Merry Christmas

"The First Noel"

Merry Christmas

Christmas is one of the most joyful days in the Christian calendar, celebrating the birth of Jesus Christ. Although it is a religious holiday, it has also become a holiday for remembering those we love and giving gifts. It is a magical day for children and grownups alike. Christmas to me is a holiday full of Love, and Love is all that is real. I would like to share with you here some of my favorite Christmas pictures, a snow applet, crafts for you and the kids, midis, recipes, and links. Enjoy!

I have a lot of cool graphics here, so be patient as they load.

I adopted this adorable Christmas bunny from my good friend Kimberly. Visit her Christmas page and get a Christmas Bunny of your own by clicking on him.

Site Fight Christmas Tree
Send a Site Fights Growing Christmas Tree!

Ornament from Kimberly

Thanks for the lovely ornament Kimberly!

Baking Cookies

Christmas Goodies

Butternut Snowballs Cookies
2 sticks butter
1/2 c. sugar
2 tsp. vanilla
2 c. sifted flour
1/2 tsp. salt
2 c. finely chopped pecans
Confectioner's sugar

Cream butter, sugar and vanilla until fluffy; sift flour with salt. Add to creamed mixture, blend thoroughly. Add pecans; mix well. Shape into 1-in. balls. Bake for about 20 minutes to 325 degrees oven; do not brown. Cool - roll in confectioner's sugar.
Yield: 6 dz. cookies.

Basic Sugar Cookies

1/3 c. shortening
1/3 c. margarine
2 c. all-purpose flour
3/4 c. sugar
1 egg
1 TBSP milk
1 tsp baking powder
1 tsp vanilla extract

In a large bowl, beat the shortening and margarine with an electric
mixer at medium to high spped for about 30 seconds, or until softened.
Add about half of the flour and all of the remaining ingredients and
beat until thoroughly combined, scraping the sides of the bowl occasionally.
Beat or stir in the remaining flour. Divide the dough in half.
Cover and chill for 1 to 2 hours or until easy to handle.
Roll each portion of the dough to 1/8 inch thickness on a lightly floured surface.
Cut into the desired shapes. Place 1 inch apart on an ungreased cookie sheet.
If desired, sprinkle with candies or colord sugar before baking.
Bake in a 375 F oven for 7 to 9 minutes or until the edges are firm and the bottoms are very lightly browned. Remove the cookies and cool on a rack.
Makes 3 to 4 dozen cookies.
CHOCOLATE SUGAR COOKIES: Stir 1 tablespoon of unsweetened cocoa powder
into one half of the recipe. Bake as directed.
NOTE: Sugar cookies also make attractive and economical ornaments.
Make the dough according to the recipe then flatten the cut out cookies slightly with the bottom of a small glass dipped in sugar. Use a drinking straw to make a sharp, small hole near the top. If the hole begins to close during baking, use the straw to re-form the hole.

Christmas Caramels

2 c. sugar
1c. butter
1 3/4 c. light corn syrup
1 tall can evaporated milk
4 tsp. vanilla extract
1 c. finely chopped nuts

Combine sugar, butter, corn syrup and evaporated milk in a large saucepan. Cook over high heat, stirring frequently, to 210 degrees on candy thermometer, about 5 minutes. Reduce heat to medium and continue cooking, stirring constantly to hard ball stage, 244 degrees. Remove from heat immediately. Add vanilla and nuts, stir quickly to blend. Pour mixture into a well-buttered 9-inch square pan. When thoroughly cold, turn candy out onto a wooden cutting board and cut into small squares with a sharp knife. Wrap each square individually in heavy waxed paper or keep well chilled until ready to serve. Yield: 3 lbs.

Yummy Fudge

4 c. sugar
1/2 lb. (2 sticks) butter
1 can evaporated milk
1 tsp vanilla
2 c. marshmallows
3 - 6 oz. pkg. chocolate chips

Boil sugar, butter and evaporated milk for 11 minutes, stirring constantly. Remove from heat and add vanilla, marshmallows and chocolate chips. Pour into a cookie sheet. Cool and cut into squares.
You may add nuts if you wish.
Makes tons of the best fudge you have ever eaten!!

