Category: HOLIDAYS

BLOGMAS 2024 ~ day 19 ~ PRESENTS & PJ’S ~ BLOG 366.352B

This year I’m combing two categories Presents and PJ’s. That said, I think next year I’ll try an every other day or twice a week BLOGMAS with more combined topics 😀 Thoughts or ideas about that?

When does your family open their presents? Christmas Eve, Christmas Day – different times based on which side of the family? I LOVE what Sandra over at Diary of a Stay at Home Mom said about how they split the difference to honor both families by opening their gifts at midnight 😀

This category has changed a lot over the years for me as I have gotten older and had my own family. Being a military family on a tight budget I’ve always  in the past started shopping early (like in January) to work everything in that we wanted to do so that it fit into our tight budget. It just became a habit 😀

But, my family traditions as a kid were of a BIG Christmas eve open with lots of family around. That carried on through college, but as we (cousins) all got older and started careers with odd work hours and began getting married with families of our own, our grandparents passed on, some of us moved away, blended families (each with their own traditions) were formed, etc… getting together for both Christmas Eve AND Christmas Day became harder and harder to do. 

Eventually Christmas eve became a MUCH smaller event for mainly immediate family. We would have a small dinner and open our gifts to each other that night. Christmas morning was for being at our respective homes with our own kids opening presents and then the larger family get together much later on Christmas day for dinner at just one place, usually my grandparent’s or parent’s house and then eventually it was at our house after my dad passed away.

These days with everyone all over the country, both Christmas Eve and Christmas Day are mainly just hubby and I with LOTS of phone calls to family and friends and we open our gifts on Christmas morning.

We usually attend the Christmas party at the Eagles. Last year it was a blended Christmas Dance AND Party that I was in the kitchen for preparing a special meal of Tri-tip sandwiches made by our president with sides of homemade baked beans and pasta salad made by my girlfriend and I. 😀 This year they were separate events with a white elephant gift game that went awry because too many people play by different rules and expectations. 🙃

Does your family do the matching PJ’s? What about giving books on Christmas Eve?

I’ve always wondered why and where the tradition of matching PJ’s came from for Christmas. While I was searching for that answer I also came across the Icelandic tradition of spending Christmas Eve reading and drinking cocoa. What could be more relaxing than donning comfy new PJ’s and curling up with a good book and hot cup of cocoa?

Country Living and Southern Living articles were my main sources of good information. Jolabokflod was also a great source of the founding story for the Icelandic tradition.

Jolabokaflod, which translates roughly to a Christmas book flood and really sounds like the best way to spend Christmas Eve to me since I love to read EVERY night! All I need is a cozy fireplace and cup of hot cocoa with tiny marshmallows to make it perfect.

So let’s start with why Icelanders Spend Every Christmas Eve Reading Books and Drinking Cocoa. Jolabokaflod started during World War II, when paper was one of the few things not rationed in Iceland. For this reason Icelanders gave books as gifts because so many other commodities were in short supply. Ultimately this turned them into a country of bookaholics. According to jolabokaflod.org this increase of giving books for presents has reinforced their cultural concept of being known as bookaholics.

Kristjan B. Jonasson, president of the Iceland Publishers Association, told NPR, “The culture of giving books as presents is very deeply rooted in how families perceive Christmas as a holiday. Normally, we give the presents on the night of the 24th and people spend the night reading. In many ways, it’s the backbone of the publishing sector here in Iceland.”

Since 1944, the Icelandic book trade has sent out a book bulletin to each household in the middle of November each year when the Reykjavik Book Fair happens. People use this catalogue to order books to give to their friends and family on Christmas Eve, the main gift-giving day in Iceland. After all the presents (books) are opened, everyone grabs a cup of hot chocolate and cozies up to spend the rest of the evening reading their new books.

And for a bit more of the worldwide growth of Jolabokaflod here is a bit more history on how it is coming to focus.

In October 2015, Christopher Norris, a senior executive-level media, publishing and social entrepreneur, was invited by BookMachine to write a regular blog posting for members of this international publishing community to read, having written a well-received piece about the future of publishing: ‘Publishing 2020: an Advent calendar of change‘. As he researched topics to write about, he read an in-depth review in The Bookseller about the book trade in Iceland, ‘In depth: Iceland’s book market‘, and came across Jólabókaflóðið for the first time.

As Christopher was a pioneer of World Book Day in the UK, serving on the steering committee for the inaugural event in 1996-7, he realized that the Icelandic tradition offered a fabulous opportunity to promote book buying and reading within the same initiative, so the seeds of Jolabokaflod CIC were planted.

Urged on by the BookMachine team, Christopher launched the UK-version of Jolabokaflod at an RSA Bounce event in London for entrepreneurs in November 2015.

In December 2015, on a business trip to New York, Christopher met with Hlynur Guðjónsson, Consul General and Trade Commissioner at the Consulate General of Iceland in New York, to share the vision of spreading the custom and practice of Jólabókaflóðið to the UK and beyond. Mr Guðjónsson gave Christopher’s Jolabokaflod plans his endorsement and facilitated contact with Icelandic organizations of potential mutual interest, including embassies and book trade bodies, players in annual ‘Christmas book flood’.

At Christmas 2015, Christopher encouraged people all over the world to experience Jólabókaflóðið, the joy of giving books as gifts and reading them over the festive period, in a series of published articles and blog postings.

Between March and October 2016, the Jolabokaflod initiative launched its first crowdfunding project at CrowdPatch – called The Icelanders Cometh – which built on the strong connection with Icelandic literature by seeking funds for UK libraries to spend on books published in English by Icelandic authors. The project raised 103% of its target figure.

