Day Sixteen - Being Good

My first gift of the year...

seems this being good business has its perks!




Day Fifteen - Hot Cocoa

 It was a day of cozy.

Cocoa, cream, and candy canes...

 

 ...with a bit of coaster crochet on the side!

 

Day Fourteen - Waiting

 When your little it seems as if you have to wait forever for Christmas Day to arrive.

Not so much when your a grown up.

 

And yet today, I had my fair share of it.

Instead of watching the skies for Santa's sleigh however, I was obsessively checking out the windows for snowflakes. We had been promised twelve inches of snow but it seemed to take forever and a day before the first few pitiful spits of it started coming down. Even then it was very slow going and my patience was wearing thin and what with all my running back and forth to the window I thought I might be at risk of wearing thin myself. It seemed nourishment was in order and so I set out to do some baking of the non-holiday variety and whip up a Lazy Daisy Cake.

 

Now one of the best things about a Lazy Daisy Cake (a.k.a Lightning Cake) is that it is 

extremely quick (like lightning!) to make up. 

This is a very good thing when you are running low on patience.

 

Best thing #2 about Lazy Daisy Cake is that it has the most amazingly easy and delicious topping in the world. Nothing more than butter, cream, and brown sugar...YUM!

 

 And best thing #3 about making up a Lazy Daisy Cake is that it gives me the opportunity to spend time with my favorite cookbook of all time,  The Fanny Farmer Cookbook.

Not just any Fanny Farmer Cookbook mind you, it has to be the eleventh edition, have a gold cover, and, if your lucky, messages from the past!

 

My copy used to belong to a woman named Olive (love that name!) who had a friend named Polly (ditto!) I know this because of an envelope I found tucked in the pages containing a brief correspondence between the two and a shared recipe. Oh, and according to the note they also shared some opera glasses...  

 

 Olive appears to have been quite organized as documented in her menu plans.

 

 She loved to edit recipes and.... 

 

 ...leave little notes here and there!

 

 And her very own personalized index, what a great idea!

 

In the 25 minutes it took the cake to bake off I had just enough time for a quick visit with Olive. Combine that with a wipe down of the dishes and by the time I looked out the

window again the snow was flying!

 

Should you be interested in some non-holiday baking of your own....

 

Lightning Cake (Hot Milk Cake)

Small, delicious and easy. Excellent

either frosted or with a special topping

as in the recipe for Lazy Daisy Cake.

 

Set the oven at 375. Butter a square pan

8 by 8 by 2 inches.(Except I use a round cake pan!) 

 

Beat until thick

-2 eggs

-1 teaspoon vanilla

Beat in a little at a time

-1 cup sugar

Sift together and stir in

-1 cup flour (For gluten free try Betty Crocker's Gluten Free Flour)

-1 teaspoon baking powder

-1/4 teaspoon salt

Heat until butter melts

-1/2 cup milk

-1 tablespoon butter

Stir into the first mixture and beat 1

minute or until smooth. Pour into the

pan.

 

Bake about 25 minutes.

 

Lazy Daisy Cake. Leave the baked cake

in the pan. Mix 3 tablespoons melted butter,

3 tablespoons brown sugar, 2 tablespoons

cream and 1/2 cup chopped nuts or coconut.

(No nuts or coconut for us!) 

Spread over the cake. Put under the broiler and

cook until the topping is lightly browned.

Watch carefully and turn so the topping browns evenly.

 

 

Day Thirteen - Housework

Yes, housework was the Christmas focus of today.

It was, however,  housework of the most delightful kind.

Perhaps it was those gingerbread stamps I came home with yesterday or maybe it was just my way of avoiding the life sized vacuum and feather duster that actually did need to be put to use, but either way inspiration had struck and it was time to decorate the Christmas dollhouse.

 

 Hands smaller than mine volunteered to help set all in place. There is often great debate as to where all the goodies should be displayed and the whole process often exhausts them. Nothing a good night's sleep won't remedy which is a good thing considering......

