A Brief Christmas Devotional

At our church the Ladies' Christmas Fellowship is one of the highlights of the Christmas season. We have a lovely service, festive refreshments, and an activity such as a craft or Yankee Swap. Ladies invite their friends and loved ones. It's always a really nice time, and is held usually at the beginning of December. This timing helps us all to focus on what the holiday is really all about. This past Christmas, we did somethig a bit different for a devotional. We asked three different ladies to each share a Christmas memory and to give it a spiritual application if they wished. I was one of those who shared, and so I'm going to post my devotional here. Maybe someone else would like to use this idea during the coming season. As you will see, I incorporated my Christmas memory book into this devotional.

A CHRISTMAS MEMORY

I have so many wonderful Christmas memories, both from my own childhood and from my children's growing-up years, that it was hard to think about choosing just one. Two years ago, I spent quite a bit of time thinking back on my memories of Christmas past. I did something that some of you with grown children or with grandchildren might like to consider doing, if you haven't already. I wrote down every Christmas memory I could think of and typed them up. Then I made copies of family Christmas photos and other memorabilia, and gathered up all of the recipes I use at Christmas, along with recipes my mother and grandmother used. What I ended up with was a wonderful Christmas memory book to give to each of our children and their families. (Show the book.)

In fact, when I lent my copy to my parents for them to look through, they were so taken with this book that last year I made them one of their own. Then two of my aunts saw the book and enjoyed it so much that I ended up making each of them a copy, too.

It was interesting when I really started to think about Christmas memories, how many things came back to me that I thought I had forgotten. The memory I'm about to share with you tonight, however, has stayed sharp and clear.

Before I do that, though, I should give you a little background. Christmas cookie baking was a BIG tradition for us. I had grown up in a home where lots of baking went on, especially at holiday time. My mother would be in the kitchen for days before Christmas -- not making just cookies, but yeast breads and fudge and other treats -- and she would make up goodie trays for all of our neighbors and friends. So when I had a home of my own, I very naturally carried that on. (Turn to page in book) Let me read to you from my memory book:

HOLIDAY BAKING

I had always seen my parents' holiday gifts of baked goods to friends and neighbors as a very important part of Christmas. So early on, I began doing the same sort of thing by baking dozens and dozens of cookies and then freezing them for later use on cookie trays to give away and also for our own enjoyment. I started by baking the ones I was familiar with from my own childhood, like Russian Teacakes, Molasses Crinkles, Date-Oatmeal Cookies and Chocolate Spritz. Then, gradually, I
began branching out and trying different recipes. I made a point each year of trying at least one or two different cookies. Many of these recipes would become favorites and go into the file of "must-make" cookies for each year.

When the kids were young, we always, always set aside a day to bake cut-out cookies. We didn't go the route of icing the baked cookies, but did things the easier, possibly less messy way by sprinkling on colored sugars, nonpareils, silver dragees, and the like before baking. I had these marvelously detailed red plastic cutters that produced wonderful designs. I was also fortunate to inherit some of my grandmother's aluminum cookie cutters with the faded green metal handles. For a couple of years our elderly friends Sue and Margaret would join us to make cutout cookies. I think they may have had more fun than the kids! I will never forget how Sue invariably perched on a creaky old
wooden youth chair that we had. I held my breath every time, but it never gave way.

So that gives you a little background into how much of a tradition cookie-baking was at our house. You need to know that to really appreciate the memory I'm about to share with you. (Turn to page in book)

In my book, I've titled it:

HOW THE THIRD-GRADER SAVED CHRISTMAS
(The cookie tradition part of it, anyway.)

It was a busy year. Our kids had changed schools. Sean was away at boarding school for his first year; Carrie and Joanna were at a small local Christian school. And so was I.  I was working at the school as a teachers' aide. I enjoyed the work and it was great being able to be with the kids all day. But oh, it was a long day and often meant not getting home until nearly 5 p.m. I was doing well to get a meal prepared each evening -- and sometimes I would start that the minute I came in the door, still wearing hat, coat, and boots. (I did take my mittens off.)

It really looked as if no cookie baking would take place at our house that Christmas. There were going to be two disappointed little girls who had grown to love the cookie tradition. I don't know who came up with the solution in the end, but it was decided that Carrie could make all the dough and we could bake the cookies in the evenings. She was in 3rd grade and could easily read and follow a recipe. Being in an ACE curriculum, she easily finished her schoolwork each day and seldom had homework. She could do this! So we looked over the recipes and decided which ones we simply had to make. Carrie made up a batch or two of dough each evening and we would bake as many cookies as we had time to before bedtime. I have never forgotten and never will forget the sacrifice of time and effort on this little girl's part. The tradition went on! (Close book)

As I thought again about this memory, and how this little girl gave up hours of after-school play time to make sure a family tradition could go on, it reminded me of the attitude that God wants each of us to have toward one another in His family.

In this, as in all things, Jesus is our example. At this wondrous season, when we consider how Jesus left His home in glory and came to earth to be born as a Baby in a manger, we are again reminded of why He came. As the Ron Hamilton song so clearly puts it, He was "Born to Die" --  to pay for the sins of each of us. Listen to Jesus' own words in Mark 10:45 -- "For even the Son of man came not to be ministered unto, but to minister, and to give His life a ransom for many." Someone has written, "Think of it! He came at His miraculous birth. He ministered throughout His life. And in His vicarious death He gave His life."

When we accept Jesus as our personal Savior from sin, then we become part of His family and are expected to live accordingly. There are many verses in God's Word that remind us we are not to live our lives selfishly, but to be willing to sacrifice our time and talents to serve God and minister to others.

Proverbs 3:27 says, "Withhold not good from them to whom it is due, when it is in the power of thine hand to do it."

Romans 15:1 reads: "We then that are strong ought to bear the infirmities of the weak, and not to please ourselves." This is so contrary to the world's thinking! But as Christians, we are not to live to please ourselves. We are here to serve God and others.

Galatians 6:10 instructs us: "As we have therefore opportunity, let us do good unto all men, especially unto them who are of the household of faith." John Wesley had a saying: "Do all the good you can, in all the ways you can, to all the people you can, as long as ever you can."

2 Corinthians 12:15a shows us the heart of the apostle Paul toward his fellow believers in Corinth. He wrote: "And I will very gladly spend and be spent for you..." . Paul was not only willing but glad to give of himself in tireless service and sacrifice for these believers in order to help them grow and prosper spiritually. Paul's attitude can and should be our attitude as well -- not just in a burst of good will at Christmas time, but all the time!

As we conclude this special time of sharing our Christmas memories, I'd like us to think for just a moment about the special memories of another mother -- Mary, the mother of Jesus. At the end of what we refer to as the Christmas story in the book of Luke, chapter 2, we read in verse 19: "But Mary kept all these things, and pondered them in her heart."

Yes, the Bible says that Mary “kept” the words the shepherds shared about this wondrous, miraculous night and “pondered them in her heart”.

As with all good things, the story of the Savior’s birth grew dim in the minds of people with the passing of the years. But Mary did not forget. In fact, many scholars attribute Luke’s Gospel account to Mary’s memories.

May Mary’s response be true of our lives as well! May we continue to humbly “ponder” the things of God and to respond with adoration and wonder God's unspeakable gift of Jesus Christ.

Creamsicle Cookies in a Jar

Here's another jar cookie mix that people seem to really enjoy receiving.