In November 2016, Christopher started a new Jolabokaflod-related crowdfunding project, to publish a UK version of the Book Bulletin that captures book recommendations and personal/professional profiles for sharing with people seeking to buy Christmas gifts for their friends and families. This project concluded successfully in February 2017, just after a Gala launch party held at the Hotel Café Royal. The Book Bulletin is now an annual campaign.

In spring 2017, Christopher established two companies to promote the ‘Christmas book flood’ tradition: Jolabokaflod CIC (a not-for-profit social enterprise); and Jolabokaflod Book Campaign Ltd (a commercial trading company).

Global interest in Jolabokaflod CIC at the London Book Fair in March 2017 sparked a year of visiting trade expos to spread the word around the world about the Christmas book flood tradition, notably to BookExpo America in May 2017 and the Frankfurt Book Fair in October 2017. International trade fairs continue to be vital to sharing the Jólabókaflóðið concept with the global book trade.

Jolabokaflod CIC and Jolabokaflod Book Campaign Ltd are on rapid growth curves, with interest expressed from people everywhere in the book trade and externally from the general public. Our founding story is far from complete.

So now that you’re ready to curl up in front of the fire with your new book and a cup of cocoa how about a new pair of matching PJ’s to go with the ambiance of the evening? Warm and cozy pajamas are in my opinion the perfect complement to snuggling up by the fireplace to read or watch Christmas movies.

Christmas PJ’s are the new ugly Christmas sweater – cute, kitschy and perfect for Instagramming, especially when the WHOLE family is wearing matching outfits. You are hard pressed to get through the season without seeing department store displays, catalogs or Christmas movies – especially in this age of multiple social media platforms. They have become so popular that many families have made them a holiday tradition each year. The tradition had begun to die off, but social media and influencers have revived it in a BIG way. A family from North Carolina released a music video parody on YouTube titled “Christmas Jammies,” in 2013 which they hilariously recap their year while sporting red-and-green sleepwear. The video went viral with over more than 18 million views making #ChristmasJammies a wildly popular Instagram hashtag.

But seriously, how and where did such a strange tradition – one where grown men willingly suit up in festive onesies in the name of twinning with their 2-year-old—even start?

According to fashion historian Debbie Sessions, the holiday uniform first gained traction well before the dawn of social media. As early as the ’50s, holiday department store catalogs would advertise festive get-ups, aka PJ’s as we know them today, adorned with stripes, checks, and other holiday motifs for the whole family. The trend inevitably took off, sticking around steadily through the ’60s, ’70s, and ‘80s. Some companies even customize the PJ’s to match the books.

ROAST TURKEY BREAST ~ BLOG 366.352

I have a NEW toy and I LOVE it! I’m updating many of my instant and crock pot recipes and getting rid of ALL my old appliances! Not a great picture, but the flavor made up for that! Tender, juicy and super flavorful!

ROAST TURKEY BREAST

3 Pound Boneless Turkey Breast
1 tablespoon FRESH chopped lemon thyme
2 tablespoons butter, divided
FRESH ground sea salt and black pepper

  • Coat turkey breast with 1 tablespoon of the melted butter.
  • Season well with FRESH ground sea salt and black pepper.
  • Place the turkey breast in the basket of the Ninja Foodi.
  • Cook at 350° for 20 minutes.
  • Carefully turn the turkey breast, coat it again with remaining melted butter.
  • Sprinkle with chopped lemon thyme.
  • Cook for an additional 30 minutes, making sure internal temperature is 165°.
  • Rest 10-15 minutes.
  • Slice and serve.

BLOGMAS 2024 ~ day 18 ~ WINTER WONDERLAND, LIGHTS & PARADES ~ BLOG 366.351B

Several years we would go to HOLIDAY LIGHTS at Shore Acres on the Oregon coast. It doesn’t change in layout so it’s NOT an EVERY year thing. At least this particular year it didn’t rain but, that made it bitterly cold! ALL of our travel is “AROUND” Christmas and never ON Christmas. The first time we went we arrived fairly early, just before dusk so we could walk through and get the lay of the land before walking through a second time after dark. The displays are animated and themed.

Shore Acres is literally perched on a cliff above the Pacific Ocean and began as a private estate for Louis J. Simpson, a shipbuilder. Simpson developed the 3 story mansion complete with an indoor heated pool and ballroom as his “summer home”. The surrounding grounds included 5 acres of formal gardens full of shrubs , trees and flowering plants brought from around the world by himself and various lumbermen. There is even a 100 foot lily pond and caretaker’s cottage. The cottage still stands and was really decorated cute! I’d live there. I really wish I had seen the original mansion, but it has since been torn down after a fire in 1921 and the rebuild was never finished because of the depression and fell into disrepair. Oregon bought the property in 1942 for use as a public park. The gardens, lily pond and caretakers cottage were restored while the mansion was razed.

Shore Acres Holiday Lights is by decorated sponsors and volunteers. This is an Annual event, (but they did miss a couple of years during COVID) and is famous for its beautiful 7 acre botanical gardens and Japanese lily pond on the Oregon coast among the trees. It has over 350,000 lights, animated displays, Santa, choirs… A beautiful holiday tradition for the whole family.

Even on the years we travel to SIL’s party, we are home by Christmas itself. I love having our tree and decorations with a relaxed Christmas Day schedule. We do try and take 1 trip to see some sort of “City Sidewalks” type event.

