early Monday we headed toward northwest Alabama to visit with Patrick's family before Thanksgiving.  It took us a little longer than we expected... or maybe we started a little later than we meant to... either way we arrived just after lunch.  While in the Shoals we visited with both sets of Patrick's grandparents, we tried to see 'The Blind Side" twice (it was sold out both times), and we played some great games of Mexican Train... a new family favorite domino game.

I headed home Wednesday afternoon, after meeting a couple of Patrick's aunts, uncles, and cousins.  I had to be back in Atlanta to work at 7am on Thanksgiving... the news never stops.  One of the tough parts of working in news... we have to work on the holidays.  It's hard spending the holidays away from family, but I was so blessed this week that I got to spend time with them before the holiday.

Whew... what a week!  We capped it off yesterday when my mom and I headed out for some Black Friday shopping... out early at 5am!!  Patrick stopped in Atlanta on his way back to North Carolina... we got to spend some time together and he watched the Auburn vs Alabama match-up... WOW... what a game!!

All in all, I am so thankful for all the blessings in my life... I had such a special (and exhausting) week!

Foodie Friday: Wild Rice Soup

This is another one of my mom's recipes.  It actually calls for chicken... but a few weeks ago when I made my turkey breast I had a bunch left over, so I used turkey, and it was wonderful!!  This a a great way to use some of those leftovers in a different way... it's also great since it is about to get cold.

Wild Rice Soup

Ingredients:

-1 small onion, chopped

-1 cup shredded carrots
-5 cups water
-1 (6.2 oz) package fast cooking long-grain wild rice mix
-1 (10 oz.) package frozen chopped broccoli
-2 cups chopped turkey or chicken
-1 (8 oz.) loaf Velveeta
-1 can cream of chicken soup


Saute onion and carrots in a greased Dutch oven over medium heat.


Add 5 cups water, seasoning packet from rice, broccoli, and chicken or turkey.  Bring to a boil and stir in rice; reduce heat, cover and cook for 5 minutes.


Add cheese and soup; cook, stirring constantly, 5 minutes or until cheese melts.  Serve immediately.

UGA vs GT

There are many different memories I could write about for the Georgia vs Georgia Tech game.... there's my freshman year when the weather was nice and we stomped the Jackets 51-7.  It was my first UGA vs GT game and the weather and outcome could not have been nicer.  Then my sophomore year when the game was in Atlanta and scheduled for around noon, so of course, we had to practice in the early early morning hours.  We were there long before it was light outside and the temperature was well below freezing... so needless to say our hands and feet were ice cubes!

However, I think the game that is seared in my mind most is the 2004 game...

This is what the band looked like for pretty much the entire game... raincoats on... I did not have a seat that game, but I think it was a blessing because that way I did not get so wet.

I think my favorite picture from the night... my sweet friends, Brittany and Dana... trash bags as raincoats... so fun!

Needless to say that game was pretty miserable... the good part... we came out on top!!  I think my completely numb feet and legs were grateful for that!  I would have been very upset if we hadn't pulled it out... let's Go Dawgs!