Favorite Holiday Recipes

I have so many recipes that I love during the holidays.  I wanted to record and share some of my favorites:

Nothing says Christmas like the smell of gingerbread! I am not a fan of rolling, cutting and decorating cookies, so as much as I like the IDEA of gingerbread boys, it just causes, stress, frustration and a big mess. It's not going to happen. This is my alternative so that I can still get my ginger fix, both taste and smell.  I sent these home with cub scouts this year and within 20 min a mom called me for the recipe.  Yep, they are that good!

Yummy Ginger Snaps

6 TB margarine

½ c white sugar

½ c brown sugar

2 egg whites

¼ c molasses

2 c flour

½ tsp salt

2 tsp soda

½ tsp cloves

½ tsp ginger

½ tsp cinnamon

Cream sugars and margarine.  Beat in egg wites and add molasses.  Stir in dry ingredients, mixing well.  Spoon by tsp full onto cookie sheet.  Bake for 8-10 min @ 375º.

The holidays are not complete, and I am not exaggerating, without homemade Wassail.  This will bring visions of old fashioned Christmases on waves of delicious aromas.

Wassail

5 c sugar

4 quarts water

2 TB whole cloves

4 fresh lemons or 2c lemon juice

12 cinnamon sticks

4 quarts orange juice (prepared)

1 gallon apple cider

Boil sugar and water.  Add cinnamon sticks and cloves.  Boil 10 min, cool and then add juices.  Let stand 1 hour.  Strain.  Serve hot.  Keep leftovers refridgerated.  WARNING:  This recipe makes 3 gallons of wassail!

I could eat a whole pan of Christmas Jell-o Salad all by myself I love it that much.   My mother usually makes this at Christmas time, unfortunately, she did not make it this year and I really missed it!  Paul is not crazy about it and so if I make it, I would end up eating the whole thing myself!

Christmas Salad

1 sm pkg lime Jell-o

½ lb. marshmallows

½ pt whip cream

2- 3oz pkg cream cheese

½ pt mayo (or a little less)

1 med. can crushed pineapple

1c pineapple juice

1 pkg cherry Jell-o

Dissolve lime Jell-o in 1c boiling water.  Add and melt marshmallows.  Add 1c pineapple juice.  Cool.  Mix cream cheese and mayo together, then add to mixture along with whip cream adn pineapple.  Set until firm.  Make cherry Jell-o according to directions.  When cooled, spoon carefully on top of green layer and set.  Cut into squares to serve.  Pretty and tasty!

Last year, we began our own tradition of decorating graham cracker houses.  Although I glue the houses together ahead of time, (We don't need the kind of frustration that comes with trying to build them with real gingerbread and frosting, at least not until the kids are quite a bit older!) we still need some good old Royal frosting to stick the pounds and pounds of candy, and marshmallow santas and snowmen onto and around the houses.

Royal Frosting

3 egg whites (room temperature)

4c powdered sugar

½ tsp cream of tartar

1 tsp vanilla

Beat all ingredients at high speed for 5-10 min.  Use immediately.  Can be stored for short time covered with a damp cloth.  Re-beating will not restore texture.  Yield 2½ cups.

So many of our holiday memories are tied to yummy traditional tastes and smells.  I love anything that brings both into my home and helps to recreate memories for me and my family as well as making new memories.

One of my favorite perspectives on Christmas

A few years ago, we received our stake newsletter which had this article on the front page.  It is written by a church leader who is one of the most powerful speakers I have heard.  I like to read it each Christmas season.  I wanted to get it down in more than one place just in case it gets misplaced like so many things do.

(Click article to enlarge)
Merry Christmas!

Lights!

We love the lights at Temple Square, but for little ones there is an even more exciting show, and a definitely shorter for short little legs and cold toes, further north.  Layton City Park has a fun light show with tons of fun characters, and animated scenes.  It takes us about 20 min to leisurely walk the path and be able to see everything!  Then we get back in the car and drive slowly through the light tunnel and around the grounds one last time to make sure we didn't miss anything. 




Jordan wanted to look like he was taking everyone for a train ride.



"Look Mom, Santa and his reindeer flying overhead."



Christian and Emma trying to look like the octopus.

Nativity at the Christmas party

We had fun doing a very simple nativity with the kids at the Huntington Family Christmas party. They were so cute and had a great time putting on costumes. This nativity was a little different because it began with the prophesies of Samuel the Lamanite and Nephi from the Book of Mormon. The highlight was little Ben who was playing Nephi. He walked right in knelt down and without direction, clasped his hands in front of his chest and looked to the heavens. We could almost hear Nephi's petitions to God. He is quite the little actor!

Santa's cookies Ho Ho Ho

Tonight, we tested the snickerdoodles we made for Santa. Then we set out Santa's cookies on the special Santa platter and milk in his special Christmas glass on the coffee table, lovingly placed the Christmas Quilt on the couch for him to snuggle in and set off to brush teeth and jump quickly into bed. I was in the boys' room reading Polar Express and Paul was brushing Emma's teeth. Suddenly Paul came in and informed me that Jenna had been dunking Santa's cookies in Santa's milk and frantically eating them. When he asked, "What are you doing?" she answered with a grin, "I eating Santa's cookies, ho ho ho!"

Gold, Frankincense, and Mold

We were telling our traditional puppet Christmas story (I had to copy my sister Laurie's puppets. Aren't they adorable?) when Paul asked if any of the children knew what gifts the wisemen brought. Christian piped right up, and as fast as his tongue could blurt said, "gold, frankincense, and mold". He knew the real answer but his tongue was running faster than his brain at the moment. As I thought of this a few days later, I smiled with chagrin to think of the times my tongue has run away leaving my brain behind.

