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Archive for the ‘Holidays’ Category

Captain Cavedweller and I were in Las Vegas all last week.

It was warm, sunny and absolutely wonderful.

We came back to cold, fog, spitting snow and more cold.

I think I’m ready to go back.

While in Vegas, we took in a lot of  holiday decorations. I think my favorites were at The Bellagio in the Conservatory.

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There were hundreds of gorgeous poinsettias. I especially liked these ruffled beauties.

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And penguins.

PENTAX ImageThey were so fuzzy (along with being animated) they seemed lifelike.

PENTAX ImageA fantastic gingerbread village (that used 600 pounds of chocolate) filled the center section of the area, along with a huge rocking horse.

 

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But my most favorite, favorite decoration was the polar bears.

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They were made of white mums and absolutely amazing!

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Not only were they huge and impressive, they were kept fresh daily by a team that pulled out any wilted flowers and replaced them.

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PENTAX ImageSeriously – how could you see this funny guy and not smile!

She Who Loved The Polar Bears!

25 days 2011

 

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I like any number of Christmas songs.

Truth be told, I will start listening to them in mid-November and will drag out listening to them well into January.

Sometimes I like the fast paced cheery tunes, others the more traditional carols.

But on a Sunday during the holiday season, I especially like to listen to songs that remind us of the reason for the season.

Here are a few of my favorites:

Vince Gill – Til the Season Comes Round Again

Kenny Rogers – Once Upon A Christmas

Kathy Mattea- Mary, Did You Know?

Amy Grant – Breath of Heaven

Tracy Byrd – No Room

Martina McBride – O Holy Night

25 days 2011

 

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Growing up, there was one cartoon I dearly loved that came on during every holiday season.

It was sweet and wonderful and you always felt so happy at the end of it.

Despite the fact I should have long ago outgrown such things, I still love this little cartoon.

Except now it makes me filled with nostalgia, weepy and happy all at the same time.

Enjoy!

25 days 2011

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peppermint cookie finished

A box of candy cane pudding has been begging me to do something fun and creative with it, so I got the idea to make cake mix cookies.

From start to finish, these cookies took me less than half an hour and tasted so good.

The other perk is that the house had the most wonderful peppermint smell while these were baking. I nearly melted in a puddle on the kitchen floor.

Whip up a batch (if you love peppermint) and see what kind of words of undying gratitude come your way – if you decide to share the cookies!

Ingredients

Ingredients

Mix everything together until well blended.

Mix everything except chips together until well blended.

Stir in chips.

Stir in chips.

Drop by rounded spoonfuls on a baking sheet. Bake at 350 degrees for about eight minutes.

Drop by rounded spoonfuls on a baking sheet. Bake at 350 degrees for about six to eight minutes or until just set.

Remove from oven before they start to brown and let cool completely.

Remove from oven before they start to brown and let cool completely. I lined my baking sheet with parchment mostly because I’m lazy and don’t want to scrub the pan.

peppermint cookie finished

Peppermint Cookies

1 vanilla cake mix

1 small box instant candy cane pudding

2 eggs

1/2 cup butter, softened

1 cup white chocolate chips

1 cup peppermint crunch baking chips

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Mix cake mix, pudding, eggs, and butter until well blended. Stir in chips. Drop by rounded spoonfuls onto a parchment lined baking sheet. Bake about six to eight minutes, until cookies are just set (if you poke them, they still give a little but aren’t smooshy).

Remove from oven and let cool in pan for a few minutes. I slid the entire sheet of parchment out of the pan and onto the counter to let them finish cooling.

Your house, at this point, will have the most delicious peppermint aroma.

If you want to get all fancy, you could drizzle the tops with vanilla frosting and sprinkle crushed peppermint on top, but these are plenty sweet without any extra help. You could also throw in a handful of chocolate chips if you like the chocolate peppermint combo (which I do, but somehow managed not to add chocolate to this batch.)

Yield: About three dozen.

Enjoy!

She Who Really Liked These

25 days 2011

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