Let boys be boys

We are about half way through Christmas vacation and the boys are patiently waiting for snow! In the mean time...it's all about the BB guns and targets. I seriously get a kick out of watching my boys be boys. The neighbor boy who lives across the street from us brought over his Red Ryder BB gun and my son pulled out his brand new BB gun.

They each took turns setting up used tin cans to shoot as targets. The tall handsome kid standing up is my son Everest. Let it be stated that the new BB gun he is holding does not belong to him, but his younger brother Easton. Easton would have a fit if anyone thought the BB gun belonged to anyone but him! The boy kneeling next to him is the neighbor boy.

The little guy you see taking aim here is my son Easton...the proud owner of the new BB gun. Each tin can popped by a BB was closely counted. Of course they HAD to keep score! I have to say, boys are very competitive! They don't get it from me! I am WAY to lax when it comes to sports and competition. Some how that testosterone just shines through and it's always a matter of win or lose. Oh dear!

It's so fun to watch my boys grow up. I really appreciate every moment. They go from Hot Wheels cars to guns in a blink of an eye!

Poppy Seed Cake, a family tradition

Christmas has come and gone! My little family had a peaceful and sweet day! Each of us exchanged and received such thoughtful gifts! It was truly a warm family day.

It did feel a little like something WAS missing, however! I'll tell you what it was...THE SNOW!! Something ELSE was missing as well...the traditional poppy seed cake! I totally dropped the ball on this one! I waited too long to purchase poppyseed filling and I wasn't able to find it at the store the week before Christmas.

I know better than that, but I was lazy and didn't buy it when I should have! I'm crazy like that...sometimes I throw caution to the wind and refuse to buy baking ingredients when they are fully stocked at the grocery store! (hee hee!)

If you've never used poppy seed filling for pastries or cakes...this is what it looks like. It kinda looks like caviar. It has a thick pasty consistency. I could turn this spoon upside down and the filling would just stick to the spoon! Basically it's poppy seeds that are drenched and softened in corn syrup, sugar and water to create a thick filling for pastries of your liking.

The Monday after Christmas there was plenty of poppyseed filling on the grocery shelf and I was able to bake my cake!

Of course, it must be made in a tube pan like this.

Baking with poppy seed for Christmas as well as Easter, is a tradition in my family that goes all the way back to my mother's grandmother...maybe even further...but that's only as far as I know about. I have been eating poppyseed cake for breakfast on Christmas and Easter morning since I was a baby! Every. single. solitary. year!!! It's like breathing...it just IS! It's a part of our family traditions that I have carried on and will continue to carry on until the day I leave this world!

Here's my kitchen by the way. The day I was baking and taking pics I just felt like sharing a photo of the place where I seem to spend most of my time! Now you know where I am most days..right here..cooking, baking, washing dishes, making coffee and so on.

Anyhow, back to the cake...fortunately, my children love this cake! I anticipate them carrying the tradition on when they have their own families. Gee, I hope their future wives like it!!

Our favorite way to eat it...well the only way I've ever ate it, since I can remember...a slice at a time, smeared with butter and sprinkled with powdered sugar...oh yes!

POPPY SEED CAKE

3 cups flour

2 cups sugar

1/2 tsp. salt

1 1/2 tsp. baking soda

4 eggs

1 can 13 or 14 oz. evaporated milk

1 tsp. vanilla

8 oz. (1 cup) vegetable oil

1 10 oz. jar poppy seed filling

*(depending where you live, you may also find poppyseed filling in can..the size of a soup can..by the brand Solo. I have used that as well)

Mix together dry ingredients. Mix wet ingredients in separate bowl and then add to the dry ingredients. Mix well and beat on medium speed for 2 minutes. Pour into a greased and floured tube pan. Bake for 60 minutes at 350 degrees. Check cake for done-ness with toothpick. Let cool in pan. Turn out of pan when cool, sprinkle with powdered sugar and serve at room temperature. Serve plain slices or buttered with a sprinkling of powdered sugar!

Enjoy!

It's finished! yay!

The painting is done!

Alica, from Happily Married...to the cows....I chose your suggestion for my painting! The idea of the silhouette for the Nativity and the star really caught my attention. I knew I kinda wanted to stay on the theme of the other painting and your idea worked wonderfully. Thank you for sharing the idea with me!

