Merry Christmas

To look forward: A quiet Christmas eve for Brad and I. A fun Christmas morning with our kids, opening presents, Monte Christos and mimosas, being together. Christmas dinner: ham, brussel sprouts, cranberries, and sweet potatoes. Wishing you all the joys of the season.

Pumpkin Roll

My family can look forward to a special treat this Thanksgiving--Amy is making a pumpkin roll for dessert.

photo from Allrecipes.com

Pumpkin Roll

Ingredients:
• ¼ cup powdered sugar (to sprinkle on towel)
• ¾ cup all-purpose flour
• ½ teaspoon baking powder
• ½ teaspoon baking soda
• ½ teaspoon ground cinnamon
• ½ teaspoon ground cloves
• ¼ teaspoon salt
• 3 large eggs
• 1 cup granulated sugar
• 2/3 cup 100% Pure Pumpkin
• 1cup walnuts, chopped (optional)
• 1(8 ounce) package cream cheese, softened
• ¼ cup powdered sugar, sifted
• 6 tablespoons butter or margarine, softened
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• ¼ cup powdered sugar (optional)


Directions:
1. PREHEAT oven to 375 degrees F. Grease 15 x 10-inch jelly-roll pan; line with wax paper. Grease, and flour paper. Sprinkle towel with powdered sugar.
2. COMBINE flour, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon, cloves and slat in small bowl. Beat eggs and sugar in large mixer bowl until thick. Beat in pumpkin. Stir in flour mixture. Spread evenly into prepared pan. Sprinkle with nuts.
3. BAKE for 13 to 15 minutes or until top of cake springs back when touched. Immediately loosen and turn cake onto prepared towel. Carefully peel off paper. Roll up cake and towel together, starting with narrow end. Cool on wire rack.
4. BEAT cream cheese, powdered sugar, butter and vanilla extract in small mixer bowl until smooth. Carefully unroll cake; remove towel. Spread cream cheese mixture over cake. Re-roll cake. Wrap in plastic wrap and refrigerate at least one hour. Sprinkle with powdered sugar before serving, if desired.

Santa Cruz Christmas

Santa Cruz Christmas, originally uploaded by c8mills.

Guess what I got for Christmas--a new camera! A sleek black compact Canon G9 with attachable wide angle and telephoto lens. For awhile I wiill be very busy playing and learning and shooting my heart out.

Campfires & Christmas Lights

What an unusual way to spend Christmas. Brad has been saying for the last few years, “Let’s go to the coast for Christmas.” But I couldn’t see the point, Christmas is for family, the coast will be there all the time. But since we had Christmas early, with more to come later, it seems good to be here.

And the campground is full; we are not the only ones with this idea. Walking past the line of RV’s, everyone has Christmas decorations, little parties happening around campfires. Life on the beach is just different. Casual, fun, relaxed. No media pressure for a “perfect” Christmas. No demands. No shopping til you drop. Just a simple meal and a campfire.

As I told a friend, society’s psychological expectations have messed up our ability to find joy in the holidays. Let go of those burdens and just let the celebration unfold and you’ll find more happiness.

I wish you much peace in your heart, whatever your celebrations are.

Sleeping Under the Christmas Tree

When our kids were little, we came up with the idea of sleeping under the Christmas tree. It became a yearly tradition. We'd haul out a big mattress and fill it with comforters and pillows, sliding it as close to the decorated tree as possible. Everyone would put on their pajamas, then we'd cook up a pizza, load a movie (almost always A Christmas Story), and settle in for a fun night. The best part, of course, was after the kids fell asleep and you could watch their little faces glowing in the twinkling lights of the tree, dreaming happy dreams.

If you don't have children, this makes a pretty good "adult" activity too! ;)

Sweet Little Bells

We were lucky to get these vintage ornaments from Brad’s parents. Sweet little bells that add character to our tree. Do you have anything, real heirlooms or thrift shop buys, that you can use to trim your tree?

Tuesday Christmas Hints from Magazines

Being a magazine junkie, I have collected a few great ideas this season that I’d like to share here.

Bells on Ribbons—Real Simple, Dec 2007, pg. 304. I love these little bell shaped ornaments. This is an unusual way to use them.

Christmas Ball Garland—Country Home, Dec/Jan 2008, pg. 88. This looks so pretty. If I could think of a good place to use it and see if I can find “brass bicycle chain” somewhere.

