Giving A Pet For Christmas
December 12, 2009 by admin
Filed under Xmas Gift Ideas
Pets are a wonderful addition to any family. They cheer you up when you are down, keep you laughing, and love you
no matter what. There is nothing more heartwarming than seeing a child who has fallen asleep curled up next to a puppy.
Pets are a very common gift for children at holidays. Puppies and kittens at Christmas, baby ducks, chicks and bunnies at Easter and so forth. What child’s eyes wouldn’t light up at the sight of a brand new baby animal to hold and hug? The promises to love, feed and take care of the new additions to the family flow like water.
The critters are soft, warm and fuzzy gifts for certain but, and it’s a big but, they all grow up and in just a few short weeks are no longer cute little puppies but big romping barking dogs. The cuddly little kittens have turned into large aloof cats. The baby ducks and chicks are no longer soft and fuzzy, but big, noisy and messy, and those two bunnies, Fred and George turned out to be Fred and Georgia!
Pets are a long term commitment. Buying a pet as a gift should be a well planned and thought out move…not a spur of the moment decision based on an emotional reaction.
If you are honestly thinking of getting someone a pet for the holidays (even if it is not for a child) be sure it is something you would do even if there were no holiday involved. If you are thinking about getting a pet for aunt Betty or for your grandmother, make sure they actually want a pet and will be able to take care of it for the next ten or so years. While a pet is a thoughtful gift for someone who lives alone, it is not fair to that person, or to the pet, to give it to someone who will not be able to properly care for it.
Make sure the gift fits. If the primary responsibility of caring for the animal is going to fall to a young child you don’t want to get a dog that will quickly grow to the size of a small pony. The child will not be capable of handling this size of a pet. You might also want to make sure you expose your child to other people’s pets for decent lengths of time before buying one, so if by chance they have allergic reactions to animals you will know before you bring one home for them to fall in love with. This will also give you the time to convince them that they would really prefer a turtle, lizard or something else that doesn’t have dander.
Keep in mind those animals, like babies, cost money way above and beyond the purchase price. Food, leashes, food, collars, food and water bowls, training supplies, food, toys, vet bills, food, licenses and tags, and more food!
There is a great deal of time that has to be invested in most any pet and the holidays are not always a good time to start doing that. The hustle and excitement of a houseful of friends and family may not be the ideal setting for a new puppy, kitten, or any other young animal. A better idea might be to cut out a picture of the pet you have in mind and put that in a card and make sure the child understands that as soon as the holidays have passed and things have gone back to a normal relaxed state they can help pick out the newest member of the family.
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Product Description
Ingredients
Certified Organic Dog Treats – Three Flavors Hypoallergenic Parsley: organic spelt flour, organic canola oil, fresh organic garlic, organic parsley flakes Hypoallergenic Cheese: organic spelt flour, organic canola oil, fresh organic garlic, organic parmesan cheese Peanut: Organic spelt flour, organic peanuts, organic molasses Decorations: Organic yogurt powder, organic coconut oil, organic colorings from fruits, vegetables, seeds and roots.
Christmas Dip
December 7, 2009 by admin
Filed under Xmas Recipes
Ingedients:
1 cup of mayonnaise
1 (8 oz.) pkg. of sour cream
1 (8 oz.) can of water chestnuts, drained, finely chopped
2 tablespoons of chopped pimiento
1 tablespoon of sliced green onion
2 teaspoons of beef flavor bouillon
1/2 teaspoon of Worcestershire sauce
1/4 teaspoon of garlic powder
Fresh vegetables and chips
Instructions:
In a medium bowl combine all ingredients except vegetables and chips; mix well. Cover.
Chill. Stir before serving. Garnish with additional green onion if you wish. Serve with
vegetables and/or chips.
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Product Features
- 2-piece chip and dip bowl and platter
- Crafted from fine white ironstone
- Classically decorated tree serves as focal point of design
- Complements other Nikko Ceramics holiday patterns
- Safe in the microwave, oven, and dishwasher
Pumpkin Pie Bars
December 7, 2009 by admin
Filed under Xmas Recipes
Delicious pumpkin treat the whole family will love.
