Tuesday, November 24, 2009

Happy Thanksgiving


Like so many of you, I too will be starting my day off early tomorrow with baking. So I do know that I will be extremely busy until the end of the weekend. I will be having 32 people here for our Thanksgiving dinner so I have a lot to do and so many people to entertain. But I wanted to let you all know that I thank the Lord for all of His wonderful blessings He has bestowed in my life.
I also want to wish each and every one of you a joyous Thanksgiving and I hope that you all Love and enjoy those around you and may the Lord Bless each and everyone of you. Until next time...

Juanita

Thursday, November 12, 2009

A Christmas Carol

My favorite Christmas movie has always been A Christmas Carol. I know there has been all kinds of ones made over the years but my favorite has always been the one from 1938

Well this year has brought a new one to us and so off we went...Robbie,me,Anna Rae, Samuel and Nikki.
I LOVED IT!! Now, mind you we did not go and see it in 3-D because we felt Samuel didn't have the patience to keep them on(the glasses).Hopefully Robbie will sneak me off some time soon and go see it in 3-D!!
I think the animation is awesome. If you liked Polar express then you will like this one.I have seen reviews where it said that it was scary for the children. Well, mine didn't have a problem with it. Now I will have to say that the last 5 minutes of the movie the kids started getting fidgety but they made it through. I would tell anyone to go check this movie out! And if you do let me know how you liked it!


Have a blessed day!
Juanita

Wednesday, November 11, 2009

A Colonial Recipe



I have been searching the web for some Colonial Customs on Christmas and have stumbled upon this recipe called The Twelfth Night Cake-So I wanted to share it with those of you who have not heard of it and give you a little background on it.

January 6th or Twelfth Night is the Feast of the Epiphany, celebrating the arrival of the three Kings from the Far East to worship the Christ Child in Bethlehem. They brought with them gifts of gold, frankincense and myrrh. The Twelve Days of Christmas were typically a time of great merriment. Families were gathered together and balls and celebrations were held to mark important occasions. George Washington married Martha Custis on Twelfth Night. Shakespeare wrote a theatrical comedy called “Twelfth Night” to be performed for Queen Elizabeth I at the close of the Christmas holidays.

Just as important, there were sweets prepared to serve on this final night of feasting. The custom of Twelfth Night was practiced for years in England, where Victorian homemakers baked fancy, rich “Twelfth Night Cakes” flavored with candied fruits, citrus zest and liquor. Buried in this “Cake of Kings” was a bean, a tradition that dates back to Roman times. The guest who found the bean in his or her serving of cake would be named the king or queen of the revelry.

Twelfth Night Cake
Recipe for "Rich Cake" for Twelfth-Night Celebration
Recipe from "The Art of Cookery Made Plain and Easy" by Hanna Glasse

Ingredients

4 pounds flour, dried and sifted
7 pounds currents, washed and rubbed
6 pounds of the best fresh butter
2 pounds Jordan almonds, blanched and beaten with orange flour water
4 pounds eggs - put half of the whites away
3 pounds double refined sugar, beaten and sifted
1/4 ounce mace
1/4 ounce cloves
1/4 ounce cinnamon
3 large nutmegs, grated fine
A little ginger
1/2 pint "sack" or sherry wine
1/2 pint of right French brandy
Sweetmeats to your liking (candied lemon peel, orange peel, and citron, or melon)

Directions

Work butter into cream with hands; then add sugar and mix well together, well beat and strained through a sieve. Work in almonds first, and then put in eggs. Beat together with the set-aside egg whites until they look white and thick; then put in sack, brandy, and spices. Shake in flour by degrees, and when oven is ready, put in currents and sweet meats, as you put dough into your hoops.

Four hours baking in a quick oven (350°)

You must keep beating with hands, all the while you are mixing dough

Fills two large wooden baking hoops (probably 10 normal ring - or Bundt-type - baking pans)

Enjoy this recipe! And the next time you hear from me I will be posting some goodies that I received! Have a blessed day!
Juanita

Wednesday, November 4, 2009

Wonderful Giveaways!

O.K. Everyone!! I have found so many wonderful giveaways! Please go by and check each and everyone of them out. I seen where someone had commented that they feel so honored to receive a giveaway from these wonderful artists. I believe that we all should feel that way because they put such hard work on these projects. I just want to personally thank each and everyone of these talented crafters. The hard work and love that goes into these are something very special. So not only sign up for these giveaways but visit these sites as much as possible and thank these wonderful artists for their work they put into these. I say THANK YOU and may you all have a blessed day!
Juanita






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the Olde Hollow Crow















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The Country Shed















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TheRustyThimble
















Kindred Sisters Gathering Post












Aunt Mannys Creations

Colonial Christmas Eye candy

Good Morning all!
I hope everyone is well on this Glorious Morning!
I have been surfing around on the internet and found some beautiful homes that are decorated for Christmas and wanted to share a few of them.

I found this beautiful home of Leslie and Steven Powell in Conn.
Enjoy and have a blessed day!
Juanita