Tuesday, December 9, 2008

MY CHRISTMAS RIDE BLOG ENTRY

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Merry Christmas! You’ve reached the next stop on the Christmas Ride Blog Event! Hope you’re enjoying the trip so far. There are still a lot of sites to see, recipes to gather and goodies to win.

Today I’d like to share a simple dessert my children, Nick, Zach, Kyle and Jestina ask for every Christmas.

Chocolate Pudding Pie

Ingredients:

2 pkg instant chocolate pudding
1 already made graham cracker pie crust
Milk
Cool Whip
Hershey bar

Mix the milk and pudding as directed. Pour onto pie crust. Add the Cool Whip then shave the chocolate bar on top. Done. It takes longer to clean up then it does to make. lol

We also do up a banana pie. Just layer the bottom of the crust with cut bananas, add VANILLA pudding and top with Cool Whip. Chocolate shavings optional.

Mmm…my mouth is watering just thinking about eating chocolate by the Christmas tree. We have an artificial one that looks like a real fur tree, and this year, I bunched up the branches then placed wadded pieces of white garland on them to resemble clumps of snow. Looks nice. In my latest release, VAMPIRE KRISTMAS, the H & h literally fly to Montana to pick out their real tree in the deafening silence of falling snow.

Which brings me to my fun contest today. Just answer this question:

Do you have a real tree or an artificial one?

Leave a comment and I’ll draw a random winner for a digital download of one of my Holiday titles:

VAMPIRE KRISTMAS
HOLIDAY SPIRIT
THANKS FOR GIVING

I had a great time sharing with you today. Thanks for visiting! Be sure to pop back on Thursday to see if you won!

In case you need them, below are the CHRISTMAS RIDE CONTEST RULES!

Collect the songs to enter the grand prize drawing. One lucky person will win a $75 Wild Rose Press gift certificate! All you need to do to enter is attend each day's blog post, identify the carol, and make a complete carol list to submit after the final blog post of Christmas Eve. Don't forget to check the list twice!Send it to Christmasrideblog@live.com by midnight, CST Dec. 31st 2008!

Here is a hint to my Christmas song choice: (Title includes the name of one of my children, too.)

Well, way up North where the air gets cold
There's a tale about Christmas that you've all been told
And a real famous cat all dressed up in red
And he spends the whole year workin' out on his sled…

Good luck in the contest!! And if you missed stops or have gotten lost along the way, here are the past blogs where the ride has been spreading Christmas cheer!

Nov 29 PL Parker - http://plparker.blogspot.com/
Nov 30 Lynn Reynolds - http://lynnreynolds.blogspot.com/
Dec 1 WRP - http://thewildrosepress.blogspot.com/
Dec 2 Michele Hart - http://michelehart.blogspot.com/
Dec 3 2 today! - Teri Wilson - http://www.freewebs.com/teriwilson/terisblog.htm
Elaine Cantrell - http://www.elainepcantrell.blogspot.com/
Dec 4 Roni Adams - http://thewildrosepress.blogspot.com/
Dec 5 Stacy Dawn - http://www.stacydawn.blogspot.com/
Dec 6 Susanne Saville - http://myblog.susannesaville.com/
Dec 7 Beth Caudill - http://bethcaudill.blogspot.com/
Dec 8 Kyann Waters - http://kyannwaters.blogspot.com/
Dec 9 Meagan Hatfield - http://www.meaganhatfield.blogspot.com/

Your next stop on the Christmas Ride is:

Dec 11 C.H. Admirand - http://www.chadmirand.net/blog/

Thanks for your support. Have a happy and safe holiday!

24 comments:

kaisquared said...

We have an artificial tree, because I got tired of trees drying up too soon. But we decorate a real living tree outside for the birds.

The carol is Little Saint Nick.

tigger9 said...

Merry Christmas!
We use to get real trees every year and I love real trees. But a couple of years ago we got an artificial tree that we use, but I still prefer a real Christmas tree.
lexeetoste@sbcglobal.net

Judy said...

We have an artificial tree! The real ones are pretty, but they are so messy anymore and I put my tree up the week of Thanksgiving and don't take it down until after Jan.1. I change up the colors and bulbs every few years, just for a different look. I make different cream pies (something like what you listed) for my husband. He loves them. I make them healthy, since he had heart surgery a few years ago.

blessedheart said...

Happy Holidays, Donna! I have a real Christmas tree, of course. I absolutely LOVE the smell of a fresh pine tree!

Blessings,
Rhonda :0)

Helen Hardt said...

Hi Donna, and Happy Holidays! Your carol is Little Saint Nick.

Helen

Donna Michaels said...

Good morning, Kaisquared, tigger9, Judy, Rhonda and Helen!

I love the smell of a real tree, too, but not the mess. And with three rambunctious cats, an artificial one works best for our family.

We put our tree up Thanksgiving weekend and take it down after the New Year, too, Judy. I figure why go through the all that work for only a few days.:) Besides, the kids are home that whole Thanksgiving weekend and are around to help. lol

Thanks for the comments! You're all entered for a chance to win a free PDF of one of my Holiday titles.

Good luck!

