Tips for mailing those Christmas packages

I'm not by any means an expert on this, but I have learned a few things over a dozen years of mailing packages to loved ones in a distant time zone.  When I mentioned doing click and print labels and scheduling carrier pickups of priority mail packages, over on my other blog, one of my readers told me she had learned something new.  She had been standing in long lines!  That made me aware that there are probably other readers who might benefit from my package-mailing tips.

1.  One of the biggest, and the postal service always tells you this, is mail early.  I will never forget the year we spent over $60 to mail a package to Nevada because a) the box was huge; and b) the hour was late. 

2.  Flat rate priority mail boxes are the very best deal for mailing to distant states because they will ship for one flat rate regardless of how much they weigh.   The boxes come in small, medium (two different shapes of box), and large.  The rates, of course, vary with the size of the box.

Photo from USPS.com

Of course, if you are mailing local and your items are relatively light, flat rate will not be a good deal for you.  You will want to have your packages weighed so you don't pay more postage than necessary. 

3.  Click'n'Ship means you can pay for and print postage right online.  This is very easy indeed if you are using the flat rate boxes.  Below you see a printed-out label affixed to a box.

Photo from USPS.com

4.  If you have printed your label and affixed it to your box, you can schedule a carrier pickup.  This is great and I have used this service countless times.  If you schedule the pickup to take place during your regular mail delivery, there is no charge for this service.  There are a number of options as to where you will leave the package for pickup -- at or in the mailbox, at the front door, on the porch, and so on. You can schedule a pickup the night before for the next day.

5.  If your gifts for your faraway loved ones tend to include books, you can send those via media mail  for a pittance.  You will have to go to a post office for this option, but it is really helpful, as books are heavy.  You will definitely want to mail early if you go this route.  It's been my experience that media mail gets there almost as quickly as parcel post, but it doesn't always work out that way, so plan ahead if you choose to do this.

6.  Finally, if you find that you do need to do your mailing of packages at a post office, consider using a different post office to do so.  My local post office is downtown, less than 5 minutes away, but there are parking issues and nearly always a lengthy line at this time of year.  Rather than waste time and energy, I use the post office in the next town.  It's only 10 minutes away, parking is ample and easy, and I have never waited in a line there regardless of the time of year. 

Just a few simple tips.  I am sure there is much more that could be said on this subject, but I trust that these hints are helpful to someone!

Secret Spice Cookies

The Secret Spice Cookies were the one cookie on my baking list that I don't already have here on my blog, so I promised to share the recipe.  They are a lot like Gingersnaps or Molasses Crinkles, but with a notable difference.  Read on!

Secret Spice Cookies

3/4 cup sugar
3/4 cup soft shortening (like Crisco®) or use softened butter
1 egg
1/4 cup molasses 
2 cups flour
2 teaspoons baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 Tablespoon allspice
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1 teaspoon black pepper
Additional sugar for dipping tops of cookies

Preheat the oven to 350º.  Cream the sugar and shortening (or butter) together until fluffy, about 3 minutes.  Beat in the egg and then the molasses.  Sift together the flour, baking soda, salt, and spices.  Add to the sugar mixture and and thoroughly combine to form a dough. 

Form dough into 1-inch balls and dip tops in additional sugar.  Place 2 inches apart on ungreased (or parchment-lined, my choice) cookie sheets.  Bake for 10-12 minutes at 350º, or until set.  Makes about 4 dozen cookies. 

Happy Baking!

Sweet vintage stockings

Many of my readers know that I'm cleaning out my childhood home.  Spending hours at it.  In some ways it's sort of like a treasure hunt because I never know what I will find.  These sweet vintage mini felt stockings are a case in point.  There were several different designs, about eight stockings in all, I think, but the two I'm showing here are my absolute favorites.  Each had a price tag pinned to it; these little stockings were 10¢ each!!  I love the one at top.  In case you can't read it, the little tag by the poinsettias says "Season's Greetings".

This one is cute too, with the tree, birds, and forest animals.  What a fun find!  I will have fun displaying these each year!

