Amber Waves of Grain

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Merry Christmas in October!! Here is our 4th installment of gift ideas for 2011 ! We do this on the 25th of every month. Here are the links to the first 3 installments in case you missed them: July ( LINK ) August ( LINK ) and Sept ( LINK ). Enjoy this month's 5 ideas! 16. FOSSIL WATCH . One thing your spouse can't live without is a Fossil Watch ( LINK ). They have a wide variety of styles from dressy to sporty. I got Nathan one for Father's Day. My favorites are in the $90-$135 range but there are also ones more or less. 17. WILLIAMS-SONOMA CROISSANTS ( LINK ). I have to admit I have never had these myself. But I've always wanted to! They have a fabulous reputation & even made Oprah's list one year. .Maybe this will be the year for us. You'll get a set of 15 delivered frozen to your door for $39.95. You simply allow them to rise overnight when you want them, and then bake them. They have chocolate ones too. Has anyone tried these? Let u...

I just ordered Christmas gift labels and had to share this fun find! If you go to a website called Vistaprint , you can order custom Christmas gift tags ( LINK ) so that you no longer have to write out everyone's names on those tiny labels you buy at the store! This is the design I just ordered ( changing our last name for you stalkers... ) You can order "gift tags" (25 for $7.99) or smaller "to-from" stickers (140 for $3.99). Of course, there are a lot of designs to pick from and you can customize the text. With all of our kid's names to write, I'm looking forward to slapping a premade sticker on this year's gifts! Check it out!

I've been a busy girl today. I made several quarts of soup to freeze and take to an upcoming " Soup Swap " party. My friend invites people to her home and all of the guests bring six 1-quart containers of soup, frozen. Then there is an exchange and we each go home with 6 different frozen soups. I know what you're thinking -- "Amber attends some wild parties!! Today I used a Pampered Chef recipe that turned out really yummy. I'm not even a big soup person but I had to have a bowl. Chicken Vegetable Alfredo Soup 1 cup chopped broccoli 1/2 cup chopped carrots 1/2 cup chopped yellow onion 1/2 cup diced red bell pepper 1 clove (or 1 TBSP jarred) garlic, pressed 1 (14-14.5oz) can chicken broth 2 cups diced cooked chicken 1 TBSP basil (I used fresh but I suppose you could use the dried instead) 1 jar Alfredo sauce (I used Bertolli brand) Put veggies, garlic, and broth in a pot on the stove and bring to a boil. Cover. Reduce heat & simmer 5 minutes or unti...

Nathan & I participated in a vow renewal service over the weekend with several other couples from our church. I traded in my jeans for a dress that night. Look how handsome my groom is: The ceremony took place at a historic building with neat architecture and pretty hardwood floors. Each couple found a private place around the room and the pastor led us through specific times of sharing with one another. The 'audience' was in the center. Then, a time for vows. At the end, each couple went up front to be announced. I think Nathan was reading his vows to me here. They had vows to read but he surprised me and wrote his own! He wrote them on nice stationary with a wax seal for me to open. I wasn't as thoughtful. And, of course, the whole night was sealed with a kiss. So.... I present to you the renewed Mr & Mrs "Amberwavesofgrain!"

I have a smokin' hot new helper in the kitchen. That's right, I bought a Presto Electric Griddle . I'd been wanting a griddle and ended up with a cheap one from Sears ($20 on sale). Let me just say..... lives have been changed . How did I ever cook without a griddle??? I love it. I want to marry it. Tonight I made chicken tacos with it. Well, first I made the kids cheese quesadillas on the griddle, knowing that my picky eaters won't touch tacos. See the beauty of this machine already? I cooked multiple meals with only ONE pan. For the chicken tacos, I just cooked chicken seasoned with Adobo seasoning (in the Mexican section at Meijer). Then I used the griddle to also heat corn tortillas (double them up into stacks of two). It cooks so fast and evenly. Here's the chicken on the griddle. I wish this were scratch n' sniff. Throw on some cilantro, onion, and avocado and serve the tacos with lime wedges. And, voila! Delicious ! I've also made p...

All 3 kids in the same photo ..... looking at the same camera .... at the same time . Some might call it a Kodak moment . Mothers of 3 or more children know that it's really a miracle . Maybe this year's Christmas card won't have to be all outtakes after all!