A fun morning with dear grandchildren

With December upon us once again, it was time to plan our annual Christmas shopping trip with three of our local grandchildren.  I think we've been doing this for around five years.

We take them out for a meal (usually breakfast), then go shopping so they can buy gifts for their parents and one another.  The grand finale is a trip to a favorite shop for the ice cream buffet.

We had decided while we were together on Thanksgiving that December 1 would be The Day.  It turned out to be perfect weather -- mostly sunny, with mild temperatures.

I will share more photos of the gift shop tomorrow.  It's a pretty amazing place and well worth the visit if you are ever in the lakes region of New Hampshire.

Breakfast was at a favorite McDonald's, as usual.  This year we gave them the option of a diner or cafe instead, but the general consensus was that we would not tamper with tradition.

This McDonald's has a definite North Woods theme.  Look at the chairs with the moose cutouts on the back!

Not the best photo of the fireplace, but you see my Peppermint Mocha!

A better (though older) photo of the fireplace and eating area ... what a difference three years makes!

Yes, there are snowshoes on the wall in this McDonald's!

After a successful and marathon shopping trip to Ocean State Job Lot (funded by us with Crazy Deal gift cards acquired throughout the year), we headed to Kellerhaus for our ice cream and browsing.  Although we seldom buy much, we all enjoy seeing the beautiful, unique things on display, and the kids usually get a bit of candy to take home.

The ice cream buffet features homemade ice cream and all the toppings you can think of.  Kinda pricey, but it's an experience as much as a snack.

The one disappointment was that the player piano (at far right) was not working.

Check out that view, above!  The White Mountains in the distance, and even a bit of Lake Winnipesaukee is visible.

Following our ice cream, we head home, where the kids sneak their gift purchases into their rooms to be wrapped later and placed under the tree.  As we left Kellerhaus on Saturday, we all agreed -- this is a tradition worth doing again next year!

A Christmas quote

Recently I was rummaging through the little box where I keep my Christmas gift tags.  A little piece of paper caught my eye; it didn't look like an actual tag.  It actually was, though -- it was the tag above, a paper tag intended to be glued onto a wrapped gift.  I think it was a freebie from some charity or other.  The quote below was on the reverse side of it.

"The joy of brightening other lives, bearing each other's burdens, easing others' loads and supplanting empty hearts and lives with generous gifts becomes for us the magic of Christmas."  -- W.C. Jones

I don't remember ever seeing this quote before, but I liked it.  There truly is joy in
     🎄 Brightening others' lives
     🎄 Bearing each other's burdens
     🎄 Easing others' loads
     🎄 Supplanting empty hearts and lives with generous gifts.

In particular, we will find joy in sharing the good news of the greatest gift ever given -- salvation and everlasting life through Christ -- with those empty hearts and lives this Christmas season.  And there are many additional ways in which we can brighten lives with generous giving and sharing.  We don't have to look far to find people who could use someone to encourage them and point them to the Savior.

And a Scripture verse sprang to mind too: "Bear ye one another's burdens, and so fulfill the law of Christ."  (Galatians 6:2)  That would be the law of loving our neighbor as ourselves: what James called "the royal law."  (James 2:8).

I tried to learn more about W.C. Jones, the author of this quote.  It appears he may have been a Seventh-Day Advent minister, but I'm by no means sure of that.  Although I'm not certain of his theology, his quote is a good one.  I know it expresses some of what I would like to do during this Christmas season.

Sweet Christmas greetings

I just had to share these adorable images from vintage Christmas cards!  These were recently listed in my Etsy shop, A New Hampshire Attic, -- and one of them is already sold -- but they are just too cute not to share here.

This freckle faced boy is skating along exuberantly with his puppy at his side.  I love his red sweater and his red, white and green scarf.

Then there is this sweet, sweet little ballet dancer.

The details on this card are amazing!  Look at the holly in her hair and at her wrists, and all of the sugar plums scattered at her feet.  There's even a candy topiary with a candy stick serving as the trunk for the topiary tree.

