October 3

 

 

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Gift of Magic Bread

 

1/2 cup margarine, softened
1 cup sugar
2 eggs
1 tsp. vanilla
2 cups flour
1 tsp. baking soda
pinch of salt
1 cup mashed bananas
1 cup mandarin orange sections
6 oz. pkg. chocolate chips
1 cup shredded coconut
2/3 cup sliced almonds or walnuts

 

Heat oven to 350. Cream butter with sugar, add eggs and vanilla. Beat until fluffy. Sift flour with baking soda and salt. Add alternately with mashed bananas. Stir in oranges, chocolate chips, coconut and 1/2 cup nuts. Pour into 2 greased small loaf pans ( I used two 8x3-3/4x2-3/8-inch disposable aluminum loaf pans). Sprinkle remaining nuts on top. Bake 1 to 1-1/4 hours. When cool sprinkle with powdered sugar.
You can also make 5 mini loaves and bake for 40 minutes.

 

* * * * *

Gingerbread Raisin Scones

 

 

2 cups all-purpose flour
1/3 cup brown sugar packed
3/4 teaspoon cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon ground cloves
1/2 teaspoon ground ginger
1/4 cup granulated sugar
1 tablespoon baking powder
6 tablespoons cold cubed butter
2/3 cup raisins
1/4 cup milk
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 large egg
3 tablespoons molasses

 

Heat oven to 375 degrees F.

 

In a food processor blend all the dry ingredients. Add the butter and pulse
until the mixture is mealy or coarse. Add the raisins.

 

In a small bowl beat the egg, milk and vanilla extract. Once beaten slowly
add to the mixture until it all comes together.

 

Form into a dough and roll out 1 inch thick on a floured surface. Cut into 8
triangle pieces or use a round cutter to cut into circles. Place on a
baking sheet
and sprinkle a little sugar on top if you like.

 

Bake for about 20 minutes or until lightly browned.

 

Serve warm or cold.

 

Makes 8 scones. Enjoy.

 

* * * * *

Chestnuts Roasting On An Open Fire

 

 

Chestnuts roasting on an open fire
Jack Frost nipping at your nose
Yuletide carols being sung by a choir
And folks dressed up like Eskimos

Ev'rybody knows a turkey and some mistletoe
Help to make the season bright
Tiny tots with their eyes all aglow
Will find it hard to sleep tonight

They know that Santa's on his way
He's loaded lots of toys and goodies on his sleigh
And ev'ry mother's child is gonna spy
To see if reindeer really know how to fly

And so I'm offering this simple phrase
To kids from one to ninety-two
Although it's been said many times, many ways,
"Merry Christmas to you."

 

* * * * *

http://www.christmas-projects.com/html/wooden_star_ornament.htm

 

Time required for one star: about 15 minutes plus drying time Difficulty Level: Easy Material List for this Star: - thin plywood or pre-cut star shapes available at your local craft store - mother-of-pearl white acrylic paint - iridescent glitter - wire for hanging - scroll-saw - drill with 1.5 mm bit - sand paper if necessary Instructions: Skip steps 1 and 2 if using pre-cut stars. 1. Print out the pattern to the size you prefer and transfer your markings on plywood. 2. Saw the star out and sand the edges if necessary. 3. Drill a small hole in two top star points. 4. Paint the star and while the paint is still wet, shake glitter over the star. This will adhere to the wet paint. 5. Let the star completely dry and then attach a piece of wire to the holes. Coil the wire ends on the front of the star to keep it from falling out.

 

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Things to do at Christmas time, Bake your favorite cookies, Share with a friend.

 

Wether decorated Sugar cookies or just a plain ol batch of peanut butter cookies. Sharing  them with someone will brighten the day for your friend (or neibhgor) and you.

 

 

 

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Christmas site links

http://www.christmascarnivals.com/christmas-history/christmas-bell-history.html

 

 

 

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/craig-goldwyn/homemade-roasted-chestnuts_b_1128545.html

 

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Billie C.

October 2

I was out of town yesterday and, by the time I got back home, didn't have much time to be on the internet before I had to go to bed. 

I delevered a few Gifts to my daughter to give to her children on Christmas. She has much more storage room than I do. and I won't have to ship if I'm too far away for us to drive to her place. Win Win.

