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Christmas is all about traditions, and here's a nice simple one that our family loves. We don't always wait for Christmas to do this activity, because it's always nice to hear kind things.
All you need is an envelope for each family member with their name written on it, and slips of paper for each member of the family (for example, there are seven of us, so each individual would need six slips of paper). Pass the papers and a pencil or pen around, and have each member of the family write down something they love about everyone in the family. When you're finished, put the correct slips of paper (labelled with the individual's names) in their envelope, and set it aside until Christmas Eve. Then everyone can get their envelope and read how much they are loved!
I made this dessert Sunday evening, after digging through my old recipe box for something winter-y. It was very satisfying, and filled my need for gingerbread and caramel sauce all at once. I can't give credit for this one, as it is one of those old cards that's been in the box for over a decade.
Gingerbread Pudding Cake:
Mix together:
2 1/2 cups flour
1 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1 1/4 teaspoon ginger
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon allspice
1/4 teaspoon nutmeg
Cream together:
1/2 cup softened butter
1/2 cup sugar
In a mixing cup mix together:
1 cup molasses
1 cup water.
Alternately mix the creamed butter and the molasses water into the dry mixture. Spread in 13x9 inch pan. Sprinkle with 3/4 cup brown sugar. Pour 1 1/2 cup hot water mixed with 1/3 cup melted butter over batter. Bake at 350 degrees F. for 40-55 minutes or until tests done. Serve warm. Cake will rise to the top and sauce will be on the bottom.
I like it with good vanilla ice cream. Yum!
It's that time of year again, time to plan the annual Christmas Ring and Run. We've done this for the last two years in a row, and it's lots of fun to ding dong ditch and run like the wind! Here's the list that our family uses, there's lots of variations out there on the wide world of web.
ON THE FIRST DAY OF CHRISTMAS, your true love gave to you…a partridge in a pear tree. Sorry, but we can’t find the partridge, so we are giving you some pears from the tree the partridge flew away from. (attach to a can of pears)
ON THE SECOND DAY OF CHRISTMAS, your true love gave to you…two turtle doves…but don’t’ have any…will candy turtles with a bar of Dove soap do? (attach note to a box or plate of caramel turtles w/ a boxed bar of Dove soap.)
ON THE THIRD DAY OF CHRISTMAS, your true love gave to you…three French hens…well, we don’t have any French hens, so we’re giving you some chicken noodle soup, compliments of the three French hens. (attach to can of chicken noodle soup).
ON THE FOURTH DAY OF CHRISTMAS, your true love gave to you…four calling birds…we can’t find those calling birds though! Here are 4 messages they left for you before they flew off! (attach to 4 messages describing what a wonderful person they are)
ON THE FIFTH DAY OF CHRISTMAS, your true love gave to you…five golden rings, but sorry, we’re too poor for golden rings, but will some golden pineapple rings do? (attach to can of pineapple rings)
ON THE SIXTH DAY OF CHRISTMAS, your true love gave to you…six geese a laying, but we know you don’t really want the mess of six geese all over your house, do you? How about some eggs that they left behind! (attach to a half dozen eggs)
ON THE SEVENTH DAY OF CHRISTMAS, your true love gave to you…seven swans a swimming! OK, we looked for the swans, but couldn’t find them, but we did find some bubble bath they used while they were swimming! (attach to bottle of bubble bath)
ON THE EIGHTH DAY OF CHRISTMAS, your true love gave to you…eight maids a-milking. Here is some milk we got from the eight maids — we think they must have been milking some brown cows! (attach to a container of chocolate milk)
ON THE NINTH DAY OF CHRISTMAS, your true love gave to you…nine ladies dancing…Here are some canes used by the nine ladies who were out dancing all night! (attach to a nine candy canes)
ON THE TENTH DAY OF CHRISTMAS: your true love gave to you…ten lords-a-leapin’ – here is some “Ben Gay”, which is highly recommended by the ten Lords we saw out jumping around. (attach to a package of Ben Gay rubbing lotion)
ON THE ELEVENTH DAY OF CHRISTMAS, your true love gave to you…eleven pipers piping, so here is a pipe of your own, have fun with it, but don’t “blow” the whole day! (attach to a bubble pipe and bubble solution)
ON THE TWELFTH DAY OF CHRISTMAS, your true love gave to you…twelve drummers drumming, but we figured twelve drummers drumming would take up way too much room, so we drummed up some cookies for you…hope they keep this from being just another hum-”drum” day for you! (attach to a plate of cookies)
We have adapted this list a bit. For example, on the first day, I always start scouting for a little inexpensive bird ornament and buy some nice real pears instead of canned ones. On day two I send along chocolate Dove candy and chocolate Turtles. For the five golden rings, we like to use the big candy Ring Pops. For day ten, really, who wants to get Ben Gay? I can't remember what I substituted last year, but I know I didn't send along any Ben Gay or Rub-A535. Anyway, this is lots of fun, it's a challenge to not get caught twelve days in a row. Remember to start on December 13th!
