Happy New Year

I just wanted to wish you all a very happy and prosperous new year. My hubby and I will enjoy a quiet dinner at home and snuggle in to watch a movie...we were going to go out, but the weather here is frightful~

What will you be doing?

When do you take your tree down?

The Christmas rush is done...all the anticipation, all the cooking(why do I always make too much food?) I thought I cut back this year and there was still too much. Why am I always afraid there won't be enough? So I send food home with family, freeze some and oh my gosh we eat plenty. I won't wait until New Years to start a diet...did I say won't? I mean can't!

I have started to wash some of the Christmas linens and will pack them up as I go. Boxes are put away. Wrappings are thrown away, gifts are put away and I can start to put a few decorations away. We wait until New Years day to take down our tree and do the total clean up. My decorations have grown each year so it takes longer to pack up. (even though I did a major clean out last year and gave and donated many decorations we just don't use anymore.)

I love the glow of the window lights and the tree lights, but look forward to getting back to normal. I read one blog that asked when do you take your tree down? I was surprised at how different everyone was. SO DO TELL....When do you take your tree down?

MERRY CHRISTMAS

May all my blogger friends have a very Merry Christmas.
~and to all a goodnight~

Let it snow, let it snow, let it snow....

What do you do when you live in New England and this is what you get the last Sunday before Christmas??? 18 inches of fluffy white snow~You come on in where it is warm, the Christmas lights are on, there is a fire roaring and of course my oven is on~

First off I figure it is a perfect day to get some of my baking done. Hubby is outside with the snow blower and Baby it's cold outside! SO I start with some cheesecake...a couple of years ago I found these two smaller pans that together hold the same amount as my large pan. The regular large cheesecake is too much for just us. I bake the two smaller ones and you can either freeze one(cheesecake freezes really well) or do what I do, you can gift one. The second one this time will go to Hubby's work.

The crust is butter, sugar and flour with grated lemon peel.

See my two smaller pans, they are 8" pans.

Now I will make a couple different toppings, strawberries, blueberries, or cherries.

Now, on to some cookies. This recipe comes from Better Homes and Gardens, I got it many years ago, but I have seen it published almost each year. These chocolate cherries are my daughters favorite. You make the cookie dough, roll it into balls, press down a spot for the cherry.

CHOCOLATE-COVERED CHERRY COOKIES

1 1/2 CUPS FLOUR

1/2 CUP UNSWEETENED COCOA POWDER

1/2 CUP BUTTER OR MARGARINE

1 CUP SUGAR

1/4 TSP SALT

1/4 TSP. BAKING POWDER

1/4 TSP BAKING SODA

1 EGG

1 1/2 TSP VANILLA

48 UNDRAINED MARASCHINO CHERRIES, (ABOUT A 10 OZ. JAR)

1 6 OZ PKG. OF SEMI SWEET CHOCOLATE PIECES

1/2 CUP SWEETENED CONDENSED MILK

In a mixing bowl combine flour and cocoa; set aside. In a large mixing bowl beat butter with an electric mixer on med to high speed about 30 seconds or until softened. Add sugar, salt, baking powder, and baking soda. Beat till well combined. Add egg and vanilla, beat well. Gradually beat in the flour mixture.

Shape dough into 1 inch balls; place on ungreased cookie sheet. Press down center of each ball with thumb. Drain cherries, reserving juice. Place a cherry in the center of each cookie. In a small saucepan combine chocolate pieces and sweetened condensed milk, heat until chocolate is melted. Stir in 4 teaspoons of reserved cherry juice.

Spoon about 1 tsp of the frosting over each cherry, spreading to cover cherry. (Frosting may be thinned with additional cherry juice if necessary.)

Bake in 350 degree oven about 10 minutes or till done. Remove to wire rack to cool.

Then frost them before you bake them. Yummy!

This cookie is every ones favorite. It is Oatmeal, toffee cookie from Martha Stewart. I make an extra roll up to keep in refrigerator. When some one stops by you can pop a sheet of them in the oven. Not only that it is the only way I can guarantee there will be any left. The cookies disappear as fast as I bake them.

OATMEAL TOFFEE COOKIES

1 1/2 CUPS FLOUR

1 TSP. BAKING SODA

1 CUP (2 STICKS) BUTTER ROOM TEMPERATURE

3/4 CUP LIGHT BROWN SUGAR

1 EGG

1 TSP VANILLA EXTRACT

1 1/2 CUPS OATMEAL

1 CUP DRIED CHERRIES

1 CUP BITTERSWEET CHOCOLATE (4 1/2 OZ.) COARSELY CHOPPED

(I use semi sweet morsels in mine)

1 CUP OF TOFFEE PIECES

Heat oven to 350 degrees. Sift flour and baking soda and set aside. In an electric mixer, using a paddle attachment cream the butter and sugars on medium high speed until light and fluffy, about 2-3 min. Scrape down the sides of the bowl once or twice during the mixing. Add egg; mix on high speed to combine. Add vanilla extract; mix to combine. Scrape down the sides of bowl.

