Christmas Breakfast Recipes

This is the muffin recipe we have had for Christmas breakfast for lots of years. Aunt Carma would bring the mix and bake them at Grandma Johnson's house. I can remember her doing this back as far as when Grandpa Johnson was alive. Back then we would eat scrambled eggs, sausage, muffins, juice, and hot chocolate. After Grandpa died, Grandma Johnson started cooking the breakfast casserole, and Carma continued bringing her muffins. When we moved to California, I made sure I got the exact recipes so we could have our traditional Christmas morning breakfast. Here are the recipes:

Christmas Morning Bran Muffins
(Aunt Carma)

1 1/2 c. sugar
1/2 c. oil
2 eggs
2 cups buttermilk
1 1/3 c. flour
1/2 tsp. salt
2 1/2 tsp. soda
1 c. boiling water
2 c. Kelloggs All Bran
1 c. Nabisco All Bran (or Post)
1 c. raisins
ground nuts (optional)

Pour boiling water over the All Bran and the raisins. Set aside. Mix all the other ingredients together. Mix All Bran into rest of mixture. Bake in muffin tin for 15 to 20 minutes at 400 degrees.

Christmas Morning Casserole

1 lb. sausage (I use Jimmy Dean regular) brown and drain real well.
8 slices bread cubed. Place in bottom of 8 x 13 pan (lightly spray with Pam)
Sprinkle sausage over bread
Whip 6 large eggs. Add 3/4 tsp. dry mustard and 2 1/2 c. milk. Pour over bread and sausage. Grate 2 cups sharp cheddar cheese and sprinkle over top. Refrigerate overnight. The next day, mix 1 can Cream of Mushroom soup with 1/2 can milk. Pour over top of casserole and bake for 45 minutes at 350 degrees. Let stand for about 5 minutes or so before cutting.

Enjoy!!

Republican Woman

So I guess I'm a Republican! I attended a luncheon today for the Republican Women of Williamson County. Talk about being out of my comfort zone! I probably know the least about politics of anyone I know. The friend I went with has been president of the Republican Women's organizations in both Missouri and Utah, so she knows her stuff. I felt like it was my first day at a new school. It turned out to be a nice day and I met a lot of really nice people, but I really felt like a fish out of water. I've already been recruited to help at a fundraising event tomorrow night where I will be helping serve the desserts auctioned off. The event is called "Just Desserts" and I guess people bid on different desserts for the table they are sitting at and then after the auction their table gets to eat the dessert they have purchased. The girl in charge of the event asked Janna and I if we would come help out. Janna was wearing a really cute hat and the girl in charge of tommorrow night noticed her hat and asked if we would come help her. She wants all those helping to come wearing hats (I think the hat got us a lot of attention today). You know how when you go somewhere for the first time and you'd like to remain somewhat invisible? Well...there was no being invisible with someone wearing a striking lime green and navy blue outfit with a matching navy blue hat with a lime green flower on it. We were VERY visible. I was actually feeling bad that I felt somewhat invisible. I really wished I had Susie's green polka dot shoes. Maybe I'll get me some and my feet will make a statement. She can wear the hats, and I'll wear the shoes! I said I didn't own a hat to wear but Janna quickly said she would provide one for me...(GEEZ). Too bad I can't borrow Michael's cool Che Guevara bandana...now that would be a statement! Actually, I just realized I have a conflict...our Relief Society birthday party is tomorrow night. Now I have to decide Republican or Relief Society...decisions, decisions!

Remember When...

I came across this picture of us today and couldn't help but remember our move to Southern California. We stuffed all of us in that little Stanza with the car top carrier on top and Dutchess in the front seat under my feet. Remember how Cathy Cheshire had just done my hair and turned me blonde? I was upset but said it didn't matter anyway because no one would know me in California. (You kids always laughed at me when I had hair disasters. Remember the perm I got in California when I cut off the blonde hair and permed what was left? I walked in the house feeling pretty awful about it and you kids just burst out in laughter and then tried to make me feel better about it.)
Kimberly was still in braces and wearing headgear! Robyn was wearing my camp shirt she thought was so cool because the smile and eyes glowed in the dark. Michael was happy just as long as he had his dog nearby and could take her for show and tell in his new kindergarten class. We were all nervous, but excited about the new adventure ahead of us. It's hard to believe that so many years have passed and so much has happened in our family. Just a little nostalgia...Thanks for all the memories!

