Welcome to the Christmas Country Mom's Blog!
Meet My Mom
My earliest memories of Mom are of her caring for her own Mom who was quite sick from cancer. Mom, with help from Dad, cared for Nummy in her home, never conceding to the dreaded disease until the end. Somehow, she was also there for my sisters and me, too. I...
A New Look at Mother’s Day
Mother’s Day has always been special for me. As a child, I made little cards and homemade gifts for my Mom. My Dad would make sure she had a new rose bush or lawn ornament. Mom would have a special little gift planned for my Grandma, Dad’s Mom, as her...
Creating Unique Potpourri Using Essential Oils
Potpourri is a popular way to add décor and a lovely fragrance to your home. While it’s very easy to find in grocery stores, preparing and mixing your own potpourri is easy and also adds a unique touch to your home that store bought brands can’t match. Follow these...
Review of Hammock Income (e-book)
I enjoy doing product reviews and will be adding these to my blog, in addition to the usual fare. Rest assured, even though I may receive a product or reduced price in exchange for a review, I will always give you my very honest opinion. I've recently had the...
16 Healthy Smoothies with Spinach
16 Healthy Smoothies with Spinach... Smoothies are a delightful way to boost your health while enjoying a myriad of flavors! I enjoy a nice green salad and often will even add a few sliced strawberries, diced pineapple, or perhaps raspberries and blueberries strewn...
Chocolate Cherry Cupcakes
Chocolate Cherry Cupcakes - One of my favorite flavor combinations comes from my childhood. My Mom would occasionally buy chocolate covered cherries, those little maraschino cherries soaking in a sugary sauce and tucked inside a little chocolate shell. Mom always...
Reese’s Cupcake
Reese's Peanut Butter Cups have always been a favorite of mine! Chocolate and peanut butter just seem to blend so perfectly together and although I avoid the candy most of the time, they are one of those flavor combinations I try to incorporate into special...
Cherry Limeade Cupcakes
Cherry Limeade Cupcakes are a delightful combination of sweet and tart. Lime, that great refreshing citrus flavor, bursts through these delicious cupcakes. Top that with a luscious cherry frosting for a flavor combination that brings everyone back for seconds!...
Banana Split Cupcakes
Banana Split Cupcakes are a great treat for that special party! They can be dressed to accommodate a child's birthday, or used as great church bazaar sale. Fun Facts about Chocolate Chocolate Cake Pre-heat over at 350 degrees 1/4 C unsalted butter ( room...
Chocolate Blackberry Cupcakes Royale
Chocolate with Blackberry... what a great flavor combination! These Chocolate Blackberry Cupcakes are indeed a Royal treat. Blackberries are full of nutrition! Not intended for everyday, the Chocolate Blackberry Cupcakes are a delicious treat for those...
20 Scrumptious Cherry Dessert Recipes
Cherries might be one of America's favorite fruits! Spring signals the beginning of cherry blossom time in many areas. Cherry trees emerge with those fragrant little pink and white flowers that will turn into that divine little fruit to be plucked and enjoyed,...
Vanilla Pudding
One of my favorite food memories of my childhood was my mom's homemade pudding. She didn't make it often, but sometimes, when we had extra milk and eggs, she would make a batch of vanilla pudding and the entire house would smell so wonderful. Homemade vanilla...
Water for Your Health
Feeling not quite well? Tired or achy? Not able to concentrate? You might be ill, but you might just need to increase your amount of water for your health. Almost everyone has heard that you need to drink at least 8 cups of water a day. Some newer suggestions involve...
Free Range Eggs
Eggs—what is the difference between commercial eggs, cage free eggs, and free range eggs? Commercial– Most of the eggs available in your grocery store are from hens raised and kept in cages. Although they receive a balanced diet to ensure that they are able to lay...
Pickled Red Onions
Looking for something to jazz up your next burger meal? Maybe you need a little special touch to your barbeque burger or as a topping to a vegetarian meat loaf? These Pickled Red Onions might be just what your family craves! Pickling is a process that has been used...
Quinoa, an ancient superfood
Quinoa, pronounced “keen-wah” is an ancient superfood cultivated since at least 3000 BC. Technically a seed, we use it as a grain, much like rice or barley. Usually organic, quinoa is high in protein, provides and is a complete protein containing all 9 essential...
Luscious Raspberry Bars
Luscious Raspberry Bars-- **Raspberries are a member of the rose family** Raspberries are one of nature's most delicious gems, providing a burst of full flavor in each little berry, along with a heaping dose of nutrients. These Raspberry Bars are a great way to...
Happy St Patrick’s Day !
St Patrick’s Day— I remember making sure we wore green to school. No green meant the Irish pinch! I’m not sure any of us really understood anything else about the day, other than green was expected and it had something to do with someone a long time ago in Ireland....
National Frozen Food Month
March is National Frozen Food Month, which might conjure images of frozen tv dinners or perhaps specialty, calorie controlled meals. I’d like to present a different picture. Growing up, our family freezer was usually filled with meats, vegetables and fruit, all...
Grandma Taught me Crochet
Grandma has been at rest for over 20 years. It seems like just yesterday that I was visiting her with my children. Grandma always made you feel she had been waiting to see just you all day and now the day was complete. -- Marcy DeMaree Everyone loved Grandma! She...
Leprechaun Day Lime Cake
St Patrick's Day is a day of celebration in honor of St Patrick, the foremost patron of saints in Ireland. Around the world, many also celebrate the day in honor of the Irish heritage and culture. While tradition might call for wearing green and feasting on Corned...
Why Set the Table?
When preparing for dinner, why do we need to set the table? Why fashion each place with the plates and silverware exactly in position? Why the napkin? It does seem pointless at times to set the table with dinnerware, silverware, and napkins, all atop a beautiful...
