Celebrate....Life!

I lined the Yule Log with Cool Whip.
Then on one half: Crushed Mint Oreos
Other half: Raspberries

Celebrations usually coincide with religious holidays, family gatherings, national events, promotions, life's milestones, safe voyages, etc.....but, sometimes it's fun to celebrate "just because".

Last night was one of those celebrations. Maybe it was a "just because" or maybe it was really because we were all together and feeling thankful. Whatever the reason, we decided on making a Yule Log or Buche de Noel. I usually make this for Christmas Eve, but this year time had gotten ahead of me and it never was made.

I share this 40 year old recipe with you in hopes that you find a reason to celebrate "just because".

3 eggs

1 cup granulated sugar

1/3 cup water

1 tsp vanilla

3/4 cup all-purpose flour

1/4 cup cocoa(leave out to make plain Jelly Roll)

1/4 tsp salt

(powdered sugar)

Heat oven to 375*.  Spray jelly roll pan (15 x 10 x 1) with Pam and then line with wax paper. 

Beat eggs on high speed until very thick and lemon colored, about 5 minutes. Then gradually beat in sugar. Beat in water and vanilla now in low speed. Gradually add flour, baking powder, and salt and beat until batter is smooth. Pour into pan.

Beginning to roll it up.

Bake 12 - 15 minutes(Insert toothpick and see if it comes out clean). Immediately loosen cake from edges of pan; invert on clean dish towel that you generously covered with powdered sugar. Once it is on that, carefully remove wax paper.

While hot, slowly and carefully roll cake AND TOWEL from narrow end.  Cool at least 30 minutes.  Unroll carefully; remove towel. Spread with ice cream, cool whip, or jelly. Now roll up again and decorate with icing, cool whip, or simply dust with powdered sugar.

The "end" of the log.

Serves 10.  If you have filled with ice cream put in freezer.  With Cool Whip, put in freezer or refrigerator, if jelly you may leave a room temperature.

My Buche!!

 I usually cut off one of the ends and put it to the side of the "log" to really give the appearance of a "branch". Now ice it. Once iced you can also "dust" it with powdered sugar to give the appearance of fresh snow falling. 

In the past I have also made meringue "mushrooms" and put them beside the log or on top of the log to make it appear more "natural". 

Please excuse the ugly serving dish....it doesn't happen too often, but I was still looking for the dish I needed (smiles). 

My favorite filling is peppermint ice cream. But, the cool whip and mint oreos/ raspberries  we used this time were pretty awesome, I must say. 

                                               CELEBRATE "JUST BECAUSE"  and ENJOY!!

The Smells of Christmas Traditions!

Gary Sandy, as Scrooge

Four days until Christmas and the smells from kitchen continue to conjure memories of Christmas past. 

(Not to be confused with the Ghost of Christmas Past!- I was just in “A Christmas Carol Live Radio Drama” with Gary Sandy, from WKRP in Cincinnati, and he played Scrooge. And I finished my NaNoWriMo novel. So I’ve been busy, even though I haven’t been blogging)

The Christmas season comes but once a year , and in that single month we cram so much: holiday activities; decorating; shopping; singing; wrapping; visiting; partying;  ……you name it, we try to do it. Sometimes in all that hustle and bustle of trying to “find” Christmas, we can actually lose it. 

Scottish Shortbread

Two completely different factors need to be present for me to create the feeling of Christmas in my home....

1) church services through the Advent season. 

2) baking (I know…..very different)! 

In all fairness to me, depending where we lived influenced what type of church service we’d hear or participate with to some extent. 

Gingerbread Houses

And, climates, Christmas activities, and local traditions are very different in the various places I’ve lived-- England, Philippines, Cyprus, Italy, Sardegna, Spain, Hawaii, California, Florida, Maine, etc., etc…..  But one thing that was always constant was our holiday baking traditions-- as a child, an adult, and parent.

The kitchen was always the place to hang out during the holiday season from Thanksgiving through the New Year.  Special Christmas cookies – such as Linzer Tarts; Candy Canes; Peanut Blossoms; Sugar Cut-outs, Lebkuchen; Meringues; Chocolate Kringles; and, many others were baked early and placed in the freezer so that I could give as gifts. 

Gingerbread Houses were made by the dozens, decorated, and then given as gifts to friends. 

Pumpkin Bread is one of my favorites to bake and give away. 

Mini Pumpkin Bread Loaves 

And, of course it wouldn’t the holiday season without Fudge! Long before I ever made it myself, I would help either Mom or Dad as they tested the sugary mixture making sure it reached the perfect temperature on the stove so that it would harden as it cooled.  They must have taught me well, because I’ve never made a batch that wasn’t perfect! (smiles!)

