Caramel Brulee Latte Syrup -- an easy DIY

 

 Here's another great recipe from Mad About Food -- a Caramel Brulee latte syrup.

I haven't tried this one yet, but I'm sure it will be just as delicious as the Gingerbread Latte Syrup and the Peppermint Mocha one that I blogged about last year.

It also has simple ingredients: brown sugar, sweetened condensed milk, vanilla, and sea salt in addition to water.  The process is an easy stovetop one, and the syrup can be stored in your fridge for up to a month.  

Madeline gives directions for making a caramel brulee latte as well as a caramel brulee cold foam.  She notes that it can also be used as a syrup or sauce to drizzle over special desserts or even ice cream.

I'll be trying this recipe soon!

A visit to King Arthur

 

Last Saturday we met up with friends at King Arthur Cafe, Bakery, and Store in Norwich, VT.  It was so much fun!  

I was enamored of the outdoor trees, so Mr. T got several shots of them. 

To me it looked as if stars had fallen into the evergreen branches.  Just so pretty.

And the indoor decor was nice too -- not just the festive winter look, but also the beautiful collages of vintage kitchen implements and utensils.  I was especially taken with the look of the tall jar or vase at right in the photo below:  It's filled with copper cookie cutters and then topped off with greenery and white branches.  I would love to recreate this decor at home with a smaller vase, and would almost certainly add some red berries to the branches and greens.

I wish that the timing had been right to get coffee and a pastry, but it just didn't fit with our schedule and supper plans.  The Nutcracker Cocoa -- Steamed milk, Mocha, Hazelnut Syrup, homemade Marshmallow with a Marshmallow Whipped Cream -- sounded so good.  And I think I would've tried a Cardamom Bun.  The hometown bakery of my childhood was run by a family with Swedish roots and I instantly recognized (by the photo) the cardamom bun as something I loved as a child, though I'm pretty sure it had a different name.

I had specific gifts in mind that I wanted to shop for here, but most were not available.  Out of stock.  I found a few other things that would work, however, and I did get some cookie cutters I had hoped to, for me and for my daughter -- the classic "truck with tree" and a snow globe shape.  Also some nifty and very detailed snowflake cookie stamps. 

I also found some bakeable paper loaf pans I'd been eyeing in the catalog but wouldn't pay $17 for.    Now on sale for a much more reasonable price!  $6 sounded much better.  The ones I got weren't exactly like those below, but you get the idea:

I already used four of the ones that I got to bake my Little Apricot Fruitcakes in.  To be honest, I wasn't really sure how well I would like baking in these paper pans, but I do.  I like them a lot.  They were easy to work with and fill, nice and sturdy, and the cakes baked well in them.  When cooled, it was an easy matter to just wrap them in foil -- not plastic wrap and then foil, as I would do with cakes baked in ceramic or metal pans and removed to cool on racks.  I am glad I bought a package of 12, as I may make some chocolate chai tea bread if time allows.  If we get the opportunity to return to King Arthur anytime soon, I will probably purchase more.

An additional fun touch was that there was live music -- a Celtic duo with fiddle and guitar -- last Saturday during the time we were there,  so that made it even more festive.

And there you have it -- a winter afternoon at King Arthur!  So happy we got to do this.

A truly special Christmas card

 

We have a friend, really more of an acquaintance (we are close friends with his mom) who never fails to send us a Christmas card.  And it's always a special one.  

Some of these cards I have never seen in stores, though I assume perhaps he finds them in a Hallmark store.   The cards have always been wonderful, but this one may be my favorite, because it includes actual needlework.  

The saying "Faith is at the Heart of the Holidays" is machine-embroidered on felt in the center of this design.  It is then surrounded by stitched poinsettias (I think), holly and other greenery, and red and pink berries.  

The embroidered design is set off by an actual wood frame, albeit a very thin one.  

Have you ever seen a card like this?  I think it's just beautiful.

Poinsettias and Pines

 

 Last year I saw this sampler featured on an Instagram post.  I was smitten and simply had to get the chart.  One of my daughters had given me an Etsy gift card, so I headed over to Blue Ribbon Designs and promptly ordered it. 

Below you see a screenshot I took from the Etsy shop -- gives you a much clearer look at the design.

