Busy is good, right?

I am the new one at work. Which means, in the medical field, you are the one who works the holidays. I was lucky enough to get them off, wow! But I am sure I will be working every holiday in 2013 to make up for my luck! Which is fine. Anywho, after Christmas the boss lady called. Needed me to work 5 days straight. This is uncommon because I am PRN. But I thought it was good and took it. So I have been busy taking care of the house stuff like cleaning and making dinner for the family before going to work. I work 3pm to 11pm so I am not home for dinner. I cook it in the day and have it ready for them to just heat or fix a few things and it's done. Well, just wanted to post something so here is a picture of our dogs - David counts the cat as a dog (smile). Of course, they're not busy....ever!

MERRY CHRISTMAS!!!

Our Christmas. Just some pictures we took.

My wonderful bookmarks from my children. And Victoria Secrets spray.

The dogs toys and Logan's iPod. 

Yes our dogs had presents under the tree!

A new sward!

My knifes I desperately needed and a new tervis cup!

Nori and David with some gifts.

My clients got me this gift. She is so sweet! Thank you!

This picture was taken for her but I will post it here also.

More for Logan.

David's gifts. Plus a good side sleeper pillow he wanted.

Nori finally got her Cinderella movies! Because they finally had them for sale!

She wanted pillows for her bed, so she got pillows!

I got some Yankee Candles and the new iPod Nano! Awesome!!

More guns to add to his collection.

Matching hand soap and lotion! Thank you Mom!!

Logan wanted me to take a picture of all his gifts together.

Buccaneers pillow!

This was a good Christmas!!

Then later that day I made Christmas dinner. 

I brined the chicken. First time I did this. I usually don't roast whole birds.

Let them brine over night.

Made some acorn squash soup! Yum!

The chicken came out wonderful! Roasted the first chicken with potatoes and the second one with potatoes and carrots.

My parents came over to enjoy the day and dinner with us!!

THANK YOU!!

MERRY CHRISTMAS!!

I LOVE YOU ALL!!

Christmas Eve

Our Christmas Eve.

Trinity sleeping under the tree.

The mess I had making the goodie bags for family and friends.

Nori doing her own cookies, but not for the goodie bags.

The goodie bags!! Yea!!

A present Nori gave Cassy-poo. Aww!!

A present Nori gave me! Awesome! Thank you!

A present I got for Cassy-poo (while she is eating cookies).

Love you Cassy!!

Then later that evening David's parents came over with their gifts.

Logan got a Kindle E-Reader. Cool!

And, of course, more legos!

They gave David and I got a restaurant gift card, awesome, Thank you!

Happy Birthday!!!

Friday was our daughter Nori's 18th birthday! She had friends and family come over to share her special day. She had a wonderful day. Thank goodness!

A Publix fruit filled cake. 

Didn't tell them how to decorate it, just told them to keep it simple.

Amazing enough the flowers ended up being her favorite color!! Yea!!

Rough housing around.

Threw her in a truck of one of her friends and wouldn't let her out.

Of course they did let her out.

Lap Dahowg

He is so pretty! Such a baby! Like David says, 'He fits like a glove!'.

English Muffins

My bread maker has recipes for all kinds of stuff, not just bread. So there is this dough recipe for English Muffins. Love'em!!!!! I was buying them and decided to make them when I saw the recipe in my bread machine book. Now no one wants me to buy the store ones any more. Everyone really likes them. I am making them like every other day! Speaking of which I have to make some today. They are so easy to make!

I put the ingredients in the bread pan, select the dough option, it mixes, I roll it out, cut it, let it rise.

 Then cook them in a skillet with or without cooking spray. They are not fried in oil!

 Done. Let cool and store in a zip bag.

When I first made them I didn't have a rolling pin or a big size biscuit cutter. So they came out really small. I figured if everyone wanted me to continue making them I would need a rolling pin and a bigger biscuit cutter. David and I headed to the store and found then no one sells biscuit cutters anymore, just cookie cutters in shapes. Finally after going to a few stores I found a set of circle "cookie" cutters in the wedding/baking area of Walmart. But when it came to the rolling pin......every where we went they cost more than I was willing to pay for a piece of wood! The cheapest one was $12 (the kind with handles on the side) and they went up to $22 (just a solid piece of wood with no handles)! Crazy!! So David, my wonderful hubby, made me one!! There was a piece of dowel in the shed that was perfect. He just cut off an end, sanded it and there you have it. A $22 rolling pin for free!! (I guess he really wants me to continue making these English Muffins....hahaha)

English Muffins

6-7 ounces water

1 tsp salt

2 tbsp butter or margarine

2 1/4 cup flour

1/4 cup dry milk

1/4 cup wheat germ

1/4 cup quick cook oats

2 tbsp sugar

2 tsp active dry yeast

1/4 cup cornmeal

Measure all ingredients in bread pan, except the cornmeal. Select dough/pasta setting. Start. When done, sprinkle cornmeal on counter, place dough on cornmeal and roll to 1/4 inch thickness. Cut into 2 1/2 to 3 inch circles. Place on ungreased baking sheet cornmeal side down. Cover and let rise for 30 minutes. Preheat skillet. Cook cornmeal side down until golden brown. Turn and cook the other side until golden brown also.

Extra Stuff

I had posted about my companies Christmas Party that David and I went to. Well, the big boss lady had taken pictures with her cell phone and the other day she texted me the picture she took of David and me.

And Nori with her picture of Gus or anything cute and fluffy!

Coconut Point Mall

Saturday we went to the Coconut Point Mall. It's a nice place to go for shopping. We went to a place to eat called 'The Grape', it was okay.....we've had better. And a store we like - The World Market. David can find his childhood goodies and treats there from Germany. We had a good time and the boys - David and Logan - slept on the way home. Nori drove both there and back.

Uhm? I don't know about this flavor.

What a tootsie-pop.

Something Nori bought. She likes it.

For Cassy-poo! She likes elephants.

Logan wanted to take a picture of the fountain.

The place we ate lunch at.

Looking at the map of the mall.

The swans we seen at the lake.

The lake.