"He who has not Christmas in his heart

will never find it under a tree."

~Roy L. Smith

A Family Christmas Party Menu

~appetizers~

cream cheese with raspberry chipotle sauce

texas caviar

pico di gallo

guacamole

tortillas chips

~main course~

tortilla soup

cheese enchiladas

green chili enchiladas

~on the side~

spanish rice

refried beans

~for dessert~

double drizzle pecan cookies

Christmas sprinkle sugar cookies
peppermint candy cane cookies

pecan pie

~and to drink~

sangria punch

coca cola
iced tea
coffee

Double Drizzle Pecan Cookies

Double Drizzle Pecan Cookies
3 dozen

1/2 cup butter, softened
1 1/2 cups brown sugar
1 egg
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 1/2 cups flour
1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 1/4 cups chopped pecans, toasted
for caramel drizzle
1/2 cup brown sugar
1/4 cup heavy whipping cream
1/2 cup confectioners' sugar
for chocolate drizzle
1 square (1 ounce) semisweet chocolate
1 tablespoon butter

In a large bowl, cream butter and brown sugar until light and fluffy. Beat in egg and vanilla. Combine flour, baking powder and salt; gradually add to creamed mixture and mix well. Shape dough into 1-in. balls; roll in pecans. Place 2 in. apart on ungreased baking sheets; flatten slightly. Bake at 350° for 8-10 minutes or until lightly browned. Cool for 2 minutes before removing to wire racks to cool completely. In a small saucepan, bring brown sugar and cream to a boil. Remove from the heat; whisk in confectioners' sugar. Immediately drizzle over cookies. In a small microwave-safe bowl, melt chocolate and butter; stir until smooth. Drizzle over cookies. Let stand until set. Store in an airtight container.

Gifts from the Kitchen ~ Chocolate Spoons

For a fun treat - dip plastic spoons in melted chocolate

and then in candy, nuts, etc.

Serve with your favorite hot beverage!

Gifts from the Kitchen ~ Italian Biscotti

Italian Biscotti
2 dozen

½ cup oil
3 eggs

1 cup sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla
3 1/4 cups flour
1 tablespoon baking powder
¼ cup (choose one - sliced almonds, mini chocolate chips, mini cinnamon chips)

Beat together oil, eggs, sugar and vanilla until well blended. Combine the flour and baking powder, stir into the egg mixture; add almonds and stir to form a heavy dough. Divide dough into two pieces. Form each piece into a roll as long as your cookie sheet. Place roll onto greased cookie sheet, and press down to 1/2 inch thickness. Bake for 25 to 30 minutes at 375. Remove from the baking sheet to cool on a wire rack. When the cookies are cool enough to handle, slice each one crosswise into 1/2 inch slices. Place the slices cut side up back onto the baking sheet. Bake for an additional 6 to 10 minutes on each side. Slices should be lightly toasted. Serve with coffee or tea and enjoy!

Gifts from the Kitchen ~ Cowboy Cookie Mix

Cowboy Cookie Mix

1 jar

1 1/3 cups quick cooking oats
1 1/3 cups flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
¼ teaspoon salt
½ cup chopped pecans
1 cup semisweet chocolate chips
½ cup brown sugar
½ cup sugar

additional ingredients to prepare cookies
½ cup butter, softened
1 egg, lightly beaten
1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Pour oats into a wide-mouth 1-qt. glass container with a tight-fitting lid. Combine the flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt; place on top of oats. Layer with pecans, chocolate chips, brown sugar and sugar, packing each tightly. Cover and store in a cool dry place for up to 6 months.

Attach note to gift ~

"To prepare cookies, pour cookie mix into a large mixing bowl; stir to combine ingredients. Beat in butter, egg and vanilla. Cover and refrigerate for 30 minutes. Roll into 1 inch balls. Place 2 inches apart on greased baking sheets. Bake at 350 for 11-13 minutes or until set. Remove to wire racks to cool. Yield: about 3½ dozen cookies."

Snow Ice Cream

fresh, clean snow

a little sugar

a bit of vanilla

some milk

yummy!

If you are stopping by from The Inspired Room,

thanks for visiting! :-)

More Snow! :-)

Coming down hard from around 3:00 this afternoon

until almost 8:00 this evening!

About two inches on the ground!

It was so beautiful...

Playin' in the Snow! In Texas! ;-)

Simple Paper Christmas Garland

cardstock, festive transfers, curling ribbon and cookie cutters

Please visit The Inspired Room for more holiday decorating ideas. 

Winter Wonderland!

Down here in Texas...

we don't wake up to

this

very often! :-)

It's like my little winterland secret right now,

until the rest of the family wakes up.

I can't wait to see

the children's faces. :-)

Wow!

Keeping Christmas

It is a good thing to observe Christmas Day.

The mere marking of times and season, when men agree to stop work

and make merry together, is a wise and wholesome custom.

It helps one to feel the supremacy of the common life over the individual life.

It reminds a man to set his own little watch, now and then,

by the great clock of humanity which runs on sun time.

But there is a better thing than the observance of Christmas Day,

and that is keeping Christmas.