These are a few of my favorite pictures from our trip to Holiday Lights at Shore Acres on the coast. We took some time to play in a couple of the small towns and stayed over so we didn’t have to drive the windy roads late at night in the rain. We were fortunate to be able to have lunch with an old friend to catch up the next day before we drove home. It’s a walking tour and it is generally COLD as all get out, but, ALSO really beautiful.

2013 was the year of the “white” one 😀 was the first truly white Christmas we had here. I had HIGH hopes for this year, but the storm moving in appears to be much warmer so it will be a WET one instead of a WHITE one 🙁 After growing up in southern California where it wasn’t unheard of to be beach weather for Christmas, I really enjoy the cold and especially the white Christmases.
Hubby made this for me to wake up to in the back yard before the snow got too bad that year. The house across the street that usually looked horrible back then, but NOT when it was under a beautiful blanket of snow. Fortunately, these days we have great neighbors there and it looks beautiful all the time!
Unfortunately, being in a cul-de-sac, delivery tracks leave MANY tire tracks at this time of year to mar the beautiful snow cover.
Even Rudolph was shivering that year! He has since been donated to charity 😀
The first day after he storm was absolutely gorgeous though!
The duck pond behind the neighborhood was truly a work of art.
Obviously we hadn’t gone anywhere – no tire tracks in the driveway! And the fish ladder on the river was like glass with the cold and ice.

The following pictures are from 2014 and one of my favorite picture years. The Festival of Lights is now over 30 years old and a great way to kick off the holiday season. It’s an ALL Volunteer and NON-Profit. It began as a fundraiser sponsored by the Rotary Club to help get the city out of debt and then took on a life of its own and now helps with scholarships and special projects. The festival runs every night from Thanksgiving to New Years. So if you have company in town for Thanksgiving it’s a great way to jump start to your holidays. You can drive your own car or take a horse drawn carriage ride through the displays. They have also coordinated a local radio station to listen to as you view the displays. The night we went through the fog was moving in early so a few of the pictures look a bit “smoky”.They have the world’s tallest (41 feet, 16,000 pounds with a working jaw) nutcracker built by a local company, 500,00 lights, 90 animated displays, 3D displays, horse drawn carriage rides through the displays and a Holiday Village with Santa, hot cider with a bake sale and a synchronized light show in the courtyard. The displays depict fairy tales, the military, patriotism, the local logging industry, local vineyards, local fishing and the traditional Christmas songs and scenes. People come from all over to see it. Unfortunately for locals, it doesn’t change much, but is still fun every few years.

MANY years ago three of my favorite munchkins were coincidentally there the same night we were so I had to snap a few pictures of their discussions with Santa. They have grown SOOOOOOOO much since then! The two oldest now tower over me!
Even the lights with errors turned out cute.  It was difficult to get great pictures or continuous pictures of the animated scenes since there were so many cars behind us.
Every year we also (or usually) go to the Tinsel Town Timber Parade here locally and the last couple of years the Eagles have had a float entered, but last year it started from our garage. The past couple years have been REALLY cold, but last year added in fog making it REALLY eerie. The first set of pictures is from 3 years ago and the last 3 are from last year. We are talking about maybe NOT going this year and enjoying an evening alone for the first time in weeks because it is supposed to be fairly warm for here (47°), but pouring down rain!

The fire truck below is the same one as above, but a bit later in the parade, which really shows the fog difference!

BLOGMAS 2024 ~ day 17 ~ LAST MINUTE / HOMEMADE GIFTS ~ BLOG 366.350B

I’m a Virgo and as such tend to make lists and be over-prepared as a general rule.  So, the only last minute gifts I tend to need are a couple extras for those unexpected visits that come up like a surprise gift from a neighbor.

A few of the “things” I keep on hand (with a festive ribbon already tied to them) for those occasions are:

  • Coffee gift cards
  • Homemade JARS such as the Harvest Soup or Brownie mixes I did this past year
  • Soft, comfy lap blankets
  • Homemade applesauce
  • Homemade jam
  • And closer to the actual day a plate full of homemade goodies

Here are a couple of recipes I make most years that are great to have around and NEVER, EVER go to waste whether they are given as gifts or eaten in house LOL 😀

CARAMEL BUTTERSCOTCH FUDGE
1 1/4 cup milk chocolate chips
1 1/4 cup butterscotch chips
1/2 cup Kraft caramel bits
14 ounces Eagle-Brand sweetened condensed milk
1/3 cup Fisher’s Cinnamon Pecans
  • Line a 9×9 pan with heavy duty foil leaving enough foil overhanging the edges to use as handle to lift the foil out of the pan after the fudge has set.
  • Using a double boiler over medium heat melt the chips, caramel bits and condensed milk together until smooth.
  • Immediately pour into the foil lined pan.
  • Top with pecans using a piece of wax paper to press the pecans slightly into the fudge.

CHOCOLATE PEANUT BUTTER FUDGE
1 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips
1 cup peanut butter chips
1 cup milk chocolate chips
14 ounces Eagle-Brand sweetened condensed milk
1/3 cup Crushed Honey Roasted Peanuts or walnuts

  • Line a 9×9 pan with heavy duty foil leaving enough foil overhanging the edges to use as handle to lift the foil out of the pan after the fudge has set.
  • Using a double boiler over medium heat melt the chips and condensed milk together until smooth.
  • Immediately pour into the foil lined pan.
  • Top with peanut pieces using a piece of wax paper to press the pecans slightly into the fudge.

 

Homemade, store bought, gift cards… What do you prefer?  What are your thoughts about each? I do buy gifts and have even done gifts cards in a pinch, but prefer to not do gift cards as a general rule because they just aren’t personal enough for me.

