Showing posts with label Christmas. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Christmas. Show all posts
Wednesday, December 22, 2010
Monday, December 20, 2010
Christmas Sugar Cookie Recipe
These cookies are perfect for any occasion, just by changing your cookie cutters to suit. Once they are iced, served and eaten, be prepared...everyone is going to want a copy of the recipe. ENJOY!
1 ½ cups butter, softened
3 cups white sugar (they are called SUGAR cookies)
4 eggs
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
5 cups plain flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon salt
Preheat oven to 200 degrees C (400 degrees F).
In a large bowl, cream together butter and sugar until smooth.
Beat in eggs and vanilla.
Stir in the flour, baking powder, and salt.
Cover, and chill the dough for one to two hours (or if you want, overnight).
When ready:
Roll out dough on floured surface 1/4 to 1/2 inch thick.
Cut into shapes with any cookie cutter.
Place cookies 1 inch apart on baking tray lined with ungreased baking paper.
Bake 6 to 8 minutes in preheated oven.
Check often, as they may cook quicker depending of the size and shape of the cookie cutter used. Cool completely.
Ice and decorate to suit the occasion, Christmas, Birthday, Easter, Valentine's Day.
Makes approximately 5 dozen.
DIRECTIONS:
1 ½ cups butter, softened
3 cups white sugar (they are called SUGAR cookies)
4 eggs
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
5 cups plain flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon salt
Preheat oven to 200 degrees C (400 degrees F).
In a large bowl, cream together butter and sugar until smooth.
Beat in eggs and vanilla.
Stir in the flour, baking powder, and salt.
Cover, and chill the dough for one to two hours (or if you want, overnight).
When ready:
Roll out dough on floured surface 1/4 to 1/2 inch thick.
Cut into shapes with any cookie cutter.
Place cookies 1 inch apart on baking tray lined with ungreased baking paper.
Bake 6 to 8 minutes in preheated oven.
Check often, as they may cook quicker depending of the size and shape of the cookie cutter used. Cool completely.
Ice and decorate to suit the occasion, Christmas, Birthday, Easter, Valentine's Day.
Makes approximately 5 dozen.
Saturday, December 20, 2008
The true meaning of Christmas - a smile
What is the true meaning of Christmas???
After battling the crowds at Marion Shopping Centre this morning, I'm beginning to wonder if it's all about the outright worship of consumerism for materialistic people!
I did something this morning - every person I made actual eye contact with, I smiled at. It was easy to do, a simple gesture of goodwill, it cost nothing!
How many people smiled back - I could count them on one hand - and I've got to have smiled at lots!
Those of you who did, I wish you love, health and happiness for Christmas and 2009, those of you who didn't......think about it!
After battling the crowds at Marion Shopping Centre this morning, I'm beginning to wonder if it's all about the outright worship of consumerism for materialistic people!
I did something this morning - every person I made actual eye contact with, I smiled at. It was easy to do, a simple gesture of goodwill, it cost nothing!
How many people smiled back - I could count them on one hand - and I've got to have smiled at lots!
Those of you who did, I wish you love, health and happiness for Christmas and 2009, those of you who didn't......think about it!
Friday, December 12, 2008
Christmas enthusiasm or lack of - A goat, chicken or piglet - it doesn't matter
I'm sitting here after having just baked a batch of cinnamon muffins. They are cooling as I write this.
I've made spaghetti sauce for tonight's dinner, I think my day is organized. I wish I could say the same about Christmas.
My enthusiasm for Christmas doesn't seem to have kicked in this year. Is it only me, or do you feel that way too?
I've got the tree trimmed, the Christmas decorations out of storage and on display and the Christmas cards addressed but as yet not delivered or mailed, this weekend will see them on their way. I've got the pudding made and hanging, looking good too, the menu 3/4 planned and what ever I've had to order to complete Christmas day's menu, I've ordered.
When it comes to Christmas presents though, I always seem to lose the plot. I've got absolutely NO IDEA what Santa should drop off for me, or what he should drop off for Vlad and my family.
Should I do what I did last year?
