Christmas Traditions

Merry Christmas everyone!  This post is a book so if you don't like to read, you can just scroll down for my Christmas quiche recipe.

It's Christmas time and you can feel the magic in the air....or that might just be the cold.  Bradley and I are preparing for our second Christmas as a married couple and our first Christmas morning by ourselves.  He has to work Christmas Eve day and Christmas night so my parents have graciously volunteered to journey to our house to do our family Christmas together.  They will come around lunchtime, which means Bradley and I will be alone on Christmas morning.  I love our families but I have to say, I am SO excited about spending Christmas morning by ourselves.  Next Christmas we will have a 6-month old which will be wonderful, but I am looking forward to cherishing the time we have to spend together before the baby arrives. 

Speaking of the baby,  we find out (hopefully) the gender this coming Friday!!!  I hope to goodness our little one cooperates...I might have to drink a Mountain Dew just in case ;)
We are going to Aiken for the sonogram and spending the night with Brad's parents, waking up to celebrate Christmas and have a big yummy lunch together.  This Christmas will be very special but also very hard because as most of you know, Abby, Jonathan, Kyle, and baby St. Clair are leaving January 8 for Africa to minister there for 3 1/2 years.  That will be a later blog, as I do not want to cry right now (...might be too late)

Thinking about Christmas has made me ponder many things in my heart and since I have a blog, I figured I'd share with you all.  First, I have been thinking about Mary.  Being a pastor's daughter, every year of my life I've heard about Mary and Joseph and their trip to Bethlehem.  I've heard about there being "no room in the inn" for them so Mary had to give birth to Jesus in a stable.  Obviously my thoughts are consumed with pregnancy and thoughts of my little baby growing inside of me but this Christmas I am thinking about Mary.  She must've been such a strong woman.  As pregnant as she was, she had to make a long trip JUST to find out they had to stay in a stable.  Now I know I'm not 9 months pregnant (yet) but even just the mental part of taking a long journey, not knowing where you would give birth or where your baby would sleep must've been exhausting.  I have been making plans about where to have my baby, where we will live, what kind of job Brad will have (well, that part is up to him) and it is hard.  Mary must've felt scared, excited, doubtful, overwhelmed, sad, happy, you name it and she must've felt it all at once.  Plus, she had the added pressure (and blessing) of having God's Son as her own.  I'm sure she wondered if she would be good enough to raise Jesus...to teach him, look after him, feed him, shelter him, etc.  I feel that about my own child and he/she isn't the Son of God, just another sinful human being (as much as I'd like to think Baby Temple is perfect).  I truly admire her and have a new perspective about the Christmas story (this happens every year, surprisingly, but I shouldn't be surprised as the Holy Spirit is continually teaching me new things).  This is one thing that has been on my mind a lot lately.

Another is the lives of the people around me.  I don't know if it is because I am especially emotional and sensitive now that I'm pregnant, or if the Holy Spirit is trying to teach me yet again to be understanding and compassionate.  I work as a receptionist at a cardiologist's office and I come into contact with every single patient that comes in.  Since it is a cardiologist's office, the majority of our patients are older, some very elderly.  Some are very nice and compliment me on my smile and some are rude and condescending, barking orders at me and refusing to fill out the paperwork that I so desperately hate to ask them to do but HAVE to.  At times I get very impatient and want to snap back at them (I do not because I value my job and integrity) but it gets very hard to be understanding when the first impression I get of them is that they are just mean. 

Recently there was a married couple that came in and the husband was very sick.  Since I've worked there they have come in a few times, always together, always with a look of love in their eyes (they have to be at least 80 years old).  So when they came in that day, their daughter snapped at me several times saying that her dad needed to get back in a room right that second and I tried to be as nice as I could to her but all the rooms were full so there was nothing I could do about it.  She didn't understand, as most people don't understand how it works but I tried to explain it the best I could.  Eventually they went back to see the doctor and left.  Three days later we learned that the man had passed away.  Everyone was sad because they were such a sweet couple and now the wife was a widow.  She came in this week to see the doctor and I was speechless.  I didn't know how to approach the situation...should I tell her I heard about the passing of her husband?  Should I just act like nothing ever happened?  I don't know her and therefore don't know if she would want to talk about it or not.  Some older widows love to mention their husbands and some don't bring them up at all.  So I decided just to not mention it because I didn't want to upset her.  I asked her how she was doing, just like I ask every other patient, and she smiled really sweetly at me and said "Just fine, thank you, how are you?"  That was almost worse than watching her cry because I knew she was putting on a front and trying to get over the death of her husband.  I just wanted to hug her.

