A little more Christmasy progress ...

A favorite vintage card from my collection.

On Saturday my granddaughter and I baked two kinds of cookies, Chocolate Mint Crisps and Double Drizzle Pecan Cookies (check my Christmas blog for the recipes) and also made chocolate-dipped orange slices.

I think it was Friday that I finally put up the Christmas ribbon board in the front hallway.  This blurry photo is from a previous year.

And last evening, Mr. T got our Christmas tree set up in our bedroom.

 Of course we will have a living room tree as well, but this slim tree works well upstairs and we really enjoy its cheery glow in the early mornings when it's time to face another day.

More Christmas progress to come... 

Pepparkakor Cookies

I've been looking back at my archives, thinking about sharing something from each December.  The following recipe originally posted in 2006 is one I've shared a few times, but I firmly believe that a good recipe is worth sharing more than once!  I know that there are new people stopping in at my kitchen table all the time, and wouldn't want them to miss out, so here it is.


Pepparkakor are Swedish spice cookies. This particular recipe is a little different in that it calls for the juice and grated rind of an orange.  I love the hint of orange in this cookie in addition to the spices.  They will add such a Christmasy aroma to your home! Don't be scared off by the fact that you have to roll and cut them. This is a very easy dough to work with. Here's the recipe:

PEPPARKAKOR

1 cup butter
1 1/2 cups sugar
1 Tblsp. dark molasses
1 egg 
 3 1/4 cups flour
2 tsp. baking soda
1 Tblsp. cinnamon
1 Tblsp. ginger
1 Tblsp. cloves
Juice and grated rind of 1 orange  

Cream butter with sugar until light and fluffy; add molasses and egg. Mix until blended. Sift flour, soda and spices into creamed mixture. Add orange juice and rind; mix until well blended. 

Roll dough on lightly floured surface to 1/8” thickness. Cut into heart or reindeer shapes.
Transfer to cookie sheets.   I usually sprinkle the cutouts with red sugar at this point, but if you wanted you could wait and add a touch of white icing to the finished, cooled cookies.  Or they are lovely with no embellishment at all!

Bake at 350° for 10-12 minutes, until brown. Cool on rack and store in a covered tin. Makes at least 3 to 4 dozen cookies.

I found this recipe in an old Country Woman magazine. The lady who submitted it said that these were the first cookies she baked each year to make her house really smell like Christmas. It works! Of course, you need not limit yourself to hearts and reindeer; that’s just what I usually do. Sometimes I cut some pine trees and moose as well. These are yummy whatever shape you choose to make them, and if you like a good spice cookie that is also decorative, I hope you will try this recipe.

Have you visited my Christmas kitchen?

Some readers may not be aware of my Christmas blog, so I want to invite each and every one of you to visit me in my Christmas kitchen this December.  You'll find me here: Mrs. T's Christmas Kitchen.  Come on over and check out recipes, craft and decorating ideas, and more!   I've had this Christmas blog for 8 years, so the archives are full of ideas you might like to try.  Plus, I try to get into my Christmas kitchen every day in December, but my life has become very busy, so please don't hold me to that.  I will be there every day that I possibly can.  Enjoy your visit!

December goals

This marvelous image is from The Graphics Fairy.

 December certainly came in quickly.  I am trying to be ready for the busyness of this month.  I'm posting my goals a few days late because I already had a few posts scheduled for the first few days of the month.  So, my goals for December:
*Finish a Bible study on the Sermon on the Mount -- Right Side Up Living in an Upside-Down World.
* Memorize at least 4 Bible verses and review some older ones.
* Add 4 pages to my "What Do I Know About My God?" Scripture notebook
* Continue study for Sunday School -- Following God With All Your Heart
* Continue to re-read Say Goodbye to Survival Mode; continue to journal and implement what I learn
* Exercise or walk at least 20 times.
* Get to bed by 9:30 pm each night. 
* Limit sugar and red meat.
* Drink enough water each day.
* Keep up with Kelly's missions in homemaking zones of the week.
* Post in my Christmas blog daily in December if possible
* Post in this blog daily in December if possible
* Bake Christmas cookies
* Continue working on several UFO craft projects
* Finish crafting Christmas gifts
* Purchase remaining Christmas gifts
* Wrap Christmas gifts
* Finish decorating for Christmas
* Spend several hours updating my A-store.
* Write at least 4 encouraging notes to friends and family
* Plan a special time with three of our grandchildren
* Attend a ladies' Christmas fellowship
* Attend a Christmas dinner for my hubby's work
* Take part in our church family gift exchange
* Help and encourage my local daughter as I'm able
* Write and send out Christmas cards
* Clean church and set up for potluck meal
*  Continue trying to help and encourage my elderly dad
* Spend time beginning to sort out and declutter my dad's attic
* Make a photo book
* Make a photo magnet
* Plan meals with a greater emphasis on healthy eating
* Plan and enjoy our Christmas dinner and Christmas Eve supper

