Sunday is Mothers Day, and I cannot believe it is here already!  Mothers Day is a great day to spend with the family, whether you have kids, or you want to hang out with your mother, this is a special day for all Mothers around the Country.  And don’t think that because it is Mothers day that you have to spend money!  The best gifts are ones that are thoughtful and from the heart and this kind of gift most likely cannot be bought.  Below I have put together a short list of gifts and such for Mothers Day that will not break the bank, and your MoM with LOVE.

Instead of buying a flower arrangement from the local flower shop or grocery store, take a walk around the neighborhood and pick your own flower bouquet.  Arrange the flowers in a container that you have at home such as a: vase, tall glass, water pitcher or a jar.

Make your Mother breakfast in bed.  I know this sounds very cliche, but, this really is a very nice treat for any mother.  Put some thought into what to make, maybe a heart shaped pancake or toast with some flower shaped pineapple wedges.  Be creative, and use foods that you know your MOM will love.

Break out a pen and paper and write your Mom a poem or a letter letting her know just how much she means to you.

Put together a slide show using photos and videos from when you were growing up and when you went on vacations with your Mom.  Add funny captions and music and you will have a gift that will last a lifetime.

Make your Mom personalized cards.  Use plain white printer paper and fold to card size.  Decorate 6 cards for special occasions, add 6 envelopes and wrap with a ribbon.

Make a Mothers Day coupon book, fill with coupons such as: Day of Pampering, Foot Massage and Laundry Help.

Put together a scrapbook using photos of you and your Mom.  Decorate with new and old paper, buttons, ribbons, stamps and more.

Do something for your Mom that you know she has been meaning to do, but just hasn’t had the time for.

Just spending time with your Mother is what matters the most.  Enjoy a nice walk, a nice chat, watching a movie together, just spend time together.

Happy Mothers Day!!!

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I always get excited when I am at the grocery store and I notice Eggnog for sale.  I know that this means the Holidays are upon us and the taste of Eggnog is one to remember.  Do you ever wonder why Eggnog is only sold around Christmas…I do.  I did some reading online and found that Eggnog seems to be a winter beverage and only a few select stores will carry it year round.  The most popular times of year to drink Eggnog of course are Thanksgiving, Christmas and New Years.

Eggnog is made of: milk (or cream) , sugar, nutmeg, and eggs.  traditional modern Eggnog does not contain raw eggs.  Many people like to make mixed drinks using alcohol and Eggnog.  My husband prefers his eggnog with a splash of milk.  I prefer my Eggnog thick and creamy right out of the jug.

With the Holidays upon us I figured I would share some yummy Eggnog recipes I found while doing some research online. Enjoy!

The “Best” Eggnog (Make your own!)

Recipe from Teenyblessings.wordpress.com

4 beaten egg yolks
2 cups milk
1/3 cup sugar
1 cup whipping cream
Ground nutmeg

Mix the egg yolks, milk, and sugar in a large saucepan. Cook and stir over medium heat until mixture gets slightly sticky. Remove from heat. Submerge pan in sink or bowl of ice water and stir for 2 minutes. If you wish, stir in whipping cream, 2 tablespoons bourbon, 2 tablespoons rum, and vanilla. Chill for at least 4 hours. Sprinkle each glass with nutmeg.

Eggnog Bread Recipe

Recipe from: Egg-nog.info

3 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 cup sugar
4 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1 beaten egg
1 3/4 cup canned or dairy egg nog
1/2 cup cooking oil
1/2 cup chopped pecans
1/2 cup golden raisins
1/2 cup sifted powdered sugar
2 to 3 teaspoon egg nog

In a large mixing bowl, stir together the flour, sugar, baking powder, salt and nutmeg. Combine the egg, eggnog and oil; add to the dry ingredients, stirring just until combined. Stir in the nuts and raisins. Turn into a greased 9x5x3 inch loaf pan. Bake in a 350 degree oven for 60 to 70 minutes. Cover with foil after 50 minutes if bread browns too quickly. Cool in pan for 10 minutes. Remove bread from pan; cool on a wire rack. Wrap bread; store overnight. To serve, stir together powdered sugar and enough eggnog to make of drizzling consistency. Drizzle over bread.

Makes one loaf. 16 servings.

Eggnog Cheesecake

Recipe from: Eggnogworld.com

Crust:
1 cup Graham Cracker Crumbs
1/4 cup Sugar
1/4 tsp Ground Nutmeg
1/4 c Butter, melted

Filling:
1 Env. Unflavored Gelatin
1/4 c Cold Water
8 oz Cream Cheese, Softened
1/4 cup Sugar
1 cup Eggnog
1 cup Whipping Cream, Whipped
1 tsp of vanilla

Directions:
Combine crumbs, sugar, nutmeg and butter; press onto bottom of 9-inch springform pan.

Soften gelatin in water; stir over low heat until dissolved. Combine cream cheese and sugar, at medium speed on electric mixer until well blended. Gradually add gelatin and eggnog, mixing until blended. Chill until slightly thickened; fold in whipped cream. Pour over crust; chill until firm and ready to serve.

Garnish with nutmeg if desired.

Eggnog French Toast

Recipe from: Allrecipes.com

2 eggs, beaten slightly
1 1/2 cups eggnog
1 1/2 tablespoons ground cinnamon
1 teaspoon pumpkin pie spice
12 slices French bread

Whisk the eggs. eggnog, cinnamon, and pumpkin pie spice together in a mixing bowl until well blended. Pour the mixture into a shallow dish.
Preheat an electric skillet to 300 degrees F (150 degrees C). Lightly grease the skillet.
Dip one slice of bread at a time into the eggnog mixture, being sure to coat each side of the bread thoroughly.
Place the prepared bread slices into the preheated skillet, and cook, turning once, until golden brown on each side. Place cooked slices on a serving plate and cover with foil to keep warm until all French toast is cooked.

Serve immediately.

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Many families and business’s choose to give gifts for the holidays using what is called “Secret Santa”.  Secret Santa is when everyone in a group or family puts their names in a hat and each person draws a name, that name is who you will be buying a gift for.  When you give gifts using the Secret Santa method you buy a gift for only 1 person in a group, instead of buying for several people and everyone gets a gift. This can be a good option during hard economic times as you do not need to buy several gifts, and instead you focus on one person and buy 1 really good gift.

I have been a part of a Secret Santa a few times in the past years with family and it has worked out very nicely.  It was fun to shop for one person and for one person to shop for you.  You get to focus on what that one person likes, wants and maybe even needs.  I would definitely do it again and I would recommend this gift giving method to anyone that likes to try something new and different.

Secret Santa is great for large families, business’s and friends.

I have found some neat websites online that can help you set up a Secret Santa.  These websites are FREE to use and can be a time savor and a great way to buy the best gift.  Many of the websites listed below will let you make a wish list so your Secret Santa can get some ideas of what you like.

For more info about exactly what a Secret Santa is, check out this Wikidepia article.

Draw Names dot com. You can organize a Secret Santa in just minutes.  There are no logins, no passwords, you can make a wish list and its FREE.

Elfster.com. You can plan a Secret Santa gift exchange, Easily build and share wish lists and shop at retailers right online all in one place.

SecretSanata.com. Setup a gift exchange, a yankee swap or a white elephant exchange.  It is FREE and Fun too.

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