Oh my gosh, here it is December already. Time surely is flying by.
Yes we had a wonderful Turkey day, just DH and myself, but made the whole big meal. Love those leftovers. Only gained a half pound from it. I tried really hard not to over do it. The question was asked about Holiday crafts or treats. At our house I make the candies and DH bakes most of the cookies. I like that he does that because he is so disiplined, he gets them in the freezer right away, not me, I like to eat at least l from each batch and maybe 2. They are sooo good hot out of the oven with a big tall glass of cold milk . I did get our tree up in the living room and a small one in our bedroom. Hubby got a few things up outside, don't know if he will do more or not, it has been so terribly windy here. I got my clinic all decorated on Tuesday so it is done. I will finish up at home over the weekend. As for shopping, I'm afraid there isn't going to be any. We decided this year that we would just send our kids and grandkids money. I hate that, it seems so impersonal, but we have no ideas about what they would like or need. Even when I ask for a list it is so vague;so rather than spend money on things they don't want or hate, I'll let them get something for themselves.Don't know for sure when we are going to be able to get together either.

Isabella, what exciting news about your son and his GF. Planning for a wedding is so fun.Hope you enjoy every minute of it.

Frances, I'm glad your blood clot is better. I hope you won't be bothered by it again.

Sheri, your trip to San Francisco sounds wonderful. It has been a good many years since we visited there, but it is one place we have said we would love to go back to. There is so much culture there and I'm sure this time of year would be beautiful.

Meowee,you've been kind of quiet here, hope all is well with you

"Happy Holidays" to each of you. We will hope that the 'Fat Fairy' comes and gets her gifts to take to 'Never Never Again' Land.

DONNA

Hello girls. Been busy making Christmas cakes and cookies. Giving most of them away though so they won't be in the house for me to long after or eat. We're having lovely spring-like weather one day and cold and crisp the next. No snow. Maybe we'll have a green Christmas this year. I'll be fine with that for sure. Take care everyone and don't overeat and get some exercise.

Hi chickies!
All of your Christmas plans sound so wonderful! I love Christmas time. I miss my kids being little and so excited about Christmas. They are just so doggone cute, those little kids at Christmas. Even high school students are sweet about it. When we have parties at school they are hilarious about exchanging gifts and enjoying the season.

This year my husband and I decided to really tighten the screws on the spending. I think it has gotten all out of proportion in our culture and the pressure to over-spend at Christmas is incredible. So...we are getting our kids and one another a few thoughtful, but not extravagant gifts and that is it. However, we are going on a vacation. I would much rather be making memories, rather than accumulating "things".

So far as the diet, I did lose two of the three pounds I gained, which means my weight loss has slowed down significantly, but, I won't exit the holiday season with a 10 pound gain. In fact, if I just maintain through the holidays, I would be happy. I so love holiday meals, pies, chocolate, candy canes. Food truly is one my deepest pleasures. I am trying to learn to enjoy it without gaining weight. Is that an oxymoron?

Donna-Your Christmas activities sound like fun with your husband. You have a husband who bakes? Wow! The extent of my DH's baking skills is chocolate chip cookies when he gets a craving. I have a hard time baking cookies and not eating them warm from the oven, too. They are so yummy! Popping them right into the freezer or over to the neighbor's house is a great idea! One thing that is great about being a very busy teacher is that I really don't have the time to bake the way I used to, which only keeps the menopause weight gain at bay! I hope you have a wonderful Christmas, Donna and that perhaps you will have a white one without a blizzard!

Isabella, what is your favorite Christmas cake? I love having cakes on hand to slice up when my kids bring friends home at the holidays, or a neighbor stops by. It is a great gift at Christmas! And, it is nice to have something to put out for those early morning hours on Christmas. Of course, now that my kids are older, they no longer wake us up at four in the morning!

Devine-How is your writing coming along? What project are you working on now? I hope the Christmas spirit is bringing you joy!

Meowee-Do you give your kitties Christmas stockings? We give our pets little gifts under the tree. Of course, one our cats thought our Christmas tree was the best gift ever. She knocked it over more than once by scampering to the top. We finally had to hang little warning bells all around the base of the tree! Hope your holidays are warm and bright!

Well, I've got to go add a log to fire...speaking of warm and bright. I am sitting here with one foot over the other, trying to warm up! Take care, ladies!

Sheri

Hi All. Well, I've been run off my fingers typing and rearranging the songs for our church Christmas program. I got the final program done yesterday and printed it off today and we go on stage next Saturday night.

Friday morning I put up the little 3 foot tree down in the basement and hung two Christmas door wreaths and set out a basket of Christmas tree bulbs and lights. But it doesn't look like Christmas in my house yet. Hoping to get the tree up by next weekend. I don't like putting the tree up too early as I never know how to dust the thing if it's up too long.

Donna, I hear you on the gift thing. I'm putting money in cards for the most part this year. I just can't get shopping with taking care of mom. Even when I do get to go I'm so busy doing things I have to do I don't have much time to gift shop.

