From a Cottage to a Castle

We Won!!!!

By some amazing twist of fate Charming and I won the From a Cottage to a Castle sweepstakes. The officials called us just before Christmas to say we could move into our castle mid-January. Everything else went on hold as we packed, cleaned, and made the necessary arrangement to move our Happily Ever After to a new location.

What an experience. What an adventure! First off, I had no idea how much stuff you could stuff into a cottage. Ours was obviously packed to the rafters. But then, I never realized how much stuff you need to fill a castle.

Other odd inclinations that have come over me post-move are:

~ When it's really yours you have a greater desire to clean it, or at least I do.

~ Having a nice castle kitchen and dinning room inspires me to cook more lovely meals for Charming, and actually set the table before he arrives for dinner.

~ I find myself actually doing my hair and makeup in the  morning. I think that has a lot to do with having a separate bathroom from the princesses or the opposite side of our home. More time and energy when I'm not worried about waking them from their beauty sleep.

I hope the spell lasts a bit longer. At least until we get everything out of boxes and all the pictures hung. Wish us luck.

Beans for a Ball

Do you sometimes wish your Fairy Godmother would come down and do a little number on week-night family dinner. We had 40 jars of magical beans in the pantry this year, and boy do those things get ordinary after a while. When the magic has run out on your favorite side dish, try this little trick.

Sauteed Almond Beans

1/4 cup raw almond slivers

1 med onion, sliced

1 Tab olive oil

1 quart, or two cans green beans, drained

Salt and pepper to taste

In a medium sauce pan, brown almonds over high heat.

When almonds are golden brown, add oil and onions. (If you decide to take pictures, try not to burn your almonds like I did.) Saute until onions are soft and translucent, about 2 minutes.

Now, add your drained beans and cook until beans are heated through. Add salt and pepper if you'd like.

And all of the sudden your beans are all dressed up and ready for the ball. They look really good next to a heart shaped stake. I'm just saying, in case you're looking for a fabulously easy side dish for the upcoming holiday.

Ruby Slippers

For reasons I'll explain in another post the Holidays were a flurry of excitement for us in a different way than you might expect. We did stop our non-Christmas halabaloo long enough to attend a Christmas Eve party.

At which, Peach snatched these darking little slippers.

Three clicks later, she was asleep and we magically made our way home.
Thank you for the fun Ray and Debbie.
And Hillie, thank you for the loan of your magic ruby slippers.