Happy New Year 2026! I know we say it every year, but it seems the year slides by faster and faster. I am not sad to see 2025 in the rearview mirror. It was a good year in many ways, but it has also been a difficult year. So we look forward to the New Year of 2026, and whatever it may hold, by faith we know that the Lord will be with us and all is well.
Our neighbors held a huge bonfire and potluck on New Year's Eve. It was a great way to visit with neighbors we rarely get to see!
The bonfire was huge, as you can see. It kept us warm despite the chilly temperatures!
Speaking of chilly temperatures, we've been so very thankful for our wood stove. You can see who else likes the stove, too! Our rescue cat likes to stretch out in front of the stove now!
The moon has been amazing lately! This wasn't the full moon, but it still shone bright in the sky!
Riley and I enjoyed watching the sun come up on New Year's Day. So exciting to ponder the arrival of the New Year, and what it will mean.
I wanted to share with you my New Year's Special on all my books. $50 for all three books and the 2026 calendar, which does include free shipping (to the US). If you are located outside the US, message me, and we can work out the shipping.
A peek inside the calendar. Each month has a beautiful photo shared with an inspirational scripture. All photos are taken by me. The calendar is $20, which can also be purchased separately (with free US shipping).
I make these calendars every year, and usually give them away to family and friends. This year, because of our finances, I am unable to give them away, and I thought it might be a blessing to those of you who may need a 2026 calendar.
Venmo is an easy way to pay, but you can also message me at mountaintopspice@gmail.com if another payment method works for you.
You can see more photos of the calendar and books, as well as watch the video I shared where I talk about the books and calendar on my MountainTopSpice FB page here: MountainTopSpice
Recently, I made Sourdough Chicken Enchiladas! I am having fun experimenting with more sourdough ideas. I've made Sourdough Flour Tortillas, but never Sourdough Corn Tortillas. They were wonderful! Here is the recipe (as well as I can remember how I did it).
SOURDOUGH CHICKEN ENCHILADAS
Tortillas: 1 cup sourdough starter 2 cups masa harina flour 1 tsp salt 1/4 cup water 2 Tbsp oil (olive or avocado)
Chicken Filling: 2 large chicken breasts, cooked, shredded 1 tsp salt & pepper 1 tsp cumin 2 cups shredded cheddar cheese 1 15-oz can green enchilada sauce
TORTILLAS: Add all ingredients to the mixing bowl. Mix the dough together until it becomes soft and pliable. Add more warm water only if needed. Pat the dough into a round ball and let it rest 5 minutes. Heat skillet to medium-high. Roll dough into approximately 10-12 balls. Use 2 pieces of parchment paper to place each ball under, and roll until tortilla-sized. Peel away parchment and place tortilla in hot skillet. (Or use a tortilla press to make the tortillas) Cook 1 minute per side until lightly browned.
ENCHILADAS: Preheat oven to 375. Use a 9x13 pan. Mix shredded chicken with seasonings, 1 cup shredded cheese, and 1/2 cup enchilada sauce. Pour 1/4 cup of enchilada sauce into the 9x13 pan. Dip tortillas in the sauce, and place 1 large scoop of chicken filling in the tortilla and roll it. Continue filling the remaining tortillas. Pour the remaining enchilada sauce over the rolled tortillas evenly. Sprinkle with the remaining cheddar cheese. You can also sprinkle with a bit of cumin and parsley if desired. Place in oven to bake at 375 for 30 minutes, or until bubbly and browned. Serve with rice, refried beans, and a green salad for a great meal! Note: I use the broth I cooked the chicken in to make rice!
We had a very foggy day recently, and as the sun set, the fog and the sun made for a very incredible scene!
One evening as the sun set, the glow rested on the tips of the frosted trees on the mountains, and it was amazing to see!
We took a drive down to see the mountain lake close to our home as the afternoon sun was setting. The tops of the trees spread the warm glow!
It has been a mild winter, and the lake still has not frozen over. Hopefully, as January progresses, we will get some colder temperatures so the ice fishermen can enjoy their sport here!