Thanks to all of you for giving me some very wonderful suggestions! They were all great..really, I mean it! I have to say that it was really fun opening this up to my blog friends. I loved the fresh perspectives and clever ideas that I wouldn't have thought of. If I have a creativity block in the future...I just may do this again!

excuses, excuses

Well, I have underestimated the time that I thought I would have this past weekend and so far this week. It's really not that crazy at all, it's just that adding in a few extra things on top of the usual schedule is just enough to leave me with little time or energy to finish my painting. It WILL be done before Christmas, I can assure you that! I was planning on working on it all day today, but my mother in law called last night to say that she wants to take me out for a little shopping and lunch. Now, why would I turn that down? Ha ha ha ha!

Anyhow, I'm getting there!

Yesterday, I watched my 11 month old nephew for 8 hours, then I baked cookies for Scouts, made dinner, brought in a boat load of firewood with my son, enjoyed the fire, got sleepy because of the fire, started to watch the Steelers get their butt whipped by the 49rs, continued to watch the sad football game and busted up quarterback while laying in bed snuggling up with my youngest son.....and painting just went right out the window!! Oh yes it did!

Also on my mind is the 10 centerpieces I am making for our apple dumplin' ice cream social that will be held at church one hour before we have our regular Christmas Eve service. They are really quite adorable and very easy to make...but I only have 3 done. Here's a photo of them.

The tables we are using in the youth room for this event are really cute and small. They are cafe tables that are only about 2 feet in diameter...so the centerpieces need to be narrow and tall and these just fit the bill...one tree per table.

Well, I'm outta here for now...my mother in law will be here in about a minute or two!

wonderful suggestions!

Wow! I am so glad I opened this up for suggestions! If you're just catching up, you can refer to my previous post...I was stumped on what to paint to go along with my Christmas subway art I painted for the mantle.

I have decided what I am going to paint, and I will be working on it this weekend. I hope to reveal the painting on Monday. Goodness! I hope it turns out well, or I am going to be mighty embarrassed!

Help!! I need suggestions!

I am proud of my Christmas subway art I painted yesterday!

I think it turned out pretty great!

However...now I am totally dead in the water!

I don't know what to paint on the other canvas.

It doesn't have to have a Christian theme...

but I don't want it to be Santa Claus-y either.

Don't get me wrong...I love Santa...but it won't seem cohesive.

I am asking you for suggestions on what to paint on the other blank canvas?

Please help!!

I'm going shopping now...when I get back, I hope to see lots of suggestions!

Yay!!

I plan to use someone's suggestion, paint it, and then reveal it on my blog!

Until then, hope you are having as much fun decorating as I am!

Candy Cane Snowball Cookies

Can we talk???

I am in love!

With a cookie.

This cookie right here.

It is divine.

It is pepperminty.

It is buttery and sweet.

Honestly, if I had no restraint..

I can tell you, that I would pretty much eat about 15 of these..

in one sitting!!

However, I can muster up SOME restraint..

and stop at about 6!!

Forget about it! (Say this in your best Bronx accent.)

If you're curious about just how pepperminty these cookies are...they really aren't over the top at all. There's no peppermint extract...it's all crushed candy canes...and you can control the amount you put in. I use just scant of 1/2 cup in the dough.

You can taste the butter in these cookies as well.

It's like a little cloud of sugar, butter and peppermint...just perfect!

Give them a try...I really can't see how you would be disappointed!

P.S. I found this recipe while perusing Pinterest. I included the link to the blog with the recipe!!

CANDY CANE SNOWBALLS

Recipe from stolen moments blog

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

3 cups powdered sugar, divided

1 1/4 cup unsalted butter, softened

2 tsp. vanilla

1  egg

3  cups flour

1 Tbsp. baking powder

1/2 tsp. salt

3/4 cup crushed candy canes, divided

1/2 cup granulated sugar

2 - 3 Tbsp. milk

Beat 1 1/2  cups  powdered sugar and butter. Beat in vanilla and egg. In separate bowl, mix flour, baking powder and salt. Gradually add flour mixture to butter mixture until well combined. Mix 1/2 cup crushed candy canes into dough by hand.

Roll dough into balls approx. the size of 1 tsp. Next, roll balls in sugar. Place on cookie sheet and bake at 350 degrees for 9 to 10 minutes. Cool completely and glaze.

GLAZE: Mix remaining 1 1/2 cup powdered sugar and 2 - 3 Tbsp. milk. Use just enough milk to form a thick drizzley glaze. Immediately garnish with crushed candy canes.

Enjoy!