Christmas Stitches and Christmas Wishes

Here we find ourselves at Christmas Eve morning. The days of anticipation and preparation are nearly complete. Before the day is over, we will take part in our church's candlelight service and enjoy our annual family Christmas Eve dinner of Manhattan clam chowder. (Watch for the clam chowder recipe early next December.)

This short post shares this year's additions to the garland I have on my bannister. Over the years, I've accumulated more ornaments than can reasonably fit on our Christmas tree. I've elected to use my garland as a place to display my cross-stitched ornaments, most of which feature designs from Shepherd's Bush. 

Here are a few "up close" looks at some of the ornaments on the garland.

This year's additions include one original Shepherd's Bush design and one from With Thy Needle & Thread. I now have a total of 21 stitched ornaments on the garland. Here is another look at the two new additions:

With that, I will bring this post to a close and wish you a very merry Christmas and extend my best wishes for a happy 2024. I will leave you with the apostle Paul's perspective in his letter to the Galatians. Just as we are now experiencing the culmination of our preparations for Christmas 2023, move than 2000 years ago, the entire world experienced the culmination of the promise first made in the Garden of Eden with the birth of Jesus.

When the fulness of the time came, God sent His Son, born of a woman, born under the Law, so that He might redeem those who were under the Law, that we might receive the adoption as sons and daughters. Galatians 4:4-5 (NASB)

Danish Christmas Cookies

 

As the countdown to Christmas 2023 winds down, I hope that you all are putting the finishing touches on your holiday preparations. Through the years I've shared some of our recipes for Christmas caramels, chocolates, and cookies. For this short blog, I thought I would share another cookie recipe that has become a Christmas season favorite over the past few years. 

In at least one of my past postings, I've shared that I'm half Danish. The only Danish recipe I have that has been handed down through the generations, though, is my paternal grandmother's recipe for aebelskivers. Through the years, I've picked up a couple of Danish recipe books with the larger goal of learning some new cooking skills and enjoying some new foods. A few years ago, I decided to add a Danish cookie to our repetoire of Christmas cookies. A recipe titled "Countess Cookies" caught my eye as one that seemed like one we would enjoy. After following the recipe as published, it was quickly evident that something wasn't entirely right, and I needed to make some modifications. I did some searching for "Countess Cookies" and "Danish Countess Cookies" on the Internet without any success in finding a recipe that was conceptually close to this one. 

Despite these challenges, I've managed to create a recipe that my family likes. The extent to which it is authentically Danish is probably debatable. Just the same, it's at least intended to be in the spirit of the Danish butter cookie. Here is our recipe along with a few pictures.

Ingredients:

• 3/4 cup butter
• 1/2 cup shortening
• 3/4 cup brown sugar
• 1 egg
• 1 tsp vanilla
• 2 1/2 cups flour
• 1/2 cup ground oats
• 1 1/4 tsp baking powder
• 3/4 tsp salt
• Additional ground oats
• Maraschino cherries cut in halves or quarters

Note regarding the oats: You can use either whole or quick oats. Remember, though that you are going to grind them up. I have found that the quick oats are a little easier to work with to get the desired coarse oat flower texture to stir into the cookie dough and then to roll the balls of cookie dough into before baking. I typically use our small countertop food processor to grind the oats.

Here are the instructions

1. Cream the butter, shortening, and brown sugar together

2. Mix in the egg and vanilla

3. Fold in the flour, ground oats, baking powder, and salt

4. Form the dough into small balls and roll them in the additional ground oats, allowing the ground oats to stick to the cookie dough.

5. Place the cookie dough on a baking sheet and lightly press a maraschino cherry portion on top of the cookie dough.

6. Bake at 350 degrees for about 12 minutes. The baking time will vary based on how big you make the cookies. Because these are a shortbread variant, the can burn rather quickly so you will want to watch for the edges to start to turn brown.

Here is what a pan of cookies looked like before I put them in the oven. I tried to make our cookies a little smaller this year. I was able to fit 21 cookies on a cookie sheet. I also used a silicone sheet on the bottom of the cookie sheet. Silicone sheets are the best.

