November 23 ~ Sounds of the season

Believe it or not, there are radio stations already playing only Christmas music...  Well, there is a lot of music, so I guess you need to start early to get it all in...  Here's my contribution to getting you in the Christmas music mood...

November 22 ~ Cookie recipe

Today's post is inspired by the fact that it is National Cashew day.  Here's a cookie recipe to test...

Cashew Meringues

• 5 egg whites, room temperature
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1/4 teaspoon cream of tartar
• 1 1/2 teaspoons cornstarch
• 4 cups confectioners' sugar, sifted
• 2 cups finely chopped cashew nuts

1. Preheat the oven to 325 degrees F (165 degrees C). Line two cookie sheets with parchment paper.
2. In a large dry glass or metal bowl whip egg whites until soft peaks form. Add vanilla, cream of tartar, and cornstarch, and continue whipping at medium speed while gradually adding the confectioners sugar 1/4 cup at a time. Whip until the whites have a nice peak, but not stiff. Fold in cashew pieces with a rubber spatula. Drop rounded teaspoonfuls 2 inches apart onto the prepared cookie sheets.
3. Bake for about 15 minutes in the preheated oven, until the edges are lightly browned. Cool on wire racks. Store in an airtight container at room temperature when completely cooled.

November 21 ~ Outdoor lighting

It's not too early to start hanging those outdoor lights, especially if you live in a colder climate.  Take advantage of a sunny day before the deep freeze of winter sets in.  Found some great "how-to's" on You Tube for you...

A smile in a shoe box ~ November 18

Any time of year is a good time to remember our servicemen and women and thank them for all they have done.  Visit Operation Shoebox to see how easy it is to send someone a smile.

Nostalgia ~ November 17

I came across this the other day and had to share it...  If your as old as I am you will remember making a wreath or star burst from IBM cards... same idea - updated, and it's actually very attractive.

Cookies ~ November 16

We haven't had a cookie recipe in awhile... have to keep testing these recipes for the cookie exchange.

Here's one that looks easy and sounds yummy...

Almond Icebox Cookies

• 2 cups butter or margarine softened
• 2 cups sugar
• 4 cups all purpose flour
• 2 teaspoons baking powder
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1 egg white, lightly beaten
• Finely chopped almonds

Cream butter in a large mixing bowl: gradually add sugar, beating until light and fluffy.

Combine flour and baking powder in a medium bowl; mix well.  Add flour mixture and vanilla to creamed mixture, stirring well.

Shape dough into 2 rolls, 1 1/2 inches in diameter.  Wrap each roll in waxed paper, and refrigerate 2 hours.  Remove waxed paper; cut rolls into 1/4 inch slices. Place 2 inches apart on a lightly greased cookie sheet.  Brush lightly with egg white; sprinkle with almonds.  Bake at 425 for 10 minutes or until lightly browned.  Remove to wire racks to cool.  Store in airtight containers.  Yields about 7 dozen.

I think I'll try some almond extract instead of the vanilla.  If you try these, let me know what you think.

November 15 ~ treasures from trash

On another blog I write you will learn that today is America Recycles Day... the perfect day to talk about turning some trash into Christmas treasures...

I just loved that one...

On a smaller scale think about using the same process with a circle of about 3 inches and old puzzle pieces.  If the coloring on the pieces are not acceptable you can spray paint the small wreath green and add small red dots for "berries".  Glue a ribbon hanger on and your ready to use this as a tree ornament.

November 6 ~ Spare Time

This week end we get an extra hour. How do you spend your spare time? This weekend why not spend that extra time thinking about just that...how do I spend my "free time" and am I really making the most of it. Am I doing something I love, am I using the time to make myself or someone else happy? Or, am I wasting what little free time I have on activities that I regret later? Make a promise to yourself this weekend to spend that extra hour wisely.

Hobbies are a good way to make your free time more enjoyable. And if you don't already have one, you can always take classes or lessons on an activity that will develop into a lifetime hobby....photography, cooking, line dancing, kayaking, bicycling, painting, sewing...you name it, there's a class somewhere that can teach you.

If you don't already have a hobby and aren't really interested in learning something new, you might consider volunteerism...  There are literally thousands of groups, organizations, and even individuals that would benefit from a few hours of your time.  So why not spend that extra hour this week end looking in to programs in your area...you might just find the perfect way to give to others and make you feel great about yourself at the same time.

November 2 ~ Think outside the box

My Mom just loved Christmas....  She had some wonderful traditions that have carried over in the family, but this one never caught on.  It was a bit strange, and actually pretty funny, so I'm surprised that I never used the idea.  You may or may not be old enough to remember this, but many years ago when you bought something that needed to be in a box to give it as a gift the store actually gave you the box...for free.  Shopping bags were also free back then.  When stores began charging for boxes and bags my Mother had her own little revolution.  She began "saving" all of the boxes that she could think of... cereal boxes, cake mix boxes, cold medicine boxes, candy boxes, shoe boxes, you name it..she saved it.  At Christmas she used these boxes to "wrap" all of the Christmas gifts under the tree.  It looked like a grocery store delivery gone awry... A bit unusual, but I thought I'd share this fun and funky idea. 

November 1 ~ Food drives beginning

Photo courtesy of Bart Baldwin @ Still Image Productions

 

Help fill up the shelves of your local food bank!

