Christmas Eve 2009

May the PEACE of knowing our LOVING Savior was born fill your hearts with JOY.

Tasty Tuesday

Bekah, this is for you. Sorry there are no pictures as our camera is misbehaving. This may or may not become regular. I make no promises. :o)

This is a variation on a recipe I created for Christmas 2003. I think it's an improvement on the original. Enjoy.

Chocolate Raspberry Truffles

1/2 c. butter (no substitutes)

1 14 oz. can sweetened condensed milk

2 bags milk chocolate chips

2/3 c. seedless raspberry jam/jelly

1 package of dipping chocolate

Melt the butter in a medium size sauce pan over low heat. Don't brown. Pour in milk and whisk together. Add chip and jam and whisk until chips are melted and the consistency is smooth. Pour into a glass bowl to cool. Cool several hours (or days) until the mixture can be rolled into 1 inch balls (I use my smallest cookie scoop.) Place rolled balls on a wax paper lined baking sheet and freeze until firm (If leaving in freezer for more than 6 hours cover with plastic wrap.). Melt dipping chocolate in a double boiler or in a mini crock pot. Dip each truffle and let set on another wax paper lined baking sheet. To distinguish these from other chocolate candies I drizzled the finished product with some white chocolate tinted pink. Recipe makes about 85 truffles depending on size.

*The original recipe omits with jam and replaces it with 1/4 c. Kahlua. I've also done this recipe with orange marmalade for those who like the chocolate oranges that come out at Christmas.*

Oh, Christmas Tree

Our Christmas tree isn't pretty by many standards. It's not perfect. The ornaments on it are a hodge-podge that have be collected for over 30 years. Tonight as we put it up and decorated together as a family I thought about this tradition of a Christmas tree. It's not really the most religious of the Christmas traditions. I know the thought that Luther started the tradition but really, a tree in the living room doesn't have much to do with our Savior-baby in a manger. That said, it's one of my favorite traditions. For as long as I can remember I've loved putting up the tree. It truly is one of my favorite nights of the year. Now as I shared the tradition with my own children it's even more special to me. As I opened the ornament box and handed things to my kids to be hung on our tree I took the time to remember each ornament. Each one has a story that was shared aloud tonight. Nathan and I both had grandparents who gave us an ornament each Christmas so there are many of those, there are some apple ones from Nathan's teaching, there is a soldier bear from the year Nathan was on active duty, each of the kids hung ones that say "Baby's 1st Christmas." There are special gifts from friends far away in years and miles, there was the one I got from my kindergarten teacher 25 years ago and the one Evan got from his last year There are several from a Christmas wedding shower thrown for us. There is one from our first Christmas in our first house. There is one with a picture of our college, and even a section of paper chain Nathan made for me when I was counting down days till Christmas 9 years ago. There are memories in each ornament that hangs from our tree. But even more there are blessing. Our tree is a blazing picture of a blessed life. We have been loved by grandparents, parents, and friends who have given us tokens to remember that, we have been blessed with schools and learning, we have a home, we have three precious children, we have a strong marriage, we have a Savior. That's what hangs on that tree. Those little ornaments, tokens from the past, are little reminders of blessings every day. That's what makes it the most beautiful tree to me.

Thanksgiving, Really

Over the four day Thanksgiving weekend we spent time with both side of our family. We arrived at Nathan's parents' house Wednesday evening and promptly began the merry making staying up until midnight laughing, playing games, and drinking wine. Thanksgiving Day we followed tradition and it was spent with his extended family at Grandma's house. Friday my sisters-in-law and I headed out for some Black Friday action while Nathan and the kids helped his dad do some burning of brush and miscellaneous fun farm stuff. Saturday most of my family went Christmas tree hunting and then we all had dinner at my parents. Sunday we went to church with my parents, had a quick lunch, and headed home. Busy trip but loads and loads of fun with grandparents, aunts, uncles, and cousins galore! Laughter, caring, sharing, and cuddling the newest babies on both sides! Do you think either Nathan or I took more than a handful of pictures? Nope. These are the best of the few we have to offer-some of my family dragging Christmas trees at the tree farm and the boys helping my Dad cut down their tree. I guess we were just having too much fun to bother with stopping to take the pictures. Oh, well. We'll try again at Christmas.

November Bonfire

On the Saturday before Thanksgiving we had a beautiful fall day that we wanted to savor for just a little longer. To lengthen our time outside we had a bonfire after dark. We've had bonfires before and we've had beautiful fall days but what I liked best was that it was dark by 5pm. This meant we could have the bonfire after dark and still get the kids bathed and to bed on time. All three kids thought they were getting a treat by staying up late and then Nathan found some sparklers left from 4th of July as a bonus. It's the little things.