I can't even imagine the pain of losing a spouse.  Bradley and I will celebrate our second wedding anniversary in May and even being together for such a short time compared to a lot of people, I just don't know what I would do if he died.  I cry just thinking about it.  Of course, being a planner, my plan would be to go live with my parents and be depressed for a very long time.  Now that I am carrying his baby, I can't think about how hard it would be.  Every time I would see our child, I would see Bradley.  I'm not trying to be depressing here, and I have a point but I know all of you think about this at least once in your life.  These people that come in the office I work at are hurting during this time of year, especially that lady because this is her first Christmas without the love of her life. 

My point of thinking about all this and writing it on here is to remind people that they need to be extra sensitive during this season as you do not know the situation of the people around you.  Yes, somebody might cut you off in traffic or jump in front of you in line at Walmart but you never know what they're going through.  So while you're happy and celebrating with your family, think about all the blessings God has given you and say an extra prayer for the people who have lost someone special or may be all alone on Christmas.

Now that you know all that I've been thinking about, it's time for a recipe.  (I think about food all the time)  One of the Masters family traditions is Christmas morning breakfast.  Every year we wake up early, drink coffee while we open presents, then have a scrumptious breakfast of quiche, cinnamon rolls, and sparking white grape juice.  I have grown to really love this tradition and want to carry it on with my family and since we're by ourselves this Christmas morning, I am making our traditional breakfast.  The quiche is my great-aunt Lisa's recipe and it is outstanding so I would love to share it with all of you!

It is actually "Hamburger Quiche" and is made with hamburger and onions but to make breakfast quiche we're gonna use sausage and take out the onions.  My mom and I double this recipe to make two quiches so the yumminess can continue after Christmas. 

Christmas Quiche

1/2 lb pork sausage
1 1/2 cup shredded sharp cheddar cheese
1/2 cup mayonnaise
1/2 cup canned (evaporated) milk
1 tbsp cornstarch
2 eggs
dash of pepper

Cook sausage and drain.  Blend mayo, eggs, milk, and cornstarch until smooth.  Add in meat and cheese and mix all together.  Pour into 9 in pie crust and bake at 350 degrees for 25-40 minutes (until mixture sets).  Serve hot and enjoy!

 Before

After

Can't wait to tear into this on Christmas morning!!!

We make these ahead of time (I just made mine today) and freeze them so on Christmas morning we can pop them in the oven while we're opening presents and chow down when we're done!

On the agenda for the rest of the evening:  eating supper (rotisserie chicken from Walmart, shells & cheese, and roasted broccoli...YUM), wrapping presents, and finishing up our stockings I started sewing last year and never finished.  I love my evenings spent with Bradley.  He is wonderful and I am so blessed to be his wife.

May God bless all of you and your families this Christmas and make sure you remember the reason for the season:  "For God so loved the world He gave his one and only Son that whosoever believes in Him shall not perish, but have everlasting life."  -John 3:16

With love,

Hannah Elise

Vacation Thoughts

Hello friends!  We are a little more than halfway through our vacation today and I gotta tell you it's been pretty wonderful.  Brad and I came to a cabin in the Blue Ridge Mountains with his family (yes, there are 11 of us total, 13 counting growing babies) and we have had such a good time so far.  I have had plenty of time to relax, sleep (for the most part, thanks Kyle!), revamp, and of course the BEST part about vacation...EAT!  Lots of goodies so far including fudge-covered apples, puppy chow, ultimate brownie cookie bar things, Pizza Hut, and ice cream.  Yes, I am very excited because this is vacation and therefore a reason to "treat" myself before I get back to my reality of trying not to get super fat before I start getting super fat. 

