MAY THE LUCK OF THE IRISH BE WITH YOU TODAY AND ALL YEAR LONG!
Happy St. Patty’s Day!
Oh! And a quick H A P P Y B I R T H D A Y to Michael B… the big four-ohhhhhhh… it’s not bad Michael, trust us, it’s really not!
Catch you back here tomorrow!
Tag: holiday
Christmas Eve…
A few fabulous images I’ve run across on the Internet while thinking about Christmas Eve. Believe me when I say that I know this is about more than Santa and gifts… but these are wonderful childhood memories… Wishing you a good night sleep, hope you’ve been good!
Catch you back here tomorrow!!
THE world’s best Christmas cookies (and most beautiful!)
I don’t lie when I say these are the best tasting cookies ever! These have been a ‘tradition’ in our family since we were little kids… and we make them every year… they make beautiful cookies to hand out as gifts to neighbors and friends. If you’re going to do that then you need to (at least) double the recipe, this makes a fair amount depending upon the size of your cookie cutters…
I featured this recipe back in February as Valentine’s Day cookies… but the recipe came out of a magazine many years ago (1960’s) in an article about the best Christmas cookies… Here’s the recipe…
CHRISTMAS BUTTER COOKIES
Sift 2 3/4 cups of flour, 1 teaspoon baking powder and 1/2 teaspoon of salt.
In mixer bowl add 3/4 cup soft butter, 1 cup sugar, 2 eggs, 1 teaspoon vanilla.
Beat until fluffy and light. Slowly beat in flour mixture. CHILL ONE HOUR.
Flour your work surface and roll out dough. Use cookie cutters to cut into desired shapes.
Place on ungreased cookie sheet. Bake at 375 degrees for 8-10 minutes.
YIELD: 4 dozen (IF you don’t eat the dough… good luck to ya!)
FROSTING
Mix 1/4 cup butter, 4 cups (1 box) confectioner’s sugar, 1/4 cup scalded cream and 1 teaspoon vanilla. Blend until smooth. Scoop into separate bowls and add food coloring (hint: yellow and blue mixed makes an awesome ‘grinch’ green). Scoop colored frosting into Ziplock bag (I use freezer) and snip a little off the corner. Squeeze onto cookie to decorate! If you need the frosting thinned a bit more, I have great luck just using light cream, add a little at a time until it will easily come out of the bag to decorate.
Catch you back here tomorrow!!
Holiday Hint: Edy’s Peppermint ice cream… Too good!
I found a treasure for you to try… Last year we got hooked on peppermint ice cream around the holidays, we got the store brand from both Whole Foods and EarthFare, both were delicious… so we were on the lookout this year, and nothing! No peppermint ice cream for the holidays?? Hmmmm… Well Fred found it at Harris Teeter, Edy’s brand, in both regular and light. We had the light and it is TOO GOOD. Very refreshing after dinner… It’s a limited edition flavor, so get it while the gettin’s good! It’s got candy canes pieces crushed up in it… Just a little scoop is all you need to be completely satisfied!
Enjoy and I’ll catch you back here tomorrow!
Gift idea… Mark Roberts Fairy…
I’m trying to think up some unique gifts to showcase peppered in amongst my normal posts… Have you seen a Mark Roberts Fairy? They are the most magical little creatures! Every year there are new designs. They come showcased in a nice box. It’s a great gift for that someone on your list that LOVES Christmas and decorating! They have fairies for specials causes (for every purchase of selected Limited Edition Fairies, a portion goes to breast cancer research)…
The Support the Troops Fairy, for every purchase of selected Limited Edition Fairies, a portion goes to The Wounded Warrior Project…
They have fairies for different life events, like a new baby, etc…
And… of course there are many Christmas fairies to choose from!
Google MARK ROBERTS FAIRIES to see more! I received my first one as a gift many years ago, it came from Nordstrom. Locally we have bought them at Finnicky Filly on King Street, to give as gifts… It doesn’t look like any of the online sites are operated BY Mark Roberts, but they do use his name…
Catch you back here tomorrow!
This is THE roasting pan to get for your Christmas bird!
THIS is the pan to get. I can tell you from experience… We used it on Thanksgiving Day, greased the rack and the bird with olive oil, tossed a little salt and pepper and whipped it into a convection oven where it came out tan and crispy. I then used the pan to make the gravy… Let me just say… AWESOME! It’s beautiful, looks like a piece of art! We invested in a nice roasting pan because I didn’t want a repeat performance of the last holiday that we hosted… turkey made to perfection, using a cheap nonstick roasting pan with a nonstick rack. Turkey was perfect. Started to make gravy and I’m thinking to myself “What are all these black floating things”?? You guessed it… THE PAN! So I started over with the gravy, thanks to a call to my dad, Christmas was saved and the gravy was wonderful! So BEWARE if you have a nonstick roasting pan… no need for it, since when you make gravy it deglazes all the stuff on the bottom, so nothing sticks anyway!
