Thursday morning, we brought Daddy his breakfast in bed, kissed him goodby, and set off on an adventure to Jamestown, TN.  Allyson, Kaleb, and Travis had no clue where we were headin'.  Here is their reaction when they found out!

Meradeth, look closely at the last picture.  See if you can find Grandaddy!  :)

Aren't we lucky!!!

Forget the east coast's St. Augustine, Jamestown, sites of great battles, Washington's home etc...we in CA choose to have the really valuable landmarks, like this one I am standing in front of. Its the site of James Dean's car crash located on state route 46 east of Cholame, San Luis Obispo County (on the way to Grandma's house). He was supposedly going to fast when another car pulled in front of him.

Christmas in Tennessee

Allyson, Kaleb, and Travis had a play prepared for us to show when Daddy and Mama arrived at our house.  We had a great weekend...looks as if you all had the same!

Claxton Christmas 2011

Gracie's new red Christmas sweater! She loves it! Ha-Ha!My new citrus juicer! I saw you got the same thing, Kristin! I've already used mine and it's amazing!Another wonderful year with each other....we are so blessed!

Whitley Christmas 2011

Some meals we have had.

This is Split Pea Soup. It is called Roman Lentil, but you just substitute split peas for lentils. Please see recipe above. The half eaten banana in the background is not part of the whole scheme.

Below is a creation of Kevin. I told him I wanted a hamburger but no bun and make it nice! He made a hamburger with melted cheese on top, sauteed mushrooms and onions in olive oil and sweet marisala wine and then put it all over a bed of lettuce with cut tomatoes. Yes!!!
Please note that everything in the above pictures is organic, non-pesticide, all grass-fed beef with no hormones.

I challenge anyone to NOT laugh at this video!

Christmas decorations

Our Christmas picture

We had this taken at Mormor's dining room this past Saturday. Daddy made Christmas cards at CVS and we are sending them to Norway and Mormor's friends in the US.

Our decorations

Ally's 10th Birthday Party

What a fun time today we had celebrating Allyson's birthday at Chuck E Cheese's!

Fresh Fruit

A guy Eric works with has his own fruit trees. He gave us a gigantic bag of fresh oranges from his trees yesterday and they are the most delicious oranges you have ever put in your mouth. I have never eaten oranges that are this juicy. I hand squeezed almost 1 cup of juice from one orange and that is no joke!

Our weekend w/Grandmother

Allyson, Kaleb, and Travis' great-great-great-grandparents

Silas falling asleep

South Beach Diet

Turkey Bacon Cheese Breakfast Cups - Steak au Poivre - Cabbage Reuben Wrap

This has been Kevin's diet the last two days...between meals snacking on pumpkin seeds and almonds.

Sunday afternoon

Allyson went over to Jack and Cathy's house.  She had the best time!  This is Cathy's dollhouse.  Allyson said when she grows up she wanted her house to look just like Ms Cathy's house.  :)

A few of the family pics we took this past week

California Thanksgiving

Thanks to Fran and Lori (Ken's sister) we had a great meal. Ken's mom and sister came up from L.A. and we had quite a spread. Kevin made homemade pumpkin ice cream for dessert with Fran's pumpkin pie. Wilma, Lori, Fran and I played pitch (card game) afterwards. Silas was sleeping during the meal so he had leftovers when we got home with Daddy and Mera. We had a great day. Now, I am off to work. Happy Thanksgiving everyone!

Thanksgiving in Virginia

I fixed Candace's pork chops and they were a big hit!! also scalloped potatoes and steamed french beans. For dessert I made an angel food cake with homemade coffee ice cream. Then we went to see Mormor. Caleb took two pork chops home w/scalloped potatoes to eat for supper tonight. Delicious recipe Candace that I will make again soon. We had a wonderful Thanksgiving and thought about all of the rest of our precious family.

Thanksgiving at the Claxtons

We had a wonderful day. Spent the whole day with Eric's grandmother and parents.

Tennessee Thanksgiving

View from kitchen window this morning

Doing the morning chores

Thanksgiving meal!

Marinated hickory-smoked steaks, Sweet Potato Casserole, Mama's Famous Scalloped Potatoes, and Oven Roasted Asparagus

Homemade Pecan Pie and Coconut Cream Pie for desert

Allyson went outside this morning, gathered some things, and made the table centerpiece.  I think it's beautiful!

 Relaxing

 Playing checkers

 The kids showed us their grapevine swing

Picked out a tree on our own Christmas tree farm.  :)

Thank you, Granddaddy!

I love you, Granddaddy. Thank you for the picture that you sent me of the summmereene. I showed it to Tim and Grampie and Grammie. No one else has come over to show it too. Mama finally put it in this box so I could put it right above my head when I sleep. I love you Granddaddy. Are you standing on the top of the boat? I want you to send me another picture when I send you a picture again. Love you, Granddaddy. I got this dress from cousin Allyson. I love you Granddaddy.

Guess who?

Cathy gave me this picture tonight at church.  Now who do you think this little goofball is?  Write who you first think she is before you read comments that might be posted already.