~Donna

Mindy said...

I have an artificial tree (less mess) in my house and a live tree for the birds in my backyard.

Merry Christmas,
Mindy :)

kerribookwriter said...

Unfortunately, both myself and my daughter have terrible allergies. So, we have to opt for an artificial tree. This is much to the dismay of my step son who tells me that he is "in love" with real trees. LOL

Just finally got mine decorated and done yesterday. Whew!

Stephanie said...

Ohh your family would so fit right in with mine! Except we start eating Chocolate Pudding Pie at Thanksiving and end up making another for Christmas! LOL We also prefer Ready Whip to Cool Whip but that's totally minor ;)

We also go with with an artificial tree ranging from 12' to 10 feet tall. They're something special in our family.

And the Christmas Carol for today is Lil Saint Nick! Thanks for a great post!

Donna Michaels said...

Mindy,

I know what you mean about the mess. At this hectic time of the year, I'm all for less mess! And I bet the live one outside must host a lot of beautiful birds.

Kerri,

Yes, allergies are always a concern. Since we host the holiday dinners and several memebers of my extended family have allergies, our choice to go artificial is a sound one as well. Congrats on getting your tree up!! Nothing puts me more in the mood to wrap presents then a lit tree at night!

Stephanie,

I think my house would be happy to have the chocolate pie every night...hehe Ready Whip works great, too! And I think it's supposed to be healthier.

Thanks for the comments, ladies. You're all entered in my mini contest and good luck with the Christmas Ride Blog contest, too!

~Donna

Anonymous said...

Little Saint Nick

Karen H said...

The christmas song is 'Little Saint Nick'. I'm listening to it right now...love those Beach Boys!

I don't have a tree at home because my Christmas is spent at my daughter's house in MI. She has a real tree. Funny thing happened with that tree last year. It started listing a little to one side. And after a little too much Christmas Cheer, we all thought it might be an optical illusion until my son said, 'Nope, in another minute, it's going to fall on the TV. I have pictures of my SIL holding the tree straight at the top while my daughter is laying on the floor trying to tighten the treestand wing nuts.

Unknown said...

We have an artifical tree

song is Little Saint Nick

Drea said...

Last year we broke down and bought an artificial tree...just got tired of all the mess (and the cat drinking all the water out of the base). LOL.

It doesn't bother me at all since I grew up with an artificial tree, but my poor hubby still has withdrawls. When I was little I always got excited when the big box came out w/ the tree in it!

Donna Michaels said...

Thanks, Auntdbear and Beth. Yes, that's my song choice.

Karen,

We love the Beach Boys Christmas!! They're great. Oh man, last Christmas must've been a riot! I'm sure those pictures bring a smile to your face.

Drea,

Your cat drinking all the water from the base reminds me of one of my favorite Christmas movies--Christmas Vacation! We watch it every year.

I always anticipated the big box with the tree, too. Helping my dad assemble the tree was very much a part of our Christmas tradition and now my husband and I do that with our children.

Thanks for the comments! Good luck in my mini contest and in the CRB Contest, too!

~Donna

Gina Marie Pettitt said...

Growing up we went back and for between real and artificial. My apt. right ow is too small for any tree so I have a fiber optic table tree (not very Christmasy but relaxing). I help my sister put up and decorate her real tree and I put up and decorate my mom's artificial one so there is a free for the little one's a her house. One of my reasons for moving is I miss decorating for holidays and this apt is just too small to do anything

Debra St. John said...

We have both a real tree and an artificial one. The real tree in downstairs in the living room and is our "fancy" tree. The artificial one is upstairs in the loft and contains all of our family ornaments we've gathered over the years.

Donna Michaels said...

Hi Gina,

My mil used a tabletop fiber optic tree. It gives just the right amount of Christmas spirit without her having to worry about a big cleanup. They're great for small spaces.

Debra,

I love the idea of two trees and I bet both are beautiful for different reasons.

Thanks for the comments. Best of luck in the contests!

~Donna

jer said...

Arificial 'cause pine needles everywhere was not too fun. The carol is "Little Saint Nick"

Donna Michaels said...

Hi Jer,

Yes, those needles are not much fun.

Thanks for your comment and good luck in the contests.

~Donna

Donna Michaels said...

I'd like to send out a big thank you to eveyone who commented today. I had a nice time hearing about everyone's trees.

Be sure to pop back in tomorrow to see if your name was drawn as the winner of my mini contest.

Good luck!

~Donna

Anonymous said...

We have to have a real tree every year. We used to go as a family and cut one down but now we just buy one. I love the smell and look of a real tree.

Song is Little St. Nick one of my favorites but then I love all the Christmas Carols. Merry Christmas.
Carlabuck@aol.com

lindseye said...

When I had a tree I had a fresh tree. I like the small 3 foot artificial trees for the table top decoration.

Donna Michaels said...

Hi Carla and Lindseye,

Yes, the smell of a real tree is part of Christmas. Now we capture that scent in a candle. lol

Lindseye,

Tabletop trees are a part of our household too. My daughter has one in her room with her Littlest Petshop toys underneath. lol

Thanks for the comments and best of luck in the contests!

~Donna