 

* * * * *

Recipe for Friendship Tea

 

2 cups Tang orange drink

 

1 package Wylers Lemonade Mix

 

1 1/2 cup sugar

 

1 Tablespoon cinnamon

 

1 teaspoon ground cloves

 

1/2 cup instant tea

 

Mix well and store in an airtight container

 

To serve: 2 rounded teaspoons to 1 cup boiling water.

 

 

* * * * *

Fruited Cranberry Relish

 

1 medium navel orange, peeled and sectioned
1 medium tart apple, sliced
1 cup fresh or frozen cranberries
1/3 cup sugar

 

Directions

 

In a food processor, combine all ingredients; cover and process until fruit is chopped. Yield: 1-1/4 cups.

 

Taste Of Home Country Cooking 1996

 

 

* * * * *

I Want A Hippopotamus For Christmas

I want a hippopotamus for Christmas
Only a hippopotamus will do
Don't want a doll, no dinky Tinker Toy
I want a hippopotamus to play with and enjoy

I want a hippopotamus for Christmas
I don't think Santa Claus will mind, do you?
He won't have to use our dirty chimney flue
Just bring him through the front door, that's the easy thing to do

I can see me now on Christmas morning, creeping down the stairs
Oh what joy and what surprise when I open up my eyes
to see a hippo hero standing there

I want a hippopotamus for Christmas
Only a hippopotamus will do
No crocodiles, no rhinoceroses
I only like hippopotamuses
And hippopotamuses like me too

Mom says the hippo would eat me up, but then
Teacher says a hippo is a vegeterian

There's lots of room for him in our two-car garage
I'd feed him there and wash him there and give him his massage
I can see me now on Christmas morning, creeping down the stairs
Oh what joy and what surprise when I open up my eyes
to see a hippo hero standing there

I want a hippopotamus for Christmas
Only a hippopotamus will do
No crocodiles or rhinoceroseses
I only like hippopotamuseses
And hippopotamuses like me too!

 

 

* * * * *

http://www.hellokids.com/c_19626/kids-craft/fun-kids-craft/hippopotamus

 

Always use your imagination and be creative when building these kids crafts or any others. It's your creation, so be inventive when looking for building supplies — you just may be surprised! When building your project, experiment with new and different ways of putting it together. The most important thing is to have fun.

---

Find these or similar supplies!

• Plastic Container
• Masking tape
• Cork (four pieces) or used toilet paper tubes
• Some old cardboard or construction paper
• Markers or pens for customizing

---

1. Trim your corks!

The first step to making this awesome hippo is trimming the cork legs. You will need to cut the corks at an angle so that the legs will fit on the side of your container. Depending on the shape of your container you may not need to do this.

---

2. Draw out Hippo's body parts!

The next step is drawing out all of your parts. You will need a pair of eyes, nostrils, ears, and two big hippo teeth. Don't forget the tail! Cut these out when you have some designs you like.

---

3. Attach Hippo's body parts!

Now you can tape on your eyes, ears, teeth and tail. Try holding up the features to get everything the way you like it.

The simple version is complete! This cute hippo is easy and fun to make. From here you can decorate your hippo however you'd like.

---

4. Ready for the fancy version?

Now for the fancy version! We started out covering everything in a base layer of masking tape. This adds lots of texture to the project.

---

5. Tape up your body parts!

Next we then covered all the body parts in tape, making them easier to color on later.

---

6. Attach Hippo's body parts!

After covering everything with tape we put on the legs and face just like the simple version.

---

7. Decorate your Hippo!

The final step is the most fun... Decorating! We decided to make our hippo have a nice muddy complexion, but you can color your hippo any way you like. Voila! Hogan the Humongous Hippo!

 

 

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Things to do at Christmas time, Make Peppermint ice cream.

 

http://www.simplyrecipes.com/recipes/peppermint_ice_cream/

 

I love peppermint ice cream! Too bad around here the grocery stores only stock it during the holiday season. This week I decided to make my own and got some great advice from the king of desserts himself, David Lebovitz on just how to go about it. David is coming out with a book on ice cream this spring (keep your eye out for it) so he should know. I fudged a bit with the ingredient proportions that David gave me, but the method is all his. Thank you David.