So cute!  These are the type of cards that my grandmother would have sent to the kids in my family, back in the day.

It is silly to keep these stashed in a box somewhere when a collector of such sweet ephemera could be enjoying and displaying them!

An easy apron pattern for Christmas gifting

I've made quite a few aprons for grandchildren in the past, but recently I tried out a new pattern that I really like.  It's for a reversible apron.

The apron tutorial is here, if you are interested: Making it Fun.   You can find this apron tutorial in the right sidebar under the name Classic Apron Tutorial.  Click on the picture of the apron and the pdf appears for download or printing.

The tutorial has directions for both child and adult apron patterns.  I made the one at top in between those two sizes, which differed by a couple of inches.  Josiah is 10, but I wanted the apron to fit him for awhile.  I am not sure I've ever made a reversible apron before, but this is a great tutorial and so easy.  It went together so easily and was just plain fun to make.  I did choose to leave off the pocket, which is cute enough but completely unnecessary.

The next apron I made was in the child size.  I made it for a very petite four-year-old, but I wanted it to fit her for a few years, so I didn't try to reduce the pattern in any way.

 The only time-consuming part is making the pattern.  I used sheets of newspaper taped together.  Of course, once you get a particular size of pattern made, you can use it again and again.  I'm going to make up one in the "adult" size to use for those older grandchildren who need larger aprons at this point.

Once the pattern is made, the pieces are simple to cut out and I would say that the entire process of stitching up one of these aprons takes less than a couple of hours.  More, of course, if you add the pocket.  That's rather fiddly.

If you happen to be interested in making a chef hat to match or coordinate with your apron, again go to : Making it Fun.  just above the apron picture is one called Chef Hat Tutorial.  Click on that photo, and again a pdf of the tutorial appears for download or printing.

This is a fun, easy project and -- if you don't have a December 1 deadline for Christmas gift crafting, as I do -- you could still whip up one of these for a child (or more than one child) on your list!
 

Welcome to my Christmas kitchen!

Come on in!

It's a delight to have you here!  Although I won't be serving up pancakes like this vintage Vermont Maid ad (and I wouldn't be serving fake syrup if I were), I hope that you can almost smell spiced cider simmering on the stove and the fragrance of fresh-baked Christmas cookies!

What I will be serving up every day in December is a daily helping of Christmas joy in one form or another.  It could be a poem, a recipe, a decoration or ornament to craft, a handmade gift idea ... maybe even a few thoughts on Christmas-related Scriptures.

Today, I'm just going to share how I make hot spiced cider.

MRS. T'S HOT SPICED CIDER

 1 gallon fresh cider
1 teaspoon whole cloves plus several more cloves
1 teaspoon whole allspice
1 teaspoon broken cinnamon sticks in small pieces
Coffee filter and string for making spice bag
1 orange

Transfer the cider to a large kettle and place it on your stovetop over medium heat.

Place the 3 teaspoons of spices in the center of a coffee filter.  Gather it up to form a little bag and tie it securely closed with string.  Add the spice bag to the cider.

Wash the orange, then cut it into quarters and stick 2 or 3 whole cloves into each quarter.  Add the clove-studded orange quarters to the kettle of cider.

Heat until the cider comes to a simmer, then reduce heat to low (or transfer to a crock pot and set on Low) until you are ready to serve it.

And I recently found that this can be made in a large electric coffee percolator as well.  Just put the cider into the percolator and place the spice bag and the orange quarters in the basket where the coffee would normally go, then plug in the percolator.

So easy!  And so delicious.  Why not pour yourself a mug right now?

Come back tomorrow for December Daily in my Christmas kitchen!

Yes, starting tomorrow I am planning to be here in the Christmas kitchen every day through the month of December.  This has become a fun tradition for me personally, and I hope that others enjoy it as well.

If you have never visited here in December previous to this, I encourage you to take some time to look through the December archives.  There should be plenty of Christmas inspiration to get you into the spirit.

Again this year, I will be sharing recipes, craft ideas for both gifts and decorations, poems, memories, and much more.  Stop by every day, if you can, to see what's new.