Over the years I have made everything, and I do mean everything at one time or another to create a handmade Christmas. I’ve made rolls and rolls of butcher paper into wrapping paper, cut grocery bags into handmade tags, made enough fudge, cinnamon rolls, candies and cookies to feed a small country, as well as jams, jellies, soup mixes and Snowman soup!

My award winning jams were requested one year at the Church Christmas Boutique and I ended up selling them there for another 10 years before we moved from that area.  Now I make just enough for gifts for neighbors and family.  I started making Snowman Soup about 20 years ago for the girl scouts and it was a HUGE seller at our public gift wrap days and later for the Church Boutique.

Several years ago I missed the big Christmas Crafts Festival at the fairgrounds because of an ice storm, but I’ve tried to be at every one since! Then it didn’t happen a couple years because of the pandemic. Last year was the 50th annual year. I normally go on Friday because there are fewer people, but we had a HUGE storm that weekend and everyone knew it was coming so I think they ALL went on Friday! It wasn’t as enjoyable as in years past though. LOL that didn’t stop me from getting much of my Christmas shopping done. I chose not to go this year, but did do many local mom and pop local vendors instead as well as several smaller craft festivals.
For the things I don’t make myself, I am at least buying from local crafters.
As for receiving, I love ANYTHING handmade.  I’m a BIG believer that it’s the thought that counts and that caring action ALWAYS touches my heart though I’m partial to cotton crocheted dishcloths, my brothers photographs, my mom’s quilted totes and ANYTHING food.
I only have a couple baskets left to wrap of the homemade jars and goodies and WILL finish today so that everything can be distributed Saturday and Sunday 😀
Here are the recipes for the jars I made last year. They are super simple to make and really tasty.
PATCHWORK BEAN SOUP – This recipe make 5 quarts.
1/2 cup black eyed peas
1/2 cup black beans
1/2 cup split green peas
1/2 cup red beans
1/2 cup split yellow peas
1/2 cup red lentils
1/2 cup great northern beans
3 tablespoons chicken bouillon granules
1 tablespoon minced onion
1 teaspoon sea salt
1/2 teaspoon white pepper
1/2 teaspoon black pepper
1 tablespoon parsley flakes
1 teaspoon celery seeds
1/4 cup packed brown sugar
  • In a quart mason jar layer the ingredients in the order above for the best color. Gently bump the jar periodically to settle the ingredients as you go.
  • Add a gift tag and colorful ribbon with instructions for preparing the soup.
When making the Holiday Nut Bread be sure to pack the ingredients as tightly as possible. These fill the jar COMPLETELY!
HOLIDAY NUT BREAD – makes 1 quart
1/3 cup PACKED brown sugar
1/3 cup sugar
1 cup chopped walnuts
1 cup chopped apricots** (see note)
2 cups flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
  • Add brown sugar to quart jar and press in as firmly as possible.
  • Add walnuts, pressing firmly.
  • Add sugar.
  • Add dried fruit, pressing gently.
  • Sift together the flour, baking soda and salt in a small bowl. Layer flour mixture over the fruit, gently bumping down the jar to settle the ingredients.
  • Seal with lid
  • Add a gift tag and colorful ribbon with instructions for preparing.
NOTE: I like to use a combination of dried apricots, golden raisins, craisins and dried cherries, but you could use any combination or single fruit you like according to your flavor preferences.
RICE PILAF – makes 5 pints
9 cups long grain rice
3/4 cup Parsley
3 tablespoons dried onion
1 tablespoon garlic powder
1 tablespoon dried thyme
  • Divide rice evenly into 5 pint mason jars.
  • Whisk together the seasonings.
  • Divide seasonings evenly into the top of the pint jars.
  • Add a gift tag and colorful ribbon with instructions for preparing.

 

BLOGMAS 2022 ~ day 16 ~ STOCKINGS & WISH LISTS ~ BLOG 366.349B

For me, stuffing stockings is one of my favorite things to do. I’m always on the look out for special little items that I tuck away ALL year long waiting for just this day.

Since the kids are grown, hubby gets my FULL attention and he hates it 😀 (sort of) because he says he isn’t as good at reciprocating the stocking process. But, he tries hard and is getting better at it every year. EVERY year though he complains about having to actually make things ‘fit’ into something stocking shaped. So, we bought new “bag” style stockings.

We have stopped “BIG” presents to each other so the stocking is our “main” or “BIG” present. We did convert to these larger “bag” stockings and we individually wrap the presents inside the “stocking” for more fun. I found these cute bags at Marshalls a couple years ago. These bags are soooooo much easier!!This year though hubby’s “BIG” present came in the form of an idea and project from a friend who is also a neighbor and they are helping me with a scavenger hunt to their house where he will eventually find the project. 😀
In the past I donated most of our leftover wrapping resources to our local Eagles Lodge for their charitable endeavors and the float they decorated for the parade. So, it was fun to pick out some new wrapping papers this year.

These are stocking stuffer pictures are from the last few years.

As for a WISH list, it gets smaller every year – we really do NOT need anything!

 

BLOAGMAS 2024 ~ day 15 ~ FAVORITE CHRISTMAS RECIPES & MENUS ~ BLOG 366.348B

This is another ALWAYS easy topic for me. The one thing I am noticing as I type each entry every year is that by doing this, I am remembering so many silly stories and anecdotes about aunts, uncles, cousins and such that keep bringing smiles to my face. Anecdotes that I had previously forgotten. These memories are part of what this season is all about to me.