As with French vanilla ice cream this method requires cooking a custard to add to the cream. It's a little more work, but the egg yolks are what makes the homemade ice cream divinely creamy. Otherwise, without all the emulsifiers that typically go into the store bought versions, homemade ice cream can be a bit icy. If I'm going to go to the trouble to make something from scratch, I want it to taste better than what I can buy from a store, and this does.

Peppermint Ice Cream Recipe

 

Ingredients

• 2 1/2 cups heavy cream
• 1 1/2 cups whole milk
• 8 large egg yolks
• 3/4 cup sugar
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 2 teaspoons peppermint extract
• 1/2 cup crushed candy canes or hard peppermint candy

Method

Special equipment needed
An ice cream maker or a KitchenAid mixer with an ice cream attachment

1 Warm the milk, sugar, and salt in a medium saucepan. Make sure the sugar and salt completely dissolve.

2 Pour the cream into a metal bowl set in a larger bowl of ice and set a medium-mesh sieve on top.

3 In a separate bowl, whisk together the egg yolks. Slowly pour the warm milk into the egg yolks, whisking constantly, then scrape the warmed egg yolks back into the saucepan.

4 Stir the mixture constantly over medium heat with a wooden or heatproof rubber spatula, scraping the bottom as you stir, until the mixture thickens and coats the spatula, about 5-7 minutes.

5 Pour the custard through the strainer and stir it into the cream. Then stir until cool over the ice bath. Chill mixture thoroughly in the refrigerator.

6 One the mixture is thoroughly chilled, add peppermint extract, a 1/4 teaspoon at a time, tasting the mixture after each addition, until you reach the desired level of peppermintiness. (Different peppermint extracts vary in strength. I used 2 teaspoons of McCormick peppermint extract, which was just the right amount for our taste.)

7 Once chilled, freeze in your ice cream maker according to the manufacturer's instructions.

8 Once the ice cream has been formed in the ice cream maker, it will be fairly soft. Fold in the crushed peppermint candy. Put in an airtight plastic container and place in the freezer for at least an hour, preferably several hours. If it has been frozen for more than a day, you may need to let it sit at room temperature for a few minutes to soften it before serving.

Yield: Makes 1 1/2 quarts.

 

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http://iwantahippopotamusforchristmas.net

 

 

 

 

 

 

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Billie C.

September 30

 

Fireside Sippers-Christmas
Ingredients
Hot cocoa mix
Peppermint candy cane
2 Marshmallows
Directions
Make cocoa according to directions
Thread 2 marshmallows on to candy cane
Put candy cane into cocoa and use as a stirrer

* * * * *

Freezing Cookies

 

I find that it helps to be able to bake when I can and freeze my cookies. That way they are always fresh when I give them as gifts or serve them to my guests.

 

Here are a few hints that I have found. You can either freeze your raw cookie dough or the baked cookies.

 

I have found that most dough like the standard cookies, chocolate chip, peanut butter, shortbreads, sugar cookies freeze well. If you freeze the dough be

 

sure to wrap them very well, so they don' t pick up any odors from other foods in your freezer. I generally wrap it in saran wrap and put it in a ziplock

 

freezer bag and store that in an airtight plastic container. This extra protection, will help keep it from getting freezer burn. I suggest only keeping

 

the dough for a month. Longer than that, I am not sure how good it would be. You can thaw the dough in your refrigerator.

 

I usually freeze my cookie after I have baked them. Always make sure they have cooled completely. I wrap them in saran wrap well and place them in an airtight

 

container. Always put crisp cookies together and soft cookies together. Don't put them together in the same container.

 

When I plate them, to give as gifts, I always wrap the soft ones so they don't make the other soft.

 

 

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http://www.xmasfun.com/Lyrics.asp?ID=74

 

Blue Christmas

 

 

As sung by Elvis Presley

I'll have a blue Christmas without you
I'll be so blue thinking about you
Decorations of red
On a green Christmas tree
Won't be the same
If you're not here with me

And when those blue snow flakes start falling
And when those blue memories start falling
You'll be doing all right with your Christmas of white
But I'll have a blue, blue, blue, blue Christmas

Ooh
Ooh
Ooh
Ooh

Decorations of red
On a green Christmas tree
Oh, won't be the same
If you're not here with me

I'll have a blue Christmas, that's certain
And when that blue heartache starts hurting
You'll be doing all right
With your Christmas of white
But I'll have a blue, blue Christmas

Mmmm

 

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http://www.bhg.com/christmas/crafts/quick-and-easy-holiday-crafts/#page=2

 

 

Wintry Hurricanes

Give basic glass hurricanes a winter wonderland makeover with large snowflakes. Use strips of white tape and round white stickers to create snowflake patterns on the outside of the hurricanes. Add 3-D dot stickers to the snowflake designs. To make the display pop, nestle the hurricanes in a tray of colorful Christmas ornaments and sparkly tinsel.

