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.  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 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 week's verses are focused on Joy.  If you downloaded the study and are following along with it, this is the one from December 20.

S= "Wherefore, seeing we also are compassed about with so great a crowd of witnesses, let us lay aside every weight, and the sin which doth so easily beset us, and let us run with patience the race that is set before us,

"Looking unto Jesus, the author and finisher of our faith, who for the joy that was set before Him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is set down at the right hand of the throne of God."  (Hebrews12:1-2)

O= The writer of Hebrews is not known, though to me the epistle has the definite flavor of Paul's writing.  C.I. Scofield notes, "The occasion of the Epistle was the need of special exhortation for Hebrew readers who had professed faith in Jesus as the Messiah, some of whom were wavering in their attitude.'

Scofield has titled Chapter 12 "The worship and walk of the believer-priest" and has titled verses 1-2 "Jesus is the perfect example."  So, since they were encompassed by a great cloud of witnesses, the believers were encouraged to run their Christian race (laying aside every weight, laying aside sin, running with patience) looking to Jesus.

Jesus, the believer's perfect Example, endured the cross, despising the shame, because of the joy that was set before Him.  He is the Author of our faith and is also the Finisher of it, now set down at the right hand of God's throne.

A= I am to follow Jesus' example.  I'm to run the race of the Christian life with patience, unencumbered by weights and sin.  I can do this as I consider the example of the Author and Finisher of my faith.  He ran a race that included dying a shameful death, but He did it for the joy that was set before Him.  He ran His race triumphantly and is now seated at God's right hand.

P= "Lord, I thank You for these precious verses that make it so clear how believers are to run the race of life.  Help me to lay aside the weights and sin that could cause me to stumble and falter in my race.  I thank You that You are helping me to understand what some of these weights are, and that You want me to lay them aside.

"I praise You for the example of Jesus, the Author and Finisher of my faith.  He ran His race well, and endured the cross, despising the shame, because of His joy in what He was accomplishing on our behalf.  I have joy awaiting me as well.  Help me to run my race as You would have me to, each and every day.  In Jesus' name, Amen."

And there is this week's simple (but meaningful) Sunday Scripture!

Coffee cake du jour

 

Photo is from Pixabay.

 Last Saturday,  when we had four grandkids over for brunch, the coffee cake of the day (and I wish I had taken pictures) was a favorite basic recipe customized with some leftovers from cookie baking.  I was pretty pleased with myself for coming up with the idea that utilized some components we seldom know what to do with.

When you make as many cookies as we do at Christmas time, you end up with leftover things.  Glazes, toppings, frostings.  In our house these things tend to accumulate in custard cups or plastic dishes in the fridge.  So on the day in question, I was thinking specifically about a crumble topping my hubby had made for these cookies: Gingerbread Coffee Cake Cookies.  He had so much of it left over that he made a second batch of the cookies, but he still had leftover topping.

I decided to make our old favorite which I consider the World's Easiest Coffeecake.  I would top it with this crumble topping instead of the cinnamon sugar the recipe calls for.  So I did and it came out of the oven looking fantastic.  

When the cake cooled, I made an eggnog glaze for it by heating leftover frosting from Eggnog Log Cookies.  I may have thinned it out a little with half and half, but if I remember right,  the frosting thinned to a glaze-like consistency simply by heating.  I then drizzled this glaze over the coffee cake and it set up nicely. 

It looked beautiful and was delicious.  A new favorite which I would try customizing with other cookie-baking leftovers in the future!

Bits and pieces

 

Many, many years ago I read a little idea for making an Advent calendar and I was smitten with it.  The idea was to arrange 25 foil tart tins in the shape of a Christmas tree on a large piece of gift-wrapped cardboard and to fill each one with little bits and pieces of Christmas -- snippets from cards, little poems, a candy or two or other little things like Christmas pins or tiny ornaments.  If I remember right one glued a piece of gift wrap over the circular opening of each little tin and then the child opening the calendar would tear the cover away each morning.

I did make one of these and at the time thought I would refill it every year.

Of course, that didn't happen and eventually it was thrown away.  But fairly recently, while sorting vintage Christmas cards for sale, I came upon a plastic sandwich bag filled with little vintage bits and pieces I had saved for this project.  A couple of them are poems.

I plan to share the poems, at least, here this month.  For today, I thought I would just show a few of the random snippets that this little bag held.    The sleeping mouse under a patchwork quilt is especially sweet!

