A Tale of Two Poinsettias - Holiday 2008 Edition

As much as I love poinsettias, they just do not thrive under my care. Water, don't water, cool house, warm house, sunlight, shadow... These actually look pretty good - for me. I have three yellowy green leaves, curled but still attached. This year I watered one and left the other alone -- NO DIFFERENCE! Except one turned pink, haha - no. I love pink poinsettias but also get a red one, too, since maybe they've had enough genetic practice with the reds to make one to last longer. Evidently I haven't found it. I'll walk by offices months from now and see thriving poinsettias, with new leaves yet. Or there will be newspaper stories (December 21, 2007) of how someone planted theirs outside and it grew into a hedge! Or those articles of how to keep and make your poinsettia bloom from year to year by sticking in a dark area for x number of nights and days. Yeah, I'll stick it in a dark area - the garbage can!

Photo by Brenda Beust Smith/Houston Chronicle

Taste of Home - Cream Cheese Coffee Cake

Our traditional Christmas breakfast...and breakfast later on, as it makes more than one coffee cake and it freezes well! Giftable, too! L and I would bring one to our friend, Mary, on Christmas Eve.

This is from the February/March 1995 Taste of Home issue. Be forewarned, it takes two days, as the dough is refrigerated overnight. Through the years I've reduced by half the dough ingredients, because the original amount would make four, maybe even five huge coffee cakes. But I kept the filling the same, because who doesn't like cream cheese? Use your best judgement how much to use on each loaf -- big eyes make for gooey mess. Suffice to say you will have some left over if you have cut the dough ingredients in half. You could refrigerate and use it later for a small batch of kolaches, or sweet rolls, or if you are not afraid of an egg, swipe a spoonful occasionally. I have also substituted low fat sour cream and the Neufachel 1/3 less fat cream cheese. Stay away from the fat-free stuff. Another nice touch is to use almond extract for the vanilla in the glaze if you are sprinkling toasted almonds on top.

CREAM CHEESE COFFEE CAKE

Dough:
1 cup sour cream
1/2 cup sugar
1/2 cup butter or margarine
1 teaspoon salt
----------
2 packages dry yeast (FYI: 1 package equals 2 1/4 teaspoons)
1/2 cup warm water, 110-115 degrees
2 eggs, beaten
4 cups flour

Filling:
2 packages cream cheese, softened, 8 ounce size
3/4 cup sugar
1 egg, beaten
2 teaspoons vanilla
1/8 teaspoon salt

Glaze:
2 1/2 cups confectioners sugar
1/4 cup milk
1 teaspoon vanilla
sliced almonds, toasted, optional

In a saucepan, combine sour cream, sugar, butter and salt. Cook over medium-low heat, stirring constantly for 5-10 minutes or until well blended. Cool to room temperature. In a mixing bowl, dissolve yeast in water. Add sour cream mixture and eggs; mix well. Gradually stir in flour. Dough will be very soft. Cover and refrigerate overnight.

Next day, combine filling ingredients in a mixing bowl until well blended. Turn dough onto a floured board; knead 5-6 times. Divide into four equal portions. Roll each portion into a 12 x 8 rectangle. Spread 1/4 of the filling on each to within 1 inch of edges. Roll up, jelly-roll style from long side; pinch seams and ends to seal. Place seam side down on greased baking sheet/s. Do this part if you want to get artsy-creative: Cut six X's on top of loaves. Lately I've been putting it seam side up and if it unrolls a little exposing the cream cheese, that's OK, too. Cover and let rise until nearly doubled, about 1 hour. Bake at 375 (I adjust it down to 350 if it starts to brown too quickly) for 20-25 minutes or until golden brown. Cool on wire racks.

Combined the first three glaze ingredients, drizzle over loaves. Sprinkle with almonds if desired.
Enjoy!

Merry Christmas!