If you can't read it, the words say "The smell of pine/ The crackling fire/All the snow one could desire/Hot cocoa with marshmallows/Cookies in the kitchen/Treasure the gifts that winter has given."

I'm currently working on a smaller cross-stitch piece featuring a snow globe design, so I haven't started this yet.  Although fancier fabric and floss are called for, I am unashamedly a DMC, 14-count Aida type of stitcher.  I have my floss and this fabric in the "White Chocolate" color.  So thankful for 123Stitch, their great prices and flat rate shipping!

 Looking forward to working on this delightful piece throughout the winter!

More from the Christmas carol book

 

 Today I'm sharing the remaining pages from the 1978 vintage Christmas carol book I recently found.  

Very interesting to me is the fact that the Christmas story from the book of Luke is at the center of this little booklet.   Appropriately enough, for of course it is at the heart of most Christmas carols.

 Here are the pages for "What Child is This?" and "God Rest You Merry, Gentlemen".

And there are three carols on the page below: "Deck the Hall with Boughs of Holly"; "O Little Town of Bethlehem"; and "Joy to the World."

Below are the pages for "We Three Kings" and "It Came Upon a Midnight Clear."

I love how each carol has a related, full color illustration at the top, above the music.

And there are the remaining pages of this sweet Christmas carol booklet.  Hope you've enjoyed seeing them.

An easy yet festive looking main dish for a busy night

 

 If you are like me, you are always looking for quick and easy meals during December.  A quick, easy meal with a festive look is absolutely a plus.  

Back in July I told about reaching into the above envelope stuffed with random recipe clippings.  

 This looks so easy!  In case you can't read it, the recipe calls for a 9 to 10 ounce package of refrigerated cheese ravioli and 2 cups frozen (or fresh) broccoli florets, cooked as directed on the pasta package.  Heat a jar of Alfredo sauce, adding 1/8 teaspoon nutmeg and, if desired, 1/8 teaspoon cayenne. 

Serve sauce over the pasta and broccoli, topping with 1/4 cup chopped roasted red peppers.  Sprinkle with grated Parmesan cheese when serving, if desired.  Serve with crusty bread and a mixed green salad.

 This recipe sounds delicious and so festive to me, with its red, white  and green colors.  What do you think? Does this sound like a good addition to your December menus?

Sunday Scripture

 

I've been posting Sunday Scriptures on both of my blogs this December, taken from an Advent study I did in 2013 with Good Morning Girls.  The study, Keeping Our Hearts Focused on Jesus, is still available as a free download; it's not too late to head on over there and get it.  Scroll down and click on the book-like image, and the pdf should open right up.  More than just a Bible study, this is an ebook that includes recipes, Advent activities, and more.  I think it will be a blessing to you.

I've mentioned before that I like to use the SOAP method of Bible study, and the studies from GMG use a very similar one.  I find this method a real blessing whether I am studying shorter passages or longer ones, so I hope you'll give it a try if you haven't ever done so. Just a reminder that the S is for Scripture -- just write it out -- and the O is for Observation, the A is for Application and the P is for prayer -- concerning how you'll apply this verse or passage,  or praise for what it means to you.

This third week's verses are focused on Joy.  If you downloaded the study and are following along with it, this is the one from December 18.

Today's Scripture is Psalm 16:11.

S= "Thou wilt show me the path of life: in Thy presence is fullness of joy: at Thy right hand there are pleasures forevermore."  (Psalm 16:11)

O= This psalm is titled by C.I. Scofield in the Scofield Study Bible "The path of life and joy."  Psalm 16 is considered to be a Messianic psalm, a prediction of the resurrection of the King.  It is one of the few passages in the Old Testament dealing with resurrection.

Believer's Bible Commentary explains concerning verse 11: "In the final verse, our blessed Lord has complete confidence that God will show Him the path of life -- the path from death back to life again.  This path would eventually lead Him back to heaven, to God's presence.  There He would experience fullness of joy and pleasures forevermore."

But in my view, I think we can see a message in this verse for believers as well: 

🌲 God will show us the path of life;

🌲 In God's presence there is fullness of joy;

🌲 At God's right hand there are pleasures forevermore. 

