Christmas 2010

Opening presents

Experiencing firsts

Trashing the living room

Being girly

New toys

White Christmas

Snowballs

and snowmen

White day-after-Christmas

snowflake catching

Snow angels

More firsts

24 Days of Christmas: Day 10 and 11

Day 1o:

Scandinavia

Glögg

1 liter grape juice
2 cinnamon sticks
10 cloves
pinch of ginger
brown sugar to taste

combine juice and spices and simmer for about 10 minutes. Add brown sugar to taste. Serve hot.

We drank ours while reading from Joy to the World: Christmas Stories from Around the World

(more recipes)


Day 11:

Denmark

Ris ala Mande

I combined a couple different recipes, based on what we had in the house already....so here was my recipe:

4 cups milk
1 cup rice
3/4 cup sugar
1 vanilla bean
whipping cream
1/2 cup chopped almonds*
1 whole almond

* we didn't have these, so I didn't put them in.

Bring milk, sugar and vanilla to a boil, add rice. Reduce temperature as low as it will go and simmer until the milk is absorbed. (1-2 hours depending on heat). I stirred mine every so often since rice likes to stick to my pot. Cool rice completely.

Whip heavy cream ( I added a couple T of sugar) until stiff peaks form. Fold into cool rice.
Add the whole almond. Whoever gets the bowl with the almond is said to have good luck and receive a special gift.

other recipes

This is the first time I have ever made or eaten a rice pudding. It reminded me of tapioca, which I do like....but probably not something I'd ever make again. My boys didn't care for it all that much either. I think we'll stick with our cookies instead....

24 Days of Christmas: Day8 and 9

Day 8:

American/Family Traditions

A Trip to the Tree Farm


We live less than a mile from a wonderful Christmas tree farm, and we look forward to going all year. The weather was rainy yesterday, but there was a short break and we jumped in the car.

A search to find the perfect tree

And get lost among the branches

And hold on tight to the ONE so you don't lose it in the crowd.

Rylan, who begged and begged to get the tree yesterday, came home mad. The tree wasn't right. It wasn't big enough. But he was out voted 5 to 1 and we brought this one home. But I suspect it was the fact that he didn't make the decision more than the tree that made him mad. He pouted for awhile, but as soon as we put the tree in place he quietly said- 'It looks bigger inside than it did outside' and help to decorate it.

Day 9:

Austria

Linzer Cookies

We have a trip to the local Fire Station tomorrow so I planned our activity today so that we would have something to bring for the fire fighters.

I found an easy recipe- so these aren't *real* Linzer cookies- there are no nuts in them. And I used our homemade peach jam for the filling.

Cale was my helper, as usual. Rylan helped some. The younger ones didn't have any interest.

Here was our recipe:

Cookies:
2 cups Flour
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/4 tsp salt
1/4 tsp cinnamon
3/4 cup sugar
1/2 cup butter
1 egg
grated orange/lemon rind

for tops:
jam/preserves (raspberry is usual, we used peach)
powdered sugar

Cream butter and sugar. Add egg. Add in dry and mix. The dough will be dry so you may have to knead it with your hands to form a ball. Chill it for easier handling. Roll out dough to about 1/4 in thickness.
You will need 2 cutter- one small, one larger. I used 2 stars. Cut the dough using the larger cutter, then using the smaller one, cut out the center of 1/2 the cookies. Bake at 350 for about 8 minutes.

Once cooled, spread the jam on the bottom cookie and place the cookie with the center cut out on top. Sprinkle with powdered sugar.

They were beautiful to look at. And now we have lots of cookies for friends and firefighters.

24 Days of Christmas: Day 6 and 7

American/Family Traditions

Day 6:

Was simply dinner and Christmas movie


Day 7:

Christmas Cards

ready to be written in

and sent out to family and friends

24 Days of Christmas: Day 4 and 5

Sweden

Day 4:

We made Pepparkakor- or Swedish Spice Cookies

3.5 cups flour
2 tsp ginger
2 tsp cinnamon
2 tsp cloves
1 tsp baking
soda
1/2 tsp salt
1 cup sugar
1 cup butter
1 egg
1/2 cup molasses

Cream butter and sugar. Add egg and molasses. Blend in dry ingredients well. Let the dough set overnight in the refrigerator. Roll out dough to 1/8 in thickness on a well floured surface. Cut out with cookie cutters. Bake at 350 for 8-10 min.

Day 5:

Swedish heart bags

One Swedish tradition is to make these paper heart baskets to hang on the tree. Each child receives one of these sweets filled bags. In the Swedish language these are called Jhartkorgar.