Add the flour in additions on a low speed until well combined. On low speed add oatmeal, cherries, chocolate and toffee pieces, mix to combine.

Divide the dough into three equal portions and roll into logs using plastic wrap, approximately 1 1/2 in in diameter. Dough can be frozen, chilled in the refrigerator for 1 or 2 days or baked immediately. Cut logs into 3/4 in pieces. Bake on parchment-lined baking sheets, until golden brown, 8-10 minutes. Remove from oven and transfer to a baking rack to cool.

The next cookie is a crescent cookie. I cut this recipe from a Country Living Mag years ago. My son loves them. I sent a huge batch to Iraq when he was there. I know I will ship more of to Afghanistan next Christmas along with some of all the rest.

CRESCENT COOKIES

~Make these delicious melt in your mouth cookies a part of your holiday tradition~

2 CUP FLOUR

1 1/2 CUP GROUND ALMONDS OR PECANS

1 1/2 CUP UNSIFITED POWDERED SUGAR

1 CUP BUTTER

1/8 TSP SALT

1TBSP VANILLA

In a large bowl with an electric mixer combine unsifted flour, nuts and 1 cup of the sugar. butter, salt, & vanilla. Mix well. Heat oven to 375 degrees. Divide dough into 36 balls. Form each into a crescent;place on ungreased cookie sheets. Bake 12 to 15 minutes. Sift remaining sugar over cookies.

This recipe was illustrated by Susan Branch when she used to do Country Livings Pantry. I tried to scan it in because it was so cute, like all of Susan's work, but I could not get it to look good.

I need to pack some up or they will be gone. I love to make up packages for some of my friends and drop them off. I also make up four jars of fudge sauce. I have not decorated the jars yet. I will post them later. The fudge sauce is requested by family and friends each year. It is tasty over vanilla ice cream.

All in all, I got a lot done today. I made a big dent in the baking and now have to shop for the Christmas meal and bake some pies and breads too.

I pulled out the Meyer's peppermint counter spray, cleaned up and sat down with a cup of gingerbread coffee and a couple of cookies

Someone asked me to share the Gingerbread men recipe; This is an all time favorite and my day was made at the craft fair when a child came up and said "I need some of the gingerbread men, I remember them from last year and came back to get more" My own family love them, but a stranger made my day! They had sold out in the first hour and believe me there were many delish goodies there.

GINGERBREAD-MEN COOKIES

from Good housekeeping cookbook circa 1972

2 1/4 CUP FLOUR

1/2 CUP SUGAR

1/2 CUP SHORTENING

1/2 CUP LIGHT MOLASSES

1 EGG

1 1/2 TSP CINNAMON

1 TSP DOUBLE-ACTING BAKING POWDER

1 TSP GINGER

1 TSP GROUND CLOVES

1/2 TSP NUTMEG

1/2 TSP BAKING SODA

1/2 TSP SALT

Ornamental Cookie Frosting optional

Early in the day;

Into a large bowl, measure all ingredients, except ornamental frosting.

With mixer at medium speed, beat ingredients until well mixed. Cover and refrigerate for 1 hour.

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

On a lightly floured surface, with floured rolling pin, roll dough out to 1/8 in thick. With cutter, cut out gingerbread men. Place one half an inch apart on cookie sheet. Bake 8 minutes or until browned. Remove cookies to rack to cool.

Ornamental frosting (make just before use)

1 1/4 cups confectioner's sugar

1/8 tsp cream of tartar

1 egg white*

Sift sugar and cream of tartar through a fine sieve; add egg white. With mixer on high speed, beat until mixture is stiff, so a knife drawn through it leaves a clean path.

*(you could use meringue powder)

Seeing the pleasure my family gets from the baking makes it all worth while. I love how excited everyone gets when they come in the back door and smell cookies.

Some more Christmas in my home

The days are flying by I can believe it is just over a week to Christmas....oh my gosh. I have almost finished shopping, just a couple little things that if I don't get won't matter. I can't wait to start baking, cookies, pies and cheesecake, oh my!

I just went around and took some random shots of my Christmas Decorations, I just added these candles from Restoration Hardware. I love how they look and will be used all year. Just a little house gift, while I was shopping.

Door to my office
Dining room mantle, still needs tweaking....

Still in the dining room

My little twig tree has a snowman/gingerbread theme.

Back into the living room, you know the room I just had painted at a bad time of year....

The Power room needed some greens.

Oops another home gift, I found another Santa, the cream one at With Heart and Hand in Norfork, MA

Hope you are all having a great time decorating, cooking and wrapping this week. I am loving all the inspiration I am getting from the blogs...now if I could find more time to read the blogs and still get my stuff done............

Would you like some Gingerbread men??