See you tomorrow!

Crunch time for Christmas crafting

Yes, indeed!  Many will remember my hubby's common-sense directive that all handcrafted Christmas gifts need to be finished by December 1.  For that reason I have made very few handmade gifts the past couple of years.

This year I really felt differently.  It was on my heart to make a few simple gifts for the Nevada grands, so far away.  I also wanted to make a couple of very simple items for my two daughters.  And then, wouldn't you know, I signed up to take part in an ornament exchange!

I'm not worried about that.  I have a handmade ornament or two on hand,  and plenty of things I can easily embellish if I choose to make something new.

But it's crunch time on the handmade gifts.  Out of 8 simple things that I wanted to make, I have one completed (and a second one started).  And eleven days before December 1!  I'm really going to have to work diligently to get those completed in the allotted time.

To that end, I'm rethinking my meals for this week and next.  I think the crockpot is going to be coming into play a LOT between now and December 1, and our meals (other than Thanksgiving) are going to be extremely simple.

Here's what we're having tonight:

TORTILLA ENCHILADA SOUP

4 cups chicken broth
2 cans chicken with rice soup
1 small boneless skinless chicken breast (frozen is fine)
1 cup salsa or picante sauce
1 can red enchilada sauce
Flour tortillas
Shredded cheddar cheese OR cubes of velveeta-type cheese

In crock pot combine the broth, soup, chicken breast, salsa, and enchilada sauce. Cook on low for about 4 hours. Remove chicken breast from soup; shred it or cut in small pieces. Return to soup.

When ready to eat, cut flour tortillas into strips (scissors work best for this).

Put tortilla strips in each bowl and ladle the hot soup on top. Top with shredded cheddar or cubed velveeta.

About 6 servings.

How about you?  Are your handmade gifts completed?  Do you have any helpful tips for time management and/or easy meals during this crunch time?

Tentative baking list for 2018

So we woke up to several inches of wet snow on the ground this morning.  Usually on the day of the first significant snowfall, I will bake my first batch of Christmas cookies for the freezer.  Today, I just couldn't bring myself to do that.  November 13 seems just a bit early.

However, I did give a nod to Christmas baking in that I made my tentative Christmas baking list for 2018.

You see it below:

As you can see, I have nine different varieties of cookies on this list, and I will be making multiple batches of most of them. 

On the reverse side of this paper, I have two more lists: one for kitchen gifts and one for candy that I hope to make.

As the season goes on, these tentative lists get tweaked.  Sometimes I change my mind; for example, on last year's list I had both gingerbread men and cutout cookies, but ended up not baking either one.  Or sometimes I end up adding a cookie or candy that I hadn't planned on making.  The point of a tentative list is just to have something specific to aim at.

So how about you?  Have you given any thought yet to your Christmas baking?

Brushing away the cobwebs from the kitchen door

Oh my, is this ever sad!  Two whole months have elapsed and I have not set foot in my Christmas kitchen!  I do apologize to any who may have still been checking in here.  Even our Christmas Club hasn't been happening, or I would have blogged about it.  I'm thinking (and hoping) we'll probably meet in November, though.

Things have been happening on the Christmas planning front, though.  For the first time in a couple of years, I'm thinking I can make a few small handmade gifts.  Crocheted scarves for the three youngest in Nevada, aprons for the three older ones (who have outgrown theirs) and maybe a couple of little things for my daughters.  And of course, a few food gifts.

Of course, I still have Mr. T's "December 1st deadline" to keep in mind, and I think it's a good one.  It really helps me enjoy December and also frees me up to post here each day that month, which is something I truly enjoy and wouldn't want to miss.

Look for me to be back soon with my tentative Christmas baking list for 2018!

A Labor Day sale at my Etsy shop

Well, Rudolph Day certainly got by me this month.  I had great intentions of celebrating the day and posting about it, but it just didn't happen.

Just popping in today to share that I'm having a Labor Day sale at my Etsy shop, A New Hampshire Attic.  The sale is running from today, August 30, through Monday, September 3.