(Note: I bought this roasting pan at Coastal Cupboard in Mount Pleasant, SC, but it’s readily available everywhere, as well as AMAZON, click HERE for link!)
Knowledge is power. Hee hee… Catch you back here tomorrow!
GREAT gift idea: T-shirts from LIFE IS GOOD! Look at this Holiday t…
DO WHAT YOU LIKE – LIKE WHAT YOU DO, the motto for Life Is Good. How brilliant for a company to come up with positive messages on high quality t-shirts, a simple but happy design. They have a few Christmas long sleeve t-shirts for women. I happen to love them both (dilemma)…
I like their short sleeve, long sleeve, holiday, regular, yoga, and pssssst, their socks to wear at night… AWESOME! Enjoy! Oh, did I mention free shipping and free returns? Yep. A great company indeed. Note: Locally they also sell LIFE IS GOOD on Market Street downtown Charleston, SC…!
Catch you back here tomorrow!
Want to play Santa? A tax deductible way to have a blast!
Is there truly any way to feel better than to do good for someone else? There is nothing that will make you feel better than helping someone who needs it, especially during the holiday season. I normally don’t start talking about the Christmas season so early, but this is for a good reason. FAMILIES NEED YOU. Kids need you. Senior citizens need you. YOU can make a difference in someone’s life. Families Helping Families is a great organization that my husband and I have been involved with. There are different ways that you can help make a big difference.
You can make a tax-deductible donation by going to the FAMILIES HELPING FAMILIES WEBSITE. Once on their website click on the MAKE A DONATION link. These funds will allow FHF to provide gifts for unsponsored families and cover their relatively low operating expenses. PERFECT!
The other option…
You can become a sponsor for a family (or families) by clicking here to go to the FHF website, click on the SPONSOR A FAMILY link by Nov. 18. FHF send you a profile of your family that will include specific needs and the children’s wish lists. Most sponsors say they spend an average of $50 on each family member. This my friends, is what the holiday season is all about. Bringing a smile to someone’s face on a day that can be difficult for so many. Can you imagine being a child on Christmas and not having one single gift to open? I was fortunate, I never had that worry. No child should. Don’t let the $50 scare you. The average is $50 spent per person, but with larger families that may be $30 or $40 per person. Whether you adopt a family on your own, go in with some friends or neighbors or get your office to adopt a family/families – please do it today. They’ve made it so easy. The process goes something like this:
You fill out the form. If you like, you can specify the number of people you would like in the family and they will try their best to match it (i.e. a single parent family with 3 children, or a senior citizen, or hey… BOTH!).
You will be sent a packet with information on your family, it will give their names, ages, and a wish list. A wish list is just that… it doesn’t mean you have to purchase everything on the list. If you have big plans (TV, Computer, Bike) you may want to mention that when requesting a family so they can hook you up with someone who has big wishes :) Sometimes the adult may ask for an item, sometimes they just want everything to go to the child. Hey, it’s Christmas for us all… the last family we had the mother asked for a clock. A simple everyday item we take for granted. We shopped the sales and got her some great things, and a clock was one of them. I cannot tell you how much fun we’ve had shopping for our FHF Christmas Families… you can’t help thinking about them, you’re excited on Christmas Eve for them to open their gifts the next day. You wonder if they enjoyed their gifts. You. Care. AWESOME!! It’s nice when Christmas is all about someone other than ourselves…
A nice thing to include is a gift card so the family can buy food for dinner. If you pick a place such as Walmart, if they don’t have items for a Christmas meal they can use the gift card, or if they need household items… they can pick. Christmas dinner doesn’t have to be fancy, but it’s nice to know with a small gift card, that your family is enjoying their own Christmas dinner. That’s perfect!
And did I mention the bonus for you?? Families Helping Families is a tax deductible contribution. You just keep your receipts (or make copies if you want to include the receipts for your family to exchange if they need), along with a copy of the letter that comes in your packet and voila! You have a tax deduction!
Can you get some people together who may be interested in participating?? Maybe instead of exchanging gifts at the office everyone chip in some $, then have a wrapping party…
After the purchase you wrap the gift, put a name tag and include the Family ID# (will be in your packet), then if possible, put the gifts in a big clear plastic trash bag labeled with their Family ID#.
Drop off of gifts is at the Strobel Tire Warehouse located at 1101 N Main Street/Hwy 17A, Summerville, off I-26, Exit 199. If you need help getting your gifts to that location you may contact FHF, please DO NOT BE DETERRED if the drop off location is not near you, they will work with you to get the gifts there!
If you have any questions, here’s the email: FHFCharleston@PalmettoProject.org
I would love to hear any of your stories! Catch you back here tomorrow!
Happy Father’s Day!
