A delicious-sounding quick bread recipe to try now

I love a good quick bread recipe.  Banana bread, zucchini bread, cranberry bread -- I enjoy them all and I think they make particularly good kitchen gifts any time of year, but especially baked in mini loaf pans and wrapped up in a fun way at Christmas time.  The little wrapped loaves above show a couple examples of ways I have packaged these.

Recently I came upon this recipe for Coconut Orange Raspberry Quick Bread from Karly at Buns in My Oven.  It sounds delicious; the flavors seem to be mostly coconut and orange with just a few raspberries added.  There's a streusel topping, which makes any quick bread or muffin instantly more festive.

Photo from Buns in My Oven

I'm thinking this would be a fun recipe to try this month, with raspberries coming into season here in my neck of the woods.   Even if it's too hot to bake, picking and freezing some raspberries for later use in this quick bread would be a good idea.

I'm pretty sure I'll be baking this recipe for kitchen gifts this Christmas!

An encouraging link to help you prepare for Christmas during July

 

Yesterday I was delighted to see that one of my favorite bloggers, Whitney at Come Home for Comfort, had shared a post concerning preparing for Christmas during July.  She has some really good tips which I will summarize here, but I'd love for you all to go over and read for yourselves.

Whitney mentions that she finds planning ahead for Christmas makes the holiday much less stressful and much more enjoyable.  I've definitely found this to be true, and it's probably the major reason that I do so much planning toward Christmas ahead of time.

Buying gifts during July is one thing Whitney suggests, and I agree with that suggestion.  Many shops, especially online, are offering Christmas in July sales this month.  It would be crazy not to do some shopping now, assuming you have the money.  It really helps to spread out the expense of Christmas.

Another thought Whitney offers is to follow a decorating schedule -- to get your holiday decor up early enough to really enjoy it throughout the season.  This makes a lot of sense.  She shares her own time frames for fall and Christmas decorating, which you might find very helpful.

And lastly she also suggests considering difficult situations that could complicate our Christmas season -- difficult family members, strained relationships, loss, loneliness, being away from family and more.  Thinking and praying about those things now, well in advance, will help us to gain wisdom in handling them when the time comes.

So I encourage you to head on over and read Whitney's post, How to Prepare for Christmas in July!   I think you'll enjoy her practical approach and helpful tips.

Fun little gift for kids -- felt superhero masks

I made two of these masks while on vacation in Nevada last week!  This is an older photo; the ones I just made were from the Iron Man type mask pattern on the left.  I failed to get photos of them, but rest assured they were worn a great deal.

I've apparently never posted about these mask patterns, from Cutesy Crafts, before.  How do I know?  When the Nevada kids asked if I could make masks, I said sure and then set about searching my blogs for the patterns.  No go.  Fortunately, it was not difficult to find them at the site where I'd gotten them originally.

These would make fun stocking stuffers or could be gifted as a little extra with a superhero cape.  In addition, through my experience making a couple of them in Nevada last week, I can attest to the fact that sewing them by hand works great.  That means you could work on them at the beach, beside a lake, at a campsite in the forest, or wherever your summer may take you.

The patterns for the pictured masks and several more can be found here: Felt Superhero Masks; so head on over and get your free templates and instructions!

Christmas in July sale at Smithsonian store!

I get the emails from  Smithsonian Store and on July 4, they announced a Christmas in July sale.  Most of the items seem to be at least 50% off, and some are more like 70% off.  The candy cane mittens at the top of the post were originally $26 and are now $9.99.

Here are just a few more interesting items that I found.

 The bracelet is down to $21.99 from $45 and the socks, originally $18, are $8.99.   The cute tee below was $55 and is now $15.99. 

 The pretty poinsettia scarf above was originally $35 and is on sale for $9.99.  These are all great prices for quality gifts.  Although I would be very unlikely to pay the original prices for these gifts, I would pay these sale prices for sure!

You will want to head over to Christmas in July at Smithsonian Store and see what other fun gifts you can find!

A simple but unique gift idea for older kids

Most regular readers know that I've been cleaning out the family homestead.  Old magazines galore!  Some of them were Christmas magazines, many of which I have saved.  Some of these I will sell.  Those in poor shape, I've been going through to scan vintage advertisements and glean ideas and recipes.  I found this idea in a 1965 issue of Farm Journal in a little article titled Put It in Your Notebook.

