Handmade Homemade Christmas Traditions Pt 2

I love to do a handmade Christmas.

 I mean, let's face it. We all of us mostly have everything we need.

And these days, if we need something, usually, we can just run down to the nearest big box and grab it.

And handmade or homemade gifts, well, they're just that extra special touch for the holidays.

I remember as kids; my next door neighbours always made trays of cookies, treats and  handmade ornaments for the trees for us.

And I remember 'helpin' in the kitchen as Mom made up her homemade gifts for the neighbours & church Christmas bazaars.

 So these past few years, I have tried to make a few homemade items to mix in with my storebought treasures.

NONE of these recipes require anything fancier than you can get in your own local grocery store!!

Here are a few of my Go-To Holiday recipes, treats & tricks from some of the coolest Bloggers out there. All the below recipes I have made and had great results. Again; read everything through before starting!!

Homemade Salted Caramels: Tried and true recipe at "Inspired Treats. A great recipe with video. Patience pays off for these melt in your mouth treats.

Macarons - ......Read THIS first. Oh gosh. They're tricky but again, take your time. Patience pays off!

Candy Cane Whoopie Pies - My teenaged nephew inhaled these. They're pretty darn good!

Candy Cane Kiss Cookies  - One of my favourite Bloggers of all time; Sally @ Sally's Baking Addiction. So many recipes, So little time! She has an awesome cookbook too. It's on my wish list.

Crisp & Chewy Molasses Cookies - I like this one, also a favourite is Moravian Molasses Thins.

Homemade Spice Rub - My own Creation! Great on chicken, pork & beef!

Classic Chocolate Chip - I use the same batter, just double or triple the recipe, divide it up and then  switch out the chips; I change out Peppermint Chips, Butterscotch Chips & Peanut Butter Chips to make a super easy master recipe. 

 (I have to confess that Sally's recipe has replaced my Grandma's recipe. Ssh. Don't tell.)

Holiday Traditions.. Life!

The older we get, the more 'traditions' become important to us.
Everyone has theirs...what are yours?

Recently, I've had a lot of changes in my world.

Moving countries, moving cities, ailing parent, career changes... you name it.

So, traditions ... now.... with all the changes, everything that WAS is now...Different.

SO, time to create NEW traditions!!!!

 In my NEW home! 

With my NEW Fiance!!! ( Well, he's not new. But being engaged sure is. :) )

Me an' Mr.J go out to skate in the park, and drive around and look at the lights.
We put on the Firelog station (we don't have a real fireplace) and play "Charlie Brown Christmas" on the stereo.
We drag up the bins from the basement, and get to it.

I love Christmas, I love to decorate!!

Step One

Step Two

Step Three!

 ONE major holiday tradition that will NEVER change for me....

I remember the cookies. And the treats. And the baking.

And I continue that tradition.

 

Yep. Holiday prep 2014. Heh.

 Next blog post is going to be ALL about the homemade handmade stuff ANYONE can do to make Christmas even more personal. And more better. Heh. 

Stay tuned for Some AMAZING recipes from equally AMAZING bloggers out there.

Easy recipes that are super yummy and solid to follow.

What're some of YOUR favourites??

Happy New Year, and Chicken Soup!

Okay so I know it's not exactly NEW Year's anymore but...hey, we're only ten days in, so it's still pretty new.

It's been a crazy couple of months here - with holidays, ice storms, snow storms, working retail, then WOOHOO getting a icky yucky cold. I hate being sick. Who doesn't!

A few quilt finishes for gifts - one super bright Holiday theme for my Mom; to brighten up her room. Institutions are so drab and grey ( and don't even ask about the smell....ack) so I found  some super bright cheery Christmasy type fabric and did a quick Bricks and Sticks....

 

Before trimming and binding. Just the top.

She really liked it. So did I actually. :)

One quilt was a finish from the summertime; for one of J's sisters; it's super cute and

it's done up of various vintage fabrics I've salvaged and a charm pack of Ruby & Opal. It's Vintage Chic and I used the ever faithful Disappearing 9 Patch.

The last quilt I haven't quite finished yet....um....It's cut, the blocks assembled, it just needs to be sewn together into a top. I found this super awesome Autism Awareness fabric (a cause near and dear to our family) and am making two quilts; one for Sister #2 to keep, and one to donate to auction off for Autism Awareness later next year.

I shall leave you all with a recipe for some seriously kick ass chicken soup. I made a pot and ate a pot in like, three days. (Not the pot. I ate the soup. The pot is fine.)

Kick Ass Soup You Can Make Even When You Feel Like Death Warmed Over

6 qt Stock Pot

4 stalks of celery,  chopped

half bag of baby carrots, chopped

one large onion, chopped

6-10 cloves of garlic, chopped up

1 box chicken stock, 

4 cups water

1 chicken bouillon

2 boneless chicken breasts, chunked/filleted

black peppercorns

bay leaf

powdered ginger

fresh thyme (or dried)

Chop all veggies and set aside. 