 

......the foot of snow we are expected to receive tomorrow will have those very same "smaller than mine" hands hard at work making up their very first batch of snowballs for the year!

 

 



Day Twelve - Special Delivery

 I do believe it was a miracle of Christmas...mid-morning at the post office and no line!

Not only was I able to waltz up to the counter and give the wee birdie a proper send off but I also acquired some of....

 

 THESE!!!

I had so wanted some of the sweet holiday versions of the Priority mail boxes but every time I went they were out of stock. Not sure what I'll use them for yet but they sure are cute and have such

 a happy vintage air about them.

 

I also got the gingerbread house stamps I had my eye one. Just like little dollhouses they are! I'm so excited to put them to use that I think it might be the inspiration I need to actually get those cards written and posted out this year. We shall see...

 



Day Eleven - Wrap it Up

It's official.

I've wrapped my first gift of the season!

 



The little bird was completed earlier today in an alternate color combo but filled with a smidge of the same bouquet of Pickity Place lavender.

 



All that's left now is to send it on it's way to Fairie Moon which means tomorrow I'll be headed to the what is probably the second busiest place in the world this time of year...

the post office!!!

 

(Number One of course being Santa's Workshop.)



Day Ten - Garlands

 Today the giveaway tags found a second purpose and...
 

yesterday's snowfall was put to good use!



Day Nine - Snowflakes

It snowed today, but not just outside!



Day Eight - Visions of Sugar Plums

 Today I was cold, tired, and in no mood to step foot out of doors.

And so I didn't.

 

I had for myself instead quite the frumpy time of it, lazing on the couch, drowning myself in tea, and browsing cookbooks for visions of sweets and savories I might serve up for the holidays. I was most delighted with that little gem of a book up there on the left titled,

A World of Good Eating.

 

 

 I love that it is noted to be "tested in the kitchen of a New England Housewife."

She obviously was much more industrious than me.

 

 And how cute is that copyright!

 

 I did accomplish some menu making however and was especially excited to find the section on Poland full of potential dishes for my Dad's birthday dinner which happens to coincide with

New Years Eve.

 

Paprika Chicken should do the trick along with some Golabski (stuffed cabbage), cucumber salad, pierogi, and perhaps a poppy seed roll for dessert. Yum!

 



Day Seven - Mall Shopping

No explanation necessary.



Day Six - St. Nicholas Day

 Dinner was delicious and the Dundee divine,

 

Now it's time to announce the winner, a sweet friend of mine,

Congratulations Fairy Moon!!!

 

(Let's get in touch tomorrow on the lavender and such!)

 

Until then, sweet dreams to all and many thanks for playing along in the fun.

Happy St. Nicholas Day!

 

 

 



Day Five - In the Workshop

 Today I hung up my "Christmas Workshop" sign and set to work adding some

holiday sparkle to the crafting nook.

 

 The doors have since been closed up tight for the night but I'll give you a quick peak

at some of today's progress. 

 

 My flock was cut in a variety of prints and colors...

 

 ...including of course the flower and gingham one promised for tomorrow's giveaway! Don't forget to leave your comment to be entered into the drawing...you can click HERE for all the gifty details. Once you do I'll make up a little tag with your name on it and keep my fingers crossed that you are the lucky winner!!!
 

Day Four - Season of Giving

 Earlier today I had for myself a question being, "During this season of giving would it not be fitting to host a Giveaway?" To which I replied, "Oh yes, let's do just that!" And so off I went on a romp through my dishes to find a sweet piece of green depression glass because I do so think it lovely and sparkly to have around during Christmas time. Seemed to me this little candy dish would do the trick.

 

 But then, because it looked a tad bit lonely just sitting there by itself, I thought, "Now wouldn't it be nice to make up another little bird ornament to nest inside the dish before I sent it out into the world?" To which I again replied, "Oh yes, let's do just that!"

 

Now it's time for you to ask yourself a few questions.

Would you be in need a sparkly candy dish? Would a fine, not so feathered friend find a limb to roost upon on your tree? Would you be willing to leave a wee message here?