In my time of thinking I have remembered all the "thankful for"s I've seen on Facebook for the past 13 days or so...I guess I missed the memo on how that works but it has made me think about what I am thankful for these days.

I guess I will just make a list instead of a long boring run-on sentence:

1.  My Jesus - He died the most painful death possible to set me free and give me eternal life.

2.  My husband - Bradley is the most wonderful man I have ever met and I am so blessed to be sharing my life with him.

3.  My parents - They are a wonderful example of a Christian marriage and a support system I am so thankful for.  They have always been loving, kind, giving, and so much more.  I hope to be just like them one day.

4.  My in-love family - There are no words for how precious these people are to me (ok, here come the pregnant hormone-induced tears...).  When I say I hit the in-law jackpot, I could not be any more sincere.  That's all I can say right now.

5.  My job - I enjoy what I do, even though it's frustrating at times.  It is a good job with good benefits and I am blessed to have it.

6.  My upbringing - Going back to being thankful for my parents, I do believe this deserves a separate number.  My parents raised me in a Christian home and taught me right and wrong.  I am saddened by the "world view" these days and it makes me so thankful that my parents and family instilled values and morals in me from day 1.  I am thankful for being brought up in church and being taught from a young age what Jesus did for us and how we can live for Him.

7.  Last but CERTAINLY not least, I am thankful for the life I have growing inside my womb.  Being a first time mom is wonderful so far.  I am 10 weeks and a day along and have only experienced about a week of nauseusness, minimal food aversions, and spurts of tiredness.  I have been told I am the pregnant woman that all other pregnant women hate but I am so thankful it has gone smooth so far and I hope it will continue in this way. 

Speaking of pregnancy, at my 8 week appointment/sonogram, my doctor told me everything looked great.  The sonographer said "wow, what a strong heartbeat!"  and I cried, of course, feeling like such a good mom for having such a healthy baby so far.  Brad and I were both speechless watching the heartbeat on the screen.  It is so overwhelming to think the process my body is going through to help my baby grow and form all of it's organs, skin, brain, body systems, and even teeth and bones at this point.  (No wonder I get so tired!)  I pray the Lord will keep His hand on our child and everything is just peachy keen from here on out.  I will update the next time I go to the doctor which will be Nov 28 when I am 12 weeks along.

Well, that's all for now...hope everyone has a great day.  I know we will here in paradise...relaxing, shopping, roasting marshmallows, and BBQ is on the list for today!

Love,

Hannah Elise

Our Little "Pea"

As all of you know by now, we are expecting our first child.  I am almost seven weeks along and have my first doctor's appointment on Oct 31.  The baby right now is the size of a pea and in a couple of days will be the size of a blueberry.  And yes, we were "trying" to get pregnant...kinda...we decided to leave it up to the Lord and He chose to bless us with this baby.

The subject of having children is something that I have struggled with for the length of our marriage.  All my life I knew I wanted to have children "one day" but that day was always far far FAR in the future.  From the moment we were married til about 2 months ago I viewed having children as a "the end" for me and Bradley.  There goes our freedom, there goes our ability to just pick up and go on a trip, there goes being able to just skip supper and have dessert instead.  All I was concentrating on was how much I wouldn't be able to do if I was tied down to a child or children. I was also concentrating on my selfishness and how I wanted it to be just me and Brad for at least 5 or 6 years because once you have children, you're "stuck" with them for 18 years. 

I feel so horribly guilty for feeling that way.

I have been looking at it all wrong.  Children aren't just "things" that come into your life to ruin it or make it more difficult and just suck all the life out of you.  They aren't preventers of fun.  They aren't complete money pits (if you're smart about it).  They aren't any of those things.  They are a gift from God.  Period.  They bring even more joy, happiness, and love into your life. They give you even more of a reason to be a Christian example.  They will watch you as they grow and learn from you and teach you lessons you would never learn otherwise.


Psalm 127:3-5
"Behold, children are a heritage from the Lord,

the fruit of the womb a reward.   

Like arrows in the hand of a warrior

are the children of one's youth.

Blessed is the man

who fills his quiver with them!"