 

 

 

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Things to do at Christmas time, Tour Colonial Williamburg, even if it's via the internet.

 

http://www.history.org/

 

 

 

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http://www.christmascarnivals.com/christmas-star

 

When we say Christmas stars, we mean the star of Bethlehem; it is a very popular Christmas tree topper. According to Christian tradition, it is the star, which revealed the birth of Jesus to the Magi or the 'Three Wiseman'. The star not only revealed the birth, but also led the Magi to Bethlehem.

 

 

 

 

 

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Billie C.

September 26

Hello.  I hope your week is going well. I have been thinking about making some felt Christmas ornaments to share with my grand kids. I hope to see them this weekend.

 

* * * * *

Festive Ham and Cheese Wreath

 

From Betty's Soul Food Collection... Going in circles over a great holiday snack? This edible seasonal wreath-made with buttermilk biscuits, Swiss cheese and ham-is a gift for all to enjoy.

 

Prep Time: 45 min
Total Time: 1 hour 10 min
Makes: 1 wreath (40 appetizers)

 

2 cups finely shredded Swiss cheese (8 oz)
1 1/2 cups chopped cooked ham (about 8 oz)
4 medium green onions, sliced (1/4 cup)
2 tablespoons honey mustard
2 cans (12 oz each) Pillsbury Golden Layers refrigerated buttermilk or flaky original biscuits
1 egg, beaten
1 tablespoon sesame seed or poppy seed
2 tablespoons diced red and green bell peppers, if desired
1 green-onion fan, if desired

 

Heat oven to 375F. Spray large cookie sheet with cooking spray. In large bowl, stir together cheese, ham, onions and mustard.

 

Separate 1 can of dough into 10 biscuits; leave second can in refrigerator. Separate each biscuit into 2 layers. Press each biscuit layer to form 3 1/2-inch round.

 

Place 1 rounded tablespoon cheese mixture on each dough round. Wrap dough around cheese mixture, pinching edges to seal. Repeat with remaining can of dough and cheese mixture.

 

Arrange 8 balls, seam side down and sides almost touching, to form ring on cookie sheet, leaving 3-inch hole in center. Arrange 14 balls, sides almost touching, around outside of first ring. Arrange remaining 18 balls around outside of second ring. Brush wreath with beaten egg. Sprinkle with sesame seed.

 

Bake 18 to 25 minutes or until golden brown. Carefully slide wreath from cookie sheet onto 14-inch serving platter. Sprinkle with bell peppers. Place onion fan in center of wreath. Serve warm.

 

High Altitude (3500-6500 ft): No change.

 

How-To
To make a green-onion fan, place the tip of a knife at the onion's middle and slit through the green ends. Place the onion in ice water, which will cause the "leaves" to curl; keep the green-onion fan in water until ready to use.

 

Make-Ahead
Assemble the wreath on a cookie sheet. Cover loosely with plastic wrap and refrigerate for up to two hours. Bake as directed in the recipe.

 

Make It Special
Place the baked wreath on a large decorative platter (found at your favorite party goods store) and surround it with rosemary sprigs.

 

Nutrition Information:
1 Appetizer: Calories 90 (Calories from Fat 40); Total Fat 4 1/2g (Saturated Fat 2g, Trans Fat 1g); Cholesterol 15mg; Sodium 280mg; Total Carbohydrate 7g (Dietary Fiber 0g, Sugars 1g); Protein 4g Percent Daily Value*: Vitamin A 0%; Vitamin C 0%; Calcium 4%; Iron 2% Exchanges: 1/2 Starch; 0 Other Carbohydrate; 0 Vegetable; 1 Fat Carbohydrate Choices: 1/2
*Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet.

