Christmas Ringtones

I have a new phone and lost all my ringtones. Since I like all kinds of music, and I think outside of the proverbial box. I got busy making some new ringtones. I thought I’d share them with all of you.

If you like the ringtones, you’ll love the complete songs, and in most cases, the entire albums.

Here are some links to their music:

Pentatonix

Celtic Thunder

Bob Rivers Comedy

Bing Crosby

Gaither Homecoming

Mariah Carey

Here is the list of ringtones:

• 12 Pains of Christmas
• Angels We Have Heard On High
• Carol of the Bells
• Hershey’s Kisses – We Wish You A Merry Christmas
• I’m Gettin’ Nuttin’ For Christmas
• Joy To The World
• Little Drummer Boy
• All I Want For Christmas Is You
• Mary Did You Know
• Sleigh Ride
• The True Meaning Of Christmas (Linus from Charlie Brown Christmas)
• White Christmas

These ringtones are ready to load on Android devices. If you have an iPhone, you will need to download and convert them in iTunes before they will play on your iPhone.

You can download these ringtones at this link.

Christmas wreath on a budget

My daughter wanted a silver and gold Christmas wreath for her front door. She went shopping with her mother-in-law and didn’t like the retail prices she found.

Luckily, Hobby Lobby was running a half-off sale on all their Christmas items. I bought a 24 inch frame for $5, and two 9 foot garlands for $5 each. I also purchased 2 rolls of wired ribbon for $5 each, and each roll had 90 feet of beautiful ribbon! I have plenty left for other projects

After wiring the garland to the frame, I went to my local Dollar Tree store for inspiration. I found plenty of silver & gold bling to accessorize the wreath. I spent $36 including glue sticks and floral wire to finish the project.

I love the battery operated candles! There were 2 of them in a package for only $1 at Dollar Tree! Wiring them to the wreath was very easy, too.

I spent $61 total making this wreath, and I’ve seen this size wreath sell for $200 and up.

My next project is decorating a vintage wooden sled for her front porch. We purchased it at a flea market about 15 years ago, and she enjoyed using that old sled for several winters.

I’ll post pics of that project when I finish it. I have a 10 day stretch at work coming up, so it will be after Thanksgiving when I begin to tackle that one.

Canberry White Chocolate Cheesecake – Quick & Easy

Crust:
1 sleeve Graham crackers crushed
2 Tbls sugar
1 stick unsalted butter melted
Combine and press into deep dish pie pan or spring form pan
Bake at 350 for 5 minutes and cool completely

Filling:
Combine 1 can sweetened condensed milk and 1 8oz pkg room temp cream cheese. Blend until smooth. Add 1 Pkg white chocolate pudding mix. Blend til smooth. Add 1 package Craisins or off brand dried cranberries. Fold in 8oz cool whip.

Spread in cooled crust and chill. Before serving sprinkle with a few cranberries and grated white chocolate

Easy Cinnamon Rolls

Dust off your bread machines. Don’t have one? I see them barely used at garage sales all the time for under $10 but usually around $5. This recipe can be dumped into the bread machine on the “DOUGH” cycle the night before and prepared the next morning.

INGREDIENTS:

1/4 cup warm water 1/4 cup butter, melted 1/2 (3.4 ounce) package instant vanilla pudding mix 1 cup warm milk 1 egg, room temperature 1 tablespoon white sugar 1/2 teaspoon salt 4 cups bread flour 1 (.25 ounce) package active dry yeast

1/4 cup butter, softened 1 cup brown sugar 4 teaspoons ground cinnamon 3/4 cup chopped pecans 1/2 (8 ounce) package cream cheese, softened 1/4 cup butter, softened 1 cup confectioners’ sugar 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract 1 1/2 teaspoons milk

DIRECTIONS:

1.	In the pan of your bread machine, combine water, melted butter, vanilla pudding, warm milk, egg, 1 tablespoon sugar, salt, bread flour and yeast. Set machine to Dough cycle; press Start.
2.	When Dough cycle has finished, turn dough out onto a lightly floured surface and roll into a 17×10 inch rectangle. Spread with softened butter. In a small bowl, stir together brown sugar, cinnamon and pecans. Sprinkle brown sugar mixture over dough.
3.	Roll up dough, beginning with long side. Slice into 16 one inch slices and place in 9×13 buttered pan. Let rise in a warm place until doubled, about 45 minutes. Meanwhile, preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C).
4.	Bake in preheated oven for 15 to 20 minutes. While rolls bake, stir together cream cheese, softened butter, confectioners’ sugar, vanilla and milk. Remove rolls from oven and top with frosting.