Last year I gave gifts that can help save people around the world from poverty. Through Oxfam I purchased some goats and chickens, as Christmas presents. No, I didn't physically give gifts of goats and chickens, I made donations in my family's names to Oxfam's Agriculture Program. By now the goats are producing milk and the chickens are laying lots of eggs, gifts that will keep on giving for years to come.
Decisions, decisions, problem solved. Hopefully it's not too late....
Dear Santa,
All I want for Christmas is...........
I've made spaghetti sauce for tonight's dinner, I think my day is organized. I wish I could say the same about Christmas.
My enthusiasm for Christmas doesn't seem to have kicked in this year. Is it only me, or do you feel that way too?
I've got the tree trimmed, the Christmas decorations out of storage and on display and the Christmas cards addressed but as yet not delivered or mailed, this weekend will see them on their way. I've got the pudding made and hanging, looking good too, the menu 3/4 planned and what ever I've had to order to complete Christmas day's menu, I've ordered.
When it comes to Christmas presents though, I always seem to lose the plot. I've got absolutely NO IDEA what Santa should drop off for me, or what he should drop off for Vlad and my family.
Should I do what I did last year?
Last year I gave gifts that can help save people around the world from poverty. Through Oxfam I purchased some goats and chickens, as Christmas presents. No, I didn't physically give gifts of goats and chickens, I made donations in my family's names to Oxfam's Agriculture Program. By now the goats are producing milk and the chickens are laying lots of eggs, gifts that will keep on giving for years to come.
Decisions, decisions, problem solved. Hopefully it's not too late....
Dear Santa,
All I want for Christmas is...........
Wednesday, December 10, 2008
Last year's Christmas Pudding
This is a photo of my first ever attempt at making a Christmas Pudding - I made this for Christmas LAST YEAR!
I made another pudding yesterday. I'm not sure how it will turn out, I'm not so confident this time.
The way I look at it, I had nothing to lose when I made last year's pudding. I had never made one before, so if it didn't turn out, I could easily have said it was because I had never made one, didn't know what I was doing, any excuse really would have worked.
This year, my Mom put her order in, she was so impressed with my effort last year, she said I just had to make another one for this Christmas. I soaked the dried fruit in more sweet sherry that was called for, but OMG, did it taste good when I licked the spoon when I was all done. I mentioned earlier I wasn't so confident, the reason, I cut the ingredients by half this year, and sometimes that just doesn't seem to work when I do things like that with a recipe. Last year it was just toooo big, we've been eating Christmas Pudding just about all year. Vlad said I should just grab some of last years leftovers from the freezer, (it's the same as wedding cake really) microwave it, and put it in front of my Mom on Christmas Day, like I had slaved away all day making a new one. I just couldn't do it. Did I mention Vlad is my Mom's favorite son-in-law (and her only son-in-law), if she only knew hey?
Anyway, today's pudding it is now cooked and hanging to dry. I'll take a photo and post it soon.
Let's hope it's as good as the one in the photo - oh and if you want the recipe, let me know, I may even post it later. It's easy, well that's my story and I'm sticking to it.
The way I look at it, I had nothing to lose when I made last year's pudding. I had never made one before, so if it didn't turn out, I could easily have said it was because I had never made one, didn't know what I was doing, any excuse really would have worked.
This year, my Mom put her order in, she was so impressed with my effort last year, she said I just had to make another one for this Christmas. I soaked the dried fruit in more sweet sherry that was called for, but OMG, did it taste good when I licked the spoon when I was all done. I mentioned earlier I wasn't so confident, the reason, I cut the ingredients by half this year, and sometimes that just doesn't seem to work when I do things like that with a recipe. Last year it was just toooo big, we've been eating Christmas Pudding just about all year. Vlad said I should just grab some of last years leftovers from the freezer, (it's the same as wedding cake really) microwave it, and put it in front of my Mom on Christmas Day, like I had slaved away all day making a new one. I just couldn't do it. Did I mention Vlad is my Mom's favorite son-in-law (and her only son-in-law), if she only knew hey?
Anyway, today's pudding it is now cooked and hanging to dry. I'll take a photo and post it soon.
Let's hope it's as good as the one in the photo - oh and if you want the recipe, let me know, I may even post it later. It's easy, well that's my story and I'm sticking to it.
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