goodness before, but I'd not made made one myself. Probably because I didn't know how easy it is to make!
The next layer is a berry layer. You can use fresh or frozen. I used a mix of both for this one because the frozen will thaw and make berry juice that will soak into the cake while the fresh berries stay a little firmer. There are many recipes for
different types of trifle and you can use different kinds of fruit. I find that strawberries and blueberries work well. For this trifle, though, I used a bag of frozen mixed berry fruit and added cut up fresh strawberries, fresh blueberries and some fresh blackberries. Mix those up in a bowl, add half of your berries over the cake mixture.
Then comes the creamy layer. I take a pack of jello pudding - this time French vanilla - and fold in a package of cool 
whip that's slightly thawed. I've also used chocolate pudding and custard pudding - both are delicious. Make the pudding first, let it set and fold in the cool whip. If it's still too frozen to fold in without there being lumps, I take a 
wire whisk and whisk it until it's smooth. Then add half your creamy mix to the top
of the berries.
In an effort to make this a simpler Christmas, I used mainly our collection of vintage Christmas ornaments to decorate our tree this year. There's something about the mercury glass, the stars, the hand blown ornaments that make my heart swell. I especially love the few ornaments we have that have "Silent 
Night" stenciled on them along with a scene from a little town. And the ornaments that have the centers recessed sparkle in the twinkling lights.
Christmas decorating. That they would BUBBLE in colorful light was one of my favorite parts of the tree. Thankfully bubble lights have been updated so that my grownup tree can be festooned with them without my fear of the old wires causing fires!
jewelry like me. Unfortunately, I didn't heed my head and followed my heart to the show. I also took my husband who is a TERRIBLE influence ("Just get both of them!").
pretty sure he meant laser cut. I only got one strand as they were rather pricey, but he had some that looked like snowflakes and some that had roses cut out of them - in both large and small sizes.
ago, and couldn't find any good quality REAL pearls. The opposite is true today. There was a huge variety of pearls in different shapes and sized - including really good quality freshwater pearls for very reasonable prices.
I have a friend who's Ethiopian. I met him almost 10 years ago and love catching up with him - he's a true embodiment of the American Dream. He was the one who introduced me to Ethiopian food, and is generally one of the few people I can get to eat that particular cuisine with me. Of course, I'd seen movies where people ate with their hands and knew a bit about the food, but didn't really know about the spices and the BREAD until he introduced me to my first meal.
I've found that people either love or hate Ethiopian food. There's not often an in between. For my husband, he's not a fan of the bread. I, on the other hand, LOVE the bread.
First clean and cut up your celery. This means scrubbing all the dirt and crap off of the stalks - with a brush if necessary - and cutting off the bad spots, including the stalky end. Chop the celery into about 1/2 inch pieces and set them aside. Then dice up your onion into cubes as well.
the butter melt - I usually do this on a lower heat so I don't have to watch it to keep it from burning. Put your celery and onion into your melted butter and allow to simmer until the onions start to turn translucent and the celery softens up.
Pour your two bags of Pepperidge Farm stuffing into a large bowl and pour in your onion/celery concoction. Thoroughly stir in the onions and celery. Then add your two boxes of chicken stock.
A couple weeks ago I was reading an article and there was a mention of Cath Kidston pillows on a bed. Being a huge fan of superfluous bed pil
lows, I had to follow that little nugget of information. What I found was a bounty of floral fun - and I was hooked.
reusable bag fits the bill!
holders, ipad and ipod covers, laptop cases and phone cases can be found in the accessories. And if you're just looking for some new kitchen curtains, the fabric section might just make your heart flutter.
As we feel the bitter cold of winter, my mind is going back to the days of summer. I'd heard quite a bit about Atlantic City, NJ and quite a bit about Ocean City, MD, but I'd not heard 
much about Ocean City, NJ. My friends took me there for the first time in late summer and I was so pleasantly surprised by what I found!
with carousels, Ferris wheel, whirly rides and even an old fashioned roller coaster.
some day you get to enjoy it too!
For many, baking a turkey can be a daunting task. Some of you have mastered the art of making turkeys. I'm not yet one of those people, but I've got a couple tricks I picked up from my Mama this last Thanksgiving that could help someone else through an upcoming holiday meal.
One of these tricks is to use a baking bag. You can find them in the grocery store. It helps keep the moisture in the turkey, but you've got to make sure to follow the directions and add a little flour to the bag and shake it up to help coat the sides before you put the bird inside.
know they pack the neck and organs inside the bird. These have to come out or you'll end up with a not so nice surprise. Just look inside the opening and you'll see a bag of stuff - pull it out. Some people cut these up and make a gravy out of them, but I tend to throw this part away.
rubs the outside of the bird with olive oil to help it brown. Most birds these days have a little thermostat that pops up when the bird is cooked. Make sure that's tucked in the skin of the bird before you put it into the bag. Place the oiled, stuffed bird in the baking bag and throw it into the oven at 350 degrees.
hours. You can find a chart of cooking times here if you're trying to figure out how long to cook your bird. When it's done, the little button will pop and you'll have a lovely browned delicious bird for your table!
