Archive - December, 2006

more fun than ever!

The only thing more fun than being a kid at Christmas is being a parent of four young children at Christmas! I am so happy that we are a family of six. It’s the ultimate in fun!!!

Lydia and Jessica were up at 5 a.m. We told them they had to wait quietly, keep their hands off of the loot, and wake us when the sun comes up!

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Please say a prayer for Louise and her family. Louise and her husband George are very, very close, lifelong friends of Richard and Janet (James’ parents). George passed away 8:30 am Sunday morning in his home. Their church had service in their living room surrounding George. It sounds like it was a special time. I know Louise would appreciate your prayers. She has known George her entire life. They grew up together and were even born in the same home. They have been married many, many years. You’re in our prayers Louise. (Louise made the girls THESE matching Christmas dresses last year)

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Saturday evening we put a contract on a house!! I would appreciate your prayers for us. It’s a DREAM home!! I will tell more later. I have three days to get my home ready for the agent to come over to see it and take pictures. It will go on the market soon after that. I have soooooooooooooooo much to do. She told us to put half of the things in our home in storage. We have to paint two rooms and move our bedroom back to the play room. I feel a little in over my head. Plus, the whole thing needs to be cleaned — carpets, windows and all. I doubt I sleep this week! James is going to try to work from home Wednesday and Thursday so he can help me. I hope our home sells quickly. Our purchase of the new home is contingent on us selling our home. If he has a cash buyer come along they can take it from us. Pray that I’ll have much energy and enthusiasm with all the work ahead of me. I also want to not feel stressed and anxious. I’d like the home to remain peaceful. I doubt you’ll see me on the blogs this week. Thanks for the prayers. This is a HUGE deal to our family and something that’s greatly needed!

me and my ham

This is the season for Christmas miracles, blessings and surprises! I have to confess that God is so good to me! Jessica and I signed up our family, at our local grocer, for a drawing for a free ham and pretty table centerpiece. Jessica told me she prayed that we would win it and I remember thinking it would be so fun if God would answer her little girl prayer. Well, yesterday I received a call from the store. When I saw the number on caller ID I thought, “Oh, great what have I done now? Who did I make the check out to this time?” To my surprise she was calling to inform me that James’ name had been drawn!! We won the ham!!!

This sucker is big and raw! It’s not a pre-cooked ham that you warm in the oven and throw some glaze on. I need some baking advice! Isn’t it a beauty?

I love my pretty centerpiece. I’ve never had a table centerpiece before. I almost wish it wasn’t fresh so I could enjoy it next year, too.

I am not the only one to receive a Christmas blessing. Check out THIS post on Carl’s blog for a funny Christmas cookie story.

Mother’s day out Christmas program

meet me under the mistletoe

A new tradition for Carl’s G.I.F.T. challenge – mistletoe!

Mistletoe

Walter De La Mare

Sitting under the mistletoe
(Pale-green, fairy mistletoe),
One last candle burning low,
All the sleepy dancers gone,
Just one candle burning on,
Shadows lurking everywhere:
Someone came, and kissed me there.

Tired I was; my head would go
Nodding under the mistletoe
(pale-green, fairy mistletoe),
No footsteps came, no voice, but only,
just as I sat there, sleepy, lonely,
Stooped in the still and shadowy air
Lips unseen — and kissed me there
.

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the nativity

Mom and Larry have a beautiful nativity scene. The pictures do not do it justice. Larry built the manger and the stable. The pretty star can be scene from the black top. The kids really enjoying seeing the nativity each year. I am confident they will grow up with fond memories of it.

cat and mouse

We had an exciting evening last night. We were all sitting in our living room when Max our cat walked into the middle of the room with a big, fat mouse in his mouth. He then decided to show off and put it down. I guess he wanted us to see his superb hunting skills. The wounded mouse scurried behind the Christmas tree with Max on the prowl behind him. What happened next was mayhem! The girls began to chase after the cat who was chasing the mouse. There was a lot of squealing and carrying on. The mouse ran down the hall into Lydia and Jessica’s room. Max chased it back out and it ended up being cornered by Max in the hall closet.

From the closet it ran into the bathroom and out again, crossing over the tops of my feet on the way through the hallway into Elaina and Anjelia’s room. I am not afraid of mice, but when I felt it’s little toe nails on my feet I let out a loud scream. This scared Anjelia badly and she began to scream. Max chased the poor little critter under Anjelia’s bed. James waited at the foot of the bed with a big stick. The mouse ran out and James wacked it real hard and killed it or at least knocked it out.