Sheri, my favorite Christmas cake would have to be a cherry pound cake but then again an apricot raisin cake is so good and then there is the dark fruit cake I made. I just love them all. Oh, and I forgot about the peach fruit cake. Ha, ha. I remember when I was a kid if anyone told me I'd love fruit cake I'd have thought they were crazy. This week I'm going to try and do a few more shortbread cookies and shortbread tart shells. The shells are great to have on hand. You can fill them with a little homemade jam or even instant pudding with a little topping and you've got something nice to serve.

I weighed in this morning but didn't lose anything this week. That happens every so often so I'm not upset over that.

It's cold outside and we even had a few snow flurries last night and today but nothing that accumulated on the ground. I've heard an ugly rumor that we're getting a snow storm this week but I hope it's only a rumor.

Gotta go and try and get some shut-eye. Catch you all later.

Isabella, we used to joke about great-grandma's fruitcake: 1)If you could put it in a bottle, it would get you drunk. 2) Who needs a door stop, when you've got fruitcake?

Of course, now, I make two great fruitcakes that I just love. I make a lemon-cranberry cake that is wonderful toasted with honey and butter and I make a traditional, Pennsylvania Dutch raisin applesause cake that is so moist and delicious! I do not make the rum-soaked cakes that great-grandma made, though.

Your cakes sound yummy! Would you care to share some recipes?

You dust your tree? Wow! My house is the messy house in the neighborhood. My tree goes back out in the rain...that's how I dust it!

Sheri

No, I don't dust my tree! Ha, ha. My neighbor has hers up about 2 months and I think she may need to dust hers.

My fruit cakes are definitely not rum soaked either. But they're not diet conscious either but it is Christmas.

Apricot Raisin Cake
1 ½ cups apricots, cut in pieces
1 cup golden raisins
¼ cup sugar
1 cup water
1 ¼ cups sugar
1 cup butter
1 package cream cheese
4 eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla
2 ¼ cups flour
1 ½ teaspoons baking powder
½ teaspoon salt

Boil fruit and ¼ cup sugar in 1 cup water for 20 minutes. Cool.

Preheat oven to 325°.

Cream butter, sugar and cream cheese until smooth. Beat in eggs, one at a time. Add vanilla, dry ingredients and cooled fruit. Put in greased tube pan for about 1 hour or until tester comes out clean when inserted in the cake. Watch carefully after the first hour.

Cherry Pound Cake
1 c. butter, softened
3 c. sugar
6 eggs
3 c. all-purpose flour
1/4 tsp. baking soda
1/4 tsp. salt
1 carton (8 oz.) sour cream
1/2 pound candied cherries, cut in half and floured
1 tsp. vanilla extract
1 tsp. almond extract


Cream butter gradually adding sugar; beat until mixture is light and fluffy. Add 1 egg at a time, beating well after each. In separate bowl combine flour, baking soda and salt; mix well. Add to creamed mixture alternately with sour cream. Stir in the extracts and the floured cherries.

Pour batter into greased and floured 10 inch tube pan. Bake at 350 degrees for 1 hour and 20 minutes. Cool 15 minutes; remove from pan and cool completely.

Okay . . . the baking bug is getting me again . . . and those sound really great, Isabella.

From the weather station this morning it sounds like you are still on the warm side -- we are not -- dropped 20C (about 40F) overnight. At least we are still a lot warmer than the Prairies.

Must go out and brave the cold and snow flurries today because the lardder is looking a bit bare and I do need one more Christmas gift, before I can call my shopping totally complete; so I'd better get my butt in gear.

See you later . . .

Hi Meowee, Yes we had quite a warm day yesterday. I was out in just a dress for a short time. It was like a spring day but today was really cold. I was shopping most of the day and by the time I got home it was dark and the temp had dipped even lower. It was bitterly cold. What a contrast between the two days. Got the wood furnace going tonight.

I've got a few more gifts to pick up. DH wants a new belt and I completely forgot that today or I'd have picked one up for him. He's not hard to buy for--he's needs are few-he wants money so he can pick up the after Christmas bargains. I'm taking mom out this week so I'll get his belt then. Hope you were successful in your shopping trip yesterday.

We are going into double digits again today . . . how about you????

I haven't looked at the thermometer today but it's drizzly and gray so it's not too cold. DH said it was more damp than cold. I've been wrapping Christmas gifts all day and just sat down a few minutes ago. It's dark now so it's probably a bit colder. I know we didn't put the wood furnace in til lunch time. The house took that long to cool down since last night. But I'd rather have this weather than what they're getting out west. Brrrrr.

Strange stuff continues weather-wise -- warm and wet this morning to be followed by cold and white this afternoon.

It rained so hard this morning if it had been snow we'd have been in the middle of a blizzard. Very warm this morning but cooler tonight and so windy. Blew my son almost off the road coming home from work suppertime.

I'm so off schedule with everything weight loss connected. Not getting in my regular exercise and eating is hit and miss. I hope tomorrow will be a little better with food. Taking mom out for lunch and shopping tomorrow so at least I'll get to sit down to eat.