I am wearing an apron right now. Are you? I wear aprons every day, because I have learned the hard way the importance of protecting my clothes. A girl I work with knows this about me, and she brought in a copy of this little story about Grandma's Apron that I thought I'd share with you today.
Grandma's Apron
I don't think our kids know what an apron is.
The principal use of Grandma's apron was to protect the dress underneath, because she only had a few, it was easier to wash aprons than dresses and they used less material, but along with that, it served as a potholder for removing hot pans from the oven.
It was wonderful for drying children's tears, and on occasion was even used for cleaning out dirty ears…
From the chicken coop, the apron was used for carrying eggs, fussy chicks, and sometimes half-hatched eggs to be finished in the warming oven.
When company came, those aprons were ideal hiding places for shy kids.
And when the weather was cold grandma wrapped it around her arms.
Those big old aprons wiped many a perspiring brow, bent over the hot wood stove.
Chips and kindling wood were brought into the kitchen in that apron.
From the garden, it carried all sorts of vegetables.
After the peas had been shelled, it carried out the hulls.
In the fall, the apron was used to bring in apples that had fallen from the trees.
When unexpected company drove up the road, it was surprising how much furniture that old apron could dust in a matter of seconds.
When dinner was ready, Grandma walked out onto the porch, waved her apron, and the men-folk knew it was time to come in from the fields to dinner.
It will be a long time before someone invents something that will replace that 'old-time apron' that served so many purposes.
REMEMBER:
Grandma used to set her hot baked apple pies on the window sill to cool.
Her granddaughters set theirs on the window sill to thaw.
They would go crazy now trying to figure out how many germs were on that apron.
I never caught anything from an apron…But Love. (Author Unknown)
In the spirit of 'Keepin' It Real", here's a little confession. Last time (ok, the last two times) we had a big Cub ceremony where the boys had to wear their sashes, I stapled Josh's badges on to his sash. *Blush*
I'd do it again, too.
My friend, Diane, wrote this wonderful book. I have been looking forward to reading it for quite a while, and it's turn finally came. (Sometime I'll take a picture of the 'to be read' pile that's often on my bedside table.)
Carving Angels is a sweet Christmas tale about a retired elf named Papa Adam. Papa Adam was once the chief woodcarver at Santa's workshop, but lost his vision, retired, and has been living a quiet life. His little granddaughter brings him a piece of wood one day, and challenges him to pick up his tools once again, despite his handicap. The two embark on a wonderful journey of discovery that leads them to save Christmas.
This is a lovely story, and Papa Adam's tale of rediscovering his talents and finding out that he still has something to contribute was very inspiring. I work with senior citizens, and so I recognized the sadness and frustration that Papa Adam felt at feeling like he no longer had a purpose. Everyone needs to have something to work at, and a reason to get up in the morning.
Diane, thanks for writing this beautiful story of faith and courage in overcoming obstacles!
Check out Diane's delightful blog at On The Border.
Now that winter has truly set in, it's time to focus on the visitors that come to our back yard when it's cold and snowy. Here's a sweet little chickadee hanging out in the birdfeeder.
