Tag: Christmas

Christmas Time is Here!

CarrieLeave a comment

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It’s been a busy month for Sadie and I.  We have been getting ready for Christmas…baking, decorating, and enjoying the festivities.  Sadie and I were able to spend a weekend with our friend in the DC area since Sadie conveniently lives in Arlington, VA.  The pictures above are from our day in DC.

Meanwhile, back in Jersey I am all set for Christmas with one day to spare.  I literally just finished wrapping presents for my family. Getting ready for Christmas is a long process.  I always decorate the house Thanksgiving weekend, shop for gifts Cyber Monday and the rest of that week, bake cookies the next week, and then finish tying up any lose ends the last week before wrapping up the season of shopping literally!  I’m currently sitting in my winter wonderland (pictures below) and watching the sappy Hallmark Christmas movies.  I have already watched a few of my holiday movie staples (The Holiday, The Family Stone, and Love Actually).  Have a holly jolly Christmas everyone!

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Santa’s Snickerdoodles

CarrieLeave a comment

When I was a child, I always left Snickerdoodles out for Santa.  They are festive and easy to make.  My dad used to let me roll the balls of dough into different colored sugars to make them special.  Then my dad would take my creation and bake them in the oven to make the perfect cookie for Santa.  It is one of my best Christmas memories.  The recipe is an adaptation from Betty Crocker.

Ingredients
1  c butter, 1 1/2 c sugar, 2 eggs, 2 3/4 c flour, 1 tsp baking soda, 2 tsp cream of tartar, 1/4 tsp salt

Directions
Heat oven to 400.  Mix sugar, butter, and eggs in a large bowl.  Stir in flour, creamof tartar, baking soda and salt.  Shape dough into 1 inch balls and then roll the balls in colored sugar.
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Place on a cookie sheet and bake for 8 to 10 minutes.  Remove cookies from sheet pan to wire rack for cooling.  Enjoy!

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Crafty Claus

CarrieLeave a comment

I have been busy this season doing a whole bunch of projects. One project that I have completed is painting the Santa Claus ceramic figures that I found in my grandmother’s attic. They were unfinished pieces of ceramic that a family member had made. Now, they have a whole new look of color. I brought them to life with Martha Stewart’s new all-purpose paint line that you can find at Michael’s Craft Store. The paint can be used on ceramic, glass, wood, pottery…just about anything you can think of. I found the paint to be thick and creamy. The paints started at $1.99 per bottle and the bottle might look small but it goes a long way. Here is one of the finished products.

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