DECEMBER'S HEALTHY HABITS:  Drink enough water/exercise/eat healthfully

WORD FOR 2015: RENEWAL

And here is how November went:
*Meditate on a passage from God's Word each day -- I chose to start the Bible study instead.
* Memorize at least 4 Bible verses and review some older ones -- DONE!
* Add 4 pages to my "What Do I Know About My God?" Scripture notebook -- DONE!
* Continue study for Sunday School -- Following God With All Your Heart -- DONE!
* Continue to re-read Say Goodbye to Survival Mode; continue to journal and implement what I learn -- not done
* Exercise or walk at least 20 times -- probably more like 5-10 times
* Get to bed by 9:45 pm each night -- mostly DONE!
* Limit sugar and red meat -- DONE!
* Drink enough water each day -- not done consistently
* Keep up with Kelly's missions in homemaking zones of the week -- not done consistently, but working on it
* Spend some serious time decluttering closets -- not done
* Post in my Christmas blog as often as possible -- not done
* Post in this blog as often as possible -- DONE!
* Continue working on several UFO craft projects -- not done
* Create gift for November birthday -- DONE!
* Create and send belated gifts for a September birthday -- not done, at this time they are becoming part of the Christmas gift!
* Get serious about crafting Christmas gifts -- DONE!
* Apply wall decals to our freshly painted bathroom wall -- not done
* Reduce grocery bill by $5 per week consistently -- have done okay with this
* Spend several hours updating my A-store -- more like a half-hour
* Write at least 4 encouraging notes to friends and family -- DONE!
* Help and encourage my local daughter as I'm able -- DONE! (but never as much as I'd like)
* Clean church and set up for potluck meal -- DONE!
*  Continue trying to help and encourage my elderly dad -- DONE!
* Sort out and declutter my dad's basement -- not done, but did spend a little time on this
* Continue transferring important items to new computer -- not done
* Have at least two couples over for supper -- not done
* Make a photo book -- not done, but I did make a calendar.
* Make a photo magnet -- DONE!
* Plan meals with a greater emphasis on healthy eating -- DONE!
* Decorate for Thanksgiving -- DONE!
* Plan and enjoy our Thanksgiving dinner -- DONE!

NOVEMBER'S HEALTHY HABITS:  Drink enough water/exercise/eat healthfully -- did pretty well with these, but am trying to emphasize them again for December.

WORD FOR 2015: RENEWAL

A fun poem ~ "December Treasures"

I thought I would get December Daily off to a good start for 2015 with a fun poem I found.  As many readers know, I get out my stack of Country Woman issues from years past, every November or December and have fun enjoying their country goodness all over again.  This year I found the poem "December Treasures" on the back cover of the the November/December 2000 issue. The poet is Sylvia Jasperson of Rice Lake, Wisconsin.  Enjoy!

December Treasures

Cookies and candy,
Ribbons and bows,
Warm woolen mittens,
A cherry-red nose,

Bright shiny tinsel
And Christmas tree lights,
A jingle of sleigh bells 
On cold snowy nights,

A plump frosty snowman,
A wreath on the door,
The sweet sound of carols,
And presents galore ...

The sharp scent of pine
Helps me remember
Why of all of the months, 
I treasure December!
~ Sylvia Jasperson

Hope this little poem gets your December off to a merry start!

December 1953

Here is the last calendar page from the 1953 Woman's Day calendar.  The picture by Warren Chappell for this month may be my favorite of all of them.  Light spills from the windows of the old New England farmhouse, and the leafless trees are black against the dusky blue sky -- this blue is a color only seen at dusk in winter.  What a tranquil December scene.  Life was so much simpler, and in many ways happier, back then.

A wonderful gluten-free site you need to bookmark!

Vintage magazine ad from my collection

Often in the past, I've tried to post every day in December either here or in my Christmas blog, and occasionally in both!  I must say that this year, I really don't know if that's going to happen.  I did 31 posts in July on my Christmas blog, and 31 posts in October here on this blog, but those were the result of careful planning and scheduling ahead of posts.  I had hoped to do that in regard to December posts, but here I am on December 1, winging it!

I had a comment on the previous post, the one about preparing for Christmas baking.  I'd mentioned that I had stocked up on the Bob’s Red Mill 1-to-1 Gluten Free Baking Flour. It is an amazing gluten-free flour blend (it includes the xanthan gum) that can be substituted cup for cup for regular all-purpose flour in baking recipes.  It works perfectly for cookies, which made me very happy.  I can live without cookies on a daily basis, but I do love baking my old favorite Christmas cookies!

A reader, Susan B, asked if this flour works for making loaves of bread.  I'm sorry to say that in my experience it does not.  The label says that it is great for cookies, cakes, brownies, pancakes, pies, muffins, and more.  I've tried it in cookies and biscuits and have been very pleased with it.  I did try it in my old focaccia bread recipe and it didn't work for that at all, so I can't recommend it to Susan for loaves of bread.

However, what I can recommend to Susan for any type of gluten free recipe is this blog: Faithfully Gluten Free.  Jeanine, the recipe developer and blogger behind this site, has in my opinion the very best gluten free recipes out there.  Jeanine has celiac disease, so you need not fear that her recipes contain even a speck of gluten.  And they are great!  I've made several of her Christmas cookie recipes, nearly all of her baked doughnut recipes (loved by my grandkids!), plus muffins, cinnamon rolls, coffee cakes, and what I believe to be the very best gluten free sandwich bread ever. 

  If you or someone you know tries to eat gluten-free, head on over to Jeanine's site and look around.  The recipes are very easily searched, and you're sure to find one or more you'd like to try.  Happy baking -- and Happy December!