I'm offering 15% off on selected items.  Because it's a Labor Day sale, the items I've chosen to feature are those that a person might work with: vintage sewing patterns and notions, vintage cookbooks, and maybe a few other items along the way.  I'll be adding more things to these categories in the shop throughout the sale.

There are no vintage Christmas items on sale this time, but if anyone on your Christmas gift list collects vintage cookbooks or sewing things, you might just find something they would like here and get a head start on your shopping!  Shipping is free.

As always, please do not feel at all obligated to purchase anything or even to go and look.  I'm letting my blog readers know about this only so that if one of these selected items interests you, you would be able to get it while the price is lower. 

Now I am off to scan and list more items in the shop.  I hope you will all have a wonderful Labor Day weekend!

A pretty vintage Christmas linen towel

Here is one of my recent linen closet finds!  I think it is so pretty.  The photo shows only one half of the towel -- I had it folded -- but the other side is exactly the same.

The large red poinsettias have green centers, and the pine cones are also red.  Coloring the pine cones red is a bit of artistic license, but they have an attractive vintage look.  A few Christmas baubles in red and silver are sprinkled into the arrangement, which is backed with sprigs of green fir.

All around the central design on each half of the towel there are pretty silver gray stars.

This linen towel is unusual, but I think it's lovely.  Hope you have enjoyed seeing it also!

Poem from a vintage magazine

I inherited quite a collection of New Hampshire Troubadour magazines from the late 1940s and early 1950s.  Since then I have found a few more, including the December 1946 issue pictured above.  Isn't that a glorious cover photo?  It shows the Methodist church in Gorham, New Hampshire.  But what I like best about it is the lighted windows in the church, and especially in the house. 

The back cover is very nice, too.  That one is simply labeled as "An Old New Hampshire Home" -- it doesn't say where it is, but the photographer was E. Greely Clark.

Now, to me, that house looks very familiar.  I was sure I had seen it in another photo.  At first I thought it might have been the one below,  from a different perspective, of course.  But now I don't think so -- there's no stone wall in the photo below, and no shutters on the windows of the house.  Still, I love that photo below (which was a back cover on the December 1950 New Hampshire Troubadour), so I'm leaving it in the post.

Back to my most recent find!  The December 1946 issue features a lovely Christmas poem which I would like to share with you all.

Country Christmas
by Adelbert M. Jakeman

Beneath the canopy of winter sky
Are hemlocks standing heavy with the snow;
Their lovely branches bend their burden low.
And meadows soft along the roadside lie.

Reflected in a golden window light
Is found contentment caught between four walls;
And resting in their rough and simple stalls
Are living things secure against the night.

Familiar sounds break through the crystal dark:
The bell that echoes from the starlit spire,
The hoofs of running horses striking fire,
And hounds that listen to their lonesome bark.

Each tiny town becomes a sparkling gem
Of beauty born of ancient Bethlehem.

I thought this poem painted a beautiful picture.  "Contentment caught between four walls" would mean so much in light of the recently ended World War II.  And "living things secure against the night" would speak of a blessing too, remembering that dark time when security felt very tenuous indeed. 

I am not sure of the meaning of the last line, but I do know that whenever I see little towns depicted on Christmas cards -- even towns of a far different century and continent than Bethlehem -- it does always make me think of that little town where Christ was born.

This vintage poem seems like a lovely note on which to end this year's Christmas in July.  See you again soon here in the Christmas Kitchen!

A beautiful Christmas table setting idea to file away

(Photo and design credit goes to Bev at Flamingo Toes.)

I always like to find ideas for special table settings that are festive yet simple.  Here's one that I will definitely be filing away to use this Christmas!

You see how uncomplicated this Simple Christmas table setting is -- just a white tablecloth, red runner, then round white place mats and red fabric napkins.

I really like the color scheme that Bev has used, but it would work with many other colors as well.

The centerpiece is so pretty!  Just a cake plate or server with a whimsical tree at the center and Christmas balls poured around the tree, and then a few bottle brush trees arranged at the base of the plate.  This is just my style.

