Peaceful Christmas

Our Christmas this year was so very peaceful. We decided since my sister and her family are coming down next week, that we would have Christmas at my parents house on new years eve. What a brilliant idea! Hubby and I were treated to breakfast in bed, a tradition started when our oldest was only six and realized she could make jelly toast and hot chocolate by herself. Every year since then the children look forward to making breakfast for us. In fact, our youngest (6 years old) was crying because I got up too early and "Spoiled the whole Christmas day!!" Yes, that is the way she said it so I went back to bed. 8-)

After breakfast we cleaned up the kitchen and picked up the living room and settled down for our reading of the Christmas story. After prayer and blessings on the day the children opened their gifts and we spent the rest of the day watching movies reading together, playing games and delivering Christmas cookies.

I think this is one of my favorite Christmas' ever.

The pictures posted today are some I could not post earlier because doing so would have spoiled the surprise.

PHOTO DELETED


"C" wearing her baby sling. My hope with this present is that when she needs to bring her baby along, she will carry it herself. I'll see how this works out.

"K" asked for a purse that would fit
like a messenger bag
but be smaller to
fit comfortably on the hip.






She asked that it be made with pink and with ACU fabric.



She wanted it to somehow have circles on it.
She loves circles.








And finally, the purse had to have a lot of pockets. This one has three. Now she can not decide which side of the purse she likes best because I also made it reversible. Decisions! Decisions!


VeryVerdant

Handmade by My Son

Yes, my 9 year old stitched these for a couple of his friends. "D" watched Samantha- (the American Girl movie) with his little sister. The story takes place during World War II so he did not mind too much! One of the characters was injured when he got his finger caught in the needle of a sewing machine. Ever since then "D" refuses to use my sewing machine, so all the hand stitching and stuffing are done by "D" but I had to do the machine stitching myself. Still, I am very proud of the work he did and he is so excited to give these to his friends today.

VeryVerdant

But What About The Purse?

Yes, I know I should have it done already, but I have spent quality time with my children and husband today. The purse will be finished and in time to be opened on Christmas morning. Today I did finish several gifts with my children and cleaned house and went shopping with my husband plus went on a little drive with my husband, so to count today a total loss would simply be a sad misrepresentation of a perfect day.

Here are a few of the items that did get finished.


In the jar is a drink mix I have always called Russian Tea. I was first introduced to this drink when I recieved a jar of the mix from a dear friend at church. Since that first hot sip of Russian Tea, I have enjoyed it as a staple in my kitchen every fall and winter.

Here is the recipe as it was passed on to me:

2 Cups Tang
3/4 Cup instant tea
1 Cup Sugar
3 oz Lemonade Mix
1/2 tsp Ground Cloves
1/2 tsp Allspice

Mix all the ingredients together then divide the mixture into two pint sized jars - one for you and one to share.

When you are ready for a nice warm cup of tea just add 2 heaping teaspoons of the mix to one teacup of hot water. YUM YUM!!

This jar of spice tea will be given to a friend of mine tomorrow along with these lovely little cards I purchased from KatieMayFlowers. They are the perfect size to use as gift tags, lunch box "love notes" for the hubby, "you're special because.." notes for the children or ...so many options.



The other gifts from our kitchen are these amazing Raspberry Truffle Brownies.

The children and I always love to gobble these up around the holidays. The recipe comes from one of my favorite cook books in my collection. I hope you will enjoy these also. One pan of these brownies will be divided up among our friends and ourselves the other is going to a Christmas party at my husbands work place.

BROWNIE LAYER
1 1/4 C ~ semi sweet chocolate chips
1/2 C ~ butter or margarine
3/4 C ~ packed brown sugar
2 Large eggs
1 tsp ~ instant coffee dissolved in 2 Tbs water
3/4 C ~ All-purpose flour
1/2 tsp ~ baking soda

1.) Heat oven to 350* . Grease a 9X9 inch baking pan
2.) To make brownie layer, melt chocolate chips with butter. Cool slightly. Beat brown sugar and eggs in a large bowl. Add chocolate mixture and dissolved coffee. Mix well. Stir in flour and baking powder. Spread evenly in prepared pan. Bake 30-35 minutes. Cool

TRUFFLE LAYER

1 C ~ semisweet chocolate chips
1/4 tsp ~ instant coffee
8 oz ~ package cream cheese, softened
1/3 C ~ seedless red raspberry preserves
1/4 C ~ powder sugar

1.) Beat cream cheese and preserves until smooth.
2.) Melt chocolate chips with instant coffee.
3.) On low speed beat powder sugar with chocolate mixture then add to cream cheese mixture and beat on low speed until fluffy.
4.) Spread over brownies.


GLAZE

1/4 C ~ semisweet chocolate chips
1 tsp solid vegetable shortening

1.) Melt chocolate chips with shortening.
2.) Drizzle over filling.
3.) Chill for 2 hours.
4.) Cut into bars.

Yes, a lot of instructions but well worth the effort and the two hour wait for them to cool!

VeryVerdant


One more thing, I am not sure where to find the original recipe for Russian Tea but the Raspberry Truffle Brownies are from a small spiral bound book called Prize Winning Cookies published by Current, INC. Colorado Springs,Co 80941 (1990)

Next Item Please...

I must confess, this one has me stumped. My 13 year old has asked for a purse made of camo and pink. The options for purses are limitless, or so it seems. I have an idea of styles in my mind but she wants pockets and wants the purse to be reversible. "Mom, I love pockets." Maybe I should have purchased this one. Maybe I should have ordered a pattern but it is too late now.

So, I'm off to cut out the fabric and will hopefully post pictures before going to bed tonight.

VeryVerdant