Smells too yummy here!

Started a bit of the baking for Christmas here. I'm saving the "kid" cookies for when Paige and Claire are out of school on Christmas Eve. We'll make sugar cookies or chocolate chip (or both) for Santa that day. I just wanted to get a head start so I didn't have too much help in the kitchen on one day. : ) New recipe this year -- ambrosia macaroons. They smell so delicious. Not just ordinary macaroons, these have a bit of orange peel in them and are drizzled with chocolate. Oh, yeah! These will be mine.



Also made a batch of fruitcake cookies. These always make me think of my Aunt Sue. I believe it's her recipe. I've switched it up and bit and added more of a fruit cake mix of fruit, instead of just cherries. Either way they are soooo yummy with coffee, but, really, what cookie isn't?














I also whipped up a quicky batch of crazy corn (puff corn coated in carmel). The kids love this, and I guess I do too, because I can't seem to quite shoving it in my face. Oiy, why did God make me love cooking so much. I just love all of it. Making it, baking it, eating it. So sad for my poor ever expanding behind!

Claire and Ike's Feast

Saturday night we were all treated to a Polar Express theme feast by Claire and Isaak. We all had to don our pajamas, and have a golden ticket punched before we could be seated. They served us hamburgers (quite a bit of help on the grill) and macaroni and cheese with hot dogs cut up in it. We had the cutest waiter I've ever seen. Claire took orders for the hamburgers, and Isaak ladled up the mac n' cheese. They set the table with the good china and a Christmas cloth. Trains circled around the center candle. For dessert -- hot chocolate, of course, and chocolate chip cookies.

Paige and Ava's Feast

We're doing a little something different for Christmas this year. Instead of the kids getting gifts for each other, they are throwing each other "feasts". I worked it around the idea of how Queen Esther served her family. The kids decided to join forces, so Paige and Ava went first. Ike, Claire, and Dad were banished to the basement. Appetizers were served in the toyroom, while the guests waited for everything to be set.

Paige and Ava's feast was to the theme of snow. They cut out paper snowflakes and hung them from the chandelier. The centerpiece was a bowl full of snowballs with a candle in the middle. Everything was white -- plates, tablecloth, napkins. We drank milk from fancy cups and ate stromboli (white on the outside : ) ). Paige and Ava cooked the whole meal, with minimal help. They even served everyone. So cute as Paige would hand out French Fries, Ava followed behind with ketchup. For dessert -- white cupcakes with white frosting.

I think everyone loved their part in the feast. Paige and Ava loved impressing everyone with their work, and all the attendees loved feeling so special. I feel this may be a new "tradition". Maybe next year, Brant and I will have to host a "feast" also.

Snow by the Foot

You know it's going to be a school-out day when you can't get the front door open. Mind you, our front door is on a step-up stoop with a small roof over it. Hmmm. Soooo glad we bought that huge snow blower. While Brant worked on the driveway (our huge, long, driveway, he points out), I cleared off the stoop and made a doggy tunnel so the dog could go potty.


With no school, some friends brought over their kids to play. They sledded and played for much of the afternoon while I worked on clearing away more snow.
Isaak doesn't so much enjoy playing in the snow as just eating it. Yuck! We constantly have to remind him not to eat the yellow snow. Not only our dog roams the yard, but deer, chipmunks, and a plethera of other woodland critters.
Paige and Gillian trying to make a fort. Very little success. It just stays so cold here that the snow is not really "moldable". We still haven't made a snow man. It's just like powder, and so squeaky.

Christmas Concert

Last night was Claire and Paige's Christmas concert. It was perfectly awful and cute the way all those things are. My kids, of course, we're super stars. All the other kids were soooo mediocre. : ) Actually, all the kids delivered their line just like they were supposed to, and it all flowed well. The program was about a forest of black and white elves who didn't believe in Santa because he wasn't black or white. Very liberal play for tiny little Humboldt!

Paige is the first "elf" in scene two. That's her best little bud, Rachel, next to her. Rachel also has twin brother/sister the same age as Ike and Ava. So she totally gets our family, and never gets annoyed by little siblings.

Claire is the first little reindeer in scene three. She was "surrounded" by boys. Her words, "surrounded". So funny how that attitude will change in a few years.

Both girls did a great job, and we're very proud. It helped get us in the mood for the season. There aren't very many activities here. It's so laid back. We're almost bored from the lack of normal Christmas swirl we have. I may just have to host a lame cookie swap or something. Since winter has hit everyone has burrowed into their house, and I fear they won't be seen again until summer.

First Snow Day in Iowa

It snowed about six inches last night. I'm stunned they called a snow day for such a normal amount of snow. I mean, I'm just from Illinois, and I could even handle this. Brant was thrilled to use his self-propelled, snow blower. It has been unboxed and ready for two months now. The pride beamed on his face as he made big swipes across our drive this morning. He came inside pink cheeked and puffing about how awesome that manly machine is. Too funny.
I love looking out the back at the snow. The deer popped by this morning rooting around in the usual spot I lay out apple cores and such. They are so tame and sweet. I feel bad having their kin in the freezer. But I'm trying to remain obtuse on the whole situation. The deer in the yard are my friends. The deer in the freezer were evil and over-populated -- they had to die.
The neighbor kids haven't quite gotten used to the fact that this lot is not public access. It never was public access. It was owned by the city. We bought it to prevent a park coming in, yet snow brought hoards of children zipping down the only safe hill in the neighborhood all day. Funny how all of a sudden the older kids came to the door to see if Paige and Claire could play. I just gave them a free pass without the pretense of "playing" with my 8-year-olds.

Beginning to look a lot like Christmas

The first Sunday in December, I make the whole family dress in our Christmas clothes. Really, all the work you put in to trying to "match" everyone up should be enjoyed more than one day. Nothing fancy this year, but the kids seemed to really like their clothes. Nothing itchy or scratchy, just simple cotton sweaters and shirts.
Humboldt, our tiny village, is "famous" for having the largest Christmas tree display in all of Iowa. Over 200 trees are decorated and displayed at the Methodist church. It is neat. Paige and Claire are in front of the Girl Scout tree. All of the Humboldt Girl Scouts, Brownies, and Daisies decorated this tree with hand made ornaments. Some of the trees are in memory of a loved one. Most are from organizations in town -- churches, chamber of commerce, businesses. Such creative ideas. Our favorite was the 1st Avenue Chiropractic trees -- one was laying down and the other was massaging its back.
Also -- can you believe this is two minutes from our house? This man puts up the hugest display of lights I've ever seen in real life. I've seen such things on HGTV, but this is insane. The display covers 3/4 of an acre and includes a carousel, ferris wheel, huge nativity, Santa in a plane. The kids kept saying, "We should do this. Don't you think we could do this?" Brant was all for it, but Mommy McScrooge was giving it the nix all the way home.