A new cookie recipe this year: Chocolate Dipped Maple Logs

 

 This recipe has been on my list of want-to-try Christmas cookies  for many years.  

I found it in the 2007 Christmas magazine pictured below, but have just never found the time to try it out.  

Many readers know that my hubby has taken over most of the Christmas cookie baking at our house.  Last year he tried a couple of new cookie varieties that caught his eye.  And this year, he asked if there were other kinds I might want to bake myself.  I promptly added these Chocolate Dipped Maple Logs to the list.  An occasion (an informal cookie swap) presented itself and so I baked these for it.

They are wonderful!  Easy to make, not overly sweet (just a half cup of confectioners sugar in the recipe) and really delicious.  The only problem is that the recipe is not on the Taste of Home website.  My Nevada daughter thought the recipe sounded good (and I think she may have given me the magazine I found it in, in the first place!) so I thought I would send her a link.  I couldn't find it, but thankfully a bit more of a search turned up the recipe on Bakespace.  And now I'm sharing the link with all of you.  

Hope you enjoy these delightful cookies if you try them!

Hodgepodging the blues

 

 It's Wednesday again, and time for the Hodgepodge -- the linkup where Joyce, at  From This Side of the Pond, asks the questions and bloggers provide the answers on their own blogs.   Since blue is a theme this week, I'm including some blue Christmas cards from my collection.   Here goes!

1. What's one fun thing on your December calendar? 

Coming up this week: having four of our local grands over for breakfast, candy making and some crafting.  Then we will go out for make-your-own ice cream sundaes! 

2. Sherwin William's Color of the Year for 2024 is Upward, described as 'a hint of silver lining', 'a breezy blissful blue' (see sample here). Benjamin Moore's Color of the Year for 2024 is Blue Nova, where 'violet and blue come together in a sumptuous hue'. (see sample here) Valspar's Color of the Year for 2024 is Renew Blue, a balanced blue with a touch of grayed sea -green' (see sample here). 

Seems like the design world is keen on the color blue for the new year. Do you have a lot of blue in your home decor currently? What shade? Of the three colors listed which one's your favorite? Do you need to paint? How likely is it you'd select one of these shades for your home? Which one? 

* We don't have a lot of blue in our home currently, though our upstairs bath fixtures are blue from the 1970s.  I think it may have been called New Orleans blue at the time.  And yes, I admit to having  been the one who chose that color.  

* Of the three shades, Upward is definitely my favorite.  It seems more versatile.

* We do need to paint at our little cabin, but that would be white on the exterior and gray for the cabinets and off-white for the walls that are painted.  The largest area is pine paneled so no paint needed there.

* I probably wouldn't choose any of these for our current home.  If we do anything with existing walls (most of which have wallpaper) we plan on covering them with pine. Two bathrooms and one bedroom are painted.  It's possible Upward might work for one of those, but we're likely to stick with white.

3. Do you struggle with 'the seasonal blues'? What are some things you do to try to beat the blues? 

I don't really struggle  with seasonal blues, but I do feel that sunlight is very important.  Things I do to beat the blues: read Psalms; work on a cross-stitch (winter sun is perfect for this); go for a walk if possible; listen to good music; bake something; create something [see random thought #6 below].

4. Blue jeans...love 'em r no? How many pair do you own? Are you married to a particular brand? 

I do love them and think I might have three pairs at this point.  I also have jeans in gray, black, brown, and a couple of green prints that I really love.  I like the way Gloria Vanderbilt jeans fit me, but any brand that fits is fine.  I buy most of my jeans at thrift stores and seldom pay more than $5 for them.

5. In terms of holiday preparation (baking, shopping, wrapping, mailing, meal planning, etc) how far along are you? 1=haven't given it a second thought, 10=nothing left to do but wait. 

Guess I'll give myself a 5.  Or maybe a 4.   Lots of baking is done, wrapping and cards are started, some shopping and making of gifts is done -- but there is a LOT still to do.

6. Insert your own random thought here. 

I was so happy last week to be able to sit down at my sewing machine and crafting desk and make four simple coasters to include in a tea party gift basket.  You can see them on yesterday's post if you are interested.

 

And there's the Hodgepodge for this week!

 

Happy Homemaker Monday (on Tuesday)

 

 No time for a long post, and I'm having to post it on Tuesday, but I'm taking a few minutes to join Sandra for this link party over at Diary of a Stay at Home Mom. Some answers like the weather and the food will be Monday-specific, but that just means you'll know what my Monday was like!

The Weather:::

Currently 34º with almost no wind.  Cloudy.  We got a lot of heavy, wet snow overnight.  It's predicted to be cloudy all day with a chance of snow showers this evening.

As I look outside my window:::

Snow, snow, snow.  All of the trees in my view currently are snow-covered,  Every limb.  Similar to the photo below which is from a previous winter.

Right now I am:::

 Working on a blog post.  And, once again, feeling guilty about taking the time!  So much to do!

