My birthday was the 7th. It was the best. I got to spend the day with Glen which included buying fabric and going out to lunch and playing games (which Glen shamelessly won). Homemade ñoquis and an ice cream cake from Dairy Queen topped off the day. Friends also took me out to lunch that week, which is always wonderful, but especially now as we rarely get to see each other.
Hannah surprised us by showing up on our doorstep on the 12th...which led to a quick trip up to Rexburg on the 14th to pick up our minivan from Ryan and Angeles. We got to see them and their new apartment (which is adorable) and only drove through a little bit of snow on the way home. Didn't get a picture of them, but did get one of their cute little tree.
The Perazzo Clan did not Christmas carol this year for the first time in probably at least 35 years, but we still made treats to deliver...some might have preferred to get the treats without having to listen to us sing first anyway...
I spent many days working on finishing my 2 quilts. I finished the Christmas quilt just in time--11:04 pm on Christmas Eve. I have since sewn pillows covers and cases with leftover fabric and am quite pleased.
Just like last year, Christmas was a quiet affair with just Glen, Eric, and me here, but we did have a wonderful video conference with everybody at the same time.
One of Glen's gifts was a puzzle, which he is really enjoying putting together.
So, what's a box of chocolates doing in the game closet? Before Christmas, our sister-in-law, Debbie, gave us some handmade dipped chocolates that we started using as a prize for our games--if you won a game, you got a piece of chocolate. After Christmas, Glen and I bought some candy on sale and we are continuing the tradition--whoever wins a game, gets a piece. I like it. Maybe we'll buy more sale chocolate after Valentine's Day...then Easter...
Besides sewing, I've also spent a lot of time in the kitchen this month and so has Glen, so I thought I'd share some of what we have made. Here are some recipes we've made over the last few weeks (I love the recipes from
Mel's Kitchen Cafe, in case you can't tell, and her site is the first place I try when I'm looking for a recipe for something):
Cranberry Jalapeño Cream Cheese Dip:
Peanut Butter Blossom Cookies:
Chocolate-dipped Cranberry Cookies:
Gingersnaps (Dad really likes to make these) Corinne Adams Messner’s recipe from An Adams Family Legacy of Cooking family cookbook
1 ½ cups shortening
2 cups sugar, plus extra for dipping
½ cup light molasses
2 eggs, beaten
4 cups flour
½ teaspoon salt
4 teaspoons baking soda
2 teaspoons cinnamon
2 teaspoons cloves
2 teaspoons ginger
Cream shortening and sugar. Add molasses and eggs. Beat well. Sift together the flour, salt, soda, and spices. Gradually add to creamed mixture. Roll into small balls and dip in sugar.
Cookies will expand, so don’t place them too close together on sheet. Bake at 350° for 8-10 minutes.
Glen also likes to make Alton Brown's Granola Bars (but Glen doesn't like to bake the finished product):
Aunt Margaret's Wonderful Fudge:
Use a heavy kettle 4 quarts or larger.
INGREDIENTS:
½ cup (1 stick) butter
1 tall can evaporated milk (original recipe used 14 ½ oz but AM used the current 12 oz size)
2 lbs sugar (4 ½ cups)
8 oz marshmallows (if you wish a softer fudge, use 10 oz marshmallows)
26 oz chocolate (AM used 2 oz unsweetened baking chocolate, one 12 oz pkg (2 cups) semi-sweet chocolate chips, 12 oz Hershey milk chocolate bars
1 tablespoon vanilla
2 cups walnuts (use large pieces)
DIRECTIONS:
Stir together in a large heavy pot over moderate heat, the butter, canned milk and sugar. Bring to a boil. Cover.
Boil 5 minutes and turn off heat. Add marshmallows and stir until melted. Add the chocolate, one kind at a time, stirring as it melts. Add vanilla and nuts. Blend. Pour into buttered pan and smooth out evenly. This quantity is exactly right for a jelly-roll pan 10” x 15”
Let stand. (AM usually put it into the freezer to set up). Cut into 1” squares. Store in airtight tins in the freezer. “Will keep for several months in the freezer as long as family members don’t find it.”
Not everything was dessert:
Paula Dean's Gumbo:
served with Easy Homemade French Bread:
Denise's Cheese Fondue:
2 cups half & half (I used whole milk)
3 tablespoons flour
1 tablespoon worcestershire sauce
2 teaspoons dry mustard
1 garlic clove halved
1 1/2 lbs sharp cheddar cheese, shredded (~6 cups)
salt
crusty bread cut into chunkc
Over low heat, heat milk, worcestershire sauce, mustard, and garlic, stirring until hot but not boiling. Discard the garlic.
Meanwhile, toss cheese and flour until mixed. Gradually whics the cheese into the hot milk mixutre. Over low heat, stir constantly until cheese is melted and the mixture is smooth and bubbling.
Chicken Cordon Bleu casserole:
