Wishing you Merry Christmas ...

Not sure how much I will be on for the next couple of days.  I have more baking to do today - then family time for the rest of the weekend. 

I just love this time of year and all this time with family.  I am so grateful for the family that I do have ... I am totally Blessed!!

Let's take a moment out of our busy schedule and remember those that dont' have family around them.  Those that are depressed, lonely and missing loved ones that have passed on.  This is a very exciting time of year for many of us, but a very sad time for others.  I had forgotten about this until I read another blog, who was so wonderful to remind me that there are people in this world that are hurting this time of year.  Check out her post at Mel's Coffee Break - really great article.

Also, remember to Thank God for what you do have - especially your loved ones around you.  For this being the celebration of the birth of His Son - Jesus.  We all talk about Jesus being the reason for the season but do we really walk in Love?  That is one thing I am going to work on from this moment on - to walk each day in God's Love!!

Now - to get busy baking those sugar cookies.   Here is wishing you and your family a very Merry Christmas!!  May God Bless you!!!

Christmas is in the Air ....

Well, shopping is DONE!!!  Yea ... it is a good thing too .. no more money.  I still have some wrapping to do ... just got to get the kids out of the house so that I can finish up the wrapping.  They love it when I wrap and they are still at home -- they try to pick open the bedroom door or they have even tried putting a mirror underneath the door to see if they can see anything.  I wonder where they get their sneaking around ... I dont' have a clue.  hehehe

So now that the shopping is done ... it is time to get the baking done.  This I  really love to do and enjoy it.  I love making things to give away to neighbors and friends as gifts.  Nothing warms my heart more than a gift from the heart.

Things to get baked -- chocolate covered pretzels, sausage balls, fudge, swirl cakes (in loaf pans) and some Martha Washington balls.  I am sure that we can think up something else.  I know my son would love some cupcakes and I have to bake another pound cake for Christmas at my sisters. 

I promise to take pictures and post them on my blog.  So off to baking I go ...

Are you finished with your shopping?  What about your baking?  Do you have people over during the holidays?   

Cream Cheese Pound Cake

As promised - the best Pound Cake you have ever eaten.  I searched for months to find a really good pound cake recipe and finally found one.  A friend of my mom's sent it to me.  It really is good and not that hard to make ... just takes a little time.  But well worth it.  I hope you enjoy!!

Cream: 3 cups sugar

            1-1/2 cups margarine (3 sticks)

             8 oz cream cheese

Add:   2 eggs

           1 cup of flour (beat)

Add:   2 more eggs
           1 cup of flour (beat)

Add:  2 more eggs
          1 cup of flour (beat)

Add:  1 tsp. vanilla extract

Pour into a large tube pan or bundt pan sprayed with non stick spray and sprinkled with sugar.
Bake at 325 degrees for 1 hour and 20 minutes.
DO NOT open oven first hour of baking.  Take out of oven and let cool on baking rack.

by: Lila Chancellor

         

Cheese Wreath

This recipe is from my mom.  She is famous for her cheese ball/wreath at Christmas time.   Dad's office couldn't have a party without mom's cheese wreath.  I hope that you will enjoy this recipe as much as my family has and those my mom has shared it with.


16 oz. medium cheddar cheese, shredded
16 oz sharp cheddar cheese, shredded
1 cup of mayonnaise
1 small onion, chopped finely
1 tsp. red pepper flakes
1 cup of pecans, chopped
1 small jar of strawberry preserves

Mix first six ingredients together.  Spread saran wrap in the bottom of a bundt pan, then spread the cheese mixture evenly onto saran wrap.  Fold saran wrap over the cheese and place in the refrigerator overnight.  Un-mold cheese wreath on a serving tray and pour strawberry preserves over top.  Serve with crackers of your choice.

Christmas Traditions

Ok, I promised to tell you some of my families Christmas traditions.  As I think of, which ones I want to post, I have to tell you that I have sat here and just laughed, until I have cried.  It has brought back a lot of funny memories. 

One of my favorite, when I was younger, traditions was seeing how early we could wake up on Christmas morning.  It was a competition we had going on, with our neighbors.  To see who could get up before the other one.  The last that I remember, we were getting up at 4:30 in the morning.  Shoot, by the time, others were getting up to open presents, we were going to bed for a nap.  My husband, couldn't believe we were getting up that early to open presents.  That is one tradition that I am so glad we dont' do anymore. 

One of my dad's traditions, was hiding my mom's presents.  He would hid them at one of our neighbor's houses.  She would usually go through the morning, not knowing if she had a present or not.  Or he would send her on a scavenger hunt.  Another thing he would do would be to wrap a hugh box, of course with no name on it, and then there would be about 5 to 10 boxes on the inside - all wrapped within one another. And the last small one, would have a note it in of where her present could be found.  We never knew from year to year what he had up his sleeve.  He loved playing jokes on us.

One of my favorite traditions, as a kid, we trying to find out what we got as presents.  My sister and I would find ways to peek and we were really good at it.  Mom never knew we had been into the packages.  We would slice the tape on the presents and take it out or if we tore the paper we would just re-wrap the present.  My mom never knew that we had re-wrapped them.  One time, I need to borrow the car, (I didn't have my own car) and mom had presents in the trunk.  She told us "Girls don't look in the trunk".  Now, what do you think the first thing we did?  We not only looked in the trunk we took everything out and checked them all out, one by one.