CREAMSICLE COOKIES IN A JAR

1 3/4 cups flour
1/2 tsp. baking soda
1/2 tsp. baking powder
Dash of salt
1/2 cup powdered orange drink mix (like Tang® -- store brand works fine)
3/4 cup sugar
1 1/2 cups vanilla baking chips

Sift the flour, baking soda, baking powder and salt together onto wax paper. Set aside. In a wide-mouth quart jar, layer the orange drink mix, then the sugar, then the vanilla baking chips, pressing each layer firmly as you go. Roll up the wax paper gently and use it as a funnel to transfer the flour mixture to the jar. Cover.

Make a tag for the jar with the following instructions: Empty contents of jar into large mixing bowl. Add 1/2 cup softened butter or real margarine, 1 egg, and 1 tsp. vanilla. Mix until completely blended. Roll dough into 1-inch balls and place 2 inches apart on a parchment-lined or lightly greased baking sheet. Bake at 375º for 12 to 14 minutes.

As mentioned previously, I have found that the large instant coffee jars work as well as canning jars for this, and they often have festive-looking red lids as well. A jar filler type of wide-mouth funnel (the type used in canning) works really well for putting ingredients for mixes neatly into jars. For the tag, I usually write the information on a 4x6 file card and tape it directly to the jar (like a label) with clear packaging tape, covering the label completely to make it moisture-resistant. I think taping it on works better than tying a tag to the jar, because that way there's no chance of the instructions getting lost or thrown away.

Christmas Eve in the Neighborhood

As I've mentioned before, a few years ago I compiled a book of Christmas memories for my family. Someday when I have the time, I'll share just how I did this in case others would like to do the same. But for today, I'll just share one section of my childhood memories here. I've titled it

CHRISTMAS EVE IN THE NEIGHBORHOOD

As Christmas approached, my mother enlisted the help of us kids in
baking dozens of festive cookies. There were white-frosted brownies
decorated with candied-cherry poinsettias, gingery molasses crinkles
sparkling with red and green sugar, crunchy oatmeal cookies filled with
dates and walnuts and topped off with cherries. I clearly remember
cutting up dates for these -- I don't suppose there were ready-chopped
dates available in those days, and they would have been expensive. I
remember turning the handle of a nut chopper to chop the walnuts, and
pressing the cookies down with a floury glass before topping them with
half of a candied cherry. Sometimes we made mincemeat squares, with the
mincemeat filling sandwiched between two layers of a brown-sugary
crust. Our beloved "chocolate spritz" cookies were not made with a
cookie press, but formed into small round balls and dipped in
multicolored candy sprinkles before baking. We always made, in
addition, cut-out cookies of nutmeg-flavored dough rolled thin, cut in
various shapes and trimmed with raisins, silver dragees, and colored
sprinkles. Mom would often make the cookie doughs ahead and store them
in the cold front entry. It wouldn't be considered safe or healthy
today, but we loved tasting the dough. The chilled dough for the
chocolate spritz tasted exactly like chocolate ice cream.

My mother also baked loaves of cinnamon-swirled white bread and dressed
them up with a drizzle of white frosting and decorations of candied
cherries and sliced almonds. They looked beautiful and smelled even
better.

On Christmas Eve or a few nights before, Santa and his sleigh had
nothing on my dad, us kids, and the family station wagon. We were out
making holiday deliveries of our own. All of us would beg for the
privilege of accompanying Dad on his appointed rounds. We would drive
around the neighborhood, delivering cookies and visiting for a while at
each house. I remember that during the day a tray of treats would be
delivered to our family doctor. But in the evening Dad would go out
with the goodies for the neighbors and nearby relatives.

One of my favorite stops was at the Geisslers'. They were a German family who
lived in the neighborhood. They owned a local business, but they
also had hens, and Mr. Geissler had an egg route. We were among his
customers. It was my first inkling of a couple of things -- one, that
there were people actually living in our town who did not have a
traditional New England background like ours; and two, that everyone has
a different dimension to them that the average person might not be aware
of. Until I visited the Geisslers' home with Dad, I saw Mr. Geissler as sort of a peddler -- "the egg man", as we called him. Imagine my surprise that their home was very nice -- nicer than ours. When we went there with the goodies on Christmas Eve, they would invite us in and bring out eggnog for Dad and glasses of icy ginger ale for us kids. I remember being wide-eyed at their tree and noticing shopping bags full of gifts from fancy New York City stores. I'm not sure if they were gifts from faraway relatives, or gifts from the family to one another. Even the bags and boxes were impressive, however! I would try and make the ginger ale last as long as possible so I could keep looking around at everything.

Mrs. Geissler would always send Christmas cookies to our house, too, usually dropped off along with the eggs. My mother kept them in a certain cupboard, and that cupboard always retained a festive, spicy aroma for as long as the cookies lasted. I remember one kind of cookie in particular -- looking back on it now, I think it must have been pfefferneuse. They were perfectly round, dark-colored cookies which were liberally coated in confectioners' sugar. They smelled and looked absolutely wonderful. Unfortunately, anise is a flavor I still haven't acquired a taste for! But having those truly German cookies in our very American kitchen sure broadened our horizons.

When I was a child, this sharing of holiday treats was one of the most meaningful parts of our Christmas. It made a big impression on me that at this busy time of the year, my parents took the time and went to the effort to do something special for their neighbors.

Cocoa-Molasses Cookies

Over the years, I've always been on the lookout for easy, tasty recipes for cut-out cookies. This is the best chocolate one I've ever found.

COCOA-MOLASSES COOKIES
1 cup butter
1/2 cup sugar
1 cup molasses
1 egg
1 tsp. vanilla
3 cups flour
1 tsp. salt
1/2 cup baking cocoa

Vanilla glaze, optional

Cream butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Beat in molasses, egg
and vanilla to mix well. Sift together flour, cocoa and salt; stir into
creamed mixture. Chill dough until easy to handle.

Roll dough rather thick, about 1/4 inch, and cut into rectangles with a
clean empty luncheon meat can, or use cookie cutters of your choice.
Place cookies 1/2 inch apart on lightly greased baking sheet.

Bake at 350° about 10 minutes.

Remove from sheets and cool on racks,
then frost with vanilla glaze if desired. Makes about 3 dozen.

I found this recipe in the Farm Journal Cookie Cookbook. The little blurb above the recipe says that these cocoa-molasses cookies are "long-time favorites in Dutch neighborhoods in the Hudson River Valley." Years ago I read the Trixie Belden series (set in the Hudson River Valley) to the kids, and later they enjoyed reading the books on their own as well. In one of the books a Dutch lady named Mrs. Vanderpoel served Trixie and her friends some cookies, and I've always wondered if these were the ones.

These cookies are yummy with a vanilla glaze but just as tasty without it. In fact, I almost never use it.

Moose and pine trees cut from this dough are really good!

WELCOME HOME FOR THE HOLIDAYS

Here's another "review" of a Christmas book I enjoy. Over the years, I've acquired many Gooseberry Patch books. Some, I've bought through their catalog or website; some, I've bought locally in a shop I enjoy; some, I've bought in various Cracker Barrel locations while traveling. Most fun of all, I've received several of the books for free when recipes or craft ideas of mine have been published in them. Welcome Home for the Holidays, published in 1994, is the very first Gooseberry Patch book I purchased, and it's a very good one. 

 In general, I think the older books may be a better value, because they seem to have more recipes and ideas per page. However, let me quickly add that this would not keep me from buying the newer books! They are all good -- full of helpful ideas for decorating, gifts, and crafts and yummy recipes too. Welcome Home for the Holidays is an especially practical volume because it covers holidays from harvest time right through Christmas. It's divided into two basic sections: Celebration of Harvest and Celebration of Christmas. 