Nashville Night at the Bluebird Cafe

Since I don't have a camera, I decided to put a picture of our house in my blog. Since it was taken at night, I figured it would fit with the title.


Tonight Bob and I were invited to go to the Bluebird Cafe with our friends Larry and Peggy. Peggy called yesterday and told me she had reservations and wanted us to go with them. A friend of their daughter's was scheduled to perform tonight(Michael Hunter Ochs). The Bluebird Cafe is a very small place that seats (maybe) 100 people. Songwriters come to the Bluebird and perform some of their songs for those who are seated in the cafe. You must have reservations to get a seat, and reservations are pretty hard to get. So when Peggy called me, I was glad I didn't have Mutual tonight and could go. We were able to hear from Jason Blume whose songs have been recorded by Britney Spears, the Backstreet Boys, Collin Raye, the Oak Ridge Boys and many others, Jeff Jacob who is a staff songwriter for the Songs of Love Foundation in NYC, Michael Hunter Ochs who has written songs such as "In her Eyes" sung by Josh Groban, and Karen Taylor Good who is a Grammy-nominated songwriter and has had lots of radio hits such as one you might know called "How can I teach you to say goodbye" performed by Patty Loveless. It was fun to go and see these songwriters and hear how the songs were written to be performed. We were even able to talk to them after the show... It was lots of fun. When you all come to Nashville, we'll have to see about getting reservations.

As it turns out, tonight was Jewish songwriters night (our friends are Jewish and had no idea). The songwriters had a good time with it and even sang some songs emphasizing their Jewish heritage (some were really funny and others were serious). It was a fun way to spend a Nashville Tuesday night.

High Society in Nashville

Sorry I don't have any pictures...no camera! Yesterday I went on a bus tour of celebrity homes here in the Nashville area with my neighbor Debie. When we got on the bus, the driver was asking everyone where they were from. We didn't want him to know we were locals so we told him we were from California. After all, we are! Anyway, the tour took us all over Williamson County. When we turned up our street, we were very anxious to see who lives in our neighborhood. We've both seen the bus in our area several times and wondered whose house they were driving by. As it turns out, Trace Adkins is our neighbor! Guess I'd better get me a "Honk E Tonk Badonkadonk" t-shirt. It's a toss up between that one and the one from the Loveless Cafe that says "Our Butts are Smokin'". You can see I'm rubbing shoulders with the high society in Nashville and surrounding myself with the finer things in life!

My baby is 22!

Michael informed me that 22 is the first birthday in a long time that has not had some big milestone that comes with it. For instance when you turn 18 you are legal...when you turn 19 you go on a mission...when you turn 20 you are no longer a teenager...when you turn 21 you can drink and gamble (you don't, but you can!). So turning 22 is his first "insignificant" birthday in several years. It sounds like his insignificant birthday was a pretty good one. It must have completely worn him out because today at school he decided to get some reading done outside on the lawn on campus and fell asleep. When he finally woke up he discovered he had burned one side of his face. Spring fever has hit the BYU campus...what was it, 50 degrees? We love you Michael! Happy Birthday!

A great birthday/wedding weekend

I flew in to Salt Lake on Friday March 8th and Robyn picked me up at the airport. We drove from there to Joe's cousin's wedding breakfast at the Joseph Smith Memorial Building. Thinking Joe would be meeting us outside, Robyn called his cell phone to let him know we were coming. He didn't hear his cell phone so we had to park and go inside to get him. When we got inside, I told Robyn I would sit outside of the room and watch Parker while she ate lunch with Joe. I guess Joe's aunt heard I was waiting outside so she came out and insisted that I come in and eat. Here I was in my jeans in the Joseph Smith Memorial Building, which was bad enough, and now I was about to crash a wedding luncheon! It was very nice of them to invite me in, but I was really embarrassed! Lunch was great though, and it was fun to visit with Joe's family.