We let Max take his kill outside to enjoy. Things started to calm down and the excitement seemed to be over. After a few minutes, I turned around and Max had snuck back in through the garage kitty door and had the mouse back in the living room!!! This started things up again a bit, but we shut the garage door and put him back out!

Max gloried in his kill, sitting at our door throwing the mouse in the air over and over again. He was so proud to show off to us. It was quite the show!!! He had that mouse going three feet into the air. Squealing commenced again.

I wish I would have had a camcorder!!!!!

her cuteness

Anjelia was very tired today. She usually does not nap, but after rocking her for quite awhile I decided she needed to sleep a little. After about an hour, I went in to check on her. She wasn’t in her bed or Elaina’s. I found her sleeping in a small plastic container. She had her blankie, Rosy and a Christmas pillow. (I wish you could see her outfit that she wears everyday–panties and snowboots. She just got a new pair of boots and wore them all day.) She looked so cute; I called James and had him come home to see her. After a difficult day, I was so blessed by her cuteness.

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something old, something new (to me)

In response to Carl’s 2006 G.I.F.T. challenge, I watched the movie A Christmas Story for the first time. It was so cute and funny. I don’t have to tell you why I liked it as I’m sure nearly everyone out there has seen this Christmas favorite. One of the best things about the movie is the kitchen. I love the appliances and dishes!

I remember getting my mouth washed out with soap once. My sister and I had bickered all day and my poor mother had finally had enough. I totally understand now, Mom! I could relate to the snow suit, too. I remember having to wear one of those to school whether I liked it or not.

I purchased a Christmas memory today as a Christmas present to myself. My mom has a 1977 copy of a Norman Rockwell Christmas Book full of pictures, poems, recipes, stories and songs. I loved looking at the pictures and reading the poems when I was a child. I’d take the book behind the wood stove and study the pictures. Each of Rockwell’s beloved Christmas paintings fascinated me. I hope to receive my own vintage copy by mail, quickly!

the christmas cookie recipes are in!

Grandma Cobb’s Butter Cookies

from Kandis

6-7 dozen

3 cups sugar
3/4 pound (3 sticks) butter
2 egg YOLKS
1 tablespoon vanilla
3 cups BREAD flour

Gradually cream 1 cup sugar into soft butter. Add egg YOLKS and vanilla. Mix well. Add flowr, gradually. Decide whether you want to use the dough in a ookie press, or roll it out and use cookie cutter or slice cookes. Shape the dough accordingly. Refrigerate for 2 hours or until ready to bake. Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Form dough into cookies, using whatever method you chose, and place on an ungreased cookie sheet. Bake for 10-15 minutes. Do not let them get brown. Use spatula to remove and place on rack to cool. When cool, dip in remaining sugar or powderd sugar…..
She would make this cookie as crust for my strawberry shortcake.

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Kandi’s Jam Thumb Print Cookies
Yields 5 dozen

3/4 pound (3 sticks) butter, softened
1 cup sugar
2 egg YOLKS
3& 3/4 cups all-pourpose flour
1/4 tsp salt
1 teaspoon vanilla
Any tart preserves ( red plum, strawberry, gooseberry)… Nothing with seeds…..

Cream butter and sugar. Add egg YOLKS. Sift flour and salt; blend into butter mixture. Add vanilla. Chill dough thoroughly. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Shape dough into 1 inch balls and place on an ungreased cookie sheet.
Make indentation in center of each with thumb; fill with preserves (jelly will also work, but preserves tastes better).

Bake for 15 minutes or until lightly browned. Cool slightly; remove to rack to finish cooling.
These keep well in a tightly closed container.
Plum and gooseberry taste best for me. Ian likes the tart red plum preserves in his…..

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Kandi’s Lemon Snow Bars

Stir together:
1 cup all-purpose flour
1/4 cup powdered sugar
Cut in 1/2 cup butter until mixture clings together. Press into 8×8 pan ungreased. Bake at 350 for 10-12 minutes.

In mixer bowl:
Beat 2 eggs
Then add 3/4 cup sugar
3 Tbs Minute Maid Lemon Juice,
Beat until thick and smooth.

Stir together:
2 Tbs flour 1/4 tsp. Baking powder then
Add to egg/lemon mixture. Blend, pour over baked layer. Bake at 350 for 20-25 minutes. Sift sugar over top. Cool and cut into bars.
Yields 20 bars.

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Aunt Tootsies bestest Peanut Butter cookies.

Everyone including my 3 grandkids love them. The mail man always gets a sack too!

