Be Jolly By Golly Blogfest!

A big thanks to Jen and Melissa for hosting this wonderful blogfest. Can't wait to visit all the other blogs involved and add some great ideas to my holiday lineup. Hope you enjoy...

When the kids were born, we switched from an artificial tree to a real one. It's always a Douglas fir and always needs trimming to fit into the living room.

The ornaments are a mix of family heirlooms and ones given to me over the years.

The popcorn strings are new this year. The kids thought making them sounded like fun and it was until they realized how long it took, which is why we only ended up with three.

It wouldn't be Christmas at our house without my mom's Persimmon Pudding.

2 cups persimmon pulp
2 cups sugar
2 large eggs, beaten

1 1/2 cups buttermilk with

1 tsp baking soda

1 1/2 cups all purpose flour
1 tsp baking powder
1/8 tsp salt
1/2 stick butter
1 1/4 cups evaporated milk
9" x 13" baking dish

Sift together flour, baking powder and salt.
Melt 1/2 stick butter in the baking dish in the oven.
Mix sugar and persimmon pulp together, add beaten eggs and stir well.
Add soda to buttermilk and stir until foaming stops, then add to persimmon mixture and mix well.
Add sifted dry ingredients and beat well.
Add cream and pour butter out of 9 x 13 pan into the batter, leaving just enough butter in the pan to grease.
Beat mixture well to remove all lumps.
Bake at 300 degrees for one hour.

My favorite drink to make this time of year is Crockpot Wassail. It's easy, and after it simmers throughout the day, your house will smell heavenly.

2 quarts apple cider
1 cup pineapple juice
1/2 cup honey
3 sticks cinnamon
2 whole cloves
1 whole orange, cut in rings
brandy or rum, optional

Put all of the ingredients into the crockpot (except the alcohol). Wash your orange well and slice into rings. Float the rings on top of the juice.

Cook on high for two hours, or on low for four. You want the juice hot and the flavors of the cloves and cinnamon to permeate.

Ladle into mugs. If you want to add alcohol, put a shot into each mug, then top with the hot wassail.

Delicious and soothing. This is great for a cough or sore throat, so when you're on your third glass, you can tell everyone it's for medicinal purposes.

Thanks so much for taking the time to share some of our Christmas traditions. Wishing you and yours the happiest of holidays.

Christmas Traditions

Every year, the kids and I venture out into the cold for our Family Fun Day. This usually takes place the week before Christmas after the shopping is done and the cookies are made. We always go out to eat, take in a movie and then head over to one of the mega-malls in our neighboring state of Kentucky to people watch (meaning laugh at those last minute shoppers who are running around desperate to fine the thing their spouse, child, parent asked for six months ago which is now sold out everywhere. Hey, don't judge.).

Any other year, I would know exactly what movie we were going to see, when it starts and where I'm going to park. But this year has been different, for various reasons, and I haven't kept up with the movies that are out or soon will be. So I need your help.

Bear in mind my kids are ten and thirteen so R rated movies are to be avoided, although I'm dying to see Love And Other Drugs. I've narrowed it down to three choices:

So if you've seen any of these movies, let me know what you thought. If you haven't, let me know which one you want to see. And if I've left something off of the list that you highly recommend, please tell me about it.

In other news,

Soon to be single! *drool*