Play-doh Night

We spent Friday evening with two cutie pies making play doh. When I was little my mom's best friend Patti  used to make play doh for vacation bible school. When the week was over I got to take all the play doh home. I had a play-doh spaghetti factory and played for hours making delightful dishes.  When I got married this past summer she sent me the recipe. It was one of my favorite gifts that we got. I wanted to share with Meg and Holly the play-doh I loved so much.

Meg wanted purple.

Holly wanted green.

Holly was a big helper as she looked on.

It cooks quickly.

Meg was Will's helper.

Will helped her make the purple that she wanted.

We made Christmas shapes with our Play doh.

Here is the recipe if you are interested:

1 cup of flour

1/2 cup salt

2 teaspoons of cream of tarter (you can find this on the spice aisle)

1 cup of water

1 tablespoon of cooking oil

Mix dry ingredients. Add oil and water. Add food coloring before cooking. Cook in nonstick pan on medium. Stir constantly because the mixture thickens quickly. Cook until it becomes a large ball. Empty onto wax paper or a cutting board and let cool.

Tradition 12- Christmas Morning Banana Nut Bread

Nice mixer huh? It is my mother in laws.

What a great dish..this belongs to Kristen.

1/4 cup self rising flour
1/3 cup shortening
2/3 cup sugar
2 eggs
3-4 ripe bananas (the browner they are the sweeter)
1 cup chopped pecans

bake on 350 for 1 hour

My mother made Banana Nut Bread every December.  It isn't Christmas until I smell that lovely bread baking. I was at my sister in laws baking this weekend and I got so excited. It is an instant reminder that Christmas is near.

I can't believe I made it through all 12 days of traditions. I am still waiting for you to share yours with me. Thank you for dropping in. I hope that you will all have a wonderful Christmas. May the coming of Christ bring the hope that all will be made right.


"Light and life to all he brings, ris'n with healing in his wings."   -Hark! the Herald Angels Sing

Merry Christmas!

Tradition 11- All Those Reindeer Games

When I was a kid my brother and I would create games to entertain ourselves. One holiday game I reminder in particular is candy cane swords. The game didn't really have a name, but for the sake of the blog I had to call it something.  The object was to see who could get their candy cane the sharpest and poked the other one. It probably doesn't sound like it would hurt, but think again.  Those ends can get pretty sharp. It usually ended with my brother chasing me as I repeatedly yelled ouch.

Tradition 10- Williams Family Tradition

This contribution highlights another Christmas tradition: Guest Bloggers.  Will Williams is an aspiring physician and incredible lover.  I know personally, because he's my husband. 

Presenting Will Williams:

 The Guest Blogger

"...ere' he drove out of sight, 'Happy Christmas to all and to all a good night!'"  The fire is burning and the tree is on and the television is off and we are gathered in my grandmother's den.  As she reaches for Luke's account of Jesus's coming, Christmas Eve is here.  In the morning, we will rise and sift through wrapping paper and boxes.  In the morning, we will dig into stockings stuffed with oranges and walnuts and selections from Parisians' center aisle displays.  But tonight there are no gifts.  There is simply togetherness and expectation and rice crispy treats and divinity.  Something magical happens here.  The rush of life, accelerated for the past few weeks (or, for the perpetually late Williams family, the past week) has stilled.  Noise is conspicuously absent, replaced with rich sounds of laughter and Glenn Miller's "White Christmas."   And this Moment is my favorite Christmas tradition.  There are no real particulars of this Moment, nothing that is essential or even intentionally replicable.  But I know when it has arrived.  I know that it is good.  May you find just such a Moment this season.

Tradition 9- Christmas Services

I love a good Christmas service, candlelight services are my all time favorite. I drove by this church last week on the way home and I saw their sign "December Advent Concerts."  I thought I am there. They had a choir from a local university come perform.  Their voices were nothing short of angelic. I had hoped for more traditional Christmas songs but when I heard them it didn't matter anymore. Most Christmas seasons I work myself into a major ball of stress. I plan too much and make myself crazy trying to check everything off my list. I decided I was going to this service as a time of rest. I am learning if I don't stop in the midst of my busy to dos I end up missing everything.  I always think I will rest when I have completed the list, but I am so wound up I usually just find something else to occupy my time.  I wasn't as settled as I would have liked to have been but at least I set aside time. I hope your holiday season will be filled with moments of rest.. 

Tradition 8- Gingerbread Houses

I can only remember doing this as a kid one or two times.  The gingerbread kits have changed. We did everything from baking the gingerbread to constructing the house. I think either people have gotten lazy or the gingerbread producers have stolen our building fun. I am going to write a letter! Anyways, this is the house that Claire and I decorated hence the big R and the Big C on the roof. We decided we would live there if we were small enough. Claire was the icing artist and I was the skilled candy placer.

The starting point

My Side of the House

The front door with a lovely wreath.

Claire's side of the house.

Can you tell that is a tree in the window?

Tradition 7-Wrapping Presents

One of my favorite things to do is give someone a gift. But not just any gift, one that I know they will love.  I get so excited when I am sitting on my living room floor surrounded by presents and paper. I do my wrapping all at once. I like to try and reuse things that I already have(not for gifts but for wrapping). One it is good for the environment and secondly, that item gets one last chance at glory. This year I am using all the magazines that we have collected and won't read anymore. I bought some ribbon to add a hint of Christmas cheer.

Now our tree (Ralph) has presents to keep him warm.