Tuesday, December 20, 2011

My 50th Post And Much To Celebrate!

It seems like just the other day when I started blogging and now, here I am, writing my 50th post!  To celebrate, I am going to do a giveaway very soon.  The only reason I'm not doing it today, is because I haven't found the perfect item(s) for the giveaway.  Believe me, I've been looking, but nothing has caught my eye.  I'm sure I'll come across something fitting soon.  I will keep you posted!

Let me catch you up on what's been happening around the homestead this past week.   To say it's been busy around here is an understatement.

On Tuesday, December 13th, we attended the Barrie Bassmasters Potluck and Award Ceremony.  Every year, the club invites the bass members and their families to the potluck to share in an evening of great food and good friends. 



This year, I baked Hello Dolly bars to take to the potluck, since I brought savoury items the last two years.  If you are not familiar with them, they're made with a graham cracker crust and topped with chocolate chips, flaked coconut and chopped nuts; held together with sweetened condensed milk!



Nuno (in the middle), along with fellow bassmaster, Brad Hudson (on the left), were honored to receive the President's Award - Member of the Year - for going above and beyond their duties as members, putting in a lot of time and dedication to the club and always willing to help out in any way they could.  I am so proud of my husband and congratulations goes out to both of them!



On Wednesday, the 14th of December, it was Nuno's birthday.  I wanted to bake his birthday cake and  decided on a glazed lemon layer cake with homemade raspberry filling.  Nothing says love like a home-made cake, no store-bought cake can ever convey the same sentiment.



Freshly squeezed lemon juice and zest for the cake



Cake layers cooling on racks



The birthday cake (minus the candles). In my heart it reads, Happy birthday Nuno, I love you!



The love of family gathered around the table 



This is a cream cheese ball flavoured with a roasted garlic dip.  I rolled it in chopped walnuts and cranberries and served with crackers.  
I also made some other munchies...brie en croute, filled with raspberry jam and toasted almonds and a quail egg and chorizo appetizer, as well as assorted nuts, figs and dates.  My mother-in-law baked some Portuguese tarts as well, so we were spoiled with yummy goodies.

The next evening was the girls' school Christmas Concert.  Anita and Annabel's classes weren't involved this year (as there were too many classes to all be included). Anita sang in the choir, however, and my niece Emily was part of the concert too! 

 
Anita is the first student on the left, in the middle row. 
 
 
 
This past Saturday, we had my cousin, his wife and their two children over for lunch.  It was their first visit to our home, and I was so happy to have them!  For our lunch, I made an italian wedding soup and chicken stuffed pasta shells.  It was lovely reconnecting and catching up with them. 
 
 
 
Mini meatballs I made for the soup
 
 
 
Italian wedding soup with mini meatballs and orzo pasta
 
 
 
Setting the table
 
 
 
The following day we were invited to my aunt and uncle's place for their annual Christmas lunch.  The food was delicious and we had a fun time, as usual. A special treat this year, was a visit from my cousin, who I hadn't seen in a few years.  Seeing him was like opening an early Christmas present!  It reminded me that the best part of Christmas and the holidays is the act of giving, and the blessings of a loving family and dear friends. 
 
 
There are only 5 more sleeps until Christmas.  I'm sure it's a busier time than usual in your kitchens as well!  Will you be baking something special for the holidays?  What about Christmas morning?  Are there any special breakfasts you cook?  I think I'll be making pancakes on Christmas morning, since it's everyone's favourite around here.  How about you?  I would love to hear about it!
 
Wishing you all a very Merry Christmas and happy holidays... 
with love, from the kitchen! xo

9 comments:

  1. Good Morning from PEI, Dear Rosinda <3

    The hello dolly squares look yummy... perhaps I'll add one more thing to my baking list ;)

    Congratulations to Nuno! His birthday cake looks so pretty :)

    Love all the pictures... christmas time is so special.

    We have chocolate chip waffles Christmas mornign... but, sorry, store bought, as my recipe for waffles has cinnamon in it and we don't want chocolate chip with cinnamon lol we try to make Christmas morning last and last before opening the presents.

    I do a lot of baking, but our favorite is Doughnuts... do you make those? i glaze them afterwards.. oh yum! we also fill some with different fillings. Fudge, peanut butter balls, chocolates (not this year, though), brownies, ginger cookies, chocolate chip and double chocolate delights. one year I made home made marshmallows.. so yummy! I may do that again, t hey are worth it :D I know I'm forgetting something...One year we did meringue candy canes... they were hard!! lol but cute. I also have 2 lasagna's and macaroni casserole's in the freezer and pizzas too... I want things easier for the holidays that way we get to enjoy our time more without baking or thinking of suppers :)
    must go, before this is as long as yoru post lol
    Love the table all set up!

    love,
    Denise of Ingleside, PEI

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  2. Rosie
    I hope someone puts a tripod under your Christmas tree you need to be in all these great posts and pics
    After all , you are the baker,mommy,wifey, etc
    :):)

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  3. Rosinda,
    Congrats on your 50th post. And as always so beautiful...

    Hugs and kisses!!!

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  4. Everything looks divine and beautiful. My, you have been a busy bee and a so many activities I don't know how you keep up. Really enjoying reading about all the fun things you have done with family and friends. Your table looks beautiful and I think Italian Wedding soup was perfect to serve your cousins on a cold winter day. xoxo

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  5. How wonderful to read about your loving family traditions and celebrations in the run up to Christmas, darling Rosinda! It all looks so gorgeous - that lemon cake, yummy! And the wedding soup & pasta shells...fabulous choice for a lunch. We don't have too many traditions but we ALWAYS have 'Militza's Salad' on Christmas Eve...you remember her from my blog? My adopted Serbian grandmother...she always made it on 24th, so we do too. Butterbeans, charred red pepper, celery, lemony dressing. Delicious! Wonderful post xoxo

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  6. Yum! I would love to invite you to a potluck! :)

    Happy birthday to Nuno! His cake looks delicious, and the picture with everyone gathered around the table is great!

    My husband is under strict instructions to bring the ingredients for kolache home with him after work today. That's our traditional Christmas breakfast and it's time for me to get to baking! Merry Christmas!

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  7. What a lot of nice entries for the scrapbook of your life. Special events and food--that's what it's all about. As you know I have a sweet tooth that pretty much controls my life but in this case know what I'm dying to try--the soup! It all looks fantastic but right now I wish I had a steaming bowl of that soup!

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  8. Rosinda, Congrads on your 50th post !!
    Tina :)

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  9. Congratulations on your 50th post!!! That's so fantastic and so much work Rosinda....yay!! Everything looks so wonderful!! One of my very favorite soups is Wedding Soup. When I was little, my mom had an Italian friend who made the most delicious recipe ever...I'm so sorry I never got it!! I didn't understand the importance of having it then, I guess, altough I have a few others. The cake is so fantastic!!!! and you know how I feel about fresh homemade jam. I love seeing Anita singing in the choir. I always sang in the choir and so did my daughters....great memories going to those concerts!! What a lovely group of friends and family....a celebration indeed!!
    xoxo
    Joann

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