Christmas Countdown: Day 5 Baked Delights!

I love to bake... Some of my best childhood memories surround baking and the homemade cookies that were in my lunch kit daily. Christmas meant cookies at our house - and homemade chocolates. When I was six, my mom worked part time in a craft store so cake decorating, chocolate making and Christmas crafts were part of the fantastic memory building every child needs! Some might say I go a little overboard... Considering I didn't actually start making cookies until I met my husband (I decided cookies were far too much effort for such a small reward), I have gotten rather efficient at making them! Over the years, I've narrowed down my Christmas baking to a few key things... Whipped shortbread, Pippakarka and Ginger Sparklers are the top "must haves" in our house... Although I'm quite certain that my husband would not protest if I only made ginger sparklers... I don't know when I first made them for him - I think it was after we moved to our house (maybe that first Christmas here) but he ate himself silly on them. They are his favourite cookie (after my chocolate chocolate chip cookie) but because I only make them at Christmas, they get scooped up quickly! Pippakarka is Swedish for gingerbread - it is a traditional recipe from my maternal grandmother. Although it really isn't anyone's favourite, it just doesn't seem like Christmas to me if I don't make a batch! The whipped shortbread was a recipe I got from a dear friend. My husband likes shortbread but prefers a buttery one instead of the lighter, cookier version I grew up making. I'm excited to share these with you - I hope you and your family enjoy them just as much as we do!

Whipped Shortbread
1 cup butter, softened
1-1/2 cup flour
1/2 cup confectioner's sugar

Add all ingredients in a mixing bowl. Beat with electric mixed until well blended. Continue to beat for five minutes. Roll into small balls and depress with 1/2 a maraschino cherry or depress slightly with fork tines and sprinkle with coloured sugar. Bake at 375 degrees Farhenheit for 10 minutes or until golden.

Pippakarka
1 cup white or brown sugar
1 cup margarine
1 cup Roger's Golden Syrup
2 eggs
2 tsp ginger
1 tsp cloves
1 tsp cinnamon
1/2 tsp baking soda
4 cups flour

Mix well and cover. Let stand over night. Roll on lightly floured surface and cut with cutters or glass. Bake at 350 to 400 degrees Fahrenheit oven for 10 minutes or less.

Ginger Sparklers
3/4 cup margarine
1 cup brown sugar
1/4 cup molasses
1 egg
2 cups flour
2 tsp baking soda
1/4 tsp salt
1 tsp ginger
1 tsp cinnamon
1/2 tsp cloves

Beat first four ingredients until light and fluffy. Blend in remaining ingredients. Shape into small balls and roll in granulated sugar. Bake at 350 degrees Fahrenheit for 10 minutes.


Thank you for stopping in today - we'll see you again tomorrow for Day 4!

Holiday Traditions

As a child, my family had traditions like many others families. Our tree went up a week before Christmas, Santa always wrapped our presents, and we were allowed to open one present on Christmas eve. Years passed and the traditions changed. People came and went but a few constants were always in place. My grandmother's fresh buns, torterierre and hanging our stockings on New Year's eve are ever present in my family.

As I approach another Christmas and my son's fourth Christmas, I'm becoming keenly aware of my burning need to create traditions and memories. We've adapted the stocking tradition - TroubleMaker hangs one on Christmas Eve (as was his father's tradition) and on New Year's Eve - the change has been that the New Year's stocking is filled by the Nutcracker instead of the Angel or Baby Jesus as was my father's family tradition.

I've got a list of activities planned for the entire month - kind of an alternate take on an Advent calendar. We'll be baking together - an annual family tradition my sister, mother and I started over 10 years ago (we're still working on the date - but you can read more about our Bake-A-thon's, if you'd like!). Candy Cane Lane is a big deal here too and I know we want to take him out to look at Christmas lights. The past two years, we've built a gingerbread house and will do so again this year. He helps trim the tree and this year, we are having a "light the house" night!

My husband told me on our first date that I didn't have to experience the world in just one night - we'd have a lifetime together - and that is true but I still have a need to make my son's young moments create a foundation of strength. Thanks for stopping in - I'd love to hear about your traditions and the things you feel make the season special!

Small Successes! Operation Bake a Lot Completed!

I got very busy right out of the gate (or bed, as it really was) this morning. After a hearty breakfast of poached eggs and toast with bacon on the side, it was time to get down to business! Having pre-made the pepparkaka dough Friday night, I was ready to roll (figuratively and literally)!

We got the cookies rolled and cut (polar bears, gingerbread men and stars)... Then I made shortbread and next ginger sparklers! Then we were off to the big box craft store to get all the things I need to put together the "Christmas in a Box" decorating package for the playschool raffle. I swear that took longer than the baking. I was so undecided - you know what it's like when you get a vision in yoru head and everything you see doesn't match that vision? Well, that's what my trip to the store was! I was so frustrated and TroubleMaker was "sooooo bored!!!". I finally settled on a few things - a centre piece and a mantle swag with a few other bits and bobs to round out the package. The only thing i forgot was "the box"... So at some point, I'll have to figure that out too!

Tomorrow is the big assembly and pepparkaka icing and packaging. And then, I'll be free!!! Well, that is until the next big thing I cook up to do!

The Cold, the continuous rain and baking with TroubleMaker

Maybe I'm crazy, maybe I'm hormonal... Maybe it's the seven straight days of rain or maybe it's that the world is out to get me but whatever it is, it has my patience at an all time low and my internal temperature gauge set to boil.

It could be that we leave in four days time and I'm no where near ready. The past couple of years has been like this when we leave for vacation. I don't remember what's in the motor home, what isn't, what needs to be and what I'll forget.

