Santa Baby

It's that time of year when mommies worldwide haul the kids off to get the perfect holiday memory captured on film - THE SANTA PICTURE!!  Most mommies hope and pray that their kids behave so that they will have spent their money on a great moment in time.  I, on the other hand, think that a 'screaming Santa picture' is money spent just as well spent as a smiling Santa picture.  Last year Jackson was 7 months old and didn't mind seeing Santa.  This year he is 19 months and has an newly found opinion about many things that happen in his little life - including Santa.  We were golden when Santa first arrived, Jackson liked the bells, the 'ho-ho-ho's' and waving.  He even was dancing!!

*Insert premature thoughts of this ACTUALLY being a smiling a picture**
(I kinda wanted the screaming one)

His attitude changed when Santa was close enough to touch him.  I looked at the 'elves' and said 'ok girls on 3, start snapping'. 

*This is where other mommies may not force their kids to sit with Santa - I am not she*

People, I give you this little gem......

And I will leave you with this little side-by-side......

 

!!Merry Christmas!!

December iphone pictures....

Wow-eee December always chews me up and spits me out....but in a good way!! We have had birthdays, engagement parties, friend Christmas parties, church programs, family dinners, and lots and lots of wrapping!  How about a tour of the month via my iPhone.....

Midnight shopping at Target

Me and Jaclyn, mommies gone wild

Jackson met Santa at Jarrod work Christmas luncheon....no tears

Guess they needed a nap after their shenanagans....Lexi(yellow) has truly submitted to Kona

Holiday Decor in my house

THE YUMMIEST Creamer

'6 month' check up actually 6.5 months

Sweet sleeper....loves his left side like his mommy

Scott Family Christmas on my husbands side.....DELISH

Been so blessed with Christmas cards

My MIL finished my board with a real chalk board!! LOVE!

Grandma Jan and Santa Jackson

First taste of a lemon...he actually liked it

Well, thanks for reading, or should I say looking.  The pictures are truly my favorite reason for owning an iPhone.  Great for capturing split second moments!  How is your December going?

Thank you Pinterest

Pinterest is what all the cool kids are doin'!!  It's the latest craze and, in this case, its ok to go against the old saying 'would you jump off a bridge if everyone else did?!?!' Yes, jump, take a look, get sucked in like many of the people I know!! Pinterest is basically like an online catalog/blog where you can browse for practically anything!! If you are looking for a recipe, type it in and Pinterest collects all the 'pins' that have a reference to your search and presents them to you.  You then click on the picture that looks most like what you want and it will take you to a link where you can get a recipe!! If you are trying to decorate your child's nursery, type it in.  Table setting, type it in.  Birthday party ideas, type it in. I will never have to stress about my non-crafty brain thanks to pinterest! Ok so I needed a centerpiece!!

Here is my November craft!

Carve out a small pumpkin making sure you pick a pumpkin that sits pretty evenly on a table so your centerpiece doesn't sit crooked! Insert a plastic cup inside. The cup that will allow you to water real flowers (if you choose to make this with real flowers) or protect your silk flowers from pumpkin goo so you can re-use this next year!

Get something like this to arrange your flowers with:

Stick your flowers where you want them:

After you are done arranging, place the block of floral styrofoam in the cup and...TA DA.....

It was perfect for Thanksgiving!  Side note, the carved pumpkin only stays fresh for a few days so this is something you will want to make close to the date in which you need it.  Rotting, soggy pumpkins are not pleasant at the table!!

I am two for two this holiday season!! I am gonna go for a trifecta and craft in December....stay tuned!

Happy Thanksgiving

'Give thanks to the Lord, for he is good.' Psalm 136:1

'Give thanks to the Lord, call on his name; make known among the nations what he has done.'

1 Chronicles 16:8

Happy Thanksgiving from the Takemoto's.  May today be full of reflection on the things the Lord has done for you and those you love.  He deserves all the praise!  We are so thankful.



Pumpkin Pie and Candied Yam Recipes - Tis the Season

I am not much of a kitchen dweller.  So much so that before I got married, I rarely cooked a meal.  My old roommate Kelly (who is a whiz in the kitchen) can attest to that.  I used to buzz around the kitchen like a vulture waiting for a meal to drop and because my roommate was (and is) so wonderful, she would always make enough of whatever she was making for me.  Bless her, because I did not starve, gain 100 pounds from fast food and hey, I even learned a little.  Kelly, if you are reading, thank you!  I am happy to report that I have gotten much better since getting married!

My man is fearless in the kitchen and I have my MIL to thank for that!! So, Mama Kim, thank you!  J and I had an upcoming 'friendsgiving' to cook for and we had to provide the dessert last minute.  For someone like me, my shopping cart steers straight to the bakery to pick me up a pie.....for someone like my hubs, he hops online right there in the store and his shopping cart hits the aisles with all the essentials to make a pie.  So my fearless husband held my hand while we baked pies and candied yams, saint!  I thought I would share our recipes because our pies and candied yams turned out AMAZING!!

This picture is to prove that my friends and I have turned into adults that can actually make a decent meal!! Happy Friendsgiving!!

Our candied yam recipe is my mother in law's recipe and it is BY FAR the best way to serve your yams....just don't think about the ingredients, they are not for the faint of heart.

Candied Yam
**serving about 6 people depending on how many yams they eat**

• 3 large yams - they get quartered
• 1 stick of butter
• 3/4 cup of granulated white sugar
• 3/4 cup of light brown sugar
• 9X13 pan
• turkey baster

Preheat oven to 270 degrees
Peel and boil yams until almost soft
Depending on the size, half or quarter the cooked yams. Arrange pieces in 9X13 pan(s)
In a separate bowl mix the 2 types of sugar
After the sugars are mixed pour over the yams evenly making sure each one has some
Cut the stick of butter so that each yam has a square of butter on it (yes, you read that right - remember, not for the faint of heart)
Cook in the oven at 270 for 4-5 hours basting the yams every hour in the sugary butter, this will help them candy
Serve warm!

Pumpkin Pie
~From allrecipes.com

• 1 (9 inch) unbaked deep dish pie crust
• 3/4 cup white sugar
• 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 teaspoon ground ginger
• 1/4 teaspoon ground cloves
• 2 eggs
• 1 (15 ounce) can LIBBY'S® 100% Pure Pumpkin
• 1 (12 fluid ounce) can NESTLE® CARNATION® Evaporated Milk
• Preheat oven to 425 degrees F.               
•  Combine sugar, salt, cinnamon, ginger and cloves in small bowl. Beat eggs lightly in large bowl. Stir in pumpkin and sugar-spice mixture. Gradually stir in evaporated milk. Pour into pie shell.               
• Bake for 15 minutes. Reduce temperature to 350 degrees F.; bake for 40 to 50 minutes or until knife inserted near center comes out clean. Cool on wire rack for 2 hours. Serve immediately or refrigerate. (Do not freeze as this will cause the crust to separate from the filling.)