The author, Eve Steadman, described a dilemma common to many parents when she noted that sometimes her kids got ideas for new innovations to family life.  Many times a simple "yes" or "no" answer would not suffice.  For example, her 10-year-old son thought that a black Christmas tree with red balls and red lights would be a nifty idea.  Eve and her husband were personally more inclined to a traditional Christmas tree, and they knew their younger children always looked forward to their own special tree ornaments.  Sensing, though, that their 10-year-old wasn't going to take this rejection well, they encouraged him to write down the details of his idea in a notebook for use at some future time -- say, when he had his own home.  Surprisingly, he went along with that suggestion.

Eve went on to add: "Our Yuletide gifts that year -- besides hinted-for skates, sweaters and pogo sticks -- were a thick new notebook for each youngster.  Title pages read: IMPORTANT PLANS AND IDEAS.  Those notebooks have tided us over many a crisis between the generations."  She added, "The notebooks have become a family joke.  Our kids will say, before we can wet-blanket an idea: 'I know -- I'm to write it in my notebook.'  She also noted that inevitably this notebook suggestion backfired on its inventor when she ventured an unusual decorating suggestion to one of her kids.  She wrote, "Cathy gave me a long, thoughtful look.  'Mom, I'm going to get you something.  Guess what?'  I couldn't guess, so she told me: 'Your own notebook -- so you can "put that down" for the far, far distant future!' "

I think that any sort of notebook would work for this, but I personally would choose a composition notebook because they are a nice size, unique, colorful, and inexpensive.  For those with large families, the notebook colors and designs could easily be varied to suit the individual.   Here's a link to the choices at Walmart.com: Composition notebooks.  The neon ones pictured at the top of the post would be fun, or here are a few others I noticed.

These notebooks might also be a fun gift from grandparents to grandchildren.  Have fun with this idea!

"Snowy Roads" ~ a simple Christmas poem

I found this simple poem in the Christmas 1957 issue of Ideals magazine.  The author is Grace A. Buttrick.  The illustration above is a scan of the front cover of the December 1946 issue of The New Hampshire Troubadour, for sale in my Etsy shop.  I thought it fit beautifully with the poem.

Snowy Roads

O little snowy roads of Christmas, winding
Toward homes with laurelled doors and window-light,
To warmth and cheer and Yuletide fire, finding
The Christ Child seeking birth with men, tonight.

O little snowy roads of Christmas, leading
To homes, sweet scent of fir and candlelight,
To yielding hearts the mystery conceding,
The Christ Child seeking birth with men, tonight.

~ Grace A. Buttrick

The words window-light, warmth and cheer, Yuletide fire, and candlelight, all speak of gleaming, glowing light.  Our nation and world have known many dark times -- and yet, right now seems one of the darkest yet.  The forces of spiritual darkness have never seemed more real.  We know that Jesus came to dispel that darkness.  May we who know Him, who have experienced the new birth,  be constantly aware of opportunities to share our faith during these dark days.  Remember that Jesus said we are the light of the world!  Let's faithfully let our lights shine for others to see and follow.

A few of my favorite red, white and blue Christmas cards

So Christmas in July finds me on vacation in Nevada this year.  I'm blogging from my tablet, without access to my iPhoto library or my collection of graphics.  I thought that an easy way to do a July 4th post might be to simply share some of my favorite red, white and blue Christmas cards.

The card at top is one such example.  I like the simple design of bells, the red ribbon and the scattering of stars.  The black stars at the right seem to be issuing from the bell, which is sort of interesting.

• Above is the inside of this card.  The greeting reads: "When the Christmas bells are ringing with their sweet and merry chime, may they fill your heart with gladness and the cheer of Christmastime."

Below is probably the favorite red, white and blue card in my vintage card collection.  I love this vintage ski jumping scene! 💙

The card below was sent to me along with other vintage cards by a friend from New Zealand.  Love it!  I think the white snowflakes on a blue background are especially fun.

 Love the card below as it prominently features the American flag.

 I like the lantern card below.  Such a classic Americana look.

 Below is the interior of the snowflake "Noel, Noel" card.

The sweet red and blue holly sprig below is from the inside of the ski jumping card.

Patriotic cards seem especially meaningful this year, in light of all that our beloved country is going through.  Hope that this simple post has encouraged someone today!

Jack and Jill, December 1959

Who remembers Jack and Jill,  the children's magazine of years gone by?  I came upon this -- one of many issues of Jack and Jill -- at the old homestead I am clearing out.  This will go in my Etsy shop (link in sidebar), but first I wanted to share it with all of you here in my Christmas kitchen.  I love how the letters in the magazine title look as if they are topped with snow!

Here are some of the 68 pages inside this vintage magazine:

This one is an exciting fiction story titled Snowstorm on the Turnpike.  There are lots of other stories as well, several in the category of "read-along stories".  In addition there are poems galore and even a table grace.

