A Special Christmas Card

Each year my cousin, Artwork by Sarah Hoyle, sends a Christmas card from her original painting. I love this year’s Christmas card with her special greeting: “Warm wishes for a Christmas Season filled with Love, Joy. and Peace.”

Nordic Ware Holiday Wreath Bundt Pan

This beautiful Nordic Ware Holiday Wreath Bundt Pan was a present last Christmas. I was excited  to use the pan this year and  make my Christmas Cherry Wine cake.  This Holiday Wreath Bundt Pan has beautiful intricate pine cone and holiday bow designs and I think the final cake turned out very festive.

Cherry Wine Cake Recipe:
1 box white cake mix
4 eggs
¾ cup oil
1 cup cherry wine
1 (3 oz) pkg. cherry jello

Glaze:
½ cup cherry wine
1 ¾ cup confectionery sugar

1. Spray bundt pan with "Baker's Secret" or butter pan and dust with flour. 
2. Preheat oven at 325 degrees. 
3. Combine cake mix, jello, eggs, oil, and 1 cup of wine. 
4. Pour into pan. 
5. Bake for 60 minutes or until cake is done.  
6. Remove from oven and pierce cake while in pan with pick. 
7. Make glaze. 
8. Pour over warm cake. 
9. Let cake sit 15 minutes before removing from pan

Lewisville Christmas Parade 2016

Members of the Snappy Tappers participated in the annual Lewisville Christmas Parade on Sunday, December 11th, 2016 at 3:00 pm. It was cold outside but still had fun entertaining and participating in one of the largest Christmas parades in the Triad.

Gingerbread Loaf

Ingredients

• 1 1/ 2 cups flour

• 1/ 2 teaspoon baking soda

• 1 tablespoon ginger

• 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon

• 1/ 2 teaspoon ground all spice

• 1/ 4 teaspoon ground cloves

• 1/ 2 cup buttermilk

• 1 teaspoon vanilla

• 1/ 2 cup butter, melted and slightly cooled

• 1 cup packed brown sugar

• 1/ 2 cup dark molasses

• 2 large eggs

Directions

Preheat to 350° F. Prep pan with shortening and flour or with baking

spray. Combine flour, soda, salt and spices. Set aside. In a small bowl

combine buttermilk and vanilla. In mixer bowl, cream butter and brown

sugar. Beat in molasses and add eggs one at a time. Beat until well

mixed. Add 1/3 of dry flour mixture, then 1/2 of the buttermilk mixture.

Repeat this step, adding 1/3 of flour mixture and the second 1/2 of the

buttermilk. Finally add the last of the flour and mix until smooth. Pour into

prepared pan. Bake until done, about 45 minutes. Cool cake on rack for 10 minutes and then turn out onto rack to cool completely.

Christmas in New York - Radio City Christmas Spectacular

The Radio City Christmas Spectacular starring the Rockettes was stunning. My favorite numbers were the Parade of the Wooden Soldiers, polished up and brighter than ever, and the Living Nativity told reverently in pageantry, music, and scripture. Of course I had to purchase the Rockettes Christmas ornaments to add to my Christmas tree collection.

Christmas in New York - Rockefeller Center Christmas Tree

The annual Christmas tree, a worldwide symbol of the holidays in New York City, in Rockefeller Center was dazzling. Giant in stature and sentiment, the tree is a true delight.

Christmas in New York - Store Windows

The New York City store windows are not to be missed at Christmas.  Bergdorf Goodman partnered with Swarovski to create beautiful, elaborate, and enchanting window scenes. My favorite was the enormous pearl-encrusted sculpture of Neptune. The Winter Palace at Saks Firth Avenue light show was breathtaking and the window depicting the Eiffel Tower serves as a reminder of how this significant landmark is standing strong today.

Eggnog Custard Pie

I love egg custard pie and this is a great holiday version of a classic custard pie. The first time I made the pie, I used a refrigerated pie crust and the results were good. I made it again for Christmas and used a prepared graham cracker crust and thought the crust was very complimentary to the eggnog custard pie. If you like egg custard pie, you will definitely like this recipe.

