Bringing in the Christmas tree

Dave's mom & her man-friend cut down the tree for the local church every year, and cut one down for our home at the same time. Since these are straight from a forest, and not from a tree farm (Note: tree farms have space between the trees, so that the trees are equally bushy on all sides, unlike a forest, where trees tend to grow in groups or clumps, and you'll end up with a tree that has bushy growth on one side, but thin growth on the side that was pressed up against the other trees in the group), we usually end up with a kinda Charlie Brown sort of tree. But you can't beat the price! And it's still green, and smells wonderfully like the forest.

I read somewhere that it's a good idea to put your tree out a couple of days before you decorate it, so that your pets can get used to it being there, and hopefully by the time you decorate it, they will be ignoring it. Now, I haven't found that to be exactly true, but putting it out early does prevent scenes like the one below:

Not in the house for 5 minutes, and already we have Baby Boy batting at the tree (you can also see from this shot that the tree is kinda lopsided, and has a curve in the trunk. The ornaments will take care of that - once decorated, it won't really be noticable.) :D

A week till Christmas eve - woo hoo!

Christmas Cookies, Round 2

Today was round two of seasonal cooking baking - I tried a new recipe for sugar cookies this time - they taste "okay", but not great. Sugar cookies are more appropriate for cutting out shapes, because they hold together better than shortbreads (but I think shortbreads taste better). Of course, we could use a batch of cookies that aren't super tasty - the shortbreads only lasted 3 days!

Cutting out the cookies - remember, add some flour to your rolling pin and rolling surface, but not too much, or else you'll end up with a tougher dough.

This is a decent level of browning for a sugar cookie, they get much browner than shortbreads do.

I bought a very inexpensive cake decorating tip set, that comes with several metal tips, and the little plastic contraption that you put in a pastry bag that allows you to screw the tips on. I highly recommend picking one of these up, they make decorating SO much easier! And they last for years and years, so it's a good investment (I think mine cost about $12 CDN). You can skip buying expensive pastry bags, and use Ziplock style (tougher plastic) throw-away bags - cut a small corner off the bag, insert the contraption as you would in a normal pastry bag, and you have an inexpensive alternative that you can throw away after you're done. :)

This year I made some Nova-Scotian and Canadian themed Christmas cookies, just for fun. Check out these lobster (we're famous for our lobster around these parts) and maple leaves. Very fun! :)

Here's some fun designs I did of trees, with lots of different colors of Royal Icing. You can really let your creativity go wild with decorating, be sure to have fun with it! :D

Only a couple of weeks 'till Christmas! I can't wait!!!!!

[EDIT: See closeups of some of the tree cookie decorations here.]

Christmas tree safety

A good article for this time of year from the CBC - it has a Canadian slant, of course (CSA approved products aren't available outside of Canada, for example) but they're generally good safety tips for everyone putting up a Christmas tree and lights this year!

Read it here.

Have a safe Christmas! :D

Chickadee!

Is there anything cuter than a little chickadee out in the snow? I don't know that there is... :D

Photo Journal: After the Storm

Here's the results of our big storm last night - they say as far as the traffic was concerned, it was the worst case of gridlock Halifax has ever seen, lasting almost the whole evening...unbelievable! Sounds like a lot of people didn't have their snow tires on yet... We were all lucky here we didn't get caught in it, and could just sit back and enjoy it!

Apparently it rained a little overnight, but there was still plenty of gorgeous scenery out there!

Casey came out with me, and had fun tromping through the snow carrying her stick.

Dave created these from the giant ice and rock blocks that the street plough dug up and left in our driveway...I'm not sure if he was going for an innukshuk or a snowman sort of look here, but they're still cool, nonetheless. :D

And then it was off to the forest...gorgeous blue skies, and new fallen snow...enjoy the pics! :D

More snow!