Are you willing to forget what you have done for other people,

and to remember what other people have done or you;

to ignore what the world owes you, and to think what you owe the world;

to put your rights in the back ground, and your duties in the middle distance,

and your chances to do a little more than your duty in the foreground;

to see that your fellowmen are just as real as you are,

and try to look behind their faces to their hearts hungry for joy;

to own that probably the only good reason for your existence

is not what you are going to get out of life, but what you are going to give to life;

to close your book of complaints against the management of the universe,

and look around you for a place where you can sow a few seeds of happiness -

are you willing to do these things even for a day?

Than you can keep Christmas.

Are you willing to stoop down and consider the needs and the desires of little children;

to remember the weakness and loneliness of people who are growing old;

to stop asking how much your friends love you,

and ask yourself whether you love them enough;

to bear in mind the things that other people have to bear in their hearts;

to try to understand what those who live in the same house with you really want,

without waiting for them to tell you;

to trim your lamp so that it will give more light and less smoke;

and to carry it in front so that your shadow will fall behind you;

to make a grave for your ugly thoughts and a garden for your kindly feelings,

with the gate open -

are you willing to do these things even for a day?

Than you can keep Christmas.

Are you willing to believe that love is the strongest thing in the world -

stronger than hate, stronger than evil, stronger than death -

and that the blessed life which began in Bethlehem nineteen hundred years ago

is the image and brightness of the Eternal Love?

Then you can keep Christmas,

And if you can keep it for a day, why not always?

But you can never keep it alone.

~Henry Van Dyke

"Our hearts grow tender

with childhood memories and love of kindred,

and we are better throughout the year for having,

in spirit, become a child again

at Christmas-time."

~Laura Ingalls Wilder

Oh, home spun yarn, are we going to get along???

I am having my doubts... ;-)

Gingerbread Houses :-)

This evening, as the children were decorating

this gingerbread house...

... Mr. H. was decorating

this gingerbread house. :-)

Easy Christmas Decorating Idea

Do you have framed pictures of family around your home? Maybe some in the kitchen where you spend so much time?

For the month of December, replace the ones in the frames with Christmas photos - the children with Santa when they were little, family Christmas card portraits, candids of Christmas Eve and Christmas morning from years past, snapshots of favorite holiday activities and beloved traditions. Gather ones you have, match the sizes up to a frame each will fit in and...ta-da! You have instant Christmas decorations that will warm your heart! Leave the original pictures in the frames and just put the Christmas ones on top, so after Christmas all you have to do is walk around and take out the holiday pictures as you put away your other decorations. Each year you'll have a few new ones to add. Have fun! :-)

More holiday fun can be found at The Inspired Room! :-)

The Lasting Gifts

So many times dear ones will ask

What would you like this day,

And what would bring you Christmas joy

That I might give away?

A question posed a hundred times,

And yet we do forget

The treasures that would mean the most,

The dearest gifts to get.

Expectancy - rich happiness,

Good health that means so much,

Undying faith in God above,

A loved one's tender touch,

A peace of mind - a happy heart,

A confidence serene,

A worthwhile thought to live and grow,

A lovely lasting dream.

These are the gifts - the lasting gifts -

To treasure through the years,

A zest for living each new day,

A smile instead of fears.

What would you like this Christmas Day?

So much we all possess;

Abundantly our God gives all

In lasting happiness.

~ Garnett Schultz

Ideals Christmas

illustration courtesy of www.allposters.com

4H Swappin'

~Fun at the 4H Christmas Party~

My daughter took these cookies...

...and came home with all these cookies! Yum!

She took this ornament...

(that went home with her sweet friend that shows pigs)

...and she recieved this one!

It changes colors!

Like a snowman disco ball. ;-)

Fun!

"No Sew" Christmas Window Topper

This year, as I was putting up my kitchen Christmas decorations, I decided I needed a red curtain topper for the window above my sink. After looking all over town (in other words I'd looked at Wal-Mart and Target!) I hadn't found a thing. So, I thought I'd see what I could do on my own - without spending too much time, too much money or too much energy. And without sitting down at a sewing machine - which I haven't done in going on 18 years...

My answer - "stitch witchery"!

I used my blue gingham summer valance as a pattern,

and created "seams" with the stitch witchery.

I now present…

...my Christmas kitchen window! Love it!

Total cost - $4.10

fabric $2.81 - 1 1/2 yards fabric @ $1.87/yd
stitch witchery $1.29 - 20 yards Prym Sewing Regular Weight (used about 7 yards)

And no, it's not the camera angle - it really is a bit crooked.

;-)

But, for a first attempt at something I am not very talented at...

I am quite pleased! :-)

Supper Menus
December 8th-13th

Monday
beef pot pie, lettuce and tomato salad
Tuesday
jalapeno chicken enchiladas, refried beans, tortilla chips and guacamole
Wednesday
spaghetti, ceasar salad, garlic bread
Thursday
homemade pizza, lettuce and tomato salad
Friday
game night supper at cousin's house - taking cookies
Saturday
leftovers from family Christmas lunch

You can find more menu planning ideas at Menu Plan Monday.