Search Results for: blog christmas cookie bake a thon

Take a Step Back and De-Stress This Christmas

Instead of stressing out about food and baking and so on at Christmas, why not let everyone chip in? A lot of get togethers of people I know, work on the basis of people combining food to make a birthday or special occasion or Christmas feast. Someone might bring dessert, another salad or a casserole or nibbles. It doesn’t matter. If people have a special dish they like make and want to bring it, fine. We often take dessert because I’m gluten free and some people seem to think it’s a hassle making gluten free cakes and desserts. It’s not. … Continue reading →

Christmas in Florida

After the Blizzard of 2009, I’m sure more people than ever are considering traveling to Florida for Christmas. I prefer Hawaii myself, but I digress. Sunny Florida is a hotspot for snowbirds looking to escape Old Man Winter’s blast. However, some shy away from flying south because they don’t think the sand and surf make for a traditional Christmas backdrop. Little do they know that Florida is filled with festive displays and attractions this time of year, including: ORLANDO The House of Mouse goes all out for the holidays. If you are planning to travel to Orlando this month, don’t … Continue reading →

Family-Friendly Christmas Displays

My neighbor’s 8-foot tall inflatable snowman didn’t survive last night’s blizzard. The nearly two feet of snow and 35 mph sustained winds that ripped through our rural Wisconsin neighborhood proved too much for Frosty to take. Such a shame. The snowman is just a small part of an elaborate Christmas display that our neighbor painstakingly erects each year. His holiday light show has all the pizzazz associated with professional displays put on by major cities, only on a slightly smaller scale. If you are looking to take in the sights and sounds of the season this month, consider visiting the … Continue reading →

Christmas Cookie Bake-a-thon

It’s a blizzard out there! Seriously. A genuine, meteorologically categorized blizzard. Schools are closed, major highways are shut down, and frankly, I’m surprised that we still have power. It’s my first official blizzard and I don’t know who’s more excited about staying home all day, Mommy or the kid. The National Weather Service warned about the impending 18 inches of snow and 50 mph winds, so I prepared. I stocked up on all the essentials needed to turn today’s blizzard into a Christmas cookie-baking marathon. Here are just a couple of the holiday treats my daughter and I will be … Continue reading →

Easy Christmas Cookie Recipes for Kids

After preparing a huge Thanksgiving meal you might not be motivated to get back into the kitchen to begin the monumental task of Christmas cookie baking just yet. However, as we all know, time flies and before you know it we’re halfway through the month and Christmas is knocking at our door. I haven’t fired up the oven just yet, but I have begun collecting recipes that I plan to make during my annual cookie baking marathon. This year (like last) I plan to devote an entire day baking with my young daughter. Last year we made sugar cookies, which … Continue reading →

Low-Fat Christmas Cookies

Christmas cookies are the perfect way to end a festive meal, but after Saturday’s cookie-a-thon I really don’t have the desire to consume anymore of the sweet morsels until next year. I also don’t have the desire to get on a scale (and don’t plan to) until well after the holidays are over. If you are reluctant to undertake holiday baking because you are concerned that you will inhale the fruits of your labor before they make it to their final destinations I offer you the following recipes. They prove there’s no reason to eliminate Christmas cookies from the holiday … Continue reading →

Holiday-Themed Sanity Savers

Whether you are hosting a Christmas party, a Hanukkah get-together or you simply need ways to keep your kids busy while they are home from school during the holiday break, the following ideas will go a long way to preserving your sanity: Games:  Get into the holiday spirit by modifying traditional kids’ games, such as “Duck, Duck, Goose.”  A holiday version could be “Reindeer, Reindeer Rudolph” or “Elf, Elf, Buddy” (Will Ferrell’s name in the movie “Elf”). Another option is to turn “Simon Says” into “Santa Says.”  These types of interactive games are great ways for kids to burn off … Continue reading →

Holiday Parties – No Office, No Problem!

It is hard to believe that it is November already. This time of year brings to mind thoughts of celebrations with family and friends. Since I used to work outside of the home, this time of year also brings to mind thoughts of office holiday parties. While I never worked anywhere where we went off site to have lavish parties, I did attend a few nice workplace holiday gatherings. Those of us that work from home do not have to miss out on the holiday fun. It is important that we “get out” regularly during every time of year, to … Continue reading →

Fun Ideas for Family Reunions

In case you have not noticed already, I am very interested in food. I could talk about food all day long and not get bored. It is only natural, then, that occasionally when I sit down to write about genealogy or some other topic, I invariably end up writing about food. Today I thought of a fun idea for taking care of the menu planning aspect of a family reunion. A pot-luck is a great way to learn about your family history while enjoying delicious food. Each guest or family group can bring a dish that reflects the family’s heritage … Continue reading →

In Search of Imperfection

Being the parent of a preschooler has taught me a few things. One of the things that it has taught me is to embrace imperfection. This is not to say that I don’t try to get better – of course I try to be a better parent. However, with the birth of my daughter, I lost all pretensions to perfection. As a child, a teenager, and a young adult, I was a perfectionist. I tried to get an A+ in life, every day and all the time. This caused me unimaginable stress, but I did quite well at it. I … Continue reading →