We have some friends that will be moving soon from Texas to Nebraska.  It’s such a hassle to move with all the packing, dealing with utilites and phone companies, having mail forwarded, etc, etc.  Seems like there’s an endless list of things to do.  It does help to have mail forwarded and also to have toll free forwarding services for important phone calls.  The really hard part, though, is that friends can’t be forwarded.  That’s what makes moving so hard!

This holiday season, I’m doing fairly well so far about not eating too many holiday goodies during the time between Thanksgiving and New Year’s.  Of course, I ate plenty during Thanksgiving weekend, but since then I’ve tried not to keep many tempting goodies in the house.  I have refrained twice from buying Christmas candy that I really like because I know it would be too tempting for me.  If I make cookies, I try to give away most of them so we don’t have a lot of cookies at the house.  Fresh-made cookies are hard for me to resist.  I’m not one to take weight loss pills but would rather try to eat in moderation and try to get a little bit of exercise here and there during the busy holiday season.

#1. What’s your favorite kind of roll?

Hmm…I don’t really have a favorite.  I guess anything fresh-baked and warm!
#2. Got a tip for keeping your cabinets or pantry organized?

I have a tiered shelf riser that I got at Target a few years ago that I really like.  It’s inside my kitchen cabinet and raises things up higher that are in the back so they can be seen easily.
#3. What’s your favorite kind of pastry?

Homemade pies and cobblers.  I remember when I was a child, my mother would roll out the pie crust and take the leftover dough and bake it with cinnamon and sugar.  That was so good!   One of my favorite things was my mother’s apricot cobbler.  We had apricot trees in our back yard, so every summer we enjoyed fresh apricot cobbler.  I don’t remember ever getting tired of it.
#4.Share any original recipe. (Why not submit it into my contest too?)

The only one I can think of right now would be one I developed because my kids didn’t like meat in their lasagna:

Meatless 4-Cheese Lasagna

Do you need a special breakfast recipe for guests during the holidays?  Here’s a great recipe from a friend of mine:

INGREDIENTS:

• a loaf frozen bread dough, thaw but do not let rise
• 1 pound sausage
• 2 eggs
• 1 cup Parmesan cheese

Brown the sausage and drain well.  Beat the 2 eggs and mix in with the sausage.  Cook until eggs are just barely done.  Add cheese.  Mix all together.  Pat out the bread in a rectangle and spread on the sausage mixture.  Roll up.  Place on a foil lined cookie sheet.  Bake 45 minutes at 350 degrees.  Remove from the oven and let cool some before slicing.

This time of year we’re thinking about turning on the heat in our cars, but in just a few months we’ll be thinking about turning on the air conditioning here in Texas.  Years ago, our air conditioning went out in our car and it was a pain having the windows down.  My hair was always messed up!   If your air conditioning has gone out on your vehicle and you need an AC Compressor then visit 1airconditioning.com where they have free shipping and warranty on all their parts.

There’s nothing like the smell of dinner rolls baking in the oven.  Here’s a quick recipe for homemade rolls:

• 1 cup milk
• 1/3 cup butter
• 4 cups flour
• 1/3 cup sugar
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1 package rapid rise dry yeast
• 2 eggs, beaten

Combine milk and butter.  Heat to 125-130 degrees.  Mix 3 cups flour, sugar, salt and yeast together. Add to milk and butter mixture.  Add eggs.  Knead together with rest of flour and let stand covered with cup towel over bowl for 10 minutes.  Make into rolls and place in greased pan.  Let rise to double in size (keep out of drafty areas).  Bake at 375 degrees for 12-15 minutes.

When I’m in a situation where I need a flashlight, I want one I can depend on. Surefire flashlights are made by a tactical technology company that supplies police and anyone who is wanting a reliable, powerful flashlight with the best flashlights that can be found.  They have no shadows, dark holes, rings,  or hot spots.

We know several families who have a child who became a policeman/policewoman.  They are helping to make sure people are safe and are putting their lives in harms way at times, and they deserve the best equipment to help keep them safe.  If you know someone, too, who works in the police department they might be intested in the best flashlight available.