Happiness in Decemeber

Well somehow November got away from me and I didn't include a post about what I'm digging at the moment. So I'm on to December. Holy moly it is December!! Where do I begin...

1) Nick Jr. Yep, the network. We decided to spend the five extra dollars a month to upgrade our DISH plan and included was Nick Jr. We are generally a PBS kind of family in the morning but we love some of our new shows. Mostly Team Umizoomi and Bubble Guppies. There is just something about them. I love all the songs and Gavyn is really into interacting with the characters. They are also pretty educational. John and I end up singing the songs most of the time because they are so catchy. I also like that the animation isn't too "busy" like some other kid shows. They are innocent, entertaining, and encourage imagination. So when we do watch TV (which really isn't all that often) I have some episodes of these on our DVR to turn on. They also have episodes of Go Diego Go! That I can DVR too - which always has been and continues to be Gavyn's favorite show!

2) Pecans. John's Grandparents live on a farm in Sumner, Missouri, and get lots of pecans every year. When we met up with John's parent's the other weekend they gave us a big bag of cracked (but not completely shelled) pecans. I get pretty excited about these kinds of things. It took me probably a week to get all the shells off, but ended up with probably about 2 1/2 lbs of pecans. I made candied pecans for Alli's birthday party, and pecan-crusted tilapia for dinner the other night. When we are lacking in sweets around here (HA!) I want to make some pecan bars. I'd make pecan pie, but that is Grandma's specialty and don't want to mess with that. I'm thinking something with a shortbread cookie crust. I also found a recipe for savory cornmeal pecan crackers. I think they would go perfectly on a cheese plate! I love that they are from Grandma and Grandpa McCormick's farm. It makes them so special.

3) Not being pregnant. For the first time in my life, I'm totally OK with not being pregnant. Well, maybe there was a short time after having Gavyn that I didn't mind not being pregnant for a while, but I knew I wanted to be pregnant again. Now, I am totally fine and content with my two babies, and at least for a while, not having another one growing in me. Last year this time I was days away from giving birth to my beautiful daughter, and I was miserable. I had false labor every morning at 1am. The morning I actually went into labor, I didn't even know until it was almost too late because I was so used to being in pain for hours. For a girl who only ever wanted to be a Mom, the fact that I am actually happy to not be pregnant is kind of a big deal.

Worth every pregnancy second

4) Tom and Jerry Batter. If you don't know what this is, look it up. I had never heard of it before this year, and a couple weeks ago a friend of mine posted on facebook that she was making this. It is an alcoholic (well, you can leave out the rum if you really wanted...) warm drink that is perfect for this time of year. It is kind of like eggnog, but lighter and in my opinion, so much better. It warms me from head to toe when I have one. It is a mixture of beaten egg yolks, powdered sugar, and beaten egg whites. When you make a drink, you put in a scoop of the "batter", some rum, and fill the mug with boiling water. It foams up and topped with a little nutmeg, is just lovely. When I was a kid we used to make eggnog by just blending up eggs, milk, powdered sugar, and vanilla, and it was amazing. The thick, heavy eggnog served today just isn't my cup of tea. This is like an adult version of my childhood holiday treat.

5) Hunters and Deer season. My husband is the Natural Areas Manager at the center he works at, and with this job comes the responsibility of running the deer hunt in the park. While it keeps him away for several nights as he has to check in deer right at dinner time....we are also lucky to know these hunters who generously give us their deer. We have two deer this year. They will provide us with venison steaks, roasts, sausages, hot dogs, brats, jerky, and lots of other venison products throughout the next year. Being a wild-game enthusiast, this is definitely a November/December LOVE. If you want my views on eating meat and hunting...please ask me. I'll be happy to give you an earful.