 

If so consider yourself a giveaway candidate!

To become a full fledged member of the giveaway hoopla here's what you'll need to do....

 

Leave a message in the comment section between now and 8pm Friday, December 6th.

Why so soon? Well for one I want to make sure you get your goodies in time for Christmas and two, because what could be better than to coordinate the giveaway reveal with St. Nicholas Day considering the guy is a pretty big deal as far a gift givers go!

 

I'll pick a name that night while enjoying a slice of Dundee cake and a cup of tea. Then, once I have the dishes clean and tidy I'll head on up and post the lucky winner's name for all to see.  

How much fun! I can hardly wait to get a needle and thread to work on that little bird tomorrow. Think it might be best to restrain myself a bit....I won't stuff him until I've had a chance to ask the winner one more question, "With lavender or without?"

By the way, if your wondering about that little bird just click HERE!

 



Day Three - Making Lists

 My plan of attack for any project is to first make a list.

Christmas is no different.

 

So this morning I gathered up some goodies and prepped them for an after dinner wish list extravaganza. At that time everyone gets to write down anything they wish for.

There is no guarantee that everything on the list will be acquired but if your very, very good chances are you'll be happily surprised!

 

We've done this for several years now and it has proved quite helpful. Often I try to have a theme to my list. Last year it was "consumables." This year however, it's "black" as in black Sharpies, black composition notebooks, black tea, and my really hoped for, black skeins of yarn for some granny square goodness I have a hankering to try.

 

 Then, during tea time, I settled down with a cuppa and the last of the Tree Nite cookies and started a list of possible Christmas projects from my stack of Mollie Makes magazines. Let me say this was lots of fun...well maybe not the part where I realized there were no more cookies left!  

 

My third and final list was made once everyone had hunkered down for the night. It is very secret and so I'm only telling you. I keep it in this itty bitty notebook but its pages are chock full of secret shopping plans. Based on the results of our wish list making after dinner I devoted the first couple of pages to shopping destinations. More detailed information follows but that I cannot

show even you!

 

 Did you notice Dunkin Donuts is up at the tippy top? That is most essential first stop for someone like me who would really prefer sitting home warm and cozy making their gifts. Not only does having a cup of hot coffee in hand help to keep me toasty while roaming the plazas, it also gives me the energy to keep up with the crowds and stand in the lines. And so, until such time that I can maneuver the ins and out of stitching a Nerf Gun Alpha Trooper CS-12 into being, you'll find me walking the aisles of Toys-R-Us sipping away on my paper hot cup.

 

Day Two - Homemade Ornament

 More often than not I buy a book based on it's cover which is exactly how I came to add Joelle Hoverson's delightful book Last-Minute Patchwork and Quilted Gifts. Although filled with oodles of inspiration in the homemade department it was the two patchy birds on the cover that sold me. For years now I've intended to make up a flock of them but somehow time just flew away from me. Not this year however! A new cut of red fabric and a package of sweet lavender from one of my favorite places inspired me to give it a go.

 

 Being that it only required four cut pieces and an estimated completion time of 45 minutes I figured I could sneak one in between morning errands and afternoon pick ups.

And guess what?

I did!

 

 A few quick seams, a bit of pokey work turning it right side out, and before you know it, it was time to stuff the bird!

 

To be honest I wasn't totally happy until I added the ribbon around the neck...ribbons just make everything so much more gifty don't you think?



Day One - Tree Nite

 We decided to welcome  December with our annual Tree Nite celebration. First things first, the tree is retrieved from the wee corners of the basement, assembled, lit with twinkle lights, and adorned with trinkets.

 

 "Elf" became a family favorite years ago and ever since has been set to play in the

background during the festivities.

 

 By the time the New Yorkers in the movie start singing Christmas carols to keep Santa's sleigh afloat most of the decorating has been completed and a round of winter Oreos is enjoyed by all. Well, almost all. Our wee Bichon never seems to get his fair share in this department and he can't quite seem to figure out why...

 

.....especially since he always does his part to decorate the tree!