But in case it's not your style, Bev shares two other table setting ideas in the very same post: 3 simple holiday table settings, so head on over to Flamingo Toes and have a look.  You're sure to find a bit of inspiration!

More fan mail for the maple fudge

Photo from Maple Syrup World

I told you there was even more fan mail out there for my mother's maple fudge.   I'm sharing some of what Ive found, but I have no doubt I'll encounter even more by the time I'm done with sorting things at the family home.

 (I must add that the photo and link at the top of the page will take you to a maple fudge recipe that is not my mother's but looks a lot like it.  The recipe linked to above does not contain white sugar -- only pure maple syrup, butter, cream, and nuts which are optional.  Might be worth a try!  I chose this particular photo because it resembled my mother's fudge more closely than others I found.)

Below is my mother's recipe. 
 
As I mentioned, she gave this fudge frequently as a gift-- to everyone from doctors to piano teachers -- and people greatly appreciated its creaminess and true maple flavor.  The fudge was often given as a thank-you gift as well.  I found one letter she had written herself thanking a businessman for something very kind he had done to help my disabled brother.  (Yes, my mother tended to keep rough drafts of letters.  In this case, I'm glad she did.)

She wrote toward the end of the letter: "This morning, I mailed to you a package of maple candy, which is our family's Christmas specialty, and that I hope will reach you in good condition, to give you a taste of New England."

Now, on to a little more fan mail:

The above note came from an elderly aunt, Kate.  She wrote, "Thanks for the candy, nice of you to send it to me.  How do you find time to make candy with all your work?"

Then there were a couple of notes from my mom's sisters.  One, who was looking after a granddaughter at the time, wrote: "The fudge is delicious but I'm afraid she'd choke on it so won't waste a crumb trying."  She wasn't wasting any of that fudge!

Another sister wrote, in the card above,  "We're enjoying the maple candy -- had some tonite and it's still soft and creamy.  Thanks much!"

And then there was a note from the nurses at a medical practice:

"Just a note to say thank you from everyone at the office for that delicious candy!  Dr. F appreciated your thoughtfulness and we all certainly enjoyed the candy."

She goes on, "We are wondering if perhaps we could have your recipe! ... we'd be grateful.  Don't go to any trouble mailing it because there is no rush, but we would like your secret of getting it so smooth."

As I've mentioned before, my mother generously shared the recipe with everyone who asked for it -- but no one was successful with it.  And she wasn't one to leave out an ingredient just to keep a recipe exclusive, as some ladies did.  It was just a tricky recipe.  I have no idea if the nurses were successful when they tried making the fudge, or not.

One more thing!   I also remember seeing, though I can't find it now, a note from a neighbor in which she mentions that -- since the fudge had arrived at their house -- her young son declared that now it really felt like Christmas!  To my mind, that was the highest praise of all.

Another fun kitchen gift!

Photo by Jocelyn at Inside BruCrew Life

Here's a snack mix recipe you could try right away to see if it might fit the bill for kitchen gifts this coming December.  As I mentioned yesterday, I enjoy giving kitchen gifts and nearly always do something of a snack mix nature for my son and son-in-law at Christmas time.   And then we always like to make a big box or basket of treats for my husband's boss and his family. 

For that, I will put snack mixes in small tins or other containers to nestle them in the large box or basket.  I love to tuck in bags of holiday coffee, boxes of small flavored creamers (the shelf-stable kind), tins of cookies, boxes of biscotti, and much more.

This Hot Cocoa Trail Mix, from Jocelyn at Inside BruCrew Life,  looks like it will be a hit with everyone.  It contains peanuts (both regular and chocolate-covered), cocoa almonds, chocolate chips, and mini marshmallows which have been coated in white chocolate.  Wow.  (Have you ever tasted cocoa almonds?  I bought a box of the individual packs of them to take on the plane last summer when we went to Nevada.  They are delicious and I imagine they will add a great flavor to this trail mix.)

