christmas past

Growing up, our Christmas traditions were quite simple.   Christmas Eve meant going to a candlelight service at our church, and then a light supper at a local restaurant before going home.  The next morning, of course, we were all up early and ran down the stairs to open our gifts.  We’d spend the rest of the day eating wonderful meals cooked by my Mom, while my brother and I played with our new toys.  Dad looked on, helping with assembly.

One year, we decided to go to the Caribbean for Christmas.  Since we had few extended family members close by, we had the flexibility for the four of us to just pick up and enjoy the warm weather down south.

The beach and the hotel were decorated with Christmas lights.  All the traditional foods of turkey, gravy, cranberry sauce, along with Caribbean fare were available. Although as a child, it felt different, and even with all the Christmas paraphernalia around us,  I’m not sure if it really quite felt the same.  Because it was so warm, all the snowmen (made out of ice) had melted.  Although there’s really no place like home to enjoy the holidays, I have to admit, that Christmas in the Caribbean is still memorable to me today.  Maybe it was the fact that we broke tradition just once, to see what it was like, that made that year stick in our minds. 

Now as a parent, I think it is something that would be interesting to try at least once for my kids.  Good friends of ours have decided to get away from the snow and go to Florida over Christmas, and although we were unable to join them, I think it’s fabulous that they’re creating a vastly different memory for their family.  They may or may not have started a new tradition for themselves, but I think they were tired of following everyone else’s traditions, and wanted to try for once, something new for themselves.

That is what Christmas memories are all about.  Although we can create great comfort with following the same traditions year after year, sometimes it’s nice to change things up a little, and do something that may be out of our comfort zone, and create new and unique memorable moments.

Melted Snowman Sugar Cookies

(inspired from a photo on Pinterest)

Ingredients

• 1/2 cup of butter, softened
• 1 cups white sugar
• 2 eggs
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 2 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 teaspoons baking powder
• 1/2 teaspoon salt

Preparation

• In a large bowl, cream the butter and sugar together until smooth.
• Beat in the eggs, then add vanilla.
• Stir in the flour, baking powder, and salt.
• Cover, and chill dough for at least one hour (or overnight).
• Preheat oven to 400 degrees F (200 degrees C).
• Roll out dough on floured surface 1/4 inch thick.
• Cut into circles with any cookie cutter or create random shapes to mimic melted snowen.
• Place cookies 1 inch apart on ungreased cookie sheets or silpat.
• Bake 6 to 8 minutes in preheated oven.
• Cool completely.

While the cookies are cooling, make the icing.  

Icing Ingredients

• 1 cup confectioners or powdered sugar
• 2 tsp. Milk
• 2 tsp. Corn Syrup (to make it appear shiny).
• 1/4 tsp vanilla extract
• Chocolate powder (for brown colouring)
• Red gel icing (pre-bought at the store, or use red food colouring to add to the icing)
• Marshmallow (for the head)

Preparation

• Mix the sugar, milk and corn syrup.  
• Using the back of a spoon, smear the icing haphazardly to appear like the snowman is melting.
• Slightly warm the marshmallows in the microwave for about 10 seconds, then add onto the icing to stick to the cookie.  Using your finger, lightly flatten the marshmallow so it appears like the snowman's melted head.
• Take any remaining icing, add chocolate powder to make brown, then pipe on the eyes, arms etc.
• Using the red gel icing, make the nose and buttons.

Enjoy.

{Attending these beautiful  parties...Privet and Holly}