15 Easy Ways to Save Money on Your Grocery Budget
15 Easy Ways to Save Money on your Grocery Budget (Without eating Ramen Noodles every day) We have a large family and although we are fortunate to have our own organic produce farm, we find we need to watch our grocery spending to avoid waste. Over the years, I...
Looking back at 16
I'm reflecting a lot this month. We're preparing for a Sweet 16 party for one of our daughters. 16 is a milestone, but it's really only 16% of the way to becoming a centurion. She still has so much of her life ahead of her; finishing high school, choosing career...
Middle Name Pride Day
March 10th is Middle Name Pride Day. Although it’s a new holiday to me, I have actually celebrated it every day for many years. You see, my middle name, Maxine, is from my Grandma, my Dad’s mother. I am honored to share her name as she was truly an inspiration to...
Avocados – the healthy fat!
Avocados are a pear shaped fruit also known as the alligator pear or the avocado pear. Avocados are an often overlooked, but truly delightful fruit whose many health benefits help it shine by itself or in one of the many possible recipes. Learn more about the health...
Which Seeds to Choose?
Winter brings seed catalogs for browsing as we plan our Spring gardens. As you make plans for your garden, you might consider what is in those seed varieties. You’re probably well aware of the GMO controversy. Some are comfortable with a genetically modified variety...
16 Essentials My Mother Taught Me
16 Essentials My Mother Taught Me As we are preparing for my daughter’s Sweet 16 party, I am amazed at what a beautiful person she has become, very kind and trustworthy, helpful and considerate; she’s a happy spirit who is quite content with most of life, while...
Peanut Soup – divine & easy!
Peanut Soup George Washington Carver is said to have had the largest collection of Peanut Soup Recipes which was published by the National Peanut Council in 1941. Peanut soups take many forms with a variety of added ingredients. Carver's collection contained...
Cranberry Coconut White Chocolate Oatmeal Cookies
Cranberry Coconut White Chocolate Oatmeal Cookies The mixture of cranberry, coconut, oats, and white chocolate in a cookie---what a delightful blend of flavors! At the end of this recipe, scroll down for a few ideas on how to make this delectable cookie in a...
I Want YOU to be Happy!
“I Want You to be Happy! March 3rd is “I Want You to be Happy Day” --- what an incredible day this can be! No one is quite sure how this holiday began, but who could contest it’s celebration? Happiness affects your health, too! Read more here. "I Want You to be...
Oatmeal Plus!
Oatmeal has gained popularity as an easy to prepare breakfast food that can actually improve your health, as well as keep you feeling energized until lunch. Oatmeal, prepared with water, contains 16% of your daily needs of fiber in just one serving, without adding...
National Peanut Month
"Man cannot live by bread along; he must have peanut butter." -James A. Garfield The Peanut - a favorite protein food around the world, have...
Party Planning – the Sweet 16 Party
Planning for a Sweet 16 party! Sweet 16 party planning can be the perfect mother-daughter extreme experience! Whether you are planning for a small get together at your home, or a large extravaganza at the Ritz, there are a few things you should consider. We started...
Egg Roll
Japanese Egg Roll - a different way to enjoy your eggs Egg Roll - We tend to think of the fried version from our favorite Chinese restaurant, stuffed with shredded vegetables and possibly meats, and often with enough oil that we need an extra napkin. While we do...
Pretty Pie
This month we are featuring various pies in a healthier version, but healthy doesn't have to be plain--- let's introduce some pretty pie techniques! Pies can have a beautiful golden crust, neatly crimped around the edges with straight slits cut to allow steam to...
National Pie Month
Pie has long been associated with traditional American desserts, enjoyed in our daily lives and relished at most holiday tables. And with good reason: pies come in a variety of flavorful combinations that are enjoyed alone or topped with a scoop of our favorite ice...
Cup of Tea?
Fresh, cool water is my staple drink, interspersed through the day with coffee, but I frequently enjoy a cup of tea, as well. Tea comes in many types, forms, and flavors. Tea purists prefer the loose leaves and often have a collection of tea balls with which to brew...
The Picture You Paint
The picture you paint of others has incredible influence on your life and that of those around you. One important thing I’ve learned in life is to paint a good picture of yourself and others. Until we have a chance to get to know them personally, to realize their...
My Dad
My Dad turns 78 years old today and I’d like to dedicate today’s post to him. Those of you that know my Dad personally already know what an inspiration he has always been to those around him, his family, his friends, and his entire community. Dad worked hard...
National Soup Month
National Soup Month January is National Soup Month, the perfect time to bring out those beloved soup and stew recipes and add a few new gems to your family treasures. While cold soups enhance summertime flavors, their warm, hearty counterparts are a great...
Crockpot Dinner Rolls
Crockpot dinner rolls, soft and fluffy Bread baking is part recipe, with a bit of art and expertise added. The recipe is merely a starting template, a base from which to launch your own delicious, fluffy breads. Most people believe that today's white flour rolls...
New Year’s Eve Family Fun
New Year's Eve Family Fun! New Year’s Eve family fun--what does New Year’s Eve mean to your family? Some couples go out, leaving their children with very happy, well paid sitters. Others invite friends over, saving the cost of a sitter and letting their children...
Eggplant
Although Eggplant is relatively low in most vitamins and minerals, it boasts a good share of antioxidants and is an excellent source of fiber, making it a valuable addition to our diets. Eggplant is a member of the nightshade family, along with such common foods as...
Save hundreds of dollars a month on groceries
Studies show that we throw away an average of 30% of the food we purchase. For the average family of 4 that spends about $1000 a month on groceries, that amounts to over $300 a month thrown into the trash. Not only does that cut into your household expenses, it also...
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