Three yards of buttons and beads

Target finally marked down their Christmas decorations 30%, so I grabbed this holiday garland I've been eyeing the past month. It's from the "Birchwood Chalet" collection, in the rustic aisle section. Nine feet long, it was just enough to drape along my sewing room window valance, and not so holiday-ish that I can't keep it up all year.

Smithville Gingerbread Man

Here is a life-size, 25-foot tall, permanent replica of the Guinness World Record Gingerbread man from last year. (2009 edition - page 124) It is actually the painted underside of the cookie pan used. Click here for a link to the event.

Add these to the creepy list

Anyone else think these are creepy, too? Of all the designs the USPS has used and could use, this year's are the worst. They look angry. I don't like nutcrackers and this is what the USPS APC (Automated Postal Center) is currently dispensing. Bring back the Forever bell! That could be Christmas-y, really, better than these guys.

Another Place in Time Christmas

Weren't you surprised this year at the Christmas merchandise -- selection and prices, especially?! Last year we found some cute ornaments, cards and decorations at Target - this year the prices seem higher, the selection lower. Disappointing! But enter the smaller and independent retailers and you'll find treasure and great prices. Last week at Another Place in Time, all Christmas items were already marked down 25% - 33% this week! They still had a great offering of goodies, L and I must have spent 30 minutes in the gift shop house ooing and ahing over everything. The tree at the top of my page is from there and it was less than $5. Way cheaper and cuter than anything Target had. This candle holder was less than $4; and they have a great new holiday scent in their square candle section - "Monterey Pine" No gaggy Pine-Sol/run-from-the-room-holding-your-nose-and-mouth scent here, it's lovely. One of their employees is battling cancer, and owner Mike Lowery is having a Holiday Open House this Sunday, December 21, from 6 PM to 9 PM to help raise money for her treatment. Ticket prices are $10 and well worth the cost of admission to be able to view and enjoy a Houston Heights home lavishly decorated with over 200 Santas, 2,500! Christmas ornaments on 6 trees! Judging by what they sell in the shop, I can't even begin to imagine his personal collection! You can purchase tickets at Another Place in Time or at the door. Call 713/864-9717 or email at info@anotherplaceintime for more information.

Update 01-02-09 - Over $11,000 was raised and Lynn Huber was able to begin her chemotherapy treatment on New Year's Eve!!

Obsession - Chocolate

Update: They've just been marked down to $4.97!

Bellagio Sipping Chocolate -- Run to your nearest Costco and look in the holiday gourmet food gifts aisle to get your own tin(s) of this before they are gone. These are Nos. 2 and 3 of my personal "collection" (stash). I think it will get me through the next couple of months, maybe. Two tablespoonfuls in a large mug of hot milk is enough to send you into chocolate nirvana. The recommended three (!) will surely induce a chocolate coma. Not only does it come in a cool metal tin (two big packages per), in neat color combination, but there are "recipes" for Sipping Chocolate - 3 tablespoons in 1/3 cup milk. Maybe they should call that Chocolate Sludge?! -- Decadent Mocha, Fondue for Two and Chocolate Martini. Low fat (1g/3T), sugar (16g) and 2g of fiber! 100% pure cocoa powder, pure cane sugar, chocolate liquor and cocoa butter.

Can't stand The Carol of The Bells either?!

Seriously.can't.stand.that.song. And the Wal-Mart commercial nearly puts me over the edge.

Usually I don't buy Everyday with Rachael Ray Magazine on a regular basis, but I am a sucker for any magazine's Christmas and holiday issues. I tore enough pages from it to make it undonateable to the library, so it's a good one.