We weren't even expecting snow today, just lots of rain, so this really caught a lot of people off guard - I feel bad for all those stuck in traffic, but from my view, I'm thrilled! We usually get our first storm in November, so it's really long overdue, and it just totally looks like Christmas now! :D Of course, it's supposed to be gone by the end of the week, but I'll really enjoy it while it's here! Casey, Lila & I just came in from brushing the snow off Dave's mom's car, and playing throw-the-snowball--we all had a great time out in the snow! :D This pic is from the backyard--you can see the thick, heavy wet snow on our backyard birdfeeder and patio rails...wow!

But Casey still needs to play

No matter how bad the weather is, she has to get her play in! Here, devoted dad Dave plays "toss the frisbee/stick"...and she's loving it!

Finally, real snow!!

It's been cloudy and/or raining for weeks now, and finally we have some real December weather--snow! It was raining all morning, so I'm not sure how long this will last, but it really puts you in mind of Christmas! :D Yay!

Christmas Daddies, and Cookie Recipe

If the Parade of Lights doesn't get us in the Christmas Spirit every year, then Christmas Daddies is guaranteed to! It's a charity telethon drive, started up by two men back in the '60s, moved by a small child begging for money in a bar to buy milk & bread for his family.

It is truly a Maritime institution, with extremely generous donations, even through tough economic times here, to make Christmas bright for a child. The money that's donated goes back to the community it was donated from, and buys presents for children whose families just can't afford gifts. The telethon is full of local talent, ranging from professional bands to little kids that like to sing. There's auctions of items like a plunger on a pedestal, that has people bidding high for the honour of having it for a year. :D (Really!) And auctions of lots of other things, like wonderful woodworking pieces, quilts, etc., that you get to keep for good. Signed hockey player jerseys, Celine Dion materials (she always generously donates autographed cds, posters, and such, every year), and more.

Bar owners, and other business owners also have events throughout the year that fund raise for the event, and then come on TV to hand over their cheques. As I say, really a Maritime Institution - Christmas wouldn't be Christmas without it! (Even Maritimers who have moved to other provinces, etc. can now watch it via satellite, and they phone in donations!)

I always bake my first batch of Christmas cookies while watching the telethon (this year, it's Sunday, December 3rd), it really puts me in the Christmas spirit! :D

And my first cookies are always (drum roll please!)....

Shortbreads!

I use the recipe on the back of the Canada Brand Corn Starch (the one with the rooster on the box) box.

Called "Grandma's Shortbread", it's the recipe my family's been using for decades. REALLY easy, and really delicious! Makes about 24 cookies.

1/2 cup corn starch
1/2 cup icing sugar
1 cup all-purpose flour
3/4 cup butter, softened

Sift together corn starch, icing sugar and flour. With wooden spoon, blend in softened butter until soft, smooth dough forms.

Alternately, sift the dry ingredients into a food processor. Cut up the softened butter into cubes, pop into the processor, and pulse, occasionally scraping down the sides, until it looks well blended - like a small, lumpy grain. When you take it out and put it on a hard surface, squeeze it together and you'll see its just the same as described above, a "smooth dough". The processor makes it way easier!

If dough is too soft to handle, cover it with plastic wrap and put it in the fridge for 30-60 minutes.

Shape the dough into 1" (2.5 cm) balls, place on ungreased cookie sheet about 1 1/2" (4 cm) apart, and flatten with lightly floured fork. Or, roll dough to 1/4" (6mm), and cut into shapes with cookie cutters. Decorate with candied cherries (my favorite), colored sprinkles or nuts if desired.

Bake in 300 deg. F oven 15-20 minutes or until edges are lightly browned. I find I get the best results if I bake them on parchment paper - you don't want your shortbreads very browned at all, they should be just "kissed" with brown underneath. Cool cookies on a wire rack. Once they're cooled, you can decorate with frosting, if you didn't decorate with sprinkles, cherries, etc.

