Making Rosemary Salt and Rosemary Infused Olive Oil.....while hunkering down for a winter weather event!

It is indeed a cold winter's day here in North Texas!!

This morning we finished our coffee and reading - which by the way - we are reading through the New Testament and are now in the book of Revelation - the only book of the Bible that promises a blessing just for the reading. Then we got dressed and headed to Walmart - with about half the population of our town!

It was a ZOO!! A winter ice event was heading our way and we needed a few things for the weekend.

Louis Dean said, "The WINE! We can't run out of WINE!" Or orange juice or hot dogs!

Once home the rain turned to sleet and ice and we turned the central heat on!

I decided today was a good time to make my rosemary salts and rosemary infused olive oil which I have planned to give as Christmas gifts since I saw it in Blondie's Journal back in August!

I followed her directions.....

I stripped the rosemary from the stems and used 1/2 c of rosemary and 1/ 2 c of olive oil.

Simmer for 1 minute. 

Drain. Cool.

Chop fine and mix with 1 cup kosher salt.

Add more olive oil to what was left from making the salt.

Throw in a few more rosemary stalks.

Simmer for 5 minutes. The rosemary will turn brown.

Throw out the rosemary sprigs and cool. Place a fresh spring of rosemary in a pretty container and fill with the now rosemary infused olive oil.

Presto!!! Perfect Christmas gifts!!

After this I decorated one last Christmas tree - in the guest room.

This is my 'Memory Tree.'

 I painted an ornament every year during Amber and Ben's childhood.

During Summer and Jesse's childhoods I sequined an ornament.

My collection of both is huge!!

This collage shows Amber in the upper left from 1999.The Big Bird I painted for her  in 1986  is next.

The Piano I painted the year we bought it for her in 1996. She still has it and the quads will hopefully play it one day. The bottom row has the synchro ornament I painted the year she joined The Pirouettes of Texas Synchronized Swimming Team in 1992.  The next one was painted in 1988 when Amber was a Cubbies in the Awanas program. My youngest son, Benjamin, is on the bulb on the lower right painted in 1999.

So many years. So many memories.

I found several special ornaments Summer has given me over the years.

That will make a complete journal post all of its own.

I love every single one of them. Summer has a knack for choosing THE perfect memory ornament for any given year. 

So all my trees are done. The decorating is finished.

I shall now be gearing up for my Ladies 'Cup of Christmas Tea' which I shall host on Tuesday December 17th. If you are a Texas blogging sister I want you to know YOU are invited!!! My email is listed on my Blog page over on the Facebook Badge. Contact me and I can give you my address and directions plus the time! It would be so much fun to meet in person! 

The fireplace is burning and the heat is on!

It is warm and cozy in the Chapman home tonight!

Hope it is where YOU are this evening as well!!