Christmas cookies!

This afternoon Emma, Josh and I made cookies. I had found a few recipes I wanted to try from the latest Taste of Home issue. We set up sort of a little assembly line where I mixed up the dough, they placed it on the trays and then I covered some with the icing for the top. During the whole thing they were also busy working on their memory verses for the nursing home ministry next week. There were several interesting conversations throughout the afternoon.

Josh: "But Mary kept all this things and pandered them in her heart."
Me: "Pondered, Joshua, pondered."

Me: "Here is the dough in this bowl so I can wash this one and mix up the next round."
Emma: "You're making MORE?"
Me: "Yes."
Emma: "Why are you making all these cookies? Are we going to a party or something?"
Me: "We ARE the party."

Josiah: "But Mary kept all this things and pond-red them in her heart."
Me: "PONDERED."

Emma: "Josh you're making them too messy. They should be nice and round so they look nice for the party."
Josh: "What party?"
Emma: "The party we're having. Megan said we were having a party."
Me: "That's not what I said!"
Emma: "Yes you did."
Me: "No I didn't!! What did I say?"
Emma: "You said were a party."
Me: "I said we ARE the party."
*Emma looks confused and not at all convinced*

*a few minutes later*
Josiah: "Can I have one of these cookies?"
Josh: "No you can't we're taking them to the nursing home."
Me: "NO WE'RE NOT. These are for US."
Josh: "I thought you said--"
Me: "I give up."

Mocha Nut Balls

Chocolate Covered Cherry Cookies

Santa Claus

I have noticed through the years a great deal of animosity from Christians toward Santa Claus. While I think I understand their root concern I think that he has gotten a rather bad rap. One of the things that bothers me the most is something that was said at our church a couple of weeks ago. Someone I highly admire and respect mentioned that Santa Claus was based on fiction. I think I know what he meant but in all fairness the man that Santa Claus is based on was a real person. Wikipedia says:

Saint Nicholas of Myra is the primary inspiration for the Christian figure of Santa Claus. He was a 4th-century Greek Christian bishop of Myra in Lycia, a province of the Byzantine Anatolia, now in Turkey. Nicholas was famous for his generous gifts to the poor, in particular presenting the three impoverished daughters of a pious Christian with dowries so that they would not have to become prostitutes.

Also attached to the evils of Santa is generally the idea that "you know if you rearrange Santa you get Satan!" Umm Santa actually means "Saint". I think this is one of those things where the fundamentalists or something have really gone overboard. It's okay to not want to participate in something but you needn't make it out to be some evil thing. Just don't participate.

Now this does not mean I endorse lying to children and telling them that Santa really exists as we see him in movies. That's wrong just because it's wrong to lie to kids. I don't think though there's any harm in having Santa movies or stories just like we have fairy tales about Cinderella or The Three Little Pigs even. No those things didn't really happen but do we say that Cinderella is evil or that the Three Little Pigs are satanic?? Of course Satan can use the whole idea of Santa Claus to distract from the true meaning of Christmas but if Santa Claus had a day all his own separate from Christmas would we really have that much to complain about? I really doubt it.

Personally I have never really considered Santa Claus to be "cute" so I do not own any Santa Claus decorations but I think if you want them have at it. In fact if you want to put a Santa Claus kneeling at the manger scene I'm not even sure why that should be a problem hehe. Okay I'm sure I'm gonna get comments on that one. ;-)

Cute kids :-)

Well my new camera came in handy tonight at the CFBC Christmas party. Jenny brought her little ones with her and so we snapped a few shots. The boys found the fairy wings and wands in the dress-up box by the nativity at the church and immediately wanted to wear them. Haha. :-)

My new camera

Ten HOLIDAY EATING TIPS!

1. Avoid carrot sticks. Anyone who puts carrots on a holiday buffet table knows nothing of the Christmas spirit. In fact, if you see carrots, leave immediately. Go next door, where they're serving rum balls.

2. Drink as much eggnog as you can. And quickly. It's rare. You can't find it any other time of year but now. So drink up! Who cares that it has 10,000 calories in every sip? It's not as if you're going to turn into an eggnog-alcoholic or something. It's a treat. Enjoy it. Have one for me. Have two. It's later than you think. IT'S CHRISTMAS!!!!

3. If something comes with gravy, use it. That's the whole point of gravy. Gravy does not stand alone. Pour it on. Make a volcano out of your mashed potatoes. Fill it with gravy. Eat the volcano. Repeat step #3.

4. As for mashed potatoes, always ask if they're made with skim milk or whole milk. If it's skim, pass. Why bother? It's like buying a sports car with an automatic transmission.

5. Do not have a snack before going to a party in an effort to control your eating. The whole point of going to a Christmas party is to eat other people's food for free. Lots of it. Hello?

6. Under no circumstances should you exercise between now and New Year's. You can do that in January when you have nothing else to do. This is the time for long naps, which you'll need after circling the buffet table while carrying a 10-pound plate of food and that vat of eggnog.

7. If you come across something really good at a buffet table, like frosted Christmas cookies in the shape and size of Santa, position yourself near them and don't budge. Have as many as you can before becoming the center of attention. They're like a beautiful pair of shoes. If you leave them behind, you're never going to see them again.

8. Same for pies. Apple. Pumpkin. Mincemeat. Have a slice of each. Or if you don't like mincemeat, have two apples and one pumpkin. Always have three. When else do you get to have more than one dessert? Labor Day?

9. Did someone mention fruitcake? Granted, it's loaded with the mandatory celebratory calories, but avoid it at all cost. I mean, have some standards.

10. One final tip: If you don't feel terrible when you leave the party or get up from the table, you haven't been paying attention. Reread tips; start over, but hurry, January is just around the corner.

Remember this motto to live by:
'Life should NOT be a journey to the grave with the intention of arriving safely in an attractive and well preserved body, but rather to skid in sideways, chocolate in one hand, a hand crafted beverage in the other, body thoroughly used up, totally worn out and screaming 'WOO HOO what a ride!'

SNOW!!!

Comments

It has come to my attention (thanks Mr. Wy!!) that my comments were broken...they are now fixed! Sorry if any of you tried to comment unsucessfully. :-) Now you can try again!!