I was happy to read that Charles Spurgeon also found a message for believers in this indisputably Messianic psalm.  He wrote, in a sermon titled "Life and the Path to It":

"Yet we feel no hesitation, as believers, in taking [these words] to ourselves, at least to a very large extent, remembering that our Lord Jesus said to His disciples, “Because I live, ye shall live also,” and that He prayed, “Father, I will that they also, whom thou hast given me, be with me where I am; that they may behold my glory.” This proves that we also shall tread the path of life which He has trodden, that the presence of His Father, in which He is glorified, is that same presence which will make our heaven, that the right hand of God, at which He sits, is the place to which He will also exalt us, and that the pleasures for evermore, in which He Himself rejoices, are the very pleasures with which He will indulge our souls, for it is His purpose that His joy shall abide in us that our joy may be full."

A= God promises to show me the path of life.  He will give me guidance and direction day by day, even moment by moment as I consistently look to Him.  Am I doing this?

In God's presence there is fullness of joy.  Even in very difficult times, His presence is always with me, and joy can also be my constant companion as I look to God and not my circumstances.  Am I doing this?

And I know that "pleasures evermore" await me in heaven.  I am so blessed, not only to have God's presence and guidance here in this life, but to have heaven to look forward to.  Am I living as befits a citizen of heaven?

If I'm honest, I will have to admit that I cannot answer a wholehearted "Yes!" to any of these questions.  My answer to each would be more like, "Yes, but not consistently."  Obviously, I need to pray about these things and make them part of the fabric of my everyday life.  I have work to do.

P= "Lord, I thank You so much for the clarity of Your Word!  I praise You that it so clearly teaches Your people how you would have them to live!  I find so much instruction for my life here in this verse today.

"How I thank You for the guidance and direction You promise to give for my life as I am faithful to look to You consistently.  I pray that You will help me to seek your wisdom daily -- even moment by moment as necessary.

"And I praise You for Your constant presence with me.  You will never leave me or forsake me.  Help me every day to look to You and not to my circumstances.  Many times, life doesn't look or feel very joyful, but I can have joy in my heart as I look beyond the circumstances to the fact that You have a good purpose in them.   And You are in full control.

"I thank You that my citizenship is in heaven.  I am just passing through -- just a pilgrim in this life.  Help me to conduct myself every day as a citizen of that better country.  I thank and praise You for all that You will do, in Jesus' name, Amen."

And there is my simple Scripture study for today!  I hope that some will find it a blessing.

A newer vintage Christmas carol book

 

Recently I came upon this Christmas carol book from 1978.  Although it's not as artistic as some of the older ones I have, it's still fun and I like how the cover depicts one of those "satin" ball ornaments from the 1970s.  

I also think it's neat how the back of the book tells us it was a gift from a local bank.  

Back in the day, banks and insurance companies often provided free Christmas carol booklets to their customers.  Think of it!  Christmas was so universally celebrated in America that these companies felt completely comfortable offering the carol books as gifts.

Today I will share a few of the pages from this book, and do the rest next week.  You should be able to double-click on the images to see them larger.

Introduction and Silent Night

 

We Three Kings and It Came Upon a Midnight Clear

 

O Come All Ye Faithful and Angels We Have Heard on High

So much fun!  This was a nifty vintage find.

Because it is Christmas

 

 Now, I don't know whether to call this a poem or a quote.  But I thought it would be an inspiring thing to share in my Christmas kitchen this season, so here it is.  I found this unused Christmas card in my mother's card stash and have set it aside to send to someone special at some point. Or, I may simply list it for sale in my Etsy shop.

In case you can't read it, here are the words:

"I am thinking of you today because it is Christmas, and I wish you happiness.  And tomorrow, because it will be the day after Christmas, I shall still wish you happiness.  I may not be able to tell you about it every day, because I may be far away or we may be very busy.  But that makes no difference -- my thoughts and my wishes will be with you just the same.  Whatever joy or success comes to you will make me glad.  Clear through the year ... I wish you the spirit of Christmas." -- Henry van Dyke

I didn't really know much about Henry van Dyke, so decided to do a quick search and learn a little more.  Here's what I read on AmericanLiterature.com.  

"Henry van Dyke was an American author, educator and clergyman, born in 1852 in Germantown, Pennsylvania.

He attended Princeton University, graduating in 1873 from then matriculated at the Princeton Theological Seminary from which he graduated in 1877. He returned to Princeton as a professor of English literature, a post that he held from 1899 - 1923 but it was not without interruption. From 1908–09 Dr. van Dyke was an American lecturer at the University of Paris. And in 1913 his former classmate, President Wilson, appointed him Minister to the Netherlands and Luxembourg.