Stir:
1 C. brown sugar
2 lg. Eggs
Add:
1/2C. Margarine
1/2C. Lard (Shortening don’t give it the flavor)
3/4C. Peanut Butter
1C. White Sugar
1 teaspoon Vanilla
2 Teaspoons Soda, in 1 Tablespoon hot water
(mix in jigger glass)
Mix well the above ingredients and add:
3 C Flour
Drop by teaspoon fulls on cookie sheet and press with fork or bottom of glass with sugar.
Bake 350 degrees till golden

Don’t forget to put about 8 in a zip lock and put in the box for the mailman.

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Aunt Marilyn’s Green Christmas Holly Cookie

1 stick butter
40 large marshmallows
1 t. vanilla
3 t. green food coloring (not the gel)
4 1/2 cups of corn flakes
bag of redhots

melt butter, marshmallows ~ add vanilla & food color (I add more for a darker green) Then add 1 cup at a time the cornflakes & stir. Drop onto wax paper and add redhots immediately so they will stick, just 2or3 to the top of each cookie.
Stack in a circle wreath shape when cooled.

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Tassie Cups with Lemon Curd Filling Recipe

Show: Paula’s Home Cooking
Episode: Paula’s Sweet Shop

Tassie Cups:
1 (3-ounce) package cream cheese, softened
1/2 cup butter or margarine, softened
1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1/4 teaspoon salt

Lemon Curd Filling:
3 large lemons, zested and juiced
1 cup sugar
4 eggs
1/2 cup butter, melted

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.

For the Tassie Cups: Place all of the ingredients in a food processor and pulse until the mixture forms a ball. Wrap in plastic wrap and chill until firm, about 1 hour.

Form the pastry into 24 small balls; press with fingers into the bottom and up the sides of ungreased miniature muffin tins. Bake for 20 minutes, until lightly browned.

For the Filling: Place the zest and sugar in a food processor and process until combined. Add the lemon juice and eggs and process until smooth. Slowly add the butter to the mixture, pulsing as you go.

Place the mixture in the top of a double boiler and cook over simmering water for about 5 minutes, until thick and sugar has dissolved.

Remove tassie cups from muffin tins, spoon lemon curd in the center and serve.
PAULA DEAN

Cook’s Note: Lemon curd will keep in a jar in the refrigerator for up to 3 weeks

Julie
I tasted these at work a few weeks ago and could not quit eating them. They are tiny but AWESOME. If anyone likes lemon they should try this recipe.

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Whenever we went to the Farm for Christmas, my Grandma always had these in a pretty glass candy dish in her living room. We LOVED them! You might consider this more a candy than a cookie, but they are awesome!

Peanut Butter Chocolate Drops made by Karen’s Grandma

2 C Peanut Butter
1 Stick butter
1 lb Powdered Sugar
3 C. Rice Krispies

Mix all ingredients together and form into balls.

Melt:
1 bag of milk chocolate chips
1 bag of semi sweet chocolate chips
1/2 bar of paraffin (optional, the paraffin makes them harden a little better and not be so sticky if you leave them out.)

Dip balls into the chocolate and put on wax paper.

I’m not sure how many these make.

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This is a delicious recipe I recently tried at my ladies bible study. The lady who brought them shared the recipe. I can’t wait to try them. They are a must have with coffee or milk. ~Jules

OREO BALLS

1 package Oreos
12 ounces cream cheese
1 package vanilla almond bark

Crush oreos with food processor or put in plastic bag and crush with rolling pin.

Mix with softened cream cheese. Roll into one inch balls and freeze until very firm.

Melt vanilla almond bark in microwave oven or use double boiler.

Dip oreo balls in almond bark using toothpicks or skewers to help hold — put them on waxed paper or foil.

Cool to set firmly in refrigerator or freezer.

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Here is Nita’s (my mom’s) recipe for Persimmon Cookies. We used to put a blanket on the ground under a neighbor’s tree. We’d shake the branches and collect all the persimmons for Mom’s cookies.

1 c. melted oleo
1 c. brown sugar
2 eggs
1 c. mashed persimmons
2c. flour, 1/2 t. bk. soda, 1/2 t. salt, 1 t. cinnamon, 1/4 t. cloves or nutmeg, & nuts to taste. Cream: oleo, sugar, eggs. Then add persimmon, flour, soda, salt cinnamon, cloves, nuts. Mix. If mix seems to dry add 1/2 c. milk. Drop on greased cookie sheet Bake 10 min. 350

Christmas Cookie Countdown

Karen sent me a link to a Christmas Cookie Countdown. I thought I’d share it in case anyone is interested. Thanks so much for the shared recipes below and if you haven’t done so I’d be thrilled to receive your yummy cookie recipes.

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