A Christmas Wish

 

 I just looked back to see if I have ever blogged about this vintage Christmas card before.  It seems that I haven't.  This card just sold in my Etsy shop so I will share about it while it's fresh on my mind.

This is a very pretty card from the 1950s.  I have never seen one just like it.  The sweet red house at the top left, the charming candlelit Christmas tree at lower right, the touches of colorful holly and the silver filigree framing the wish, all against a soft green background -- I love them all.

The charming message is 

"Within your home -- around your tree
May joy and gladness, too
Spend the very happy hours
of Christmastime with you--".

Inside the card, the verse continues: 

"May all your wishes be fulfilled
Throughout the coming year
May only good things come to you
And those you hold most dear."  

Just a lovely little poem.  I especially like the part on the front and think it's just a sweet thing to wish for someone at Christmas.

Cinnamon Apples

 

 This year I made a little tweak to the cinnamon apples I usually prepare for our annual December breakfast tradition with four of our local grandkids.  I have most often used a skillet recipe for cinnamon apples.  

This year I tried a slow cooker version suggested by a friend, and really liked it.  There were also a couple of flavor tweaks that made a huge difference.

FAVORITE CINNAMON APPLES

1 3-pound bag apples (I used Cortland), cored and sliced but not peeled
2 Tablespoons butter
1/4 cup maple syrup
2 teaspoons cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon nutmeg
1 teaspoon vanilla

Combine all in slow cooker and cook on Low for 3 hours.  

So yummy and they smell so good while cooking!  My other version uses cinnamon only -- I found that the nutmeg and the vanilla made such a difference in the flavor.  This will be my go-to from now on.

It might make a delicious addition to Christmas breakfast or brunch at your house!

The ever-versatile Chocolate Butter Cookies

 

 I've blogged about this recipe before, but it's been over a dozen years and, since no one commented on that post, I feel it's pretty safe to share it again.  Also, last time, I hadn't found this very fun vintage recipe clipping which at some point I had tucked into the front of a Christmas recipe and craft book.

You can see at a glance that one can make a half dozen varieties of chocolate cookies from the basic recipe: pressed cookies; log or square shapes; cherry-filled, and round cookies rolled in powdered sugar.  

In comparing this recipe with the newer one I had printed out, I see that the Land-O-Lakes people have made a change.  The old recipe called for 1 egg yolk; the newer one calls for 1 egg.  The writers of the newer recipe have compensated for the extra liquid by increasing the flour to 1 2/3 cups and the cocoa to 1/3 cup.  It makes it easier not to have to separate an egg, and I appreciate them making that change.  You can find the updated recipe here: Chocolate Butter Cookies.

I've begun using this recipe for my Sacher Torte Cookies (use almond extract); my Chocolate Spritz Cookies (use vanilla extract) and anywhere else a shaped or molded chocolate cookie is called for.  It just seems easier than so many of the recipes out there.  

If you're looking for a good chocolate cookie recipe, give this one a try.  I don't think you'll be disappointed.

National Christmas Card Day

Who knew there was such a thing?  Apparently it was December 9, so I'm a bit late.  But I'm very well acquainted with Christmas cards, having an Etsy shop full of them and boxes of them yet to list.  Joyce, over at From this Side of the Pond, asks:

Do you still send Christmas cards? If so does yours include a photo or is it a more traditional card, or maybe homemade? How do you feel about the tradition of exchanging cards at the holidays? 

I do still send Christmas cards. 

Our cards do not include a photo.   I guess you would say we send cards that are more traditional.  I like all sorts of scenes on Christmas cards, but the one I chose for this year is a real favorite.  I just like all  of the elements -- the birds, the holly and berries, the twig frame, the sheet music and winter scene, the shadowy deer and holly in the background.

 
I have made homemade Christmas cards, but it's been a long time.

I think the tradition of exchanging cards at the holidays is wonderful.  I understand postage has gone up over the years, and it can be a real expense.  But I also think that it's a relatively inexpensive way to stay in touch with people one seldom sees, and it's much more personal than an ecard.  (Although I have nothing against ecards, and often send them for birthdays, praying for you occasions, and more, I just like to send a Christmas card through the mail.)  

Most of the people we send cards to must feel the same, because we receive about as many Christmas cards as we send!