 

Source: Betty Crocker

 

 

* * * * *

Festive Spiced Apple Rolls

 

 

Store-bought spiced apple rings dress up basic bread dough. The resulting
rolls are both pretty and delicious.

 

Makes 12 rolls

 

Rolls:
2 1/2
cups
Gold Medal all-purpose flour
3 tablespoons packed brown
sugar
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 package regular or quick active dry yeast
1/3 cup milk
1/3 cup water
3 tablespoons butter or margarine
1 egg
1 jar (14 ounces) spiced apple rings, drained

 

Glaze:
1/2 cup powdered sugar
1/4 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 to 3 teaspoons milk

 

1. In large bowl, mix 3/4 cup of the flour, the brown sugar, salt and yeast.
In small
saucepan,
heat 1/3 cup milk, the water and butter until warm, 105 degrees F to 115
degrees F. (Butter need not be melted.) Gradually stir into flour mixture.
Beat
with electric mixer on medium speed 2 minutes, scraping bowl occasionally.
Add egg and 1/4 cup of the flour. Beat on high speed 2 minutes, scraping
bowl
occasionally. Stir in remaining flour until stiff dough forms. Grease top of
dough. Cover bowl tightly with plastic wrap and refrigerate at least 2 hours
but no longer than 3 days.

 

2. Grease 12 regular-size muffins cups. Punch down dough. On lightly floured
surface, roll dough into 15 x 10-inch rectangle.

 

3. Place apple rings in blender or food processor. Cover and blend on medium
speed until almost smooth. Spread apples over dough to within 1/4 inch of
edges. Roll up dough tightly, beginning at 15-inch side. Pinch edge of dough
firmly into roll to seal. Stretch and shape until even.

 

4. Cut roll into 12 equal slices. Place slices cut sides up in muffin cups.
Snip part way through each slice twice, cutting into fourths, using kitchen
scissors. Gently spread dough pieces open. Cover and let rise in warm place
about 25 minutes or until double. (Dough is ready if indentation remains
when
touched.)

 

5. Heat oven to 375 degrees F. Bake about 15 minutes or until golden brown.
Immediately remove from pan to cooling rack. (At this point, rolls can be
frozen
in freezer-safe bags up to 1 month. To serve, remove rolls from bag and wrap
in foil. Reheat in 325 degree F oven about 15 minutes or until hot.)

 

6. In medium bowl, mix all glaze ingredients until smooth and thin enough to
drizzle. Drizzle glaze over warm rolls. Serve warm or cool. Enjoy.

 

 

 

* * * * *

" Where's the Line to see Jesus".

Christmas time was approaching
Snow was starting to fall
Shoppers choosing their presents
People filling the mall
Children waiting for Santa
With excitement and glee
A Little boy tugged my sweater
Looked up and asked me,
[chorus:]
"Where's the line to see Jesus?
Is He here at the store?
If Christmas time is His birthday,
Why don't we see Him more?
Where's the line to see Jesus?
He was born for me.
Santa Clause brought me presents,
But Christ gave His life for Me."

As I stood in amazement
At this message profound
I looked down to thank him
He was no where around.
A little boy at he mall
Might as well had had wings
As the tears filled my eyes
I thought I heard him sing:
[chorus:]
"Where's the line to see Jesus?
Is He here at the store?
If Christmas time is His birthday,
Why don't we see Him more?
Where's the line to see Jesus?
He was born for me.
Santa Clause brought me presents,
But Christ gave His life for me."
In the blink of an eye,
At the sound of His trump't,
We'll all stand in line at His throne.
Every knee shall bow down.
Every tongue shall confess that Jesus Christ is Lord.
[chorus:]
Where's the line to see Jesus?
Is He here at the store?
If Christmas time is His birthday,
Why don't we see Him more?
Where's the line to see Jesus?
He was born for me.
Santa Clause brought me presents,
But Christ gave His life for me.

 

 

* * * * *

http://catholicicing.com/2010/11/emmanuel-craft-for-kids/

Emmanuel Craft for Kids

Craft: Emmanuel Craft

This craft is so cute and children of just about any age can make it! This Baby Jesus craft would obviously also work well for a Christmas craft.

