Merry Christmas

Merry Christmas, from my family to yours.

A Christmas Miracle

My Aunt Annie in Florida sent out our Christmas presents via FedEx and we got them today. She told me that when I opened the box I had to have my Mom present to take pictures of me opening it because there was something in there for me but it wasn't wrapped.
So I opened the box and low and behold it was my Grandmothers Nativity set, the one I helped her set up year after year when I was little. I was so happy I almost cried.
So naturally I had to set it up. So I cleared off the sideboard of all the family pictures and set up the Nativity set. Again, I almost cried when I was setting it up. It's just so awesome... It means so much to me...

Our Tree (The Story)

I found the pics from when we got our Christmas tree... Yay!!! So here is the photographic story of us off to get our Christmas tree. (We drove over a half-an-hour to get it. lol. And Dad was actually good about the whole thing.)

This is where we got our tree

Mom found "The One"

Dad cutting down the tree

Carrying the tree to the truck

Angela's Fabulous Chocolate Coconut Cookies

Angela's Fabulous Chocolate Coconut Cookies

4 oz unsweetened chocolate
4 cups all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 1/4 cups shortening
2 cups sugar
2 eggs
3 tablespoons vegetable oil
A sprinkle of corn starch
2 1/2 tablespoons water
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
Shredded coconut

1. Heat oven to 350. Melt chocolate in microwave (2 minutes on medium, stir, 2 minutes on medium again), stir 'till smooth.
2. Mix flour, baking soda and salt in a bowl.
3. Mix eggs, oil, corn starch, water and vanilla in another bowl.
4. Beat the shortening and sugar in a bowl until fluffy.
5. Mix in chocolate until a nice brown colour.
6. Mix in the egg mixture.
7. Slowly add the flour mixture.
8. Add a generous amount of coconut and mix so the coconut until uniformly distributed. (I used unsweetened, but I'm sure sweetened would be just fine.)
9. Shape into 1-inch balls and place on cookie sheet, bake at 350 degrees for 12 minutes. Let cool on cookie sheet for a couple minutes, then remove to a cooling rack.
Enjoy!

I wanted a chocolate coconut cookie as I already had the coconut but no reason for it. So I took a couple different cookie recipes and changed them a bit as I didn't have the right ingredients and so I made up this one. They came out delicious... now I just have to wait until I have a nice big glass of my lactose free milk to go with them... 'cause koolaid and juice just don't do it. lol.

Never Send a Man to do a Womans Job

My Mom and I were baking cookies today and we needed some walnuts and some other miscellaneous ingredients. So Mom came up with the idea of sending my Dad down to the store to pick up what we needed. So she wrote him up a list and off he went. When he came back he had everything on the list... but what we couldn't stop laughing about were the walnuts...
So needless to say I spent a good amount of time today cracking walnuts... it was hilarious.

Christmas is Family

Saturday was our James Gang Christmas Party! It's always a good time when my family gets together, we're all just such a fun loving group of people. Every year we come together at Christmas time and have a little get together where we eat, drink and be merry. We also have a fun and entertaining way of exchanging gifts that involves cards and stealing; and every year there's this one guys gift and this one girls gift that everyone wants, this year the guys gift was my Dads (it was in a Victoria's Secret bag) and the girls gift was mine (it was sparkly). Hopefully a fun time was had by all, as I know I certainly had a good time.

The James Gang

Cousins!

Mom & Dad

Aunt Mare & Uncle Randy

Nate, Me & Matt

Yes, I may smile too big, but it's just 'cause I'm having a good time! lol.

Christmas Tree

Somehow my camera managed to lose the pictures I took of us getting our Christmas tree. This saddens me greatly as I had some really good shots. *sigh* So here's what I've got of our beautiful Christmas tree...
It's a Frasier Fir. It doesn't prickle me and make me itchy, which is very exciting and it is a rather sturdy little tree. I think it has to be my new favorite as far as Christmas trees go... as most people know I don't like them because they make me itchy! lol.

New York City

Mom feels that it isn't Christmas without taking a trip to the City. So we hopped the annual bus trip down to the City with the ladies from Security Mutual. The bus dropped us off at Bryant Park, where we did some outdoor shopping in the cute little shops they have set up all around the park. Then we walked, yes walked, to Greenwich Village or more accurately Washington Square Park. Having never been to Greenwich Village or the Park it was a very pleasant trip. While we were down there we had lunch at a nice little Italian place called Buona Sera, I really wanted to order the Pene a la Vodka, but as we had the rest of the day in the City I decided on a Pesto Foccacia Panini instead. It was very good... but the smell and the looks of the oh so inviting Vodka sauce is still lingering in my memory a week later. I may have to go to Mamma Guiseppas to asuage that craving here soon, well, if the weather cooperates that is.
After that we ended up at Union Square Park where we again enjoyed the little shops they had set up. Of course, not planning for the crazy amount of wind in the City we decided to buy hats at one of the shops, I ended up getting some flip top mittens as well. They're nice, and they're fleece lined, which makes my head and fingers the perfect level of toasty.
After that little side adventure we walked back up to Midtown and did some shopping and eventually made our way back to Bryant Park. Once there we imediately found an open bar and got a drink. Yeah, anyone who goes to the City for the purpose of drinking and having a good time is insane... we payed $10 per drink. So one round was 20 bucks. Yeah... I about had a heart attack and I thought Moms eyes were going to bug out of her head. Oh well. After our one sad little drink we got a quick sandwich to go from Pax and hopped back on the bus for the return trip.
All in all it was a fun little day adventure.

Statue @ Bryant Park, and Mom

The tree in Bryant Park

Fountain

Tree @ Rockefeller Center

Random cool building

Washington Inaugural Monument

Thanksgiving

As per the usual Thanksgiving tradition we got up well before dawn and drove to my Aunt and Uncles house to have dinner with all of my closest family members. I spent the day in the kitchen helping cook dinner, scanning the sale flyers, and planning our trip to the Outlets for some major holiday shopping. It was a great time and the food was the best, as always.

Doesn't it look so festive?

My Aunt & Uncle (And their dog Phoenix)

Time to get cookin'

The Moo Cows

What can I say, it was a nice day out!