We are currently getting a lovely snowstorm! We are supposed to get 6-8 inches of snow up where we live, and I am SO excited about it. Hopefully I'll be able to get my cross-country skis out soon!
There are warnings of possible high winds and power outages, so I decided to have a Dutch oven dinner ready for tonight.
Pot roast and carrots. We will enjoy the roast and carrots with a couple of boiled eggs and a salad. Keeping our meals simple and healthy is a continued goal for us.
I want to say a special thank you to all of you who read this blog, and to all of you who take the time to comment! You are all such a blessing and encouragement to me. I pray for all of you, and especially that the Lord would bless you all richly in this new year of 2026!
Here is a short video I made last November, and I think you will enjoy it!
Happy New Year, Marilyn! I loved your video and your reflections here in this post. Stay safe and warm and may God richly bless you and yours as the year unfolds!
Oh my. that foggy sunset is my fave although I do love ALL of your photos. What a cozy home you have. And i am making your Egg Muffin "snacks" (breakfast for us tomorrow through Sunday) later today from your cook book!! I can't wait to try them.
HAPPY NEW YEAR and thank you for a beautiful space where I can come and sit with my coffee and have some quiet time after my time in the Scriptures.
Thank you for those words of encouragement, Faith! You are such a blessing to me! I hope the Egg Muffin snacks were a yummy treat for you and your family! Happy New Year to you and your precious family!
Happy New Year, Marilyn. The fresh snow is so lovely. I keep hoping we will get some - the temperature is just above freezing now and rain is falling, so it's unlikely. Blessings!
Happy New Year! I do hope you get that nice blanket of snow. I love that time of day when the tops of trees and mountains shine. So beautiful. I'll pass on that sourdough recipe to our daughter in law. Have a beautiful January day!
We have enjoyed the snow, and are wishing for more :) So good to know your DIL likes to make sourdough, it really is so versatile! Many blessings to you!
Happy New Year to you and your family Marilyn. Wishing for you all a lot of health and favor this year. I just enjoyed some of the most beautiful Winter scenes in your photos. It is so pretty in your neck of the woods.
Happy New Year to you too, Shug! We are blessed with abundant beauty around here, and I am always grateful and happy to share! Many New Year Blessings to you!
Happy New Year, Marilyn!!! Such beautiful photos of your area of country. I may be a bit jealous of the snow :) We just don't hardly ever get any here. I killed my starter 😭 But I am going to try to get a new one going just so I can make your Enchilada recipe!!! It sounds and looks delicious
I hope you do get some snow, Anne! We haven't gotten a whole lot, but it has been nice to enjoy! I hope you can get some more sourdough starter, we love using it for just about anything that uses flour! Happy New Year blessings to you!
Happy New Year Marilyn and Dan. We are continuing in prayer for you both and continued to healing. We're also having a very mild winter so far which is fine with me. When there are no mountains to enjoy seeing it on there just isn't much point. :-) I'm sure the farmers here would disagree with me. Today it was 60F!!!! On January 7th? That's just craziness. It is supposed to be cooler tomorrow. Your meals looks super healthy and delicious, especially the pot roast on the stove. I do miss our goodness where I would sometimes cook or at least keep meals warm. Blessings and hugs, Betsy
It has been such a strange winter here for us too, Betsy! I hope you end up getting some cooler weather and snow. I love making our meals on the woodstove during the winter, they just taste so much better! Many blessings to you!
Happy New Year wishes to you and your family. I enjoyed seeing the wintry scenes in your photographs. Stay warm in the colder weather ... my good wishes.