The Harvest section has two parts: The Homecoming: Tips, Traditions, & Seasonal Gifts to Make; and Grand Harvest Buffet, which consists of recipes for Main Dishes to Warm the Soul, Bountiful Sides, Chowders, Soups, Stews & Breads, and Old-Fashioned Sweets. One of our traditional Thanksgiving desserts comes from this latter category -- Pumpkin Layered Dessert. It's truly delicious! 

 The Christmas section has four parts: A Cozy Country Christmas: Making Magic all Through the House; Easy Holiday How-To's: Homemade Gifts from the Heart; 'Tis the Season: Favorite Memories and Traditions; and Festive Food & Drinks, which includes recipes in the categories of Holiday Gathering, Yuletide Breakfast, Main Feast, Sensational Sides, Visions of Sugarplums, and Gifts from the Kitchen. 

There are lovely decorating ideas -- I've made a number of the Homespun Rag Garlands. The recipes are super -- I've tried many -- and the memories/traditions section contains some wonderful ideas for festive get-togethers. I'd recommend this book to anyone who loves holidays and country-style decorating!

Date & Nut Balls

As mentioned in the previous post, my aunt frequently made these confections (known in our family as "Dot's Oddballs") for Christmas, as well as for Thanksgiving and other family gatherings. (Mr. T's side of the family enjoyed these as well, since his sister made a similar recipe for sharing at family get-togethers.)

I was fortunate enough to run across the recipe in my grandmother's handwriting, so I'll share it just as she wrote it:

Date & Nut Balls

1 cup sugar
1 cup chopped dates
1 egg beaten
1/2 cup oleo

Melt oleo in saucepan; add beaten egg, sugar, and dates; cook 10 min. only. Add 2 cups rice crispies, 1/2 cup nuts, vanilla. Cool. Make into balls and roll in cocoanut, chill in refrig.

This doesn't say how many it will make, but that's part of the charm of an old, handwritten recipe! "Oleo", for those who might wonder, is margarine. No quantity is given for vanilla -- I'd guess between a half teaspoon and a teaspoon -- or for coconut. I'd say you'd need at least a cup of coconut for rolling the balls in, maybe more. If you want to try this and are nervous about the quantities, I imagine you can find a similar, more specific recipe in an online search.

Have fun!

Christmas on the Farm

A few years ago, I attempted to get some of my childhood Christmas memories down on paper. I wanted to share them with my children and grandchildren while I still remembered them somewhat clearly. I'll share in another post about how I made the memory books and how much they've been enjoyed. But for today, I'm just going to post a few of my memories here.

CHRISTMAS ON THE FARM

How privileged I was to be a child in the 1950s! Today Christmas has lost so much of its meaning and magic. We are desperately trying to get it back. Notice the catalogs full of such nostalgic products as Radio Flyer wagons and bubbling Christmas tree lights, if you don't believe it. I've hung on to many a faded glass ornament from those days, so I'm doing my bit for nostalgia, too. But my memories haven't all
faded. Many of them are as clear and bright as they ever were.

We were fortunate to live just down the road from my grandmother's farmhouse, so I got to see her Christmas preparations before the bigday. My grandmother loved holidays, and Christmas was her top
favorite. She decorated the big farmhouse to the hilt! Fluffy red honeycombed paper bells hung from ceilings; 

shiny red letters spelling out M-E-R-R-Y C-H-R-I-S-T-M-A-S were strung across the fireplace
mantel. There were birch logs in the fireplace and a crackling electric "fire". Colorful electric candoliers glowed in every window. A green ceramic tree with glowing colored lights lit up an upstairs hallway.

Around the house in different areas were taped the many Christmas cards she'd received so far. Christmas candles abounded, especially the kind in shapes like an angel choir, Santa and Mrs. Claus, or a group of carolers gathered under a wax lamppost. 

  

 The sideboard in the back hallway held candy dishes filled with glistening ribbon candy and peach blossoms, chocolates, mixed nuts, and stuffed dates.

In the front room, the Christmas tree would be set up at one end. I liked nothing better than to go in and just look at all the gifts under that tree. It didn't even matter if they weren't all for me! The wrappings were so beautiful, and each package seemed to be different. One gift might be wrapped in midnight-blue paper with a scene depicting Bethlehem and the manger, even the shepherds out in the fields. 

 

Another gift might be papered with glittering Christmas ornaments and pine needles. A little boy's package might be wrapped in paper showing small cowboys and their horses. And the tags always matched the paper! Gram's artistic eye wouldn't have settled for anything less. It wasn't just that a snowman package carried a tag with a snowman on it. No, the snowman tag would exactly match the snowman paper!

Of course, the contents of the packages were special also. We always knew they would contain something we really wanted ( a pre-holiday consultation with the Sears Roebuck Christmas catalog saw to that),
which had been thoughtfully picked out and then carefully wrapped, just for us.

I was very, very fortunate that in the early lean years of our marriage, Gram realized I could probably use some Christmas paper, ribbons, and tags -- and she passed her "leftovers" on to me. I still have some of the tags and ribbon!

Gram's Christmas tree was beautiful, too. All of my cousins recollect her tree as being really special. Shirley said it best: "I recall how in awe I always was of her tree in the living room -- so bright and warming." The ornaments were very special. Some of them were sparkly and white and looked as if they had been formed out of sugar. The shapes I remember for these "sugar" ornaments were bells and
angels. The white plastic reindeer tied with red satin ribbons (similar to the one at the top of this post) were also favorites of mine. But my best-loved ornaments were the faces of angels -- which, years before, my mother and some of her sisters had cut from paper, colored beautifully with crayons, and sprinkled with glitter.

One special memory of Christmas for me is the red corduroy vest that my Dad would always wear when we went to Gram's for Christmas dinner and the tree.

He and my uncles would all be particularly jovial on that special day, joking with all of the kids and with one another. I had forgotten this, but it seems there was always a lot of joking about how much food my dad was able to eat. One year someone took a picture of him with the turkey directly in front of him, as if the whole thing was for him to eat!

My cousin Wayne remembers: "There were always a lot of grownups and oodles of kids around with a constant level of voices and laughter." Sometimes it seemed that there was more excitement in that one day than in a week or a month of ordinary days. We would have the tree and presents at home in the morning and then go to Gram's for dinner and her tree in the afternoon. Often we cousins would bring
along one or more of our new Christmas gifts to show the others -- dolls, trucks, games, or whatever.

Gram would be dressed to suit the holiday in a bright red dress or jumper, with plenty of sparkly holiday jewelry in the shape of holly or poinsettias. Her earrings and pins always matched her dress on any day,
but she pulled out all the stops when dressing up on Christmas day.

Christmas dinner was always a festive affair, with the tables carefully set for the younger children in the kitchen and the adults and older kids in the dining room. The smaller cousins always had special little
Santa mugs to drink from. The dining room table would be set with Gram's set of ivy-trimmed white dishes. It seemed to me that food just looked and tasted better on those plates. Equally impressive to me was the fact that all of the serving dishes matched! She would have a snowy white cloth on the table, and all the glassware and silver sparkled.

Often we would all start off with a juice glass full of tomato juice or V-8. I'm sure the meat we had for that meal varied; I seem to remember roast beef, turkey, or roast pork at different times. Somehow I remember the vegetables best: the fluffy mashed potatoes, the squash with lots of pepper; the green peas which I seldom wanted to take any of so there would be more room for other things. There was also a tossed green salad with Wish-Bone Italian dressing, always. This was a huge treat to me because we never had bottled dressing at home. Sometimes my mother would make Parker House rolls to contribute to the meal, or Aunt Dot would make her famous oatmeal rolls. It's funny, but I really don't remember at all what our Christmas desserts were. I do remember that we didn't eat dessert until after the present-opening in the front room.