I’d like to say that our table ALWAYS looks just like the one in the picture. Well Christmas day was usually close, but Christmas Eve we were  ALWAYS much more casual. One of my earlier memories is of a very warm Southern California Christmas Day, a backed up sink/garbage disposal that became a horrific mess of black gunk (I don’t think we ever had a holiday in that house where the garbage disposal didn’t have an issue of some sort) and transporting all of the already prepared food from my parent’s house to my grandparent’s house via my grandmother’s RED (kind of like a Christmas sleigh) Chevy station wagon (remember those?) while my uncle and I sat in the back keeping the food from toppling over. My uncle is quite sick now with pancreatic cancer so this has become a much fonder memory for me.

CHRISTMAS EVE – We served buffet style since this was the night we did most of the present opening and the adults didn’t want to spend all or really any of their time in the kitchen – in later years we would have it catered (so to speak – they prepared the food, we picked it up and displayed it) from Rattler’s BBQ.  We also began to use “FINE CHINA” as hubs calls it aka as decorated paper plates, bowls and napkins. Paper plates have become so expensive though!!!! I also don’t mind washing my “real dishes!

  • Sandwich makings – roast beef, ham, cheeses
  • Potato Salad
  • See’s Candy boxes
  • Wintergreen ribbon candy
  • Chocolate covered cherries

CHRISTMAS DAY – This is where we dug out the REAL fine china and crystal as well as the silver and cloth napkins.  I loved setting the table for this meal. There were always enough people that we had a KID’S table too.  I hated the kid’s table – all the good stuff was sitting at the grown-up’s table. These days it also gives me the opportunity to use my Chirstmas china.

  • Roast Turkey, Baked Ham or Roast Beef
  • Daddy’s Stuffing – now recreated from scratch to taste virtually the same as my Oatnut Sourdough Herb Dressing
  • Mashed Potatoes from scratch – it was these potato peels that were one of the biggest garbage disposal problems
  • Giblet Gravy
  • Cranberry Sauce – my family always used Ocean Spray from a can but nowadays we make my homemade sauce ALWAYS  – Cranberry Sauce
  • Baked Ham – in later years it was always HONEYBAKED HAM and I loved making Split Pea soup with the left over bone.
  • Glazed Carrots
  • Green Bean Casserole (THEN) Brussels Sprouts Casserole (NOW) 😀
  • Gran’s cranberry salad – she’d make two, one for mom and aunt Liz and one for everyone else.
  • Rolls and butter
  • Traditional pies like pumpkin, Cherry and as well as Cherry Pineapple Dump Cake.
  • See’s Candies

When we go to my SIL’s family for Christmas (or any other big family get together)  we do Hor’deouvres style.  The family is so big that over the years we have found that if each person brings an hor’deouvre to feed 10+ people that we can make a HUGE feast out of it.  We just serve it buffet style (skipping the sit down meal) and mingle and play – we ALWAYS have the best time.

CINNAMON BUN CUPCAKES
CUPCAKES
1 1/4 cup all-purpose flour
1 1/4 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon table salt
1 teaspoon cinnamon
2 LARGE eggs
1/2 cup canola oil
3/4 cup sugar
2 teaspoons PURE vanilla extract
1/2 cup sour cream

  • Pre-heat oven to 350°.
  • Line cupcake tins with papers.
  • Sift flour, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon, and salt together. Set aside.
  • Whisk eggs for about 1 minute. They will become frothy and lightened in color.
  • Add oil and whisk again until combined.
  • Add sugar and whisk for about 1 minute.
  • Add vanilla extract.
  • Add sour cream to the batter, whisking until combined
  • Now add the sifted dry ingredients to the bowl and whisk gently. Whisk batter until JUST until combined. DO NOT OVERMIX!

CINNAMON SWIRL
1 1/2 tablespoons ground cinnamon
2 tablespoons brown sugar
2 tablespoons white sugar

  • Make the Cinnamon Swirl: mix 1 1/2 tablespoons of ground cinnamon with 2 tablespoons of brown sugar and 2 tablespoons of white sugar. Set aside.

ASSEMBLY

  • Now start by pouring about 1 heaping tablespoon of the batter on the bottom of each cupcake tin.
  • Sprinkle with 1/2 teaspoon of the Cinnamon Swirl mixture.
  • Top with another heaping tablespoon of batter.
  • Now, sprinkle another 1/2 teaspoon of Cinnamon Swirl mixture over batter.
  • Top with another heaping tablespoon of batter.
  • Using a toothpick, swirl the batter a few times to create a swirl effect.
  • Top already swirled cupcakes with one final 1/2 teaspoon of the Cinnamon Swirl mixture.
  • Bake for 10-12 minutes, checking halfway to rotate pans.
  • Remove from the oven once cupcakes are lightly golden brown and puffed.
  • Cool 10 minutes.

GLAZE
+/- 1 cup powdered sugar sifted
+/- 2 tablespoons milk

  • Mix powdered sugar and milk together.

NOTES: There are many factors that will affect your glaze consistency. The brand of sugar you use, whether you use a scale or a measuring cup… If your glaze is too thin and runny, add more sifted powdered sugar and test for consistency again. If the glaze is too thick and not spreading, add a very, very small amount (1 teaspoon) of milk at a time, until you achieve your desired consistency. You just want this to be a very thing glazing.