The above page included craft ideas for how kids could "help Santa trim the tree!"

The issue included a sweet idea for a Christmas song!

The true story of Christmas was prominently featured in this issue.

 This maze, titled "Gathering Greens" was the last page of the magazine.  There are loads of other fun activities, including a crossword puzzle, a coloring page, a dot-to-dot and more.

 Two pages of Gifts to Make for the Family help satisfy a child's need to create and also their slim budget for family gifts.  I recognized a couple of these as items I tried to make, back in the day.

Even a few recipes for Holiday Goodies are included!

There is even a Grownups' Page with lots of interesting ideas; sort of a little mini-almanac with a recipe or two, reminders, ideas for family activities and really some wonderful ideas for Christmas reading.  I found that Home Book of Christmas on Thriftbooks, a like-new copy for only $5 or so, and I think I'm going to get it.  It could provide some great blog fodder, I'm thinking!

The back of the magazine features an order form for those who would like to subscribe for themselves or as a gift.  I love the vintage-y goodness of this advertisement!  A 1-year subscription could be had for $3.50 -- or $3 if you gave two or more gift subscriptions!  There's another subscription ad inside the magazine, and that has such a fun vintage look also.

 Hope you've enjoyed this peek into Christmas 1959!

[Edited to add: I now find that I wrote a post about this magazine last December!  What a short memory I have (or maybe the coronavirus has affected it)!  I do apologize, but since the posts are slightly different -- the December post discussed a surprise I found within the pages of the magazine, and today's post features a few more of the pages -- I'm going to keep them both.]

Chocolate Cherry Hot Cocoa

Image by candoyi from Pixabay

If summer follows in spring's chilly footsteps, it's even possible we could have some snow this month.  There was snow on Mother's Day weekend, so anything is now officially possible!  History tells us that one year in New Hampshire, there was a frost in all twelve months.  If we happen to get a cool evening in July, that would be a good time to try out a new cocoa recipe well in advance of Christmas hospitality.  

This wonderful-looking hot cocoa recipe comes from A Cultivated Nest and is for Chocolate Cherry Hot Cocoa.  It reminds me of the long-ago days when my mother would make hot cocoa for us and our friends after a chilly afternoon sledding out in the sloping fields of my childhood.  She usually stirred it up from scratch in the same way that this recipe is made.  We always had marshmallow fluff on our cocoa, however, which would be much too sweet in this recipe.  The whipped cream is the perfect topper!

Photo from A Cultivated Nest

Why not give this recipe a try on a cool summer evening -- or just file it away until the holiday season?  It would be a festive treat to share with friends!

Welcome to Christmas in July 2020!

To be honest, I'm not even sure what Christmas in July is going to look like this year, but I am again going to swing open the door of the Christmas kitchen and welcome all of you to visit, hopefully every day of July. 

Several real-life complications and responsibilities are making it a little difficult to blog right now, but I'm going to write and schedule some posts ahead as I usually do to have something fun for you all to enjoy during this month.  It's fun for me too, of course.  I may not get here every day, but I will certainly try.

The gorgeous Christmas card above depicts such a welcoming scene!  The glowing red candles on the mantel, the cheery fire on the hearth, and the soft light from the Christmas tree all draw the eye into this cozy room.  Puffy pillows make the rocking chair comfy.  Christmas cards are displayed on the mantel and round table.  A generous bouquet of holly adds such a festive touch to the room.  And outside the window a light snow is falling.  Just a lovely, lovely Christmas room!  I hope that you have enjoyed seeing it as much as I have.

Christmas in July starts tomorrow!

Yes, tomorrow is July 1!  As I have tried to do for a number of years now, I am planning to swing open the door to the Christmas kitchen and invite you all in -- hopefully every day during the month of July. 

I'll be sharing recipes, poems, gift and craft ideas, vintage treasures and much more.  Looking forward to seeing you all there!

Not much accomplished

Well, it's the last day of April and I can't believe how little I have accomplished toward the goals I had hoped to have completed by now.  Recall, at January's Christmas Club meeting, Susan had had us make a list of things we knew we needed to do soon.  Below was my list:

The thought was that for February and March, we would each do Christmasy things on our own, but in April we would plan to get together for a meeting.   In the meantime, we were each to work on accomplishing the things we wrote down on our to-do lists.

Those plans were all well and good, but we never expected that March and April would be hijacked by a virus.  Obviously, we didn't get together in April, but hopefully maybe we can in May.