Super Easy French Grilled Chicken

My love of summer foods is based on 2 things: garden fresh veggies and charcoal grilling.  One of my family’s all time favorite is French Grilled Chicken.  So easy and absolutely deliciius.

You CAN use the IQF boneless, skinless chicken breast, but I have found that the fresh boneless, skinless breast absorbs more of the marinade and flavor.

I horizontally split 3 pounds of fresh boneless, skinless chicken breasts. In a bag or covered dish add:
1 bottle of Wishbone Sweet & Spicy French Dressing
1 teaspoon hot sauce
1 tablespoon worchestershire sauce

Mix marinade well, cover and let marinade overnight, shaking or stirring occasionally.  If you don’t have overnight, marinate at least 4 hours.

Lightly salt the chicken when you put it on the grill.  Don’t overcook or the chicken will be dry.

If you have leftovers, make sandwiches on hoagie rolls with fresh spinach and Thousand Island salad dressing.

Note: I’m not a brand name snob, but in this case the Wishbone brand and the Sweet & Spicy French formula is the best for this dish.

“See Ya Later” Mama Ruth

A dear family friend passed away this morning.  The tears I shed are selfish ones, because the suffering for her is over.

“Mama Ruth” Maahs is on the right, my own mama is on the left.

About 10 years ago, I accidentally wrote a song when I found out my brother had terminal cancer. The composition is courtesy of one of my dearest friends, Tony Baggett and is appropriate now for Mama Ruth.

The lyrics are below, and the MP3 file can be found here.

Our time together is soon to be no more

But you see, it’s only temporary.

Because Jesus is our Savior, of that we are sure

We’ll meet again, you and me

 

And we when again get together

The angels will hush their singing

Shouts of joy forever will have Heaven’s walls ringing

 

I can’t say goodbye because it won’t be forever.

Wait for me at Jesus’ feet until we are together.

Show me ’round that city, the paradise you’ve found

Tell me of the glory as we walk around.

No more tears where eternity begins

Your journey here is over

But your memory never, ever ends

And while our hearts are heavy

It’s not goodbye we say, but

We’ll see you later.

 

While together here we traveled a road

We laughed, we cried

We shared life’s loads.

Someday soon, we will hurt no more

In the presence of perfection

There’s glory in store

 

Sing with angels, we’ll worship together

Around His throne, forever and ever

The world behind us, then perfectly complete

Pain and sorrows gone, no more grief.

 

I can’t say goodbye because it won’t be forever.

Wait for me at Jesus’ feet until we are together.

Show me ’round that city, the paradise you’ve found

Tell me of the glory as we walk around.

No more tears where eternity begins

Your journey here is over

But your memory never, ever ends

And while our hearts are heavy

It’s not goodbye we say, but

We’ll see you later.

 

See you later…….

 

See you later.

Country Ranch Potato Salad

This recipe is the easiest potato salad you’ll ever make! It can be served warm or cold, but we prefer it warm. I make it ahead of time and keep it warm in a slow cooker. It’s a crowd pleaser and you probably won’t have leftovers. When you guests ask for the recipe, you can point them to Kim’s Random Life where they can bookmark or print it for themselves.

Because this is such a loved recipe, I usually start with 5 pounds of potatoes. Use your favorites: Russet, Yukon Gold, Redskin, just whatever you like or have on hand.  Just remember if you leave the peeling on the potatoes, please scrub them well.

Boil 5 pounds of large (bite size) potatoes and drain.

To drained, still hot potatoes add:

• 1 stick unsalted butter
• 1/2 to 2/3 cup sour cream (depending on your preference for sour cream)
• 1 package (3 ounce) of real bacon bits.  Not the ones in a jar, the ones in a bag
• tops of 2 green onions or chopped chives
• 8 oz shredded cheddar cheese (I prefer sharp cheddar, but have used mild cheddar often)
• Black pepper to taste

Stir all ingredients together, but don’t over mix. Some of the potatoes will cream, but leave as many chunks as you can.

The next step is really a matter of personal liking and taste. Add 1/2 of a packet of your favorite Ranch dressing or dip mix. I use the Aldi store brand for $.59. Stir and taste. If you prefer more ranch flavoring, add as much as you want. Just be very careful because you can make it too salty. Notice that there is no salt in this recipe. That’s because the dressing powder mix offers plenty.

Happy Memorial Day grilling, my fellow foodies! Let me know how you like this recipe after you try it. Be safe!