As a member of the clergy, Christmas and Easter were special holidays for Henry van Dyke. He wrote some popular Christmas stories including; The Other Wise Men, The First Christmas Tree, and Keeping Christmas. "

Henry van Dyke

 
There you have it.   This Christmas card shares a lovely sentiment for friends or loved ones.

The sweetest vintage gift tag

 

 I recently came across this adorable angel gift tag that had originally been attached to a childhood gift of mine.  It is tiny -- about 2 1/4 inches by 2 3/4 inches.  And so sweet.  A curly-haired angel in pink, with lambs at her feet. and a starry background. 

I've mentioned before how I always loved to see the packages under the Christmas tree at my grandmother's farmhouse.  I didn't even care that most of them weren't for me; I just loved seeing those beautifully wrapped presents.  The tags always matched the wrapping paper exactly.  My grandmother had the soul of an artist -- and oh, how she loved Christmas!  She decorated for all of the holidays, really, but Christmas was the time she pulled out all the stops.  

As mentioned, this tag was on a package of mine.  I only know that because my name is inside it.  I'm sure whatever was in the package is long gone.  I'm also pretty sure that this tag was picked especially for my gift because I was a curly-headed toddler, as seen in the photo below.  

My natural curls were a source of great delight to my grandmother (as well as a source of great disappointment when my hair segued, a few years later, to being merely wavy).  

This angel gift tag was a Norcross tag, so it was very special.  Norcross is highly collectible.

 
What a delightful find!  I am selling on Etsy many of my vintage Christmas paper treasures.  But not this one.  It literally has my name on it.

Maple Candied Walnuts

 

At Thanksgiving, I made a salad (along with other dishes) to take to dinner at our daughter's home.  She had requested a green salad with dried cranberries, walnuts, and feta cheese.  I usually make these Candied Walnuts from Taste of Home to serve with a salad like this -- and they are good -- but I was just coming off a sugar fast and thought I'd like to find a recipe using maple syrup rather than brown sugar.  The photo below is of my regular candied walnuts, but I must say it looks just like the maple ones.

A simple search turned up these Maple Candied Walnuts from Texanerin Baking.  Aside from the nuts (pecans can be used instead of walnuts, if preferred), this recipe calls for only three ingredients: maple syrup, vanilla, and salt.  It was much, much easier than I expected.  These came out really well and I was so happy to be able to make candied nuts with a natural sweetener that happens to be extremely delicious.

I would recommend either of these candied nut recipes as a gift from your kitchen this Christmas!

The miscellaneous cooking/baking list

 

 This is a new list for this year.  I haven't actually written out a list like this before, but I think that I should because I always end up cooking and baking some things that fall under this category.  And the older I get, the less I can rely on my memory for mental lists.

This list will likely be added to along the way, but these are the miscellaneous things I'm planning as of now.

We'll be attending a Christmas party this weekend.  My hubby volunteered to bring a large tray of his famous cookies, and I offered to bring a cheese log and crackers.

Friends of ours who live exceedingly busy lives will be welcoming a houseful of guests over Christmas.  When this happens, I like to help them out by preparing some frozen entrees, some breakfast foods, and an assortment of cookies.  So this year I plan to make granola, some muffins or coffee cake, two frozen lasagnas and two pans of cheeseburger macaroni.  We will also give them an assortment of cookies in a large plastic container to keep in the freezer and bring out as needed.

Maybe you've never thought of making a miscellaneous list like this.  But you just might need one!

Festive fruits

 

A vintage ad for festive candied fruit!

Below is another clipping from a 1967 Family Circle magazine.   This one has to do with dried and candied fruits and their use in baking.  In years gone by, not only candied fruit, like that used in fruitcakes and holiday breads, but also dried fruits like dates, apricots, and prunes were considered very festive flavors.  

My great-grandmother's recipe for Date Cake always figured prominently in our family celebrations of Thanksgiving and Christmas during my childhood.  My mother also made date-oatmeal cookies (with a candied cherry half atop each) as one of our traditional Christmas cookies.  She decorated loaves of cinnamon swirl bread with candied cherries and sliced almonds, too.