 

 

Sunday Scripture

  

As previously mentioned, I'll be 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.  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 week's verses are focused on Love.  If you downloaded the study and are following along with it, this  is the one from December 13.

S= "Then said Jesus unto them, Yet a little while is the light with you.  Walk while you have the light, lest darkness come upon you; for he that walketh in darkness knoweth not where he goeth.

"While ye have light, believe in the light, that ye may be the children of light.  These things spake Jesus, and departed, and did hide Himself from them. "  (John 12:35-36)

O= Jesus is speaking here.  This incident took place after Jesus rode into Jerusalem on a donkey.  There were all sorts of people present -- people who had come to the Passover feast in Jerusalem hoping to see Him; His disciples; people who had been present when He raised Lazarus from the dead; the Pharisees; and "certain Greeks" who requested to meet with Him but did not do so.

Just prior to His speaking these words, Jesus foretold His crucifixion, and a voice from heaven spoke, verifying His words.  When the people questioned, saying, "We have heard out of the law that Christ abideth forever; and how sayest Thou, the Son of Man must be lifted up?  Who is this Son of Man?", Jesus' words in verses 35-36 are His answer to them.  He instructed them to believe in and walk in the light while they had the opportunity, for the Light would be with them only a short time.

As John Blase says in Our Daily Bread, "It was going to get dark and be almost impossible to see. Almost. So what did Jesus tell them to do? Believe, or trust, the Light (v. 36). That was the only way they could keep going forward and stay faithful.'

A= I struggled a bit to find an application for these verses other than the obvious one that sinners should trust Christ as Savior while they still had the opportunity.  But I think it also has to do with believers trusting God through their trials.

 "Believers have His Spirit as our constant guide to light the way. We too will face dark times when it’s almost impossible to see the way ahead. Almost. But by believing, or trusting in the Light, we can press on." -- John Blase, Our Daily Bread

Jesus is the Light in our darkness.  He will give us all  we need to keep going in difficult times.

P= "Lord, I thank and praise You that because of Your free gift of salvation, I  no longer walk in darkness.  I am a child of light.  I praise You that I have Your Word to shed light upon my path and to help me walk as You would have me to.  

"Help me to walk in the light of Your Word every day.  May the people who cross my path who are still walking in darkness be drawn to Your marvelous light!  I pray in the name of Jesus, the Light of the world, Amen."

And there's the very simple Sunday Scripture for today, December 14!

Christmas This or That

 

 Another question from the Hodgepodge and Joyce at From this Side of the Pond.  She says:

Let's do a little holiday this or that? 

• shopping or wrapping
• baking or decorating
• eggnog or wassail
• real tree or artificial
• turkey or ham
• white lights or colored lights 
• ugly sweaters or matching pjs
• peppermint or cinnamon 
• presents Christmas Eve or presents Christmas Day

So let's see ... I'm afraid that on some of these I will be a bit wishy-washy.  It will be hard to choose! 

Shopping or wrapping -- I do enjoy shopping, or even better, creating gifts, but I do enjoy wrapping a lot and like getting a bit creative with it.  Like the snowman below, which is a package of Laughing Cow cheese and a box of crackers!

Baking or decorating -- This is a really tough choice!   I love both.  If I have to choose though, I will pick decorating since my hubby now does so much of the baking.

Eggnog or wassail -- it depends on the recipe.  In general I will say wassail.  I have a holiday beverage that we and our guests love, which may not strictly be wassail but I consider it as such.  It's a mulled cranberry-orange juice.  Find the recipe here.

Real tree or artificial -- I definitely prefer real trees for their scent and the fun of going out to cut them.  That said, however, we usually have an artificial one, which I enjoy because it can be left up much longer than a real tree.

Turkey or ham -- another difficult choice.  I think I prefer turkey but we just had it at Thanksgiving.  For Christmas we often have a beef roast and a chicken dish to choose from rather than either turkey or ham.

White lights or colored lights -- I like them both.  In general we have colored lights on our outdoor tree and white on the indoor tree.

 

Ugly sweaters or matching PJs -- I prefer sweaters but not super ugly ones.  Maybe ones with more of a traditional Nordic look.

Peppermint or cinnamon -- Oh, I like them both!  Maybe  cinnamon just a little more.