After everyone was gathered and seated in the front room, Gram would have the cousins pass out the gifts. We would end up with everyone having a gift from Gram, and sometimes I think there were family gifts
which the aunts and uncles had brought for their siblings' families.  And then there would be a huge pile of gifts next to Gram's chair. It would take forever for her to open them! But we didn't have dessert until she was finished with the task, unless she decided the rest of us needed dessert and took a break from opening her gifts.

I remember, too, that the Christmas music was all out on the piano or in the bench and sometimes one of the aunts would play Christmas songs. When some of the cousins grew old enough to take piano lessons, there would often be "recitals" taking place in the front room as well. I think that sometimes Christmas music would be playing on the record player in the corner. The songs I associate with Christmas at Gram's are "Silver Bells" and "Winter Wonderland."

I seem to remember ice cream for dessert, and usually there was some of Grammie Wallace's date cake around. This dark-colored loaf cake, frosted on top with a thick white frosting and trimmed with walnut
halves, was a tradition in Gram's family, but I never liked it very much. I think Gram may have baked a sheet cake of some sort as well -- she was a big fan of cake mixes and liked the unusual flavors such as
butter pecan or cherry chip.  

Aunt Dot usually brought some of her famous date balls, which early on earned the nickname "Dot's Oddballs". (I am not sure if it was my dad or Dot's husband Howard who gave them this name. They share the same quirky sense of humor, so it could have been either one of them.) But my major "sweet" memories of Christmas were the candy dishes on the sideboard -- especially the chocolates and the thin, fragile, bright-colored ribbon candy.

As wonderful as Christmases on the farm were, you can easily imagine how cruelly disappointed we kids were whenever we had to miss one. With four kids in the family, there were the inevitable times when one or more of us was sick. If it was only one or two of us, one parent would stay home with the invalid(s) while the other parent and siblings joined the fun at the farm. But mostly I remember the times when all of us had to stay home so we wouldn't infect the other cousins with whatever we had. How sad we felt to watch the arriving cars of the fortunate relatives who were not sick!

Chocolate-Peanut Morsels

Here’s a wonderful recipe for homemade chocolate-covered peanut candies. I think it’s the corn syrup that makes this coating work so beautifully -- because, you know, ordinarily trying to add water to melting chocolate chips doesn’t work very well. The chocolate seizes up. But have no fear -- that won’t happen with this recipe!

MARVELOUS CHOCOLATE-PEANUT MORSELS

1 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips
1/4 cup light corn syrup (Karo®)
Dash of salt
1 Tbslp. water
1 1/2 cups salted peanuts

Combine the chocolate chips, corn syrup, salt, and water in a 2-cup microwave-safe container. Heat 1 minute on High, stir until completely melted. Add the peanuts and stir until they are coated with the chocolate mixture. Drop by teaspoonfuls onto baking sheets lined with wax paper. Chill in refrigerator until firm. Makes about 3 dozen candies. When candies are firm, transfer them to tins for gift-giving.

This great recipe is from Cook & Tell, the December 2001 issue.

Planning ahead for Christmas crafting

One of the best resources to help with planning ahead for Christmas is OrganizedChristmas.com. I have a link over in the sidebar. Go there and take a look at all the helps they have available. There's everything from printed forms for a Christmas notebook, to recipes, to ideas and instructions for gifts, to forums on everything from decorating to cooking, crafting, making gift baskets, etc. Later on, I'll share my Christmas notebook here. It is extremely helpful in planning our Christmas gifts, activities, etc.

The craft forum has been particularly helpful to me. They offer a crafting challenge every week. I haven't been able to take part while busy with my writing project, but hope I can get back into it soon. One thing they urge, which I tried to do last year and am doing slightly better with this year, is to make a list of craft projects you want to do for Christmas and a timeline for finishing them. Here's what I've done:

1) Made a list of gifts to craft for 2007 (also includes any gifts I want to make for birthdays or other occasions)

2) Made a list of materials I still need to buy for these projects (this list is very short, thanks to my practice of thinking I can make more gifts than I have time for -- in other words, I bought the materials a year or two ago!)

3) Made a timeline for finishing these projects. I looked at all of the projects I had to do and divided the list up into 2 or 3 projects per month. This works well except that I've already missed my first 2 deadlines of March 25 and April 25. These particular projects were quick, easy ones, so I can lump them in with another month. I've set my timeline up to end on November 25, so I can maybe have the month of December free. Maybe... !

The Happiest Season of All

 

 From time to time I intend to share "reviews" of Christmas books that have been a blessing or a help to me over the years. Probably some will be out of print, but I imagine most can be found used through different online sources. 

Today I want to recommend The Happiest Season of All, a Holly Pond Hill book written by Paul Kortepeter and illustrated beautifully by Susan Wheeler. This book was an early Christmas gift from my younger daughter in 2002. She thought I would get more fun out of this gift if I opened it at the beginning of December, so that's when she sent it to me. What a wonderful book it is! I get this book out every year right after Thanksgiving, for it offers ideas and helps from then on. 

 The Introduction ("Joy to the World") is a wonderful way to set your heart in tune for the coming holiday. The first section, "Tis the Season/Welcoming the Holidays", offers many ideas for Advent and other pre-Christmas activities and a delicious-sounding recipe for Yuletide Punch, which I really must try this year. 

The second section, "Draw 'Round the Fire/Making Hearts Ready" has lovely ideas for keeping Christmas, a Christmas cookie exchange, the scents of Christmas, and a batch of wonderful Christmas cookie recipes. 

The third section is called "O Holy Night/Enjoying the Wonders of Christmas Eve". It has among other things an assortment of yummy-sounding recipes for Hot Chocolate and Hot Vanilla. The one for Hot Butterscotch Chocolate sounds fantastic. 

The final section is "God Bless Us, Everyone!/Celebrating Christmas Day, filled with ideas for that day. It includes some Victorian Christmas games to play and some projects to make for feeding the birds, as well as a special eggnog recipe. 

The illustrations alone are so beautiful, I would enjoy this book even if it had no words. But the stories and essays are lovely too. It's a special part of Christmas at my house.

Mulled Cranberry Orange Juice

MULLED CRANBERRY ORANGE JUICE

1 orange
12 whole cloves
a cinnamon stick
1 cup water
2 quarts cranberry juice cocktail
1/2 cup golden raisins (optional)
1/2 tsp. ground cardamom
3 Tblsp. fresh lemon juice (bottled will work)
3 Tblsp. brown sugar

Use a vegetable peeler to peel off thin strips of orange peel from the orange. Set the orange aside. Put the peel in a small saucepan with the cloves, cinnamon stick and water. Bring this mixture to a simmer; cover and simmer over low heat for 20 minutes.

In a larger saucepan combine all of the remaining ingredients. Cut the orange in half and squeeze the juice into this larger saucepan. Using a strainer, strain the liquid from the spice/peel mixture into the larger saucepan as well. Heat the mixture in the large saucepan over low heat until it is hot. May be kept simmering over very low heat and ladled out as needed.

If you want to be fancy, pour the mixture into mugs and top each one with an orange slice with a whole clove or two stuck in the rind.

This recipe came from Cook & Tell, my favorite cooking newsletter. I discovered this beverage recipe a couple of years ago and it became an instant favorite of mine to serve to guests at holiday time.