Ingredients

Crust:

Use either a refrigerated pie crust, make your own, or  use a graham cracker crust. Softened refrigerated pie crust as directed on package. If using homemade crust or graham cracker crust, pre preparation is not necessary.

Filling:

1/2 cup sugar

2 1/2 cups eggnog

4eggs
Freshly grated nutmeg

Directions:

• (If using  a pie crust, heat oven to 425°F. Place pie crust in 9-inch pie pan as directed on package for one-crust filled pie. Do not prick crust. Bake at 425°F. for 7 to 9 minutes or until light golden brown. Reduce oven temperature to 350°F).
• Heat over to 350°F
• In large bowl, combine sugar, eggnog and eggs; blend well. Pour into crust of choice. Sprinkle with nutmeg.
• Bake at 350°F. for 30 to 40 minutes or until almost set. (Center of filling will be soft.) Cover edge of crust with strips of foil after 15 to 20 minutes of baking to prevent excessive browning. Cool 2 hours or until completely cooled. Store in refrigerator.

Pfaltzgraff Winterberry With Bright Holly Berries

It is amazing what goodies that can be found at Goodwill. My friend's holiday pattern is Winterberry by Pfaltzgraff and I found a new in the box 8-Inch Stoneware Trivet and eight 7” plates that could be used as a ‘bread', 'dessert', 'piece of fruit', or the 'sneaking a snack' plate.

Pfaltzgraff’s Winterberry has been a holiday classic for over 20 years with it’s bright holly berries, embossed accents and tree-green banding, on glossy white. One nice feature about the Winterberry collection is that although holiday related it can be used before and after Christmas since it doesn't have a Christmas tree on it. Winterberry is a beautiful design and possibly the best-loved holiday pattern and makes a festive companion to any holiday table.

Christmas Cherry Wine Cake

I adapted this Cherry Wine Cake for Christmas this year from the Blackberry Wine cake recipe developed by Paulette Yost and Barb Teague of  Weathervane Winery. This cake can be made from any cherry favored wine but I love the Weathervane Winery Santa' Sweetie wine. Any box white cake mix can be used but I found a Betty Crocker Cherry Chip cake mix at Big Lots that I thought worked well with this recipe. The original recipe uses a pound cake pan lined with parchment paper but I used my Calphalon 10" crown 12 cup capacity BUNDT pan. The cake was quite flavorful and moist and I was pleased with the cake results.

Christmas Cherry Wine Cake

Weathervane Winery Santa's Sweetie

Cherry Wine Cake Directions:

Ingredients:
1 box white cake mix
4 eggs
¾ cup oil
1 cup Santa' Sweetie wine or other cherry wine
1 (3 oz) pkg. Black Cherry jello

Glaze:
½ cup Santa Sweetie or other cherry wine
1 ¾ cup confectionary sugar

1. Line pound cake pan (sides too) with parchment paper or use a 10" BUNDT pan that can be lightly sprayed with BAKER's JOY. 
2. Preheat oven at 325 degrees. 
3. Combine cake mix, jello, eggs, oil, and 1 cup of wine. 
4. Pour into pan. Bake for 60 minutes or until cake is done.  
5. Remove from oven and pierce cake while in pan with pick. 
6. Make glaze. 
7. Pour over warm cake. 
8. Let cake sit 15 minutes before removing from pan. 
9. Enjoy!

Pfaltzgraff Christmas Heritage Pattern

Pfaltzgraff introduced the Christmas Heritage pattern in 1981. The Pfaltzgraff Christmas Heritage is a delightful Christmas version of the more traditional, white Pfaltzgraff Heritage pattern that can be used together. The festive accent of the Christmas tree wonderfully decorated is the heart of this classic pattern. The pattern features a toy village and train set spread out beneath the ornament-laden boughs of a Christmas tree. A tiny, simple band of Christmas green provides a finishing touch along the edges of each piece. The Christmas Heritage collection is made from durable, chip-resistant stoneware and is microwave and dishwasher safe. This casual stoneware brightens meals on a daily basis throughout the holiday season.

