Tis the Season...

Tis the Season for all sorts of good things...

For decorating the tree
For Advent Calendars

For sending and receiving Christmas cards...we keep all the photo cards from years past too!

For Kiachl (sort of like a funnel cake- served with powdered sugar, marmalade or sauerkraut)

For Baking

For Clementines

For PHOTO CHALLENGES

And for making Caramels

But most importantly, celebrating the real reason for the Season!

What special things do you do to get ready for Christmas and/or enjoy doing during the Holidays?

Here are a few more ideas that I found on Pinterest...
Perfect gift for your neighbors
THESE are so cute
THIS looks like a fun book
and a Yummy Dessert for a Christmas Party

Prepping for the holidays...

I can't believe that Thanksgiving is almost here already!  I have "started" Christmas shopping and even got our Christmas cards ordered...still, I feel the days are flying by as I try to prep for Thanksgiving and Christmas, and not fall too behind!

Yesterday, I posted this picture of Pumpkin Squares on my Instagram account (I am viennahunters if you want to follow me) and a few of you said you wanted the recipe...so HERE it is!  It is one of my favorite things to make for Thanksgiving (and way better than plain ol pumpkin pie)

Here are some other recipes that I like to make for Thanksgiving as well...
Sweet Potato Casserole, Aunt Cheryl's Wine Cranberry Mold, and Chocolate- Pecan Pie

What are some of your favorite recipes for Thanksgiving?  Do Share! :)

Happy Mother's Day!

To all you moms out there...

(Made by my sweet Abby girl)

Faschingsfest...

Our neighbors, whom we love very much, invited us over for a little Faschingsfest celebration!  We cracked up as soon as we saw their costumes!  They were all decked out in Harley attire...with piercings and everything! (look closely at Hans' nose, lip, eyebrow and ear)

Here I was wondering if Hans was going to plant a big crazy kiss on me... :)
They are so fun!

It's the most wonderful time of the year...

Never-ending Monopoly games

Lots of skiing

Snuggles with Memoo

Snowman building

Christmas carols by candlelight

and delicious cake-balls!

Wishing you a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year!

Brownie Cheesecake Peppermint Bars...

Do not even try to figure out the calories in these bars...because it is A LOT and if you think about that you will not enjoy them near as much! Happy Eating!

I adapted my recipe from THIS

Take your store bought cookie dough and line the bottom of a 9x13 pan.  Bake until lightly browned and then let cool.

Mix up a batch of boxed brownies, adding 1 teaspoon of peppermint extract before baking. (according to the box directions).  Once out of the oven, pour into a bowl and break the brownies into small pieces.  Then immediately add 8 oz. of cream cheese and stir until smooth.  Spread this over your cooled cookie layer.  I put this in the fridge while I melted my white chocolate, so it would set up a little faster.

Next melt 12 oz of white chocolate over a double boiler.

While the chocolate is melting, unwrap a package of Dove peppermint chocolate.  I put them in a ziplock and then use meat tenderizer or rolling pin to break them into fine pieces.

Once your white chocolate is melted, pour it over your brownie/cream cheese layer.  Then sprinkle your chopped Dove candy pieces on top.

Before I put them in the freezer to harden, I "scored" them so they would be easier to cut once they were completely hardened.  (If I was smart, I would have lined the pan with foil before baking the sugar cookie layer...but this still worked)

The finished product!

Field Trips and Feasts...

Last week I got to join Levi's class on a field trip to Tradewinds Park.  We had a great day learning about the animals and the farm and he even got to ride a pony!

Then yesterday, Levi's class prepared us a Thanksgiving feast!  He was in charge of serving up the turkey loaf...yummy!

Happy Thanksgiving everyone!

Yum...

This is a blog that I check out for recipes,  and she never disappoints me!  Every recipe I have stolen from her is delicious...and these mini chocolate turtles are no exception!

Just in time for the holidays :)

Welcome 2010

We had a quiet New Year's at home...just the 5 of us. Around the table we sat, talking about the highlights of the 2009 and also sharing some of our goals for 2010. We ate, drank and were merry. Three of us made it until midnight and had a "blast" :) watching the fireworks explode over the city. It was lovely!

One of my goals in 2010 is to learn more about photography... so I thought it would be fun to take a daily photo: Project 365 (check out Flickr to learn more)

Here are some of my favorite photos of 2009


And now that January is finally here...we can begin the countdown until Memoo arrives!

Happy 2010!

Viel Glück

On New Year's Eve, I think it is pretty common for Austrians to give their friends good luck charms for the New Year. The charms come in many shapes and sizes...including pigs, four leaf clovers, ladybugs and mushrooms. Our neighbors brought us these little guys and wished us "good luck" for the New Year.

May you all have a Happy New Year!

Friday Favorites-Christkindlmarkts part 2

A few weeks ago, we had a little girls' time with Lindsay and we went to the Rathaus Christkindlmarkt. It really is my favorite time in Vienna, when the Christmas markets are bustling and the city is fabulously decorated!






Look at this little guy drooling...


Actually, who am I kidding, I was drooling too!

