Raisin Puffs

2 cups raisins
1 1/2 cups sugar
1 cup (2 sticks) butter, softened
1 tsp vanilla extract
3 cups all purpose flour
1 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt
Additional sugar for rolling cookies

Preheat the oven to 350 F. Line cookie sheets with parchment paper or nonstick baking mats.

Place the raisins and 3/4 cup water in a small saucepan, and simmer gently until the raisins have absorbed most of the water and are soft, about 5 minutes. Drain.

Using an electric mixer at low speed, cream the sugar, butter, and vanilla until thoroughly combined. Sift together the flour, baking soda, and salt. Stir the dry ingredients and raisins into the batter mixture with a spoon. The batter will be crumbly.

Gather about a tablespoon of dough into your fingers and squeeze so dough holds together. Roll into walnut sized balls. Roll in sugar and place 1 1/2 inches apart on the prepared cookie sheets. Bake for 12 to 15 minutes, until lightly browned and puffed. Transfer to wire racks to cool. Store in airtight containers, as they are quite fragile and have a tendency to fall apart if jostled.

Makes about 4 dozen

Things to do with kids for Christmas, Write a letter to Santa

Reindeer Ornament Cookies

1 cup butter or margarine, softened .
1-1/2 cups sugar.
2 eggs.
1/2 teaspoon vanilla.
4 cups all-purpose flour.
1 tablespoon baking powder.
1/4 teaspoon salt.
1/2 cup milk.
1/4 cup (2 ounces) Glace Whole Red Cherries, chopped.
1/4 cup (2 ounces) Glace Whole Green Cherries, chopped.
Decorating Frosting (recipe follows).
Glace Whole Red and Green Cherries.
Glace Green Pineapple Wedges.
Glace Orange Peel.
Silver dragees.
Beat butter in large bowl until fluffy; beat in sugar. Mix in eggs and vanilla. Mix in combined flour, baking powder and salt alternately with milk. Mix in chopped Glace Cherries. Wrap dough in plastic wrap and refrigerate until firm, at least 1 hour.
Roll dough on floured surface to 1/4-inch thickness. Cut out cookies with reindeer cutter. Bake on cookie sheets in pre-heated 350-degree oven until just beginning to brown, 8 to 10 minutes. Cool on wire racks.
Make frosting. Spoon frosting into pastry bag fitted with writing tip. Pipe frosting on cookies. Decorate with Paradise Glace Fruit and silver dragees, attaching with a little frosting.
Makes about 2 dozen cookies.
Decorating Frosting
2-2 1/2 cups confectioners sugar.
3 tablespoons butter or margarine, softened.
1 teaspoon vanilla.
1/2 to 1 tablespoon milk.
Mix sugar, butter, vanilla and enough milk to make desired consistency. Frosting must be firm enough to hold a shape when piped through a pastry tip. If frosting is too thin, beat in a little more sugar; if frosting is too thick, beat in milk, adding a few drops at a time.

Oh, there's no place like
home for the holidays,
'Cause no matter how far away you roam
When you pine for the sunshine
Of a friendly face
For the holidays, you can't beat
Home, sweet home

I met a man who lives in Tennessee
And he was headin' for Pennsylvania
And some home made pumpkin pie
From Pennsylvania folks a travelin' down
To Dixie's sunny shore
From Atlantic to Pacific, gee
The traffic is terrific

Oh there's no place like home
For the holidays, 'cause no matter
How far away you roam
If you want
To be happy in a million ways
For the holidays, you can't beat
Home, sweet home

Clean out the refrigerator, making room for holiday dishes and ingredients. Take out every item, and then wash the inside walls and shelves. Replace the items you need while purging dated and unwanted foods. Put empty storage containers in the dishwasher. Be sure to recycle any plastics you no longer need.

http://www.darlingdoodlesdesign.com/2012/12/mini-fluffy-christmas-trees.html

Mini Fluffy Christmas Trees

By Brie @Darling Doodles | December 14, 2012 - 4:30 am | Christmas, crafts, Holiday, Uncategorized

I'm loving the festive decorations everywhere! Can't we just keep Christmas decor up all year? All in favor? The motion passed. It is now Christmas all year long. I have declared it so.

If I haven't won you over to my Continual Christmas Crusade yet well then just wait. You might be persuaded when you see these mini fluffy Christmas trees. How can you not love them?

This was a craft win for me since I completely made it up as I went along and I love how they turned out. This craft was made using mostly left over supplies I had from other projects: Styrofoam cones, red berry stems, glue, and wait for it… pillow batting. I have so much batting left over from when I made my Dishcloth Pillows so you know it was bound to show up in another craft soon.

I glued pieces of the batting on the tree in sections, row by row. As I went up the tree I tried to use thinner pieces of batting to help with the shape.

After the glue had dried I did take some scissors and trim a little bit just to make sure the shape was good. Some "frost" covered red berries added the final touches. All I had to do was cut off each berry from the main stem and leave a good 1/2 inch-1 inch of wire to stick it into the Styrofoam.

Cover the entire tree, repeat a second time, and you have two cute, fluffy, mini-Christmas trees.

Things to do at Christmas time, Wrap your gifts and add ribbons, bows and extras to each package.

http://familycrafts.about.com/od/christmascrafts/tp/12DaysChristmasCrafts.htm

The 12 Days of Christmas Crafting

A Variety of Free Christmas Crafting Ideas

It's Time To Make A Christmas Morning Basket

Gifts are piling up beneath the tree, and Santa's ready to roll: time to prepare a Christmas morning basket!

The concept is simple: gather the tools and supplies you'll need to open Christmas gifts and put them in a basket, gift bag or gift box beneath the tree.

Include items like scissors, box cutter, notepad and pen (for recording "gifts received"), camera or videocam, trash bags, zipper food storage bags (for bundling small pieces so they're not lost) and extra batteries.

Add a Santa hat for a fun touch: she who wears the hat, passes out the presents!