In particular was a song list for a wrapping party that had some pretty good holiday songs (no Bells!). I grabbed a couple of them* to add to my iPod's Holiday Playlist:

*"All I Want is You" Barry Louis Polisar

"Thank You Too" My Morning Jacket

"Please, Please, Please Let Me Get What I Want" The Smiths

"This Gift" Sons & Daughters

*"For the Girl" The Fratellis (I got the Costello version instead)

"Is This It?" The Strokes

*"Ain't Too Proud to Beg" The Temptations

"My List" The Killers

"Objects of My Affection" Peter Bjorn and John

"Pretty Things" Rufus Wainwright

"Take It Back" She & Him

*"I Like It, I Love It" Tim McGraw

*Do these look like wreaths? That's what I was going for. . .

2008 Holiday Cookie Websites

Here's the link to the Land O'Lakes website for 2008's new holiday cookie recipes. . .

And the link to Nestle's "12 Days of Christmas a Dozen Different Ways"

Start your ovens!

Gifts of Gingerbread

I have loved and used this recipe since last year. It's from the fine folks at Cooking Light. This morning I thought I would try making and gifting it in small loaves. I found the mini foil loaf pans in Target's baking aisle. They are made by Hefty (?!) and for about $1.25 you get a set of five measuring 5 3/4" x 3 1/4".

I tried unsuccessfully to find more holiday-ish ones, but shoot, wrap it in Saran Wrap, slap a red bow on top and you're done. Probably for a lot less. And the red bow hides the checking-if-it's-done knife poke mark.

This recipe nicely divies up into three loaves. I rotated the pans at 5-6 minute intervals. If you have a small baking sheet, I'd advise putting the loaf pans on that to avoid burns. (I did well until the third rotation.) You may need to lower the temperature to 340 for the last 10-15 minutes to avoid overbrowning the edges. The baking time stayed about the same - 25-30 minutes - as when using a 9" square baking dish.

I plan to eat one, gift one and freeze one today. Easy, affordable, tasty and healthy way to celebrate the holidays.

GINGERBREAD SQUARES
1 1/4 cups flour...1 teaspoon ground ginger...1 teaspoon ground cinnamon*...1/2 teaspoon baking soda...1/2 cup sugar...1/2 cup low fat buttermilk...1/2 cup dark molasses...1/3 cup butter, melted...1 large egg, lightly beaten...powdered sugar to sprinkle on top when cooled
Preheat oven to 350. Combine flour, ginger, cinnamon and baking soda, stirring with a whisk. Combine sugar and next four ingredients in a large bowl, stirring with a whisk. Stir in flour mixture. Pour batter into 9" square baking pan coated with cooking spray (or 3 mini loaf pans). Bake at 350 for 25 minutes or until a wooden pick inserted in center comes out clean. Cool in pan on a wire rack. Sprinkle gingerbread with powdered sugar.

From Cooking Light Desserts - page 56

*Penzeys Cassia Cinnamon

Taste of Texas -- Smithville, Texas - Bastrop County Cookbook

I love the fundraising cookbooks and here's the latest one for my collection. Just published and chock-full - 219 pages! - of Texas-style recipes and goodies. Such as Scrumdillyumshish, Old-Timey Buttermilk Pie, Popcorn Cake, Parmesan Enchiladas, Pecan Sticky Muffins, Sweet and Sour Asparagus, Southwestern Cheese Dip, Frog Eye Salad, Texas Hash, Peaches and Cream Salsa, and so much more. But let's be honest, we (at least I do and will admit it) buy these for the desserts, right? Take your pick of almost 200 of them. Wow your family, friends and coworkers. Well worth the cost of the book right there!

The cookbook sale benefits the Bastrop County Mental Retardation Association. To order yours by mail, the cost is $12 plus $4 shipping. Send your check to:

BCMRA

Attention: Kathy Lynch

P. O. Box 484

Smithville, Texas 78957

If you are driving on Highway 71 back and forth between Houston and Austin over the holidays, you can also purchase at copy at the Smithville Public Library and the Smithville Branch of Franklin Bank.

Not only is this a wonderful addition to your bookshelves, but these would also make great holiday gifts, too. (Email Kathy Lynch at k-rector-2@austin.rr.com to make sure they have enough in stock and maybe for possible gift-wrapping options.)

