Mandarin Orange Salad

• 2 1/2 sleeves Ritz brand crackers
• 1 stick butter
• 1/2 cup sugar
• 2 cans mandarin oranges (drained)
• 1 (14 ounce) can condensed milk
• 1 small (8-12 ounce) frozen orange juice
• 1 large tub Cool Whip

Crust:

Crush Ritz brand crackers in zip lock bag with rolling pin. Add sugar and melted butter and shake, evenly distributing crackers, sugar and butter. Press in bottom of 9x12 baking dish, leaving a little of the mixture to garnish the top with.

Filling:

Mix Cool Whip, condensed milk, and frozen orange juice. When completely mixed, gently fold in drained mandarin oranges. Pour over crust and garnish with remaining crust mixture. Cover and chill for at least 3 hours. Best if served COLD.

*Passed down from the Michaud grandmas...may be served as a sweet salad or dessert~ summer or winter time (is often seen at the Schweigert house during holidays)!!!

The "Recipeeve"

The "Recipeeve"

1. 1 cup water
2. carrots
3. fishy crackers
4. cheese crackers
5. butter crackers

Put all ingredients together until well mixed and water is luke warm. Enjoy!!

O' Christmas Tree 2009

Our annual Christmas tree decorating, Charlie Brown Christmas, and leftover Thanksgiving dinner marked our Saturday evening!

All I want for Christmas!

Hint, hint my Chrissy poo, this is what I want from you know who!!!

Red Retro Telephone from Home Decorators.

Black Friday

In honor of "Black Friday", I will not be posting a blog today. And if by chance you need to reach me, I most likely can be spotted a some of my favorite shopping hangouts (hint: TJ Maxx) with one of the greatest shoppers I know...my Mom.

Happy Christmas shopping!!!

"Thankfulness" for family!

A Whole Month of Thankfulness As Told By Piper & Paige:

"ice cream, Mommy & Daddy, Katie, all my friends, "coffey" milk, my 2 headbands, seashells, pumpkin pie, Santa, "phone time" with Grammie, dance class, ponies, dresses, fruit by the foot, treats, family, beads, warm Baxter, leaves, Paigey Lulu, milkshakes, Piper, popsicles, PB&J sandwiches, necklaces, sparkle in my eye, preschool, jammies, pinecones, flowers, snow, warm winter jackets, Wiggles, ABC soup, Thanksgiving, haircuts, nailpolish, rings"...

Happy Thanksgiving!

"The turkey is a funny bird

Its head goes bobble-bobble;

And all he knows is just one word...

And that is gobble-gobble."~Author Unknown

~Happy Thanksgiving!

dreadlocks

I never knew "dreads" could look so cute until my 5 year old started to wear them!

My much anticipated date with a vampire...

...and the wait was worth every second, and yes...I am still "Team Edward".

Even though the countdown has finally ended, in a way it has only just begun. Ladies, we have 7 more months until Eclipse premiere in June. Stay tuned for more Twilight fun to come!!!

It's The Hard-knock Life

My own little "Orphan Annie" with her mismatched outfit (she picked out herself, by the way), no socks, shoes on the wrong feet, an old shower headband (don't know where she dug that thing up from), and a bad haircut I gave her a couple nights ago (can't get into the beautician until next week)!

Step away from the sewing machine!

After my huge milestone today of finally learning how to operate a sewing machine, I am just bursting with creativity to sew and sew and sew (aren't my handmade pillow covers cute???).

I guess it was quitting time when Chris came home to breakfast dishes still in the sink and beds unmade from this morning. I think my buddies have created a sewing monster (you know who you are)!!!

So, I can sew...

...and am one step closer to the most beautiful Thanksgiving table!!

"Boo Boo Fixer"

Paige (and her unlimited supply of Barbie, Pet Shop and Hello Kitty bandaids) has been named the ultimate "boo boo fixer" at our house. If you don't believe me...just ask Daddy and Piper. Between the two of them, one is continually burdened by all the emergency hair removal we've had to do to ALL of her stuffed animals, and the other on all the emergency hair removal we've done on his knees!

Paige and I have been instructed that we cannot buy anymore bandaids, and that the animals need their warm fur coats for winter!

Veteran's Day!

Our day of "Thankfulness" goes out to all the men and women who have served in the United States armed forces throughout the years. We honor and remember our veteran's on this day, November 11th; VETERAN'S DAY for their undoubted patriotic heroism.

"We often take for granted the very things that most deserve our gratitude." ~Cynthia Ozick.

Meet Barbie & Tanner

I think this is one of the wanted Christmas toys we will forget to mention to Santa!!!

Sewing 101...

I am finally able to do it, however I haven't got to the sewing part...just yet! Did you know how much time and effort is put into just cutting and ironing the material, (especially those hard corners)???

Stay tuned as I take this fun journey through sewing 101!!

~Only 2 more weeks until Turkey Day!!

Fall Squashing Comfort Foods

1.) Pork chops (we like the stuffed Pork chops from either Haggens or Fred Myers meat counter). Place in baking dish. Mix cream of mushroom soup (thinned with milk), and mushrooms and pour over top of pork chops for topping. Bake at 350 degrees for 1 hour.
2.) Cut squash into slices (the idea to look like little bowls), place foil at bottom hole (so the juice stays in). Fill with 1/2 tbsp. butter and one small (kiddie cup) of applesauce. Sprinkle cinnamon over top. Bake at 350 degrees on other side of oven (in separate baking dish) for 1 hour.

1.) Cut end off of squash (I used other half of squash from last night {please see above})Gut squash to make baking hole for meatloaf. Place in baking dish.

2.) Make your favorite meatloaf recipe (I use "Frenches" packet seasoning in which I add 1 egg, 1/2 cup milk, 1.5 #'s hamburger, 2 pieces white bread). Stuff into center of squash and bake at 350 degrees for 1 hour. Cut into slices for serving.

Can you tell I ABSOLUTELY love squash...Thanks Colleen for sharing the these beautiful vegetables with us!!!

Sweet November!

With less than one month to go (we're already in November girls), I decided to get all my friends just as psyched as I am and post one more teaser to Twilight New Moon!!
Enjoy...and see you all at the movies!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=brdIPy021-4

A Whole Month of Thankfulness!

I have decided to conduct a little experiment with my girls about learning by example and trying to teach them about the important things in life...Instead of not being prepared for the annual Schweigert Thanksgiving feast (I mean the part about "thankfulness", that is), I have decided that we are going to use the WHOLE month of November as a semi "dress rehearsal" to prepare! Every night after the evening tubby and goodnight prayer we will say something that we are thankful for in hopes the girls will catch on and think of something (lets say) a little more thoughtful than last years answers!

I am going to keep track day by day at the sideline of my blog and you too can watch their progress (hopefully) leading up to the big (my most favorite) holiday feast!!!

"For each new morning with its light,

For rest and shelter of the night,

For health and food, for love and friends,

For everything Thy goodness sends."

~Ralph Waldo Emerson

What are you thankful for???