Advent Calendar
filled with bones.

A tradition that my younger daughter started over ten years ago is the baking of doggie bones and giving them to our canine friends of friends!  Made from freshly crushed peanuts, they smell heavenly baking and cause our favorite paw-friend to wait patiently at the entrance to the kitchen for them to cool.

One of the greatest joys that I get during the Christmas week is filling beautiful baskets with baked goods and jams and delivering to friends.  Each year the baskets hold different items, but the intent is always the same—I want to share with them something that brings such joy to me.

                                                                                            Merry Christmas! 

Build it and They will Come.....Home!

A gorgeous day on the Farm.

         A Thanksgiving Tribute

 On this day of celebrating all that we are thankful for, I will do the same.  J 

My blog profile states how I was a Navy brat for years and then was a civilian living overseas after that.  I was born in Pennsylvania, but moved to London, England when I was only six weeks old.  I’ve lived in other countries such as the Philippines, Cyprus, Italy (3 different times), Spain and the US states of South Carolina, Hawaii, Maine, New Hampshire, New Jersey, Virginia, Florida, and finally, Kentucky. 

During the early years on the Farm.

While all that was very exciting and I usually loved every moment of it, I never developed “roots”, but I always believed that – “home is where the heart is”.  During those years, I was either a child with my family, a wife with my husband, or a parent with my children. Either way, I was with my dearest friends and I did believe that home was where the heart was.  Through the years I have made many friends and left many friends in all corners of the world. And on nostalgic occasions, such as Thanksgiving, I think of each of them even more.  Fond memories are a wonderful function of our brain.  J

From living in so many other countries/places and being immersed in various cultures other than my own, I gained an understanding and acceptance of people being different from how I am. Traditions and holidays from around the world have always fascinated me, and my family has incorporated many of them into our own celebrations through the years. While this has made me feel connected to the world, I still was lacking that grounded feeling…that feeling of “roots”.

Gorgeous Wisteria growing larger each year!

When we were living overseas and would come back to the States to visit extended family and friends, I always felt a small tug of envy that the people we saw had “roots”. They could walk through their hometown and tell a story relating back years with all the same people. I could tell stories too, but my places and people always varied.  I guess they were as envious of my adventures as I was of their stability.

About 14 years ago, I decided it was time to finally be grounded.  No more moving from place to place; I wanted to make sure my children felt like they were from SOME  WHERE in particular.  Although it was a lifestyle change for me, I thought I was giving my children what I’d always been longing for.

We had owned homes other places, but when I bought in Kentucky, it was different—I bought a large tract of land. I like to think of it as our homestead!  J   The land had been farm land prior to my purchase.  I remember asking the owner what the land had been used for. Had it ever been a dump? What had they grown on the land? The list of questions was long.  And, I still remember his confused look while he simply answered that he had owned the land for over fifty years and before that it had been farmed.  J 

Imax, just hanging out under an apricot tree.

Perimeter fencing went up even before we moved on to the land.  This was more to keep our animals in than to stake my claim on the land.  Whenever I say “claim the land”, I get such a visual and not necessarily a nice one…..On this Thanksgiving Day, I will pause for just a moment to let you think of the contrast with how different the settlers had been from the Native Americans.  L

Our land was undeveloped grassland with a very slight gentle roll. There were no trees except at the very back of the property.  We had our work cut out for us; we built the farm from the bottom up. We put in paddocks, built run-ins, plowed a garden, planted an orchard, built the home and then landscaped. It has been a long progress and one that probably will never be completed – there will always something to do.  

My oldest daughter was joined by my youngest,
 and they hiked together for just a bit
on the Appalachian Trail.

But while the trees, shrubs, and all other plants were beginning to grow roots, and become established, I felt the same thing happening for me.  Finally I had a place that I called home. I had never had that before. In the past when asked where I was from, I just always said, “Well, I was born in Pennsylvania but left for England when I was six weeks old.”  Now, I had the farm. And the dogs, horses, llamas, and sheep living with us are all our pets.

Each new generation should go forth, learn new things, meet new people, see the world, and gain a richer appreciation of life. One daughter has hiked from Georgia to Maine on the Appalachian Trail and is planning to hike from Mexico to Canada on the Pacific Crest Trail this next year to raise money for the research on Lyme Disease.  hikefor sponsor link      And, my other daughter is planning to go to graduate school in Europe.  

McAfee Knob in Virginia

Even though they are independent and long for adventure and to see the world, I know the farm, their homestead, and their mother will call to them and eventually they will return home.  J    Ah, yes, build it and they will come…..home. 

                                                                                           Happy Thanksgiving!