To me Gingerbread makes me feel like Christmas. When my kids were little we always did a gingerbread house. Not one of those kits mind you. My first one came from one I saw in Good Housekeeping. I baked the gingerbread, cut it all out from a cardboard pattern I had made, after I drew out the pattern on graph paper. I didn't have access to a copier back in the late 70's. We went to the candy store and bought pieces of candy for decorations. I am going to look, it came out so good, I believe we took a picture....see I am wandering again. Please come on in and I will brew this Gingerbread flavored coffee. I made a pot while I baked today. It is so good!! You can get this Green Mountain Coffee here. It is Yummy! Cookies are baked and cooled waiting for some decorations. Not much mind you. They are for the Garden Club booth at a local craft fair tomorrow. I made them last year and they were a hit, so here they are again~

Let's put a smile on the faces!

My boys have already had three batches, but I am keeping some for home!
Let me just tell you how wonderful my home smells...when you open the door it smells heavenly.

Packed and ready to go. Last year I had clear bags and they showed better. Each one has a tag that says "Life is as sweet as you make it!" Thank you Tracey from Notes from a Cottage Industry. I say it on her blog a year ago and just loved it.

I have mulling spices and apple cider and all these little gems. The other ladies are doing chili, cornbread, coffee, tea and loads of baked goods. So now you know what I am doing Saturday!

A little bit of Christmas

My Christmas tree is still filled with ornaments we have collected through the years. Some stay in the box but still hold a special memory. Some are handpainted, some came from older family members, some from school, we have Disney, Harry Potter, Hallmark, handmade, store bought, craft fairs, hand me downs....each with it's own story, the wonder of Christmas.

All the Christmas home tours today are going to be such fun. I have to show you bits and pieces because I am still tweaking...ribbons, cleanup, still a pile of fresh greens to put in places. I cut tons from my yard and put them all around the house. We took a pile of Christmas plastic totes back to the basement last night. Not to mention I painted my living room last week...did I tell you I was a bit insane? I put up new curtains and fresh paint,( this was not the best time of year to do this, why not wait until Jan???) but I can't put the books back on the shelves for a while, so they went downstairs too in still more plastic totes. Have you ever wondered how many plastic totes this generation will leave behind...I mean cardboard boxes fall apart over time and those wonderful totes last forever! I can see what is in them.....I must have 50 of them, different seasons and then in general. Did I also mention I get distracted easily? I seem to be doing that more and more lately. Oh Christmas decorations, you ask? Maybe this is why it is taking me so long this year~

Oh my look at the little school decorations, the one on my left is my son from 1981 and the one next to it is his daughter from last year. Memory lane is so nice to visit.....hmmm. While we are up close notice that I have a fake tree!!! My first Christmas without a real one. So after 36 real trees, I went out and bought this tree....now hubby was not too happy, but after all I think we need a break. I cut real greens and stuff the house with them. This is such a huge thing for us, but the real tree is so dry when we take it out n New Years Day. SO I just went and did it. My son and grandson set it up and it was all done when he came home....I really did see a little relief on his face.

The baskets are filled with greens, hence the smell.....Can't you smell it?

One of my favorite snow men wishing you JOY!!

What a difference a day makes

Here comes Santa Claus, here comes Santa Claus!

Happy Thanksgiving from My House to Yours

Welcome to our home join us for a quiet Thanksgiving dinner. We are very happy to have both our son and daughter with us , my 85 year old father in law....our last surviving parent. My oldest grandchild...the others will be coming later and then it won't be quiet and I will forget to take pictures. So come in and join us~ The table is set, not like a tablescape, we need room for the food!!



My family said let's move some stuff...make room for the platters.

Oops I need this dish for Linda's cranberry salsa.

My little centerpiece, with grocery store roses and boxwood, not too bad.

The candles are lit.

Walmart pumpkin plates

Now for the best part, I made Pumpkin martinis, just what I needed.

1 part Pumpkin liqueur
1 part Butter shots

1 part Baileys

Add ice stir and pour.

I added a sugar and spice, (cloves) rim

Here is Linda's Salsa

Go to Behind My Red Door for this great recipe
She was so right it was a hit indeed!

OK, Here is what I am the most Thankful for! MY FAMILY and all the joy and love and yes, heartaches, for all the ones we missed today. Our Mom's Big Ed...no one carves a turkey like him, hubby's Nana, she always sent the centerpiece, my Mom, yes I made the Lemon Meringue pie and the Indian Fudge. Ed always loved Eggnog. Grampa made Pumpkin pie for Jake. Hubby's Mom.....I did the dishes alone, well hubby helped, but I missed you. We all missed you, there used to be twenty-two for Thanksgiving and today there were seven and the rest were here in spirit. I really think this is a day all about family. So now after three days of cooking
I am going to go pour another Pumpkin Martini, call my Aunt in Ohio and rest my tired feet, because I still need to get the turkey carcass cleaned up. Oh and do that one last dish~

HAPPY THANKSGIVING

P.S. Tomorrow I start cleaning up all the Harvest and get ready for CHRISTMAS! Wahoooo


P.S.S. Don't forget Tablescape Thursday hosted by Susan @BNOTP

Thanks Susan, Happy Thanksgiving to you and yours!!