{ Memory Jar }

Remember this?

It was one of my first posts of 2012.

I got the idea from, of course, Pinterest. It seemed like such an awesome idea.

I did one and the Bean (aka, sentimental hoarder, he'll be on the show one day) did his own.

Little did we know what all would happen in 2012.

 A trip to Disney? We had no clue.

Meeting one of our favorite authors & YouTube stars? You're kidding?!

Monthly "game nights" weren't even in the plan at the beginning of 2012. We managed to get in 10 of them though! I even posted about a few.

My long planned for, much talked about Harry Potter party, would it happen this year?

Yeah, yeah it did!

Speaking of Harry Potter, we finally made it to the Wizarding World!

It's kinda crazy what all you can stuff into a jar. The rule here was, once in, not out until Jan 1, 2013.

So, we'd forgotten about some things. A fortune cookie fortune from our January game night, the Valentines I made in February, Mardi Gras beads from our Murder Mystery Party in February, Finger Lights from the Bean's birthday bash in May, and so much more!

It really was a lot of fun to go through. We're shopping for our new jar today!

Bring on 2013!

This was a really fun new tradition. We take our Christmas decor down a few days after Christmas, but we leave up the tree, which we swap over to a New Year's Eve Tree. 

So, we didn't have much in the way of taking down decorations, but putting the tree away is always the saddest part. A pick me up, after it was away, and everything was back to normal, was to open our jars and relive the year in memories.

Here are a few photos.

My jar stuffed with 2012 moments and memories

The Bean reading the "Nerdfighter Note" we found in a John Green book
(John Green fans leave notes in his books)

Piles of memories. Here you can see "Pensive Memories" from my Harry Potter party (the plastic diamonds), Mardi Gras
beads from our Murder Mystery party, finger light from the Bean's birthday, Magic Kingdom guide map, there is also a ticket from when we saw "A Day in Pompeii", Valentines, movie stubs, the ER bracelet from when I cut my foot open by dropping a dish on it on Valentine's Day, Ren Faire map, items from assorted game nights, Wizarding World Map & tickets, Magic Kingdom tickets, and so, so, so much more!

Here you can see a playbill from the Bean's Summer Drama Troupe, his induction to the National Honor Society, and a lot of the other stuff I already named off .

I can't wait until I have a shelf full of these jars.

Can you imagine how much fun THAT will be going back through?

*

Love, cupcakes, and memories be yours in 2013,

Tina

{ Gingerbread House Tips & Tricks }

 Traditionally, we make Gingerbread Houses. I've done the lot of things. You know, the expensive kits, building one on a box, and then, what I've done for years, the graham cracker house.

Now, I do realize that the graham cracker houses can be quite the pain, but I have some tips for you.

First and foremost, ditch the Royal Icing. White Chocolate is where it's at.
(I use 'Almond Bark', but candy melts will work as well)

It dries MUCH quicker than Royal Icing & it is just as sturdy.

I made 2 large houses and 1 tiny house with 2 boxes of graham crackers (there are 4 in the picture below, but the skinny 2-story was from some leftovers I had in my cabinet). You may be able to get more, but some I broke, and some were broken in the package). The grahams were the el cheapos at Walmart and cost me $1.29 a box. I also used about one full package of Almond Bark (white melting chocolate), which costs around $3.50. The kits make one house and will run you at least $10. 

Savings, Huzzah!

You can do these an an assortment of sizes, but the step by step I'm showing you is what I made this year. I dug up some old photos to show you other sizes.

2009

2010

 

First, I roll out a bunch of parchment paper/wax paper/foil because once the chocolate dries you have to pry it up with a jackhammer. And that's not cool.

The big houses are 3 sheets long and 2 sheets wide. Lay them out. You'll need 4 sets of 3 (2 for the sides, 2 for the roof) and 2 of the 2 sheets for the width of the house.

Then, glue 'em together. Be generous with the chocolate. Spread it on there. No need to be neat, these will go on the inside.

Allow to dry. You can also make these on baking sheets and pop them into your freezer if you are in a real hurry.

Once they are dry, add line of chocolate to the edges of the sheets of 3. Lean these up to one of your sheets of 2. You have to use really fancy equipment here. Aka, what ever you've got. When these are just set, stand them up, add chocolate to the other ends, and carefully slide your other sheet of 2 in. Allow to fully dry.

For the roof, add chocolate to the top edges of your structure. These should easily lean in on each other without falling. Add extra chocolate to the bottom edge of the roof on the outside to secure. Allow to fully dry.

The hardest part of making the house is definitely covering the peak. What I do is hold a cracker up and score it with a knife so I know where to cut. I make mine using 2 pieces. 

You can see here where the peak is put together. 

This is just 'glued' on the outside. It is not flush with the rest of the roof.

After I've made the first one (and, um before I've added it to the house), I draw out a template on paper to make this step easier for the rest of the houses I'm making.

 

You can accent with windows and a door if you like.

Tip: do NOT try to just cut the crackers, they will very often break. Use a sawing motion to cut them.

They will still break sometimes, but not nearly as often.

