Homemade Christmas And A Recipe!

I am just going to admit it - I did not put up a Christmas tree this year (or last but conveniently we were in Paris for Christmas) and I might never again if I have my way.  I can't explain it but a few of the hardest, darkest times in my life occurred at Christmas time and the whole tree business, the smell of the boxes where I keep the old ornaments, putting up and taking down the tree, well it sends me back to dark places and I thought it would eventually go away but it hasn't.  That doesn't mean I get depressed or go in to a funk or anything like that but rather I just get this yucky feeling in the pit of my stomach as I ponder or attempt "the tree" and it hangs on.   Fortunately, my husband, while not really understanding this, is sympathetic to it and as long as we decorate in some fashion, he's okay with it.  At least for now.  So I foraged outside here and at the Yellow House property and brought in all sorts of greenery.  I tucked the evergreens and ilex berries on the mantels, made evergreens ropes for the staircase, brought out the Nativity my mom brought me from Mexico and just put little touches from the outdoors here and there.  And I even made my own kissing balls that are hanging on the front porch.  My neighbor made the wreath near the kitchen door and I picked another one up from a nursery for the front main door and attached my own bow to it.  And a Yankee candle is burning with the scent of cedar and balsam, Christmas music plays a lot of the time and I have been baking.  Christmas is here even without the tree.

 I hope Dane, my son who is coming home for Christmas won't mind that we will put all the presents around the Poinsettia on the dining room table instead.

 I will hang the stockings on this mantel.

 One of the problems with Christmas/winter decorating is that I am not ready to get rid of all the squash and pumpkins.  So here I scattered pine cones amongst them and they will work together for the holidays.

 That big white pumpkin is staying as well - they last for a couple years!

And please watch this You Tube recording of The Prayer,   - the best cover of that song ever in my opinion.   We watch it over and over and it has made Christmas for me.

A couple days ago at the monthly Women's Meeting at my church that is also referred to as Enrichment Night, we had a big Christmas cookie exchange and a good old fashioned Yankee Swap with lots of swapping and fun.  Here are a few scenes from that event.

 I make these frosted cocoa thumbprint cookies every year and have as long as I can remember.  My mom gave me the recipe and she doesn't remember from where she obtained it.  The other ones are called Elfin Bites, a shortbread type with lots of multi colored sprinkles or jimmies mixed in.  I brought these two for the exchange.

The eating at the beginning and the exchanging at the end.

 Getting ready for the Yankee Swap

The basketball wasn't a gift, it just got rolled in somehow.   We also had some young women join us too.  It was a blast.  I took home a jar of pickles and a jar of strawberry jam, both home canned.

Tonight I made a batch of Vanilla Butter Balls that I rolled in a fruit powdered sugar instead of plain that you see above.  The whole recipe is fast and easy and so is the fruit powder - recipe below:

VANILLA BUTTER BALLS WITH FRUIT POWDERED SUGAR

2 sticks soft unsalted butter
2/3 cup powdered sugar
1/2 tsp salt
1 T vanilla
2 cups and 1 T all purpose flour

Cream the first 4 ingredients then add flour.  Mix until it forms a ball or comes together really well - at first it will seem crumbly and dry but then suddenly it smooths out.  Roll into 1 inch balls and place 2 inches apart on parchment lined cookie sheets.  Bake 350 degrees for about 10 minutes or until they start to get golden around the edges.  Cool until they are firm enough to roll in the fruited sugar.

For the fruited sugar - 1 cup powdered sugar and 1 pkg. Traders Joes or other dehydrated strawberries or raspberries.  The 1.2 oz bags contain about 1 1/3 cups dehydrated fruit.  Put these two ingredients in a food processor and whir until like a fine powder.  Roll cookies heavily in this and cool cookies completely before serving or storing.  These freeze well.

 These cookies melt in your mouth!

Seen on this afternoon's walk at the beach.  Crosses or people?  Cute either way.