Last-Minute Fruitcakes

Last week I promised to share the recipe for Last-Minute Fruitcakes, which call for the homemade candied pineapple and cherries I shared that day.  You could use that candied fruit in any recipe calling for candied cherries or pineapple, but these little fruitcakes are very good too.  They are called "last-minute" because there is no need to bake them days ahead to allow them to mellow, as many old-time recipes specified.  Here's the recipe:

LAST-MINUTE FRUITCAKES

4 cups flour
2 tsp. baking powder
1 1/2 tsp. nutmeg
2 tsp. cinnamon
1/2 tsp. salt
2 cups butter
2 cups firmly packed brown sugar
12 eggs
3 cups coarsely chopped pecans
Candied Pineapple, cut up
Candied Cherries, halved
1 Tblsp. grated lemon peel

Sift together flour, baking powder, spices, and salt.  Set aside 1/3 cup of this mixture to toss with the fruit.  (This helps prevent the fruit from sinking to the bottoms of the cakes.)

Cream the butter and brown sugar together in a large mixing bowl, using an electric mixer.  Add eggs, one at a time, beating well.  Gradually add the flour mixture, mixing well.  Add the lemon peel.

Toss the fruits and nuts with the reserved 1/3 cup flour.  Stir into batter.

Heat the oven to 275º. 

The recipe calls for greasing and flouring a dozen 10.5 ounce soup cans to bake the cakes in.  This does produce very cute cylindrical cakes.  However, today's soup cans have that funky rim at the top from the pull-tab.  I cannot imagine that the cakes would come out of the pans very easily with that rim in the way.

So I would recommend using a dozen tiny loaf pans instead.  Grease and flour them (or use the special baking spray that contains both).  Spoon the batter into the pans, filling to 1 inch from the top.  Bake at 275º (a "very slow oven") for 1 hour and 15 minutes or until the cakes test done. 

I would let them set in the pans for 5 minutes before removing the loaves to a rack to cool.

If desired, the cooled cakes may be frosted with an icing made by combining 2 cups confectioners sugar, 1 Tblsp. soft butter, 1 Tblsp. milk, and 1/2 tsp. vanilla.  Blend well; drizzle over cakes.  Decorate with candied fruit.

December 1965 calendar

I have always enjoyed the calendars which came in Woman's Day magazines in years past.  The lovely illustrations and Bible verses make them so special.  I recently found one from 1965 and thought I would share it. 

At top, you see the page for December.  This illustration and verse are such great reminders.  What do you think they are all watching?  My guess might be an outdoor Christmas tree lighting.  I love this verse, as combined with this picture it reminds me that even in life's busy moments we need to let our light shine and make sure our lives are bringing glory to God ... especially in this season which is all about Him.

Below you see the front page of the 1965 calendar.  I decided to include it too because it has such a festive wintry look. 

Hope you've enjoyed this vintage treasure!

How to make your own candied cherries and pineapple

Years ago, I made my own candied fruit for some fruitcakes I wanted to bake as kitchen gifts.  Does anyone else remember Farm Journal cookbooks?  They were some of my favorites.  As I've mentioned before, I think that these delightful books were sort of the precursor of Taste of Home magazine.  They were well done; there was a Farm Journal Test Kitchen and so on.  But there were chatty comments accompanying many of the recipes, detailing where the recipes came from or a bit of their history.  My mother and I both loved these books, and we owned many.

The Farm Journal Country Cookbook is where I found this recipe, in a chapter on Country Cakes and Frostings.  A special section within the chapter talks about Surprisingly Different Fruitcakes.  Oh, I can't help myself -- I am going to have to give you a taste of the prose that introduces this section:

""Many women treasure their mothers' and grandmothers' fruitcake recipes and fondly dream, when the first thoughts of the Christmas holidays arrive, of baking these old-fashioned loaves.  One look at the recipes, yellow with age, reminds them of the giant-size yields and the time required to bake these cakes.  The search for tasty substitutions starts.  This annual post-Thanksgiving kitchen drama inspired us to offer you smaller and simpler recipes that yield big dividends in taste."

The candied fruit directions are from a recipe called Last-Minute Fruitcakes.  I remember them as being very good, so I will share the recipe later this month.  But for now, I will share the fruit recipe.

CANDIED PINEAPPLE AND CHERRIES
 2 20-ounce cans of sliced pineapple (for this you want the kind that's packed in syrup, not juice)
2 cups sugar
1/2 cup light corn syrup
1 2/3 cups syrup drained from pineapple
3 8-ounce jars maraschino cherries, well drained

Drain the pineapple, reserving the syrup.  You will need 1 2/3 cup.

