You know how department stores have pyramids of boxed Christmas pins on display this time of year? Probably people think of them as a cop-out gift. I happen to like them. Above is the first pin I got when I was but a wee lass. It was a decoration on a Christmas present well before I could be trusted around sharp objects. Since then, more pins have followed me home. I inherited a couple from my grandmother when she died. And every couple of years, if I see one I like (some of them are too cheesy even for me) and it’s not too expensive, I buy another. Consider the people in your life. Would they like a piece of Christmas cheer to wear in December? If so, maybe a pin isn’t a cop-out gift at all.
10 Days ’til Christmas: The Games People Play
Christmastime makes me a bit nostalgic for board games and other types of games. These were some of the favorites in my family. What about yours?
Nerf Ping Pong (apparently no longer made but here’s a commercial on Youtube)
India (my grandparents’ Parcheesi set was called “India” on the box)
11 Days ’til Christmas: Exchange
I stayed up far, far too late making cookies for a cookie exchange at work (and I’m obviously still up). Have you done one of those? For each person participating (other than yourself), you bring a 1/2 dozen cookies–or your specified amount–and the recipe. Then you do a big swap with everyone getting a package of cookies from each of the other participants. In theory that means you can offer a variety of cookies at your own holiday shindig without having to bake more than one type yourself. Some folks package up their cookies in beautiful containers which I have to admit is part of the fun. I’m more of a bung-’em-in-the-pre-printed-holiday-Ziploc-and-be-on-your-way sort, though. So it goes. I did expend slightly more effort on the cookie decorating part this year but nothing compared to what I expect I’ll see at work on exchange day.
Because I seem to have renounced sleep for the duration of the holidays season, this is what I went for:
On Dasher, On Dancer, On Prancer and Vixen. On Comet, On Cupid, On Donder and Blitzen (led by Rudolph).
They’re reindeer (so everyone’s getting 9 cookies instead of 6…I couldn’t help myself) made from a family recipe called Rolled/Filled Cookies. And you shouldn’t be surprised to learn that the recipe is once again from my maternal grandmother, Edith Davis. The dough’s great for cut-out cookies since it’s not terribly sweet and can stand up to the oodles of frosting that may prove necessary at the decoration stage. Way back in the last century before I went off to college, my mom and I would make tons of cookies and these (highly decorated) were features of the Christmas cookie trays we’d take to friends and neighbors. There’s also a filling portion of the recipe (not used this time) that takes the dough to a whole other level. I might share the filling part of the recipe at some later date. Or not.
Rolled/Filled Cookies
Makes approximately 100 cookies
Cream together wet ingredients:
1 cup butter
2 cups sugar
2 eggs
1 cup sour milk (add a tablespoon of white vinegar to your cup of milk and let it sit for a bit before adding–it will almost certainly curdle)
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
Mix together dry ingredients:
5 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
2 teaspoons baking powder
Add dry ingredients to wet and mix well. Refrigerate dough until workable. Roll to a 1/8″-1/4″ thickness on a lightly floured board and cut out with your favorite cookie cutters. Bake on a greased or parchment-lined cookie sheet for 8 minutes (or until lightly golden just at the edges) at 400* F. When the cookies are cool, decorate with your favorite icing, candies, etc.
I’m wondering what kind of cookies other people made. They’re sure to be tasty, fancy, and packaged beautifully. Do you have a specialty or favorite cookie that you make this time of year?
12 Days ’til Christmas: Counting Birds, Give a Little, and More Madness
Will you see me?
Christmas Bird Count
Every year the Audubon Society sponsors a “citizen scientist” activity where ordinary folks take a bird census. This helps track how bird species are doing, where they’re moving, and if they’re in trouble or not. This year marks the 112th annual Christmas Bird Count. It runs from tomorrow (December 14) to January 5. Local chapters sponsor a count on different days during the Christmas Bird Count period so check https://netapp.audubon.org/cbcregistration/ to see when your local count will be and to register to participate. If you go, have a good time. Pat yourself on the back for doing a good deed. And, let Quarterly Speed Bump know how it goes (see our “On the Road to…Birdwatching article in our Autumn 2011 issue for more on birding).
Give a Little
It might be fun to spend some money on a good cause as well as doing your Christmas shopping this year. In case you’re looking for places to make a charitable donation this holiday season (maybe in the name of people who have everything they need and don’t want more stuff), the Better Business Bureau has reviews and ratings of national charities with offices in the US at http://www.bbb.org/charity-reviews/national/. Doesn’t hurt to check that the place where you’re sending your hard-earned cash will be using is properly.
12 Days of Christmas
There might be 12 days until Christmas but that doesn’t mean today is the First Day of Christmas. Nope the Twelve Days of Christmas start on Christmas Day and end on January 5 (Twelfth Night) with January 6th being Epiphany (Twelfth Day). Because we’ve been completely overtaken with holiday madness here at Quarterly Speed Bump HQ, we’ll be blogging the 12 Days of Christmas as soon as our advent calendar posts end.
13 Days ’til Christmas: Make Your Own Book
I suppose we’re getting down to the wire for Christmas gifts. If you’re stumped, why not make your own book with photos and text that you put together yourself. Check shipping dates for companies like Blurb, Shutterfly, and the like to see if it’s too late (I haven’t used these companies so can’t vouch for the finished product) for this year. Or check with your local print shop to see what they can do for you.
I think a recipe book with family favorites could be a great way to go. Or maybe you have vacation memories to share? A homemade calendar can be nice too. Use your own photos, put in all the special birthdays and anniversaries, and add the phases of the moon (what? calendars should have those!). Many of the print on demand companies have their own templates but you can wing it with your own software (just check to see what the printing company’s specs are first) and printer (if you want to use up a lot of ink).