I also make a couple small houses.

These are actually MUCH easier to make. Make a box out of a square (2 sections of a cracker). 

Use 2 squares for the roof as well. The peak for these is super easy. It's just the square cracker turned diamond direction and cut directly in half. These I glue (chocolate) in before adding to the house.

They, unlike the big house peaks, sit inside of the roof.

Now, just glue the roof on, accent, and done!

All ready for decorations!

Just melt up more white chocolate & let them go to town!

Niecey decorating. Why do teenagers write on each other? Please tell me.

Last night the Bean was written on by his cousin and his girlfriend.  He was written on today at church by a friend. He also wrote on all of them...??

Does not compute.

Some of the candies/decorations I used were:

Bottle Caps (the candy), Smarties, Mike & Ike, Gummy Bears, Candy Canes, Snocaps, Gum Drops, Marshmallows, Twizzlers, Sixlets, and cookies. Other things I've used in the past: M&Ms, Mini Oreos, Peppermint Sticks, Candy Corn, Gumballs, & much more!

I bought cheap packages of candy (like the $1 'movie theater' type boxes), and raided my cabinets.

Use your imagination, lots of things would work!

Houses done!

Mine, Bean's, Niecey's, The Girlfriend's.

Well, almost done. The Bean and I went back today and added more to his. It's easier to decorate when not distracted by  your girlfriend and cousin, and writing on each other.

This is the final, final product of his house (along with mine)

We know these aren't going to win any contests, but we enjoy making them each year!

I hope these little tips help you out. Making Gingerbread Houses is so much fun, and it really isn't that hard. Royal Icing is SO overrated. Go chocolate.

Do it.

Happy Christmas!

Tina

{ Egg In A Frame & Stories About My Mamma }

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Have I told you about my Mamma yet?

I know there are about 100 different ways to spell this word, but this is how we've always spelled it.
There's also Mama, Mamaw, Mammaw, and then the variations like MeMa, MeMaw, MawMaw.
In any case, this post is about my Grandmother. Specifically, my Mom's mother.

She's a dynamo.

In April, she will be 92 years young.

She can work circles around people 1/4 of her age. She loves to wash dishes and do laundry. She REALLY loves to organize.

No grass ever grows under her feet.

She's still very active in the community. If the church doors are open, she's there. Every summer, she works the snack station at our Vacation Bible School. She still a member of the Hospital Auxiliary as well as the American Legion Auxiliary. She goes to Card Parties at the local Grange Halls and American Legion Posts three times a month. She plays Chair Volleyball (and is dang good at it) at the Senior Center each Thursday.

She'd do anything for anyone who needed it.

Need a shirt? Because she'd give you the one off her back.

Everyone loves my Mamma!

When I grow up, I want to be just like her.

As a kid, there was nothing better than going to Mamma's house and spending the night. We'd build puzzles, go on nature walks, play dominos, walk to town (about a mile) and get ice cream, she'd tell me stories, and we'd just have the best time ever.

In the morning, she'd make me my very favorite breakfast. Egg in a Frame. Oh, and coffee. Yes, I was like 8 years old and drinking coffee. Well 1/2 milk, 1/2 coffee, and a whole lotta sugar.

Yes, my Mamma made me lattes long before they were popular here in the USA!

I just love, love, loved Egg in a Frame.

I know this is a simple recipe, and most of you have probably had it, or made it, but eating this always reminds me of sitting on the counter in her teeny, tiny kitchen, sipping my 'coffee', while she fried me up an egg in a frame.

Here's the deal.

For one Egg in a Frame you'll need:

Egg in a Frame

1 slice of bread
1 egg
butter
salt
pepper

Most any bread should work. When I was a kid, it was always white, yum. Now, it’s wheat… Still delicious though!

I've seen a lot of people plop the butter in the in the pan, Mamma did not do this. She buttered the bread on both sides.

Then, she cut a hole in the center

and popped it into a pan. I spray mine with cooking spray first.

Keep your pan no higher than Medium.

Crack the egg into the hole you made in the center. You can break your yolk, if you are the type that likes hard yolk. Me? I’m all about the runny stuff.

Liquid Gold. YUS!

Salt and Pepper to your liking.

Toast on one side until nice and brown, then flip

Cook until the other side is browned and delicious looking.

Oh! It’s not in these photos, but I did toast the little circle. My pan was too small to do it all at once.

BE SURE YOU TOAST THAT CIRCLE. It’s The Circle of Deliciousness!

In the end, what you get is a toasty, buttery, eggy dish.

For me though, I get memories on a plate.

Do you have a food that brings back memories for you?

Share with me!

One last thing, I really think you need to see this. Last Christmas my Mamma was in the play at church. She played a teenager.

Yes, I said a teenager!

Our minister's 20-something daughter put her up to it. She also made this shirt for Mamma.

To which Mamma said to me, “I’m Bieber’s biggest fan! I don’t know who that is, but I think he’s a singer or something!”.

Man, I squishy heart love that lady.

Isn’t she cute!

Tina



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Miz Helen's
Gooseberry Patch