Of the 6 things on my list,  I've accomplished one of them: putting away the after-Christmas bargains.  I started working on updating (actually, creating) my Christmas card list, but haven't finished that task.

 I've had this sweet Mary Engelbreit Christmas notebook (purchased at a dollar store in Nevada) for many years and have utilized many of its features.  Not the Christmas card list, however; that's remained blank.  So this is what I'm using for my card list.

So I still have to:
🎄 Finish my Christmas card list
🎄  Order Christmas stamps for 2020's cards
🎄  Go through cookbooks and magazines to get ideas for kitchen gifts
🎄  Make gift tags from 2018's Christmas cards
🎄  Make a tentative Christmas gift idea list for 2020

I should make it a point to complete these tasks in May!

Another thing I'm pretty sure I haven't done is to make a nice, neat copy of last year's Christmas gift list to place in the back of my Christmas notebook.  So that needs to happen soon also.

I recently discovered, at the old homestead, another treasure trove of cards, most from the 1940s but some from the 1930s.  Oh, my.  I had thought that all of the greeting cards were out of the house already (although I have hundreds more to scan and list!), but these were in a box of old school papers I had labeled with the year and planned to go through later.  "Later" finally arrived, and I can't believe how many treasures were in that box.  Many from previous years to the date I had labeled it with.  Mostly Christmas cards, but some gorgeous old Valentines as well. 

At the top of the post is one example of the Christmas cards -- a "Gingham Girl" card by Norcross.  Isn't she adorable?  I have at least two of these cards in different designs, and will plan to write a post about them soon.  After that, they'll be going in the shop (link in sidebar).

I'm also planning to begin writing and scheduling posts for Christmas in July.  We'll see how far I get!  Meantime, it feels good to be here in the Christmas kitchen for a few minutes.  Hope you've enjoyed your visit!

Lighting up the darkness with vintage candles

Here's a fun Christmas-related project that we recently did.  While clearing out the Christmas decoration storage area at my parents' house, we found some vintage candoliers -- the window candles with a base to set on a window sill.  The ones we found have eight candles each.  Amazingly, these antique lights still work -- and there were extra light bulbs with them!

The cute little box above contained extra bulbs.  Later, we found another, larger cardboard box with a bunch of extra bulbs in it.

Knowing that some folks are displaying candles in their windows these days as a sign of hope, and some towns have even lit the Christmas lights on Main Street, we decided to fit the candolier out with red, white, and blue lights and place it in one of our porch windows.

This worked pretty well until we decided to put the lights on a timer -- from 7 to 10 pm and then in the early morning from 5 to 7 am.  We're not sure if it's just the sheer antiquity of the lights -- they are at least 70 years old! -- or just that the timer is too modern for them, but they keep going out.  The cold damp weather could also be causing issues, we think.  These are the type where if one bulb goes out, none of the others will work.  Thankfully, my hubby has a tester that can determine which bulbs are bad.

We've now fitted it out with more working bulbs and placed it in an upstairs dormer.  Hopefully that makes a difference and the lights keep working.  This is a fun and unique way to show our patriotism.

When we see lights in people's windows, or glowing brightly in a downtown, let's thank God for the hope we have in Him and be faithful to pray for our country!

A few thoughtful gifts from my Christmas season

I know I didn't mention all of these things here previously, so here goes with a simple post sharing a few thoughtful gifts I received over Christmas 2019.  That tin (which is much smaller than it appears here) at the top of the post contains a generous Hobby Lobby gift card.  Still haven't gotten to Hobby Lobby to spend it, but I know a couple of things I want to get.

 This Christmas teacup is so pretty!  A thoughtful gift from my friend Rhonda.  I later learned that she gave a Christmas teacup to each lady at church.  She included a package of pizzelles with each one.  I think (but am not sure) that all of the teacups were different.  I have some Christmas mugs, but this is my first Christmas teacup. It sort of matches these sweet ornaments:

These were a gift from my friend Linda in Utah, some years ago.

The pretty tray above was a gift from my daughter Carrie.  She asked for gift ideas and I was ready with this one!

 The "jadeite" look sugar and creamer are by Pioneer Woman and were also a gift from Carrie.  She also gave me a tip about the gorgeous melamine plates in Walmart this season, so I guess in a sense that middle plate is also a gift from her.

And this handcrafted owl was a gift from our friends Sam and Jennifer.  At a loss for affordable gifts, they turned to the internet for ideas and found this one!  Although our tree is down now, this sweet snowy owl is at home on an evergreen garland that tops our picture window year round.

Hope you've enjoyed seeing these thoughtful gifts ... maybe you even found an idea or two to use next year!