A Few of My Favorite Christmas Things

As my contribution to The Virtual Cookie Exchange I get to share one of my favorite Christmas wallhangings that we've used as a family for many years. It's a modified Eleanor Burns pattern for a Log Cabin Christmas tree. I made the tree over 30 years ago when I was first learning quilting and my husband and I enjoyed it as is for a year or two. Then when the children started coming, I wanted an advent calendar, so ...

...I added the cross-stitched numbers and made the plastic canvas ornaments.

The ornaments are openable and throughout the years I've put a variety of little paper slips into them saying things like "Set up the tree," "Put up window lights," "Set up Princess's nativity," "Bake Sour Cream Cookies," "Open stockings," "Go caroling," etc. Often the activity for the day would be based on a Bible verse such as "I am the light of the world" describing the Savior whose birth we celebrate. We'd read the passage and then we'd put up the window lights or whatever activity fit somewhat with that day's reading.

This was more work than the typical candy-a-day advent calendars, but I didn't want so much sugar happening, and I wanted us to remember the true significance of the season.

Another quilt that I really like for our Christmas season is a lap-sized scrappy Star Log Cabin quilt that decorates the couch or large easy chair in our cozy living room.

My favorite wallhanging quilt is a collaboration between my mom and me. As I was helping her clean out some of her crafting stuff, I managed to inherit a crewel work of the nativity that she'd done and, serendipitously, I was doing a block of the month at my local quilt shop that went perfectly with the colors she'd used on her crewel.

I added the embroidered corner blocks to reflect Isaiah 9:6.

To finish off, let me share our favorite cookie recipe (it is, after all, called a virtual COOKIE exchange):

Sour Cream Cut-out Cookies

Soften 1 c. butter.

Preheat oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit (about 176 C).

Cream: 1 c. softened butter

              3/4 c. sugar

Blend in: 1 egg yolk

                1 t vanilla

                1/3 c sour cream

Gradually blend in:

               3 c. flour

               1 t cinnamon

               1/2 t salt

               1/4 t baking soda

Roll out and cut into shapes. Bake for 10-12 minutes till very lightly browned.

Sometimes we make silhouette cookies by adding raw chocolate cookie dough shapes on top of this dough while raw and baking them into double layer cookies. Or sometimes we put the raw chocolate dough on top of sour cream dough and roll into a pinwheel before baking.

Chocolate Cut-out Cookies

Soften 1/2 c butter

Cream: 1/2 c softened butter

             1 c sugar

Blend in: 1 egg

                2 T milk

Add:     1/4 t salt

             6 T cocoa

            2 c flour

Chill for half an hour. Roll out and cut in shapes (make smaller than or same as Sour Cream Cut-out shapes). Place Chocolate cut-outs on top of Sour Cream cut-outs, pressing into dough slightly. Bake for 10-12 minutes.

These cookies are not overly sweet, which is how our family likes them.

I hope I've given you some fun ideas to make your Christmas season even more enjoyable.

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