So with all the nausea, exhaustion, being grossed out by just about every food, and everything else "negative" that comes with this pregnancy, I am enjoying every minute of it knowing that I am going through this so that our baby can grow and be nourished.  It helps that Bradley is an amazing husband and is more supporting than I believe I would be if the roles were switched.  All of this is more than I deserve and everything I have ever hoped for.  Thank you Lord for our little miracle.

Love,

Hannah Elise

Pumpkin Cake Roll

Hello again!  All of you fall/pumpkin lovers will LOVE this recipe.  I've made two so far and they have been pretty stompin' good, as my mother would say.  I will put a disclaimer out though:  it is a long process.  Totally worth it though, you'll have to try and see!

First gather all the ingredients...

Cake:
3 eggs, separated
1 cup sugar, divided
2/3 cup canned pumpkin
3/4 cup all-purpose flour
1 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
1/8 tsp salt

Filling:
1 pkg (8 oz) cream cheese, softened
2 tbsp butter, softened
1 cup confectioner's sugar
1 tsp vanilla  (recipe calls for 3/4 tsp but why not make it a full tsp?)


Then line a 15in X 10in X 1in baking sheet with wax paper.  Spray it VERY GOOD, lest you have pieces of cake peeled off later on.

In a large bowl beat the egg yolks til they get lemony yellow and thick.  

Slowly add 1/2 cup sugar and pumpkin.

 Like my yellow yolks?

 The star ingredient

Now in a small bowl beat your 3 egg whites til they form small peaks.  Add the other 1/2 cup sugar slowly while beating the eggs til they form stiff peaks.  This part is fun because you get to watch the egg whites go from clear to glossy shiny airy white!

 Here we go...

My soft peaks

 Live-action pic

My stiff peaks...they're looking back at me!

Fold this into the pumpkin mixture.  FOLD, do not stir or mix, as you don't want to smush all the air out of the egg whites.  This is VERY important for the cake texture so you can roll it later.

In another bowl mix the flour, baking soda, cinnamon, and salt.

 Fold this into the pumpkin/egg white mixture until it's completely incorporated.  This usually takes about 5 minutes.  Be VERY gentle with this.  Also, maybe you wanna dip your finger in to try it?  :)

Spread it evenly onto your wax-paper-covered-baking sheet.

 Place it in an oven preheated to 375 degrees and bake for 12-15 minutes.

While it's baking, sprinkle powdered sugar all over a CLEAN kitchen towel.

When it comes out lookin all pretty, take it off the pan and immediately flip it onto the towel.

 Peel off the wax paper and roll that baby up!

 Let it cool down completely.

Now for the filling, mix the cream cheese, butter, vanilla, and confectioner's sugar.  Beat until fully incorporated.

After the roll is completely cooled...

...unroll it and slather the cream cheese filling on there!

Marvel at your finished product and how scrumptious it looks.  You're gonna want to freeze this for awhile...it's great to make ahead of time!  All you have to do is pull it out of the freezer 15 minutes before you plan to serve it and slice it up.  You may want to sprinkle more powdered sugar on top as it does kinda melt when the roll thaws.  Doesn't it look just amazing?

I made this last week for our annual family reunion at Oma's house and...well...let's just say there were no leftovers.  This is such a perfect dessert to eat with a nice cup of coffee (especially with Aldi's pumpkin spice creamer!)

If you would like to get the recipe to print, here is the website:
http://www.tasteofhome.com/recipes/Pumpkin-Cake-Roll-4 

Oh yeah, and one more thing:  WE'RE PREGNANT!!!!!  Well, technically, I'm pregnant but Brad helped!  I won't post the picture of the test because I don't think y'all want to see that.  We are going to the doctor on Oct 31 to have our first sonogram so be on the lookout for a nice alien baby picture!

Love always,

Hannah Elise

Happy Fall Y'all!

Fall is officially here and I couldn't be happier!  This time of year triggers something in my brain that just brightens my mood.  I like summer and being in the sun, but get pretty sick of the oh-so-hot temperatures.  I know I live in the South and that's the way it is, but by August I've simply had enough!  I welcome fall with open arms :)

Last weekend I cleaned out my summer and winter clothes and picked some things I've had for awhile that I never wear.  How come it's so hard to get rid of clothes even if you haven't worm them for years?  It must be a woman thing (that's what Brad says, anyway).  I took them to Plato's Closet and sold a total of 2 items for a whopping $8.90.  Oh well, it was a good shot.  I will be selling the leftovers at a yard sale my mother and I are having sometime soon....I will update on that so y'all can come buy all my stuff!