- My dad… (Joe Fidler, and my mom, Sheila, peeking through on the left)
Happy Father’s Day dad! I love, love, love this picture of you! Great smile, great time we had on Monhegan Island, ME. I love you for all you’ve done for me. You’ve taught me many things, you have said wise things (that I didn’t think were so wise at the time, but I realize now, you WERE right, hey, it happens, ha ha…). A few things that come to mind… when I no longer wanted to take piano lessons, and I asked you WHY I needed to know how to play the piano. You told me so that I could play for myself, I didn’t like that answer, so you told me I could play at parties… hmmm, closer, but nah… I could live without that noteriety, ha… damn, I wish I never stopped taking lessons, way too hard when you’re older. I remember I didn’t want to go to bed one night and you told me, one day you’re going to WANT TO SLEEP… I thought you had lost your marbles. Who wants to go to bed early, I couldn’t wait to grow up so I could stay up… yep, that’s me, I stay up till 9:00, well most nights! Darn if you weren’t right again! I was very fortunate to grow up with such a cool dad that taught me so many things as I watched YOU do so many things (photography and developing, that was TOO COOL, painting…, rock polishing, wine making, canoe building, wooden ornament making and the list goes on and on and on… you are so interesting to be around because you are so interested in everything. I remember how I used to love to stand on your feet and dance, do you remember that? Cruising Georgian Bay on a sailboat… heaven, at least from a kids perspective! North Star Sail Club, WOW, now THOSE were fun times! Moving to Algonac and living on the river… ABSOLUTE HEAVEN! Thank you for all you have done. I love you with all my heart…
- Fred’s dad, Carlisle, I call him DC…
And a HAPPY FATHER’S DAY to you DC! We thank you for all you do for us, all you help us learn, for helping us to keep our house in working order and for showing us how to do oh so many things. We appreciate it more than you can ever know! You’re the best. Fred was also lucky to grow up with such a great dad (and mom!), who camped, fished, went to horse shows and did so much together. I join Fred in thinking you are a wonderful man and we love you!
I hope all you Father’s out there have a wonderful day, and to those of you who aren’t Father’s, be a mentor to someone… you don’t have to be an actual “father”… go celebrate yourself!
Catch you back here tomorrow!
Memorial Day Eve…
Well tomorrow is Memorial Day, I guess that makes today Memorial Day Eve, doesn’t it? Whether you’re out gathering your grilling supplies, getting ready for friends or family to come over or just enjoying a nice quiet day off please take a few moments tomorrow (or any time!) to remember all men and women who have died for our freedom. If we all can fit in a few minutes of reflection to remember those who stood up for this country that would be a tremendous honor.
As Lee Greenwood said:
And I’m proud to be an American, where at least I know I’m free, and I won’t forget the men who died, who gave that right to me and I’ll proudly stand next to him to defend her still today, ‘cuz there ain’t no doubt I love this land, god bless the USA.
ENJOY your Memorial Day! Catch you back here tomorrow! If you get a chance visit my photo blog at http://almostdailypoic.wordpress.com !
Cookies for Valentine’s Day, a work of art!
Aren’t these the most beautiful Valentine’s Day cookies you’ve ever seen? I admit, I haven’t seen many cookies for this holiday, well, not if you exclude the mass produced variety at the grocery store… These take a little bit of time, but ooooh, the result is A WORK OF ART! I last posted this recipe on my PHOTO BLOG (click for link) for Christmas cookies, but here it is again, I hope you give them a try! This time I made the dough on Friday, got busy on Saturday, then set them out on the counter for a little while on Sunday before rolling and cutting into heart shapes and baking. The decorating part looks like the most time consuming, but if you don’t get too uptight about it (me) and can just swirl it on (Fred, my husband) then it looks beautiful and is done in a snap! Wishing you a Happy Valentine’s Day!
VALENTINE’S DAY BUTTER COOKIES
Sift 2 3/4 cups of flour, 1 teaspoon baking powder and 1/2 teaspoon of salt.
In mixer bowl add 3/4 cup soft butter, 1 cup sugar, 2 eggs, 1 teaspoon vanilla.
Beat until fluffy and light. Slowly beat in flour mixture. CHILL ONE HOUR.
Flour your work surface and roll out dough. Use cookie cutters to cut into desired shapes.
Place on ungreased cookie sheet. Bake at 375 degrees for 8-10 minutes.
YIELD: 4 dozen (IF you don’t eat the dough… good luck to ya!)
FROSTING
Mix 1/4 cup butter, 4 cups (1 box) confectioner’s sugar, 1/4 cup scalded cream and 1 teaspoon vanilla. Blend until smooth. Scoop into separate bowls and add food coloring (hint: Valentine cookies are good just red, light pink and white). Scoop colored frosting into Ziplock bag (I use freezer) and snip a little off the corner. Squeeze onto cookie to decorate! If you need the frosting thinned a bit more, I have great luck just using light cream, add a little at a time until it will easily come out of the bag to decorate.
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