I myself make little loaves of apricot cake each year as a kitchen gift.  That recipe includes not only apricots but also dates, golden raisins, and orange peel.

Maybe this handy vintage chart will help you with your Christmas baking as well!

Sunday Scripture

 

 In 2013, I did an Advent study with Good Morning Girls.  The study, Keeping Our Hearts Focused on Jesus, is still available as a free download; it's not too late to head on over there and get it.  Scroll down and click on the book-like image picturing candy canes, and the pdf should open right up.  More than just a Bible study, this is an ebook that includes recipes, Advent activities, and more.  I think it will be a blessing to you.

I've mentioned before that I like to use the SOAP method of Bible study, and the studies from GMG use a very similar one.  I find this method a real blessing whether I am studying shorter passages or longer ones, so I hope you'll give it a try if you haven't ever done so. Just a reminder that the S is for Scripture -- just write it out -- and the O is for Observation, the A is for Application and the P is for prayer -- concerning how you'll apply this verse or passage,  or praise for what it means to you.

Each week of this Advent study focuses on a theme: Hope, Love, Joy, and Peace.  This second week's verses are focused on Love. 

Today's Scripture is Psalm 119:105-106.  In the actual study, this one was from December 11 -- just in case you downloaded the study and are following along with it.

S= "Thy Word is a lamp unto my feet, and a light unto my path.
"I have sworn, and I will perform it, that I will keep Thy righteous judgments."  (Psalm 119:105-106)

O= This psalm was born out of the Psalmist's love for the written Word of God.  Here he says that God's Word is a lamp to his feet, and also that it's a light to his path.  

Believer's Bible Commentary says, "The Word guides negatively by forbidding certain behavior patterns.  And it guides positively by showing the right way.  How much we owe to the friendly beams of this lamp1"

Proverbs 6:23, a cross-reference, says, "For the commandment is a lamp, and the law is light; and reproofs of instruction are the way of life."  To get the most from this verse, we must look at the one just before it in Proverbs 6:22: "When thou goest, it shall lead thee; when thou sleepest, it shall keep thee; and when thou awakest, it shall talk with thee."

Of these verses, so closely related to Psalm 119:105, William MacDonald gives us the following insights: 

"Obedience to God's Word affords:
guidance -- when you roam, they will lead you
protection -- when you sleep, they will keep (guard) you
instruction -- when you awake, they will awake, they will speak with you."

Verse 23 "amplifies the previous one:
The commandment is a lamp -- for guidance
The law is a light -- for protection
reproofs on instruction are the way of life -- for teaching."

See how they line up?  Fascinating!

The psalmist goes on to add in verse 106 that he has sworn to keep God's righteous judgments, and he intends to perform what he has vowed to do.  

Believer's Bible Commentary continues, "Here is a holy determination to obey the Holy Scriptures.   This is for the glory of God, for the blessing of others, and for our own good as well."

A= I need to shine the light of God's Word on my path.  Read it, study it, and allow God to speak to me and guide me through His Word.  

I need to commit myself to obeying God's Word, and to follow through on my commitments for my own good, for the good of others, and for the glory of God.

P= "Lord, I thank You for Your Word!  I praise You that it can be a lamp to my feet, and a light to my path.  Yet I know it cannot guide me if I don't spend time reading it.  I praise You that You have given me the desire to commit to reading and studying Your Word every day.  Thank You for helping me to keep that commitment and to spend time in the Bible daily.  Help me not only to read it and study it, but to apply what I read and to follow its instruction in obedience to You.  In Jesus' name, Amen."

And that is our very simple study for today!  Sometimes we need to get back to basics.  I hope it's been a blessing to someone.

A sweet little vintage Christmas card

 

 Here is an adorable little vintage Christmas card that I recently came across.  This is a pre-owned card, sent in 1963 -- which I know because the sender thoughtfully added the date.  I will probably sell it in my Etsy shop.  It features a wreath crafted from straw or wheat, with a simple red ribbon bow.  

Then, on or around the wreath are various beautiful, colorful songbirds.  A chickadee, goldfinch, blue jay, nuthatch, cardinal and bluebird are pictured.  I am not sure of that bird at lower right.  I think maybe it's intended to be a robin, but it seems a little small for a robin. 

The inside of the card, as you can see bears a very simple message:

Isn't that vintage font wonderful, though? 

