Holiday Baking

I do work all week, but was lucky enough to come home early today and do some holiday party baking with Tim.  Kyla made these cookies for Halloween and they were fantastic, so we whipped up a batch this afternoon for a party tonight.  I think we both need to work on our decorating skills, but they are still pretty tasty.  Also, persimmon pudding is in the oven.  Persimmon pudding is one of those desserts you either love or hate.  I am a total convert, despite not having grown up with persimmons.

One more (long) day at work before three days off out of four.  I am looking forward to calling people, lounging, reading, eating and movie watching.

Better to Give Than Receive

I really enjoy shopping for and getting gifts for family and friends.  I love finding that thing that is just right for a certain person.  Its like you are creating a connection across the distances with things, which all sounds sort of cheesy, I admit, but true. I do have some great friends who live in far flung places.   And this year, I have gotten some AMAZING gifts from friends and family!  Handmade note cards (above, complete with coordinating address labels), awesome reindeer platter and plates, a personalized photo book, a book from a favorite author, a beautiful jewelry box, a sweet necklace, and some HONEY from people who keep bees on their land in Texas.  I am freaking amazingly lucky.  I have the best friends on the planet.  Thank you everyone!

I am working most of this week, save for Thursday and Friday, so I hope you all feel bad for me.  However, I am taking 10 days or so off starting next week.  Really looking forward to time both spent at home, and then back in IN with Tim before his Spring semester starts again.

Happy Solstice!

Holiday Knitting

So yes, here it looks sort of like a knitted blob, but in real life it is actually pretty.  My one Christmas gift that I made is finally finished, boxed and wrapped.  This totally counts as part of my Year of Making Stuff, but who is counting (I am actually awarding myself extra credit for the huge Middle Way quilt from this summer – so there).  I will post full photos once the proper owner gets to see it first.  Now I have to go and make one for myself.

Holiday shopping is 95% finished and boxes will be in the mail Tuesday.  We haven’t put a tree up since we’ve been back in Bloomington, but I did hang some indoor lights and stockings are hung on the bookcase.  Oh, and of course there are paper snowflakes too.  Dave’s Paper Snowflake Patterns are the best free ones online, and I’ve used them for years.  Many a library display has been graced with Dave’s snowflakes.  Why let the tradition die?

Sweet Spiced Pecans

Every time we make these Spiced Pecans, people ask for the recipe.  In fact, people are still emailing Tim from St. Mary’s asking for the recipe almost 3 years later.  They really are delicious and the recipe comes from Miles, Tim’s grandpa who I never got a chance to meet.  The recipe is pretty simple and perfect for the holidays (read: easy and make ahead), so I thought I would share.

Miles’ Sweet Spiced Pecans

1lb pecans

1 egg white

1 tsp water

1 tsp cinnamon

1tsp salt

1 c sugar

Mix the egg white and water together in a bowl.  Add pecans and stir to coat.  Sift sugar, cinnamon and salt together and add to the coated pecans.  Put in a lightly greased brownie pan and cook at 200 degrees for one hour, stirring a few times.

C’est tout!  Bon Appetit!

Thanksgiving Holiday

I was lucky enough to spend a wonderful Thanksgiving holiday in Houston.  I spent part of the time with Larissa and her family at her house, complete with delicious baked goods and a wonderful Thanksgiving dinner.  The other part of the time I spent celebrating the engagement of one of my cousins, in a style I’ve never seen before!  The bride-to-be’s family is from India, and we were treated to a wonderful party.  As an added bonus to seeing cousins, aunts, and my mom, I was able to also see my great aunt and uncle.  I don’t have any grandparents left to visit or hear stories from, so it was especially meaningful.

Of course now, I am feeling generally crappy physically but am downing the oj in a last ditch effort to not get sick.  Maybe its just allergies.  Maybe the humidifier will help.  Right?