This wouldn't be practical for a summer hike (unless it was kept cold), but you could certainly pack some into a tin and keep it on the counter for the snackers in your household.  Give it a try!  I think I probably will!

A kitchen gift idea -- White Chocolate Peppermint Popcorn

Photo from Skip to My Lou

I'm not sure about you, but I know that I'm always looking for new ideas to give as kitchen gifts.  Every Christmas I will often give a homemade snack mix of some sort to the men in my family.  We also give a large box or basket full of various snacks and treats to my husband's boss and his family.

At first glance this popcorn snack looks just like the sugary pink popcorn that my grandmother would make for special occasions when I was very young.  Hers was just made with a sugar syrup tinted with food coloring, I am sure.  But this White Chocolate and Peppermint Popcorn from Skip to My Lou would be even better.

I'm pretty sure I'll be making at least one batch of this for Christmas 2018!  Maybe you would like to try it, too!

A lighted rag garland

Rag garlands are a great way to use up fabric scraps, especially Christmas fabric scraps.  (Who wants to waste even small pieces of lovely Christmas fabrics?  Certainly not me!)  I made some rag garlands many years ago and have always enjoyed bringing them out every Christmas.  Above, you see the garland I always put above my kitchen sink window.  Below, is a rag garland I have used in my living room.  I interspersed silhouette ornaments made by my daughter with other handmade ornaments on this garland a couple of different years.

However, for a long time I have wanted to try my hand at creating some lighted rag garlands.  I had vague ideas of tying the rag strips to a string of Christmas lights, but wasn't sure it would work out safely.

This simple tutorial from Brenna at Life After Laundry has given me the courage to give it a try.  You'll find it here:  Scrappy Lighted Garland.

Photo by Brenna at Life After Laundry

I've had "lighted rag garlands" on my Christmas crafting list for years.  Now it looks as if I can cross off that project.   Summer might just be a good time for the low-key project of cutting rag strips and tying them onto the garland.   Maybe others would enjoy trying this simple idea as well!

Free Christmas printable kit!

Image from The Elli Blog

Just in time for Rudolph Day, here is a fun free holiday printable kit from The Elli Blog to help with your Christmas planning.  The ideas and printables are so inspiring!  I love the rustic wood look of the backgrounds and the colorful touches of classic red and green.

I downloaded the food tags and the recipe cards and they are very pretty.  In addition, there are stickers, gift tags in both round and rectangular options, wrappers for jars or boxes, gift wrap, and much more. 

The recipe cards would be great if you are giving a kitchen gift and want to include the recipe.  Or you could print out a half dozen recipe cards with favorite Christmas recipes and tie them up with jute or red or green twine to make a lovely little gift or stocking stuffer.

The possibilities are endless with this free printable kit.  Have fun with it!

Eggnog Iced Coffee

Recipe and photo from Cheryl at Tidy Mom

Now, isn't this just the perfect beverage for July's Rudolph Day?  A wonderful, festively flavored iced coffee!  Here's the link : Eggnog Iced Coffee.  It's from Cheryl at Tidy Mom.

I am posting this on the 24th because it's a cold brew coffee and needs to be started the night before.  I've never tried making cold brew coffee, but I've heard many good things about it and so I will be giving this recipe a try tonight. 

The only catch to making this in summer may be if I'm unable to find eggnog.  I believe Borden's may make a canned eggnog that's available year round -- they used to -- so I will check into that.  Otherwise I can just use a little extra cream, some extra spices and a dash of vanilla.

Try this and let me know what you think!  Have a wonderful Rudolph Day tomorrow!

Christmas in July sale starts tomorrow at A New Hampshire Attic!

Yes,  I am having a little sale at my Etsy shop, A New Hampshire Attic.  As you see above, it will start tomorrow, July 24, and will go through the end of July.

 All items in the "Vintage Christmas" category will be 20% off during the sale.  I hope you'll stop in at A New Hampshire Attic and take a look!  As always, don't feel obligated to purchase anything.  I like to browse, personally, and am happy to have you browse in my shop as well.  If you enjoy vintage Christmas goodies, here is your chance to find some at a bargain!