Favorite Christmas Treats

December is probably the heaviest baking month of the year for our family. While we’ve really cut back on the amount of sweets we consume, Christmas is an exception to the rule. J Below are some of our favorite Christmas treats:

Mark—Of course, only the stuff that is really fattening!  I love my Dad’s fudge, divinity cookies, no-bake chocolate cookies, and Romolo’s sponge candy!

Betsy—It’s tough to pick favorites! I love my Mom’s baklava with guava, my father-in-law’s homemade fudge, and my neighbor’s peanut butter fudge. I also look forward to chocolate no-bakes, divinity cookies, Josiah’s Pretzel Treats.

Bianca—I have such a weakness for sweets that it’s really hard for me to pick favorites! I love Grandpa’s fudge, homemade cracker brittle, peppermint brownies, Knick Knack Noels, Ritz cracker treats, and our neighbor’s peanut butter fudge.

Ben—My top favorite Christmas treats are, peppermint brownies, no-bake cookies, divinity cookies, my Grandpa’s famous fudge, and my Abuela’s Russian teacakes.

Rubia—My favorite Christmas treat is cracker brittle! I get to make it every year. I also like peppermint brownies, Grandpa’s fudge, and no-bake cookies.

Roma—I like cracker brittle and no-bakes. I also love Grandpa’s homemade fudge! I also enjoy Knick Knack Noels (recipe coming soon!) and Ritz Cracker treats.

Josiah—I like all of the treats we make! J Especially Grandpa’s fudge, pretzel treats, no-bakes, cracker brittle, and peppermint brownies.

Christmas Luncheon

On December 11, we attended the annual Deacons and Staff Christmas luncheon as a part of our busy weekend! It was a great time of fellowship and good eating! J

All of the ladies gravitated towards the kitchen to finish the final preparations of the food. We had a HUGE feast with honey glazed hams, green bean casserole, two different kinds of mashed potatoes, sweet potato casserole, veggie and cheese casserole, cold salad with dressing, fruit salad, rolls, crackers and dip, derby pie, cake, cookies, homemade cheesecake, eggnog, and soda pop. It was SO filling!

The guys all gravitated towards the family room to watch the Lions play football.

The younger kids ate together in the den and had fun visiting.

The ladies enjoying lunch in the front parlor.

We had a great time visiting with our church family and were sorry that it got cut short because of a worship dance performance. But that’s a post for another day. . . J

Party with Friends and Family

After the Ladies Christmas tea at church, we had a party at our house with our out-of-town friends and family. It was a great time of fellowship, which I’m sure you’ll be able to tell from the photos below:

One of the ladies from church (pictured on the left) stopped by our house to meet our friends. Her husband and Mr. M fly for the same airline, and they have been wanting to meet for quite a while. Unfortunately, her husband couldn’t make it, but perhaps in the future we’ll have another get-together!

We girls enjoyed catching up with our friend K. We’ve become like sisters over time! J Here we are comparing piano books and playing some songs.

The men visiting in the living room.

The ladies preparing dinner in the kitchen.

We had a delicious dinner of spaghetti, breadsticks, and salad for dinner. It rivaled “Olive Garden!” J

For dessert we had no-bake cookies, poppy seed bread, and cracker brittle. It was all scrumptious!

While we were eating dinner, we discovered that both of our families had recently started watching the old TV show, “The Beverly Hillbillies” (which we have on DVD.) This is just one of many “coincidental” similarities our families have. After dinner we decided to watch an episode in the basement. It provided lots of laughs!

All of us girls together before our friends left.

All of the boys.

All of us kids together. We’re so glad that they could come and look forward to seeing them again soon!

Ladies Christmas Tea

As I mentioned yesterday, the twins and I danced at our church’s second annual Ladies Christmas Tea. We had been looking forward to attending and ministering at the tea for many weeks, and we were very excited when the day finally came!

Roma ironing clothes for the tea.

Rubia in the car with her hair and makeup ready to practice at the church prior to the tea.

When we arrived I had to take a few pictures of the beautifully decorated tables before we practiced our dances. Each table was unique since they were sponsored by different women in the church.

We were glad that our Abuela was able to attend the tea with us!

L to R: Our friend E who dances with us, our friend K who drove quite a ways to come to the tea, Roma, Rubia and I during the tea.

After listening to a beautiful arrangement of “God Rest Ye Merry Gentlemen” played on the violin by one of the young girls at church, we prayed and enjoyed a lovely meal served by the deacons and Pastors. On the menu was orange spice and green tea, graham crackers with fresh fruit salsa, small red potatoes stuffed with potato salad, garlic chicken bruschetta, chocolate cake wedges, streusel squares, cream puffs, and chocolate bon bons. It was all very delicious and elegant.

Then it was time for the dances to begin. First, our instructor danced a solo to “Mary, Did You know?” Then while she changed costumes, our associate pastor’s wife read a humorous poem called “See Mother, Funny Funny Mother.” Next some of the women and myself danced to the song “Blessings” by Laura Story (pictured above.)