 
Thinking and pondering:::

 

About this quote from Elizabeth George: "After all, the demands of the present -- the tasks to perform, the duties to fulfill, the responsibilities to handle, the people to minister to -- comprise the course on which we run the race toward Christlikeness."

Truly worth pondering on and acting on, every moment of every day's race.

 

On my bedside table::: 

 A lamp, four books,  and a pen.

 Listening to::: 

My hubby plowing the driveway.

 

 On the Breakfast plate:::

I do intermittent fasting so don't have breakfast.  Lunch was a salad with cubes of turkey and cheese in  addition to leaf lettuce.

On the dinner plate::: 

Hamburger patties, baked buttercup squash, and coleslaw.

On the menu for this week::: 

 A few meals on my menu plan:

Breakfast sliders, hash brown casserole, fried apples
Chicken Divan

Shepherd's Pie using mashed turnips in place of potatoes

 

On my reading pile:::

 

Choosing Forgivemess by Nancy DeMoss Wolgemuth

Finding a Mentor, Being a Mentor by Donna Otto

A Step Farther and Higher, by Gail MacDonald

High Call, High Privilege, also by Gail MacDonald

All Manner of Things, by Susie Finkbeiner -- and loving this one.

 

 On my to do list today:::
 

Work on December blog posts

Work on Sunday School lesson 17

Send out of country Christmas cards

Empty wastebaskets √
Laundry √

Vacuum upstairs

Dust bedroom
Email hospitality team about outreach opportunity

Plans for this week:::

Plan menus and make grocery list
List some Christmas cards on Etsy

Ironing
Take a bag to the thrift store
Work on my Sunday School lessons

Blogging

Continue decluttering the linen closet

Have four local grands over for breakfast, candy making and crafting
Meet up with friends for thrifting and supper out

Photos above from last year's fun with these 4 grands!
 

What I am creating:::

 

Autumn cross-stitch sampler

Some "condensation catchers" out of old towels to place behind toilets that sweat in the humidity -- no, I still haven't finished started those! 😕  And I need to do so, because the old towels are just sitting around waiting to be used!

Need to start a pillow quilt for a granddaughter's gift

Work on more Shutterfly projects for gifts 
Crocheted hot mat for the gift stash
Last week I made some coasters to use as part of a gift basket.  They weren't the same prints as the ones below, but made with several fun Christmas fabrics.

The above photo shows both fronts and backs of coasters I made some time ago.

The above fabric is what I used on the back of the coasters I just made.  It's newish fabric, but I like its vintage look.

Bible verse, Devotional, Quote:::

 

"Christmas will always be in the hearts of God's children everywhere as they extend a helping hand to a friend in need ... as they go about reflecting God's goodness in the little quiet and unheralded expressions of a loving heart ... as they share the light of the world with those who live in darkness."

-- Jane Hillsmen

What a wonderful way to live in every season!  There are so few who seek to show the world an accurate representation of God in everyday life.  More of us need to make that a goal.  

On my prayer list:::

 

Friends & family
Church family
Missionaries
Our country

 

And there's the Happy Homemaker Monday (on Tuesday 😃) for this week! 

Before we get any deeper into December ....

 

 ... you will want to check your pantry, freezer and fridge for ingredients you'll be needing.  If you don't usually do this sort of planning, I think you will be surprised what a difference it makes.

In my Christmas notebook I have a list titled "Long-Term Holiday Shopping List".  I think it was an idea from FlyLady some years back.  It includes not just baking ingredients, but also groceries for our traditional Christmas Eve meal, ingredients for a few freezer meals and kitchen gifts, and more. It's so helpful to check this list against your pantry and fridge contents before beginning to bake or cook for Christmas, to find out what will be needed.

I'm sharing my list, but really it will differ for everyone.  In fact, as I looked it over I saw that there were a number of things I needed to add.  So I added them in, and have now actually printed out the revised list and placed it in my notebook.

LONG-TERM HOLIDAY SHOPPING LIST

Extra flour -- regular and gluten free
Extra sugar -- brown, white, confectioners
Corn syrup and molasses
Extra cornstarch
Extra butter
Lemons and oranges
Walnuts, pecans, sliced almonds
Raspberry and apricot jam
Baking chips -- white, semisweet, milk chocolate, dark chocolate, and peanut butter
Marshmallow fluff
Evaporated milk
Sweetened condensed milk
Baking chocolate -- unsweetened squares and cocoa
Extracts -- almond, orange, lemon, maple, vanilla
Whole spices -- cinnamon sticks, whole cloves, allspice berries
Ground spices -- cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg, cloves
Almond bark -- white and chocolate
Candy -- Hershey kisses, Andes mints, candy canes, M&Ms
Colored sprinkles
Red and green colored sugar
Stretch-tite plastic wrap (best for wrapping cookie trays)
Extra foil, waxed paper, parchment paper
Cheeses -- shredded cheddar, blue cheese, ricotta, Neufchatel, mozzarella
Half-and-half cream
Bacon
Celery
Extra eggs
Frozen chopped broccoli, spinach, pureed squash
Lasagna noodles
Sour cream

So make up your own list, making note of specific ingredients required by your own favorite family recipes for the holiday.  Then check it against what's in your pantry.  Hope this idea saves someone a trip to the store!