Sunset Orchard Spiced Tea Mix

Here’s another favorite kitchen gift of mine. It works well in a gift basket of teatime goodies, or just tucked in a brown paper bag with a half-dozen scones or muffins.


SUNSET ORCHARD SPICED TEA MIX

1 cup sugar
1/3 cup dry orange drink mix (like Tang®)
2/3 cup dry unsweetened instant tea
2 envelopes instant spiced cider mix

Combine all ingredients thoroughly in a bowl. I use a slotted spoon for mixing -- makes it easier to see how well the ingredients are blending. Place in jars or tins for gift-giving.

Include these directions: In a mug, place a heaping tablespoon of tea mix. Fill mug with boiling water and stir well; let steep 2 minutes.

"Pail Full of Muffins"

It can be especially challenging to find good, useful gifts for older folks. For the past several years, I’ve done something very different for my mother-in-law. I make up a batch of this muffin batter and place it in one of those covered plastic Christmas buckets from Wal*Mart.   The containers I'm talking about are similar to those below, but quite a bit larger.

 I give her this muffin batter along with a jar of homemade hot chocolate mix and a box of clementines. (The first year, I also gave her a silicone muffin pan.) She absolutely loves this gift and often returns the bucket and the jar for refills later on.

PAIL FULL OF MUFFINS

Combine the following in a very large bowl:

1 box bran flakes -- about 15 to 16 ounces
1 quart buttermilk
2 cups boiling water
1 teaspoon salt

Let mixture cool until it’s lukewarm.

In another bowl, cream together:

1 cup shortening -- I use a butter flavor Crisco® stick
2 cups sugar
4 eggs

Add the creamed ingredients to the bran mixture.

Sift together:

5 cups flour
5 teaspoons baking soda

Stir the sifted ingredients into the bran mixture.

Muffins may be baked right away, but keep in mind that this recipe produces at least 5 dozen muffins! The idea is to store the batter in a covered container, like a Tupperware® bowl or a covered plastic pail, in the refrigerator, then bake the muffins a few at a time as needed. The batter will keep for at least a month in the fridge.

When ready to bake, fill greased or paper-lined muffin cups only half full. Bake at 375º for 20-25 minutes, until the muffins test done.

(This recipe originally called for 3 cups sugar and a combination of bran buds and all-bran.  Those cereals are more expensive, and I  have found that the bran flakes, even the store brands, work just as well.)

If you have an older person to shop for, you may like to try this gift idea!

My Mother's Maple Fudge

Here's a recipe I can't exactly recommend that you try -- unless you are the sort who loves a challenge and doesn't mind wasting some expensive ingredients.

My mother was locally famous for this fudge. All during my growing-up years, she made batch after batch of it at Christmas time. In earlier years she often made pounds of this fudge for the Methodist church's Christmas fair. In later years the fudge production was for the benefit of family and friends, some of whom expected to receive maple fudge every year and would have been cruelly disappointed not to receive it.

My mother had been given the recipe by a neighbor lady. Over the years, many people asked my mother for the recipe, and she happily shared it. However, it was a very tricky recipe and no matter how good a cook she gave the recipe to, the fudge would seldom come out right. Boiling, candy thermometers, cooling to the exact right point and then what seemed to be hours of beating were all involved in the proper preparation of this delicacy. Yes, it was delicious, and it certainly was a triumph to be able to produce something so difficult that no
other living woman (other than the neighbor lady who gave her the recipe) had been able to do. But it always looked like a lot of trouble to me! My siblings and I used to enjoy scraping the fudge kettle, but none of us had much interest in learning to make the candy ourselves.

My mother hasn't made fudge for a number of years now, and the secret of the maple fudge will die when she does. Even though I have the recipe, I can't imagine going to that much trouble. I will share it here, just for old time's sake. But I make no guarantees! If you try it and it comes out well, pat yourself on the back. You've achieved something very few cooks have been able to do. If you try it and it doesn't work, don't blame me -- I did warn you! (Incidentally, failed fudge may work well as a sauce over ice cream.)

MAPLE FUDGE

2 cups dark maple syrup
5 cups white sugar
2 cups cream

Mix together in heavy pan. Cook (keeping a steady boil) to 238º on candy thermometer. Cool to lukewarm. Beat until mixture loses gloss. Add (coarsely chopped) walnuts and pour quickly into a buttered roasting pan (13x9-inch pan works fine). Cut immediately into small squares.

Orange Sugared Pecans

Here is another easy, lovely kitchen gift to make. These pecans have a brown-sugary orange coating that is just delightful. Put in tins or in zip-top bags (inside of a fabric bag or a brown paper bag if you like) for small gifts, stocking stuffers, or a tasty addition to gift baskets. Have fun!

ORANGE SUGARED PECANS

1 cup brown sugar, firmly packed
3 tablespoons evaporated milk
1 tablespoon butter
1 teaspoon freshly grated orange peel
2 cups pecan halves
In small heavy saucepan, combine the sugar and evaporated milk. Cook
over medium heat to 234° (soft-ball stage), stirring occasionally. Remove from heat.

Add butter and orange peel; stir to blend. Add pecan halves; stir until all
are coated.

Spread the pecans on a cookie sheet lined with wax paper or parchment paper. When candy coating is firm, gently break pecans apart. Store in covered containers.

Coffee Walnuts

Here's another wonderful kitchen gift for people who love walnuts and/or coffee. This is a great addition to a gift basket (especially a coffee-themed basket) and would also make a nice stocking stuffer.

COFFEE WALNUTS
1 cup brown sugar
1/2 cup white sugar
1/2 cup sour cream
1 tablespoon instant coffee powder
Combine ingredients in a saucepan and cook to the soft-ball stage.

Remove from heat and toss in: 3 cups broken walnuts.

Spread on wax-paper-lined cookie sheets to dry. The nuts should be
fairly separate, not in large clumps.


When dry, I suggest you store the nuts in tins for gift-giving. Obviously, this recipe makes about 3 cups of coffee walnuts, so you could use 3 1-cup tins or a number of smaller ones. Enjoy!

A Cookie Mix in a Jar

Jar mixes have become a very popular kitchen gift item. This recipe, which I adapted from one I found in the Gooseberry Patch book Holidays at Home, is the first one I tried and has been well liked by everyone I've shared it with. I think the little extra touch of the chocolate drink mix makes this cookie especially good.

I have found that the large instant coffee jars work as well as canning jars for this, and they often have festive-looking red lids as well. A jar filler type of wide-mouth funnel (the type used in canning) works really well for putting ingredients for mixes neatly into jars.

CHOCOLATE CHIP OAT COOKIES IN A JAR

1/4 cup instant chocolate drink mix (like Quik®)
3/4 cup flour
1/4 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. baking soda
1/2 cup brown sugar
1/4 cup granulated sugar
1 1/4 cups quick oats
1 cup chocolate chips

Place the chocolate drink mix in the bottom of a quart-size jar. Sift the flour, salt, and baking soda together onto wax paper. Gently roll up the wax paper and use it as a funnel to pour the flour mixture into the jar. Pack this layer down on top of the chocolate drink mix layer. Layer in: brown sugar; granulated sugar; oats; and chocolate chips, packing each layer down firmly. Tighten the jar lid securely.

Make a label for the cookie mix with the following instructions: In a large mixing bowl, blend 1/2 cup softened butter or real margarine, 1 egg, 1 Tblsp. milk and 1 tsp. vanilla. Add contents of jar and blend well. Drop by rounded tablespoons onto an ungreased or parchment-lined cookie sheet. Bake at 375º for 10 minutes for chewy cookies, or 13 minutes for a crispy cookie.

