Christmas Chaos

Christmas is less than a week away.

We all know how chaotic these final days can be, but moving at Christmas?

That's just crazy.

Which pretty much sums things up at the Obi household.

So the good news first.

We have moved into the big house.

Woot, woot!!!!

Okay, so we're still awaiting some electrical. And a backsplash. And a venthood...

But nothing brings a family together quite like peeling the film off of new appliances.

 Even Dad got in on that one.

And we have a Christmas tree.

 Carefully decorated by the boys.

The stockings are hung by the chimney with care.

The front porch is ready for holiday guests.

And would you look at this landscaping.

Knockout roses, pansies and snapdragons... IN DECEMBER!

Yeah, our snow of a couple weeks ago is a distant memory.

Best of all, we have Christmas fudge.

You can find that recipe here.

In all of the craziness, though, it seems that some members of the family wear out quicker than others.

Not sure how that's comfortable.

So here we are, awaiting Christmas, awaiting the arrival of a new grandbaby...and relishing the chaos that comes with moving. No, it's not perfect, but then life rarely is.

Yet as we settle into this holiday season and celebrate cherished family traditions, I want to take this opportunity to wish you a merry, Christ-filled Christmas. 

Wherever you are, whoever you're with, may you know the true meaning of this most wonderful time of the year and the joy of Jesus.

Merry Christmas!

  

Mindy Obenhaus lives on a ranch in Texas with her husband, the youngest of her five children and two dogs. She's passionate about touching readers with Biblical truths in an entertaining, and sometimes adventurous, manner. When she’s not writing, she enjoys cooking and spending time with her grandchildren. Learn more at www.MindyObenhaus.com  

Our Crazy, Busy, Good Eatin' Weekend

Whew! What a weekend.

As most of you know by now, my family is preparing for a big move. But there were a few events we had to get out of the way first. So, in typical Obenhaus style, we simply crammed them all into one weekend.

First there was this.

Our youngest son had his Eagle Scout Court of Honor. But it wasn't just about him.

These four young men started out as Tiger Cubs in the first grade. Together, they later transitioned into Boy Scouts as part of the Ninja patrol. And Saturday, they were all recognized for achieving scouting's highest rank of Eagle Scout.

It was so much fun to not only see these guys together one last time, but to watch the video one of the parents made, reviewing the kids' journey from little boys to men.

I laughed, I cried... Such a fun time of remembrance.

Then it was on to the same son's graduation open house. Of course, you can't have an open house without food. So I prepared my go-to meal for feeding a crowd--

Time to smoke a big ol' brisket for Texas barbeque.  

You can find that recipe here.

Throw in some beans (recipe here), Cole Slaw (recipe here), chips, salsa and queso and it's a party.

Oh, and the all-important graduation cake.

But before the party even got started, the most amazing thing happened.

I'd like you introduce you to my new grandson, Max (short for Maximilian), born Sunday afternoon.

You know, there's just something about babies that makes you forget about the worries of the world. So much love, pure trust and innocence all in one tiny, little package.

Thank you, Max, for making your grammy's life just a little bit better.

And now, the countdown is really on. Only ten more days until that big move. So let the packing frenzy begin in earnest.

Mindy Obenhaus lives in Texas with her husband and the last of her five children. She's passionate about touching readers with Biblical truths in an entertaining, and sometimes adventurous, manner. When she’s not writing, she enjoys cooking and spending time with her grandchildren. Learn more at www.MindyObenhaus.com 

Cole Slaw and Other Things

It's May!

Do you know what that means?

It means that the Obis' big move is only a couple of weeks away.

I don't know whether to cheer or cry. In the end, I'll probably do both.

With time drawing near, though, hubby and I made quick trip to the ranch last week to box up some things at his mother's house. You see, not only are we moving from our house, we are having to empty my late MIL's house so it can be renovated. As if moving isn't complicated enough, we're essentially moving into/out of three houses.

Whew!

But back to the reason for our trip. Inside my MIL's house are many interesting things. Like books.

Lots and lots of books.

Travel books, gardening books, children's books, school books, books that date back to the 1800's. Heaven for many of you, I'm sure. But hubby and his sister had quite the task, sorting through all of these, deciding who wanted what, what was trash and what should be donated.

While they tackled that, I worked in the dining room where three generations of crystal had been at home for the past 40+ years.

You can't tell from these photos, but each of these cabinets was jam-packed.

And though my SIL and I had already divvied-up and packed away the items hidden in cupboards, it still took me a good 9 hours to carefully wrap and pack up everything.

Ah, yes... Nothing like a clean slate to make one feel as though they've made some progress.

Of course, waking up to a cool morning at the camphouse is always good for the soul.

A hot cup of tea, a porch swing and a little steam rising from the warm water... Perfect.