Happy New Year to you Marilyn! I hope 2026 is better as far as health is concerned! How fun to share a big bonfire with neighbors. I've had the pleasure of doing that once or twice in my life, during the snowy months. It is such fun! And I wish I could make sourdough things, but can't because I have to eat mostly gluten free. I've been "cheating" a little bit lately, and eating tiny bits of wheat, like a half cookie or a tiny piece of cake.. so far I seem safe doing it. I'm trying not to push it though. I'm so glad you're getting some snow.. and the snowy scenes are so beautiful. I love where it's all yellow out! Wow. Have fun with January and February being a little more relaxing, and take time to just "be" each day, as much as possible anyway, with being a wife and mother! Hugs to you! Marilyn (Pink Paper Cottage)
Yes, indeed we are praying 2026 is a better year for all of us! I wanted to tell you that my Daughter-in-law is gluten-free and gets extreme reactions to gluten. However, she did try my sourdough, and had no issues! Now, she has her own starter, and it doesn't bother her gut at all! I have another friend who is gluten intolerant, and he tried a piece of my sourdough bread, and felt so good eating it, and now eats sourdough regularly. I think you could carefully try sourdough. From what I understand, the fermentation process breaks down the gluten which causes the inflammatory reaction. I hope you have a wonderful New Year! Many blessings to you!
Happy New Year, hope it brings good health for your whole family. We had some cold spells but are having a bit of warmer temperatures too, like it doesn't know if it wants to be winter or not, I don't mind but it isn't normal.
It has been a very unusual winter for us too, Connie. So very strange. We are hoping that we get more snow, but are thankful for what we do have! Many New Year blessings to you!
Marilyn, I'm glad you made the font a little bigger, as this is such a wonderful post to read with so much of this and that. The calendars you make are delightful, what a creative thing to do. I absolutely love your outdoor pictures, and your snow is beautiful. We had our first snow on Monday, but it was a light one, and more to come. Your wood stove is charming, and it must really keep y'all warm. The sourdough chicken enchiladas look amazing. Thanks for the recipe. The foggy day with the sunset is so pretty. That bonfire is huge! And I can tell that was you in front with your sweet smile. I'm so glad that the new year is being good to you so far, Marilyn. : )
Thank you Sheri for your wonderful visit, and I'm sorry about forgetting about changing the font. It definitely is much easier to read with larger font. I love making the calendars every year. The snow has been beautiful, and we hope to get more! Sourdough has been a wonderful adventure for us, we really enjoy it. Happy New Year to you dear friend, you are always a blessing and encouragement!
Happy New year Marilyn. Such lovely calendars. The outdoor photos are beautiful. Your live in a gorgeous place. One day, I shall try working with sourdough. the enchiladas look delicious as is the pot roast. Blessings dear friend. I am happy to feature your lovely post at Love Your Creativity.
Oh Linda! Thank you for the feature! It is always such a blessing to be able to share on your space, and I appreciate the "shout out!" Praying the Lord blesses you richly in this New Year!
Happy New Year. My apologies for not being around much in 2025. I am so happy that your husband made it through his health ordeal. I know how scary all that can be. May he continue to heal and be strengthened in body & spirit. - Such lovely photos here. While I don't share your love of snow (sorry) I can appreciate a beautiful photo of it. God bless & I hope to stay in touch better this year.
Dear, sweet friend, I am SO sorry I have fallen so far behind in my reading here. I didn't realize how far behind I really was. A belated Happy New Year to you, too! This was such a wonderful post and I loved the video you made. Your photos are spectacular, as always. I don't know how I missed it, but I didn't realize you had published a 3rd book. Congratulations!!! I have received your lovely calendars, and I know how beautiful they are and such great quality! May the Lord richly bless you and all your endeavors, and may He continue to send healing to Dan in this new year. Sending much love and hugs to you across the miles!
Your comments are blessings to me, and I appreciate each and every one, they are precious to me! I appreciate you taking the time to comment on my blog... this is what makes blogging worthwhile! Have a blessed day!
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Happy New Year, Marilyn! I loved your video and your reflections here in this post. Stay safe and warm and may God richly bless you and yours as the year unfolds!
ReplyDeleteThank you for your faithful visits, Martha! Wishing you and Danny a blessed and wonderful New Year!
DeleteHappy New Year, Marilyn! Your calendar is lovely. I have one of your books and enjoy reading the passages over and over! 5 stars for sure!!
