More Printables Freebies for you....

Just click on the picture and it should open into a separate page then right click to "Save As" or "Download Image"

Enjoy!

Some Free Christmas Printable...

Hi everyone...
I thought I would create some Christmas printables to share with your wonderful readers that visit us on a regular basis...

Here is the first of many for you over the next few days as we get closer to the holidays! Hope you enjoy it!

Just click on the picture and download

it is 8 X 10 in size.

Oops, I missed 68 days to go!!!

Since I am visiting my parents with my daughter this week, I missed yesterday's blog with 68 days to go!!! My Mom and I watched Survivor last night and the time slipped away!! Oops, so I will do 68 now if you all don't mind!!

So tonight, I am going to share a few more Christmas songs, hoping to bring the holiday spirit to you all!! These five are among my husband's favourite Christmas songs... enjoy!!!

Royal Guardsmen - Snoopy vs. the Red Baron

Bob Dylan - Must Be Santa

Billy Idol - Yellin' At the Christmas Tree

John Lennon - Happy X-mas (War is Over)

Elvis Presley - Blue Christmas

As you can see, my husband loves classic rock!!! I love these songs as well!!!

Recipe Party!!!

Ooops! I came to visit my Mom and Dad this week and missed posting yesterday!!!

Soooo... I will treat you all to TWO recipes for our Christmas Recipe Party! The two I am sharing tonight are high on the list of favourites in our households!!!

Melting Moments

3/4 cups brown sugar
1 cup margarine/butter
1 egg
1/2 tsp. baking soda
1 tsp. cream of tartar
1 tsp. vanilla
2 1/2 cups flour

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Cream sugar and butter. Add egg. Combine dry ingredients and add with vanilla. Roll tablespoon sized cookie dough balls and drop on parchment lined cookie sheet. Press with fork. Bake for 10 minutes or until golden.


Finger Cookies

1 cup butter
5 tbsp. white sugar
1 tsp. vanilla
2 cups flour
1 tbsp. water
1 cup sliced almonds

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Mix ingredients well. Roll into finger shaped cookies. Bake on a parchment lined cookie sheet for 15 to 20 minutes. Remove from oven and while warm, roll in white sugar.

I hope you all enjoy these recipes... they are so yummy!!!

Happy Baking!

Handmade Christmas Tree!

This year will only be my second Christmas at my house... and I am planning on making the ornaments on our tree this year! Thanks to Pinterest, I've found a couple of definites that I will be trying and will share one of these with you tonight with 69 days to go!

I found a recipe for Cinnamon Applesauce Ornaments, through Pinterest, on Katy Elliot's blog. Here is the recipe:

Cinnamon Applesauce Ornaments

1 cup of applesauce
1 1/2 cups cinnamon
2 T cloves optional (grind with a spice grinder)
heart cookie cutters in different sizes
string for hanging
Mix 1 cup of applesauce with 1 cup of cinnamon in a large bowl. Mix, mix, mix. This is the kinda recipe you’ll need to use your hands to really incorporate the spices. Make sure you don’t miss any wet spots. Add the additional 1/2 cup of cinnamon, cloves and continue to incorporate. If it’s too wet add more cinnamon, too dry add more applesauce. But be patient. It takes time to mix so don’t add cinnamon or applesauce till you’re absolutely sure it’s well mixed.
Scatter some cinnamon (like if you were rolling out cookies with flour) and roll out applesauce/cinnamon dough to 1/4″ thick. If the dough is too wet it will make a huge mess and stick to your rolling pin.
Use your cookie cutters to cut out the hearts. I noticed the first time around my dough was too wet and the edges were straggly. Once I add more cinnamon the edges were clean.
Preheat your oven to 200 degrees. Place the hearts on a cookie sheet with a silpat. The hearts can be really close together but not touching; they won’t rise in the oven. Using a skewer carefully make a hole through each heart. Stick the ornaments in the oven for an hour or more. The juice from the applesauce needs to evaporate. The range in cooking time depends on your house, humidity and climate. My house is cold so I had them in for 1.5 hours and then I turned the oven off and left them to set overnight. They should be rock hard. If they’re not, give them some more time in the oven.
The next day loop a string through each of the holes to hang on the tree, string together to make a garland or attach to a package. Enjoy!


Photo courtesy of http://www.katyelliott.com/blog/2011/12/cinnamon-applesauce-heart-ornaments.html

Hopefully this encourages you to try to handmake something for your Christmas tree or gift wrapping! I will post photos when I attempt them!!

Chewy Chocolate Chip Cookies!!