Did I mention the rain? We are considering trading in our RV for an ark. I just saw a family of ducks merrily float down our avenue with a raft in tow.

First, I'm hot - really hot - and cranky and my throat hurts and, well, I'm hormonal. But not sappy hormonal, raging hormonal which makes me feel even worse because generally, this doesn't go away until I blow a gasket and the vein in my neck bulges. I've tried placating myself with cookies but to no avail. I considered my favourite snack but I knew I'd eat my way through several bags and payday isn't until next Tuesday.

Where was I? Oh yes. Rain.

Our car flooded today. At least 3" of water in the passenger side foot well.

I'm sick. I have as sore throat. Last night, every time I swallowed in my sleep, it woke me up. The only respite was plugging TroubleMaker into the TV this morning and sleeping in my easy chair. My throat feels better now - it hurts but at least I can talk (but still not to my usual volumes, hence the MEME blog post). This afternoon, TroubleMaker and I made the shopping trip I was to make tonight.

Apparently rubber boots are at a premium right now. We have a pair but TroubleMaker flooded them on the weekend and we can't get the things to dry out. I wanted running shoes for him too. But I did not want black, branded with lit bottoms - so I was out of luck. I also wanted a "Chutes and ladders" board game but that wasn't to be had either. I bought socks, cute socks, so that did encourage me a little bit.

Then we came home and I decided we needed more baking. I like to take lots of fresh baking when we go camping. It's a thing I do... After consuming half the bag of Skor Toffee bits, I dumped the rest into the cookie dough... But not before TroubleMaker showered the kitchen in a brown sugary concoction. I just about came unglued (he did this with every batch of baking he and I did yesterday too). But I just smiled and ran for my Zantac. When that didn't work, I ate a half dozen of the Skor Cookies - I was able to rationalize that TroubleMaker mashed half of them while "helping" me get them off the cookie sheet.

Now as his sights are set on shooting candy sticks around the house, I'm just sitting here waiting for Calgon to take me away... In case it doesn't, please send my Sanity to:
Attn: TroubleMaker's Father
PO Box 123, Itseemedlikeagoodideaatthetime, AB
Canada T6E 1N4

MPM # 31 - To Grandmother's House We Went!

Since the late 90's, my sister and I have made the trek out to our Mother's for an "Annual" Bake-a-thon. Usually, we do it in late November or early December and at various times through the years, others have joined us, but more often than not, it's just the two of us with Mom baking up a storm. My sister is in charge of chocolate making - a craft we started doing waaaaay back in the early 80's. My sister has carried on the tradition as although she's probably one of the most impatient people I know, she's the only one with enough patience to hand paint chocolate inside the molds. I usually take one too many things on and get frustrated and a headache and my Mom always, always makes butter tarts. My sister and I have added our own little helpers to the mix and our nephews have participated a couple of times too.


I usually cook up a Christmas craft for us to do and we always find time for a game of Scrabble.


This year, however, my sister and I aren't baking at all and the butter tarts aren't getting made. Don't worry - Mom is still alive - none of us have the motivation or bother to bake. We all work too much and don't get enough time to spend together. So Grammy is baking up a storm with two of her grandkids (TroubleMaker and my niece, TroubleInventor - who are actually now sitting in the living room reading a book together) - although all the baked goods are prepackaged cookies and squares, they are still having fun.

I'm sitting at Mom's kitchen table writing on my laptop








and my sister, bless her new found patience, is HAND writing one of her stories.







Mom is cursing her 30 year old oven that only seems to be problematic when we're home visiting and the "Helpers" are sitting in the living room reading stories.

I think Santa (and our husbands) will forgive us this once...

Here is my Menu Plan for the week... It's been a bit troublesome putting it together - no idea what I feel like making (I'm a little overdosed on cookies)... A few of the recipes I'm going to make up as I go along so I'll come back and post them (update to this post) once we've eaten them.

December 13 to December 19

Monday Hamburger Rice ScrambleHamburger Hash
Tuesday Egg Salad Sandwiches
Wednesday Chicken breasts w/ Twice Cooked Garlic Potatoes
Thursday Crock Pot Stew
Friday Tacos/taco salad
Saturday ???
Sunday Ham & Scalloped Potatoes

Breakfasts
Cereal, toast, bagels, muffins, Pancakes, Bacon & Eggs

For more great menu planning ideas and resources, check out the Org Junkie's Menu Plan Monday!

Hamburger Hash
1 lb lean ground beef (frozen or thawed)
1 rib celery, diced
1 large carrot, peeled and sliced
1 can mushrooms
1/2 green pepper, diced
1/2 red pepper, diced
1-2 gloved garlic, mined
1/4 onion, diced
1 can diced tomatoes
1 cup sour cream
2 tbsp flour
1 cup beef bouillon (or water)
salt, pepper, parsley, oregano, paprika

-In a large frying pan, cook ground beef. If frozen, add 1 cup of water or beef broth, cover and cook until broken apart and nearly done. Do NOT drain
-Add all vegetables (including canned tomatoes & their juices) and a good sprinkling of salt & pepper. Add 1 to 2 tsp parsley, 1 tsp oregano and about 1 tsp of paprika.
-Simmer until carrots are tender.
-Combine sour cream and flour in a bowl until well combined. Add several tablespoons of 'sauce' from frying pan to sour cream mixture. Then dump all back into frying pan, lower heat and simmer until thickened.
-Serve with rice or egg noodles.
Note: this was very tasty for a 'toss together' dish. My Husband thought it would be better suited served with egg noodles. TroubleMaker and his friend (who was over for dinner) ate very well and said it was "REAL GOOOOD!" You could add more onions but I cut way back because it was our dog's birthday and he got a good helping of it on his kibble (and onions are BAD for dogs). Enjoy!