Joyful Purpose

Christmas Morning

I am blessed ...

for we need a little christmas right this very minute

I have been making Italian Christmas cookies - my father's Sicilian recipe.  These yummies are our favorite - made with anise - they are delightful.  Good thing I only make them this time of year otherwise I would look like Santa.

Bent trees farm

I decided to make a little Christmas cheer for the barn where I ride.  There are pics of all the sweet ones in little gold frames and of course a sleigh bell.

Some of my favorite things

Christmas this year was lovely just lovely.  I was relaxed and actually enjoyed myself instead of trying to make everything perfect.  I let it flow - and it went so smoothly - lesson to self!  Looking through my pictures made me think about how much joy the day held.  Here are just a few of my favorite things ... what are yours about the season?

Sweet!

The boys and I were feeling better today and were up for some gingerbread house creations!  I bought the kits from Trader Joes and made my own royal icing and our own candies. I also made my family recipe biscotti cookies in anise and lemon.

Grayson's House

Payton's house

Christmas cookies

  Today was a day of of parties - holiday parties that is ... Both boys had their school parties today and then we had our own.  I decided to have a cookie decorating and holiday tea.  The kids had a blast.  I made many many many sugar cookies the day before and layed out the icing, and jimmies and chips to decorate them.  I served lemon ginger and  sour cherry scones and tea sandwiches -  olives bread with goat cheese and smoked turkey, olive bread with goat cheese and cherry preserves, brown anise bread with  sharp white cheddar and ham, and pb and j cut out with snowman and gingerbread cookie cutters.  Everyone had a great day - I am exhausted but it was totally worth it!  Some great memories to be sure.

 Christmas Decorating

12 days of Christmas

Here are the results of the 12 days of Christmas Swap that I hosted.  Everyone did a fabulous job! I have one extra swap package and thought in the spirit of the season I should give it away!  So leave a bit of Christmas Cheer on this post and I will choose a lucky little elf to send it to!

Tricia Stirling

Nerissa Alford

Dawn Rice

Linda Hanes

Sherry Harris

Ashley

Ginny Ballou

Donna Cartenega

Michelle Haan

Me!

*If any of the participants have a blog link that I missed please let me know so I can add it to this post!*

christmas cards and etc.

Every year I make my Christmas cards and every year they look completely different.  this year is no exception.  I was quite happy with the way they turned out even though it wasn't originally what I had planned. I used preglittered (is that a word?) notecards, attached a copy of a photoshop doc of our pics with eyelets, stuck on a self adhesive crystal and tied it up with seam binding.  Fairly easy and a fun look.

I decided to make some ornaments for my own family tree - Monograms - very jolly indeed!

Holiday Book Club - secrets

Last night I had my annual book club holiday party which I have hosted for years.  It turned out wonderfully, if I do say so myself!  The book we read this month was "The Patron Saint of Liars" by Ann Patchett - I highly recommend it - it was a great book.

I thought I would share some of my party secrets with you.  After years of slaving away and making everything myself I now do what I call "Semi Homade a la Trader Joes".  If you don't have a Trader Joe's by you I am sorry - really I am .....  alas here are some of the yummies that I served.  Basically I called it heavy tapas and sweets.
prosciutto, red pepper spread, mozzerella roll
raspberry brie phyllo rolls, spanakopita, curried chicken rolls, feta and carmelized onion bites

Chianti salami

fruit and nut bread with goat cheese and cherry preserves - yummo!@!!

lemon tarts with huckleberry jam spooned on top
  It was a great night - still a lot of work but at least the majority of the time was doing the part I like best which is the presentation - really art with food. 

Christmas Tea at the Ritz

I started a new tradition this Christmas with my son Grayson.  Christmas Tea.  We went to the Ritz Carlton in Marina Del Rey for a Christmas Tea.

He was so excited and loved everything.  They served him sparkling cider in a champagne glass and the raspberries had gold leaf on them - which blew his mind! -
  He kept saying  - " I am so happy"  - It was such a special day for us.  One that I hope becomes  a tradition every  Christmas.