Merry Christmas!

From our family to yours,

Merry Christmas!

What's Baking Now?

Peppermint Mocha Shortbread

Mix:

1 cup of powdered sugar

1 1/4 cup flour

1/2 tsp salt

Cut in:

1 stick of butter

Blend it all together well and press it into a greased 13x9 inch pan. Bake at 350 degrees for about twenty minutes.

Meanwhile...

Melt and Mix:

1/2 package of chocolate chips

1/2 tsp peppermint extract

2 tsp instant espresso powder

Spread the chocolate mixture onto the shortbread after it's baked. Then top with about a 1/2 cup of smashed candy canes. Let cool and slice into pieces.

***

I made this recipe up last year for my Christmas Tea. I'm baking a pan right now for gifts and just enjoying.

Warning: These should not be eaten in the evening--unless you need to stay up late sewing, or wrapping presents! That caffeine will get you!

Quiet Days

We're busy little bees around here! Baking, sewing, cleaning and playing fill ours days. (So do whining and crying, but we'll not dwell on those!)

I picked up my sewing machine and it works wonderfully. My only regret is that I didn't take it in sooner--like six months ago. Now, I just need the time to go back a fix a few projects! However, having lost the days I did while the machine was in being serviced, I'll be lucky to just finished what I plan. Redos will probably need to wait.

I've got out my Christmas teapots and have them around. We decided this was not the year to do a Christmas Tea. I missed having it though. Maybe next year it will happen. I was thinking of doing a little tea just for family, but will be skipping that, too. So, we can all just look at the pretty pots here and you can read about last year's tea, or about Christmas Teas in general, if you're interested.

Well, I had hoped to write more, but my little elves are needing me. Maybe it's time to just rethink blogging altogether.

Hello!

Thank you all for being such sweet friends!


I've been off-line a lot as I've been busily making Christmas gifts whenever the boys are sleeping. I've run into a snag in that however, as I had to take my sewing machine in for repair this morning. *gulp* Never mind that 75% of the gifts I'm making require a sewing machine and there's a week and a half until Christmas. It's fine. Really.


I know that it will all be ok, in spite of the frustration right now. I've got a few, non-fabric ideas I was thinking of making, if I finished sewing early. (Everyone laugh now.) Since the sewing has been side-lined for me, I'll be taking a closer look at those ideas.


I'll probably be lying low until after Christmas as, like everyone, I'm swamped with projects. I am enjoying (most of ) them though. I'm going to pour a cup of tea, grab my Everything Book and starting mapping out the next week and a half. There are gifts to be made and wrapped, and baking to do! Meals to plan while including some flexibility as our celebrations are weather-dependant here in Colorado. With family traveling here to spend Christmas, we're all being as flexible as possible knowing the time together may come early or late depending on when it will be safe to drive.


Speaking of weather, I just had to close the door next to me. I had had it open with the gentle breeze blowing through the screen. Suddenly, that gentle breeze is not so gentle and has quite a bite of cold to it! The clouds are pouring in and we're bracing for a cold night and a high of only 16 degrees tomorrow. It was warm and sunny until just a few moments ago though and quite enjoyable. We've really had an amazingly mild winter thus far.


If it is not too miserable tomorrow, we're planning on heading out to a live nativity tomorrow afternoon that Janna recommended at her church. We'll just have to see. I hope that it works though. Tonight's festivities include Sweetheart's company Christmas party. The place it is at sounds wonderful! The snow shouldn't fly until after we are home tonight, but we'll still need to dress warm.

Well, I'm off to go plan. Thank you for all your sweet comments lately. I really appreciate it. This has not been the easiest time for me, but I have hope. Thank you also for your prayers for my uncle. Please continue to pray.

Please PRAY!~UPDATED

I've just received word that my uncle may be having another stroke. This would be the third in three weeks. PLEASE PRAY for he and my aunt!!! He'd been doing so well in his recovery/rehab. Thank you.

****
Thank you ladies, for your prayers. Here's the update I got:

"They did a CAT Scan and the results are better than the one they took right after his first stroke, which is very good news. The Cumadin (blood thinner medication, but not sure of the spelling) levels are lower though, so that is what they want to watch. His headache is better and they will be checking his eyes to see if there has been a change. Please keep praying that the space will be available at the rehab center when he is ready to return."

They've moved him into a room at the hospital, so everyone is pretty much just waiting to see what's happened and what should been done now.

We still appreciate your ongoing prayers.

Much love,
Kimberly

PS~ I received an email today from a friend that she has had a miscarriage. My heart aches with pain for her. Being a few months down the road on this journey, I wish I better knew what to say or do. All I can do is pray and try to be as good a friend to her as others have been to me.

Always in Our Hearts

This is on our tree.

A gift from a wonderful friend in memory of Jimmy.

She had given it to me at his passing.

She brought flowers this week to comemorate his due date this weekend.

I am blessed with such a dear friend, aren't I?

He will be always in our hearts.

How I long to hold him in my arms.

Some day.

How I wish it was today.

Finally! A Christmas Present I Can Blog!

I need to bring a gift to the Bunco Christmas Party tomorrow night. Sweetheart and I decided that we'd be making our Christmas gifts this year, so I've been racking my brain trying to figure what I should do for my Bunco gift. I was considering breaking down and heading out shopping tomorrow when I remember something I had seen on Amazon the other day. I thought this scarf looked nice and cozy. I had some fleece on hand, so I decided to see what I could do.

Tucked inside the pockets on the ends are these little pouches filled with rice and lavender. Just pop the pouches into the microwave for a minute and your hands will stay deliciously warm and toasty. The Amazon ones are made with rice and flax seed, but I had lavender and figured it's just about the best fragrance ever, so I'd use that instead.

It's amazing what a few hours of sewing can do! Of course, the scarf is currently wrapped around my own neck, and smells wonderful even without having heated the warmers. I may have to make a few more of these. I would make the pockets deeper next time. I'd prefer to have more of my hands covered I think.

Since I made this up as I went along, I figure it turned out pretty good, but also think I could do better next time. I like that if you don't want to use the warmers, the pockets can just hold your keys, phone, chapstick, music player, or whatever.

It's hard to know what type of gift to bring to an anonymous exchange for me. I know what I like, but then, what I like isn't always that popular. The scarf is wonderfully soft though. I hope someone else will like it. Otherwise, I guess I just have to pick my own gift and bring it back home.

Well, it is finished and past my bedtime, so I'll be signing off now. Sweet dreams.

~Kimberly