A few Christmas projects

Loved this idea at Thrifty Decor Chick and so decided to make our own. Check out the tutorial if you want to make one too! Here is a picture of how ours turned out: I imediately thought "stringing things on a long wire" sounds like a preschool project! So while I glued the tops on (a necessary step), Emma began stringing our Dollar Tree ornaments on a coat hanger. A not so easy twist of the pliers, a pretty bow, and we've got a beautiful decoration that I will be keeping around for quite some time!

When I saw this reindeer I wondered where she got it and then happened to see them at Dollar tree and had to have them 2 for $1. I used them with some leftover ornaments like this:

This floral arrangement took me forever to do! Just kidding, I don't have that kind of time. This is a garland I just bought for 60% off at JoAnn's. I was surprised it really looked this good! Gotta love the really simple!

Dollar Tree at Christmas time definately Works for Me! I even found the same brand Christmas village they were selling a JoAnn's 60% of 4.99. My favorite Christmas supply store DOLLAR TREE (mentally put it in twinkly lights) still beat that sale price! I'm participating at WFMW and over at A Soft Place to Land for DIY day and Today's Creative Blog fo Get Your Craft On. Check out all the great ideas.

Our favorite Christmas tradition

We have a favorite Christmas tradition. We call it our Christmas quilt. My wonderful and creative sister-in-law, Sallie gave us everything to start this tradition a few years ago. She gave us a small lap quilt, a storybook, and a beautiful poem with all the kids' names in it telling us how to use our "Christmas quilt" each night of December. Over the last few years it has evolved into quite the production. On December 1st, after pjs are on, we bring out the quilt and lay it down in front of the Christmas tree. Then we read our poem about the "Christmas Quilt Magic" Each night family members take turns choosing a Christmas carol to sing, and a story to read.

We have family prayer on the quilt and then rush to watch the chosen person open the advent for the day and hang the mini ornament on our felt tree.

Then, in procession, we all help to carry the Christmas quilt to lay on the foot of their bed ensuring sweet Christmas dreams that night. Each person really looks forward to their turn and we are true believers in the magic!

This tradition has led to another. As one of our family Christmas gifts, we must get at least one new Christmas book each year. As you can imagine, we have quite a collection by now!

We made two of these quilts to give to some friends this year complete with a poem describing the tradition. It was a bit of a race to get them finished, but I think they were appreciated. It is sure a fun DIY gift. Though not a usual crafty gift, it is the gift of a tradition.

A gift to give the child of a parent you don't like

Another type of toy for kids to love and parents to hate. Add it to all the noisy lazer guns, pottying dolls, low budget movies, and zombifying video games (all of which we have)!

I now have three, count them, three containers of water on my kitchen counter with something slimy in them. When they reach their final enlarged size, are they fun to play with? No, they're just slimy. And they have to stay in water for how long to achieve their full growth potential!?!?!! A whole week!?!? I guess we'll have to eat out!:)

P.S. Lest anyone feel I am pointing a finger, I must explain. We have given these as gifts! I let my own children buy two of them to give to their siblings. Who can resist a cheap toy that instills such excitement and anticipation? It doesn't mean I have to like them!

Christmas memo to myself

I had a little holiday stress this year! Okay, a lot. I started out last night with a blog post in mind. In this blog, I would write down all the things that I wouldn't do next year to make December less stressful for me. I wanted to cut out many things so I can listen to more music, watch more holiday specials, bake cookies with the kids, see all the lights, etc. etc. etc. Things that would help me have a more relaxing, fun month. Then I began thinking over the past few days about the things I have chosen to spend my time on.

I worked to have a service filled brunch for the ladies in my family to start the season. We worked to add to the fleece blankets our family has been making all year for the homeless.

I then began various homemade gifts for the children: some fairy skirts for Emma, a PVC building set and a car mat of our neigborhood and town for Jordan.

We then progressed to a couple of sets of 12 days of Christmas for neighbors in need of a little cheer and encouragement.

We worked to put together a meaningful Christmas party for our extended family, complete with a nativity for the children.

And finally, we put together luminaries for the families on our street, as has been our tradition for the past 5 years.

As I evaluated the things that help me keep the true spirit of Christmas and teach my children to serve and have the love of Christ in our home, I have changed the ideas I would like to leave in order to improve my Christmas season next year. Rather than eliminate these types of service in order to allow more leisure time, next year I want to do the following to feel more joy in the service we are rendering.

• Make a plan and stick to it. Often I begin early, shopping, crafting, planning with a peaceful week leading up to Christmas in mind. This is all well and good until the whole starting early thing gives me a false sense of security and I add more projects. I don't need to serve less, just prayerfully plan the ways in which I serve, considering what will bring the spirit and provide those warm fuzzies I love to get this time of year. Then stick to the PLAN.
• Make Christmas Day plans one of those things on the planning early list. I work so hard to prepare everything leading up to Christmas that we often find ourselves without meaningful plans for the day or even any food in the house. I know the hang out in your jammies to open presents etc. is crucial, but must the kids wear the same pjs to bed that they woke up in because we never had a reason to get dressed? How depressing! On the subject of food, one word... crockpot! Who wants to spend time in the kitchen when the house is full of toys to play with! However, we have learned from experience that a family cannot survive on candy alone, not that we wont test the theory over and over and over... So plan the food!
• I want to make sure Christmas Eve activities really emphasize the true meaning and story of Christmas. Again, planning!
• And maybe I will choose one secret service next year rather than two. And I think I will make it a one time thing rather than something we have to get out and deliver every evening like the 12 days of Christmas.
• Finally, I need to remember to pray to have the spirit of Christ as I work on my projects rather than the feelings of stress.

Now the trick is to believe myself! I asked Paul to remind me of some of these things and he said okay with a chuckle which is to be translated "I'll remind you, but it wont make a difference in what you do."