Put chicken in pot & add stock; bring to a boil, cover.

At a rolling boil add all veggies and spices.

After 15 mins at rolling boil, top up with bouillon and water.

Reduce heat and simmer for 30 mins.

After 30 mins, skim off any fat.

use a slotted spoon to pull up pieces of chicken and shred replace into pot.

Let simmer for another 20 mins or so ...then enjoy!

Rainbow Around the World and Other Stuff

YAY!

I'm pretty excited and proud about my First Big Finished Quilt. It's double sized and it's for my baby brother (who is 30 ha ha ha) and it's his Christmas present.
Here's some pics of the my journey making my first real patterned quilt, "Around the World".

 I found some jellyrolls on sale and KNEW I had to make something with them. I worked and tried to concentrate hard on the pattern but if you look carefully you can see where I mixed up a row...strip pieced and machine sewed; and I stitched in the ditch the around the world pattern and then stippled the borders.

At the start....

I really like the hot pink thread on the red border. And the black fabric for the wide edge had a neat grey pattern that really looked neat with the black on black stippling.

I was so excited to finish it though I nearly gave it to him yesterday.

At the basting and backing stage

Done!

I feel I should explain......

Many of my friends were freaked out when they found out I've been quilting. They look at me askance and call me grandma....and I'm enduring teasing beyond belief via email. The young girls I work with can't even begin to comment or identify so they largely ignore my enthusiastic descriptions of my new found love of quilting.

I could care less! This quilting thing is GREAT!!!!!

I've always admired beautifully crafted quilts. In fact Mom made one when I was little for my middle brother and we loved that thing beyond anything, until it was tatters. I don't know where it went, and Mom can't remember, either. But when we go through the family albums, in several old photos, there it is. Wrapped around us, under us, over us, used as a tent, or blankie, or all sorts of things we played at.

And when we were kids, Mom made our clothes too, even up to a highschooler she would make me some thigns (although at that point she let me choose my own fabric!) and Mom is a fabulous knitter. Of course she's slowed down a lot, her arthritis makes it hard for her to do that these days.

But that woman can KNIT like you wouldn't beleive.

And me, I turned up my nose for years. Couldn't be bothered. Had other things to do...you know. Teenagers. Ha.

It wasn't until the last ten years or so that I started knitting; the lady we would stay with when in FL on tour was a HUGE handicrafter. She knew my mother knitted and sewed, and knew I sewed. I didn't sew well, it was mostly all self taught, and the library books were helpful. But I was a  complete beginner.( For the show I was in I made all the costumes; Renaissance ish style ones) and couldn't BELIEVE I didn't knit. SO....I learned. At first because she sat me down at the table and wouldn't let me get up until I could cast on and knit 10 rows...laugh. Terrifying.

Then because I really dug watching something take form outta nothing. It was a trip. Kinda like sewing, but so, I don't know...Old-timey and feel-goody. And I felt ACCOMPLISHED. My first scarf I completed was HORRIBLE...lol...so of course: I gave it to my Dad. HA HA HA. Here ya go Dad. Enjoy.

And of course it was bright turquoise and I had embroidered with knitting DAD in giant brown letters. ( The colours were an homage to my father and the days of him picking me up after high school dances wearing bright turquoise shirts with turquoise socks to match and brown sandals. And oh yes. The socks....the socks. Pulled up over his glaringly white chicken legs up to his knobby knees. The horror.)

ANYWAY. Betty also sewed; she was fantastic and was learning to quilt in her towns tiny quilt shop with a group of ladies. I went with her one day to the shop and nearly fell over at the bright store. It was beautiful. I salivated. I wanted to laugh and sing and cry with joy! The colours were bright! And juicy! And I wanted to grab them all and rub my face in them and roll around like a cat in a catnip patch. I felt them and pored over all these wonderful fabrics.....

Needless to say, I had never been in such a glorious store.

The fabric shops I had been in previously were more utilitarian,  smelly, kinda like garage bins of old cloth you go through at a yard sale. Dust bunnies on the floor, unhelpful staff in black pants, pince-nez glasses, measuring tapes around their necks and giant dress shears in their hands. All named Maria and very unhelpful> did I mention that?? They would watch you go through and select your fabrics and sniff when you brought them to be cut...tersely asking, "What you making?" and when I would describe the project, sniff again as if to say, You're making THAT? Good luck kid.

But this New Wonderful Place was NOTHING like the previous shops I had been in. That shall remain nameless  and since I still have to shop there occasionally shall remain so. :)

I had discovered my as yet unknown love of quilting, and all things fabric-y.