So yummy! Enjoy your Christmas baking, I know I will! :D

Cat, in the hall - an artistic moment

Baby Boy, drawn to the one bright spot of sunlight in an otherwise darkened hall - he graciously posed for me here (you can just make out Casey in the background, top left).


And then he started to do his adorable twisting - to - the - side - and - falling - over - 'cause - I - love - you pose. What a sweetie. :D

Christmas - Awesome Party Squares Recipe!

I was going to wait until the 1st of December to post this, but I just couldn't wait to get started on my Christmas Postings. :)

When I was little, I had these layered squares at a family Christmas party, and was TOTALLY blown away by them! The next year, I asked my Aunt Elaine what they were called - and while I had the name for almost 2 decades, I didn't get the recipe until recently!

I finally tracked them down in Company's Coming: 150 Delicious Squares by Jean Pare (her Company's Coming books are a super-popular series of cookbooks here in Canada, I think everyone has at least one book in the series in their cupboards! I have several - there's tons of simple recipes that taste great without a lot of fuss). :) Check them out here: Company's Coming. These are sure to be a hit at your next holiday party!

Tweed Squares (recipe makes 36 squares)

Base:
1/2 cup butter
2/3 cup granulated sugar
1 1/3 cups all-purpose flour
2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 cup milk
2 egg whites
2 squares of semisweet chocolate, grated

• Cream butter and sugar until blended.
• Combine flour, baking powder and salt. Add flour mixture and milk alternately to creamed mixture.
• Beat egg whites until stiff. Fold into batter. Fold in grated chocolate. Pour into greased 9x9" pan. Bake in 350 deg F oven for about 35 minutes. Cool.

Icing:
1 1/2 cup icing (Confectioner's) sugar
3 tbsp butter
1/2 tsp vanilla
5 tsp water

2 semisweet chocolate squares
1 tbsp butter or margarine
paraffin wax, size of a marble (optional, it's to make the chocolate shiny)

• Beat first 4 ingredients together in bowl, adjusting water as neeeded. Spread frosting over cooled squares.
• Melt next chocolate squares, butter/margarine, and wax (if using), in saucepan over low heat. Spread over the white icing. Allow to set before cutting.

Dogs and Christmas

Casey is such a goofball! when we were out for a walk today, we saw that the neighbours put up a large inflatable Christmas penguin, as part of their holiday decorations - really cute! But, to a puppy dog, apparently the penguin looks like an extremely dangerous fellow - she started totally freaking out, her back fur standing on end, barking furiously like it was a "bad guy" or something...too funny!

What a goof...

Looking more like winter at the bird feeder...

The winter-time birds have come on full swing now...the little grey juncos have left, and I'm seeing more and more of the nuthatches and chickadees, pictured above. They're so small! Quite adorable! But don't let their size fool you, the chickadees especially are VERY bold, and not shy about defending what they deem to be their territory!

I was walking Casey, and I could hear the flock of American Goldfinches approaching from the deep woods - they just cheep and cheep to each other, not really a song, but a lot of little individual notes. When I got back, they were already at our backyard feeder. They're even TINIER than the chickadees! And they're much more skittish, so I couldn't get outside to get a pic of them. Got some pics earlier that you can see here.

Although you miss the birds that have migrated away, there's other birds that have migrated back for you to enjoy, it makes for fun watching! :)

Canadiana: Grey Cup

It's Grey Cup time once again! This is the Canadian Football League's (CFL's) version of the American Superbowl. Just about everyone in Canada, including people who aren't usually football fans, gather 'round the TV, and watch the Grey Cup on CBC. Some people have Grey Cup parties where they get together, and eat party food like chicken wings and nachos, and generally have a great time! :) For the people who actually go to the game, there's a whole week of festivities in the host city before hand - you see on TV when they do interviews with people who go to attend the Cup in person every year, taking the week off for vacation, and somehow bearing up under the cold! (It's always FREEZING during the Grey Cup, it often snows during the game!) We even have a short half-time show featuring a famous Canadian act - usually the act is pretty bundled up in a big warm coat to perform!

