Good morning! What a day yesterday was… I had no idea how busy or how fun it would be in blogland! Participating in BooMama’s Christmas Tour of Homes (along with 720 other bloggers) was my first venture into a “Blog Carnival”. I just had no idea…
I ended up being the 4th listing of the 720 yesterday – actually by a fluke. I was having a terrible “hot flash” on Sunday night a little before midnight and couldn’t sleep. I had already prepared my Tour of Homes blog post, and had planned on posting it and linking to her site after I finished my QT Monday morning. Boo Mama was going to publish her link to the Tour of Homes post sometime after midnight, CST. So, I thought that since I was awake, I’d go on and take care of all of that while I was cooling off.
When I went to link up to her post, no one else had entered their link. But by the time I had typed mine in, so had 3 other people and mine happened to be the 4th. By the time I fully read and digested her post on her home, almost 100 other people had linked up – and I already had 6 comments on my own post! I was flabbergasted~! Why in the world were 100 other people awake at that hour???
I visited a few sites, left a few comments, and went back to sleep – praying for all of the other bloggers to do the same – having no idea that part of the fun of a Blog Carnival like this one was to stay up all night blogging. I’ll know better next year, and will take a long nap before the Christmas Tour of Homes rolls around again!
When it was all said and done yesterday, Smelling Coffee ended up with 1406 visits and 77 comments! (For some of you, that might be normal – but for me, a newbie at this, who lately averages 85 – 90 hits a day about 12 comments, this was incredible!) I’m working my way through all of the bloggers that commented, then hope to eventually see all of the homes listed on the tour. Which, incidentally, may take me weeks to accomplish! So, if you don’t hear from me on your blogs for a while, you’ll know where I am… lost somewhere in Boo Mama’s links. Just kidding – I’ll sincerely try to keep up with both! 🙂
Thanks for reading and/or visiting and/or following Smelling Coffee – I truly do appreciate you. Thursday will be my 100th post – and it has been a complete joy to be a part of your days. 🙂
Now, on to some EASY RECIPES to use at home – or with company during these last busy days before Christmas.
Main Dishes: Rotel Chicken and Crock Pot Chicken Supreme
Rotel Chicken
12 oz. vermicelli – cooked and drained
Melt together in sauce pan: 1 lb. Velveeta cheese
1 can Rotel tomatoes
1 can chicken broth
1 can cream of chicken soup
3-4 large chicken breasts, cooked & cubed.
Mix noodles and chicken into melted mixture. Place in 3 qt. baking dish. Bake at 350 degrees for 30 minutes, or until bubbly. Let stand until firm.
Crock Pot Chicken Breast Supreme
4 chicken breasts, halved
8 slices of bacon
1 jar of dried beef
1 can cream of mushroom soup
8 oz. of sour cream
Line bottom of Crock Pot with beef slices. Wrap each beast with bacon. Place in Crock pot. Mix soup and sour cream, and pour over chicken. Cook on slow for 8 hours. The gravy/ sauce created is delicious served over rice.
To double this recipe, make up the two recipes and just double stack them in the crock pot.
A few side dishes that compliment both of these main dishes – and any other meat dish: Mom’s Vegetable Marinate, Marinated Carrots, and Mrs. Webb’s Fruit Salad
Mom’s Vegetable Marinate (this is SO good!!!)
Serves 8-10 people
Place in large plastic bowl:
1 can LaSeur English Peas (drained)
1 can white Shoe Peg corn (drained)
1 can French Style green beans (drained)
1 small bell pepper – chopped
1 med. onion – chopped
1 small jar Pimento
Bring to a boil:
1 cup sugar
½ cup white vinegar
½ cup oil
1 tsp. salt
1 tsp black pepper
1 tbs. water
Pour the liquid mixture over vegetables when it comes to a boil. Stir together, and marinate overnight.
This will keep 2 weeks in the refrigerator.
If doubled for a crowd, double only the vegetables. The marinate makes plenty for a double recipe. (I double all vegetables except the peas.)
Marinated Carrots
½ cup salad oil
1 cup sugar
¾ cup apple cider vinegar
1 tsp. Worcestershire sauce
1 tsp. spicy mustard or of mustard powder
1 tsp. both salt & pepper
1 can tomato soup
5-6 cans sliced carrots
1 sweet onion, cut in rings
1 green bell pepper, cut in rings
Mix ingredients (oil through soup) together and heat to melt the sugar. Put carrots, onion and pepper in a large sealable bowl. Pour heated mixture over vegetables, and chill overnight. This keeps for several weeks in the refrigerator.
Mrs. Webb’s Fruit Salad
1 can chunk pineapple (drained)
1 can Mandarin oranges
1 can peach pie filing
2 large bananas (may use “fruit fresh” to keep bananas from turning dark)
1 box frozen strawberries
Mix and serve chilled.
Hope these come in handy for someone… Much love to you all! Jennifer