Mulled Cider Mix

Mulled Cider Mix

It's fun and easy to make little packets of mulling spices for gifts. They produce some very yummy cider and make wonderful small gifts. I often include them in gift baskets for our neighbors or in care packages to faraway family and friends. Here's what you'll need to make these:

* Cinnamon sticks

* Whole cloves

* Allspice berries

* Coffee filters (I like to use the natural unbleached kind)

* Plain white string

Break the cinnamon sticks in 1-inch pieces. For each packet of spices, place 1 tsp. of cinnamon sticks, 1 tsp. of whole cloves and 1 tsp. of allspice berries in the center of a coffee filter. Gather the filter up into a little bundle and tie securely with string.

To package these, I use an idea I found in a Gooseberry Patch book -- Place each bundle of spices in a small brown paper bag. Fold the top of the bag down securely.

Make a tag on card stock or half of a file card with these instructions: "Mulled Cider Mix. Place spice bag in large saucepan with 1 quart to 1 gallon of cider. Heat through and enjoy." If you like, you can draw and color an apple on the tag, or add an apple sticker.

Then position the tag at the top of the bag and use your sewing machine, threaded with red thread, to sew the tag to the bag, sewing the bag closed in the process. These look so cute and festive!

Creamsicle Fudge

Here is a kitchen gift that's welcome any time of year! This is a delicious fudge with the classic flavor combination of vanilla and orange.


CREAMSICLE FUDGE

3/4 cup real butter
3 cups sugar
3/4 cup whipping cream
1 pkg. (10 to 12 oz.) vanilla or white chips
1 jar (7 oz.) marshmallow fluff
3 teaspoons orange extract
12 drops yellow food coloring
5 drops red food coloring

Butter a 13X9" pan. In a heavy saucepan, combine butter, sugar and cream. Cook & stir over low heat until sugar is dissolved. Bring to a boil; cook and stir for 4 minutes. Remove from heat; stir in chips and fluff until smooth.

Remove 1 cup of mixture to a bowl and set aside. Add extract and colorings to remaining mixture in saucepan; stir until well blended. Pour this mixture (this is the orange part) into the prepared 13X9" pan. Drop the reserved (white) mixture over the top by tablespoonfuls. Cut through mixture with a knife to swirl. Cover and refrigerate until set.

Cut into squares. Makes about 2 1/2 pounds of fudge.

In northern New Hampshire there is a wonderful old general store called the Brick Store. This store is a favorite destination for tourists and locals alike, and one of the reasons is the incredible fudge that they make. This recipe tastes remarkably like the Creamsicle fudge sold at the Brick Store.

Peanut Butter Balls

Here's another kitcheny gift that's fun to make and always well received. I have 2 recipes. My family always seems to prefer the one with the rice krispies -- and it is delicious -- but I really like the second recipe better myself. It just seems easier. So take your choice -- and have fun!

CHOCOLATE PEANUT BUTTER BALLS (Recipe #1)

1 cup butter or margarine
1 1/4 cups peanut butter
3 1/2 cups confectioners sugar
3 1/2 cups rice krispies cereal
1 cup chocolate chips
1/2 of an 8-ounce milk chocolate candy bar
A 2-inch square of paraffin wax, cut up

Melt butter in 2-quart heavy saucepan over low heat. Add peanut
butter; stir until blended. Remove from heat.

Combine confectioners sugar and rice krispies in mixing bowl. Pour hot
peanut butter mixture over all; mix thoroughly, using hands. Shape
mixture into 1-inch balls. Place on wax paper-lined cookie sheet.

Cover and refrigerate 1 hour.

In top of double boiler, combine remaining ingredients. Place over
simmering hot water until melted. Dip chilled peanut butter balls in
chocolate mixture to coat. Return to wax paper-lined cookie sheets.
Chill until set.

Store in covered tin in refrigerator. Makes about 6 dozen candies.


THE BEST PEANUT BUTTER BALLS (Recipe #2)

2 c. confectioners sugar
2 Tblsp. butter, room temperature
1 Tblsp. milk
2 tsp. granulated sugar
1/2 tsp. vanilla
1/2 c. creamy peanut butter
1 c. chocolate OR vanilla chips
1 Tblsp. crisco
For decoration: colored sugar or candy sprinkles

In a medium bowl, mix the first 5 ingredients, using your hands or a mixer until blended. Mix in peanut butter.

Line a jelly-roll pan or cookie sheet with wax paper. Roll sugar mixture (about 1 heaping teaspoon each) into 3/4” balls. Place these on the lined pan. Chill at least 2 hours until firm.

Melt the chocolate and shortening together on the stovetop or in the microwave (my preference). One at a time, spear the peanut butter balls with a toothpick. Dip in melted chocolate; lift out and let the excess chocolate drip off. Return each dipped ball to the lined pan. Remove toothpick. Before chocolate sets up, sprinkle each ball with colored sugar or candy sprinkles.

Chill candy for 10-15 minutes to firm up chocolate. Remove from pan. Store airtight in refrigerator for up to 2 weeks. Makes 40.

These are to my mind the best and easiest peanut butter balls. I have sent many of these in college care packages over the years!

"Heavenly Delight" -- a wonderful fudge recipe

Fudge always makes a nice kitchen gift all by itself, in combination with other homemade candies, or as an addition to a cookie tray. Here is our family's top favorite in the fudge department:

HEAVENLY DELIGHT
1 cup peanut butter chips
1 cup semisweet chocolate chips
2 1/2 cups sugar
7-ounce jar marshmallow fluff
3/4 cup evaporated milk
1/4 cup butter (1/2 stick)
1 tsp. vanilla

Line an 8-inch square pan with foil, extending the foil over the edges
of the pan. Measure the peanut butter chips into a small bowl, and
measure the chocolate chips into a second small bowl. Set aside.
In a heavy 3-quart saucepan, combine the sugar, fluff, evaporated milk,
and butter. Cook over medium heat, stirring constantly, until the
mixture boils. Boil and stir 5 minutes. Remove from the heat and stir
in the vanilla.

Immediately pour half of the hot mixture into the peanut butter chips.
Stir until the chips are completely melted and incorporated into the hot
mixture. Quickly pour the peanut butter mixture into the prepared pan.
Stir the remaining hot mixture into the chocolate chips until they melt
and are completely blended in. Quickly spread this mixture over the
peanut butter layer.

Cool the fudge completely before removing it from the pan. Lift the
fudge out of the pan by the foil, put it face down on a plastic cutting
board and peel off the foil. Cut the fudge into 1-inch pieces.

This terrific recipe is also from Cook & Tell, my favorite cooking newsletter. The actual name of the fudge is "Double-Decker Peanut Butter Fudge". But when Esther, my daughters'
college roommate and friend, tasted this, she promptly named it "Heavenly Delight". And so it has been, ever since.

Fantabulous Flapjack Mix

Here's another favorite gift idea from my kitchen. I made this for all of the guys in my family one Christmas. They absolutely loved it and asked for refills when the mix was gone!

FANTABULOUS FLAPJACK MIX

4 cups quick-cooking oats
2 cups flour
2 cups whole wheat flour
1 cup packed brown sugar
1 cup nonfat dry milk
3 Tablespoons baking powder
2 Tablespoons cinnamon
2 1/2 teaspoons salt
1/2 teaspoon cream of tartar
Combine all ingredients in a large bowl and mix well. (I prefer to
sift together the flours, baking powder, cinnamon, salt, and cream of
tartar into the bowl -- it mixes them better -- then stir in the oats,
brown sugar and dry milk until well combined.) Place in an airtight
container until ready to use.