If you don’t already have the photo-editing software or desktop publishing software, I can recommend what I use to create Quarterly Speed Bump Magazine. The GIMP is a free, open source photo editing program. Scribus is a free, open source layout/desktop publishing software. And, Inkscape is a free, open source vector graphics editor. Scribus and Inkscape also have calendar templates. Just remember that there can be a bit of a learning curve if you haven’t used these types of programs before.
If you do make a book or calendar, have fun. We’d love to see it.
14 Days ’til Christmas: Books Galore
I’m sure you realized it was only a matter of time before I talked about books again. Here’s a list of some of my favorite Christmas fiction. If you have some faves, please let me know in the comments. I’m always looking for more things to read. Five seems to be the number of choice around here, so here are five books for the day after you’ve got your Christmas shopping done. Or for the evening after you feel like you’ve been mauled at the mall.
A Christmas Carol by Charles Dickens
How can you not love a book that starts off: “Marley was dead: to begin with. There was no doubt whatever about that.” and then goes on to debate the relative merits of using door-nails vs. coffin nails to describe the quality of deadness? You can’t beat that and the book is short, really short. Try Dickens’s other Christmas ghost stories while you’re at it.
A Charlie Brown Christmas by Charles Schultz
If you missed the TV special you can have it in book form. See which edition appeals to you–there are many.
The Christmas Train by David Baldacci
Romance aboard a snowbound train at Christmastime. Only somewhat farfetched. 😉
The Stupidest Angel: A Heartwarming Tale of Christmas Terror by Christopher Moore
Yes, it’s irreverent. Yes, there’s a stupid angel. Mayhem ensues. It all comes out all right in the end and you might get some belly laughs along the way.
The Mischief of the Mistletoe by Lauren Willig
This is one of the later volumes (#7) in the Pink Carnation Series and the only one so far that’s set entirely during the Regency period. The whole series is fun–set in alternating chapters between the present (starring Eloise and Colin) and the Regency Era–following the adventures of an English spy ring led by the Pink Carnation. Do start with the first book (The Secret History of the Pink Carnation) so you know what’s going on.
NB: Remember, I just link to Amazon for convenience. Do try your local bookstore first so you’ll continue to have a local bookstore.
15 Days ’til Christmas: Look Up
There’s a total lunar eclipse (the last one until 2014) early Saturday morning. If you’re on the West coast of North America, the eclipse starts at 4:45 a.m. and the moon will be fully eclipsed by 6:05 a.m. Get up early and look up! And wear a coat.
Here’s NASA’s instructional video to get you ready: A Super-Sized Lunar Eclipse.
16 Days ’til Christmas: Oh, Fudge
I’m back with all the ingredients. Let’s make fudge.
Chocolate Fudge
3 cups sugar
1/4 cup cocoa
3 tablespoons light corn syrup
1 cup evaporated canned milk
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 tablespoon butter
Mix sugar, milk, cocoa, and corn syrup in a pot at least 3 times bigger than the contents and boil slowly over medium heat, stirring until the ingredients are well blended. Continue boiling until the mixture reaches the soft-ball stage (235-240 degrees F on the candy thermometer or when a bit dropped into cold water forms a ball that’s soft and flexible and, when taken out of the water, starts to flatten out).
Remove from stove, add butter and stir in. When the mixture is lukewarm add vanilla and beat until the mixture is shiny and holds its shape. Then add the nuts and fruit, if using (I used 1/4 cup each of chopped dried cranberries and chopped roasted, salted pistachios). Spread into a buttered 8″x8″ (9″x9″ will work but the fudge will thin) pan. When the fudge has hardened, mark into squares and cut. Don’t eat it all at once.
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We’re making fudge later today. Another recipe from my maternal grandmother (ya know, I’m really quite sad that I have no recipes from my paternal grandmother…I wonder if anyone in the family does?). If you want to play along, you’ll need:
Sugar
Evaporated milk
Cocoa powder
vanilla extract
butter
light corn syrup
A candy thermometer (makes it much easier but not mandatory)
I’ll be adding salted pistachios and dried cranberries. Not in the original recipe but I’m a rebel like that.
Post will update after I, too, have gone to the grocery store. See you later today.
17 Days ’til Christmas: Holly
Ilex aquifolium
I like traditional Christmas carols and holly features in one of my favorites, “The Holly and the Ivy,” where it’s explained as a symbol of Christmas. Of course holly has been adopted from earlier celebrations…particularly the Saturnalia. Holly was supposedly sacred to the Roman Titan, Saturn. Oh, the Saturnalia was celebrated in December too.
Don’t eat the berries! They’re poisonous to humans but great for birds.
18 Days ’til Christmas: Flaky
It was fun but it was February.
It’s funny that we continue to have a cultural nostalgia for a white Christmas. I understand that much of our Christmas tradition comes from northern Europe where snow is likely. But, while snow is pretty at first, it’s just inconvenient and cold if you have to leave the house. And, statistically you don’t have a very good chance for snow on Christmas, itself (it’s at the very beginning of winter, after all–or the beginning of summer if you live in the southern hemisphere). The original introduction to Irving Berlin’s “White Christmas” goes like this:
The sun is shining, the grass is green,
The orange and palm trees sway.
There’s never been such a day
in Beverly Hills, L.A.
But it’s December the twenty-fourth,—
And I am longing to be up North—
Kind of weird, really.
I say embrace the weather you’ve got and don’t go longing for the freezing white stuff. But do be nostalgic enough to make paper snowflakes. When was the last time you did some paper folding and snipping to come up with paper lace? Raid the recycle bin and grab your scissors–here’s a refresher on how to fold the paper for a nice 6-sided flake.
Bonus photo fun: images of real snowflakes.