Yummy! What's better than a warm chocolate chip cookie fresh from the oven? Not much in the baking world beats it!! Even Santa Claus loves them!!

Chewy Chocolate Chip Cookies

1 cup margarine
1 1/2 cup brown sugar
3/4 cup white sugar
1 1/2 tsp. vanilla
3 eggs - 2 full eggs, and one egg yolk
3 cups flour
1 1/2 tsp baking soda
pinch of salt
1 package of chocolate chips

Preheat oven to 375 degrees.

Mix ingredients in order they're listed. Roll cookie dough into tablespoon sized balls and place on a parchment lined cookie sheet. Press cookie dough balls with fork. Chill for a half hour in refrigerator. Bake for 12 minutes or until lightly browned.

Enjoy!!

Happy Baking!

Cookies

This is a easy recipe I found on another blog, Created by Diane and loved because it has rice krispies in it... the kids love the cereal because of the crispy-ness so what a perfect combination crispy rice and chocolate...definitely a keeper!!! Oh an you need to visit the blog by Diane for some scrumptious recipes and yumminess!!!


Chocolate Chip Rice Krispie Cookies

Ingredients
1 cup butter
¾ cup brown sugar
¾ cup sugar
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
2 eggs
2 cups flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon salt
1 cup mini chocolate chips
2 cups Rice Krispie Cereal

Instructions
Beat butter, sugar until creamy.
Add vanilla, then one egg at a time, mixing well.
Add in flour with baking soda and salt. Stir in chips and one cup Rice Krispie cereal.
Roll into two tablespoon size balls and then roll into remaining Rice Krispie cereal.
Bake at 375 for 10-12 minutes.

Thanks Diane for the wonderful recipe!

Wow only 70 days till the big day!!!

Emily told you of her families favourite Christmas books to read yesterday. So today I will tell you about the great books we love to read at Christmas time.
Reading has become a big part of our family since Princess B has started school, we read every night. Now she is learning her sight words and she is trying hard to read the words that are familiar to her and doing a great job!!!

Our first 5 fave Christmas Themed books are:

1.  A Porcupine in a Pine Tree: A Canadian 12 Days of Christmas by Helene Becker- a definite addition to you Christmas reading, a wonderful celebration of Canada! I usually end up singing the story and the kids laugh at me while we do.

2. Night Before Christmas by Clement C. Moore- always a favourite for me from when I was little and now passing it on to my kids.

3. It's Christmas David! by David Shannon- a fun story about being patient when the presents are under the tree or else you don't get any... a belief for me that coal would be the end result.

4. Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer by Rick Bunsen- who doesn't love the story of the little guy at Christmas!!

5. Olive the Other Reindeer by Vivian Walsh- a dog includes herself in Christmas because she is "Olive the other Reindeer" from the famous song.

and our BONUS story is our pledge to our Elf on the Shelf by Carol V. Aebersold,  and our elf, Little Gene...we read his tale and the prinicle behind his visit every year. Oh and my kids also think that the security cameras in the mall belong to Santa, as well as the video monitor cameras we have in their bedroom, because he is everywhere right!
(It was something my hubby said one day before Christmas when the kids were just overflowing with excitement and not on their best behaviour... seems to work a little bit all year round when on of the kids see one on a trip to the store).


Here is wishes that you start a reading tradition at holiday time in your family to make the season that much more memorable!!! Another way you could bring reading into your family is instead of the store bought Advent calendars how about a story related advent centred around the holiday where every day your kids open a new book with a holiday theme...it's on my list of things to do with our family this year!!!

Hope you will atleast check out one of our books and share it with your child this holiday!

Angela :)

                                             

71 days left!

With 71 days left, I thought I'd start a list of children's Christmas books for December. This Christmas is a big one in our little family, I had my daughter two weeks before Christmas last year and Christmas was quite a busy one in my house!! So, this year is the year we begin new traditions with my little one and one of those will be reading Christmas books through the month of December!! The list today will consist of five titles and I will post more closer to Christmastime!

Here we go!

1. How the Grinch Stole Christmas - Dr. Seuss
Who doesn't love the Grinch? Or, Dr. Seuss in general! Now that I'm a Mommy, I realize how tongue tied you can get reading Seuss books, but they are so great!

2.Madeline's Christmas - Ludwig Bemelmans
A favourite from my childhood... I bet if I searched my old room at my Mum and Dad's, I would find my copy!

3. The Night Before Christmas - Clement C. Moore and Cheryl Harness
Christmas wouldn't be Christmas without reading this one!