ReplyDeleteOh Kim, thank you! I appreciate those words about my book so much! Happy New Year to you!
DeleteOh my. that foggy sunset is my fave although I do love ALL of your photos. What a cozy home you have.
ReplyDeleteAnd i am making your Egg Muffin "snacks" (breakfast for us tomorrow through Sunday) later today from your cook book!! I can't wait to try them.
HAPPY NEW YEAR and thank you for a beautiful space where I can come and sit with my coffee and have some quiet time after my time in the Scriptures.
Thank you for those words of encouragement, Faith! You are such a blessing to me! I hope the Egg Muffin snacks were a yummy treat for you and your family! Happy New Year to you and your precious family!
DeleteHappy New Year, Marilyn. The fresh snow is so lovely. I keep hoping we will get some - the temperature is just above freezing now and rain is falling, so it's unlikely. Blessings!
ReplyDeleteI hope you do get some snow, Lorrie! It is so beautiful when it falls. Rain and freezing rain - not so much fun! Happy New Year to you!
DeleteHappy New Year! I do hope you get that nice blanket of snow. I love that time of day when the tops of trees and mountains shine. So beautiful. I'll pass on that sourdough recipe to our daughter in law. Have a beautiful January day!
ReplyDeleteWe have enjoyed the snow, and are wishing for more :) So good to know your DIL likes to make sourdough, it really is so versatile! Many blessings to you!
DeleteHappy New Year to you and your family Marilyn. Wishing for you all a lot of health and favor this year. I just enjoyed some of the most beautiful Winter scenes in your photos. It is so pretty in your neck of the woods.
ReplyDeleteHappy New Year to you too, Shug! We are blessed with abundant beauty around here, and I am always grateful and happy to share! Many New Year Blessings to you!
DeleteHappy New Year sweet friend!
ReplyDeleteThe Lord bless you and keep you through this brand new year
Thank you for your visit and your prayers, they mean so very much to us! Much love to you dear friend!
DeleteHappy New Year, Marilyn!!! Such beautiful photos of your area of country. I may be a bit jealous of the snow :) We just don't hardly ever get any here.
ReplyDeleteI killed my starter 😭 But I am going to try to get a new one going just so I can make your Enchilada recipe!!! It sounds and looks delicious
I hope you do get some snow, Anne! We haven't gotten a whole lot, but it has been nice to enjoy! I hope you can get some more sourdough starter, we love using it for just about anything that uses flour! Happy New Year blessings to you!
DeleteHappy New Year Marilyn and Dan. We are continuing in prayer for you both and continued to healing. We're also having a very mild winter so far which is fine with me. When there are no mountains to enjoy seeing it on there just isn't much point. :-) I'm sure the farmers here would disagree with me. Today it was 60F!!!! On January 7th? That's just craziness. It is supposed to be cooler tomorrow.
ReplyDeleteYour meals looks super healthy and delicious, especially the pot roast on the stove. I do miss our goodness where I would sometimes cook or at least keep meals warm.
Blessings and hugs,
Betsy
It has been such a strange winter here for us too, Betsy! I hope you end up getting some cooler weather and snow. I love making our meals on the woodstove during the winter, they just taste so much better! Many blessings to you!
DeleteHappy New Year wishes to you and your family.
ReplyDeleteI enjoyed seeing the wintry scenes in your photographs.
Stay warm in the colder weather ... my good wishes.
All the best Jan
Always appreciate visits from you, Jan! You are such a blessing to all of us with the wonderful recipes you share! Happy New Year!