GRASSHOPPER BROWNIES
11 ounce package dark chocolate pieces
1/2 cup butter
3 ounces unsweetened chocolate, chopped
1 cup sugar
2 eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla
2/3 cup all-purpose flour
1/4 teaspoon baking soda
1/8 teaspoon salt
Creme-de-Menthe Filling (BELOW)
Dark Chocolate Ganache (BELOW)

  • In a medium saucepan, melt and stir 4 ounces (3/4 cup) of the dark chocolate pieces, butter, and the unsweetened chocolate over low heat.
  • Remove from heat; cool.
  • Preheat oven to 350°.
  • Line a 13x9x2-inch baking pan with foil, extending the foil over the edges of the pan. Grease foil; set aside.
  • Stir sugar into the cooled chocolate mixture in saucepan.
  • Add the eggs, one at a time, beating with a wooden spoon JUST until combined.
  • Stir in vanilla.
  • In a small bowl, stir together the flour, baking soda, and salt.
  • Add flour mixture to chocolate mixture, stirring just until combined.
  • Stir in the remaining 7 ounces (1-1/2 cups) dark chocolate pieces. Spread batter evenly in the prepared pan.
  • Bake in the preheated oven for 30 minutes. Cool in pan on a wire rack.
  • Spread Creme-de-Menthe Filling over cooled brownies.
  • Place uncut brownies in the refrigerator while preparing the Dark Chocolate Ganache.
  • Spread slightly cooled Dark Chocolate Ganache over Creme de Menthe Filling, spreading to the edges with a spatula.
  • Cover and chill about 1 hour or until set. Using the edges of the foil, lift the uncut brownies out of the pan. Cut into bars.
  • Place brownies in a single layer in an airtight container; cover. Store in the refrigerator for up to 3 days or freeze for up to 3 months.

CREME-DE-MENTHE FILLING
3 ounce package cream cheese, softened
1/2 cup butter, softened
3 cups powdered sugar
3 tablespoons GREEN creme de menthe
Milk (optional)

  • In a large bowl, combine cream cheese and butter.
  • Beat on medium speed with an electric mixer for 30 seconds.
  • Gradually beat in 1 cup of the powdered sugar.
  • Beat in creme-de-menthe.
  • Gradually beat in remaining powdered sugar. If necessary beat in 1 tablespoon of additional milk to make the filling slightly thicker than a frosting

CHOCOLATE GANACHE
1/2 cup whipping cream
1 11 ounce package dark chocolate pieces

  • In a medium saucepan, bring whipping cream JUST to boiling over medium-high heat.
  • Remove from heat.
  • Add dark chocolate pieces (do not stir).
  • Let stand for 5 minutes. Stir until smooth.
  • Cool for 15 minutes.
  • Pour over brownies and QUICKLY spread evenly.

NOTE: You can substitute 2 tablespoons milk, 1/2 teaspoon mint extract, and several drops of green food coloring for the GREEN Creme-de-menthe.

Here are some of my FAVORITE RECIPE LINKS to make for a crowd. They make some pretty impressive foods and drinks for a buffet table or neighbor gift plates.

BLOGMAS 2024 ~ day 14 ~ BIG TO DO, QUIET, or TRAVEL CHRISTMAS PLANS ~ BLOG 366.347B

Do you have plans for a quiet Christmas or do a BIG gathering with family and friends planned or are you traveling over the holiday to somewhere special this year? Has the way you celebrate changed over the past few years since COVID?

Yet AGAIN there is another new COVID and FLU strain this year as well as viral meningitis going around that concerns me a bit. I have several neighbors who went to BIG gatherings for Thanksgiving and now have COVID or the FLU 🙁 so it is still a concern for me as an immunocompromised person.

We’ve always been pretty much homebodies during the holidays. Then again, we have always lived fairly close to family so traveling was only day trips or short distances. Personally, I cannot fathom traveling through an airport or train station with BIG crowds during the holidays even before the pandemic. The one time we did travel over the holidays, we made a BIG trip out of it leaving well before the holiday and going home long after it.

When I was a kid one of my favorite traditions was that we did a BIG family get together with a buffet of food and opening our family presents on Christmas Eve. Unfortunately, after my dad passed, much of this tradition fell by the wayside.

Then on Christmas Day we did Christmas morning at our respective homes with “Santa” gifts and just the immediate family. Then we would do a BIG turkey with all the trimmings including my dad’s old fashioned stuffing and giblet gravy with the entire family as well as extended family and friends, which included crazy Aunt Louise and Uncle Herb.

Christmases for us now are MUCH, MUCH smaller and our newest tradition in the last several years is watching our favorite traditional Christmas movies like It’s a Wonderful Life and Miracle on 34th Street as well as Hallmark Christmas movies and dreaming about moving to every small town depicted in them, kind of like Stars Hollow from the Gilmore Girls. We loved that show!

This year again we will be having a quiet Christmas with just the two of us. There are several Christmas events leading up to Christmas we will be participating in though. We are also hoping some friends will be able to join us for New Years, but there are no plans set in stone yet.

So what are your plans this year?

BLOGMAS 2024 ~ day 13 ~ REAL or ARTIFICIAL TREES ~ BLOG 366.346B

Before I start this post, let me just say THESE TREES ARE JUST WRONG!!!! I can’t remember the name of the store, but it was in Texas the first time we were there taking care of my aunt. When I was quite young my folks had a hand me down tree from my grandparent that was silver tinsel and a color wheel. Even as a young child I HATED that tree!

And I love how a neighboring town always does their tree right in the middle of main street. Now on to our trees.  How I decorate each year changes based on my mood, weather, where we are living, etc… so it will never be the same twice!
Our town went to more modern trees several years ago and then they were moved to a new location on the new stage after the wind storm a couple years ago caught them on fire. They are now secured by cables so the wind is no longer a problem.

This is one of those categories that should be easy, but it’s a bit complicated for us. We USUALLY had a REAL tree… until we didn’t. 😀

Several years back hubby’s National Guard unit was put on alert one September and by Thanksgiving they were shipping out to IRAQ. They left sunny southern California and headed to Washington to be integrated into the Army, which for hubby was easy because he had already served in the Army and then joined the National Guard so it was like going home for him.

