Red Pepper Crackers

Good Tuesday morning!

The Gallery Pics are from last night's JV basketball game against Oak Mountain. We won, by the way. It was a fun night. Not very Christmasy... but definitely fun!

ANNOUNCEMENT! ANNOUNCEMENT! ANNOUNCEMENT! - Two days after I announced the Guestbooker at the bottom of my page was WORKING PROPERLY, it broke! Yep! BROKE!

Anyone else who wants to enter the Christmas Dishrag Contest (yes, the name is going to stay the same) must let me know via Facebook, e-mail (mfaulkner1306@charter.net) or just come by the house and throw a rock through the window. I'll get the message!

You can still leave one comment per day. (If you leave four comments, your name goes in the bowl FOUR TIMES.)

I will draw the winner next Friday morning, December 9!

What is the prize? What is the prize?

I knew you would ask. I will be giving away a BEAUTIFUL, HOMEMADE Christmas Dishrag... PLUS, a bottle of Bath and Body Works Vanilla Bean Noel Anti-Bacterial Moisturizing Hand Soap. (See picture below.)

RANDOMNESS #1 - Yesterday was a decidedly un-Christmas-like day.

I had the heat thingy being replaced... so I kept the Christmas music down so I could hear what was going on in the back of the house (in case I was needed, you see).

Austin was home all day Monday since he didn't have class... so I helped him with packing for this last week of school.

It was so windy, I didn't even plug up my inflatables because I knew they would just be pummeled by the hurricane force gales, and maybe even ruined... I couldn't risk it!

I thought to myself, "Enchanting Belinda. Why don't you just plan on looking at Christmas lights and listening to Christmas music on the way to Oak Mountain with your ever-so-cute hubby, Mikie?" (Yes. When I talk to myself I do so in third person... and I call myself "Enchanting Belinda.")

Well, that just didn't work out at all. It was raining. There were no visible lines for us to follow on the dark, wet interstate. It took us an hour to make a 30-minute trip. And no homes were illuminated for our Christmas Season pleasure. NADA!

Then I thought to myself, "Enchanting Belinda. Why don't you and Mikie sip hot chocolate and watch a Christmas show when you get home... while the kids do their homework, etc., etc."

Well, Mikie doesn't particularly like hot chocolate, and by the time we sat down it was 10:00 p.m. Neither of us felt like staying up until midnight watching a Christmas movie... so we settled for Andy Griffith.

Which was good, but not very Christmasy.

But today is a new day, and I have some big Christmas plans for today. Mighty big plans!

And we all know how that works!

RANDOMNESS #2 - Many of you have inquired about my Christmas Card Goal. The goal is set at 80 this year. That's right. I NEED 80 cards to make me completely happy this holiday season.

Many of you have asked how many cards I have received thus far. The answer is... THREE!

I know! It's December 6, and I have received a whopping total of THREE Christmas cards.

But I'm not worried. No, sir. I bet I get at least TEN cards today. Or maybe TWELVE! I'll let you know.

RANDOMNESS #3 - You'll notice there is no new addition to The 12 Days of Inflatables this morning. No. 4 will be there before day's end. (Last night was NOT a good "take a picture of an inflatable" night. Much too rainy.)

Red Pepper Crackers

This is a Pinterest recipe, but my friend, Julie, makes these and they are EXCELLENT!

You will need the following:

1 1/4 cup canola oil
1 packet Ranch dressing mix
2 to 3 tablespoons red pepper flakes
4 sleeves of Saltine crackers

1. Mix all ingredients together in a bowl for 5 to 10 minutes. Make sure the crackers are coated (and not broken).

2. Lay the crackers on a cookie sheet and drizzle the remaining oil in the bottom of the bowl over the top of the crackers.

3. Bake at 250 degrees for 15 to 20 minutes. Move them around halfway through at 8 or 9 minutes so they will not stick.

4. Let them cool and store in Tupperware.

I'm telling you... These things are addictive.

Have a merry Tuesday! I'll be back tomorrow with a Party, Randomness, Wednesday Wisdom, pics and more.

Take care, and I'll talk to you in the morning.

Sincerely,

The Enchanting Belinda