Gouda and Spinach Stuffed Pork Chops

Ingredients

• 4 (6 ounce) thick cut pork chops
• 8 slices smoked Gouda cheese (I used Boursin garlic and herb cheese)
• 1/2 pound fresh spinach, rinsed and torn into bite-size pieces (fresh, not frozen)
• 3 tablespoons horseradish mustard
• 1 cup panko crumbs or breadcrumbs
• Creole-style seasoning to taste (use any seasoning you like)

Directions

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees. Coat a 9x13 inch baking dish with cooking spray; or olive oil, right Kristin.  :) 

Lay each chop flat on cutting board, and with a sharp knife held parallel to the board, cut a pocket into the pork, leaving three sides intact. Stuff each chop with spinach, and then with cheese.
Place panko crumbs in a shallow dish. Coat each chop with a thin layer of horseradish, and then roll in crumbs. Arrange chops in prepared baking dish. Sprinkle with your choice of seasoning to taste.
Bake in preheated oven for 45 minutes, or until brown and crispy.
We had this meal for lunch today and devoured it before I remembered to get a picture.  Very good!

Mama's milking

Daddy took these pictures. We have a good time doing this together. We got about 3 quarts today. Daddy did most of the milking because he is fast and can do 2 hands.

View from kitchen window

This morning I asked Kevin and Allyson what came to their mind when they saw these two colors.               They both said the same answer!  Do you know what is was?

Flowers and Food

Plant Troubles:    I bought this plant about four months ago (I forget now what the name of the plant is).  It's sprouting outwards on the side - long healthy branches w/pretty little flowers, but the center is beginning to die...starting at the top and slowly working downward...as you can see in the picture on the right.  Should I cut the dead stuff off?  Will that stop it from eventually continuing through the entire plant?  Welcome any suggestions!  :)
French Egg and Bacon Sandwich                                        Ingredients

2 eggs, beaten

4 slices bread

4 slices bacon

2 eggs

1/2 cup maple syrup

Directions

Dip bread slices in beaten eggs. Heat a lightly oiled griddle or frying pan over medium high heat. Cook until browned on both sides. Set aside but keep warm.  Place bacon in a large, deep skillet. Cook over medium high heat until evenly brown. Drain and set aside. Reserve 1 tablespoon of bacon grease in pan and fry remaining two eggs. Place one piece of French toast on each of two plates. Place the fried eggs on top of the bread, top the eggs with strips of bacon. Cover with the remaining pieces of French toast. Following that by pouring on the syrup.

Feta Cheese Foldovers

Ingredients

3 tablespoons thinly sliced green onion

8 ounces feta cheese

1 egg

1 (17.5 ounce) package frozen puff pastry, thawed

1 egg yolk

Directions

In a small bowl, beat egg yolk with 1 teaspoon water. Crumble cheese, and blend with green onions and egg. Cut pastry into twelve 3 inch squares. Place a mounded tablespoon of filling in the center of each square. Moisten edges with water, and fold pastry over filling to form a triangle. Press edges together firmly with a fork to seal. Brush tops lightly with egg mixture. Cover, and chill until ready to bake. Bake at 375 degrees F (190 degrees) for 20 minutes, or until golden brown. Serve warm, or at room temperature.

Homemade Pizza Crust...and whatever topping you like! :)
Sandy Lane (from church) gave me this yeast packet for pizza crust. We tried it the other day...very good, cheaper than buying from store or restaurant, and SO easy!

Pictures and Videos

Pictures taken: garden work, view from the aerial tramway up to Ober Gatlinburg and then riding the chairlift up to the very top of the mountain (notice my face on the lift compared to everyone elses'), loading Honey Dew to take him over to James', plucking chickens, eating at Pancake Pantry (yes, where Bestefar always took us), Blue Ridge Parkway (Kaleb at Looking Glass Rock & Ally in the snow), hotel in Asheville, North Carolina.

                                 (click on the four arrows on the video above to view in full screen)

Before and After

This is just one of the things we've been busy doing during Kevin's vacation.

Our new to us 94 Lincoln Town car

Easy Mexican Casserole

Ingredients
1 pound lean ground beef
2 cups salsa
1 (16 ounce) can chili beans, drained
3 cups tortilla chips, crushed
2 cups sour cream
1 (2 ounce) can sliced black olives, drained
1/2 cup chopped green onion
1/2 cup chopped fresh tomato
2 cups shredded Cheddar cheese
Directions
1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F
2. In a large skillet over medium-high heat, cook ground beef until no longer pink. Stir in salsa, reduce heat, and simmer 20 minutes, or until liquid is absorbed. Stir in beans, and heat through.
3. Spray a 9x13 baking dish with cooking spray. Spread crushed tortilla chips in dish, and then spoon beef mixture over chips. Spread sour cream over beef, and sprinkle olives, green onion, and tomato over the sour cream. Top with Cheddar cheese.
4. Bake in preheated oven for 30 minutes, or until hot and bubbly.

If you like mexican food (like my Kevin does), this is a very tasty, flavorsome dish!
Allyson just posted something cute on her blog! http://allysoncookiecrumbs.blogspot.com/

Friday pictures - homeschool meeting (H.E.D.G.E.)
  A day w/our homeschool friends...pictures of the kids painting pumpkins and playing the game Red Rover outside.
Saturday pictures
  We grilled out for lunch on this gorgeous Fall day.  Then in the afternoon, we met up w/our friends Rich, Jean, and their son Ben...Sam, Kristina, and their kids Lily and Sean at The Corn Maze and Pumpkin Patch at Oakes Farm.


Remember!  http://allysoncookiecrumbs.blogspot.com/

Meradeth's sweet "posed" personality

Meradeth's personalities