Here is the outcome of our 2023 Christmas cookie baking day. The recipes for the molasses cookies on the right and the craisin puff cookies on the left can be found here. My family isn't entirely keen on raisins so, in recent years, we have switched the raisins in raisin puff cookies to craisins and now call them craisin puff cookies.

Whether you enjoy Christmas baking or not, wishing you all the best blessings of the season.

An Advent Sampler and Memories of Sunday School

Although the church I grew up in didn't celebrate the Advent season in the same manner as those with liturgical traditions, December always shifted to a season of anticipating Jesus' birth. This was especially true in the children's Sunday School lessons during the month of December.

Sunday School has always had a very special place in my life, and several of my limited memories of living in Alaska are tied to Sunday School. To be honest, I really don't have a lot of memories of the specific things I learned given that I was not quite 4 years old when we left. I primarily remember church as being a special place and that I liked going to Sunday School. I remember having a little black purse in which I would carry a small red New Testament. I also remember going to some type of Christmas service and being able to walk up to the front and see baby Jesus in the manger. 

The fall of 1974 found me in Sunday School for the first time in over 3 years. From the summer of 1971 until our move to Corinne, Utah, in August 1974, we lived in a very remote area of Utah and did not have access to a church to attend regularly. Looking back now, that little 1st through 3rd grade Sunday School class has had a central influence on my life. As we entered the month of December, the lessons shifted to the Christmas story. I still remember the sense of wonder and amazement as I learned about the prophets who foretold Jesus coming. While the story of baby Jesus being born in Bethlehem was familiar, this aspect of the Christmas story had me in awe. I also remember the kindness of my teachers, a husband-wife team, and how each Sunday morning, they had a small Christmas craft for us to complete - nothing particularly fancy but a little something special as we came in the door each week of December.

Through the years, I've come to love the Advent-themed hymns even more. In this post, I'm sharing a sampler from my favorite stitching shop, Shepherd's Bush, in Ogden, Utah. This is a project that I began working on a number of years back and finished in 2021. Earlier this fall, I finally brought it in to be framed so that we could enjoy it this Christmas season. The hymn featured on this piece, O Come, O Come Emmanuel, reflects the message of the prophets for Emmanuel, God with Us, to come here to earth to walk among us. Here are a few additional close up pictures of this piece.

Wishing you all the best blessings of the Advent season as you prepare to celebrate the fulfillment of the message of the prophets. Here is what the prophet Isaiah foretold.

Therefore the Lord Himself will give you a sign; Behold, the virgin will conceive and give birth a son, and she will name Him Immanuel. Isaiah 7:14

A half pound cake for the fall holiday season

Now that we are in the empty nest stage of life, learning to scale our cooking for two has become a bit of a challenge. We still maintain a philosophy of approaching cooking with a deliberate intent of generating leftovers. Just the same, it's still a bit of a challenge figuring out what will feed two people over 2 or 3 days compared with feeding five people for 2 days. 

Preparing desserts for two is also a challenge. We enjoy a nice dessert, but full size recipes result in far more than we need. About a year ago, I was delighted to find a half sized bundt cake pan at a local kitchen store. Pound cake is one of our favorite desserts (and breakfasts), so I was very quick to purchase it. Historically, pound cakes have included a pound of butter, a pound of eggs, pound of sugar, and a pound of flour. 

Fall is our favorite time of year, and we enjoy the tastes and flavors that go with fall, including cranberries and a little spice. A few weeks ago, I was looking for a fall-themed pound cake to try in our pan and came across this one. I've made it several times now, and it has quickly become a new favorite both as a dessert and a breakfast cake. The caramel, cranberry, and pecan flavors are ones that are great for kicking off the fall season and continuing on through Christmas.

Here's how to make this half pound cake. Please remember to double it if you are making a full-sized bundt cake.