Presents Christmas Eve or presents Christmas Day -- in general, Christmas Day.  But in the past we have often exchanged gifts with our two oldest grandkids on Christmas Eve.  Now they have busy lives of their own so we exchange whenever it works for them.

That's my Christmas this-or-that!  Want to try answering these yourselves?  Please share in comments!

Maple Barbecue Sauce

 

 I promised to post this last year after Christmas, I think, but apparently never found the time.  So,  here we go with the recipe for 

HOMEMADE MAPLE BARBECUE SAUCE

2 cups plain tomato sauce (this would be 16 ounces, or two 8-ounce cans)
1 6-ounce can tomato paste
1/3 cup apple cider vinegar
1/4 cup maple syrup
1/4 cup molasses
2 Tblsp. Worcestershire sauce
1 tsp. each garlic powder, smoked paprika, Dijon mustard
1/2 tsp. each salt, pepper, onion powder

Combine all ingredients in a medium saucepan; bring to a simmer over medium heat.  

Continue to stir and simmer for 10-15 minutes so flavors can meld together.

Transfer to a jar and store in the refrigerator for up to several weeks.

(Maybe be frozen for longer storage.)

This barbecue sauce, free of white sugar and high fructose corn syrup, is so good.  We love it and it makes a wonderful kitchen gift.

A Christmas cookie-decorating activity for kids!

 

 Like most people, I've decorated Christmas cookies with kids or grandkids over the years.  This activity is a little different.  It was an outreach of our church to the community.  The town had an outdoor Christmas event on the common last Saturday afternoon/evening.

Last year, our church participated with a choir chime bell concert in a beautifully decorated gazebo.  They were invited to come back again this year, and we decided to expand our presence a bit and offer this cookie decorating opportunity for the kids.

We have never done an activity like this before, so we were just putting an idea together and hoping it would work.  In this post I want to detail what worked and what didn't, so we can refer to it next time.  

My hubby volunteered to bake cookies.  He made three batches of these: 

CHRISTMAS CUT-OUT COOKIES

1 cup butter
2/3 cup sugar
1/2 tsp. salt
1 tsp. almond extract
3/4 tsp. vanilla
3/4 tsp. orange extract
2 unbeaten eggs
2 1/2 cups flour

Combine all but the flour and beat thoroughly. Add flour and mix well. Chill dough thoroughly.

Roll small portions of dough 1/4-inch thick and cut out. [Edited to add: decorate cookies before baking with sprinkles and colored sugars; or, bake the cookies plain and frost when cool.]

Bake for 8-10 minutes in 375º oven.

 He ended up with about 10 dozen cookies or a few more, and froze them all ahead of time, then thawed them out the day of the activity. 

Two of our granddaughters made the sign at top, which we attached to the top of our pop-up canopy.

Briefly -- I will go into more details below -- we used purchased tubs of white icing, and let the kids use plastic knives to spread the icing, then we provided sprinkles, colored sugars, small cinnamon candies, and gumdrops for decorating.  We provided a place for the cookies to dry and asked the kids to come back in a few minutes to get them.  When they did, we placed each cookie into a glassine bag labeled with their name and with a church invitation taped to the back.

So, the details:

1.  The first stop was for each child to give their first name, which a volunteer wrote on a label and stuck to a glassine bag.  While the names were being written, the kids got to choose what shape cookie they wanted.  We had stars, bells, Christmas trees, hearts, and round shapes.  The bags then got shuttled up to the drying area to await the cookies.  

2.  Next step was spreading icing on the cookies.  We bought plenty of plastic knives so they could be thrown away after each use.

3.  Next came sprinkling on the toppings.  

4.  Then the cookies were placed atop the appropriate, labeled bags in the drying area.

5.  When the kids came back, we placed each cookie in its labeled bag and handed it over.  In some cases, they were handed to grandparents or parents who wanted the kids to wait until after supper to eat their cookies.

Was it a success?  I'd say it was a huge success.  We did have cookies left over, but only a couple dozen, I think.

Did we learn some lessons?  Oh, yes!

1.  Bring tape to hold the tablecloth in place.  It was very windy that evening and the tablecloth was blowing everywhere.  Metal picnic tablecloth clamps would work too.  We brought tape but not for this purpose, and we ran out and had to buy more at a nearby dollar store.

2.  Have a trash can behind the table.  We had a bag for trash, but we needed something larger and more sturdy.

3.  Have the labels already in place on the bags so the volunteer has only to add the names.  And use bigger bags, like the wax paper sandwich bags.