Today's Costco Find - High School Musical 3 Dance Mat

Really, yesterday's and today's -- I went back to grab another for the Blue Santa toy drive. I bought this yesterday for Toys for Tots. It's hard to find tween girl things that are fun. When I was telling a friend about it, she said everyone she knew would love it. Hence the return trip and making this our designated toy donation for 2008. Costco has them marked down to $14.97. Batteries are not included, but I opened up the box and slipped a couple sets in so it will be ready to go.

Catnap Catnip

Not quite a bed of roses -- My mom's cat loves to drag out all the catnip patches I've made, line them up and then lie down on them. These are the Christmas 2008 editions for her cat and Monica's Spunky and Tripper. So easy, just cut 2"-3" squares of leftover fabric, and fill with approximately 1 tablespoon of the 'nip. Serge the edges closed. I straight stitch across the corners a few times to secure the threads and prevent them from being pulled out by a stoned kitty. Their brand of choice -- Kookamunga A .75 ounce/21 gram box goes a long way for a lot of fun.

Holiday Mail for Heroes

Once again the Red Cross is helping to collect and mail holiday cards to our soldiers and veterans this year. Mailing deadline is December 10. Click here for the guidelines and details.

Money Monday - Hello Again

Go green and recycle your leftover Christmas cards. I found several boxes from previous years which contained a few or several - enough if combined would be plenty for my Christmas card mailing this year. I don't think people really keep track of the actual card itself from year to year. I hope not, that would be seriously pathetic and likely to be dropped from my list. If M.D. Anderson can do it, so can I. (Many of my cards were from the M.D. Anderson Cancer Center's Children's Art Project program). Or if you have the time and the inclination, use those extra envelopes from the freebies and make your own cards.

Kroger Hustle

From this week's grocery shopping circulars, Kroger wins! I scored a 14+ pound turkey for $5.57 (39 cents/pound) and 10 Carnation Evaporated Milks for $5 (50 cents each instead of $1+) That should help with T's holiday fudge-making budget. The milk, not the turkey. I recant, the turkey savings purchased a 2 pound bag of gorgeous pecans. And yes, he is the arm behind the fudge. Not me, though everyone assumes so. I'll serge the fabric gift bags, doing a Christmas fabric stash reduction at the same time. Recipients are more likely to believe he made the bags (hey!!).

Looking Good!

Budget looking kind of tight for Christmas? Put your stash fabric and scraps to a good use and make these cute eyeglass cases featured in the August/September issue of Mary Engelbreit's Home Companion magazine - page 94. Linda Schneewind of Digs suggests the more varied the fabrics, the better the outcome. Try using wool, corduroy or velvet scraps for texture and interest. For eyecatching holders for eyecatching glasses, use fabrics which coordinate with your frames or choose bright colors to easily spot inside your purse. Give cases as gifts to avid readers with a favorite book or magazine subscription.

Click here for the instructions from Shop Digs (PDF file)

Oh Cats!

Whenever something didn't go right, my grandmother would always say, "Oh cats!" After the Vogue 8522 debacle, perhaps I should sew cats. This free downloadable pattern from Wee Wonderfuls was featured in the October issue of Mary Engelbreit's Home Companion on page 90 done up in Halloween fabrics. Aren't they cute? They seem very retro 60's to me. Imagine some Christmas fabric kitties decorating your house.

Martha Stewart's New Holiday Issue!

$6.95 (found at Target -- save 10%!)

Grab it when you see it -- 151 ways to make your holidays crafty a la Martha Stewart! Handmade gifts...ornaments...decorations...gifts from the kitchen...wrappings and cards. I loved the button snowman! The beaded ornaments are in a gorgeous lettering you could easily replicate on your sewing machine. Each time I flip through I find even more crafting temptations. Martha definitely pulled out the stops for this holiday season!