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Friday, December 25, 2009

Wednesday, December 23, 2009

Cole Family Christmas Dinner

On Saturday night, we hosted Kyle's family for a Christmas dinner! It was a wonderful time of fellowship filled with lots of love and laughter. Since we always celebrate Christmas Day with them in Memphis, I wanted to have them in our home at least one night during the holiday season. We hope to make this a tradition for years to come!





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Rosemary Ginger Pork Tenderloin
Roasted New Potatoes with Herbs
Tomatoes Lillian
Crunchy Romaine Salad
Sister Schubert Rolls
Chocolate Fondue

I would love to share any of these recipes with you! Just email at amytcole@gmail.com. I have made all of these before for different occasions except the pork tenderloin. It was delicious and one that I will make quite often now!

Rosemary Ginger Pork Tenderloin
Makes 8 (3 oz.) servings

2 (1 pound) pork tenderloins, trimmed
1 (12 oz.) jar apricot preserves
1 (5 oz.) bottle light teriyaki sauce
3 tablespoons chopped fresh rosemary
2 tablespoons chopped fresh ginger (dried can be used on both; change the measurements)

Place the tenderloins in a large heavy-duty sealable plastic bag or in a shallow dish. Mix the preserves, teriyaki sauce, rosemary, and ginger in a bowl, and pour over the tenderloins. Seal tightly and turn to coat. Marinate in the refrigerator for 30 minutes or for up to 8 hours, turning occasionally. Drain the tenderloins, reserving the marinade. Preheat the oven to 425 degrees. Bring the reserved marinade to a boil in a small saucepan and set aside. Arrange the tenderloins in a baking pan and bake for 25 minutes or until a meat thermometer inserted in the thickest portion registers 155 degrees, basting frequently with reserved marinade (I baked mine for 40 minutes). Remove from the oven and let stand, covered, for 10 minutes or until a meat thermometer registers 160 degrees.

Tuesday, December 22, 2009

2nd Annual Progressive Dinner

On Friday night we celebrated Christmas at our 2nd Annual Progressive Dinner with the Reeds and Balduccis! These two couples are very dear to us! I am so thankful for their friendship and to have them in Oxford! We started with appetizers at the Balduccis, progressed to the main course at the Reeds, and last but not least, dessert was at our house. We had chocolate fondue with strawberries, bananas, marshmallows, nutter butters, and poundcake! This dessert was absolutely scrumptious! I will post the recipe below. After a night of eating, I could hardly go to sleep that night I was so stuffed! If you have never hosted a progressive dinner, I highly encourage you to do it! It makes for a very entertaining evening filled with lots of food and fellowship! What a great combination!









Chocolate Fondue

by Tyler Florence

Ingredients

  • 16 ounces chocolate (milk, dark, or semisweet)
  • 1/2 pint whipping cream
  • 1/2 cup caramel topping (I used Mrs. Richardson's, it is the best)
  • 3 tablespoons Torani hazelnut syrup or favorite liqueur (I used Frangelico hazelnut liquer which comes in a very cute bottle)

Directions

Place all ingredients in a ceramic fondue pot over low heat. Stir constantly until the mixture is melted and smooth. Do not allow to bubble. Arrange an assortment of bite-sized dipping foods on a lazy Susan around fondue pot. Some suggestions are strawberries, bananas, apples, grapes, cherries, pound cake, marshmallows, raisins and shelled nuts. Spear with fondue forks or wooden skewers, dip, swirl and enjoy!

Friday, December 18, 2009

Tis the Season: Book Give-Away

In honor of Christmas, and the season of giving, I wanted to give each of you a special gift. I have always wanted to do a give-away, so what better time of year! When Kyle and I joined staff with Campus Crusade we were required to read Seeing and Savoring Jesus Christ by John Piper. This book quickly became a favorite of mine, and one I love to share with others. It is beautifully written, and brings me to tears every time I read it, especially the prayer at the end of each chapter. Although our minds need to constantly be pondering upon our Lord Jesus Christ, I can think of no better time than during the month we celebrate his birth. Therefore, I would love to give you a copy of this book. All you have to do is become a follower of my blog! It is really simple. Just click on Follow on the left column. If you are not already a member of google, yahoo, or twitter, you just need to create a google account. That is it! Then, email me your address at amytcole@gmail.com, and I will send you a book. The book give-away will end December 25th, so make sure you become a follower soon! I know there are many of you who read daily, but aren't followers! Sign up today, and Seeing and Savoring Jesus Christ will be coming your way! I pray that during this season you will have time to ponder not only the birth of our Savior, but also his life, death, and resurrection! Merry Christmas to you!