Ingredients:

• 1 cup of butter
• 1.25 cups brown sugar
• 3 eggs
• 1.5 tsp vanilla
• 1.5 cups flour
• 1 tsp baking powder
• 1/2 tsp cinnamon
• 1/8 tsp salt
• 1/8 tsp baking soda
• 1/2 cup buttermilk
• 1 cup chopped fresh cranberries
• 1/2 cup chopped pecans

Steps:

1. Cream together the butter and brown sugar until light and fluffy - about 4-5 minutes.
2. Beat in the eggs one at a time, and beat in the vanilla.
3. Mix in the dry ingredients, alternating with the buttermilk. When I make this cake, I typically mix in 1/2 cup of flour along with the baking powder, cinnamon, salt, and baking soda, then mix in 1/4 cup of buttermilk, then mix in another 1/2 cup of flour, the remaining 1/4 cup of buttermilk, and then 1/2 cup of flour.
4. Stir in the chopped cranberries and then the chopped pecans. For each of these ingredients, I typically measure them and then use a small food processor for the chopping.
5. 
   Pour into a greased and floured bundt pan. One of the most anxiety-producing aspects of making a bundt cake is whether it will come out of the pan without sticking. Over the years, I've found success in melting Crisco in the microwave and then using a brush to "paint" the inside of the pan. The melted Crisco tends to resolidfy fairly quickly after being "painted" into the pan. I then flour the pan and check to make sure that the entire inside is well covered. If there are any unfloured spots, I add Crisco and re-flour that area. The picture above is what my pan typically looks like. The picture below is what the pan looks like after the batter has been added, and it is ready to go into the oven.
   
6. Bake the cake in a 350 degree oven for about 55 minutes. Pound cakes can be a bit tricky because they are fairly dense and deep. The addition of the fresh cranberries results in some additional internal steam and moistness. I've found that 55 minutes tends to be about right. Of course, each oven is just a little different.
7. Let the cake cool on a cooling rack for about 15 minutes. I typically set a timer. If I let the cake sit too long, it tends to adhere to the pan. If I flip it too soon, the weight of the lower portion of the cake can cause it to tear away from what will become the top.
8. After 15 minutes, flip the pan over onto another cooling rack. Sometimes I will tap the sides of the pan with the end of a table knife. Breath a major sigh of relief if it comes out intact. Allow the cake to cool completely before you add the frosting.

Frosting ingredients:

• 1/2 cup brown sugar
• 1/4 cup butter
• 2 tbsp milk
• 1/2 cup powdered sugar
• 1/2 tsp vanilla

Frosting instructions - wait to make the frosting until the cake has cooled because you want to put freshly made frosting over a completely cool cake so that it will set.

1. Bring the brown sugar, butter, and milk to a boil on the stove, stirring constantly over medium heat. Allow the mixture to boil for about one minute and remove it from the heat.
2. Whisk in the powdered sugar and vanilla. A kitchen whisk really is all you need to get the ingredients combined.
3. Spoon the frosting over the cake. I use a gravy ladle to spoon the frosting over the top of the cake. This lets the frosting run down the sides of the cake and into the ridges.

Here's another look at the cake after it has been frosted. You can also add some coarsely chopped pecans for decoration:

Here is a slice that lets you see how the cranberries are dispersed within the cake.

Hairy Coos and Haggis

Over the past few years, my daughter has become somewhat enamored with Highland cows. When I saw a quilt featuring a Highland cow at last year's Box Elder County Fair, I did a Google search to identify the pattern. Fortunately, the pattern was reasonably easy to find, as was an accompanying kit. Despite the multiple pieces of various dimensions, the quilt went together much easier than I anticipated. With the help of a very skilled custom quilter, this quilt became my daughter's birthday present back in February.

To give you a sense of some of the unique sizes of the pieces in this quilt, here's a little close up look at the cow's face.

Here are a few other pictures highlighting the custom quilting work, courtesy of Darnit Dana's Quilting. 

I was even able to find some fleece for the backing featuring Highland cows. Here's a look.

Now, here are a few fun facts about Highland cows, or to be more correct, Highland cattle. 