I was lucky because in the end he was eventually named the Rear Detachment Commander and sent back home (mostly) to man the Armory and guys that remained behind for one reason or another.

But, I digress. While he was gone I needed to put up the tree and just couldn’t talk myself into doing a real tree by myself. So, I purchased a really nice artificial one. I put it up and decorated it that year and the next while he was still deployed. The following year we went back to a real tree. The year after that we moved to the north woods and REALLY enjoyed live trees again for several years.

During that time the artificial tree stayed boxed up in the barn. When we were in Texas after that, live trees were exorbitantly priced so we used the artificial tree again for a couple years. When we came back to the Pacific North West we went back to live trees until the year of the COVID pandemic and the local tree farm closed early leaving us live treeLESS so we pulled out the artificial tree once again.

LOL this is my long winded way of asking you if you can tell the difference between a few of the trees from the past few years? Which ones are real and which ones are artificial?  😀

Live or artificial doesn’t matter to us as much anymore – being decorated with all the sentimental ornaments is what makes either tree special. A LIVE tree smells good, but honestly a nice artificial tree is easier and a whole lot less mess in the long run. We do buy LIVE wreaths for the proch! Sadly, our local tree farm is up for sale (every year) and then to make matters worse, they had a devastating fire this year in the wreath and flocking barmn the day after we bought our wreaths. While whoever buys it will probably keep it as a tree farm, there’s no guarantee it will remain the same as we know it. 🙁

 

BLOGMAS 2024 ~ day 12 ~ ADVENT CALENDARS ~ BLOG 366.345B

There are literally thousands of different advent calendars. The calendars can be homemade DIY or quite elaborate. It’s entirely up to you.

These days most are promotional items and come in every form from daily chocolates to beers. You can make your own, find them on ETSY, EBAY… but what do they stand for? What is advent?

Advent itself is Christian followers remembering the birth of Christ in celebration of His birth and the anticipation of His return. Advent originates from Latin meaning “coming” or “arrival. Advent begins on the 4th Sunday before Christmas. Beginning the Church’s liturgical year, Advent (from, “ad-venire” in Latin or “to come to”) is the season encompassing the four Sundays (and weekdays) leading up to the celebration of Christmas. Advent runs December 1st – December 24th this year.

This year the first Sunday was December 1, the second is December 8, and the third one will be the 15th. The third one is also known as Gaudette Sunday and is a time of rejoicing that the fast is almost over. The fourth Sunday will be December 22nd with advent ending on December 24th.

Advent calendars are a cute little way to help kids not only countdown to Christmas, but also learn along the way. Many families offer up a daily scripture or devotional reading to go along with the chocolate treat as a way to stay focused on the reason for the season.

 

Many families also use an Advent Wreath, burning the candles as they countdown to Christmas. Each week features a different liturgical theme. Traditionally the first week features hope and expectation of the Jewish people as they await the Saviour’s arrival and reminding Christian believers to wait for Jesus’ second coming. The second week focuses on preparation and the third week celebrates the coming of the Messiah while the final week celebrates God’s peace and love.

Both royal purple and Sarum blue are used to symbolize the preparation, penitence and royalty to welcome the new king at Christmas time while purple is also used as the color of suffering during the week of Lent and Holy Week. Most churches have shifted their emphasis to the Sarum blue for Advent and reserving the royal purple for the Easter season. Pink replaces the blue in week 4 as a shift happens to lessen the emphasis of penitence and turn the attention to the celebration of the season.

Red and green derive from old European practices using evergreens and holly to symbolize the ongoing life and hope that Christ’s birth brings to the world. Red and green are NOT actually liturgical colors for the season.

BLOGMAS 2024 ~ DAY 11 ~ DECORATIONS/ORNAMENTS ~ BLOG 366.344B

Hubby says I never met a Christmas decoration or ornament I didn’t like. He’s NOT wrong, but I am discerning in my tastes. He would also tell you that our tree is going to collapse under the weight of all of the sentimental and treasured ornaments. 😀 What he forgets is that MOST of our family has made me the “safety deposit box” for all things nostalgic not to mention all of our own treasures from over the years. This year I have really cut back though and gone for super simple. That said, I recently received a message from my previous SIL who it turns out has some handmade lace ornaments that my grandmother made. My brother had told her to keep them, but she said she doesn’t feel right about it and is sending them back to me.

One of my favorite shows was THE BIG BANG THEORY which always makes me laugh as I picture Penny asking about Sheldon’s Ornament Placement Template. LOL There is no such thing as a proper way to place an ornament in our house 🙂 We believe in the more the merrier theory.

The ornaments below are some of our homemade bulbs.  Several years ago I made quite a few and then did them with my girl scout troop also. Hubby liked them so well that we have now donated all our store bought bulbs and made MORE than enough of these for the entire tree and then some.

I absolutely adore is my Scentsy nativity.

I do have MANY favorite indoor decorations. Hubby and I agree on outdoor decorations and that he’s MOSTLY in charge of location. Outdoor decorations are mostly generic and none that are very sentimental, but indoor decorations are mainly hand me downs and super sentimental so I am more particular about them AND their placement.

I am seriously paring down my decorations and ornaments each year. Maybe it’s because I’m getting older, but a few things no longer hold an appeal for me. LOL For example, hubby and I decided that the “blow ups” that we bought for the munchkins next door are going to go away after this year for a couple of reasons.

