Merry Christmas!

 

Have a blessed day!

Another Beautiful Sunrise

 

CHRISTMAS BUTTER COOKIES

There's a reason these are called butter cookies. The buttery flavor is delicious and makes this one a favorite any time of the year, but especially at Christmas.

CHRISTMAS BUTTER COOKIES

1 cup soft butter
½ cup brown sugar, packed
2¼ cups flour, sifted

Cream butter until it resembles whipped cream and slowly add the sugar, beating well. Add flour gradually and blend thoroughly. Wrap in waxed paper and chill for several hours. Knead dough slightly on floured board, form into a smooth ball. Roll to about ⅛ inch thick and cut to desired shapes. Place on ungreased cookie sheets and bake in moderate oven (350-f) about 12 minutes. When cold decorate with butter icing, candied fruit, etc.

FRUIT CAKE

Fruit Cake - you either love it or hate it.  And, if you love it, you probably have your own special recipe. This treat is The Swiss Colony Christmas Fruit Cake
and is available from amazon.com
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If you would rather try a homemade cake, there are plenty of recipes available.  This vintage recipe probably is not what you would normally think of when someone mentions fruit cake, but it is delicious.  I like to mix in some golden raisins and currants. It comes out similar to my Grandmother's Applesauce Cake. Do you have a favorite fruit cake recipe?

FRUIT CAKE

Place in mixing bowl

One-half cupful of brown sugar,
One cupful of molasses,
Two tablespoons of cocoa,
One egg,
One and one-half level teaspoonfuls of baking soda,
One cup cold coffee,
Three and one-half cupfuls sifted flour,
One and one-half teaspoonfuls cinnamon,
One teaspoonful nutmeg,
One cupful seeded raisins,
One-half cupful chopped nuts.

Beat to thoroughly mix and then pour in a greased and floured cake pan and bake in a moderate oven (350 degrees) for one hour.

Why I live in the country...

People often ask me why I live in the country, especially when something as simple as meeting friends for lunch turns into an afternoon because of the driving distance.  I'm fortunate to work from home now, but I spent years, make that decades, commuting.  It was a two hour round trip and, at times, I did consider moving closer.  In the end, it wasn't worth giving up the peace and quiet of country living.
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I never get tired of sunsets like this one.  In fact, I've taken so many pictures of country scenes, I decided to make a calender for friends this year.  Take a look at the finished product here.  Let me know what you think of the pictures.  They're some of my favorite scenes from this year.
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What's your gift idea this year?

Christmas Gift Ideas

How's your Christmas shopping going this year?  It seems like we have a few extra days, but it's just around the corner.  I've been doing a lot of research online this year.  I guess I'm trying to be a more savvy consumer.  Plus a little time spent online can sometimes give you some great gift ideas.
I was thinking about doing a gift basket for a really special caregiver and thought I'd add a couple of cotton scrub uniforms to it along with some hand lotions and sanitizers.  I wanted something useful, but also pretty.  I loved the selection I found at http://www.blueskyscrubs.com/categories/Scrubs/Scrubs-for-Women/Original-Scrubs/.  It gave me so many color ideas that I almost wish I was doing more gift baskets!

What's your gift idea this Season?

MORAVIAN CHRISTMAS COOKIES

What's your favorite Christmas memory?  One of mine is baking cookies with my Mom.  Do you think she thought that we were making a lifetime of memories?  Probably not.  Like any Mother, she was busy.  With everything that Moms do for us, how could she not be overwhelmed?  Christmas is such a busy time of the year that it's easy to get caught up in the rush and miss the really important things.  I hope this year that you take the time to make a special memory with your little ones.

MORAVIAN CHRISTMAS COOKIES

 

• 1/2 cup shortening
• 1 cup brown sugar
• 1 cup molasses
• 1 egg
• 4 cups flour
• 1 teaspoon cinnamon
• 1 teaspoon cloves
• ½ teaspoon nutmeg
• 1 teaspoon soda

Blend shortening, sugar and molasses. Add beaten egg. Sift dry ingredients and combine. Mix well, roll out and cut in fancy shapes. Bake at 350 degrees for 10 minutes. When cool decorate with boiled icing.