• Highland cattle originated in the Scottish Highlands and Outer Hebrides islands off the northwest coast of Scotland as early as the 6th century. 
• Although the reddish coloring of Highland cattle is what we are most familiar with today, black coloring was originally the most common.
• Highland cattle have a double coat of hair giving them their fluffy appearance aka "hairy coo."
• Highland cattle can live up to 20 years.

About two months ago, I had the very good fortune to visit Scotland prior to a professional meeting in Dublin. Given that we had spent some time in Ireland seven years ago, my husband suggested spending some additional time in Scotland instead. Our day trip to the Highlands did include an opportunity to meet a hairy coo. Here I am feeding a potato to Honey. 

Before I bring this post to a close, here are a few comments about Scotland:

• If you have the opportunity to visit Scotland, take it.
• Edinburgh is absolutely beautiful and picturesque. Enjoy walking the Royal Mile and take the time to hike up to Arthur's seat.
• Don't be afraid to try haggis.

Before we left on our trip, a neighbor who had spent considerable time in Scotland told us to be sure to try haggis, neeps, and tatties - aka haggis, mashed turnips, and potatoes. I will admit that I've been somewhat squeamish at trying a mixture of minced sheep organs mixed with oatmeal, suet, and onion prior to its being boiled in a sheep's stomach. Our neighbor told us that, to him, haggis reminded him of his grandmother's Thanksgiving stuffing. With that perspective, we gave it a try. To be honest, it really was pretty good. The sage and onion seasoning along with the texture really did make it reminiscent of Thanksgiving. Here's how our haggis, neeps, and tatties were served at Deacon Brodie's Tavern. Deacon Brodie was quite a colorful character in Edinburgh history, but that is another story for another day.

Whether learning about interesting animals or visiting new places, I find our world a fascinating place. I will leave you with this perspective from King David.

The earth is the LORD's, and all it contains,

The world and those who live in it. Psalm 24:1 

Strawberry Rhubarb Jam

As it turns out, my last cooking-type post had to do with strawberries and rhubarb. Now, about 10.5 months later, I have another strawberry and rhubarb recipe to share. 

Despite our extended winter, some of the early garden plants are growing nicely, including my rhubarb plant. We had some nice weekend weather which provided a good opportunity to get out, do some weeding and harvest most of the stalks that had emerged on my plant. Because the plant was already sending out some flowering stalks, I wanted to get it cut back to stimulate growth of more edible stalks. Also, i was eager to make the first pie of the season. Given the large quantity of stalks that were ready for harvest, I decided to go ahead and make a batch of jam. We were already buying strawberries so I had my husband get the extra large container of them from the store.

Before I proceed to the recipe, here's a little breakdown of the differences between jellies, jams,, and preserves:

Jellies are made from fruit juice which is typically extracted from cooked, crushed fruit. The process of making jelly involves straining the cooked fruit through some type of very fine sieve or fine mesh fabric. The resulting juice is then cooked with sugar, and sometimes pectin, to create a firm texture.

Jams are made from chopped fruit that is cooked down with sugar and often pectin. Jams are looser in texture than jellies and are more spoonable and spreadable.

Preserves contain larger pieces of fruit, or even whole fruit. Cherry or strawberry preserves often contain whole fruit. The syrup in which the fruit is held together may be more like a syrup or more like a jam.

A quick word about pectin. Pectin is a soluble fiber that is found in fruit. it is used as a thickener in jams and jellies. You can buy it in boxes or in a jar. Given that the amount of jam that I make at a time can vary greatly based on the fruit that I have on hand, I've come to prefer just having a jar on hand from which I can spoon out the given amount that I want. One 2-ounce box of pectin contains approximately 3.5 tablespoons of pectin.

The amounts listed below will make approximately five 1/2 pint jars. I will add some comments below the recipe regarding our preferences and ways that you can introduce your own style.

Strawberry Rhubarb Jam

• 4 cups of chopped rhubarb
• 4 cups of chopped strawberries
• 4 tablespoons of pectin
• 1 tablespoon of lemon juice
• 2 cups of sugar

Stir all ingredients together and bring to a boil on the stove. Cook until mixture is slightly thickened and the fruit is cooked to your satisfaction. Here is what mine looked like when I was finished.