Later that evening, Michael picked me up at Robyn's house and we left to pick Bob up at the airport. We headed straight for Jeremy and Heather's wedding dinner. It was so much fun to see all of Bob's family there. You really appreciate family when you don't have them nearby. What a nice dinner! They had a little program where each family member gave the couple a candy bar and told why they picked that particular one for them. Then Jeremy and Heather told their story about how they met and got engaged. It was such a special event!

Saturday morning we took Michael to get his birthday present...a new cell phone. He has been complaining about his cell phone since he got home from his mission. He says everyone made fun of it and referred to it as someone's phone from "Saved by the Bell". Actually, it was my cell phone before it was his and he made fun of it when I had it. So now he's got a new cell phone to go with his hot little Versa. I should have made him carry around my pink cell phone and I should have gotten the new one!

Jeremy and Heather's wedding was at the Salt Lake Temple at 1:40 p.m. It was a very nice ceremony. We stuck around for pictures and then headed over to Grandma and Grandpa Hand's house to visit them. Later we went to the reception held in Layton and left there to go to dinner at a restaurant called "Typhoon" at the Gateway mall in Salt Lake to celebrate Bob and Michael's birthdays. Traffic was terrible! There was a Jazz game going on so parking was a mess! We made it though and were able to have a fun birthday dinner with Grandma and Grandpa Hand, Penni, Rick, Crystal, Robyn, Joe, Parker, Michael, Bob, and me. We were worried about the Grandma and Grandpa Hand making it there, but I think they did better than the rest of us....(never underestimate Grandma Hand). It was so nice to see everyone! Thanks to Penni and Rick for squeezing us in to their busy night. They had to leave dinner right after they ate and run (and I mean run!) to the Salt Palace to the Junior Prom where Nikkole was waiting for her dad to get there for the father/daughter dance. (Why to we try to cram so much in to one day?) Anyway, it was such a nice time right down to the complimentary desserts that Bob and Michael got and all of us ate!

The next morning Michael took us to the airport and we flew home to Nashville. My mom calls these trips "fly-by's"...it feels like that too! A few days of let down and jet lag and we'll be back to normal...whatever that is.

My visit to San Diego

Here I am in sunny San Diego. It is so nice here, I love California!! I arrived on Sunday night...or should I say, very early in the morning on Monday. Upon my arrival, I opened my suit cases only to realize that there were some things missing. Apparently my baggage had been rifled through and some valuables were taken. Just for everyone's information...don't check any of your electronic items with your luggage. The airlines will not cover losses of electronic items including DVD's and digital cameras. Unfortunately, I had to find this out the hard way.

Luke's 3rd birthday was on March 1st. These pictures were taken on Monday March 5th. We had a little post-birthday celebration that night. It is fun to be here with Kimberly and the kids. We are having a great time! On Monday Kimberly took Blake to the doctor's office where she found out Blake has an ear infection. She dropped us off at the recreation center playground so Taylor and Luke could play on the equipment instead of wait in the doctor's office. I was amazed how hot it was and had to laugh at how I must have looked in my warm winter clothes with all the cute young moms in their shorts and flip flops. I sought refuge in the shade of the biggest slide while I watched the kids have fun.

Yesterday Kimberly and I braved the mall and lunch at Red Robin with Blake and Luke while Taylor was at preschool. The kids were actually very well behaved (do I sound surprised?). Maybe it was because they were getting so much attention from everyone. Everywhere we went people would make such a fuss over them! I think Kimberly must experience that a lot. We didn't take the double stroller with us and soon discovered that was a mistake because Luke wanted to ride in it. As heavy as Blake is, it was easier to have Luke in the stroller than to continually be looking for him as he tried to hide in the racks of clothes. We were both tired when we got home and wished all the kids would take a nap (no such luck). Oh well. Kimberly changed her jeans and put on some of her pajama bottoms. When she came downstairs, Luke noticed her change right away and asked "Why you change pants mommy? You pee in your other ones?" You never know what they'll say next!