Christmas 2016

[Noel+]

This morning I awoke to remember sweet dreams of Christmas past at my grandmother's at her Indiana farm. Tears of joy.

[Noel+]

This Christmas in July I have decided to make my grandmother's Sticky Pudding. It's a midwest recipe for date pudding and my family is in for a real treat. Here is the recipe if you would like to give it a try.

Ingredients

1 cup pitted whole dates, chopped
3/4 cup water
1 tablespoon mild-flavored molasses
1 cup all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1/2 cup butter, softened (1 stick)
1/2 cup packed dark brown sugar
1 egg
1/2 teaspoon vanilla
Toffee Sauce (see recipe)
Whipped cream (optional)
directions

For date filling, in a medium saucepan, combine dates and water. Bring to boiling; reduce heat. Cook, covered, for 15 minutes or until most of the liquid is absorbed, stirring occasionally. Remove from heat; stir in molasses; set aside to cool slightly.
Grease eight 6-ounce ramekins, souffle dishes or custard cups. Place ramekins in a 15x10x1-inch baking pan; set aside. In a medium bowl, stir together flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, cinnamon and nutmeg; set aside.
For pudding: In a large mixing bowl, beat butter with an electric mixer on medium speed for 30 seconds. Add brown sugar; beat until well combined. Add egg and vanilla; beat for 1 minute more. Add date mixture to butter mixture, beating on low speed just until combined. (Do not overmix.) With a wooden spoon, stir in flour mixture until combined. Spoon about 1/3 cup batter into each prepared ramekin.
Bake in a 350 degree F oven for 20 to 25 minutes or until top springs back when lightly touched. Cool in ramekins on a wire rack for 3 minutes. Using a knife, loosen pudding from sides of ramekins. Invert onto dessert plates. Spoon about 3 tablespoons of Honey Toffee Sauce over each warm pudding, allowing it to seep down around the sides and cover the top. Top with whipped cream and toffee pieces, if you like. Serve immediately.

[Noel+]

Do You Have the Christmas Spirit quiz?
https://www.blogthings.com/doyouhavethe ... piritquiz/[url][/url]

Do You Have the Christmas Spirit? 100%

Your Christmas spirit is almost as big as Christmas itself. Christmas is definitely your thing.
You celebrate Christmas with enthusiasm. You love every minute of the holidays.

Your Christmas spirit is inspiring to everyone who runs into you during the holidays.
You make everyone's day just a little bit brighter. And that's what the holidays are all about!

[Noel+]

CandyKane: this is my 9th Christmas post today and I challenge you to do the same! On to 1500 posts by Christmas in July!!

[Jolly O'Leary]

We'll need to make at least 9 posts a day to reach our goal of 1500 posts by Christmas in July.

Wow that's a lot of daily Christmas posts but hopefully when short we can catch up on the weekends!

no Christmas pressure. if we do, we do, if not, no worries..........I'm all for setting goals but not deadlines.

[CandyKane]

CandyKane: this is my 9th Christmas post today and I challenge you to do the same! On to 1500 posts by Christmas in July!!

And I accept your Christmas challenge dear friend.

[CandyKane]

This Christmas in July I have decided to make my grandmother's Sticky Pudding. It's a midwest recipe for date pudding and my family is in for a real treat. Here is the recipe if you would like to give it a try.

Ingredients

1 cup pitted whole dates, chopped
3/4 cup water
1 tablespoon mild-flavored molasses
1 cup all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1/2 cup butter, softened (1 stick)
1/2 cup packed dark brown sugar
1 egg
1/2 teaspoon vanilla
Toffee Sauce (see recipe)
Whipped cream (optional)
directions

For date filling, in a medium saucepan, combine dates and water. Bring to boiling; reduce heat. Cook, covered, for 15 minutes or until most of the liquid is absorbed, stirring occasionally. Remove from heat; stir in molasses; set aside to cool slightly.
Grease eight 6-ounce ramekins, souffle dishes or custard cups. Place ramekins in a 15x10x1-inch baking pan; set aside. In a medium bowl, stir together flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, cinnamon and nutmeg; set aside.
For pudding: In a large mixing bowl, beat butter with an electric mixer on medium speed for 30 seconds. Add brown sugar; beat until well combined. Add egg and vanilla; beat for 1 minute more. Add date mixture to butter mixture, beating on low speed just until combined. (Do not overmix.) With a wooden spoon, stir in flour mixture until combined. Spoon about 1/3 cup batter into each prepared ramekin.
Bake in a 350 degree F oven for 20 to 25 minutes or until top springs back when lightly touched. Cool in ramekins on a wire rack for 3 minutes. Using a knife, loosen pudding from sides of ramekins. Invert onto dessert plates. Spoon about 3 tablespoons of Honey Toffee Sauce over each warm pudding, allowing it to seep down around the sides and cover the top. Top with whipped cream and toffee pieces, if you like. Serve immediately.