DeleteHappy New Year to you Marilyn! I hope 2026 is better as far as health is concerned! How fun to share a big bonfire with neighbors. I've had the pleasure of doing that once or twice in my life, during the snowy months. It is such fun! And I wish I could make sourdough things, but can't because I have to eat mostly gluten free. I've been "cheating" a little bit lately, and eating tiny bits of wheat, like a half cookie or a tiny piece of cake.. so far I seem safe doing it. I'm trying not to push it though. I'm so glad you're getting some snow.. and the snowy scenes are so beautiful. I love where it's all yellow out! Wow. Have fun with January and February being a little more relaxing, and take time to just "be" each day, as much as possible anyway, with being a wife and mother! Hugs to you! Marilyn (Pink Paper Cottage)
ReplyDeleteYes, indeed we are praying 2026 is a better year for all of us! I wanted to tell you that my Daughter-in-law is gluten-free and gets extreme reactions to gluten. However, she did try my sourdough, and had no issues! Now, she has her own starter, and it doesn't bother her gut at all! I have another friend who is gluten intolerant, and he tried a piece of my sourdough bread, and felt so good eating it, and now eats sourdough regularly. I think you could carefully try sourdough. From what I understand, the fermentation process breaks down the gluten which causes the inflammatory reaction. I hope you have a wonderful New Year! Many blessings to you!
DeleteYour photos are amazing, Marilyn. I hope 2026 is a wonderful year for your family!
ReplyDeleteThank you Marie for the well wishes, and I wish the same for you and your family!
DeleteHappy New Year, hope it brings good health for your whole family. We had some cold spells but are having a bit of warmer temperatures too, like it doesn't know if it wants to be winter or not, I don't mind but it isn't normal.
ReplyDeleteIt has been a very unusual winter for us too, Connie. So very strange. We are hoping that we get more snow, but are thankful for what we do have! Many New Year blessings to you!
DeleteHappy New Year and congratulations on your books and calendar.
ReplyDeleteGod bless you and your family.
Thank you Victor! Happy New Year to you!
DeleteMarilyn, I'm glad you made the font a little bigger, as this is such a wonderful post to read with so much of this and that. The calendars you make are delightful, what a creative thing to do. I absolutely love your outdoor pictures, and your snow is beautiful. We had our first snow on Monday, but it was a light one, and more to come. Your wood stove is charming, and it must really keep y'all warm. The sourdough chicken enchiladas look amazing. Thanks for the recipe. The foggy day with the sunset is so pretty. That bonfire is huge! And I can tell that was you in front with your sweet smile. I'm so glad that the new year is being good to you so far, Marilyn. : )
ReplyDeleteThank you Sheri for your wonderful visit, and I'm sorry about forgetting about changing the font. It definitely is much easier to read with larger font. I love making the calendars every year. The snow has been beautiful, and we hope to get more! Sourdough has been a wonderful adventure for us, we really enjoy it. Happy New Year to you dear friend, you are always a blessing and encouragement!
DeleteHappy New year Marilyn. Such lovely calendars. The outdoor photos are beautiful. Your live in a gorgeous place. One day, I shall try working with sourdough. the enchiladas look delicious as is the pot roast. Blessings dear friend. I am happy to feature your lovely post at Love Your Creativity.
ReplyDeleteOh Linda! Thank you for the feature! It is always such a blessing to be able to share on your space, and I appreciate the "shout out!" Praying the Lord blesses you richly in this New Year!
DeleteMay 2026 be the best yet. Love to you.
ReplyDeletersrue.blogspot.com
Thank you Rue! Appreciate your visit here very much! Happy New Year!
DeleteHappy New Year. My apologies for not being around much in 2025. I am so happy that your husband made it through his health ordeal. I know how scary all that can be. May he continue to heal and be strengthened in body & spirit. - Such lovely photos here. While I don't share your love of snow (sorry) I can appreciate a beautiful photo of it. God bless & I hope to stay in touch better this year.
ReplyDeleteDear, sweet friend, I am SO sorry I have fallen so far behind in my reading here. I didn't realize how far behind I really was. A belated Happy New Year to you, too! This was such a wonderful post and I loved the video you made. Your photos are spectacular, as always. I don't know how I missed it, but I didn't realize you had published a 3rd book. Congratulations!!! I have received your lovely calendars, and I know how beautiful they are and such great quality! May the Lord richly bless you and all your endeavors, and may He continue to send healing to Dan in this new year. Sending much love and hugs to you across the miles!
ReplyDelete