it's beginning to look a lot like Christmas...

Here's a peak at some of the Christmas fesivities we've been up to...

December 11th we got our Christmas tree, FINALLY.
Later than usual, thanks to our house project.

Better late than never.
And for picking one out so late, we got a GREAT looking tree!

The kids each got to put their very own ornaments on the tree. I buy one each year and they each have a box to store theirs in.







I love getting this cookbook out at Christmas time.

Yesterday I got it out for my sugar cookie recipe.


The kids loved getting to cut out their own cookies...






They especially loved decorating them.
This little guy loved it a little too much. He did more eating than decorating.
He was eating bite fulls of frosting everytime I turned around.

I tried to just stand back and let them do what they wanted to do and not offer too much guidance.
This is hard for me.
We only had one major mess - OOPS!

Taylor did complain several times
"Mason's mixing the colors!"

I just wish all this fun in the kitchen didn't result in this...

Every year I also make the Oven Caramel Corn from that same cookbook.
This is my dad's only request each year.
I sent some off to the guys Dave works with too.

It is SO yummy!

Try it if you want - it's easy!

Oven Caramel Corn

15 cups popped popcorn (2/3 cup unpopped)

1 cup packed brown sugar

1/2 cup butter of margarine

1/4 cup light corn syrup

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/2 teaspoon baking soda

Heat oven to 200. Divide popcorn between 2 ungreased rectangular pans. 13x9x2 inches. Heat brown sugar, butter, corn syrup, and salt in a saucepan over medium heat, stirring occasionally, until bubbly around edges. Cook 5 minutes, stirring occasionally, remove from heat. Stir in baking soda. Pour mixture over popcorn, stir until well coated. Bake 1 hour, stirring every 15 minutes.

And here's the sugar cookie recipe:

Melt-in-Your-Mouth Sugar Cookies

1 1/2 cups powdered sugar

1 cup butter or margarine, softened

1 teaspoon vanilla

1/2 teaspoon almond extract

1 egg

2 1/2 cups all purpose flour

1 teaspoon baking soda

1 teaspoon cream of tartar

Frosting - your choice

Beat powdered sugar, butter, vanilla, almond extract and egg in large bowl with electric mixer on medium speed, or mix with spoon. Stir in flour, baking soda and cream of tartar. Cover adn refrigerate at least 2 hours.

Heat oven to 375. Lightly grease cookie sheet. Divide dough in half. Roll each half 1/4 inch thick on lightly floured surface. Cut inot desired shapes and place about 2 inches apart on cookie sheet.

Bake 7-8 minutes or until edges are light brown. Remove from cookie sheet to wire rack, cool completely. Frost and decorate.

I used 2 different kinds of frosting. The one I use most years is just a mixture of butter, powdered sugar and milk to make your consistency. I just mix, no measuring.

Then I used my buttercream recipe to make frosting I could use in my decorating bags.

Buttercream Icing

1 c. crisco (I do half crisco, half butter so it doesn't taste like shortening)
2 lb. powd. sugar
1/2 c. water plus 2 tablespoons
1/2. t. butter flavor
1 t. vanilla
2 drops almond flavor

Cream shortening and butter until smooth. Add flavorings and water. Add powdered sugar and mix until creamy. Thin down more for the decorating bags if needed

Hope you are all enjoying your Christmas festivities this week as you remember and celebrate the birth of our Savior.

And you will have joy and gladness, and many will rejoice at his birth. Luke 1:14