Going to a cookie swap?

Here is a good choice- Hershey Kisses Candy Cane Blossoms.  Recipe-right off the back of the bag!   Also a fun baking project for the kids to help with (with clean hands of course!).

The girls unwrapped EVERY single Hersey kiss for me.  I think they only ate one or two???

We also made them in our pajamas.  The best way to make cookies!  This was their other main contribution-the rolling of cookie balls in the red and green sugar. 

 Just before baking

  Cooling on the rack with the kisses placed gently on top.  I started out letting the girls help with this part, but quickly took this project back as the cookies became a smashed gooey mess.  Mostly the 2 year old is the one who does not know what GENTLY means.....

KISSES Candy Cane Blossoms

Ingredients

48 HERSHEY'S KISSES Brand Candy Cane Mint Candies

1/2 cup (1 stick) butter or margarine, softened

1 cup granulated sugar

1 egg

1-1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract

2 cups all-purpose flour

1/4 teaspoon baking soda

1/4 teaspoon salt

2 tablespoons milk

Red or green sugar crystals, granulated sugar or powdered sugar

Directions

1. Heat oven to 350°F. Remove wrappers from candies.

2. Beat butter, granulated sugar, egg and vanilla in large bowl until well blended. Stir together flour, baking soda and salt; add alternately with milk to butter mixture, beating until well blended.

3. Shape dough into 1-inch balls. Roll in red sugar, granulated sugar, powdered sugar or a combination of any of the sugars. Place on ungreased cookie sheet.

4. Bake 8 to 10 minutes or until edges are lightly browned and cookie is set. Remove from oven; cool 2 to 3 minutes. Press a candy piece into center of each cookie. Remove from cookie sheet to wire rack. Cool completely. About 4 dozen cookies.

 

The hunt for the perfect tree.

The most amazing to part to them was the netting of the tree!

 

 

Dear Santa:

Christmas lists were written this past weekend.  Abby wrote them herself (with some help on the spelling of course) and also volunteered to write Olivia's for her while she dictated.    There were no suggestions from either my husband or myself-they really came up with these all on their own! 

Here is Abby's:

Here, let me translate.   Felt food (Auntie K-need some help here!), chapstick, a snow flake ornament, a boquet and a Christmas tree for her doll house.

This is Olivia's.  I had tears running down my face from laughter.  I will keep this note forever.

It says:  Kitty.  (then to the side you see)   Real Kitty  (daddy don't be pulling a fast one on me by golly!)

Present and Peanut butter. 

You may notice that some of the words are spelled backwards.  Completely normal for a Kindergartner I am told by Abby's teacher.   She even insisted on putting "snow" in HER proper order!

Success! It IS warm in here.

The other day I blogged about the install of our new fireplace.  Well it is finally up and running- the home insurance company came and gave us the ok.   So to all the folks out there that normally come visit us during the cold weather (you know who you are-some are even related) who wear many extra layers and complain about being cold and ask to borrow another blanket at night, just in case.............  The proof is in the pudding.  Or in the Plumpy as it may be............

and gosh dang it IF you are still cold the kids will give you an extra paper towel to bundle up with!

Guess all our human guests had the real blankets and the girls had to improvise. 

It is the thought that counts right?

The last of the turkey.....

We had turkey for Thanksgiving, turkey sandwiches, turkey soup and now this will use up the LAST of the turkey........ phew.  I ate this with a side of squash and a side of Above the Dam Jam -Cranberry Jam.    Yes, jam.  Not cranberry sauce.  Nice sugary jam!  It was good.   And this recipe for turkey/chix pie is so yummy and super easy!

Adapted from Majorie Standish -Cooking Downeast

Filling for the pie-mix together (make sure the filling is warm):

Cooked Chicken or Turkey (2-3 cups?)

1 can of cream of mushroom soup.

1 cup+ of steam veggies- any kind.  They sell a steam bag of veggies with peas, corn, beans, and asparagus-very yummy!

Crust:

2 cups flour

1 teaspoon baking soda

2 teaspoons cream of tartar

1/2 teaspoon of salt

1/2 cup of butter (1 stick)

1 egg

1/2 cup milk

Mix dry ingredients together.  Using a pastry blender or two knives-work the butter into the flour mixtue till dry and crumbly.  Add egg and milk and stir with fork and use hands to form a ball of dough.  Split dough in half to make top and bottom crust.  Roll out with flour.  Place one crust on the bottom and fill with chix or turkey filling.  Place crust on top and flute edges.  Cut 3 slits into top.  Bake at 400 degrees for 18 mins.   It comes out so nice and fluffy!



Decorating for Christmas.... on the cheap!

I am not one to spend a lot of money on Christmas decorations.  Don't get me wrong- we decorate- I just prefer to find free things in nature!

Making swags is easy.  Wire, boughs, outdoor red bows and woods (or neighbors property when they are not home during the day- ahhh the benefits of being a stay at home mom!)

We put the same snowman flag up each year.  Kids still think it great.   I also stuff the little sleigh and flower pot with white pine, holly & other types of pine I find around the outside of the house.  I am lucky we have a giant holly bush!

Festive and Free!

You can't teach an old cat new tricks!

A dog maybe, but not this old cat.  I could hardly control my laughter when the girls decided to "train" Plumpy to do a few tricks.  They really get an A for effort.

Here we see them trying to get him to sit up and beg on the stool.  

This is as far as he got............

Now they try to motivate him with a fishing pole toy.  no go.....

Abby tied a snack cup to a ribbon with treats inside to try and get him to do something, anything........

In the end it was no use.  Just one sad dejected little girl and a fat cat.

 Happy Thanksgiving!  Hope your turkey is as fat as Plumpy.