Christmas Sugar Cookies

Our family has had a Christmas tradition of making sugar cookies since I can remember.  My mom use to make about 6 or 7 batches of this recipe and we would invite some friends over and we would all spend an afternoon sitting around decorating cookies.  We use to have so much fun that when the holidays started to approch everyone would ask when we were doing the cookies.

Well when I moved to Kansas a few years ago we lost the tradition, I have not made sugar cookies once since I moved.  But this year my whole family came up for Christmas and we just had to make our sugar cookies again.  My daughter had so much fun making these that I am going to start this tradition here with my family and friends.  So next year we will have a big Christmas sugar cookie decorating party.

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Ingredients

1 ¼ cups granulated sugar	¾ tsp baking powder
1 stick butter flavor Crisco	½ tsp baking soda
2 eggs	½ tsp salt
¼ cup light corn syrup	Sugar sprinkles
1 tbs vanilla	Decorating gel
3 cups  all-purpose flour	Frosting

Directions

 In a large bowl beat together sugar and shortening until well blended

 Add eggs, syrup, and vanilla.  Beat until well blended and fluffy

 In separate bowl combine 3 cups flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt.  Add gradually to wet mixture until well blended

 Refrigerate dough for at least 1 hour to overnight.

Preheat oven to 375 degrees

 Roll dough out on well-floured surface, cut shapes out and transfer to ungreased baking sheet.

Bake for 5 to 9 min, until cookies just start to brown on bottoms.

 Let cookies cool then decorate with frosting, gel, and sprinkles.

Holiday Snickerdoodles

With the family here for the Holidays we go through a lot of cookies, and these holiday snickerdoodles are one of the favorites in the house.  This recipe make a LOT of cookies and well they are almost gone already and it has only been a couple days.  I guess we will have to make some more cookies today before we have a cookie emergency on our hands. I think sugar cookies are next on our cookie list to make so that is what we will be doing today, I just hope we can save some for Santa.

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Ingredients

1 ½ cups granulated sugar	¼ tsp salt
½ cup shortening	1 tsp baking soda
½ cup butter or margarine, softened	2 tbs green sugar
2 eggs	1 ½ tsp ground cinnamon
2 ¾ all purpose flour	2 tbs red sugar
2 tsp cream of tartar	1 ½ tsp ground cinnamon

Directions

Heat oven to 400F. 

In two small bowls mix red and green sugar with cinnamon; set aside.

  In a large bowl, beat granulated sugar, shortening, butter, and eggs, until well blended.  Stir in flour, cream of 

tartar, baking soda and salt until dough forms.

 Shape dough into ¾ inch balls; roll balls in red and green sugar mixtures.

 Place balls about 2 inches apart on ungreased cookie sheet.

 Bake 8 to 10 minutes or until centers are almost set.

Homemade Eggnog

My first Christmas with my husband he asked me to make some Homemade Eggnog. I had never made it before and did not know what to do, he then told me how his mom use to make it and it was his favorite holiday drink.  So next visit up to grandma’s I asked for her recipe and made it for my hubs.  He was so excited to have this again and my daughter thinks it is a milkshake and wants to drink it all.

I have to say I was really surprised at how quick and easy it is to make and how yummy it truly is.  Once you try this you will never want that store bought eggnog again. I have my family in town for the Holidays this year and they all got to try it last night and I have to say this is a new Holiday tradition recipe

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Ingredients

6 eggs

1 (14 ounce) can sweetened condensed milk

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

4 Cups milk

2/3 cup heavy whipping cream

1 pinch ground nutmeg

1 pinch salt

Directions

 Beat eggs; mix in condensed milk, vanilla, milk and salt. 

 Beat the whipping cream until soft peaks form. Fold in to egg and milk mixture and sprinkle with nutmeg. Serve chilled.

Can you see her Eggnog mustache?

Christmas Styrofoam Figures

For some reason I really loved my Halloween Styrofoam Figures so I had to make some for Christmas.  I just love how they look on the top of the cabinets in my Kitchen, they really look like I went out and bought some nice holiday figures and put them up.  But we know they are really super cheap Christmas Styrofoam figures.