A couple of weeks ago we were discussing the different ways people make potato salad. Well, here's another summertime salad that can be just a varied.

Cole slaw.

A staple of backyard barbeques. Yet it also makes a good topping for sandwiches, depending on how you dress it.

Today, though, we're talking creamy cole slaw. My favorite when eating it alone.

And so easy to make.

You simply start with some shredded cabbage or, if you're like me, a bag of the tri-colored slaw from the supermarket.

Then, in a medium size bowl or measuring cup, add 1/2 a cup of mayonnaise and 1/3-1/2 a cup of sour cream. Then add a good squirt or two of Dijon mustard (a couple of tablespoons worth). I really like Dijon in salads because it has a nice tang.

Then add 1/4-1/2 teaspoon seasoned salt and a good pinch of ground black pepper and mix well.

Pour over your cabbage...

And toss to coat.

You can serve it immediately or place it in the fridge a bit to let the flavors meld.

If you prefer a thinner dressing, simple add some milk to your mayo mixture until you like the consistency before adding to the cabbage.

My husband loves cabbage, so we often have slaw in lieu of a lettuce salad. On this night we had it with some grilled chicken thighs.

However, this recipe is so easy to change up depending on what you're serving. If we're having fish or shrimp, I'll often substitute Old Bay Seasoning for the seasoned salt. For a little more tang, a splash or two of vinegar might be in order. Some folks add a little sugar for a sweeter flavor. Whatever you can think of. And don't we all love versatile recipes?

Now it's your turn.

Do you like cole slaw? If so, what's your favorite version?

Mindy Obenhaus lives in Texas with her husband and the last of her five children. She's passionate about touching readers with Biblical truths in an entertaining, and sometimes adventurous, manner. When she’s not writing, she enjoys cooking and spending time with her grandchildren. Learn more at www.MindyObenhaus.com 

No Ordinary Weekend - No Ordinary Chicken Salad

It's been an interesting few days around the Obi house. Strange happenings is a goin' on. Okay, not so strange, but definitely out of the ordinary. 

First, I drove to Oklahoma Friday to see my grandsons and help my daughter, Amy, with a workshop she was putting on Saturday. Thanks to a wreck that shut down the interstate, what was normally a 2.5 hour trip turned into 4 hours. After an hour in traffic that was either at a dead stop or a pathetic crawl, I was never so glad to get moving again. Or to see a rest area. (I knew I should have stopped at one cup of tea before heading out)

At any rate, as I finally made my way into Oklahoma, the Arbuckle Mountains greeted me with a fantastic view. 

Yeah, I know. They're not really mountains. But they're still pretty.

That night, I had pizza and cupcakes with my grandsons. Elijah prefers his cupcakes with a little something extra, though.

Frogs and cupcakes. 

Definitely a boy thing.

Saturday morning, Amy and I set off for the community center where she was teaching a workshop on distressing furniture. I was so proud of her. Everyone had a great time and I can't wait to try out some of the techniques I learned.

Imagine taking this $10 garage sale find...

To this...

in just a few hours. 

Remember the ornate plastic wood-look furniture from the 70's?

Before on the left, after on the right.

Love the transformation.

The workshop included lunch. 

Pasta salad, fruit salad, chicken salad (do you detect a theme here?) and sandwich fixings. Oh, and cupcakes. Gotta have cupcakes. 

But, for once, I don't want to talk about cupcakes, I want to talk about chicken salad. Chicken salad is one of those things that is so easy to change up and make just about any way you like. So this is just one version of mine. 

I made this for hubby's and my lunch earlier last week. 

We had a partially picked over rotisserie chicken in the fridge, so I picked that sucker clean, chopped up the meat and added some finely chopped celery and onion. He hates celery, so I have to hide it.

Chopped up apple is also a nice addition for a hint of sweetness, but since I was out of apples...

Next, I added some mayo, sour cream and Dijon mustard. Why Dijon? I like the taste better than regular mustard. Not as harsh.

Stir that all together. Add a little salt and pepper.

Then, in a nonstick skillet over medium heat, I toasted some sliced almonds.

And added them to the mix for a nice crunch.

Lastly, I squeezed the juice of half a lemon over the whole thing and stirred one more time.

Ta-da!

Some other great additions would be grapes, dried cranberries... Cranberries also add a nice pop of color. Mine is a little monochromatic. But tasty, nonetheless.

My trip back to Texas was much smoother and I made it back before the rains set in. Yesterday, my sister-in-law informed us of flooding at the ranch.

This is the entrance to our camphouse.

Fortunately, the houses are all on high ground, so all should be well. We'll just have to wade in.

Now it's your turn. 

Have you ever distresses/re-purposed furniture? 

What's your favorite chicken salad?