Anyway- a really great thing at the Rathaus, is that there are "stands" inside, where your child can go to make inexpensive Christmas gifts. These were all the gifts that could be made this particular year:


Kids could also bake and decorate goodies....how cute are they?


Here is Abby making a gift for Brad...


I love, love, love the Christmas markets!

Happy Friday from Vienna!

Stuffed...

*Our turkey was stuffed to the gills with garlic, carrots, celery root and herbs


*Our bellies were significantly stuffed with delicious desserts


*and our living room was "stuffed" with a table full of dear friends!

We indeed are blessed and thankful!

Preparing...

We have lived in Austria for 2 1/2 years now and this Thanksgiving feels the most like previous Thanksgivings in America. Although we are missing our family, we have developed a sweet American community who we can share this tradition with! Our feast will actually be on Friday evening, as our kiddos have school, but the preparations have already begun.

Preparing the turkey...
Of course we are thankful for the ability to find turkeys in the bigger grocery stores (although they are smaller than in America, about 9 pounds was the biggest I could find)- still my oven is not too big, so I will be cooking one bird tomorrow and one on Friday. We will eat the one fresh out of the oven first and then if need be, will dive into the already carved one. This is my first attempt at brining.

I used my friend Heather's recipe of:
1 gallon of water
1 cup of salt
1/2 cup brown sugar
10 cloves of garlic (I used about 6 instead)
black peppercorns
onion
thyme
and a few bay leaves

I pureed the herbs, onion and garlic with some water and then added the brown sugar, the salt and the rest of the water and poured it over my turkey. Because I don't have a lot of fridge space either, I put the bird in a small cooler and put it up on our terrace (lid closed) to hang out. We will see if this does the trick for a moist, delicious turkey! :)


Levi is preparing to look handsome with a fresh haircut...


And Milka is preparing to descend on all of the crumbs that make their way to the floor!


HAPPY THANKSGIVING FROM OUR FAMILY TO YOURS!

Thanksgiving Favorites

I love Thanksgiving and all of the food that goes along with the special day! Tonight I am getting my grocery list started and thought I would pass along some of my favorite recipes...

Here is the recipe for the Sweet Potato Casserole-taken from the Congressional Club Cookbook

3 cups sweet potatoes
1/2 cup sugar
1/2 cup butter
2 eggs, beaten
1 teaspoon of vanilla
1/3 cup milk

Topping:
1/3 cup melted butter
1 cup of brown sugar
1/2 cup flour
1 cup chopped pecans

Boil potatoes until tender, then peel and mash ( i would often just use canned)
Mix in sugar, butter, eggs, vanilla and milk. Pour into 9X13 baking dish.
For topping, melt the butter and mix in remaining ingredients. Sprinkle on top of potato mixture. Bake at 350 for 25-30 minutes.

And here is Brad's Aunt Cheryl's recipe for the cranberry jello:

Aunt Cheryl's Wine Cranberry Mold
1 lg. pkg. sugar free raspberry jello
2 C. boiling water
16 oz. can whole cranberries
8 oz. crushed pineapple
3/4 cup good quality port wine or tawny port
1/4 C. chopped pecans
Dissolve jello in boiling water. Stir in cranberries, undrained pineapple and the wine. Chill until partially set. Fold in nuts. Pour into 6 1/2 C. mold and chill until firm (make day before).

And Chocolate-Pecan Pie
1/2 (15 ounce) package of refrigerated pie crust (or make from scratch)
1 1/2 cups chopped pecans
1 cup chocolate chips
1/2 cup sugar
1/2 cup brown sugar
1 cup dark corn syrup
1/4 cup bourbon
4 large eggs
2 teaspoons cornmeal
1/2 teaspoon of salt
2 teaspoon of vanilla extract

Fit piecrust into 9 inch pie-plate

Sprinkle chopped pecans and chocolate chips evenly on piecrust- set aside.

Combine sugars, corn syrup and bourbon in a large saucepan, bring to a boil over medium heat. Cook 3 minutes, stirring constantly.

Whisk together eggs and remaining ingredients. Gradually stir about 1/4 of the hot mixture into the egg mixture; add to remaining hot mixture, stirring constantly. Pour filling into piecrust. Bake at 325 for 55 minutes.

Taken from Southern Living

HAPPY COOKING AND EATING! :)

Feelin' all Festive...

I don't know if it is the snow that is falling or the fact that Lindsay let me borrow her copy of the November RealSimple issue...but I am feelin' all festive.

I just signed up for this

I wish I would have ordered my Christmas cards from here
but I ordered them from here

this is certainly on my want list (hint hint)

and this Kate Rusby Christmas CD will definitely get you in the spirit of the Holidays...

Our Fourth...

We spent most of our day poolside enjoying the sun and then came home and indulged in all of the foods that are expected on the 4th... watermelon, corn on the cob, baked beans, grilled hamburgers and even a few Doritos! (brought over to Austria by our interns with love) We followed our feast with a little lesson on the "Declaration of Independence".

Hope you are enjoying your 4th too!