Ingredients:
1 (18 1/2 oz.) box of yellow cake mix
1/2 cup of butter or margarine, melted
4 eggs
1 (30 oz.) can of solid pack pumpkin (3 cups)
1 cup of sugar, divided
1/2 cup of light brown sugar (firmly packed)
2/3 cup of evaporated milk
1 1/2 teaspoons of cinnamon
1/2 cup of chopped walnuts
1/4 cup of butter or margarine, softened
Instructions:
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Grease and flour a 13 x 9 inch baking pan.
Remove 1 cup of the cake mix; reserve. In a small bowl, lightly beat 1 egg.
In a large bowl, stir together remaining cake mix, melted butter and beaten
egg. Press into prepared pan. In a large bowl, lightly beat remaining 3 eggs.
Stir in pumpkin, 1/2 cup of the sugar, brown sugar, evaporated milk and
cinnamon. Pour over cake mixture in pan. To the 1 cup cake mix, add
remaining 1/2 cup sugar, walnuts and softened butter; mix until crumbly.
Sprinkle over pumpkin mixture. Bake 50 to 60 minutes. Serve warm or cool.
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Product Description
These 125 recipes celebrate the varied ways that pumpkin can enhance a wide range of dishes, from beverages, starters, and snacks to soups, salads, main courses, and, of course, pies, cookies, breads, and cakes. Whether starting from the whole pumpkin (which, Stovel shows, is easier than many may think) or from canned pumpkin (a fine alternative), cooks will be surprised by the variety of ways they can use the entire fruit, including blossoms and seeds, as well as the pulp itself.
Special features include complete menus and decorating and entertaining ideas for harvest celebrations and Halloween parties, as well as sidebars highlighting pumpkin festivals, lore, and growing facts. With pumpkin acreage and sales growing every year, and more health writers touting the fruit’s nutritional powers, Pumpkin comes to the rescue for everyone who wants to expand their cooking repertoire.
Christmas Dinner Combines the South and North
December 6, 2009 by admin
Filed under Xmas Recipes
Are you tired of Turkey for your Christmas Dinner? Here are some yummy ideas to serve at Christmas dinner that are sure to please your family and your guests.
Love the southern flavor? Try serving Shrimp and Grits for Christmas dinner (serves two people). Double for 4.
You will need cooked grits (2 serving sizes)
Olive Oil (2 Tablespoons)
Diced Tasso Ham (1/2 cup)
Diced Leeks (2 Tablespoons)
Diced Onion (2 Tablespoons)
Diced Green Peppers (2 Tablespoons)
Large Shrimp (20 medium, peeled, de-veined, with tails on
White Wine (1 to 2 Tablespoons
Heavy Cream (1 cup)
Salt and Pepper to taste
Chopped Green Onion Tops
Instructions:
Cook grits according to package directions, then set aside and keep them warm.
Heat oil in a large skillet over medium heat.
Add the tasso and saute until crisp
Add the diced vegetables and saute until the onions are translucent.
Add the shrimp and saute for an additional 30 to 45 seconds or until the shrimp are pink.
Remove everything from the pan and set aside.
Deglaze the pan with a little of the white wine.
Slowly add the cream and let reduce until thickened
Season with salt and pepper.
Divide the grits onto two plates.
Pour the sauce over the grits. Garnish with the onion tops. Add the shrimp mixture and enjoy!
Northerners, say “MMMMMMM my favorite Christmas Dinner is Pot Roast!” It smells heavenly cooking and is oh so tender.
The Perfect Pot Roast
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
You will need:
1 (4-pound) boneless Chuck pot roast (tied).
Salt and pepper to taste
2 tablespoons of Vegetable oil
1 finely chopped cup of onions
1 finely chopped cup of carrots
1 finely chopped cup of celery
2 bay leaves
2 teaspoons of thyme
4 cups of beef stock
4 tablespoons of all-purpose flour
4 tablespoons of butter, allowed to soften
First, pat the roast dry and season well with salt and pepper.
In a Dutch oven, heat the oil over medium heat until hot but not smoking.
Add the roast until all sides are brown. (this should take about 15 minutes)
Put the roast on a plate.
Pour out all but 1 tablespoon of oil from the Dutch oven.