I just read on Facebook the some friends of mine at Still Image Productions have been selected to photograph behind the scenes on an upcoming Extreme Makeover: Home Edition that will be filmed in Savannah Georgia. In conjunction with the filming, there will be a food drive for the Savannah Food Bank. Just the other day I noticed a large box in the lobby of my office building to collect food for our local food bank, Harvest Hope. This is the time of year that food drives begin to help needy families enjoy holiday meals. So, while you're out doing your weekly shopping please pick up an extra can of string beans, or an extra box of cake mix...all donations to your own local food bank are needed and greatly appreciated.

Featured Christmas Cards of the Day ~ 10/25/10

Christmas is a universal holiday, and you may know someone (or it could be you) who's first language is something other than English.  Why not send out greetings in their native tongue.  Greeting Card Universe has a wide assortment of non-English cards for you to choose from.

October 22 ~ Simple act of Courtesy

Sometimes we need to be reminded that it's the little things in life that can make the difference.  One simple act of courtesy can lead to another.  It costs nothing, it's not hard to do, and it will not only make you happy it will also make someone else happy.  

My suggestion for today is this...When you see someone with their hands full, hold the door for them.  It doesn't matter if you're male or female, if you are more able to hold the door, then do so.  Be mindful of the people around you, and try to always extend this courtesy to others.  If you keep it in your thoughts to do this, after awhile it will become a habit.  Isn't that a nice habit to have.

October 14 ~ How to wrap a Cat

This is funny...I wish my cats were this mellow

Oct 13 ~ What's a Wassail?

"Here we come a-wassailing among the leaves so green, here we come a-wandering so fair to be seen...."  While we associate this song with Christmas, it is actually a New Year's song, with the word wassail referring to the English toast for good health as opposed to the hot spiced drink know as wassail.  If you've ever wanted to make this holiday favorite, you can find all kinds of recipes at cdkitchen.com (which is also the source of the image in this post)

October 12 ~ Keeping track of the days

It's that time of the year when we start seeing the new calendars for next year.  Calendars come in all shapes and sizes and can even make great holiday gifts. 

Create personalized gifts at Zazzle.

If you can't find the perfect calendar for you, consider creating you own design.  One year as a special holiday gift I created calendars for all of my family members.  I scanned so very old photos which I used as the monthly artwork and then added family birthdays to the appropriate day of the year.  They were a big hit and came in very handy for family members who have a hard time remembering everyone's birthday...like me.

Angel Food Ministries

In my in-box yesterday I found a reminder from Angel Food Ministries that I can order my holiday boxes early.  In case you have never heard of this organization I figured it's a good time to share this one with you.  From their website here is how they answer "what is Angel Food Ministries?"  Angel Food Ministries is a non-profit, non-denominational organization dedicated to providing food relief and financial support to communities throughout the United States. The program began in 1994 with 34 families in Monroe, Georgia (between Atlanta and Athens), and has grown to serve hundreds of thousands of families every month across 45 states. Angel Food Ministries crosses denominational lines and has spread the good news of the gospel of Christ through salvation tracts that are placed in each food order.

You do not have to be a member of a distribution church in order to participate. There are no economic or financial qualifications. This is top quality food, no out of date items or dented cans.  The best way to describe it would be to call it a not for profit co-op.  Angel Food has made arrangements to purchase large quantities of various food items and passes that saving on to you.  The only catch is that you need to order in advance.  However, you will be told exactly what to expect in your food box before you order.  You can use a credit or debit card to order securely online.  They even accept food stamps.  
To find out if there is a program in your area use the link above to go to their home page.  Scroll down and enter your zip code where indicated.
Not interested in purchasing a box for yourself?  You might consider purchasing a box for a needy family in your area.  Wouldn't that make a special gift for someone?

Down Time ~ 10/10/10

You might have noticed my absence yesterday...Yes, I took a little break and enjoyed some down time. Actually I used the time to help a friend with a yard sale, but since all I did was keep her company it really was a day off for me. Which brings me to an important piece of advice for dealing with the holiday stress. Make sure to allow yourself some "down time" from it all.  Don't just say you're going to do though, actually plan for it and enjoy it, you deserve it!!!

October 7 ~ Give it Up

Give up one purchased soda, coffee, or other beverage today.  Take that 50 cents or dollar and drop it in the next charity container you come across.  Now, allow yourself to feel good about being the sharing and caring person you are!

Light the Way October 6

In colder parts of the country putting up outdoor lighting has to be done very early if you want to save yourself some headaches, and possibly some frostbite.  Yes, I know it's still way too early even in those cold areas but since I'm seeing the Halloween decorations going up in my neighborhood I realized a few Christmas lights on the shrubs and bushes might just set them off very nicely...and give you a big jump on your Christmas decorating.  Here's a great video to help you light the way...

Set Up the Shrub Lighting - Holiday Decorations

October 5 ~ Why Holly?

    Did you ever wonder why holly is so strongly connected to the Christmas Holiday.  No, it's not the name of the plant that makes it special.  Holly was considered a magical plant by the Druids, who believed it symbolized fertility and eternal life.  Hanging holly branches in the home was thought to bring good luck and protection.  As with many other pagan symbols and rituals, the holly was adopted by the Christians and given new Christian symbolism.  

     In any event, the fact that Holly is an everygreen and sports its bright red berries against the white winter background make it a beautiful plant and a great decorating option.