4.  Swap out the shaker tops on some of the sprinkles for ones with smaller holes.  Some of them came with very large holes -- especially, inexplicably, the sanding sugars -- and we lost a lot of toppings that way.  Alternatively, place larger sprinkles in a cup and have the kids use a tiny spoon.

5.  Divide our team of volunteers -- we had four adults and several teen/college age helpers this time --  into two or three groups so that one group can be taking advantage of seeing the other booths at the event and also taking opportunities to get warm, while the other works the cookie booth.  Next year we won't be winging it,  so we will know exactly what we will be doing before we begin.

6.  Buy less sprinkles and more gumdrops.  I had chosen gumdrops as less pricey than the tiny M&Ms which could also have added color.  I was very surprised at how many kids like gumdrops -- and they did look very festive on the cookies.

7.  We had an L- shaped table area.  At one point we had to start a line at each end.  So  next year, we will do that from the get-go and have the drying area at a midpoint.

We also did many things right, not the least of which was remembering to bring a camping lantern we could hang from the canopy when darkness fell.  

All in all, a fun activity and one we will repeat next year, Lord willing.  And our sign-makers who labored long and hard on the posterboard sign have instructed us to save it, as "it was a lot of work!"  We plan to do just that!

The tentative kitchen gifts list for 2025

 

Yes, here is our tentative list of kitchen gifts for this Christmas.  As usual, it is likely to be added to or possibly subtracted from.

You may wonder why there are cookies on this list.  It's because we give gifts of specific cookies to certain people who love particular ones: 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.

Holiday Special Fudge will be winging its way to Nevada as a seasonal kitchen gift.  This chocolate fudge contains nuts and raisins and tastes a bit like a Chunky candy bar.

 My walking partner loves the Golden Apricot Cakes so much that I will make them just for her.   These are fun to make in tiny loaf pans.  Then I will wrap them individually in something pretty: colored foil, or the printed parchment paper I recently found at Hobby Lobby.  Below you see wrapped loaves from a previous year.

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

The Spicy Peanuts is a recipe I tried last year for some of the men on my gift list.  They were good but I may try to find something different for this year. 

I made a batch of our favorite Maple Barbecue Sauce as a kitchen gift last year, and it was well received.  So I am planning to make that again.  (Recipe coming soon to a Christmas blog near you.)

And one more possibility that I blogged about back in July: Pecan Pie Bark.  This didn't make it onto my list, but it looks so good.  I may try to adapt it using maple syrup; we will see.

That's why I always make a tentative list!

The 2025 tentative candy list

 

So far my hubby has made a couple batches of Heavenly Delight and one pan of the Salted Caramel Fudge.  We know we'll definitely be making some Holiday Special Fudge as our Nevada daughter really enjoys that.  Chocolate dipped orange slice candy has become a must ... and it's so easy!  Arlene's Easy Fudge, from Arlene Grimm, is simply delicious and I usually make one batch a year.

The Chocolate Pizzas are little rounds of solid chocolate (made in muffin tins or similar size pans) topped with red and green M&Ms, coconut flakes and drizzles of white chocolate.  I used to make them to put in holiday care packages to college students way back in the day.  Not sure if I will make these or not.  

I'm not sure about the Coffee Shop Fudge.  It's really good, but I'm not sure it would be worth the trouble or the calories since I would likely be the one consuming most of it.  I feel as if many people wouldn't go for a coffee flavor in their fudge.  What do you think?

In real time ...

 

My hubby has just finished glazing Gingerbread Coffee Cake Cookies, which I blogged about here when he first tried them in 2023.  These are amazing cookies.  So good!

He's out right now (even though it is very cold) trying to put outdoor lights on our little fir tree as we do every year.  

Meanwhile he has butter softening for Christmas Tree Spritz.  I had thought I might do some baking myself today, but it's obvious I'm going to run out of time and probably energy, too.

I've been cleaning today, and swapping out winter/Christmas artwork for some of our usual fall decor.  I washed all of our glass winter mugs, remembering that time when a grandchild pulled one down from the mug rack to make a cup of holiday tea only to find it covered with dust!  I'm fairly determined not to let that happen again.

Just snapped a quick photo of the top of a bookcase in the living room:

The plate in the middle is new to us.  We found it at the thrift store and fell in love with the scene.  It's a collectible plate, possibly from Avon in the 1980s.