Combine the sugar, corn syrup, and pineapple syrup in a heavy 10-inch skillet.  Cook over medium heat, stirring constantly, until mixture boils.  Cook until temperature reaches 234º on a candy thermometer.

Add a third of the pineapple slices; bring to a boil.  Reduce heat; simmer 25 minutes or until pineapple is transparent around edges.  Remove from skillet with slotted spoon and place pineapple on a wire rack set over waxed paper.  Repeat with remaining pineapple, cooking a third of the slices each time.

Then add the drained maraschino cherries to the skillet.  Bring to a boil and then reduce heat and simmer for 25 minutes.  Again, remove the cherries from the syrup with a slotted spoon and place the candied cherries on a wire rack over waxed paper to drain completely.  Let the candied fruit dry for 24 hours at room temperature before using or storing.

Come on into the Christmas kitchen!

Yes, the Christmas kitchen will hopefully have an open door every day in December.  I so love spending time in my Christmas kitchen and I welcome all of you to visit.  We'll share recipes, craft and decorating ideas, poems, vintage finds ... just anything friends might share across a kitchen table during the delightfully festive month of December.

For today, here is my tentative Christmas baking list for 2017.

Many of the recipes are already here on the blog, and I'll try and share any that are not.   See the links below:

Sacher Torte Cookies
Almond Shortbread Thumbprints
Christmas cut-out cookies (This post actually has recipes for three different kinds of cut-out cookies.  The one I plan to make this year is the third one on the list.)
Chocolate Spritz
Gingerbread Men
Macaroon Kiss Cookies
Eggnog Log Cookies
Whipped Shortbread Cookies
Chocolate Mint Crisps

As far as I can tell, the only recipe on my list which I haven't ever posted is the Secret Spice Cookies.  Look for that recipe to appear on the blog soon.

Happy Baking!

And two more from the November archives

As promised, here are two more posts from the November archives!

Planning for Christmas baking is just a simple account of how I got a few supplies and ingredients into my pantry in preparation for baking Christmas cookies and other treats.  What you need will, of course, differ from what I need, as we no doubt have varying Christmas favorites.  But this post will hopefully offer you a bit of inspiration to begin your baking.

I didn't go into detail in that post, but just at the very least you will want to stock up on basics like flour, sugar, butter, and so on, and whatever special ingredients you use around the holidays.  Last week I bought pecans and walnuts, for example, and light corn syrup.  Things that I don't necessarily keep on hand all the time.  And it really helps to make a list of what cookies and other kitchen gifts you intend to make.  Locating the recipes for each one (easy for me since I keep them all in a Christmas binder) and looking them over helps with making a list of ingredients one needs to buy.

And then one more from the archives: A 1950s cookie recipe is for my mother's Date-Oatmeal Cookies, which she always included on her cookie trays for neighbors and friends.  They are very good and just the epitome of the 1950s Christmas cookie, being perfectly round, festive with dates and nuts, and with a candied cherry half centered on each.  I'm thinking I may bake a batch myself this year, just for old times' sake!

Two from the November archives

I went browsing through the November archives here in the Christmas kitchen, and found a total of four posts I'd like to share with you.  I thought I would share two of them today, and two more later in the week. 

 This is a perfect time to read Clearing the decks for Christmas preparations.  I just re-read it myself and was quite inspired.  This post will help you through this busy season with more simplicity and ease than you may be used to.

The joy of handcrafting for Christmas shares my heart for crafting handmade gifts.  Sadly, there will be very few this year.  Real life responsibilities have intervened to the point where I just can't fit in time for crafting in this season.  I do hope to make a few ornaments, perhaps.  And I'm praying that by the time I consider crafting gifts for next Christmas, my responsibilities will have lightened a good bit.  But, all that aside -- if you love crafting for Christmas too, you will enjoy this post.

In the next couple days, I'll be sharing my other two picks from the November archives.  One will help you simplify your cookie baking, and the other is a vintage recipe my mother always baked for her cookie trays.  See you then!

From the October archives here in the Christmas kitchen ..

