A treat for our neighbors

Another gift I made for Christmas was some of this home made candy....

I knew that the neighbors would enjoy receiving a package of these on Christmas Eve, so I set out to make them. You can see that there's chocolate on the tops of them, but do you know what else makes them unique?

When you turn the pieces over, you can see what the bottom layer is....

...yup--saltine crackers! The middle layer is a mix of brown sugar and butter, which makes it taste like toffee. It is delicious! I was so glad to have found the recipe here, from Money Saving Mom. She found them in a book and they are called, "crookies", but she has renamed them, "World's easiest Christmas candy." Yes, they are sooo easy--and addicting, too!

I found some holiday treat bags to place some in. Then, I placed a label on the front and tied some ribbon at the top of each bag. Along with the bag, I left our Christmas picture card and letter. They all loved it and were appreciative of this gift. I think it's a great way to reach out to your neighbors and share the love of Christ with them.

You have to try the recipe, if you've never made anything like it. After packaging up the small gifts, I had a few pieces for Q to try. He thought they were great, and went looking for more in the freezer....but there was none left! No doubt I will be making these again in the near future.:)

Winter has finally arrived!

While many of you have already experienced some snow (or LOTS if you live on the east coast), we've barely had any at all...just some flurries earlier this season. It is so dry in Colorado, and we desperately need the moisture. We have seen some on the mountains, but we haven't had any come and stay in our neck of the woods. It is also such a beautiful part of winter, so I've been wanting to see it.

Well, when I got up this morning, this is what I saw:

And by late afternoon, this is what the same location (right outside our front door) looked like....

There's lots of white stuff out there and it is gorgeous! Isn't God good to give us beautiful things to enjoy? While I watched the snow fall, I took down the Christmas decorations and rearranged the snowmen figurines. It was a fun project to do inside where it was nice and warm.;)

How are you enjoying the winter season? Enjoy God's beauty--and stay warm while you're at it!

Bible verse candle holder

This is a little something I put together for Q for Christmas--a candle holder with one of his favorite Bible verses on it!

I bought the votive candle holder and a set of tea lights at the Dollar Tree. Then, I used some paints I had on hand to make this simple gift. Using craft paint I already had, I painted the words to the verse found in II Corinthians 4:3 which says, "But if our gospel be hid, it is hid to them that are lost." It was tricky trying to figure out how I would get it all on there, but I did, and was able to fit in the reference, too. Using some gold glitter fabric paint, I made some swirlies all around the bottom of the glass. I used a paint brush to do this.

The verse I used made me think of another one that is also perfect for this type of craft--"Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father which is in heaven." Matthew 5:16 I think if you choose to do this verse, you may have to get a bigger candle holder.:) Both verses speak about being that "light"--a testimony to the world. I really wanted this little candle to shine brightly when lit so that my husband and others who see it can be encouraged to shine for Christ.

The gold paint really makes the fire glow and I love it! This is a simple craft idea with BIG impact, don't you think? Hope you can use this idea for your home or as a gift to someone special in your life.

Let your light shine brightly today!

Swedish Meatballs

As promised, here is the recipe for Swedish meatballs that Q used this year. He tweaked it a bit this time around, and I thought they turned out wonderful!

Don't they look great?

Swedish Meatballs

3 pounds lean ground beef

1 package Jimmy Dean sausage

1 package stuffing mix

1/2 cup oatmeal

1 cup milk

2 eggs

2 teaspoons salt

1 teaspoon pepper

1/2 teaspoon nutmeg

1/2 teaspoon allspice

1/2 teaspoon sage

1/2 envelope onion soup mix

Mix all of the spices in a small bowl first. Then, mix the stuffing, oatmeal and milk together in a large bowl. Add to that bowl the beef, sausage and eggs. Finally, mix in the spices. Roll the mixture into balls, then fry them until they have browned. Place them in a pan and pour a water-flour mix into it (1/2 cup flour with enough water for a smooth consistency; this will be your gravy). Bake for an hour at 350 degrees.