4. The Muppets: The Twelve Days of a Muppet Christmas: And a Chicken in a Pine Tree - Martha T. Ottersley
This one hasn't been released yet (release date of October 16/12), yet I know it will be a favourite in my house. My husband loves the Muppets!

5. The Polar Express - Chris Van Allsburg
I haven't read this one yet, but Angela loves this book. I am eager to read it as I know it will be a great one!

I hope this encourages all of you to begin a reading tradition for the month of December with your children... and helps you start your list too!!! If you have any suggestions for me, please share! I love to hear your recommendations!

Another recipe for the party!

Another no-bake cookie recipe... I know most of you have busy lives and this one is super easy and quick to make!

Here we go!

Haystacks

1 package semisweet chocolate chips
1/2 cup peanut butter
2 cups marshmallows
1 cup chow mein noodles

Melt chocolate chips and peanut butter. Stir well and cool slightly. Fold in marshmallows and chow mein noodles. Drop cookies on a parchment lined cookie sheet. Refrigerate overnight.

Happy Baking!!!!

Funny Christmas Gifts!

So, with 72 days left until Christmas, I am going to share a couple of stories about my most funny Christmas gifts!!!

The first Christmas my husband and I were together, my mother-in-law gave me a beautiful and snuggly pink sweater! I really liked it and thanked her very much for it. It was one of my more favourite sweaters and I wore it quite often... so comfy and warm! The year came and went by and the following Christmas arrived!  We exchanged gifts with my in laws and I was opening a particular gift.... I removed the wrapping paper and it was a clothing box!! Yippee... clothes!!! Much to my surprise when I opened it up, there it was... a pink snuggly sweater! The EXACT sweater I received from her the previous year!!! And once I had opened it, my mother-in-law asked me... "Can I ask you a question?" and I replied "Yes"... "Did I get you that same sweater last year?"...and I replied, "um, yes... you did.... I love this sweater though!!" That sweater is a recurring laugh in the family... each year, there is huge potential for me to get a pink snuggly sweater!!! Not that I mind... it's a gorgeous sweater!!!!!!

When I was younger, Christmas was super exciting in my house... we sisters would sleep in the same room anxiously awaiting Christmas morning! My Dad would come in between 5:30a.m. and 6:00a.m. to wake us up and we would rush upstairs to see what was under the tree from Santa Claus! This Christmas, I was probably 6 or 7, there was a huge box waiting for me. My parents excitingly urged me to open it and when i did... I looked inside and saw white fleece! A FUR COAT I exclaimed!!!! My parents began giggling at me... laughing so much that tears were in their eyes. My Dad helped me remove my "fur coat" from the box and guess what... it was a white bean bag chair!! Boy, was I wrong!!! This one is a huge joke in my family... my Mom still talks about it!!!

Now, I've told you a couple of funny Christmas gift stories... what are yours?? Please share!!!!

Recipe of the day!

Here's our recipe of the day... one of my faves!!!

Peanut Butter Balls

4 tsp. butter, softened
1 cup icing sugar
1 cup peanut butter
1/2 cup Rice Krispies cereal

1 package chocolate chips
1 tbsp. butter

Mix butter, icing sugar, peanut butter, and cereal in a large bowl. Chill in the refrigerator for 1/2 hour. Mould into tablespoon sized balls, place on a parchment-lined cookie sheet. Chill in the refrigerator again for another 1/2 hour.

Melt the chocolate chips and butter in a glass bowl over hot water in a saucepan (double boiler). Turn the heat of the burner off once chocolate is smooth. Dip peanut butter balls in chocolate and place on a parchment-lined cookie sheet. Chill overnight before serving.

Happy Baking!!!

Daily dose of Christmas!

Only 73 days left until Christmas! Have you started your shopping yet? Consider a handmade Christmas! Visit our Etsy shop and order some of our adorable hats, tutus, or headbands... we even make neckties and superhero capes for little boys!!! Contact us if there's something you're looking for and we will try our best to help!

Tonight, we have five of Angela's favourite Christmas songs! Here we go...

 

Kelly Clarkson - My Grown Up Christmas List

 

Faith Hill - Where Are You Christmas

 

Michael Buble - Santa Buddy

 

Mariah Carey - All I Want For Christmas Is You

 

I Want A Hippopotamus For Christmas

 

So, there are five more Christmas songs... we hope you enjoy them as much as we do!

Daily Christmas Recipe!

Here is one of Angela's favourite cookie recipes... you have to try them, they are delicious!!! I think I might have to make some soon too!