Supplies Needed to Complete this Craft:

• Popsicle Sticks (we used jumbo popsicle sticks)
• Shredded crumple paper (you can get this by the bag full at the Dollar Tree)
• School Glue (not a glue stick)
• Manila File Folder
• White Felt (you could substitute white paper)
• Construction paper

Before you begin, trace around a milk cap on a manila file folder and cut it out. Draw on a face for Baby Jesus. Also, cut out a rectangle of white felt for his "swaddling clothes". If your kids are older, they will be able to cut out Baby Jesus on their own. Now you're ready to begin. Have your kids run a line of glue down each popsicle stick andglue them in the middle of their paper in the shape of an "X". This isthe manger. Then put lots and lots of glue on top of the X and stickthe crumpled paper on it. Lastly glue on Baby Jesus' blanket- then his head.

To make this your "E" craft for the Catholic ABC's, Use a foam "E" sticker for "Emmanuel" and also write "God With Us". (Emmanuel means God with us).

Grab Bag Ideas for the Letter Ee: (be sure to check out the Classroom Scriptfor directions on using the grab bag.) Envelope, toy Elephant, Eagle, Mr. Potato HeadEar, Egg Egg (I used several varieties including a play Egg, a plastic Easter Egg, and an Egg shaker)

For More Resources, check out the Catholic Toolbox lesson plans for the Letter Ee. (Her Ee lesson is on "Elijah")

Catholic ABC's runs here at Catholic Icing every Wednesday with the new letter of the week. You can get the details of this program by checking out the Classroom Script.

 

* * * * *

Things to do at Christmas time, Plan a night of Candle light. Be it romantic or in memory of someone who has passed.

 

The Sunday before Christmas, I light all the candles I have out, saying the name of someone who has passed away in my past and say a little prayer for each one. I let the candles burn for about an hour and play Carols.  This way, I am bringing in my past family into my holiday memories.

 

 

 

* * * * *

 

* * * * *

http://www.wf-f.org/Creche.html

 

To set up the crib at home can be a simple but effective way of presenting the faith and transmitting it to one's children. The manger helps us to contemplate the mystery of God's love who revealed himself in the poverty and simplicity of the Bethlehem cave

 

 

 

 

* * * * *

 

 

 

 

Billie C.

http://groups.yahoo.com/group/A_Melting_Pot/

Sept 25

 

 

* * * * *

English Toffee

 

1 pound butter

 

2 cups sugar

 

Slowly cook over med. low heat, to 305º (about 45 minutes).

 

Pour into 10x15 jelly roll pan.

 

Do not scrape the pan

 

Let stand about 5 minutes then lay 5 Hershey candy bars on top; let stand 1 minute then spread lightly, covering the entire surface.

 

Sprinkle with chopped pecans; press lightly.

 

Let stand several hours (do not refrigerate). Break into pieces to serve

 

 

 

* * * * *

Festive Eggnog Wreath with Eggnog Butter

 

3 tablespoons warm water
1 teaspoon granulated sugar
1 package (1 tablespoon) yeast
3 3/4
cups
bread flour
3 tablespoons butter
1 1/2 teaspoons salt
2 tablespoons granulated
sugar
3/4 teaspoon freshly-ground nutmeg
1 cup plus 2 tablespoons dairy eggnog
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/2 teaspoon almond extract

 

For finishing:
1 egg white
1 tablespoon water
Coarse sugar or pearl sugar
Sliced almonds
10 candied cherries, halved

 

Combine yeast, 1 teaspoon sugar and warm water. Let stand while measuring
remaining ingredients.

 

Food processor method: Place dough blade in work bowl. Add flour, butter,
salt, remaining sugar and nutmeg. Pulse. Stir together the eggnog with the
extracts.
Set aside. Turn machine on and pour the yeast in through the small feed
tube. Without stopping the machine, pour in the eggnog mixture in a slow
steady
stream. Add the extra 2 tablespoons eggnog, if needed, to pull the dough
together into a ball. Let ball revolve about 30 times in the work bowl to
fully
knead it.

 

Place dough in an oiled bowl or a plastic bag and set in a warm place to
rise. NOTE: sweet, rich dough's often take longer to develop, perhaps 75 to
90
minutes to double.

 

Mixer or hand method: Put proofed yeast in a large bowl. Add eggnog,
extracts and melted butter. Stir to combine. Add nutmeg and salt. Add half
of the
flour and beat for 2 minutes. Add half of remaining flour and beat again for
2 minutes. Empty remaining flour into the dough. Knead dough for about 8
minutes.
Dough should be soft but not overly sticky. Set in warm place until doubled.
See NOTE above.