Our Christmas weekend

Q worked for a few hours on Christmas Eve, then called me on his way home. He got off a little early and wanted to know if I wanted a salted caramel hot chocolate at Starbuck's (it's the best hot drink, by the way!:). When we arrived, they were closed, so we went to the grocery store where the Starbuck's inside was open--yahoo! After sipping our hot drinks, we started looking at movies. I thought it would be fun to watch The Nativity Story, but they didn't have it. Instead, I found a Little House on the Prairie Christmas dvd for us to watch later that night.

It is a Johnson family tradition to have Swedish meatballs on Christmas Eve, so Q finished these up while I got the rest of the meal together.

I surprised Q by putting up these citrus lights (I think his parents gave them to us for fun a while back). He'd been wanting to put them up, and I said he could have these lights in the family room, so that's where I put them.:) They're not very Christmasy, but they're cute nonetheless.

After our meal, we opened up presents from other family members. Since Q's family always opened their presents on Christmas Eve, and my family did on Christmas Day, we came up with this compromise--two days of opening gifts! We open gifts for one another on Christmas morning.

After sleeping in on Christmas, I put in our brunch casseroles in the oven, and prepared some hot chocolate. Q read the Christmas story then we began opening our presents. I bought Q some fun fishing things, a book, and a wallet. I also painted something for him, too, but you will have to wait to see what I did in another post. Along with a few clothing items, Q got me a wonderful and meaningful present....one that will become more special as time goes on....

It's a pandora bracelet! He actually took me to the mall a few days before Christmas to pick it out. He had it gift-wrapped and wouldn't even let me look at the booklet that showed all of the charms in it until Christmas Day!;) He picked out the "J" for Johnson to get this bracelet started. I can't wait to fill it up with charms that represent other things I love...Q, music, and our future children.

How was your Christmas? Hope it was wonderful! Stay tuned for the Swedish Meatball recipe, and other fun things that I made for gifts this year.:)

Merry Christmas from our house to yours....

Just wanted to wish you all a Merry Christmas from me and Q!

"For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Saviour, which is Christ the Lord." Luke 2:11

I came across this video recently, and I just had to share it with you all. It's the "Hallelujah Chorus", which is one of my most favorite songs of the season. I thought it would have been neat to be a part of this flash mob...maybe someday! What struck me was the fact that it was this song and not a secular Christmas tune. What an awesome thing to proclaim "For the Lord God omnipotent reigneth" in front of so many people. Enjoy and sing along!

"My Spirit Rejoices" Christmas concert

It's been almost two weeks since the Longmont Chorale Christmas concert, so it's about time I told you about it. ;) I thought that I could figure out how to download the video of my solo, but even with Q's help, we're having a hard time. We're still trying to figure out the new camera, so at least I can use it for pictures in the meantime. Hopefully, I'll be able to share that video with you some time in the near future.

The concert went really well. It was longer than the last one, but we made it through. My solo was the second number for the chorale. I didn't think Q was going to make it, but he did just in time. When we went down for the intermission, I walked down the side aisle, and he reached over at me and said, "You did a great job!" It encouraged my heart so much. He brought one of the people he works for so I had a few seconds to chat with him, too.

I was thankful that the Lord helped me through the solo, as I had not been feeling well that week. It turns out that I had infection I didn't suspect I had until the night of the concert. I went to the doctor on Monday morning for some antibiotics and that helped so much.

I had lots of encouragement from the director, other chorale members and folks in the audience. Being one of the soloists has opened doors in different ways. People have asked if I have had training and if I'd be willing to teach them (yes and yes:). Conversations also turn to my being a Christian and that I sing a lot in my church. It's neat how the Lord is using this one opportunity for me to build relationships with many people.

The first half of the program included contemplative songs, like a few renditions of "Ave Maria." We also sang, "Angels we have heard on High" and the small group sang, "Still, Still, Still." I was glad to sing songs about the real meaning of Christmas.

The second half of the program had more fun songs like, "Out on the Housetop," and "Mary's Boy Chile." By the time we were done, we were so tired, but glad that everything went well. I had a lot of fun and can't wait until the next concert. God continues to give me opportunities to witness for Him and to establish new friendships.

God is good! He is the reason we celebrate the season.:)