And that's my quick post for today!

Sunday Scripture

 

I'm planning to post 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 get it, though it might not be of a lot more use to you this year.  You could save it for next year!  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 first week's verses are focused on Hope.  If you downloaded the study and are following along with it, this is the one from December 6.

S= "And again, Isaiah saith, There shall be a root of Jesse, and He shall rise to reign over the nations; in Him shall the nations trust.

"Now the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing, that ye may abound in hope, through the power of the Holy Spirit."  (Romans 15:12-13)

O= The book of Romans was a letter written by Paul to the Roman Christians.  His intent was to share with them the doctrines of grace which had been communicated to him.  In this section, Paul is showing both Jewish and Gentile believers the necessity of glorifying God.

In verse 12, Paul quotes Isaiah 11:1 and 10 -- "And there shall come forth a rod out of the stem of Jesse, and a Branch shall grow out of his roots ... To Him shall the nations seek, and His rest shall be glorious."

This is referring to the glory of the future kingdom to be set up when Christ -- the Son of David (and thus, "of the stem of Jesse", David's father) -- returns in glory.

Because of this, as seen in Romans 15:13, we have hope!  The God of hope is able to fill us with all joy and peace in believing.  Through the power of the Holy Spirit, we can abound in hope!

A= I am encouraged and excited as I see another instance of how God's Word fits together.  It's exciting to see how the first part of Isaiah's prophecy--"there shall be a root of Jesse" has been fulfilled -- and to know beyond the shadow of a doubt that the second part will also be fulfilled in God's timing.

I love how God is referred to in verse 13 as "the God of hope", and I love the fact that He is able to fill believers with all joy and peace in believing.  Am I exhibiting that?

J B Phillips paraphrases this prayer:  "May the God of Hope fill you with joy and peace in your faith, that by the power of the Holy Spirit, your whole life and outlook may be radiant and alive."

Someone has said, "Of all people, the Christian should be the one who manifests the inner strength (and Spirit) to look ahead with a contagious enthusiasm. God has given us hope, the absolute certainty of that God will do good to us in the future."

P= "Lord, I thank You for the promises in Your Word.  I praise You that You keep your promises!

"I thank and praise You too for sending Your Son to be our Savior, and for the power of Your Holy Spirit who is able to fill us with all joy and peace in believing.  

"Help me, Lord, to abound in hope -- and to glorify You as others observe Your joy and peace in me.  May my testimony point them to You -- the God of hope.  I thank You for all You'll do, in the hope-filling name of Jesus, Amen."

And there's our simple Sunday Scripture for this first Sunday of December!

Tentative cookie list for 2025

 

Finally, here is our tentative cookie list for 2025.

It includes:

Chocolate Mint Crisps*
Whipped Shortbread*
Almond Raspberry Thumbprints*
Chocolate Spritz*
Blond Brownies*
Cookie Dough Brownies*
Lemon Shortbread Thumbprints
Eggnog Logs*
Chocolate Gingerbread Thumbprints*
Sacher Torte Cookies*
Secret Spice Cookies*
Chocolate Orange Cookies*
Christmas Tree Spritz
Dark Chocolate Peppermint Cookies
Chocolate Dipped Maple Logs
No-bake Cookies

And who knows?  Quite possibly some other varieties as well.

Blond Brownies and Cookie Dough Brownies were never among our traditional Christmas cookies in the past,  but he likes them and likes to make them, so they are fast becoming traditional.

Cookies with a * indicate varieties Mr. T has already baked at least one batch of.  I can hear him grating nutmeg onto Eggnog Logs as I write.

A sweet find -- "Merry Christmas" parchment paper

 

This week I made a second foray to Hobby Lobby -- a place I first visited only this fall!  I had a few things I was looking for -- mostly components for gifts, and I did find some of them -- but then I spied this sweet "Merry Christmas" parchment paper.  

It is packaged wrong side up, so the "Merry Christmas" isn't readable, but I rotated the scan of the back of the package so you can see it below:

 

I love it when I can find special wrappings for my kitchen gifts!  This will be so nice for lining gift tins or wrapping little loaves of bread or fruitcake. 