To make flapjacks, you need:
2 eggs, beaten
1/3 cup oil
2 cups flapjack mix
1 cup water

Blend together eggs and oil in a large bowl. Stir in the flapjack mix
alternately with the water, beginning and ending with mix. Pour batter
by 1/4-cupfuls onto lightly greased hot griddle. Cook until bubbles
form on top of pancakes, then turn and cook on the other side until
golden.

This pancake mix is simply wonderful! It makes a great gift -- you can
package it in a tin or in a zip-top plastic bag inside a cloth sack.
Tie the sack shut with a ribbon and add a non-stick pancake turner or a
wire whisk to the bow. These pancakes are yummy and so nutritious too!

A kitchen gift -- Zesty Horseradish Dill Pickles

I don’t usually make pickles for Christmas gifts, but this recipe, which I discovered in 2006, makes a wonderful gift for anyone who enjoys the flavors of horseradish and dill. This starts with prepared pickles which you buy at the grocery store, and is incredibly easy. A great gift for men!

ZESTY HORSERADISH DILL PICKLES

1 32-ounce jar whole dill pickles
3/4 cup sugar
1/2 cup water
1/2 cup cider vinegar
1/3 cup prepared horseradish

Drain the juice from the pickles and discard it. Slice the pickles into spears (or rounds if you prefer) and return them to the jar. In a saucepan, bring the sugar, water, and vinegar to a boil. Remove from heat and stir in the horseradish. Cool the mixture slightly, then pour it over the pickles in the jar. Cool completely, then cover the jar and shake well. Refrigerate at least 8 hours or overnight (to blend flavors) before serving or giving. Yield: 1 quart pickles.

Gram's Hot Chocolate Mix

Here is the recipe for my grandmother's hot chocolate mix. She would mix up a giant bowlful of this (sometimes enlisting the aid of a younger grandchild or great-grandchild), then transfer it to jars for gift-giving. We always were happy to see a jar of this arrive at our house. It's richer and creamier than my own homemade hot chocolate mix, but I think mine is a tad healthier. If you do try this, though, you're sure to enjoy it.

GRAM'S HOT CHOCOLATE MIX

1 pound Quik chocolate drink mix
1 11-oz. jar Coffee Mate
1/2 to 3/4 cup sifted powdered sugar
8-quart size Carnation instant dry milk

Mix all ingredients very well in a very large bowl. Transfer to jars
to give to your family for Christmas. When serving, use 1/3 cup mix in
each large mug; fill up with boiling water and stir very well.

"Bessie's Chex Mix"

Here is one of the recipes mentioned in the previous post. Tomorrow I'll plan to share my grandmother's hot chocolate mix, which is quite a bit different from mine.

"BESSIE'S MIX"

As mentioned previously, I've been unable to locate the exact recipe
Bessie used. What I've done is to cobble together a couple of recipes
from the 1950s that hopefully taste like what I remember.

2 cups Corn Chex
2 cups Rice Chex
2 cups Wheat Chex
2 cups Cheerios
2 cups thin short pretzel sticks
3/4 cup salted peanuts
1/2 cup melted butter
2 teaspoons Worcestershire sauce
1 teaspoon seasoned salt

Preheat oven to 250°. Mix cereals, pretzels and peanuts together in a
large bowl. Combine the melted butter and seasonings; pour over cereal
mixture and toss all together to mix very well. Spread cereal mixture
on a baking sheet or in a 13x9-inch pan. Bake mixture for 1 hour, stirring
every 15 minutes. Spread mix on paper towels to cool before serving or
packaging.

Transfer mix to Con-Tact™-paper-covered cans with lids -- like coffee
cans or peanut cans. Give a tin of mix to everyone on your Christmas
list.

Kitchen Gifts Remembered

I've been thinking lately about gifts from the kitchen. I'll write more about this and post recipes at a later date. Kitchen gifts come from the giver's heart and also from the heart of the home. When I was growing up, our family always gave away lots of cookies, fudge, and yeast breads at Christmas time. We were also the recipients of some kitchen gifts, and I'm going to share a few of those memories this morning.

Aunt Bessie always made large batches of Chex Mix and gave tins of it to everyone on her list.
I've done a bit of research to try and find the recipe Bessie would have used. It's somewhat different from the Chex Mix of today. I seem to recall that there were short, thin pretzel sticks in it, peanuts, and Cheerios. I definitely remember fighting with my siblings over the Cheerios. These seemed to absorb the butter and seasonings better than anything else, and were really tasty. Somewhere I can picture the recipe, written in Bessie's handwriting on Ralston Purina letterhead (her late husband had worked for Ralston, and they were also the company Chex cereal was originally made by, so this was quite meaningful) but I haven't been able to find that paper. Bessie would pack the mix in recycled cans which she covered with Con-Tact™ paper.

In later years, my grandmother also had a traditional homemade gift which she would give -- large jars of creamy hot chocolate mix. She would stir all the ingredients up in a gigantic bowl and then transfer the mix to jars for giving. It made a very rich-tasting cup of hot chocolate, so
we kids were always happy to see that jar! Recently, my mom reminded me that Gram also traditionally made a special kind of fudge. I think it was basically the "Five-Minute Fudge" and that she used to use both chocolate chips and butterscotch chips in it.

Neighbors also shared kitchen gifts with our family. There was a German family who always brought an assortment of delectable homemade cookies. Another neighbor traditionally made a pear quick bread. And another delivered her gift on New Year's Day -- a dessert called Pumpkin Snow (made from her own pumpkins) with an accompanying jar of custard sauce.

What fun it all was! Wouldn't it be nice to get back to those simpler times? Let's try it this Christmas. Maybe we'll start a trend...

The Jar of Jelly

Many years ago I found this poem in the Farm Journal Christmas Book from 1966. I have always loved this poem and hope that others will enjoy it, too. The accompanying photo is one that accompanied the poem in the book, along with, of course, a variety of recipe for gift jams and jellies. Enjoy...

The Jar of Jelly

To others' eyes, it may not look like much;
"it's just a jar of jelly." some would say,
"Wrapped up in festive ribbons and some seals
To make it look more Christmasy and gay."
But you for whom it's meant will find, I know,
All that is packed within the little jar,
You will translate the label properly
And see just what the contents really are.
"Wild grape -- " you'll say, and suddenly
You'll not be walking dusty city halls,,
But down an autumn-gilded little lane
Between the jewelled vines of old stone walls.
Instead of dingy bricks beyond a court
You'll see a spruce-green hillside, sharp and clear,
Sweet fern and bayberry will scent the breeze,
The whirr of partridge wings delight your ear.
It is not much to send, this one small jar,
But you will see that in it, pure and true,
Shimmers the essence of the place we love,
Preserved especially by me, for you.

-- Barbara Overton Christie


I have loved this poem for many years. My mother had several issues of Farm Journal's Christmas Book, and I loved to peruse them every year. This poem was included on a page with recipes for gift jams and jellies. I was fortunate enough to be given some old issues of the Farm Journal Christmas Book in later years, and the issue containing this poem happened to be one of them. I have enjoyed so much having these books for my very own. This poem in particular shows how even a very small gift can come straight from the heart.

Gingerbread Memories

GINGERBREAD HOUSES

I confess to always having had a fascination for gingerbread houses. One time, my aunt Rosalie brought one she had made to Christmas at Gram's. It was on display in the dining room for the day, and I don't think I or the other cousins who were there that day ever forgot it! Years later, when I asked them for their memories to help me make a Christmas memory book for our Gram, the gingerbread house came up several times.