  • Here in the Pacific North West we get a lot of rain and snow during the holidays making them a pain in the neck.
  • We also get a lot of wind during December making them a pain in the neck requiring extra securing to keep them from taking flight.
  • After they go down at night they sometimes end up in strange positions so they don’t always want to return to their upright positions readily without going out to help them the next day, and often that is in the rain or snow.
  • The extension cords are all over the yard and have to be moved to do yard work.
  • PLUS I am so tired of listening to them hum all the time.

So, outside decorations are being streamlined big time! That said, I did buy a new set of adorable wooden trees that a friend’s SIL is making. I’ve strung them with lights and they are in my entry way.

What about you? Do you have favorite decorations and ornaments? Are they hand me downs from family?

BLOGMAS 2024 ~ day 10 ~ FAVORITE FAMILY TRADITIONS ~ BLOG 366.343B

This has always been a really hard category for me.  I LOVE Christmas!  There is nothing about this season I don’t like short of maybe crowds of rude people and Black Friday which I don’t participate in, at least not in the physical presence. My extent of Black Friday shopping is a bit of Amazon shopping from the couch.

Sometimes seeing things through someone else’s eyes can give the same old traditions new meaning and in the long run that can also make the favorite traditions and the memories mean that much more.

If I had to pick just one tradition though, it would be putting up the tree as a family while eating leftover turkey (from Thanksgiving) sandwiches. When I was a kid we usually put our tree up the day after Thanksgiving and would leave it until at least Kings Day, the Epiphany on January 6th.

Hubby and I USUALLY still do that and for that reason we like to go cut our own tree so it’s fresh and lasts the entire time. I use an apple cider/sugar mix that keeps the sap from forming on the cut area and keeps the water cool and full. We were going to have a live tree this year,but this year we broke with tradition because of a fire at our local tree farm and so we used the artificial tree 🙁 Fortunately, the tree farm was able to open again for trees only, but the timing didn’t line up for us.

When I was a kid we did a BIG family get together with a HUGE buffet of fun food and we opened our family presents on Christmas Eve. My cousins and I were recently reminiscing about some of those holidays and LOL how horrible our wardrobes were back then. Thankfully, I’m not in the top picture because I remember what I was wearing! But I love my brother’s plaid pants and Monica’s floral blouse. If you don’t hear from me for a few days I’m SURE it’s because one them found me after seeing that I posted this picture LOL 😀😀FORTUNATELY, My mom retired that tablecloth finally, unfortunately it was only a couple years back! I never did like it so that made me very happy!

Then on Christmas Day we would do Christmas morning and “Santa” with just the immediate family followed by a BIG turkey dinner with all the trimmings including my dad’s stuffing and giblet gravy with ALL the family as well as extended family, which included crazy Aunt Louise and Uncle Herb. I replicated dad’s stuffing recipe a few years ago (Oatnut Sourdough Herb Dressing) and that is now a MUST TRADITION for the Thanksgiving and Christmas meals no matter what the protein is.

Hubby reminded me recently that a fun tradition we did when our youngest was still at home was have birthday cake for Christmas morning breakfast. LOL I didn’t really consider this a “Christmas” tradition so have never really talked about it. Eric’s birthday is on Christmas. My cousin’s is on Christmas Eve and I grew up watching her feel slighted because so many people would round her birthday and Christmas into one big ball. After we grew up I would send her birthday present wrapped in bright colorful paper in October 😀 She always knew she could open it early and it made her feel better. In that same tradition I would make Eric a birthday cake for breakfast that didn’t resemble Christmas in any way and we would start Christmas morning with birthday and then transition into Christmas around the tree.

But, what was is just that, WAS so our newest tradition in the last several years is watching Christmas movies, just the two of us and dreaming about moving to every small town depicted in them, kind of like Stars Hollow from the Gilmore Girls.  We loved that show!

BLOGMAS 2024 ~ day 9 ~ Christmas Markets & Fairs ~ BLOG 366.342B

I’ve been to a few local Holiday fairs and will go to another one next Friday, but I skipped the big county one yesterday. It’s been so repetitive the past couple years and I don’t really “need” anything and sadly last year was quite disappointing with a lot of repetitive vendors and many with not so hand crafted items. 🙁

Most of my shopping this year has revolved around shopping for my Eagles group who has again adopted some local foster kids. I’m chairwoman this year and I’m afraid a few of the ladies are probably not as happy with me because I told the coordinator we would help with the teenagers. The teenagers hold a special place in my heart because they are the most forgotten in programs like these. I am also making them each stockings to add in some fun items that aren’t on their needs lists. I’m also including things like toothbrushes and hand lotions.

CNN.com has a great article about the 17 BEST Christmas Markets around the world.

If only I could travel to them all, but that just isn’t in the cards for me so I watch them be featured in Hallmark Christmas movies and dream. I would LOVE to travel to those markets and fairs that have all of the town interactive, but the closest I come to that here is running into everyone I know at the local ones as well as the parade that is coming up on the 21st.

I do try and participate, as well as shop at the markets and fairs locally around me. And by around me I mean within 100 miles or so for the most part.

A girlfriend and I traveled 225 miles last year for the best one we had been to in awhile. It was held at a large Fairgrounds and was in 3 separate buildings with vendor trailers peppered in between the buildings. We were fortunate that day that it was also beautiful weather. It was so fruitful that we made a couple trips back to the car to unload ourselves of bags. We tried it again this year, but it just wasn’t the same. Unfortunately, it had become so much like our local one.

I certainly do my part to shop local and not have everything delivered by Amazon or buy from discount stores. Unfortunately, many of the things I was hoping to purchase as gifts just weren’t available this year from the same vendors or the vendors I was hoping for have closed up shop.