Happy Holidays!

Taking a little blogging break for the holidays- too many things going on! :)

I hope everyone has a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year!

Homemade Ornaments

The boys made ornaments on Sunday using most of the instructions that we got from Preschool Rock. They were super easy to make.

1. First, they took wooden craft sticks and glued 3 of them together in the middle.

2. Then they painted them, one red (my 2-year-old) and one blue (my 4-year-old).

3. Next they sprinkled glitter on the wet paint.

4. After they dried I glued a green pipecleaner onto the back to hang them on the tree.

Dirty foods

I came across this article on Yahoo Shine Healthy Living about the 5 dirtiest foods by Sarah Jio, Vitamin G, Glamour Magazine.

Among the top 5 are pre-washed bagged salads which I buy ALL of the time and no I don't re-wash them. I may start now though.

Here is some of the rest of the article:

"Eggs: While most eggs aren't going to make anyone sick, experts estimate that more than 2 million germy eggs (as in Salmonella infected) get into circulation each year, sickening 660,000 people each year and killing as many as 300. Um, maybe we should think twice about eating that cookie dough. How to buy cleaner eggs? Make sure the carton says they're pasteurized and never buy a dozen that contains any obvious cracks or leaks.

Peaches: They're pretty, but that's just skin-deep. Health experts warn that peach skins are doused in pesticides before they make it to grocery store to prevent blemishes. On average, a peach can contain as many as nine different pesticides, according to the USDA. This is one fruit you might want to buy organic (which may have blemishes, but won't have pesticides).



Pre-packaged salad mixes: Surprise! "Triple washed" doesn't mean germ-free say experts. Pathogens may still be lurking so be sure to wash your greens before tossing in your salad bowl.

Melons: Get ready to be grossed out. According to the article, "when the FDA sampled domestically grown cantaloupe, it found that 3.5 percent of the melons carried Salmonella and Shigella, the latter a bacteria normally passed person-to-person. Among imported cantaloupe, 7 percent tested positive for both bugs." Ewww. Your best bet: Scrub your melons with a little mild dish soap and warm water before slicing.

Scallions: Blamed for several recent outbreaks of Hepatitis A, and other bugs like the parasite Cryptosporidium, Shigella and Salmonella, scallions present a food safety problem because of the way they grow (in the dirt) and lack of proper washing. While you can't control what happens in restaurant kitchens, you can give them a super-duper washing at home before cooking with.
Other dirty foods in the article include chicken, ground beef and turkey, raw oysters, and cold cuts.

The bottom line: Don't be afraid to eat these foods, just be aware of the precautions you need to take before enjoying them."

Christmas Cookies are finally done!

I finished my Christmas cookies the other day. I made my traditional cut-out cookies, chocolate truffles, and the Caramel Pecan cookies (recipe posted a few posts ago.) They are all so yummy- not the neatest looking cookies in the world but I had two little helpers helping to make them!

Here is the recipe for the truffles:

Ingredients:

2-1/2 pkg. (20 squares) BAKER'S Semi-Sweet Chocolate, divided
1 pkg. (8 oz.) PHILADELPHIA Cream Cheese, softened
decorations: chopped PLANTERS COCKTAIL Peanuts, multi-colored sprinkles

Directions:

MELT 8 chocolate squares. Beat cream cheese with mixer until creamy. Blend in melted chocolate. Refrigerate until firm.

SHAPE into 36 balls. Place on waxed paper-covered baking sheet.

MELT remaining chocolate. Use fork to dip truffles; return to baking sheet. Decorate, then refrigerate 1 hour.

Snowman

The boys (and my husband) made their first snowman of the year yesterday with a snowman kit that I had for some time but hadn't used yet. It has a storybook about making the snowman and then has a scarf, carrot nose, hat, buttons, pipe, and eyes. At the end of the book it has a "My Friendly Snowman Birth Certificate" which you fill out and attach a picture :)

Unfortunately today it is raining and the snowman has already lost his nose and two buttons.

Winter Wonderland

We went to the Winter Wonderland lights display last night and it was SO cold. Last year we went on a weekend and it was very crowded. This time, however, we only saw 2 other families there.

Pictures don't do it justice but there are hundreds of thousands of Christmas lights and light displays. Santa is there and on certain days they have reindeer as well. The kids were just in awe of all of the lights and absolutely loved it! There is a walk through part and also a part that you drive through. Admission is a voluntary food donation so the kids helped me pack a grocery bag full before we left the house.

Book Review: CROSS COUNTRY by James Patterson

I have always enjoyed James Patterson’s books, although I have not read one for about the past year or so. When I was given the opportunity to review his newest book CROSS COUNTRY, I jumped at the chance. CROSS COUNTRY is Patterson’s 14th book featuring one of my favorite Patterson characters, Alex Cross. Since I had last read an Alex Cross novel there had been a few changes in his life, but after a few pages I was easily brought up to speed.

Here is the book description from the Hachette Book Group website:

“When the home of Alex Cross's oldest friend, Ellie Cox, is turned into the worst murder scene Alex has ever seen, the destruction leads him to believe that he's chasing a horrible new breed of killer. As Alex and his girlfriend, Brianna Stone, become entangled in the deadly Nigerian underworld of Washington D.C., what they discover is shocking: a stunningly organized gang of lethal teenagers headed by a powerful, diabolical man--the African warlord known as the Tiger. Just when the detectives think they're closing in on the elusive murderer, the Tiger disappears into thin air. Tracking him to Africa, Alex knows that he must follow. Alone.”

I found the premise of the book to be very interesting. I wasn’t too sure about Alex just hopping on a plane to go to Africa to track the Tiger. It just did not seem very believable. It is something that I don’t believe would ever happen in real life. However, the book is fiction and these things can happen in a fictional novel. Once I got past that part I did enjoy the fast-paced thriller!

I really enjoy reading about Alex Cross and his adventures. CROSS COUNTRY was a little different from the previous novels that I had read as most of the prior books were set in Washington D.C. where Cross is based. However, I did enjoy the change of venue as it mixed things up a little bit. This book also contains more than Patterson’s usual share of graphic violence, but he was using the events to illustrate points, such as the real-life current situation in Africa, and this he did very well.

Like Patterson's previous books, CROSS COUNTRY is an action-packed read with never a dull moment. I look forward to reading more of Patterson in the future and at the rate which he puts out books the wait shouldn’t be too long!