 

Both methods: Spray smooth work surface with nonstick pan spray. Spray a
large
cookie sheet.
Empty risen dough out onto sprayed area and shape into a roll about 22 to 24
inches long. Cut this roll in half, lengthwise. Starting in middle, working
to both ends, lap the 2 long pieces over and over each other to form one
long twisted rope shape. Lift rope onto cookie sheet. Shape rope into a
round
wreath, joining a top twist from one end to a bottom twist from the other
end. Repeat with other 2 ends. Cover loosely with sprayed plastic wrap and
set
aside to double in size. Before dough finished doubling, preheat oven to 375
degrees F.

 

Whisk egg white and water together. When dough has doubled, brush with egg
white mixture then sprinkle first with sliced almonds and then the coarse
sugar.
Stick halves of the candied cherries, firmly, around as you like. Bake for
25 to 30 minutes. Transfer to rack to cool. Cover when cooled.

 

Serve with Eggnog Butter.

 

Eggnog Butter:
1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter (DO NOT
USE SALTED BUTTER)
1/3 cup eggnog
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/2 teaspoon nutmeg
2 tablespoons confectioners' sugar
1 teaspoon lemon juice

 

Beat all ingredients with a mixer until smooth and fluffy. Beat with mixer
until smooth and fluffy, about 5 to 6 minutes.

 

Mound in a bowl and refrigerate at least 30 minutes before serving. Enjoy.

 

* * * * *

The King Shall Come

Christmas Carol

The King shall come when morning dawns,
And light triumphant breaks;
When beauty gilds the eastern hills,
And life to joy awakes.

Not as of old a little child
To bear, and fight, and die,
But crowned with glory like the sun
That lights the morning sky.

O brighter than the rising morn
When He, victorious, rose,
And left the lonesome place of death,
Despite the rage of foes.

O brighter than that glorious morn
Shall this fair morning be,
When Christ, our King, in beauty comes,
And we His face shall see.

The King shall come when morning dawns,
And earth's dark night is past;
O haste the rising of that morn,
The day that aye shall last.

And let the endless bliss begin,
By weary saints foretold,
When right shall triumph over wrong,
And truth shall be extolled.

The King shall come when morning dawns,
And light and beauty brings:
Hail, Christ the Lord! Thy people pray,
Come quickly, King of kings.

 

 

 

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http://www.christmas-projects.com/html/patchwork_star.html

Patchwork Star Table Decoration or Tree Skirt

The great thing about this project is that you can increase or decrease the size of the star to fit your needs. The star to the left is an example of a small table star and is about 24 cm in diameter.

 

