He Showed Up After All ...

We enjoyed such a warm and extended autumn, that folks around here were beginning to wonder if Old Man Winter would show up at all this year.  Well, last week he did.

 Last week our snow storm brought us single digit and below zero temps.  Our high on Christmas Day was 2 below.  Yep!  Old Man Winter has shown up, taken his boots off, and it looks like he plans to stay a while.

"You can take a girl out of the south, but you can't take the south out of the girl."

Although I no longer live in the south, I continue to practice quite a bit of the unwritten southern hospitality etiquette.  One of the many unwritten southern rules pertains to hostess gifts.  Not only taking one when invited, but also giving one to departing guests.  In the south, the only thing more important when attending as a guest, or receiving guests, is the hand written, snail mailed thank you note.

I've mentioned numerous times that hostess gifts need not be expensive, it is genuinely the thoughtfulness that matters.  This year, I found a brand new, unopened package of 12 mini stockings at my favorite thrift store for only 50 cents!  I've filled them with a few candies and placed them in my sparkly blue bowl next to the mud room steps where they are handy to pass out to departing guests OR quickly grab as a little hostess gift when going to another home. 

Peanut Butter Cup Pie

If you'll remember back a couple months I announced that I've taken a part-time job at our local café.  Although I was hired as a waitress, our owner has been gracious enough to allow me to also bake pies and cook soup & the daily hot plate special on my scheduled work days.

The following peanut butter cup pie has quickly become a local favorite and I thought I'd share the easy recipe with you just in time for your Christmas celebrations with your families. 

If y'all try this, I hope y'all like it as much as our local towns folk do.  Merry Christmas!

Peanut Butter Cup Pie

Pie Crust:

30 chocolate sandwich cookies, ground into crumbs

3 Tbsp. melted butter

I use a food processor to grind up the cookies. After the cookies are ground into fine crumbs,  I then add the melted butter while the processor is still whirling.  Once mixed, pour the buttered crumbs into a GREASED pie plate.  I use the bottom of a dry measure cup to press the crumbs into the bottom and up the sides of the plate.  Bake crust at 350 degrees for 5-8 minutes until set.  Allow to cool completely before filling.

Filling:

1 c. smooth peanut butter

1 8oz. pkg. cream cheese, softened

1 1/4 c. powdered sugar

1 8oz. tub frozen whipped topping, thawed

Using a mixer, combine the peanut butter, cream cheese and powdered sugar until smooth.  Mix in the whipped topping until combined very well.  Pour mixture into the cooled pie shell.  Smooth top.

Topping:

2 Tbsp. chocolate syrup

1 pkg. peanut butter cup candies, chopped

Drizzle the top of the filling with chocolate syrup.  Top with chopped peanut butter cup candies.  Chill for 2 hours before serving.

Makes 8 slices



Hello ...

The seasons continue to pass me by too quickly.  I find it difficult to believe that Christmas is only 15 days away.  No, I am not "ready".  I did manage to clean up and store the spring / summer flower planters and such from the front lawn.  It is now ready for winter décor, but I am having trouble finding the time to decorate.

Speaking of seasons, the Montana prairie has been joyfully embracing a very warm autumn.  We've had only one snow and the temperatures have dropped below 15 degrees only 3-4 days.  Our evening lows have been averaging in the 20's and our afternoon highs in the low to mid 40's.  Anyone familiar with the weather on the Montana prairie knows this is highly unusual.  By this time each year our over-night temperatures are generally well below zero and our highs are in the lower teens at best.

I have been enjoying our Sunday morning church sermons.  The topic has been about the birth of Jesus.  Last week we covered God's perfect timing for the coming of Christ.  Today's topic was the miracle of Christ's coming.  These past two weeks have left me hungry for next week's sermon.  The children in our church put on the best yet Christmas program this evening.  From year to year I am amazed how much the children have grown and matured.  We had many visitors from the community join us and after the program we served an array of refreshments which were much enjoyed.

My heart was abundantly blessed this evening when my former little babysitting charge, ET, who is now 4 years old, invited himself to come over and spend the night ... hee! hee!  He also invited me over to his house to see his pretty Christmas tree, which he assured me is prettier than mine.  After the children's Christmas program, his mother and I talked and he and his little sister will come out and spend the day with me later this week.  I will have to bring his toy box up from the basement den and pull out all his favorite books as he LOVES to be read to.  We will pop some corn to snack on while we read and read and read.

Our warm weather is forecasted to continue throughout the week and I will have two little house guests who enjoy reading and popcorn as much as I do.  I think this coming week is going to be GRAND.