I don't know who Mae S. was, but I like her dashing handwriting and her use of red ink to write her Christmas cards.  There are so many treasures to be found among vintage cards and stationery!

Tentative Kitchen Gifts list for 2024

 

 And today, here is my list for kitchen gifts.  Again, it is likely to be added to.  

Some special people get gifts of cookies: Eggnog Logs and  Sacher Torte Cookies, and Chocolate Mint Crisps.  I put the cookies for nearby recipients on pretty Christmas or winter plates that I either pick up on after-Christmas clearance the year before, or at the thrift store throughout the year.  I found some beautiful ones for this year's cookies, and they are washed and stashed away ready for use.

Cookie recipients who don't live nearby get their cookies in festive tins I've purchased in similar fashion or saved from a previous year.

One person loves the Golden Apricot Cakes so much that I will make them just for her.   These are fun to make in tiny loaf pans.

The little cakes cooling (with Eggnog Logs in the background)

Apricot cakes wrapped and ready to gift

 
 And seeing those little loaves reminds me of some other recipes I'd love to make for gifting:

This chocolate chai tea loaf, for one. 

Triple chocolate quick bread, for another.

And I remember a fruitcake recipe from Cook & Tell that included chocolate chips.  Hmmm .., I may be sensing a theme here!

Christmas Granola is just my Homemade Granola with dried cranberries and shelled pistachios added.

The BBQ pecans are just a want-to-try that I hope to make for some men on my gift list.  And that's why my lists are always tentative to start with...

The tentative candy list for 2024

 

 Inevitably, the tentative candy list for this year's gifting and sampling must follow on the heels of the cookie list.  (Unless it comes first, but I almost always make the cookie list first thing.)

 This list is very tentative.  My hubby has already made a batch of Heavenly Delight fudge,  and there will be more.

  

Arlene's Easy Fudge and  Easy Salted Caramel Fudge are candies that will likely get made during our annual Christmas crafting and candy spree with four local grands.

   The  Chocolate-Dipped Orange Slices have become such a favorite.  So easy!  Just dip orange slice candies from the supermarket into melted dark chocolate.  These are always a fun addition to a cookie tray.  I often have the grandkids prepare these, but I think I may need to do them myself since they may be needed sooner than the kids can get here.

Another yearly must on my candy list is Special Holiday Fudge, which is chocolate fudge filled with nuts and raisins.  It tastes somewhat like an old-fashioned Chunky bar. This year I'm going to experiment with using marshmallow fluff instead of the marshmallows it calls for.

I may or may not make the Date Confections, always called Oddballs in my family as I was growing up.  They are good, but I don't think they are necessarily favorites of anyone on my gift list.  When I do make them it is mostly for old times' sake.

 Other candies may find their way onto the tentative list.  We will see!

The 2024 tentative Christmas cookie list

 

Well, I have pretty much made my tentative Christmas cookie list for this year.  That's it above.  Of course, Mr. T does most of the baking these days, and I do appreciate his help.  So far, of the cookies on this list, he has made chocolate mint crisps, secret spice cookies, whipped shortbread, chocolate spritz, and he just finished a batch of almond raspberry thumbprints. 

I'll probably bake the Pepparkakor and the gingerbread men if those get made at all.  Mr. T is not a fan of cut-out cookies (baking them, that is; he has no problem eating them).

I like to try a couple new varieties of cookies every year, but it doesn't always happen.  I keep saving recipes to my "Christmas baking" on Instagram though, and I have an entire Pinterest board called Christmas Cookie Exchange. 

 

 In fact, I think I'll go browse there right now ...

Gooseberry Patch Christmas book 5

 

I’ve shared reviews of a number of Christmas books put out by Gooseberry Patch  -- lovely, hardback comb-bound books. 

 But there are other, numbered, G’berry Patch Christmas books, published by Leisure Arts, that are every bit as nice. They contain some of the same recipes and projects, and a good many extra ones as well. These books also contain wonderful photos of the foods and projects that are included. I’ve come by these in different ways -- mailings from Leisure Arts (most expensive way); using 40%-50% off coupons at Jo-ann Fabrics; buying the paperback version at Wal*Mart; and finding them at consignment shops or Thriftbooks (cheapest way). 

