Wednesday, December 12, 2012

It's a Marshmallow World in the Hodgepodge

Welcome to this week's edition of The Wednesday Hodgepodge.  Be sure to add your link at the end of my post before you get back to your shopping and wrapping.  Pop in on some of the other players too, because who doesn't need a little Christmas cheer in the middle of their week?


Here are my answers-

1.  So, when did you last take a walk in the woods? A stroll along the beach? A drive going nowhere in particular in the car?

Well if you're reading here you know the last time I walked in the woods was Sunday. Unless you skipped yesterday's post and went straight for the questions. ahem.  

Last time I strolled along the beach was too long ago-May.

Last time I took a drive going nowhere in particular?  Do people still go for drives?  At $3.50/gallon?  Sigh.  Actually we do take the little red car out for a spin now and then,  and when we do we normally don't have a destination in mind. We just like to drive around and feel the wind in our hair and the sun on our faces.  

2.  Are you sending Christmas cards this year?  About how many do you send?  Photo card or something more traditional?  How do you display the cards you receive?

We are sending cards, and I've already mailed most of them. I always add a few after I've done the bulk of the mailing. We send about 100 and always a photo. It's something of a challenge these days to actually get a photo of the four of us in the same place at the same time,  which explains why our card this year is a fun mixture of Christmas ribbon and summer clothes. It was taken in August. We all look happy and that's the deciding factor for me when I'm choosing a card-worthy photo.  

3. What's a word you've heard too much of in the past week?

Fiscal cliff. 
That's two words, but who's counting?

4. December 13th is National Cocoa Day-are you a fan?  Plain or flavored?  Marshmallows or no marshmallows?

I like cocoa but find it a little too filling, kinda like dessert in a cup.  If I'm having dessert this time of year I prefer something on a plate.  I'll have a cup of cocoa every once in a while, no flavors-just regular cocoa-and it absolutely must have marshmallows. Lots and lots of marshmallows.  

5. What is something you do to help alleviate the hectic pace of the Christmas season?

Make lists.  Plan meals.  Do a little bit each day.  Listen to Christmas music.  Stay out of the stores as much as possible.  Sit quietly by the Christmas tree before the day comes crashing in.  Read my Bible.  Sounds so cliche which is sad, but if you're feeling stressed out by all the noise in your head and in your home, I highly recommend.  

6. Besides jewelry, what's a favorite sparkly-glittery item in your home or closet?

I'm not too much of a glitter girl, but I do have a sparkly silver evening bag I like a lot.  
7. Share a favorite line or two from any Christmas carol.

'...til He appeared and the soul felt it's worth...' from O Holy Night.  
 Might be my favorite single line in a song ever.  

8.  Insert your own random thought here.

I had a day at home yesterday which I think everyone needs this time of year.  See # 5. I spent the afternoon baking, something I enjoy doing when I have big gaps of uninterrupted time to fill.  I have places to go and people to see today so I'm glad I had a breather on Tuesday.  I made two loaves of cranberry bread, my mother-in-law's recipe which I think is the best, and a sugar cookie recipe I'd seen on Pinterest.


The bread is really moist and we like a slice while we open stockings.  Kind of a pre-breakfast breakfast which is our Christmas morning tradition.  I'm getting my hair cut today so I packaged up a loaf for my stylist too.  



The cookies turned out flatter than I was expecting but oh they are delish!  They're the chewy kind of sugar cookie, which in my book is the only kind worth eating.  I bought the red and green M & M's that are available this time of year to make them more Christmasy, and I doubled the recipe because the website said I'd be glad I did.  

I am.  




44 comments:

  1. i like your little smoker who is supervising the Christmas baking!! :)

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  2. Can i come over and eat some of those goodies? :) I made some peppermint bark cookies, though i forgot to add salt, just a 1/2 tsp so its not really needed. :)

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  3. yummy, the cookies look great to me...

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  4. I have a very hard time getting a family photo. It is hard to get everyone together these days.

    I love my days at home. Time to do what I want or need to do with no interruptions. Working with my husband I don't get much me time, so it is a real treat when I do.

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  5. I read your whole post yesterday and loved it! Long walks are wonderful. And I really like it when a recipe turns out just as delicious as it sounds. :)

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  6. O Holy Night is one of my favourites too! I actually spent all day shopping with my daughter yesterday and I am paying for it.

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  7. Those cookies look so yummy! I just might have to bake a batch myself! I've never had cranberry bread before, but it sure looks good, too! I know what you mean about it being a challenge to get photos for Christmas cards done. We try to take ours at Thanksgiving when we're all together, but I'm sure that will even be harder to accomplish as the years go by....sniff, sniff.

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  8. You shame me with all your good baking! Next week I get it into gear and crank the oven! ( :

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  9. I always give my hairdresser a gift but I think this year I will bake her something. Thanks for the idea!

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  10. I like your line from a song!
    Hope you like your haircut, I am going tomorrow and I.Can't.WAIT.

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  11. I like the idea of 'dessert in a cup'....and speaking of dessert....LOVE the pre breakfast, breakfast. That bread looks mighty yummy.

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  12. I'm always headed somewhere in the car too. But it's not the price of gas for me- the husband makes the fuel for my Mercedes out of used veggie oil. I couldn't decide between O Holy Night and It Came Upon A Midnight Clear for my carol- I finally went with the latter. My dad sang in the choir when I was little and I loved to hear him sing both of those carols. I have the same issue as you with getting everyone together at the same time. This year, we couldn't do it at Thanksgiving so it's going to be New Year's cards for us. Have a great Wednesday!