Sunday Scripture

 

Again this year, I'll be doing special Christmas related Sunday Scripture posts throughout December.  Back in 2020 I worked through Peace, Be Still: A 31-Day Christmas prayer journal, from Women Living Well.  Last year, I used some of my simple study from this book as Scripture posts for December.  I have decided to do so again this year, using different posts on each of my blogs to keep it interesting for all of my readers.  I will take two from each week's study to use one each on my blogs, and maybe next December use more of them.

Also -- note that this simple study does not use the SOAP method as my studies usually do.  This one includes a verse for the day, a thought for the day,  a reflection question for the day and space to write a prayer for each day.  I tended to look at the verse a little bit in depth, and I tended to answer the reflection question in the prayer, but of course you can use these any way you want to .   Here goes with the study for Week 1, Day 3!

Verse for the day:

""Then said Mary unto the angel, How shall this be? ... And the angel answered, and said unto her, The Holy Spirit shall come upon thee, and the power of the Highest shall overshadow thee; therefore that holy thing which shall be born of thee shall be called the Son of God."  (Luke 1:34-35)

My study: 

When the angel Gabriel gave Mary the news that she would be the mother of God's Son, she obviously had questions as to how this conception would take place.  The angel kindly explained,

* The Holy Spirit will come upon you
* The power of the Most High will overshadow you.

Therefore, the child who will be born as a result will be the holy Son of God.

Warren Wiersbe says, 

"Gabriel was careful to point out that the Baby would be a 'holy thing' and would not share the sinful human nature of man.  Jesus knew no sin (2 Cor. 5:21).  He did no sin (1 Peter 2:22), and He had no sin (1 John 3:5).  His body was prepared for Him by the Spirit of God (Heb. 10:5) who 'overshadowed' Mary.  That word is applied to the presence of God in the holy of holies in the Jewish tabernacle and temple (Ex. 40:35)

Reflection question:

Take a moment to pause and reflect on what Jesus has done for you.  List below three or more things He has done and then give Him praise.

My prayer:

"Dear God, I am so thankful for all that Jesus has done for me.  He drew me to Himself with lovingkindness and helped me to understand the magnitude of His love for me, that He had given His life for me, had died for me while I was still in my sin.  Since I trusted Him as Savior, He has transformed my life completely and given me a purpose for living.  He continues to care for me each and every day, and I am so very thankful for all that He has done and is doing!  I praise You in Jesus' matchless name, Amen."

That's the Sunday Scripture for the day.  Hope it was a blessing to you!

Delights of December

 

 So I guess it was back in 2011 that I conceived the idea of posting every day during December as a sort of Christmas gift to my readers.  That year, I named my little 31-day series Delights of December and you can find it under that name in the label cloud.  Or you may simply click here: Delights of December.

There you will find recipes, crafts made from old Christmas cards, decorating ideas, kitchen gift mixes, vintage Christmas things, candy how-tos, gift ideas, and much more.

I hope you'll find some fun little Christmas treats there if you check it out!

Time to set some goals for December!

 

Time to set some goals for December:

* Keep up with Flylady's homemaking zones of the week
* Continue working through the "Make Room Challenge" from Make Room for What You Love
* Make Christmas plans and preparations
* Decorate our home for Christmas
* Meet friends for breakfast out
* Send Christmas cards to family and friends
* Do lots of Christmas cookie baking and kitchen gift making
* Enjoy our traditional Christmas activity with four of the local grands
* Get together with two other local grands for supper and exchanging gifts
* Attend a Christmas party with my hubby's former co-workers
* Attend our church Christmas program
* Enjoy our church ladies' gathering and gift exchange
* Attend a ladies' Bible study
* Plan and celebrate Christmas with family
* Post in this blog as often as possible -- hopefully every day
* Post in my Christmas blog every day
* Write and schedule December posts for both blogs
* Continue planning for family birthday gifts and crafting any handmade ones
* Craft some homemade Christmas gifts and decorations
* Prepare and send at least one gift box to Nevada
* Continue studying and preparing for my Sunday School lessons
* Complete an Advent Bible study
* Continue stocking my Etsy shop and continue selling vintage items
* Write at least 4 encouraging notes to friends and family
* Help and encourage my local daughter as I'm able
* Plan meals with a greater emphasis on healthy eating
* Continue to work on memorizing the book of James
* Continue to help a widowed friend with the challenges of life in general
* Get to bed by 8:30 each night we are at home
* Drink enough water each day
* Walk and/or exercise at least 4 times each week

HEALTHY HABITS FOR DECEMBER:  Drink more water/get more sleep/get more exercise/intermittent fasting/limit carbs