Back to the apartment now...I pulled out my fall decorations and got to decoratin'!  I don't have many but I think a little is charming (just wait til my Christmas post....it'll seem Christmas threw up all over my apartment).  I wanted to share with y'all...

My table setting (I had red napkins somewhere but they seem to have gotten lost in the move)

 Mr. Gobbles here was a steal for $1 at Goodwill last year.  I like to make him talk while we eat...Brad always tells me to stop but he's just too cute to stop (the turkey, not Brad...well, Brad is too...)  Those are pumpkin salt & pepper shakers.

Another steal from Yankee Candle after the holidays last year...it was $3 if I remember correctly.  I sure do love a good deal!

My dollar store leaf that I use as a spoon rest and my wonderful sweet pea candle, courtesy of Uncle Rick (thank you so much!)

Last, but certainly not least, here is my fall wreath.  Don't they make a happy couple?

This time of year just BEGS for good home cookin'...why not start with a tasty pot of chili?  In case you were wondering, this is made with ground beef, tomato sauce, red onion, chili beans, black beans, jalapenos, garlic powder, chili powder, and lots of love.  It simmered for about 6 hours and made the house smell just AMAZING!

Add some homemade cornbread muffins (recipe is my mother-in-love's, the topping for her Yummy Mexican Stuff which you can find here:  http://lauralee-laura.blogspot.com/2010/01/yummy-mexican-stuff.html) and you have a wonderful supper.  Throw in some Auburn football and you've got yourself a date night with someone special!

My man of choice is this guy right here...he makes my heart smile :)

Happy Fall Everyone!

Love,

Hannah Elise

No More Splats!

Well I'm back already (did ya miss me?) to post a project I did last night.  You see, every time I make cookies they turn out awful.  I follow directions...most of the time...but even the rolls of dough you buy and just plop down on the pan I seem to mess up.  My family teases me about my special cookies and have named them "splats" because that's really what they are...dough that has been splatted on a pan.  They look like pancakes but flatter.  I couldn't figure out my problem.  Too much cooking spray on the pan?  Not enough baking soda or baking powder?  Surely I'm not doomed to make splats forever...

I decided yesterday to put an end to the reign of splats and make some completely-from-scratch chocolate chip cookies.  I have been just kinda throwing everything in the bowl and mixing it up (eventually it's all incorporated, right?).  Turns out that doesn't work.  I found that when I took my time and was careful to follow all the directions, they turned out perfectly!  Here is my step-by-step process to make homemade chocolate chip cookies for all of you cookie-making-challenged people out there like myself:

First, put on a fresh pot of coffee because...well, why not?

MMMMM!!!

 As my mother-in-love would say, "assemble your players!"

Notice my new vanilla, Spanish vainilla straight from Cancun  (Thanks, Abby!)

Okay, here we go.  First, preheat your oven to 375 degrees.  Cream two sticks of room temperature butter with half a cup each of brown sugar and white sugar. 

 Then add two eggs and mix.

Add 1 tsp each of baking soda, salt, and vanilla.

Slowly add 2 cups flour.  I added it a half cup at a time to get it fully incorporated.

 The best part is next:  add the chocolate chips!  I used one and a half cups.

Now wipe your drool...don't want it ruining the cookies!

 Drop spoonfuls of dough two inches apart on a greased cookie sheet.  Bake 12-15 minutes or until golden brown.

While you're waiting on them to bake, fix yourself and your husband a cup of fresh java.  Add in pumpkin spice creamer for a fall explosion in your mouth!  I am drinking out of my new coffee cup from (can you guess) Cancun :)  (thanks again, Abby!) 

Would you look at these perfectly baked cookies?  This is my redemption batch:  no more splats!

I think I'll reward myself...this one has my name on it!

Last step:  share them with someone you love.  Enjoy baby!

Love, 

Hannah Elise