Some Santas

I have quite a collection of Santas. 

Here are the new ones for 2010.

I love this woodsy looking guy. 

I think he will eventually wind up being part of the downstairs woodland theme.

The dangling Santa one is just plain fun.

This adorable face is a Jim Shore Decoration

This pair dances and makes me laugh each time.

The center one is balanced and it rocks.

Christmas Morning

 Pictures from Christmas Morning 2010

The tree had lots of presents waiting and we had our stockings laid out on the sofas for Santa to fill.

The Menu

waffles

fruit plate

fruit supa

"monkey bread"

sausages

juice, tea and eggnog

 

Christmas Dinner

Christmas Dinner tends to be pretty much the same from year to year at our house. Dependable is good. I am sure in years to come, additional people to the family will generate new "must have" favorites but for right now I can use the same list from year to year.

The meal is the third in the series of four Holiday meals so I will try to keep things a little simpler.

Ham and glaze
cabbage rolls
frozen peas
frozen beans
tossed salad and dressing
rolls and butter
scalloped potatoes
pickle tray

dessert will be a bought cake

Little Old Elf

When I was a teenager my mom brought home a little elf she found in the basement of a store she was working in. It was probably part of a long forgotten Christmas display. We thought his little face was adorable.  The elf was a little bit faded, but all in all not in bad shape. When I had kids I used to move him around the house and hang him from lights and put him under tables and the kids would regularly hunt around to see where the elf was hiding that day.

I made this wreath with a friend at an evening workshop at Fort Whyte Center 20 years ago. It might be a bit dated but it feels like part of Christmas now. Elf seems to have found a favorite perch there. He still comes out to play with the grand kids but he just doesn't seem to hide around the house like he used to.

Christmas to the Max

Christmas to the Max is an email group that I have belonged to for years. It is a great group of people and a pretty active list. We share ideas about celebrating, decorating, crafts and food for all the holidays but Christmas is our main focus. Many of the members of this list have become real friends and we share about our lives and adventures. We even have an opportunity to get together once a year at our annual conference.



Please check it out if you would like to meet a bunch of wonderful people who are crazy about Christmas.

Christmas to the Max

Left Over Turkey?

Okay so now what do you do with the leftover turkey?

Lets start with Turkey Stock.

You need a big pot.
Remove all the meat you can from the turkey carcuss and place the turkey in the pot cover with water. Cut 1 or 2 onions , couple of stocks of celery, one or 2 carrots into large pieces and then add them to the pot and simmer over low heat. Cook for about 2 hours. Near the end of the cooking time add salt, pepper and if you have add some parsley or other seasonings to taste. Strain and keep the liquid and dispose of the carcus and vegetables. Cool in the fridge and any fat should rise to the top and can be skimmed off. This stock is great as is or with noodles and some of the turkey meat. It freezes well.

Turkey Pot Pie

1 onion
1 carrot
1 potato
1/2 cup frozen corn
1 cup frozen peas
1 cup chopped cooked turkey meat
1 and a half cup of turkey broth
salt, pepper and paprika
1/2 cup of milk
1 tb flour

Preheat oven to 400 degrees
Chop the onion, carrot and potato into small cubes. First heat up a frying pan and sautee onions and carrots and the potatoes. When they are starting to soften add the frozen vegetables. Next add the turkey meat and stock and then add seasonings to taste. Cover and simmer for about 10 minutes. Combine the flour and half the milk to make a paste. Uncover the pot and reduce the heat. Add the milk and flour mixture to the contents of the pot and stir to combine. Stir in the rest of the milk and place in an oven safe casserole dish. Top with biscuits if so desired.
Bake in the oven until the biscuits are lightly browned.

This is perfect for a cold January evening.

Peanut Butter Marshmallow Squares

Peanut Butter Marshmallow Squares

We were at my Aunties house today and out came the goodies and my family made this treat disappear. Alicia made some a week ago and it didn't last very long around here either.

1 package of butterscotch chips
1/4 cup butter
1 cup peanut butter
1 smaller package multi-colored marshmallows

Microwave the butterscotch chips, butter and peanut butter until just melted. Let it cool a bit, enough that it won't melt the marshmallows, and then mix in the marshmallows. Press into an 8 X 8 cake pan. Cool until set in the fridge.

Elves and Tomtens

Elves are a favorite of mine.

I like to pop them in here and there around the house. Swedish folklore have little elf like characters who are called Tomten. Tomten help to take care of the farm or home but tend to me quite mischievous trouble makers too. On Christmas Eve one should leave a bowl of rice pudding out for the Tomen as thanks and to assure a good year to come.

Rody Bars

Rody Bars or Magic Cookie Bars

This is something I don't think to make very often because we avoid using nuts in our house. It does work without the nuts, but I would add a cup of something else then like rasins or butterscotch chips or perhaps a half cup each of 2 other similar but different dry ingredients.

Rody Bars

in an 8 by 8 cake pan. glass is easiest

1/2 cup of margarine
1 cup grahamn cracker crumbs
1 cup chocolate chips
1 cup chopped walnuts
1 cup sweetened shredded coconut
1 cup condensed milk

Melt the margarine and stir in the grahamn cracker crumbs pan down firmly for the base. no layer the chocolate chips, nuts, coconut and pour the milk over the whole thing.

Bake at 320 for about 30 minutes or until starting to brown around the edge.

Yummy but oh so sweet. Tiny squares are good.