In both of my blogs, I've been trying to do a couple posts from the archives each month.  In the process of trying to do so for October,  I've found that there were some Octobers when I didn't post here at all.  Shame on me!  The only excuse I can come up with is that October tends to be a busy month for us and a time when we often have traveled somewhere.  For whatever reason, there's a scarcity of posts in the October archives.

As a result, I only have a few links to share today.  Here goes:

From 2007, Easy Patchwork Coasters are a project I've made many times and referred to many times on both blogs.  They're not really patchwork, but look that way as a result of folding, stitching, and turning.  A project I highly recommend for using up smallish scraps of Christmas fabric!

This Advent Countdown project is one I did some years ago from a Gooseberry Patch Christmas book.  I actually made three of these.  It took some time but was a very rewarding project.

This post on Baking, Beverage, and Seasoning Mixes shares a link to a long list of such mixes.  I love giving these as part of a gift basket!

A fun little gift for a 1-year-old is fabric alphabet letters to play with and, as they get older, to spell out words.

And lastly, I blogged about a favorite kids' book from my own childhood: The Animals’ Merry Christmas!

Hope you've enjoyed this quick browse through the archives!

October Rudolph Day (lakeside edition!)

 Obviously, October 25 would have been Rudolph Day for this month.  I was pretty busy that day (Wednesday) and decided to postpone any Christmas-related activities until the weekend when things would be quieter.

And they were indeed much quieter!  Although Mr. T and I were off on a brief getaway to our favorite northern lake, I did manage a little Christmas crafting time on Saturday.

The day was glorious.  Simply glorious.  Sunny, bright, and warm.  Even though it was the end of October, Mr. T and I had prayed for good weather -- sun, and temperatures warm enough to allow sitting on the dock.  God certainly answered our prayers.  Friday had some temps warm enough for dock-sitting too, but it was extremely breezy and not a day to try and do any crafting out there.

But Saturday ... now, that was definitely a day for outdoor crafting.  First, I sat on the dock for awhile and worked on this cross-stitched cardinal Christmas ornament.

Then I decided to put some time into my cross-stitched "Snow Angels" which is a UFO of many years' standing.  This project is done on 18-count Aida, not a favorite of my aging eyes.  Although not technically a Christmas project, the brilliant sunlight there on the dock was perfect for working on this challenging scene.

This is one of those projects that I work on so seldom, I have to figure out where I am each time.  There is so much shading in here that I find it really difficult.  Even though I try and mark my place with washi tape -- and that seemed to work very well for awhile -- I still struggle to figure out how to pick up where I left off. 

Took the Snow Angels photos back at home.  Sorry this is so blurry.

This time, after a few frustrating minutes, I decided to work on the sky, which is done with fairly large amounts of the color I had threaded in the needle already.  That worked very well and I was able to accomplish quite a bit.  It's the very pale sky blue that you can barely see.

It actually got too warm sitting there in the sun after awhile.  I ended up moving to a nearby picnic table which was still sunny, but not too hot, and still in view of the glorious sights and sounds of the lake.  What a beautiful place to stitch!

Although I didn't accomplish a large amount of crafting on this Rudolph Day, I must say it was one of my favorite Rudolph Days this year.  So thankful to be stitching beside the lake on this gorgeous October Saturday!

A little vintage Christmas gift!

As many of my readers know, I've been cleaning out a house.  One thing I've been finding is lots of decorative tins full of odds and ends. 

A really fun find in one such tin was a net scrubby -- I think it was probably intended to be enclosed in a Christmas card.  Or, it may just have been a bazaar item.  It's a rectangle of red netting -- it looks like about four layers, cut 5-1/4 inches by  3-1/4 inches -- sewed together with green thread.  Up in one corner is a little embroidered evergreen sprig.

And attached to the scrubby was this little mimeographed poem:

This Christmas card of nylon net
Will help you most when it is wet.
It's extra good for pots and pans;
Eliminates most dishpan hands. 
So for my year-long Christmas wishes,
Use it when you do the dishes.

Cute, don't you think?  I may make up a few of these to tuck into special Christmas cards!

A Cracker Barrel Christmas with Arlene!

Image of Woodland Cardinal Mug from CrackerBarrel.com

My friend Arlene blogs over at Nanaland, and she recently visited a Cracker Barrel where the Christmas goodies were already on display.  Check out the post here:  A Cracker Barrel Christmas.