Time required: about 2-3 hours Difficulty Level: Requires some patchwork sewing experience Material List for this Patchwork Star: - Christmas fabric scraps that look well together - enough matching fabric for the back side of the star - Fusible interfacing with printed quilters grid (in 60° angle rhombus grid) - Matching sewing thread - Quilter's ruler - Scissors - Permanent marking pen or pencil - Basic sewing supplies Instructions: 1. You can cut the pieces in advance or as you go. If cutting in advance, cut 6 same size rhombus shapes out of your interfacing. Cut 6 center rhombus shapes large enough to cover center plus seam allowance. 2. Cut 4 cm wide strips of the first color and 4 cm wide strips of the second color. The length of the strips depend on the size of star you want. Rather cut the strips longer and then you can cut away excess when necessary after sewing. 3. Cut 6 back side rhombus shapes out of the interfacing the same size as the interfacing rhombus shapes. 4. Follow the step-by-step tutorial in the link below to complete this project.       Step-by-Step Instructions - Patchwork Star Table Decoration or Tree Skirt Material List for this Patchwork Star: - Christmas fabric scraps that look well together - enough matching fabric for the back side of the star - Fusible interfacing with printed quilters grid (in 60° angle rhombus grid) - matching sewing thread - Quilter's ruler - Scissors - Permanent marking pen or pencil - Basic sewing supplies 1. The first thing you need to do is to cut our printed interfacing into 6 rhombus shapes. You can cut the as large or as small as you like but all need to be the same size. 2. Take your permanent marker or pencil and mark the lines like you see in the picture above. Do this on both sides. These will be your sewing and postitioning lines. 3. Cut six rhombus shape centers out larger than the center marked area of your interfacing piece. Lay the first center on the interfacing with right side up. Place it between the 2 marked lines. This will guarantee the seam allowance needed when the next piece gets added. 4. Place your first strip with the right side down over the center piece like you see in the picture above. Allign the right side edges and pin if necessary to hold in place Make sure the strip is extending over the next marked line. 5. Flip the pieces over, making sure that it all stays alligned. 6. Starting at the top of the bottom point, sew now the left marking from this point to the end. 7. This is how it now looks on the back side. 8. Flip your work over again. This is now how it looks on the front side. 9. Fold the fabric over and press flat if necessary. This is how it now looks on the front side. 10. Flip your work over again and use your ruler and roll cutter to cut away excess fabric extending over the interfacing on the backside. Material List for this Patchwork Star: - Christmas fabric scraps that look well together - enough matching fabric for the back side of the star - Fusible interfacing with printed quilters grid (in 60° angle rhombus grid) - matching sewing thread - Quilter's ruler - Scissors - Permanent marking pen or pencil - Basic sewing supplies 11. Postition your second middle strip as shown in the picture above and pin in place if necessary. 12. Flip it all over and now sew the second line up to the first middle point, opposite of the first sewing line. 13. This is now how it looks on the backside. 14. Flip over again and this is now how it looks on the front side. Flip over again and again cut away excess fabric hanging over the interfacing. 15. Flip over again to the front side and now proceed with the next color strip. Start on the same side as you did with the first middle strip and make sure to have enough seam allowance in the length as well as the width. 16. Flip over and sew this piece on following the next marked lines. Since this is the last row being added. Continue sewing until the end of the interfacing as shown above. 17. Flip it over to the front side and this is now how it looks. 18. Add the final strip on the other side and pin in place if desired. Flip piece over and sew in place. Continue sewing until the end of the interfacing as in step 16. 19. Flip again over to the front side and this is how it looks. Fold the fabric over and press flat if necessary. 20. Flip your work over again and cut away excess fabric. Flip over again to the front side and this is now how your piece looks.   Material List for this Patchwork Star: - Christmas fabric scraps that look well together - enough matching fabric for the back side of the star - Fusible interfacing with printed quilters grid (in 60° angle rhombus grid) - matching sewing thread - Quilter's ruler - Scissors - Permanent marking pen or pencil - Basic sewing supplies 21. Sew now 5 more pieces as shown in the previous steps. When finished you will have 6 pieces. 22. Place the first 2 pieces with right sides facing each other. Match the middles. Sew along the side line from the middle to the side. 23. After sewing, cut the small center point away or it will get too thick with each new addition. 24. Trim the excess seam allowance after each new added piece. This prevents bulking. 25. With right sides facing again, sew the third piece on to the second. This is how it looks when finished. Now sew the other three pieces to each other so that you now have 2 star halves. 26. Position now each half with right sides facing over each other, matching the middles. Pin together and sew together. 27. This is now how the star looks. 28. Cut 6 same size rhombus shapes out of your back side fabric and first sew the first three together and then the second three pieces. As before, match the 2 half stars and sew together. Finishing: Now place the back side of the star on the first side (patchwork side) with right sides facing. Leaving a side open for turning, sew the 2 stars together. Turn the star inside out so that you are on the right side. Hand sew the open edge together and press with an iron using a steam setting.

This is an example of the same project. It measures about 60 cm in diameter.The technique remains the same. To make a larger star, cut your interfacing nto a larger size. Just continue adding more strips of fabric until finished.

 

 

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Things to do at Christmas time,  Take a walk along a nature trail. Notice the changes for winter. Find items to use for decorations. Check to be sure it's ok to remove from the area.

 

 

 

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http://www.christmasstarsecrets.com/

 

Secrets of the Christmas Star
RADIO PROGRAM & PODCAST

What was the Star of Bethlehem? Was it a planetary conjunction, a supernova outburst, a comet, or a Sign from God? In this short and fascinating audio series, Astronomer Bill will take you on a scientific adventure of Biblical Proportions.

 

 

 

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Billie C.

http://groups.yahoo.com/group/A_Melting_Pot/

http://billieschristmascorner.blogspot.com/