Snow applet
This is one of my favorite Java applets

Crafts

Santa and Rudolf tin lid ornaments (ages 3-5)

You'll need:
frozen juice can lids
red felt
brown construction paper
black fine-tipped permanent marker
hammer and nail
cotten balls
red pompom
craft glue
ribbon or string
scissors

Directions:
1. Have a grown-up punch a hole in the juice lids by driving a nail through the top of each one. Thread ribbon or string through the hole to make a hanger.
2. To make Santa, cut a triangle from red felt and glue it across the top of the lid. Draw on eyes with the marker. Pull some cotton balls apart slightly and glue them to the lower half of the lid and up the sides to create Santa's beard. Glue some cotten at the base of the hat and also at it's tip.
3. To make Rudolf, cut antlers and ears from the brown construction paper. Glue the antlers close to the top on the backside of the lid, so that they stick out on both sides. Glue the ears near the top on the front of the lid. Draw on eyes and a mouth. Glue the red pompom in the middle for his nose.

Glitter snowflake and star ornaments (ages 6-7)

You need:
white craft glue
waxed paper
pencil
glitter
plain paper
fishing line or thread

Directions:
1. Draw snowflakes or star outlines on your paper. Put the waxed paper over your drawings and draw over the design with glue.
2. Sprinkle glitter over the glue. Let the glue dry for at least 48 hours.
3. Carefully peel the ornament from the waxed paper. Tie on fishing line or thread to hang from the tree or in a window.

Gingerbread Wreath

Brushes Needed
#000 Detail Brush
#2 Detail Brush
#4 Detail Brush
#6 Detail Brush

Miscellaneous Supplies
10" Artificial Heart Shaped Pine Wreath
4 - Gingerbread Men
6 - 3 1/2" Cinnamon Sticks
Hot Glue
8 - 2" Pre-made Fiber Craft® Candy Canes
18" of 1/8" Red Ribbon
3 ft. Of 1/2" Wide Gingerbread Ribbon
6 - Stems Of Double Sided Red Stamens
12" Piece Of Floral Wire
DecoArt™ DA62 -Terra Cotta or Delta 02127 - Dark Flesh
DecoArt™ DA67 - Lamp Black or Delta 02506 - Black
DecoArt™ DA19 - Berry Red or Delta 02098 - Tomato Spice
DecoArt™ DA55 - Kelly Green or Delta 02421 - Jubilee Green
DecoArt™ DA1 - White or Delta 02505 - White
Glaze - Aerosol Or Waterbase Brush-on

Instructions

General Information: Please read all instructions before you start painting. Refer to color photo for placement of pieces on wreath. If paint appears thick, thin with a few drops of water. Apply the paint with brush directly to the piece. One coat is adequate. However, if the color looks streaky, a second coat may be necessary. Allow 20 minutes to dry. Clean brush with soap and water.

Note: paints should be applied in the order listed in the following instructions.

Gingerbread Man
Terra Cotta: Overall including back
Lamp Black: Eyes, nose, eyebrows, buttons
Berry Red: Cheeks, mouth, heart
Kelly Green: Necktie
White: Hair, squiggle trim
Glaze: Overall

Attaching Pieces To Wreath
Take the 1/8" red ribbon and cut off a 5" piece. Use this to tie one of the gingerbread men to the top of the wreath in the center. Cut a 7" piece of the same red ribbon and tie another gingerbread man to the center at the top of wreath. Let one of the ornaments hang longer than the other. Take the remaining 6" of red ribbon and cut in half. Use this to tie three cinnamon sticks together in a bundle. Glue each bundle to curved area near top of wreath. Take your eight candy canes and glue two side by side. Now you should have four sets of double candy canes. Take two sets and glue on top of each other in a crisscross on top of the cinnamon sticks. Take the red stamens and glue three to each side of wreath. Glue one gingerbread man on top of each cluster of stamens. Use gingerbread ribbon to make a bow. Twist wire around center of bow and attach to top of wreath.

You are now done! Enjoy! Hang anywhere you like or make another as a gift.

A gift from my Secret Santa

Christmas Midis

What Child is This?	Silent Night
Christmas Cantata	Let it Snow
It Came Upon a Midnight Clear	The First Noel
Santa Claus is Coming to Town	O Holy Night
Jolly Old St. Nicholas	Frosty the Snowman