Happy New Year! Today is filled with yummy desserts and fattening dips that I will regret tomorrow when I begin working out again. Recently I've been sharing some recipes with those on my newsletter list and I have received so many emails thanking me for the sweet potato casserole that my family eats every Thanksgiving and for the peanut butter fudge recipe that I fix every Christmas for my family. The first year I made the peanut butter fudge, my son and husband ate 5 batches! So if you'd like some updates on my books and just life in general and possibly some yummy recipes and the possibility to win a free book, then go to my website www.leannaellis.com and join my newsletter.

I hope the New Year brings you and yours many blessings!

And it's off to a donation center this week. I've cleaned out the kids' closets, as well as my own, and trying to get organized (again!) for the new year. Whenever I finish a book or get to a good stopping point in my writing, maybe pause moment would be better, then I have to take the time to clear off my desk and pick up my office floor. Piles accumulate. They must breed when I'm not looking. So I'm busy doing that this week. What are y'all doing?

Can you believe it's here? Another Christmas? I'm enjoying some of my mother's home cooking, not to mention the yummy cookies and fudge. I hope you are having a wonderful holiday wherever you are. I was trying to finish my book last week and didn't blog for several days. I did finish another draft of my book and will begin reworking it in January. In the mean time, I'm taking a few days off and just enjoying being with my family. Here's a family favorite that we always enjoy this time of year: Peanut Butter Fudge. It's delicious! The first year I made it, my husband and son ate 5 batches!

Peanut Butter Fudge
3 cups sugar
¾ cup margarine/butter
2/3 cup evaporated milk
1 cup peanut butter
1 7 oz jar marshmallow cram
1 cup chopped nuts (walnut is good, but I don't put any in as my kids don't like nuts)
1 tsp. vanilla

Combine sugar, butter and milk in saucepan, bring to a rolling boil, stir constantly. Continue boiling 5 min. over medium heat, stirring constantly. Remove from heat, add peanut butter, marshmallow cream, nuts and vanilla. Beat until well blended. Pour into greased 13X9 pan. Cool at room temperature, cut into squares. Makes 3 lbs. Enjoy!

Throughout all the holiday cheer, rushing around, stress of finding that last wii Mario Kart, I hope you will remember the true meaning of Christmas. Jesus gave up his throne to humble himself as a defenseless babe, wrapped himself in humanity and gave us the perfect gift of salvation. Have yourself a very merry Christmas and may your 2009 be blessed.

Love,

Leanna

My kids get out of school today! To say they're excited is a huge understatement. They've worked hard this fall semester and need a break. But is Mom ready? I bought my last Christmas present yesterday. I have a couple ot mail. And I've wrapped all the presents. Whoo-hooo! So now it's time to relax, right? Wrong. We still have a ton of activities left and lots of baking and cooking to do. Does a Mom's job ever end?

Yesterday my kids were able to meet Miley Cyrus! My sister who went with us said, "Who is she? I thought she was blond." So we tried to explain her dual personna, Hannah Montana. I think if you're over sixteen, it's hard to comprehend. There's a disconnect.

We were standing in line to go into the concert when a limo pulled up. All the little girls around us started screaming this high-pitched "Eeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee!" No, it wasn't Miley. Just a poor driver trying to work his extra long car out of the crowd.

So, here's my question ... have you ever met someone who made you go "Eeeeeeeeeeeeeee!"?

One of my favorite things to do at the end of the year is to pick a new calendar for our kitchen. My husband and kids and I trek off to Barnes and Noble and look over the calendars available. We've had scenic tours of Italy and Hawaii. We've had ballerinas leaping and turning their way through our year. We've had puppy dogs. This year our new calendar is many of the wonders of the world. It's a great way to introduce my kids to different places around the world that we hope to visit some day. But it's even more fun to begin to fill in all the blanks of the coming year with birthdates to be remembered, anniversaries, trips, tournaments, conferences, times to look forward to and share with family and friends.

She looks cute, right? This is Hilo chewing on my Grinch houseshoe. Exasperating day yesterday with our puppy. She turns 12 weeks tomorrow. She doesn't seem to care at all where she goes potty. When I praise her outside, she just looks at me with this blank look. Yesterday, she was chewing like a pihrana. And she chews hard! She even chews my rose bushes ... with the thorns! If she didn't look so adorable, she'd be in serious trouble. Any ideas out there on the chewing thing? I scold her, growl at her, shove acceptable chew toys in her mouth. She's really beating up my lab who won't tell her no. And any ideas on the housebreaking? It's been a while since I've had a puppy, so how long does it take???