Danish Thumbprint Cookies

1/2 cup butter, softened
1/4 cup brown sugar, packed
1 egg yolk beaten (save the egg white for an egg wash)
1 cup flour
1 cup coconut

raspberry jam (or your preferred flavour)

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Mix butter, brown sugar, egg yolk, and flour in a medium bowl. Roll tablespoon sized balls of cookie dough. Dip cookie dough ball into the slightly beaten egg white and then roll in the coconut. Using your thumb, make a dimple in the middle of each cookie dough ball. Place on a parchment-lined cookie sheet. Bake for 10-18 minutes, until golden brown. Add jam to the dimple while hot.

Happy Baking!

A Little Something to get into the Christmas Spirit!

So, to help you all get into the Christmas spirit with me... with 74 days to go, I am sharing 5 of my favourite Christmas songs! I tried to pick my top 5, but it was impossible to find all the videos that I want... so here are 5 of my favourites, from a long list! Expect more in the future!!!

 

 

Paul Mccartney - Wonderful Christmastime

 

 

Kenny Rogers and Dolly Parton - I'll Be Home With Bells On

 

 

Michael Buble - Christmas (Baby Please Come Home)

 

 

Michael Buble feat. Thalia - Feliz Navidad

 

 

Kenny Rogers and Dolly Parton - Winter Wonderland/Sleigh Bells

 

 

Aaaaand as a bonus, here is one of my husband's faves:

 

Bob Dylan - Must Be Santa

 

Angela will post her favourites as well... but I know I have chosen some that she loves too!!!

 

 



 

 

Another recipe for the party!

Since the Christmas recipe exchange party is so much fun, I think we will keep it going throughout the 75 days (74 now) until Christmas!  I've also created a page containing all of our Christmas recipes which will make them easily accessible!

Here's another tried and tested recipe!!

Hello Dolly Squares

1/2 cup margarine (melted)
1 1/2 cups graham cracker crumbs
1 can sweetened condensed milk
1 package semi-sweet chocolate chips
1 1/4 cups coconut
1 cup chopped walnuts

Mix margarine and graham cracker crumbs for the base of the squares. Press into a 9 x 13 inch pan. Pour sweetened condensed milk over the base. Top evenly with the remaining ingredients: chocolate chips followed by coconut and then the walnuts. Press the toppings into the squares... combining all of the yummy goodness!!! Bake for 25 to 30 minutes, or until golden.

I made these for my family last year, they were super easy for me to make (since my daughter was born two weeks earlier) and didn't take a lot of prep! I hope you all enjoy these as much as we do!!!

Happy Baking!

Christmas Recipe Exchange!

Ahem.... on the 75th day of Christmas my true love gave to me... a recipe exchange party!! Ha-ha... I couldn't help it, I had to!!!

So, on this 75th day to Christmas, we begin with a Christmas Recipe Exchange Party! We will start with one of our favourites that our Mum made for us and we ask that you share your faves as well!!

Here we go!

Macaroons (a.k.a. Frogs)

2 cups white sugar
1 cup margarine
3/4 cup evaporated milk
1 tsp. vanilla

3 cups oatmeal
6 tbsp. cocoa
1 1/2 cups coconut
a pinch of salt

Combine white sugar, margarine, and evaporated milk in a saucepan. Bring to a boil and boil for 2 minutes. Immediately after the saucepan is removed from the heat, add the vailla and stir well.
In a separate bowl, have the oatmeal, cocoa, coconut, and salt mixed well. Add the heated mixture to the bowl and stir well.  Using a tablespoon, drop these cookies onto a parchment-lined cookie sheet. Chill in the refrigerator until hardened.

We hope your family enjoys these no-bake cookies as much as ours does!!! This is an easy recipe and tastes wonderful!!

Please share your recipes, we'd love to try some new ones!!!

Happy Baking!

75 Days of Christmas

Guess what?!?!
There are only 75 days left until Christmas!!! Wowzers, does time fly!!

We want to help you with getting a start on your Christmas planning, crafting, cooking, and shopping... so we plan to feature 75 days of Christmas here on this blog!!! Every day, until Christmas, we will feature a new "Christmas-y" idea (believe me, we have plenty coming!) with hopes of engaging some crafty conversation, spreading delightful holiday spirit, and helping you with your countdown!!

We want to hear feedback, so feel free to comment (even if you don't have a Google account, you can use the Anonymous feature) and share your holiday traditions with us!!

We will start today, so stay tuned this evening for our first Christmas feature!!! We can't wait to share!