Our nearest Cracker Barrel (and the only one) here in New Hampshire is quite a distance away, certainly not a trip to take on the spur of the moment.  So I went to their website instead and enjoyed browsing the Christmas section there.  It's not arranged as beautifully as in the store, but the merchandise is all there.  (Arlene's photos, of course, do give the flavor of actually being in the store.)

I was smitten by the Woodland Cardinal Mug at the top of the post, even though I certainly don't need another mug of any sort.  Maybe for decorating?  It would work for fall right through Christmas!

Here are a couple of other neat finds from CrackerBarrel.com:

This sweet Woodland Chickadee Ornament would make a nice gift, 

Photo from CrackerBarrel.com

 and I also love the  Paper Barn Ornament, a cute variation on a putz house.

Photo from CrackerBarrel.com

 I would love to hang either on our own tree.  Both are very reasonably priced.

Thanks to Arlene for the Christmas inspiration from Cracker Barrel!

A couple more from the September archives

Just a couple more posts from the September archives!

I couldn't resist linking to our Mini Christmas in September from 2012.  Just a fun memory!

And then this one: Thinking Out Loud -- from last year, and still timely, especially for people like me who have a history of overextending themselves.  Due to my estate responsibilities, this is going to be another year of very few handmade gifts. 

Maybe these thoughts will be helpful to someone else!

A few posts from the September archives

Image from The Graphics Fairy

I guess I must not post very often in September on my Christmas blog, because there were not a lot of posts in the archives to choose from.  Still, here are a few, and I'll post a couple more of the links later in the week.  Today I want to focus on some handmade gifts that you could complete if you started in the next week or so.

Personalized Cookbooks make a wonderful gift and are great for any gift-giving occasion, not just Christmas.  Over time, these have become my standard wedding or shower gift.  It's an easy project, but is time-consuming.

Christmas Tea Towels are fun to make, and are nice gifts for your daughters or women friends, maybe even co-workers.  You know your friends' tastes.  I myself would always enjoy receiving a gift like this, as I would decorate with it even if I didn't use it to dry dishes!  A whole set of these would be a nice gift for a family member.

And then there are these Pillowcase Grocery Totes and a nifty way to present a set of them as a gift.  I made a set for each of my daughters one Christmas and have since made a set for myself.  They are handy for many uses, but always elicit favorable comments at the grocery store!

Have fun with these ideas!

Customizing Christmas cards with Paperless Post (a review)

Recently I was given the opportunity to try out Paperless Post, a company that offers the capability to create one's own unique online and paper stationery.  There are many attractive designs for cards, invitations, and much more that can be completely customized to reflect one's own personal style (or, in the case of birthday cards, the personality of the recipient).  According to their About page, since 2009 Paperless Post users have sent out over 85 million cards for all occasions.

I was interested to try this out because I often send e-cards for holidays and birthdays.  It's been getting more difficult to find e-cards that I like everything about.  So the opportunity to customize my own digital cards with photos, personal messages, and more, seemed like a very good one.

Although I have only begun with seeing what Paperless Post has to offer, I'm impressed with it so far.

There is an entire category for holiday cards, featuring designs for a number of different holidays. There also are many, many Christmas cards to choose from. I decided to customize a photo card, so I chose an attractive design and got started.  The cards are completely customizable -- one can change the wording, change typefaces, text colors and sizes and much more.  These aren't at all like e-cards I've sent in the past where the design, greeting, etc. are put together in advance by someone else and I've just added a simple personal message.

It's very, very easy to upload your own photo.  I chose a mountain scene from our trip to Nevada this summer.

First there's the card front -- as mentioned above, there are many great designs to choose from.  The message on the front can be changed if you wish, the font made larger or a different color, etc.  Next, you can choose an optional backdrop to complement your card.  This isn't necessary, but it's fun and there are many backdrops to select from.  I used a sort of white stucco with greenery for my backdrop.

For many of the photo cards, there is a back side where you can also add photos and a greeting.  You can use their greeting or write your own, choosing the font, the font color, size, spacing, etc.  The envelope back is the next step; you can choose your color of envelope to coordinate with your card and then add an optional envelope liner which is lots of fun.  Again, loads of choices for these.  For the envelope front, you again choose a font, etc. for the address.  You can choose a postmark and a stamp for your envelope.