I have gotten my money’s worth out of every one of these. (I own all 16 of these numbered Christmas books.)  Book 5 is is pictured above.  Isn't the cover fun?  Christmas  cookies and fudge spilling out of a red tissue paper-lined plaid lunchbox, green homespun checks, bottle brush trees!  The subtitle reads, "Holiday Recipes, Cheery Gifts, & Ideas for Flurries of Fun!"

This may be the only such book in my collection from which I've made no projects yet and only one recipe -- Coconut Joys.

But that doesn't mean I don't intend to!  One fall, on a relaxing getaway, I sat by a lake in the sun and went through this book page by page.  I made a list of crafts and recipes to try, and came up with no less than ten craft projects and ten recipes I wanted to try.

The Season's Greetings wall hanging will be a must -- these would make wonderful gifts! The Scalloped Mantel Scarf and Christmas Village look like such fun.  The Applique Flannel Stockings look delightful.  Even though in our empty-nest household we don't hang stockings any more, I still am drawn to them as decorative elements and am very likely to make some of these.

 I'm all about food gifts at Christmas.  We have people we routinely gift with treats -- everything from granola to mixes, cookies to muffins.  The  Country Morning Maple Muffins look like a good pick for a kitchen gift.  And the Barbecue Pecans would be perfect for a few men on my list who don't care for sweets.   Wake-Up Scones, which include gingersnap crumbs and an espresso glaze, also sound wonderful.

For Christmas breakfast, Sunrise Ham is made in a pie plate and seems like an ultra-hearty crustless quiche.  Warm Country Gingerbread Waffles sound amazing as well!

Cheery Chocolate Dots, topped with chocolate kiss candies, might be a fun addition to our Christmas cookie line-up.  And I won't be waiting for Christmas to try Raspberry Crunch Cheesecake!

This book includes five basic sections -- Christmas Memories; Sparkles and Wishes; Wrap Up the Holidays; Goodies for Giving; and Festive Fare.  There are loads of projects and decorating ideas and a very generous amount of recipes, along with lovely photography.  I highly recommend this book (along with all of the Gooseberry Patch Christmas books) and hope this little review has been helpful and inspiring.

Short cuts to holiday baking, circa 1967

 

Here's a nifty little piece from a 1967 Christmas Family Circle magazine found in our attic.  I thought it would be fun to share this for December Daily.  The magazine itself was in pretty poor shape, but I looked through it to see if there were things I could use here in my Christmas kitchen.  And voila!  I found a couple things, of which this is one.

I thought it might be a good reminder, here at the beginning of December, to stock up on some of the necessary baking supplies.  Many of those on this list might not be ones we would ordinarily think about.  Too, some of these options have been updated.  Supermarkets have come a long way since 1967!

In my Christmas notebook, I keep a list of items to make sure I have on hand for the upcoming holiday each year.  I'm sharing it again here because it may jog someone's memory for things you'd want to be sure are in your pantry, fridge or freezer in early December.

LONG-TERM HOLIDAY SHOPPING LIST

Extra flour -- regular and gluten free
Extra sugar -- brown, white, confectioners
Corn syrup and molasses
Extra cornstarch
Extra butter
Lemons and oranges
Walnuts, pecans, sliced almonds
Raspberry and apricot jam
Baking chips -- white, semisweet, milk chocolate, dark chocolate, and peanut butter
Marshmallow fluff
Evaporated milk
Sweetened condensed milk
Baking chocolate -- unsweetened squares and cocoa
Extracts -- almond, orange, lemon, maple, vanilla
Whole spices -- cinnamon sticks, whole cloves, allspice berries
Ground spices -- cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg, cloves
Almond bark -- white and chocolate
Candy -- Hershey kisses, Andes mints, candy canes, M&Ms
Colored sprinkles
Red and green colored sugar
Stretch-tite plastic wrap (best for wrapping cookie trays)
Extra foil, waxed paper, parchment paper
Cheeses -- shredded cheddar, blue cheese, ricotta, Neufchatel, mozzarella
Half-and-half cream
Bacon
Celery
Extra eggs
Frozen chopped broccoli, spinach, pureed squash
Lasagna noodles
Sour cream

As you see, I include not only baking supplies but also ingredients for freezer meals like lasagna, easy meals like butternut squash soup, and festive goodies like cheese logs.  It truly is a short cut to holiday cooking when the necessary items are already on hand!