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  13. I am a HUGE list maker, it just keeps me on track!

    Those cookies looked great!

    Blessings
    R

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  14. We did the same word!! I read question one wrong.....it's been eight months since I walk on the beach...I think because we are still getting to know this area we go on drives a lot.....gas here is only 3.81 like that is so cheap but compared to you....but keep in mind we have to pump our own! lol! I do love that about NJ!Happy Wednesday!

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  15. The cookies and bread look really good.

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  16. HAHA... we picked the same line. I didnt even notice what you picked until I finished my post! :)

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  17. Gas is only $2.93 here so you could do lots of driving to nowhere.

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  18. "O Holy Night" is one of my favorite Christmas carols...I can't sing it without having to stop mid-sentence because my throat gets tight, it's that beautiful to me.

    And "fiscal cliff" is definitely one of the words/phrases I've heard too much about this past week. ~sigh~ I blocked it out, I think.

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  19. You and I are tired of hearing the same (two) words! I enjoy reading about your baking adventures. Since I won't be doing a lot of baking of my own, I'll enjoy reading about yours :)

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  20. You and I both answered "fiscal cliff" to #3! ;-)

    I misread #1, but I edited my post before I linked up. Whew! Ha!

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  21. The bread looks awesome - care to share the recipe?

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  22. Oh, how I miss the times when I could just take a day and "be." When I stayed home with my children, I had about a day a month like that, and I found it so refreshing! Glad you had yesterday to piddle around your home and spend the afternoon doing something you love.

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  23. Your bread sounds delicious. I haven't done much baking here... one son still at college, and other son working on shedding a few pounds. Not sure who will eat it besides me! As always, thanks for hosting. Oh, and I'm trying to focus on the 12 Days of Christmas Kindness... thanks for sharing your idea. :)

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  24. I do the list making thing too but it seems to back fire instead of calming me down I start to panic until things get crossed off.

    That cranberry bread looks so yummy!

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  25. I really love cranberry bread, even when it isn't a holiday. I freeze a few bags of cranberries so I can use them throughout the year.

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  26. You're such a tease...first the chocolate dipped butter creams, now the cranberry bread. I don't know, Joyce! :)

    I can't remember the last time I haven't sent a Christmas photo, but Rhett participated in No Shave November and there was NO WAY I was going to include his patchy hairy face in our Christmas photo. By the time it got to Dec 1st I just didn't have it in me bust them out. I usually have them ready to go by then. Oh, well. The recipients will just have to wait to "see" us next year.

    There's a lot packed into that one phrase of your Christmas carol. So good!



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  27. So glad I was able to join in this week as I do hate to miss HP. The goodies look so delicious as I sit here with a cup of coffee before heading out to Kansas. Enjoy the rest of your week!

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  28. I love your pre-breakfast idea. I started my baking yesterday and today plan on making my M&M cookies. Gas here is around $3.77...hey I thought gas was cheaper in Jersey. We always used to wait until we got on the Turnpike to fill up. Maybe it's only cheaper on the Turnpike?

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  29. I can't wait to try a pinterest recipe.

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  30. Love the pre-breakfast idea. I am breads this weekend and excited. Our gas is 3.19 this week...but who knows how long that will last. The cookies and bread look so yummy....I love cranberries.

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  31. I read the post so I knew your answer when I saw that first question! I wanted to take pictures at Thanksgiving but it ended up being just the two of us so when the pictures from the wedding were available I knew we had one!!!
    I said Fiscal Cliff also. Love your line from a Christmas song. The cranberry bread sounds delicious!

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  32. You totally nailed it with the line from the song. I don't think I'd actually contemplated that particular line until you quoted it, and then it gave me goosebumps.

    I think I'd be glad if I doubled that recipe too!

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  33. The "fiscal cliff" answer gave me a chuckle. I agree.

    I love your choice of O Holy Night. My favorite line is also from that carol: "Truly He taught us to love one another, His law is love and His gospel is peace."

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  34. the cranberry bread looks so good!

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  35. Never even thought of Fiscal cliff so I guess when people talk about it, I block them out. The breads and cookies look yummy! I'm a list maker as well. I love crossing things off, don't you? Enjoy the rest of your week.

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  36. I need to bake some banana bread and then a batch or two of cookies to give to an elderly shut in. But for today, I have my trees done!

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  37. I admire that you have your cards out...We have ours done and my husband is writing the letter that goes with them for our family tonight, so, I'll get everything, labels too, printed Friday and we'll pend Friday night getting them ready to mail Saturday.

    Those cookies do look yummy! I've been baking since I woke up today; gingerbread morning and the house smells so good! Pinterest is a good place to find cookie recipes! I got the recipe for my Oreo Truffles from Pinterest and the early reviews are "make more"

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  38. Your bread and cookies look yummy! I haven't done any baking or making of treats yet.

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  39. Yum! I wish I had some of your yummy baking to go with my afternoon cup of coffee! :)

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  40. I simply do not understand the 'fiscal cliff' and I'm not sure I want to.

    Breads are my favorite Holiday treat. Those look really yummy.

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  41. i love "o holy night" as well. and those cookies look yum!

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  42. Thanks for hosting such a great hop. I can not believe how many people participate in it. Well done all around.

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  43. I think a sparkly handbag is the perfect amount and use of "glitter". Those baked goods look delicious!

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  44. if I haven't told you this already, you cookies look super yummy! I wish I had some right now.

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