Noel this sounds fantastic. I'll have to make this. With the cinnamon and nutmeg it should be perfect for a Christmas in July treat.

[CandyKane]

This afternoon we watched a Christmas episode of Raising Hope. It's the one where Virginia is preparing for the world to end December 21, 2012. I don't personally know anyone who believed this but I remember it was all over the news about it.

[CandyKane]

Well, it will be a Christmas music and movie kind of week for me, with my work schedule and the fact I am only three weeks into my new job the family went on vacation without me. Now, don't feel bad for me because I have a week with the house to myself so that means while I am at the house it will be the music and movies of my favorite season.

Glad you can combine your favorite season with your favorite holiday ksrjreed. Enjoy your Christmas vacation of music and movies.

[CandyKane]

Just wondering.....does anyone send out family updates (Christmas letters) with their Christmas cards? I believe this is a mostly Midwestern thing. Noel??

[CandyKane]

This morning I awoke to remember sweet dreams of Christmas past at my grandmother's at her Indiana farm. Tears of joy.

The best dreams are those of our loved ones and Christmas past.

[CandyKane]

As most of you know I've never really been big on Christmas in July. I have the hardest time getting in the Spirit when it's 100 degrees (or more). I'm thinking this year I might just buy a Christmas themed board game like one of the monopoly games.

[Noel+]

Just wondering.....does anyone send out family updates (Christmas letters) with their Christmas cards? I believe this is a mostly Midwestern thing. Noel??

YES it is very Midwestern. As our elder family members passed the tradition withered away. I still send the letters with my Christmas cards to family. I love the tradition.

[Noel+]

CandyKane: this is my 9th Christmas post today and I challenge you to do the same! On to 1500 posts by Christmas in July!!

And I accept your Christmas challenge dear friend.

Congrats on meeting your challenge!!

[CandyKane]

Just wondering.....does anyone send out family updates (Christmas letters) with their Christmas cards? I believe this is a mostly Midwestern thing. Noel??

YES it is very Midwestern. As our elder family members passed the tradition withered away. I still send the letters with my Christmas cards to family. I love the tradition.

My parents used to receive Christmas cards from friends wo sent the letters detailing the highlights of the past year for them and their family. I guess now there are just too many other ways to keep up throughout the year. Another thing we miss about Christmas past.

[CandyKane]

I'm up early waiting on my coffee. I wanna get out and get everything watered before the heat sets in for the day. Thinking cool Christmas thoughts.

[CandyKane]

Christmas elves have an ornament at the end of their shoes. Which ornament? Bells of course.

[Jolly O'Leary]

Merry Friday Christmas!
I have received many Christmas letters over the years. They have become something of a joke, nothing bad ever happens, everyone always has new house, new husband/wife, new kids, new cars, new jobs, etc. More like brag letters. Maybe the down to earth Midwesterners are more realistic. I know they are supposed to be upbeat, but I think even Dear Abby wrote a "fake" one in her column one year to emphasize how unrealistic they have become. We received one from someone I knew in college for about 20 years and had no other contact with. Eventually, I started throwing them away without reading them as one felt like one was so "backwards" compared to these particular yuppies. I have only sent one out, that was the year I married Perky and was moving to Sweden. I even used an old address book so as not to miss people I had not heard from in a few years. Well, that was the year there was a fire at a post office here in SA and much mail was lost, including my Christmas letters. OH well, the best laid plans.........

[Noel+]

This afternoon we watched a Christmas episode of Raising Hope. It's the one where Virginia is preparing for the world to end December 21, 2012. I don't personally know anyone who believed this but I remember it was all over the news about it.

That's a good Christmas episode!

[Noel+]

Christmas elves have an ornament at the end of their shoes. Which ornament? Bells of course.

Just love church bells and jingle bells. I decorate with them all Christmas and even put them on Christmas packages!