Thursday, December 17, 2009

White Chocolate Peanut Butter Bites

This has become one of my favorite treats to make during the holidays! It is super easy and absolutely delicious! I first sampled it at Mistletoe Market a few years ago, and had to have the cookbook simply for this recipe! It comes from Table of Contents: Service, Settings, and Supper by The Junior League of Birmingham, Alabama. I shared some of this yummy treat with a friend last Christmas, and she said she ate it until she made herself sick! One bite is just not enough!

White Chocolate Peanut Butter Bites
MAKES 75 to 100 PIECES
INGREDIENTS:
4 cups crisp rice cereal
3 cups miniature marshmallows
1 cup crunchy peanut butter
1 cup dry roasted peanuts
4 cups (24 ounces) white chocolate morsels, melted

DIRECTIONS:
Mix the cereal, marshmallows, peanut butter, and peanuts in a large bowl with a spatula. Melt the white chocolate morsels in a saucepan over low heat, stirring constantly, or in the microwave on High for two minutes. Pour the white chocolate over the cereal mixture and quickly mix to coat. Spread the cereal mixture on a sheet of waxed paper and let stand until cool and firm. Break into small pieces and store in an airtight container.

Worth a Thousand Words

The Heathcocks viewing their new home for the first time!

Wednesday, December 16, 2009

An EXTREME Difference



REVEAL DAY: MOVE THAT BUS

UNDESCRIBABLE! Words simply cannot describe what took place on this day. Extreme Makeover: Home Edition is one of the most powerful experiences I have ever been a part of. I hope that through the words and pictures I share with you, I can give you a small glimpse into the big picture of this day (I did take 172 pictures on Reveal Day). After AAA Homes decided to build an Extreme Makeover home, they decided a theme was needed for the project. Hattiesburg Library for the first time allowed AAA Homes to use "The Spirit that Builds." This theme came from a mural that depicts the history of Hattiesburg and was painted in the dome of the library by Professor William Baggett. The theme "The Spirit that Builds" definitely became true of the week. This house was built by the Spirit of Hattiesburg, MS. Hundreds of people and businesses from the community gathered together to build a home for the Heathcocks. There was also a local church that prayed every hour on the hour from Tuesday to Thursday. My dad asked them to specifically pray for carpenters and for the weather. Within 2 hours of praying for carpenters, 4 showed up. The Spirit does in fact build!

As we arrived to the house on Reveal Day, finishing touches were being put on the house...the flag pole was being raised, furniture was being arranged, pictures were being hung, and fresh flowers were placed all over the house. It looked MAGNIFICENT! The home truly looked stunning, and the sun was shining down upon it! As the Heathcock family was driving around the corner, a beautiful rainbow appeared right above the crowd. This was only the beginning of an extremely inspirational day. The Heathcocks got out of the limo, and Mrs. Heathcock hugged Ty Pennington, and then she ran to my dad and gave him a huge hug. This is when I lost it. The gratitude in her heart shined through to her face. The family had not even seen their home yet, and they were already expressing so much thanks to AAA Homes. It was a priceless moment. Extreme Makeover had also connected a live feed to his troop in Iraq so that they could watch the reveal. What a special moment for them too. You cannot even imagine what it is like when the bus is finally moved, and the family sees the house for the first time. It truly is undescribable. Kyle and I were talking about this moment, and he said, "as exciting as this was it will not even compare to our expression when we see heaven for the first time." As stunned as the Heathcocks were, this still pales in comparison to what we will experience when we see our Lord Jesus Christ for the first time and the place he has prepared for us in heaven. Praise be to God that this is not our home, and he is preparing a place for us! I am so thankful to have been a part of this adventure. It was an EXTREME blessing!

Christian Slater putting finishing touches on the house!
Almost complete!





Dad and all the architects
Raising the flag pole
I LOVE this porch!
Family members watching and waiting
Johnny going over his lines
Johnny and Michael visiting with Dad


Kyle, Me, Mom, and Dad waiting for
The Heathcocks to arrive
The entire crew
Christian Slater and Johnny signing

Mom, Dad, and Christian Slater

The Heathcocks Arrival


Gina and Sherman Heathcock
Gina hugging Dad

Sherman hugging his mom and family...this was
his first time to see them in months
Gina hugging family

Talking with his troop
Family waiting on the revealing
Talking with his troop
About to see the house...MOVE THAT BUS!!!
Completely Stunned

Going to see the inside for the first time
The designers, Chrisitan Slater, and AAA Homes


Gary Fordham, Mayor Johnny DuPree, Dad, Lee Everette
Absolutely Gorgeous!!!

Shag and Kyle