Countdown to Christmas
From Pinwheel Quilting

12 Days til Christmas

How about a quick and easy Christmas decor.
Something to add to your existing decor.  These
trees are colorful and nice for Christmas. 

Needed:
Styrofoam cone (different sizes)
Glitter (colors for your decor)
Candle holders (can be different heights)
Spray Adhesive
Glue

First take the cone with the bottom of the cone
on the top of the candle holder and twist.  This 
will make a place to sit your cone on when ready 
to glue it to the candle holder.

Lay out newspaper or wax paper, a big enough
pieceto pour your glitter out on.  Spray with the
spray adhesive.  Now pour or roll cone in the
glitter.  You can do this in layers, after your first 
roll in the glitter, spray cone again and add more
glitter.  Repeat until you have enough glitter to
your liking.  Let sit to dry.  After letting the cone
dry put glue on the top of the candle holder and
sit the cone on top.  You can also put alittle glue
on the cone before sitting it onto the candle
holder.  Hold for a few minutes until the glue
dry enough to hold cone in place.  Let sit to dry.

Now place your trees with your Christmas decor. 
On a mantle or in a table centerpiece.

Enjoy!
Happy Holidays,
Carol

 

Countdown to Christmas
From Pinwheel Quilting

18 Days til Christmas

This cake is a great holiday cake.  I plan on making
  one this year.

Jam Cake

   2 cups granulated sugar
1/2 cup dark brown sugar
   1 cup butter or margarine
   8 egg yolks, beaten
   4 cups flour
   1 tablespoon cinnamon
   1 teaspoon cloves
   1 teaspoon nutmeg
1/8 teaspoon salt
  8 egg whites
  1 box seedless raisins
  1 cup chopped nuts
  1 quart blackberry (or other) jam
  1 cup buttermilk
  1 teaspoon baking soda

Cream butter until fluffy, add sugars gradually and cream
together until light and fluffy, add egg yolks.  Sift and
measure flour, add cinnamon, nutmeg, cloves and salt and
sift together 4 times.  Save a little flour mixture out to dredge
nuts and raisins.  Add to the creamed butter-sugar mixture.
Beat egg whites to a soft peak stage and fold in.  Add raisins,
nuts, jam and buttermilk, in which the soda has been
dissolved.  Prepare four 9 inch layer pans by lining the
bottoms with wax paper,  lightly greased.  Divide the batter
enenly.  Bake in a 350 degree oven for about 30 minutes, test
with straw for doneness.  Cool, remove from pan and frost
with caramel icing.

Caramel Icing

1/2 cup butter, melted
   1 cup brown sugar
1/4 cup milk
About 3 1/2 cups confectioners' sugar

Add brown sugar to melted butter in pan, bring to boil.
Stir and cook about 1 minute, until slightly thick.
Cool slightly.
Add milk and beat smooth.
Beat in confectioners' sugar, adding gradually until
    icing is of spreading consistency.

Enjoy!
Happy Holiday,
Carol

Countdown to Christmas
From Pinwheel Quilting

22 Days til Christmas

My mom loved to make salads, and she loved Jello.  I guess when you have
 8 kids, Jello was a good way to go.  She did like to mix it up alittle bit, and
 this recipe was her favorite.

Jello Salad with Fruit Cocktail

8 oz. cream cheese, diced
1 can fruit cocktail, drained
Pecans, chopped

Prepare jello as recommended on package, chill in fridge.
Before fully set, add fruit cocktail, cream cheese and pecans.
Return to fridge to set.
Mom always kept the cream cheese cubes in the freezer until adding them
 to the jello mixture.

Enjoy!
Happy Holidays,
Carol

Countdown to Christmas
From Pinwheel Quilting

23 Days til Christmas

I know what everyone thinks of Fruit Cakes, not a favorite at Christmas,
but everyone always seems to have one.  I like Fruit Cake that is , my mother's
Fruit Cake.  It's like a nut cake, there's not much cake to it.  If your are one
who make's Fruit Cake for the Holidays, I hope you will try this recipe.

Joan's Fruit Cake

3 1/2  cups pitted dates
1 lb. candied pineapple(2 1/2 cups)
1 lb. whole candied cherries (2 cups)
2 cups sifted flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
4 eggs
1 cup sugar
2 lbs. pecan halves(8 cups)

Simple Syrup:
Combine 1 cup water and 1 cup sugar in saucepan, bring to boil.  Cool.

Sift together flour, baking powder and salt then cover fruit.
Beat eggs and then add sugar.  Add egg mixture to fruit and stir. 
Finally, add pecans.
Grease and line loaf pan with brown paper.
Firmly pack fruit mixture into pan.  I get 2 loaf pans filled with mixture,
  put equal amounts in each pan.

Bake at 275 degrees for 1 1/2 hours.  Just golden brown.

When cool, brush top of loaf with simple syrup.  Let dry and repeat
  3 or 4 times.  Wrap loaf in tea towel that is generously soaked in bourbon.
  Wrap with wax paper, then wrap with aluminum foil.  Let sit for several
  days or weeks before serving.

Now that is a Fruit Cake.

Enjoy!
Happy Holidays,
Carol

Countdown to Christmas

Countdown to Christmas
                      From Pinwheel Quilting
                             
24 Days til Christmas
Holiday Recipes

Dark Secrets

1 cup shortening
3 cups brown sugar
4 eggs
4 tablbespoons sour milk
6 1/4  cups flour
2 teaspoons baking soda
2 teaspoons salt
2 cups raisins
2 cups chopped nuts
1 cup candied fruit
1 teaspoon cinnamon
3 teaspoons nutmeg
2 tablespoons bourbon

Cream together shortening and sugar, add eggs and milk.
Sift half of the flour with baking soda.
Flour the fruit and nuts with some flour and add the rest to batter, mix well.
Sift remaining flour with spices, add to batter.
Batter will be very stiff.
Add bourbonnd mix well.
Drop by teaspoonfuls onto greased cookie sheet.

Bake at 350 degrees for 10 to 12 minutes.
Cool than  store in a cool place.  Best if made a couple weeks before Christmas.

Enjoy!
Happy Holidays,
Carol