Mulled Wine Recipe

I have a recipe for you that will keep you warm during these cold winter evenings... I remember my parents used to drink it during winter town markets back in Czech Republic... and I also remember my Czech friends here in the US making it during winter parties. 

Mulled Wine has been around for a very long time. There are many ways to prepare it - and here is mine :-)

I use my favorite red wine made with organic grapes... in California.

Put 1 cinnamon stick and 3 whole cloves into the pot with 1 cup of red wine.

Bring the wine to a slight boil, until you see a yellow foam and then simmer for about 4 minutes.

Pour it into a glass that can handle really hot liquid. I like to sweeten it with a teaspoon of honey but you can also use 2 teaspoons of sugar.

Decorate your glass with a slice of orange and you can also put one inside the glass.

Enjoy dear friends... and cheers!

Make Time...

Hello everyone! I hope that you are having a great month of January! Things have been very busy around our Little Backyard Farm and I am glad that we have been able to take few family walks with the kids, despite the cold temperatures.

We all might start having those winter blues and they are not pretty - kids are getting antsy and crabby and let's admit it - so do we. Try to get yourselves and the kids outside as much as possible!

And generally this is not only about the mood... it is also about family time. Times are busy and we get caught up in life, work, and technology. Make some time for the kids and bring your phone along only to snap pictures...

Make memories...

Notice the small things... that are really the big things...

Kids don't remember their best day of television...

... so go outside and do something you all will remember!

I hope you all have a great time making memories...

~ Monika ~

New Year's Blessings

There is a switch in our minds that gets turned on by the sounds of fireworks on the New Year's Eve. Have you noticed that? I start thinking about all the things that I didn't get to do last year and I am starting to set all different kinds of resolutions for myself for the next year. I take out my notebook and start writing down plans and pointers to get me on the right track. But then as most of the previous years, life happens and I forget about the plans (I did however stick with couple resolutions in the past... just to keep it real) I fall into the same old routine and the same old habbits. Why should this year be different?

Most likely it will not be different and therefor I decided to focus on different part of it all. I decided to count my blessings. Every year we experience ups and downs and we tend to remember the major events that happen to us. But I decided that I don't want to forget even the smallest things... the cutest things my kids say to me... dates with my husband... accomplishments big or small... traveling memories...

To keep a track of it all, I made this blessing jar. I will write my blessings on pieces of paper and I will place them into the jar. At the end of the year... or when life gets tough, I will read them. Because God is good and I don't want to forget!