Broccoli Cauliflower Salad

This is one of the best salad recipes I've ever eaten. My sister in law, Wanda, served this at our Christmas dinner and it was a huge hit with Darrel and me. I asked for the recipe so I could take it to our annual New Year's Eve party with "the gang".

Broccoli Cauliflower Salad

6 heads of Broccoli, cut into small pieces
1 head of Cauliflower, cut into small pieces
1 1/2 cups of Raisins
1 large Purple Onion, chopped into small pieces
1 pound of Bacon, cooked crisp and chopped

Dressing
2/3 cup Sugar
2/3 cup Apple Cider Vinegar
1 1/3 cups Mayonnaise

Mix dressing and set aside.
In a large bowl mix broccoli, cauliflower, raisins and onion. Add dressing and refrigerate.
When ready to serve add bacon.

Serves 16.
You can easily half this recipe for dinner because it makes alot. Refrigerate leftovers.

Our Keurig Coffee Maker

We bought a Keurig Special Edition B60 Coffee Maker about 4 weeks ago and we absolutely love it! The convenience of making one cup of fresh coffee in the flavor of our choosing in under one minute is wonderful. I had read about the Keurig on a message board and was intrigued by them. I read every review I could find, investigated the different coffee companies that sell the K-cups needed for the machine and decided on the size that would be best for us. I ordered it and the K-cup carousel online with a coupon and it arrived in less than a week. I set it up and made a cup of fresh coffee for myself and it was wonderful. I couldn't wait for Darrel to get home so I could make a cup of coffee for him, too. He loved it and now we experiment with different blends and strengths almost every day.

On Thanksgiving Day our guests spied our new toy sitting proudly on display on the kitchen counter and we told them just wait and we'll make you a personalized cup of coffee in under a minute. After dinner we asked if anyone would like coffee and their expressions were so cute. Everyone just had to see how this coffee maker operated. I asked them to each choose a coffee, I showed them how it worked and it was so much fun.

I tell everyone I know that if you are a coffee or tea drinker and want a new machine, Keurig is the way to go.

I Am so Thankful

As Thanksgiving Day approaches I dwell on things in my life for which I'm so thankful.

I'm thankful that I have a personal relationship with my Lord and Saviour, Jesus Christ. To know that my story is part of His plan and I can be an instrument used to His greater glory is so wonderful. Thank you, Jesus, for giving Your life for me.

I am thankful for my husband Darrel, my wonderful family, my friends and my sweet little dog, Keeper. All of them keep me grounded, but let me be myself in this journey. I also love it that they allow me to spoil each of them in my own way, mainly with alot of hugs, cooking and laughter.

I am thankful that I live in the United States of America, the most wonderful country in the world. To have the freedoms and opportunities that we have is such a blessing. To be able to voice my opinions without fear of imprisonment, to succeed as a woman and to practice my faith in a country where we are encouraged to be ourselves.

There are so many things in my life that are blessings and I'm thankful for all of them.

Thank you, Lord, for my life, my faith, my family, my friends and most importantly Your love.

My Thanksgiving Menu and Plans

This year the guest list includes 26 (and counting) family members. To be honest, this may very well be the largest Thanksgiving crowd I've ever cooked for. I love it, though. Cooking for my family and friends brings me great joy and is something I've done every Thanksgiving since I was 14. I think of it as a gift to my family and they truly appreciate it and look forward to it every year.

I have completed my menu and have made my grocery list...whew! What a list!

The Menu

2 Turkeys

Cornbread Dressing

Gravy

Broccoli Casserole

Sweet Potato Supreme

Scalloped Corn

Butter Beans

Deviled Eggs

Pear Salad

Layered Salad

Olives

Rolls

Pumpkin Pie

Buttermilk Pie

Brownies

Cookies

Flan

Vivian, Pat's wife, is from Puerto Rico and she will be bringing 2-3 dishes from her native country as well as Flan (we hope she brings Flan).

I'm going to set up round tables that seat 8 in the living room and in the den. My dining table seats 8 and Ben and Blake like to sit at the bar where all the food (rolls for Ben) will be placed.

I'll be using hunter green tablecloths as well as harvest gold cloths. We'll use my everyday dishes as well as the yellow cabbage dishes and serving pieces. These colors make a beautiful table.

I hope Darrel doesn't rake up all the leaves in the yard because I love to see them on Thanksgiving Day!

I will prepare the casseroles, layered salad, desserts that I'm making and the cornbread for the dressing the day before so I won't have too much to do on Thanksgiving Day. I'll also set the tables and lay out all the serving pieces I'll need.

On Thanksgiving Day I'll get up at the usual time 4:00 AM, shower and get right to it. I have to make the dressing, bake the turkeys, make tea, deviled eggs, pear salad, gravy and butter beans. It's tradition with me to have Fox News and the Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade on in the background and then listen to (too busy to watch) "It's a Wonderful Life" as I cook that morning. Everyone should start arriving around 12:00 and we'll eat somewhere around 2:00PM (hopefully!).

My Favorite Things

People are always saying it's very enlightening to make a list of your favorite things. It can also be somewhat surprising. When I decided to write down some of my favorite things I thought it would be a short list, but that wasn't the case at all. I'm not a very complex person, what you see is what you get so I will start with a few, but the list continues to grow!
So, in no particular order (except for the first 4), here are a few of my favorite things.

The Lord, Darrel, my family, my little Keeper, Auburn Football, cheeseburgers, Fall, strawberries, Bichon Frise, wrapping up in blankets, turkey and dressing, reading, cooking, watching old black and white movies, MercyMe, fairness, putt putt golf, Thanksgiving, the beach, children, long walks, Italian food, pink, kindness, starry skies, my sister's artwork, An Affair to Remember, Casting Crowns, candles, my church, jewelry, charity work, vanilla fragrances, shopping, The Eagles, The Shop Around the Corner, chicken salad, socks, Christmas, Third Day, talking, lime green, going to bookstores, coffee, my curly hair, Chris Tomlin, Firefly, James Stewart, fresh sheets, going for long drives in the mountains, Brandon Heath, the laughter of a child, Christmas trees, hugs, decorating my home, dogs, cozy mysteries, To Kill a Mockingbird, Jeremy Camp, cornbread, cruises, Santa Fe soup, laughing, the band Chicago, Myrna Loy, Reese's peanut butter cups, Cary Grant, New Year's Eve with my family and friends, flowers, windchimes, Irene Dunne, vacations, shoes, toast with bacon and strawberry jelly, Amazing Grace, being outside, the American Flag, surprising people with a visit, lists, collecting dishes, Steve Tyrell, yelling WAR EAGLE, hymns, quotes, collecting nice pineapple themed things, lighthouses, Riesling, cookouts, brown, It's a Wonderful Life, Christmas Eve at home, nuts, walks on the beach, cottages, St. Jude, Small Paws Rescue, old friends, magazines, girl talk, Salvador, sunny days, quiet, the smell of peppermint, classic rock.
I didn't want to get too deep on my first post, so I kept it simple.