So, happy Grey Cup viewing to all Canadians out there, wherever you are! :D

Christmas: Halifax's Parade of Lights

Sounds like this year's parade was it's biggest ever! Cool! The Parade of Lights is an annual event in Halifax - it's a parade held at night, and all the floats are lit up with bright colorful lights. It was funny, one year when we went, a guy from out of town was one of the last people to drive down the road before it was closed down for the parade, and he started to slow down, wondering why all the people were lining the streets. He yelled out "Whatcha guys waiting for?" And someone yelled back "A parade!" and he laughed "A parade? At NIGHT???!!" And we all yelled back "Its the parade of lights!" He had to drive off then, but I'm betting he rushed back once he found a place to park so he could see a parade at night - who ever heard of such a thing?! :D Really funny, and I know it sounds like a strange concept, but the floats are so lovely with their Christmas lights, and there's clowns, marching bands, and of course, Santa -- I think it's actually more popular than the daytime parades we have here during Natal Day (a day celebrating the city's founding, held in August). :)

When I lived in Halifax, I used to live on the parade route, so I got to see it every year - it really is a lot of fun, especially for the kids, and helps kick start our holiday season here in the HRM. The Chronicle Herald has a really nice slide show of the event (with sound), so you can get a feel for how it went. And you can read more about the event here.

Christmas time...I couldn't wait!

I couldn't hold back, I've already started decorating for Christmas! I made this wreath last year - there's so many cool little decorations you can get at craft stores, flower shops, etc. that you can put together on wreath forms to make a really unique decoration for your home! Very cool, and very fun (if a little hard on the hands, with all those pokey branches). Some people even put little LED lights in their wreaths, which can be really pretty too!

Throughout the next month and a bit, I'll be doing lots of posts on my Christmas preparations - it truly is my favorite holiday season! (And it lasts extra long for me - being of Ukrainian descent, I also celebrate the old calendar Christmas, which doesn't happen until Jan 6th/7th). :D I hope you'll enjoy reading about my preparations as much as I enjoy making them!

Late Autumn...can be creepy!

One evening last week, we looked out the back window, and saw this:

And it wasn't just THIS tree, there were at least 3 more trees, outside the frame, all similarly filled with crows...if you went outside, you could hear them softly cawing to each other...it was SO creepy!! It was like The Birds or something!!! There's like at least 50 crows in these two trees alone!

Again, things like this might happen in the Spring, but it only seems really foreboding in the late Autumn air...there's just something about this time of year...

(Oh, in case you don't know, crows usually only live in small groups of two or three during the "mating/family raising" time of year, and travel in large groups like this in between mating seasons--its not terribly common to see them in this large a group). :)

Damon Crooks Family Fund

We've all been shaken here in the HRM by the terrible tragedy that befell a good man trying to help someone - Damon Crooks was in town on a NATO exercise and intervened in a fight outside a bar, at which point he was stabbed and robbed. The perputrator has been caught, but the damage has been done: Damon Crooks leaves behind a fiancee, who is 8 months pregnant with their first child. A fund has been set up to donate money to aid these people as they go through life without him. So, if you're from this area, or even if you're not, and would like to contribute, click here. The Chronicle Herald newspaper is taking donations on their behalf. Read more about the news story here.

We all feel so bad...

First Snow

The first snow of the season was spotted today! It was only a little bit, a few flakes here and there in the morning, and a little snow/sleet in the afternoon - not enough to accumulate, but it still counts! Winter has arrived in Nova Scotia! (Hey, any time after Hallowe'en is fair game around here) :)

New dark color tees available at the gift shop!

New colors have been added to the dark tee lineup available at Ann's Ukrainian Gifts! Choose now from black, cardinal red, military green, and navy blue!

Check 'em out, they make great gifts!