I had left over styrofoam from Halloween, so I only had to my the foam sheets to decorate my figures. And I don't know about you all, but I love it when I don't have to buy much to do a fun craft. 

Supplies

Christmas Tree Pattern
Snowman Pattern
Styrofoam Sheet
Foam Paper
Glue Gun
Kitchen Knife
Sizzors
Googly Eyes

Directions

 Print out your patterns and cut them out.  Then trace the pattern on the Styrofoam, and cut out with kitchen knife.

 Now use your patterns to trace and cut out the foam paper

 Using your glue gun glue the foam cutouts to the Styrofoam cut out.  

 If you use a thin piece of Styrofoam (like I did) cut out a triangle piece of Styrofoam and using the glue gun glue it to the back of each figure to act as a stand.  

 

Now just find a place to put them up.

Double Layer Pumpkin Pie

I started making this recipe for double layer pumpkin pie several years ago, and ever since that first time my family won’t eat any other pie for the Holidays.   One of the best things about this pie is that you can make it sugar free by using sugar free pudding and whipped cream so my father who is Diabetic can enjoy it too; it is also pretty low in calories so you don’t have to feel so guilty eating it after your big Holiday meal.  This pie is also a no bake pumpkin pie so there is no worry about trying to fit everything in to the oven.  Let’s just say everything about this pie is awesome epically the taste.

The pictures are all from the pie I made on Thanksgiving, but with the whole family coming into town for Christmas I will be making a couple of these next week.  I wanted to make sure I shared this recipe with you all so you can give it a try for your Christmas dinner; I promise you will LOVE it!

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Ingredients

4    ounces Cream Cheese softened*       1   can (16 ounces) pumpkin

1    tablespoon milk or half-and-half          2   packages (4 servings) Instant Vanilla Pudding

1    tablespoon sugar or Splenda              1   teaspoon ground cinnamon                 

11/2 cups thawed whipped topping            1/2   teaspoon ground ginger

1    graham cracker pie crust                     1/4  teaspoon ground cloves                                

1    cup cold milk or half-and-half                            

* Helpful Hint: Soften cream cheese in microwave on HIGH 15 to 20 seconds.

Directions

 Mix cream cheese, 1 tablespoon milk and sugar in large bowl with wire whisk until smooth.  Gently stir in whipped topping.  Spread on bottom of crust.

Pour 1 cup cold milk into bowl.  Add pumpkin, pudding mixes and spices.  Beat with wire whisk until well mixed.  (Mixture will be thick.)  Spread over cream cheese layer.

Refrigerate 4 hours or until set.  Garnish with additional whipped topping, if desired.

 The kids loved it, and so did everyone else!

Hand and Foot Print Christmas Cards

I thought it would be fun to make some Christmas cards for the family this year.  And I just loved the hand and foot print Christmas card idea because it is something I know people will hold on too and that the kids will love to see in years to come.  I know I love to see my old hand and foot prints from when I was little, it is just so cool to see how small my hands and feet were.

I will say that before you decide to do this invest in a cheap plastic table cloth.  I got one at Target, but you can get them at the dollar store or Wal-Mart too.  It really helps with the mess, and if you are doing this with little ones there will be a little mess.  I decided to get my 10month old in on this and do her hand and foot prints too, well let’s just say that a bath was needed after and I had paint all over me.  But the cards came out great so it was totally worth it and we all had so much fun making them that I really did not mind a little messy paint.

Supplies

Construction Paper

Paint

Glue

Glitter Glue

Gems

Pom Pom’s

Buttons

Directions

Fold the construction paper in half to form the card, and then put the paint in something that the kids can fit their feet and hands in.  Lay out the card near the paint to be ready for the hand/foot prints.

 For older children have them step in the paint then step on the card, or put their hand in the paint then on the card.  You will need two foot prints for the Christmas tree, one upside down hand print for Santa, and one right-side up hand print for the reindeer.

 For babies, use a paint brush to paint their foot or hand then press on the paper.

 After the paint dries decorate cards any way you want.