JUST SOME STUFF

Don't get me wrong, I adore the holiday decorations, goodwill and Christmas movies but there are 3 things I'm not a fan of, and that would be gingerbread cookies, fruitcake and fake snow. (lol)  How about you?  Do you have a Christmas or holiday turnoff?

CHEESY TWISTS (Sandra Lee)

INGREDIENTS

• 1 sheet frozen puff pastry (17.3 ounce box), thawed but chilled
• 1 tablespoon large egg lightly beaten with 1 tablespoon water
• 1 cup Parmesan cheese grated  

1. Preheat oven to 400°F. Line a baking sheet with foil.
2. Unfold puff pastry onto a cutting board. Using a pastry brush, lightly brush half the egg mixture over puff pastry. Sprinkle with ¼ cup Parmesan and gently pat down so the cheese sticks to pastry. Carefully turn pastry over and repeat with remaining egg mixture and Parmesan.
3. Using a pizza cutter, cut pastry into 1-inch-wide strips. Twist each strip by turning the ends in opposite directions. Arrange evenly on prepared baking sheet.
4. Bake for 15 minutes, or until twists are golden brown. Transfer twists to a wire rack. Serve warm..

If you're looking for a place in the states next year that has lots of vendors, plenty of tasty goodies and boasts over a million Christmas lights, check out Leavenworth Washington.  This place looks so amazing!

Do you still send out handwritten notes to thank friends or family, or is that a lost art?  Ironically, December 26 is National Thank You Note Day, so if you have some Thank You cards sitting around the house, that's the day to use them.

Have you ever watched the very wonderful Carol Burnett in her variety show on tv?  It's hard to imagine that it was on from 1967 to 1978, then came back on for the final time in 1991.  This program was laugh out loud funny, and won a staggering 25 Emmys!

She's still around, still churning out some amazing reads, and with over 400 million books in print, and a net worth of a little over 390 million, Eleanor Marie Robertson  never ceases to reinvent herself.  Oh, did I mention this great author is also called Nora Roberts?  Be sure to check out her latest fantasy series called Chronicles of the One.

Do you have a favorite color when it comes to your vehicle?  Mine would be purple or pink, but neither one of those is in the ranking.(lol)  According to the Axalta Coating Systems for 2017, the top color that people prefer for any type of vehicle (trucks, sedans, sports cars, etc.) is white/pearl white with black as a close second.  Also, the top selling car in 2017 was the Toyota Camry.

This seems hard to believe, but according to researchers at the Virginia Commonwealth University, eating a cookie or a small piece of pie with breakfast can rev up your metabolism by 25%, possibly getting rid of about 37 pounds a year.

Did you know that you can donate litter and much needed food to cats and dogs for FREE by visiting www.freekibble.com?  Answer fun trivia questions for FREE and you'll be helping pets in need.

Grover Cleveland is considered the 22nd AND 24th president because he served 2 terms that were not consecutive.

I'm sure not one of them, but two billion people actually enjoy eating bugs (ugh), and the official word for it is entomophagy.

I think most of us get caught up in the holiday hustle and bustle, but I can't forget about the families who are struggling because they've lost a loved one due to domestic violence, or many who are hungry and homeless.  

Someone you know is cringing in fear of being physically harmed,  or struggling with low self esteem because they were degraded or humiliated at a holiday party because of weight, clothing or a conversation.  That friend you work with has no place to go for a Christmas meal, and is forced to sleep in a car and to wash up in the local Walmart.  The child you see with bruises almost every day in your neighborhood cries at night praying to be saved from the horrific abuse he or she is suffering from at home.

Statistically, domestic violence is even worse during the holidays, and every year my Christmas wish is that homelessness and abuse will one day be eradicated.  

This note below is from a blogger who has fallen on hard times.

"In desperate need of help"   Our situation seems to get worse by the day. We are.asking for.help to be able to stay in our home and take care of our 2 children. Please help our family.   View Updates