For many years, the Good Housekeeping magazine featured a gallery of gingerbread houses in its December issue, complete with photos and the directions for making each house. Every
year I would look at them and want to try making one, but would never find the time. In fact, I saved the magazines from year to year, ever hopeful...

One year I did it! I think the magazine I found it in was McCall's. It seemed a lot easier than other patterns I had seen, but it did take time. The roof shingles were chocolate-covered graham crackers dusted with confectioners‚ sugar "snow". There was even a gingerbread wall around the "yard", studded with almonds to resemble rocks in the wall. Thankfully, we did get some photos of this creation.

Years later, the gingerbread bug bit again, and we made another one. It was during a Thanksgiving break and our young nephews Travis, Corey, and Chad were staying with us. This time we all looked through those old Good Housekeeping magazines and decided on one to make together. It seemed to me like a project that would keep all the kids busy and occupied, and for the most part I think it worked. We kept that one in the attic for a few years and brought it out at Christmas time, but eventually we decided to put it outside for the little furry creatures to enjoy.

More recent forays into gingerbread-house building have featured the pre-baked variety often found at half-price after Christmas. Especially with little children, these are every bit as much fun and much less nerve-racking. This is undoubtedly the route I'll go in future gingerbread construction projects. But still, there was that gingerbread general store I found in an old issue of Country Living...

Special Holiday Fudge

 Here is one of my favorite fudge recipes. This special fudge makes a wonderful gift all by itself or in combination with other treats. It tastes something like chocolate-covered raisins. The orange and almond extracts give it that special holiday flavor. 

SPECIAL HOLIDAY FUDGE

 1 and 1/3 cups sugar
1 and 1/3 cups miniature marshmallows
1/4 cup butter or margarine (1/2 stick)
2/3 cup evaporated milk
1/4 tsp. salt
1 tsp. orange extract
1/2 tsp. almond extract
12 ounces semisweet chocolate chips
 1 cup raisins
1 cup chopped pecans 

In large heavy saucepan, combine first 5 ingredients. Bring to a boil over medium high heat. Boil 5 minutes, stirring with a wire whisk. Remove from heat, stir in chips until melted. Stir in the extracts and then the nuts and raisins. Replace your whisk with a spoon and beat by hand until glossy, 30 to 60 seconds. If needed, you may add up to 2 Tblsp. water to make it glossy, but you probably won't need to. (I have never added the water.) Turn into a buttered 11 x 7-inch or 9 x 12-inch pan. Cool completely, then cut in squares. 

This fudge is absolutely wonderful! It really tastes like Christmas! I found the recipe in my favorite cooking newsletter, Cook & Tell , and have made it nearly every Christmas since then.

My own Hot Chocolate Mix

My grandmother often made a huge batch of hot chocolate mix at Christmas time. She divided it into jars and gave them to her married grandchildren and other folks. Her recipe (which I'll share here at a later time) is a bit too rich for my taste, although it is delicious. I've come up with my own recipe which is a big hit with those I give the mix to at Christmas. Some people even send the jars back for refills! I love the touch of malted milk flavor in this recipe.


HOT CHOCOLATE MIX

5 cups instant nonfat dry milk
2 cups powdered sugar
2 cups instant chocolate drink powder (like Quik)
1 cup malted milk powder, chocolate flavor
1 cup malted milk powder, malt flavor
1 cup non-dairy powdered creamer
1/2 cup unsweetened baking cocoa

Mix all ingredients together thoroughly and store in an airtight
containers. (I use either tins or jars.)

Include these directions with mix:
* Place 1/3 cup of mix in a large mug. Fill mug with hot water and
stir to dissolve. *

Sacher Torte Cookies

 

Here is another of our very favorite Christmas cookie recipes. These are great all year long for special occasions such as tea parties, showers, etc.

 SACHER TORTE COOKIES

 1 cup butter, softened
1 (4 1/2 oz.) pkg. instant chocolate pudding mix
1 egg
1 teaspoon almond extract
2 cups flour
3 tablespoons sugar
1/2 cup apricot (or raspberry) jam
1/2 cup chocolate chips
3 tablespoons melted butter

 Heat oven to 325°. In a large mixing bowl, combine butter and pudding mix; cream together until fluffy. Beat in egg and extract. Gradually add flour, beating at low speed with mixer until dough forms. Shape dough into 1-inch balls. Dip balls in sugar. Place 2 inches apart on ungreased cookie sheets. With your thumb, make an imprint in center of each ball. Bake for 15 to 18 minutes or until cookies are firm; remove from sheets immediately to wire racks to cool.

 When cookies are cool, fill each indentation with about 1/2 teaspoon jam. At this point, you may find it helpful to place wax paper under your cooling racks to catch any drips of chocolate from the next step. 

 In a small saucepan, or in microwave, blend chips and butter over low heat until chocolate melts, stirring constantly. Drizzle about 1/2 teaspoon chocolate over each cookie.

 Yield: About 4 dozen cookies. 

These look pretty and fancy but are very easy to make. I found this recipe in a Yankee magazine article about the Wellesley Cookie Exchange. What a great recipe!

Eggnog Logs

 

 Here's another of our favorite Christmas cookie recipes:  

EGGNOG LOGS 

 1 cup butter, softened
3/4 cup sugar
 1 1/4 tsp. ground nutmeg
1 egg
2 tsp. vanilla
3 cups flour
 

 FROSTING: 

 1/4 cup butter, softened
3 cups confectioners sugar, divided
1 tsp. vanilla
2 Tblsp. light cream (or evaporated milk or even eggnog)
Ground nutmeg 

 Cream butter and sugar in a large mixer bowl. Add nutmeg, sugar, and vanilla; mix thoroughly. Stir in flour to mix well. If necessary, chill dough for easier handling. Shape dough into logs about 3 inches long and 1/2 inch in diameter. Place logs 2 inches apart on ungreased baking sheets. Bake at 350° for 15 minutes or until lightly browned. Remove to wire racks and cool completely. 

For frosting, cream butter until light and fluffy. Add 2 cups of the confectioners' sugar and the vanilla; mix well. Beat in cream and the remaining sugar. Frost cookies. With the tines of a small fork, make lines down the frosting to simulate bark. Sprinkle with nutmeg (freshly ground is wonderful). Makes 4 1/2 dozen cookies. This recipe was a winner in a Country Woman contest. It's been a favorite ever since I first tried it. The cookies are easy to make but rather time-consuming -- still, so many family members love these that I wouldn't think of not making them!

Raspberry Dream Bars

RASPBERRY DREAMS

Dough:
1 cup butter, softened
1 cup sugar
1 egg
2 cups flour
2/3 cup raspberry jam

Topping:
1/4 cup melted butter
1 1/2 cups flaked coconut
2 eggs
1 tsp. sugar

For dough, cream butter and sugar in large bowl until light and
fluffy. Add egg; beat until well mixed. Stir in flour. Pat dough into
a 13 x 9-inch pan. Spread jam evenly on top.

In a small bowl, combine all topping ingredients; spread carefully over
jam.

Bake at 350° for 25 minutes. Cool in pan; cut in very small
squares (about 1-inch) as they are very rich.

Makes about 5 dozen.

I found this recipe in a magazine one year when I was searching for a
new recipe for my cookie trays. If my memory serves me correctly, it
was in a McCall's magazine I was looking through in the kitchen of an elderly friend who was cutting up our home-grown pork. I believe I had been banished to the kitchen while she and her brother-in-law were mixing up their "secret" sausage recipe out in her meat cutting area. These cookies are very easy and have been a hit with everyone who has tried them.