Pfaltzgraff retired the Christmas Heritage pattern on December 31, 1996.

Table and china hutch decorated with Christmas Heritage 

Little Orphan Annie "Tomorrow" Collector's Plate

I received this porcelain Annie collector's plate for Christmas this year. This plate is a Limited Edition of "Tomorrow" and is the fifth Issue in the Annie Collector's Plate Series painted by William T. Chambers. It is issued Exclusively for Columbia Pictures by the Knowles China Company Copyright 1983 Tribune Co. Syndicate, INC  Columbia Pictures Industries, INC.  The Little Orphan Annie Plate Measures 8 1/2 inches in diameter and includes the certificate to go with it.

The Edwin C Knowles China Company Annie Collector's Plate Series is a 1982 Tribune Company Syndicate production. This collections has a set of 6 Limited Edition Plates:

• Plate 1. Annie and Sandy (1st Issue 1982) 
• Plate 2. Daddy Warbucks (2nd Issue 1982) 
• Plate 3. Annie and Grace (3rd Issue 1983)
• Plate 4. Annie andThe Orphans (4th Issue 1984)
• Plate 5. Tomorrow (5th Issue 1985) 
• Plate 6. Annie and Miss Hannigan (6th Issue 1986) 

A Southern Christmas!

This was a Christmas present from a friend. The hand towel shows the 12 Days of Christmas with a Southern twist! What a wonderful and fun gift. The towel reads: 

A Southern Christmas

A cardinal in a magnolia tree, 

Two delta darlings, 

Three smokin' barbeques, 

Four plucked banjos, 

Five golden hushpuppies, 

Six cotton plants growing, 

Seven footballs flying, 
Eight racecars racing, 

Nine chickens frying, 

Ten grits a-grinning, 

Eleven hounds a-howling 
and Twelve kudzus creeping

Christmas 2010

Christmas 2010 with my family - brother and his daughter and granddaughter. They drove from Illinois to spend time with us. We had a wonderful time together. This was the last Christmas with my Mother who died on January 4, 2011. 

Blackberry Wine Cake

Made this Blackberry Wine Cake for Christmas this year.  Used the Rooster Black wine from Weathervane Winery http://www.weathervanewinery.com/default.html. The cake was quite good and moist - disappeared in one day.

Blackberry Wine Cake

1 box white cake mix
4 eggs
¾ cup oil
1 cup Rooster Black wine
1 (3 oz) pkg. Blackberry Fusion jello

Glaze:
½ cup Rooster Black wine
1 ¾ cup confectionary sugar

Line pound cake pan (sides too) with parchment paper. Preheat oven at 325 degrees. Combine cake mix, jello, eggs, oil, and 1 cup of wine. Pour into pan. Bake for 60 minutes or until cake is done.  Remove from oven and pierce cake while in pan with pick. Make glaze. Pour over warm cake. Let cake sit 15 minutes before removing from pan. Recipe developed by Paulette Yost and Barb Teague.

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Christmas and December Snow 2009

 

The mountain house covered with snow

  

A view of the snow in the front yard and on the trees

Smile for the camera!

 Christmas at the mountain house with the family. Rachel, Billy, Hayden, Me, and brother, Dennis. We lost electricity Christmas day around 9am due to the ice storm Christmas Eve. Drove to Boone to keep warm and get food. The power came back on that afternoon around 3pm after we returned. 

Christmas Joys 2008

"Christmas Joys" By Joanna Fuchs

Evergreen boughs that fill our homes

With fragrant Christmas scents,
Hearts filled with the loving glow

That Christmas represents;

Christmas cookies, turkeys stuffed,
Festive holly berry,
Little faces bright with joy,
Loved ones being merry;
Parties, songs, beribboned gifts,
Silver bells that tinkle,

Christmas trees and ornaments,
Colorful lights that twinkle;
Relatives waiting with open arms
To smile and hug and kiss us;
These are some of the special joys
That come along with Christmas.

This poem sums up the joy of the holiday season. I enjoyed visiting with family and friends during the holidays and loved my Christmas tree and decorations.