Tuesday was our cookie baking day and a long day at that. We were only able to complete three different recipes even with our extra helpers. Decorating the butter cookies had to be put on hold until the next day.
All day long the kitchen was filled with that familiar sugary dough, baking aroma.
A few snapshots of the pastry chefs.
Sleepovers are very good for catching up on Christmas projects that get put on the shelf until there’s time. I purchased this self color wrapping paper several months ago at a trade show. We got started last night and hope to finish this morning, just enough to wrap mom & dad’s secret present. The kids art will be an added bonus I’m sure. Spent some wonderful quiet coloring time in the process while Frosty the Snowman played in the background. Another memory made!
In November we were involved in a fun “shoebox” ministry called Operation Christmas Child, a Samaritan’s Purse program. Here’s a little bit about it from the official site or you can click on the link above:
When I first heard about this opportunity several years ago, I was immediately attracted to the idea of purchasing all of the items a child would like or need that would fit into a shoebox. The challenge alone intrigued me. I couldn’t wait to see just how much could you cram into one box for a child in need. I really like beginning the gift giving season with this small way of giving back. It feels good. This year we included contact information inside the shoe boxes, offering a chance to possibly hear back (help of an interpreter) from the recipient, who may be on the other side of the world!
You can decorate the boxes as much or as little as you like. Or not at all.
Here is the second batch of boxes, loaded up and on their way. Does anyone else participate in this Christmas shoe box ministry or maybe another one? Please write me about it or leave a comment.
Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace, good will toward men. Luke 2:14
Treasured Tuesday – My friend Melissa made a recent comment about one of my feather tree, Christmas fences so, I’m sharing them all today. I have three that I like to incorporate into the holiday decorations. They’re too nice to pack away afterward so, I try to keep them displayed all year long in a variety of ways.
I found one article that offered this bit of information:
Antique Christmas Tree Fences
Fences for the Christmas tree were made of a variety of materials. Some of the earliest were made of wood or cast iron, then later versions introduced sheet metal and plastic. The cast iron fences mimiced the elaborate detail of the Victorian fences surrounding people’s homes. Wood fences were constructed of twigs, feature tree branches, or the more common wood planks. One can also find fences that were pre-wired and contain sockets for lights on the fence posts.
Some fences came in sections allowing the consumer to create any lenght of fencing that they desired. Many fences had one section that contained a gate for “entrance” into the enclosure. Inside the fences people included small cardboard houses, composition animals, Erzgebirge pieces, dolls, toys, or any other items that they wished to use as decoration. Some built elaborate putz scenes or Christmas gardens, with the fence enclosing these wonderful creations.
The one above needed a lot of restoration when I discovered it. My brother-in-law Paul helped out in the putting back together process.
Thanks Melissa, I really like them too.
This one landed here and doubles as wall art in the guest bedroom, off season.
Woke up to snow today, both outside and in, that is, on the Christmas tree. I decided yesterday afternoon, to go with the cut paper snowflakes for the decorations once again. Notice, it resembles the tree in my illustration of the 2000 Theme Tree – “500 Years of the Christmas Tree” program.
Still snowing (12:00pm), although only three inches are expected. Enough to inspire me to finish unpacking the last of the holiday trimmings, the snowmen.
In keeping with the week’s cookie theme, pictured above is a feature I clipped out of the magazine surplus, on traditional springerle German Christmas cookies. Included in the photo is my snowman ice cream mold and an unusual bottle that I stumbled upon in a a local antique shop quite a few years ago. The same is the case for these two sets of vintage snowmen salt & pepper shakers.
Snow, snow beautiful snow.
OK, so let’s get to the best part about Christmas cookies, besides eating them, the recipes! I have collected some of the very best recipes from family, friends and some, seen below, were found in my grandma’s recipe card file. A treasure in themselves, with all of their baking ingredient spills and drips. The condiment caddy also belonged to my gram.
Others were collected from box tops such as the one below from the Quaker Oats lid, I think. The post card image is from the “Cookie Cutter Christmas” patch panel fabric. I invite you to print (using the link) with my permission for personal use, (gift tag or mailing) of course. I’m not sure how it will work so, please let me know if you are able to retrieve. I tried to save as a printable pdf.
More recipes to come. I am so far behind on Christmas prep this year, hopefully I’ll be baking some of these cookies next week.