Then our two teachers danced to the song, “All is Well” by Michael W. Smith. It is such a beautiful song and very soothing. After this, we listened to a speaker who talked about waiting for the Lord, and choosing to serve Him while we are waiting instead of growing impatient.

To close the tea, the twins, our friend E, and I danced to the song “Manger Throne” by Third Day. This too is a beautiful song!

After the tea, we posed for many pictures in our dresses.

The group that danced at the tea.

We girls with Mommy.

Our friend K and Mrs. M. We’re so glad they could come to the tea!

After the tea, we went home and enjoyed a get-together with our friends and family who came to the tea. Come back tomorrow to hear more about that!

Busy Weekend Teaser

*Note: I’m sorry this post is a bit later than normal. But once you’ve read about our busy weekend, I’m sure you’ll understand why we all enjoyed sleeping in this morning. J*

Whew! We had such a busy weekend that it’s going to take me all week to fully describe it all! But for now, here’s a teaser of what went on in our family this weekend. . .

Dancing at the annual Ladies Christmas tea at our church.

Fellowshipping with friends and family at home after the tea.

Enjoying a lunch with the other deacons and church staff after church on Sunday.

Dancing at another local church as part of their Christmas program.

Come back tomorrow to hear more about our weekend!

The Door

“Behold, I stand at the door and knock;

if anyone hears My voice and opens the door,

I will come in to him and will dine with him,

and he with Me.”

(Rev. 3:20)

~ Posted by Betsy

Recipe--Pineapple Orange Cream Cake

Awhile back, I posted about my Abuelo’s birthday. For his birthday we enjoyed delicious pineapple orange cream cake. This cake is very easy to put together and has become one of our favorites! We hope you love it as much as we do!

Pineapple Orange Cream Cake

 1 (15 oz) can crushed pineapple in juice

1 (18.5 oz) package yellow or lemon cake mix

1 (11 oz) can mandarin oranges in light syrup, drained

2 eggs

½ cup mayonnaise

12 oz whipped cream

1 (1 oz) package vanilla instant pudding mix

Preheat oven to 350°F. Drain pineapple, reserving juice; set pineapple aside. Combine reserved pineapple juice, cake mix, mandarin oranges, eggs, and mayonnaise in a large bowl. Beat with mixer at medium speed. Pour batter into greased 13 x 9 inch baking pan. Bake for 35 minutes or until done. Cool completely. Combine drained pineapple, whipped cream, and vanilla pudding mix in medium bowl; beat at low speed until just blended. Spread pineapple mixture evenly over top of cake. Cover and store cake in refrigerator. Makes  18 servings.

Enjoy!

Favorite Christmas Movies

When we kids were younger, we greatly anticipated the day we could pull out the Christmas movies! We still look forward to that day every year, and especially look forward to a few favorite Christmas movies. Below are some them:

Mark—My favorite Christmas movie is “It’s a Wonderful Life.” I really enjoy Jimmy Stewart as an actor. I also like the movie because of the message it gives, that everyone’s life has value.

Betsy—As a child, I enjoyed movies like “Rudolph,” “Frosty the Snowman,” and “The Year Without a Santa Claus.” I also enjoyed one called “The House without a Christmas Tree,” but now I won’t let our children watch it because of the explosive language at one point in the movie. Now, my all-time favorite Christmas movie is “It’s a Wonderful Life.” I love the era in history when this movie was made…I enjoy Jimmy Stewart as an actor…and I love the message that our lives impact so many others, without our even realizing it. That’s a great message to remember!

Bianca—Over the years, my favorite Christmas movies have changed a bit. I used to appreciate movies like “Barbie and the Nutcracker,” “Santa Claus is Coming to Town,” “Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer,” and “Frosty the Snowman. But my favorites now are “Miracle on 34^th Street,” “White Christmas,” “The Christmas Miracle of Jonathan Toomey,” and my most favorite movie of all: “It’s a Wonderful Life.” It just wouldn’t be Christmas without George Bailey!

Ben—My favorite Christmas movies are “It’s a Wonderful Life,” “White Christmas,” and “Miracle on 34^th Street.” When I was much younger, my favorites used to be “Frosty the Snowman,” and “Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer.”

Rubia—I like “The Little Drummer Boy,” “It’s a Wonderful Life,” “Little House on the Prairie: Christmas at Plum Creek,” and “The Christmas Miracle of Jonathan Toomey.”

Roma—My all-time favorite Christmas movie is “It’s a Wonderful Life” with James Stewart and Donna Reed. I also like “White Christmas,” “Miracle on 34^th Street,” “Little House on the Prairie: Christmas at Plum Creek,” and “The Christmas Miracle of Jonathan Toomey.” I also like the DVD we got of “The Glory of Christmas” show that we attended at Northridge Church last Christmas.

Josiah—My favorite Christmas movie is “How the Grinch Stole Christmas.” I also like “Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer,” and “Nicholas: the Boy who Became Santa.”

*What are some of your favorite Christmas movies? Share in the comments!*