(directions for the heart bag craft)

24 Days of Christmas: Day 3

Day 3:

Egypt

We had a busy day today since my mom and little sister are visiting....we were at the Children's Museum in Oak Ridge most of the day. But after dinner Cale wanted to make the recipe of the day....

Ghryba


We made the following recipe- taken from Santas.net:

Egyptian Christmas dish.

50g unsalted butter
1 egg yolk
2 teaspoons icing sugar
2 cups self raising flour
icing sugar and pine nuts or silver ball to decorate


1. Beat butter until soft. 2. Add yolk, icing sugar and flour and mix together. 3. Make into thin biscuit shapes and put silver ball or pine nut on top. 4. Bake in pre-heated 300-350 degrees Fahrenheit oven for about 15 to 20 minutes, or until pale golden colour. 5. When cool sprinkle with icing sugar.

The recipe didn't quite come together so we added a little more butter and a small amount of milk to make a dough that actually stayed together. I searched again and some other recipes used plain flour and 1/2 cup of melted butter. Which would result in more of a shortbread than biscuit.... but they enjoyed them nonetheless. They liked saying the name and all of course the [way too much] sugar they sprinkled on top.

24 Days of Christmas: Day 2

DAY 2:

IRELAND

A popular custom in Ireland is to celebrate St. Stephen's Day- which is on December 26th- by practicing the Wren Boys Procession

Families dress up and go from house to house carrying a pole with a holly bush on top asking for money for the starving bird. In the past an actual wren was hunted and placed on top of this pole. Today fake ones are used and the wren boys use the opportunity to raise money for charity.

Legend says that there was a plot in a village against local soldiers. Villagers had surrounded them and were about to ambush when a group of wrens began to peck on their drums and woke the soldiers and caused the plot to fail.

The wren, too, is blamed for betraying St. Stephen, the first Christian martyr.

Today we made our own miniature versions. We made clay "wrens- which turned out very colorfully. Placed them on top of a skewer and cardboard and surrounded them by holly leaves.
The boys then proceed to ask for money- and we raided the change jar.

They make a pretty centerpiece too.

24 Days of Christmas: Day 1

Last year we did our first 24 Days of Christmas, filled will holiday crafts and gift making. We all really enjoyed it, so I thought we'd continue the tradition again this year. So...

Welcome to The 24 Days of Christmas: Cultural Edition


Day 1: Mexico


Today we started off by reading the book The Christmas Path: A Legend of the Luminarias

then we made our own...


Luminarias originated in Mexico and are Christmas candles that symbolically served to light the path of the shepherds to visit baby Jesus.

An easy first craft that only needs small candle, paper lunch bags and some sand/gravel. We used a star and snowflake punch around the edges too.

24 Days of Christmas: Day 21,22 and 23

Day 21

chocolate pretzel treatsNormally we make chocolate dipped pretzels for the boys to give out to family, but I saw this on A Day of Wonders and thought it was a cute idea that they would be able to do more of independantly. They really enjoyed it....Lakin did really well opening up the kisses and putting them on the pretzels- usually he just eats what we are doing!

Now they are all bagged up and ready to be handed out in the next 2 days.

Day 22

"A miniature sleigh and 8 tiny reindeer"

This is what happens when I offered to help Cohen make a wooden sleigh since I wasn't sure how to make the wooden airplane he was asking for...

Once the sleigh was made....."Now it needs Santa and reindeer"

paper, googley eyes, and craft sticks.....and you can make anything....

even Santa.

Day 23

Today was spent finishing up gifts, wrapping gifts, putting together packages for grandparents. Cale decided to make some plain chocolate covered pretzels with the left over supplies from our previous treats. Rylan finshed knitting the hat he was making for Lakin. Cale made a craft stick monster for Rylan....

And yes I am fully aware that I skipped day 20

24 Days of Christmas: Day 17,18, and 19

Day 17

red and green popcornPlace the popcorn kernal in bags and add some coloring. I use my wilton icing colors- they provide the best and deepest color. I don't think liquid color would work too well. Close up the bags and let little hands squish for awhile- until all the kernals are coated.
Spread out the kernals to dry. This took 1-2 days. When you pop the corn there will be flecks of red and green. We layered the 2 colors in a jar, added a ribbon to the top and it is ready to be given away.
Day 18

paper candy canes

I saw this over on Julie's blog and thought it would be the perfect addition to my Christmas crafts- especially since my list has a few bare spots on it. You can find the tutorial here- the boys really enjoyed making them and Cale made a couple more on his own today.

Day 19

gingerbread

The yearly tradition that cannot be missed. One day I will actually bake the gingerbread from scratch, but for now a kit will do- all they care about is the candy anyway....