Merry Berry Cheesecake Bars

 

I tried a new recipe at Thanksgiving ... with the express purpose of using it here in my Christmas kitchen.  This recipe was found in a 1998 Christmas magazine, and I had it tucked in a box of items I find useful for freebies to send out with Etsy orders.  In fact, I had been just about to put this in with an order when I took another look at it and decided to keep it.

It looked easy and I had absolutely everything on hand that it called for.  It would make a nice little extra Thanksgiving dessert -- and, if we liked it, it would also be something new for our Christmas cookie trays.  

Mr. T made the bars, people enjoyed them, and he has already decided to bake another batch for his Christmas cookie stash.    Maybe you would enjoy these, too!

A question of gingerbread

 

 I am picking just one question from this week's Wednesday Hodgepodge with Joyce and the gang at From This Side of the Pond.  It's this one:

3. Do you like gingerbread? Are gingerbread houses part of your holiday tradition?

Life is busy and I'm flying "by the seat of my pants" as I try to post here daily during the month of December.  So snagging a question from the Hodgepodge works well for me today.

We do like gingerbread.   If you do a search for "gingerbread" here in my Christmas kitchen, you will find many recipes: gingerbread men, blueberry gingerbread muffins, chocolate chip gingerbread muffins, gingerbread coffee syrup, gingerbread chocolate thumbprint cookies, gingerbread coffeecake cookies, gingerbread blackberry muffins, and more.  In fact, I am thinking now that I really need to go back and add a gingerbread label to these posts so they can be found more easily.

Gingerbread houses have not been a frequent part of our holiday traditions, but we have made several over the years and enjoyed it very much.  

Mr. T is baking as I write and oh -- I have to remind him of those gingerbread chocolate thumbprints.  An amazing recipe that has become a must-make!

Grace our homes with happiness -- a heartfelt Christmas prayer

 

A vintage Christmas card recently sold in my Etsy shop, and I realized this was my last one.  In looking at my description, I noticed the heartfelt message of this prayer and knew I needed to share it with you all.

The card is from the 1950s, and I believe the artist is Erica von Kager. . The design features two little barefoot blonde angels hanging Christmas greenery on a door. The background for the design is textured metallic gold. The door is of warm natural wood. The taller angel stands on a wooden step stool with a basket of greenery on the floor beside her. She is carefully arranging an evergreen wreath with a large red bow on the door. A garland of greenery already adorns the top of the door. The smaller angel, who evidently does not have her wings yet, is handing a sprig of evergreen to the angel on the stool. Many touches of metallic gold gild the design. A fancy gold edge surrounds the design, and the words "Grace our homes with happiness" are in white in an old English font.

Inside the card on one side is a little poem in black in a small handwriting font. 

 It reads:

 "GRACE our homes with happiness ... "Tis but a modest prayer; A bushelful, a cartful, an overflowing heartful, (And a little heap under the stair). 

The little saying is described as "Old Welsh".   A heart full of happiness -- what a lovely thing to wish for a person you are sending a Christmas card to!

This prayer -- or maybe it would be termed a "Welsh Blessing" -- was too sweet not to be shared.  Hope it was a blessing to you!

Welcome to my Christmas Kitchen!

 Here we are on December 1, amazingly enough,  This year has flown by so swiftly!  Today I'm swinging open the door to my Christmas kitchen and inviting you, my readers, to join me every day.  I've brewed a pot of Cranberry Vanilla Wonderland tea for us to share today.  It will get us into the Christmas mood, as will the fresh snowfall outside my window here in New Hampshire.

On Saturday evening one of our local small towns held "Christmas on the Common", a truly fun community Christmas event.  Mr. T and I organized a kids' cookie decorating activity presented by our church.  He baked dozens of cut-out cookies and we provided sprinkles and frosting for decorating.  It was very well attended and we are thankful for that opportunity to be a blessing to our community.  Our church chime choir also presented Christmas music in a beautifully lighted gazebo.  This event helped us get into the Christmas spirit for sure!

Today is going to be a planning day for me.  Many, many lists must be made.  Mr. T started his cookie baking a few weeks ago and he has baked whipped shortbread, chocolate spritz, and chocolate mint cookies in addition to the cut-outs.  But now we must make our actual cookie lists and he wants to add at least one new kind this year.

Of course I'll also be making lists for candy and for kitchen gifts, and we want to check and double-check our list of holiday baking ingredients to see what we still need.

What is your day looking like this first day of December?  Do you have snow?  Have you started baking?  I'd love to hear!