Thoughts and Quotes: Life is what we make it. Always has been. Always will be.
Grandma
Moses (1860-1961)
We're getting ready to start a brand new year. Let's make it our best one yet. As you look back over 2016, what did you accomplish? Where did you go? What did you learn? These questions are some I asked myself at the end of 2015, and I was amazed that an entire year had slipped by and I scarcely remembered it. That's when I started my blog. It's my memory jogger. In the coming week, I'll go back and read my life and then I'll plan my 2017. I'm not suggesting that you start a blog, but spend $1 on a calendar with a square for each day large enough to jot down your life. Not a journal - just a little nudge. "Dentist", "Planted bulbs", "Washed windows", "Left for cruise", "Ft. Lauderdale", "Playa Carmen", "Grand Cayman", "Jamaica", "Home from cruise", "Made birthday cake for mom", "Tea at Patsy's". You get the picture. I think it's such a good idea that I'm going to do it myself, even with a blog.
Teas: I had Winter Tea for my cooking sisters:
Carrot
Radish
Sliced Beef, Bacon-Cheese
Ham Biscuits
Mini-Quiches
Snowballs
Ginger Krackles
Coconut Macaroons
Mint Chip
Jello (Cherry and Lime) Don't make these. We didn't like them.
The recipes for Carrot Sandwiches, Quiche Lorraine Bites, and Ginger Krackles are on Week 45. The recipe for the Bacon-Cheese Sandwiches is on Week 50 and Mint-Chip Cookies is on Week 44.
COCONUT
MACAROONS
2-1/2 cups flaked coconut
1/3 cup flour
1/8 tsp salt
2/3 cup sweetened
condensed milk
1 tsp vanilla extract
Heat oven to 350 degrees.
In a large bowl, combine
the coconut, flour and salt.
Add the condensed milk and
vanilla and mix well.
Drop by tablespoonfuls
onto greased baking sheet.
Bake 15-20 minutes to
golden brown.
Note: You can easily double this recipe, as one can of
sweetened condensed milk is exactly the amount you need for a double batch.
SNOWBALLS
(aka Mexican Wedding Cookies, Russian Tea Cookies)
1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted
butter, softened
1 cup sifted powdered
sugar
1/4 tsp vanilla
1 cup chopped walnuts (or
nuts of choice)
2 cups flour
Powdered sugar for coating
Heat oven to 350°.
With electric mixer, beat
butter until light.
Add vanilla; then add sugar,
a little at a time.
Beat until light and
fluffy.
Add flour and combine
well.
Stir in nuts.
Form into 1” balls and
place on ungreased cookie sheet an inch apart.
Bake 12-15 minutes to pale
golden.
Cool on sheets for 5
minutes and then roll in powdered sugar to completely coat.
Tip: Don't remember if I told you before, but here goes. I keep my recipes in Word files. When I want to make the recipe, I can just print it, slop it up with butter or whatever, throw it away when I'm finished. I save them under My Documents - My Recipes - Appetizers, Beverages, Bread, Breakfast, etc. If you see a recipe here which you'd like to keep, just copy and paste. In case someone asks for a recipe, I can either email it or print it. Or I can just copy and paste it into my blog post. Easy-peasy.
I also keep a copy in a binder on my cookbook shelves in the kitchen for quick reference. If I'm not sure I have enough coconut for macaroons when I'm making out my grocery list, I can get the answer without going to my computer.
Tasting: When Mim came to tea, she brought me some of her Cappucinno Balls, which are a variation of Snowballs. Here's her recipe.
CAPPUCCINO
BALLS
Mim
1 cup butter, softened
1/2 cup sugar
2 tsps. vanilla
2 tsps. instant coffee powder
1/4 cup cocoa
1-3/4 cup flour
1/2 tsp salt
2 cups pecans, finely chopped
Cream butter, sugar, and vanilla until light.
Add instant coffee, cocoa,
flour, and salt.
Mix well, then add pecans.
Shape into 1” balls and place on ungreased cookie sheet.
Bake at 325° for about 15 - 18 minutes.
Roll in powdered sugar
while warm.
'Tis the Season: I went Christmas shopping at the mall with Joey and we had a glorius day. We saw Santa, and I loved his minimalist white trees with red balls - so easy, but so striking.
Joey commented that if you bought these, you'd keep adding and probably spend $5,000, and I told her that, yes, it's probably like card making - you just keep adding tools and supplies until you go bankrupt. I tried adding a little video so you could see how all the pieces move, but alas, no success. Sorry, too, because it's rather fascinating how they all interlock and move at once.