A few considerations regarding fruit and sugar ratio:

Remember that rhubarb is tart and strawberries are sweet. I like using equal ratios in my jam. I've seen some recipes that use a greater strawberry-to-rhubarb ratio. Feel free to start with smaller quantities of fruit and then figure out what you like.

We tend to like the tartness in the strawberry-rhubarb mixture. As such, we limit our sugar to 2 cups. You could always increase the amount of sugar. Consider trying an initial batch with smaller quantities such as 1 cup each of the two fruits and 1/2 cup of sugar and then adjust from there before proceeding with a larger batch.

Processing the jam:

Ladle hot jam into prepared jars and process in a boiling water bath canner. The standard processing time for sea level is about 15 minutes. Because I live at a higher elevation, I process for 25 minutes.

For guidance on processing, I recommend consulting the Ball Blue Book for canning. You can see that my copy is pretty beat up, but it's my "go to" source. You can see from the picture at the top of the post that I used both half-pint jars and smaller half-cup jars. At the end of the day, the choice is yours. I tend not to use pint jars much for jams anymore because we just don't go through it fast enough now that there are only two of us in the house.

Enjoy your jam on toast, scones, biscuits, or anything else you like!

A Long Winter (of the soul) …

I'm realizing that it's been over a year since I last shared a sewing project. Even though I've found myself with less time for non-work-related projects of any kind, I have completed a few. The one I'm sharing in this post is somewhat symbolic of the past 5 months as well as the past three years. 

Those of you who are fans of Laura Ingalls Wilder's Little House series will recall that the 6th book in the series is titled The Long Winter. This book details her family's experiences of living in the small homesteading town of DeSmet, South Dakota, during the winter of 1880-81. This winter began in mid-October with a series of storms that persisted into the early spring months. The book concludes with the long-awaited arrival of a train in late April, bring much needed supplies and food.

Here in northern Utah, we have just concluded one of our longest winters. It began in somewhat typical fashion with snowfall in early November. What occurred in atypical fashion, however, is that this early snow did not completely melt prior to the onset of more substantial snow several weeks later. Throughout the winter, this early November snow remained buried in our yard. This winter result in many broken records related to snowfall and water. Most notably, one of our ski resorts received over 900 inches of snow. Just as we thought we were on the brink of having the snow melt away for the season, we received several more feet in the valley during the first week of April. Here's some of the local evidence.

The persistent snow has also resulted in an extremely delayed spring. The final patch of snow in our backyard melted away only this past week on April 27. Additionally, the persistent snow and cold temperatures have delayed the emergence of the spring flowers and leaves. In many ways, this has resulted in a sense of disconnect between the date on the calendar and the views outside. This Friday, however, patches of early spring green began to appear on the hillside behind our house amidst the residual patches of snow. Just today, blossoms began appearing on our flowering tree in the front yard.

In some ways, these past three years have also been a bit of a long winter of the soul. The convergence of the pandemic, politics, and consequences of patriarchy in my larger faith community have taken their toll. I was unprepared for the unexpected magnitude of what these years would reveal. These years have also brought a series of additional losses and challenges, not all of which were directly related to the above named three Ps.

So, just what does all of the above have to do with a wool applique project? I bought this project in early 2022 for a few reasons: 1) During January, I like to have blue winter-themed decor out and about to take away the empty feeling after the Christmas decorations come down; 2) I loved the design itself with the church in the winter snow and the bluejay on the fence; and 3) the verse itself is one that resonated with me. Through world and national disruptions, through seasons of loss and heartache, God does, indeed, guide us always and is faithful.

These past three years have brought to light just how crucial it is to be grounded in and guided by God's Word and not by those who would assume to be "leaders." To be clear, I don't consider myself to be a "deconstructor." If anything, I think of my own "long winter" of being more akin to Hebrews 12:1 and putting off obstacles that entangle to be able to run with endurance the race set before me.

And the LORD will continually guide you, and satisfy your desire in scorched places, and give strength to your bones; and you will be like a watered garden, and like a spring of water whose waters do not fail. Isaiah 58:11 (NASB)