Add onions, carrots, celery to the Dutch oven and cook over medium heat. Stir occassionally until golden.
Place roast back into the Dutch oven. Add the bay leaves, thyme and enough beef stock to come 2/3rds of the way up.
Bring to a simmer, skim, cover tightly, and set in the lower third of a 350 degree preheated oven.
The liquid will need to remain at a simmer for 2 1/2 to 3 hours or until the beef is tender.
You will need to turn the roast over several times during the cooking time.
At the end of the time and when the roast is tender, carefully take the Dutch oven out of the oven with oven mitts.
Take the roast carefully out of the Dutch oven and place on a cutting board. Let it sit for 10 minutes. Cover it with aluminum foil during the 10 minutes. Make a gravy out of the liquid in the Dutch oven while you are waiting on the roast.
Slice the roast and serve with a salad and dinner rolls.
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Product Description
How To Care For And Dispose Of A Real Christmas Tree
December 6, 2009 by admin
Filed under Xmas Decorating
Lots of time and effort is put into selecting the perfect Christmas tree for your home. The same consideration should be given to giving the tree the best possible care. Otherwise, the needles will start to brown or turn yellow, or the branches will begin to break with days or weeks to go before the season is over. Safety is also an important reason
to take proper care of your Christmas tree because a drying Christmas tree also presents a grave danger as a fire hazard. The average Christmas tree should last for about five to six weeks if the proper care is given to it.
After selecting a Christmas tree and getting it home, the first thing that should be done is to make a fresh cut and place it into a stand with water. A Christmas tree shouldn’t be put up dry and the water in its stand should be replenished regularly. A fresh cut is made by cutting about an inch off the bottom in a slight diagonal shape to help with the absorption of water. If a fresh cut isn’t going to be made immediately after getting the tree home, it should be
placed in a container with water and left to stand in a shaded area that is away from the wind. If a fresh cut isn’t made and the Christmas tree is left exposed to air, the vessels for transporting water can become blocked. If this happens, another fresh cut can correct the problem and the tree will need to be immediately put into a container with water.
Your Christmas tree should be secure in its stand and it should be placed away from open flames or sources of heat such as furnaces, fireplaces and air vents, all of which may dry it out. Decoration of the tree should also begin after it has been mounted in its stand. Several decoration precautions should be taken to lessen or avoid the Christmas tree being a fire hazard. Ornaments that have an open flame or candles should never be used for decoration. Christmas tree lights should be checked to make sure the bulbs are working properly, the connections are intact and that no part of the cord is damaged. If there appears to be any exposed wiring or bulbs that are not working or which are working intermittently, that string of Christmas tree lights shouldn’t be used.
A good Christmas tree stand should be selected since water is the most important item to getting the longest life out of your Christmas tree. In selecting a stand, find out the amount of water it can hold when a tree is placed in it. Some water will be displaced from the space taken up by the base of the tree so it is important that a selection is not made based on the total volume of water the stand can hold. According to the National Christmas Tree Association, the average Christmas tree may absorb up to one gallon of water each day. It is therefore important to check the water everyday and replenish it accordingly. To make sure your Christmas tree gets enough water, the Association recommends that one quart of water is required for each inch of the diameter of the tree’s trunk.
After Christmas is over and your wonderfully decorated Christmas tree has provided much joy, it is important to remove it before it dries out. Options to discard your Christmas will likely depend on the services offered by your municipality. Some municipalities will pick up Christmas trees on particular days, with a cut-off date. Some towns may require that residents take their trees to specific locations, while in others Christmas trees will be picked up with the garbage, again up to a certain date. But Christmas trees should never be burned in the fireplace as it can cause the build up of creosote, a colorless, oily substance. There’s also the choice that you can continue to get a different use from your Christmas tree by cutting it to pieces yourself and be environmentally sensitive by using it for mulch.
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Product Description
- Artificial, pre-lit frosted Christmas tree with 1,280 tips
- 700 pre-strung frosted lights; lightly frosted foliage with removable pinecones
- Hinged branch construction for quick setup; flame-retardant PVC needles retain shape
- Sturdy metal base and wire branch construction eliminate tipping and sagging
- 7-1/2 feet tall and 66 inches in diameter; 10-year limited warranty