Then we came to these stands where they personalize tree ornaments. They're beautifully made and themed to match the receiver if you're giving them as gifts. Joey bought a baby's first year for a new great-grandson. They had sports themes, occupations themes, hobby themes, boys in the service, etc.
Time for Others: My cardmaking friends took time to make me a card, and I love them. It's so fun to see how creative people can be. And everyone has her own individual style. I thought you might enjoy seeing them.
Amy, who sponsors the Five on Friday linky party (see it here) organized a card exchange and I was matched with my blogger friend Carrie (click here) and she made this sweet card with a handmade tiny doily and a vintage pin for wearing during the holidays. She also spoiled me with a packet of cardmaking bits with a cooking theme and a tin of her world-famous sugared pecans.
From Joey, and I'm so sorry that glitter doesn't show up well, because this card has plenty of bling.
Vickie, our Stampin' Up demonstrator (click here)
Katie
Jeanne
Susan
Bette'
Give these girls a great big hand and a few bravos!
Thank You: To my chosen niece Terri for my beautiful Christmas flowers. The evergreen makes my house smell so Christmasy.
Teaching and Learning: What do you know about Kwanzaa? It starts the day after Christmas and it's celebrated by African Americans. That's about all that most people know, including myself. I decided to investigate.
Kwanzaa in Swahili means "first fruits of the harvest". It starts on December 26 and continues until January 1. Kwanzaa originated in the United States, started by African Americans to celebrate their heritage.
Here's the celebration: First a straw mat is placed on a table. It has beautiful patterns which represent "tradition". An ear of corn for each child in the family is placed on the mat, along with apples, bananas, nuts, pears, yams, in honor of earth's abundance.
Seven candles are placed in a wooden candle holder: a black candle in the middle; three red candles on one side and three green candles on the other.
Day 1: The black candle is lit to celebrate unity of the race and of the family.
Day 2: A red candle is lit to celebrate traditions. For example, the women might teach the girls how to braid hair in fancy styles. Some families will teach the beating of drums in African rythms.
Day 3: A green candle is lit to represent collective work and responsiblity. The family joins together to accomplish a chore or project.
Day 4: Everyone saves coins for an entire year to buy a family gift. This is gift day and a red candle is lit.
Day 5: Another green candle is lit and this is the day for goal-setting and planning for the future.
Day 6: The third red candle is lit for creativity: Dancing, singing, artistic projects, or planting seeds.
Day 7: The final green candle is lit to celebrate the faith that only good will happen. This is the day for eating traditional foods like roasted yams and collard greens. To begin the feast, an adult spills a few drops of water from the Kwanzaa cup to honor the ancestors, and then each person takes a sip to toast family unity. After the blessing, the feast begins.
Pretty wonderful, right? Maybe we could all use a little Kwanzaa in our lives.
Tomorrow: Once Christmas is only a memory, it's time to plan for a perfectly exciting 2017. I need a little structure in my life, so I've divised a plan which I hope I can follow, at least for awhile.
Muffin Tin Monday: There are countless things to make in muffin tins. I thought it would be fun to try some of them.
Tidy Up Tuesday: I need to do a deep clean on my entire house, so I'm going room by room and use Tuesday as the day to do the "extras" instead of the usual vacuum, dust, mop routine.
Where Shall We Go Wednesday: I spend entirely too much time at home when there's a big wonderful world out there. Wednesday is out to lunch (and maybe more) day.
Try Something Thursday: So many things just waiting to be discovered - a gadget I bought and never used, a new recipe, a new restaurant, a new card making tutorial on Pinterest.
Friends Over Friday: This doesn't have to be a soup-to-nuts meal with a special tablescape. A bowl of soup and a game of Scrabble or Chickenfoot Dominoes will work, too. I'm old enough to remember when "visiting" was how we spent our time - not TV and the internet 24/7.
So Long Saturday or Say Goodby Saturday or See You Later Saturday: I haven't decided on a name for Saturday yet. I keep telling myself that I'm going to put things in order, so that when I'm gone my kids will have a written account of everything they need to know in order to settle my affairs. I'll work on this project on Saturdays, along with a real effort to pare down my belongings so they won't have to spend days hauling my "stuff" to the thrift store.
Slow Down Sunday: Afterall, it is the day of rest.
For those of you who would like to join me, I'll have a plan for the week starting January 2 on next week's post.
MERRY CHRISTMAS
HAPPY NEW YEAR
HAPPY HANUKKAH
WORK ON YOUR GOALS FOR 2017
HUG YOUR LOVED ONES
THANK YOU FOR SHARING MY LIFE