My mom was a night owl, and she still is today.  Well, my sister and I couldn't wait until she went to bed to see what we had gotten from Santa. So, we snuck up to the living room, crawling on our hands and knees, and got some of the board games that we had gotten.  We took them back to our rooms and played.  As we were sneaking back up to the living room to put them back, we got to giggling and got caught.  She didnt' know that we were putting them back - she thought we had just come up there.  We finally told her a couple of years ago. 

One more tradition that I would love to share with you, involves my grandparents.  My grandparents would take my sisters, myself, and my cousins to look at Christmas lights.  We would go downtown Chattanooga to look in the windows.  Back then, the business would decorate their windows with different Christmas scenes.  They were great and they are getting back to this today.  Then we would go and eat supper at Krystal's that was downtown.  We would sing Christmas songs and have such a good time.  This was something that I always looked forward to and is something that I miss today. 

Needless to say, since I was so sneaky as a kid, I make sure that my kids can't find presents or open them after they have been wrapped.  At least, I think they haven't done that ...  I guess I will find out when they are adults and start spilling the beans. 

What are some of your family traditions?  Did you do anything funny as kids? 

Christmas Lists

Can you believe it is less than 20 days until Christmas?  Have you gotten your shopping done yet?  Well, I haven't gotten mine all done.  I have about half - I hope. 

I am working on my list today.  I am making a list of those I have to buy for and what gifts I have already bought.  I am usually already on top of this, but I have been slacking.  I have found that if you don't make some type of list then you will over spend.  I have done this for too many years.  I would spend Christmas eve panicking because I haven't bought a gift for someone or I haven't bought enough for one of my kids.  So, I decided then I wouldn't do that anymore. 

Oh - if you do make a list - take it from me and make sure that you keep that list well hidden.  My oldest son, found my list, that I had thrown away, after Christmas and that was when he found out about Santa Clause.  So, now, they try to find my list.  I keep it well hid and I make sure that I tear it up in little bitty pieces when I am done. 

Do you have a lot to buy for?  Do you make a list?  I would love to hear how some of you keep up with buying gifts for those on your list. 

Christmas

I just can't tell you how much I love this time of year.  I am the biggest kid when it comes to Christmas.  It is hard to put into words just how excited I get this time of year. 

Here are a few things that I like about the holidays -

1.  As crazy as it sounds, but I love the smell of Christmas.  With all the baking that goes on in my kitchen, from cookies, sausage balls to all kinds of different candies. 

2. I love Christmas movies.  I drive my family crazy because I love ALL the movies this time of year.  I love the ones on Hallmark and Lifetime channels.  Oh and then there are my all time favorites - Home Alone, Christmas with the Krank's, Jingle All the way and Deck the Halls.  I cant' tell you how many times I have seen these movies, but I just can't get enough.  These are a MUST for the holiday season.

3.  I love the traditions that are made during the holidays.  I am not sure about your family, but we have had some crazy traditions when I was growing up.  I will have to do a separate post on those.  One of our favorites now is, we go to eat at Waffle House Christmas eve and then ride around looking at lights.  I am the one that likes looking at lights but my kids always start gripping  ... of well. 

4.  I love to give to others.  I do try to do this all year long, but there is something about this time of year that brings out the best in people.  If I was rich, I would make a great Santa Clause.  Even though, I am not rich, I still try to do my part in helping out the needy, especially the kids.  I don't like to see kids doing without.  It breaks my heart.  (Like I said, I do try to do this all year long)

These are a few of the reasons I love this time of year.  So, you will have to excuse me if I just seem to be bursting at the seams - I really am. 

Let me not forget to mention that one of the main reasons is the birth of Jesus.  What a precious gift that was? 

I would love to hear some of your favorite things about Christmas?

Also, look for my post on some of our crazy family traditions.  What are some of your family traditions? I would love to hear some.  I will include them in my post.

White Chocolate Bark

This is a candy that we make every year.  It is a family favorite.  

2 lbs. white chocolate almond bark
2 Tbsp crisco

Melt in microwave 30 seconds at a time until melted, stir well.

2 cups Rice Crispies, oven toasted at 250 degrees
2 cups Captain Crunch peanut butter cereal
1 cup chopped pecan pieces
2 cups marshmallows (mini)

Add to melted chocolate.  Stir until well coated.  Drop by spoon full onto wax paper.
Set until harden.

Sausage Balls

Here is the first family recipe for the holidays.  My family loves these and they are already wanting some.  They are easy to make and a great little snack or finger food for a party.  I can never make enough of these during the holidays. 

1 lb of sausage - any kind that you like
1 pkg. sharp cheddar cheese, grated
2 cups of Bisquick

Mix together thoroughly, shape into small balls.  Bake in a 350 degree oven for about 20 minutes.



Cheese & Bisquick mixed together



Mixing in Sausage with cheese & Bisquick

Sausage balls ready for oven or freezer

**These are great frozen too.  Just place balls on cookie sheet and freeze.  After frozen place in a freezer zip-lock bag.  Can cook frozen - longer time or you can thaw and then cook. **