The whole process was quite easy and fun.  It actually reminded me of the photo calendars and books I've made online, with the many options for personalization.  There is the option to send a card right away or to schedule it for a later date and time, a feature that I absolutely love.  I have three Christmas cards already scheduled to be sent to friends in December.

All in all, I've greatly enjoyed customizing Christmas photo cards with Paperless Post, and will be looking forward to personalizing and sending more of their cards to family and friends.  I would definitely recommend this site to my readers who might be interested in something like this.

This post was written in partnership with Paperless Post and Anagram Interactive, but obviously all opinions are my own and reflect only my experiences.   I've also begun customizing and scheduling a few birthday cards and have posted about that on my regular blog.

A few posts from the August archives

Graphic from The Old Design Shop

Here are just a very few posts from the August archives here at my Christmas kitchen.  I suppose that, at least for the past few years when I've been doing Christmas in July, I have a good excuse for August being rather a lean month as far as postings are concerned. 

How I adapted the “Christmas in a Can” idea might give others some inspiration for gifts to help with a family's Christmas celebrating.

A dollar store find inspired me to make this Quote Journal for a friend.  If you can find a pretty, small blank book or journal, you might like to do the same.   Give her God’s Word in your handwriting is a post I found by Karen Ehman that presents a similar and very good idea for friends.

Candied Walnuts are a wonderful kitchen gift in their own right, but also great topping a salad of spring mix, dried cranberries or blueberries, and feta or blue cheese with a fruity vinaigrette.

Photo from Taste of Home

Have fun with these ideas!

Thrift store finds with a Christmasy look

When we visit our daughter and her family in Elko, Nevada, I always enjoy visiting the local thrift stores.  I didn't get to all of them this time, but I did visit several. 

In one of those, I found two plates that will likely find their way into my Christmas decorating. (The photos were taken with my tablet so they came out rather faded-looking.)

 

The above plate is part of the Old Curiosity Shop line by Royal China.  It is called a handled cake plate.  I have a few other items from this line, so I thought this plate, in perfect condition, would make a great addition to my little collection.  I paid $3 for it.  As you see, these plates are selling on eBay for anything from $4 to $16.

The second plate, which is also shown at the top of the post, is a vintage pine cone Melmac plate made by Boontonware.  The Etsy listing has a set of 7 plates (with scratches and discolorations like mine) for $30.  Mine is a bit more faded; someone had tried to clean it, I suspect with a magic eraser.  I erased a bit more when I got it home.  Since I only paid $1 for this, I'm not too worried about it.  I think the colors of this plate will make it a fun addition to my fall decorating as well.

Hope you've enjoyed seeing these thrifty finds!

A Christmasy find in Idaho!

Photo by Parlor Antiques

We just got back from a wonderful vacation to parts of Utah, Idaho, and Nevada.  I wouldn't have thought such a summer trip would generate any content to share on my Christmas blog, but yes indeed!  In a shop called Parlor Antiques in Buhl, Idaho, I made such a fun Christmasy find that I just had to share it with you all.

This shop has loads of beautiful vintage and antique items spread throughout several rooms and the basement (which I didn't get to visit due to time constraints).  The items I looked at were very reasonably priced.

I spotted a bowl full of vintage paper milk bottle caps and began looking through them just for fun.   I had never realized that these caps were made in special holiday designs.  (I'm well within the age range that remembers when milk was delivered to homes in glass bottles, but I didn't know or remember any special holiday bottle caps.  Our local dairies probably used them, but I didn't drink milk as a child and thus would never have been the one opening the bottle.) 

Back to the antique shop.  In a short time I found three pretty Christmas-themed designs.  The caps were priced at 25¢ so I bought four, in the three different designs.  What fun!

The one with the little red cottage is my top favorite.  Which one do you like the best?

I actually own a Christmas-themed glass milk bottle from the 1990s and I like to bring it out at Christmas time.  I had made my own paper cap to use when storing it, but now I'll be able to use a pretty vintage one. 

What a fun find!  I wish now that I had purchased more of the caps, as I can think of several ways they might be used in crafting and decorating.  Hope you've enjoyed this look at an unusual vintage Christmas item!