Christmas Balls for vases—Better Homes and Gardens, Dec 2007, pg 91. These are cute little flower holders, but I couldn’t find an online photo. Glue a Christmas ball to a little mirror disk from a craft store. Take the top off the ball and fill with water and little short flowers. You could tie a ribbon around the neck of the ball too.

Green Snowflake Ornaments—Sunset, Dec 2007, pg 70. I am making one of these today to hang over our bed. If I like them, I want to make a row to put in the windows.

Christmas Card Ribbon Display—Country Home, Dec/Jan 2008, pg. 36. I am doing this, for sure. Quick easy display. I never know what to do with all the cards.

Green shipping alternatives--Country Living, Dec 2007, pg. 24A. Use real peanuts, not styrofoam. Or wrapped peppermint candies, or scrunched up sheet music, or pinecones and greenery.

Ribbon Spool Holders--Country Living, Dec 2007, pg. 74. Use an upright paper towel holder to stack your ribbon spools.

Luminarias—Country Home, Dec/Jan 2008, pg 28. Aren’t these pretty? I think you can get these plain glass vases quite cheap and just wrap them in a subtle scrapbook paper. Slip in a votive candle.

The Tree is Up

A little late, but it's done. We had the best time picking out a tree. I hate to admit that we went to Home Depot, where they have quite decent Noble Firs. We didn't like any of the display models, so we went inside and grabbed one that was still wrapped in twine. It was as tall as we needed, the trunk appeared to be straight, and it had a good top. So we took it, as is, sight unseen. We brought it home, put it in the stand, and cut the string. Viola! A perfect Christmas tree--no holes, upright, lovely even branches. We decided to do a surprise tree like this every year.

You can get a Christmas tree as big as you would like from the National Forest for only $10. Just stop in the office and ask where they are cutting. This is an incredible deal if you like big trees. It makes a wonderful family outing too. We did it for years and years, but now that our kids are grown, it's not as much fun for us.

Brad built this plywood box to add some height to the tree. It works perfectly and we re-use it over every year. I just wrap a cloth remnant around the base. It's not even Christmasy, just green material. But since it gets quickly covered with presents, it really doesn't matter.

Brad is very careful about wrapping each branch in little white lights, that twinkle, not flash. He makes sure they go all the way to the trunk, giving the tree a full feeling. When you put on the ornaments, start with the plain round fillers on the inside branches. And then hang your special ones on the outside, where they are more visible.

Let the Festivities Begin

So, we're home and raring to go! I did the Christmas cards before we left, so today I'll pop them into the mail. I will do some more easy decorating later. The tree will go up this weekend. I try to do most of my shopping during the week, when it's less crowded. I'd like have it finished by next weekend. I have a hankering to make banana bread, but not an overripe banana in sight.

Tonight we will attend a performance of The Buttcracker II, Turn the Other Cheek. We laughed for days after seeing the first Buttcracker. We are taking new people to see it, so it will be fun to watch their reaction to the ridiculousness on stage.

Artist Date: Pottery World

Quite by fluke, I found myself in Pottery World, which seems like a separate world of its own. Christmas season feels real here. The store clerks merrily hum along to the Christmas carols playing in the background. A lovely café serves great food, the customers laughing and chatting, with big smiles all round.

I had very limited time, so I found myself running back and forth from display to display. Different areas are set up as rooms, each having a different color or theme. The garden area surrounding the colossal oak, features fountains and pottery galore. I tried so many different camera settings, challenging myself to look for ideas and lighting options quickly. I am pretty happy with how some of them came out.

Quick Hint Tuesday

, originally uploaded by c8mills.

Gift tags—Save last year’s cards to cut into gift tags. You can find the cutest things and mix and match them. The ones above were cut with a square punch, but you can use a variety of shapes.

Nuetrogena Healthy Skin Rejuvenator—I read an analysis in a magazine, not a sales pitch, about this product. They said it is close to a professional facial. I know that my skin feels extra soft for days after using it.

Cereal—I have come across three quality ones that taste good, with whole grains, good fiber, no hydrogenated fats, no high fructose corn syrup. Kashi’s Autumn Wheat (organic, comes in cinnamon and strawberry too), Barbara’s Puffins (regular, peanut butter, or cinnamon), and Kashi’s Seven Grains Puffed Cereal. You usually have to wander over to the Natural Foods section of the grocery store; they are not with the regular cereals (probably because the big corporate bullies have a strangle-hold on those shelves).

How to Photograph Christmas Lights—An excellent explanation of how to catch the special glow of Christmas lights by Strobist at Blogspot.com.

Tuesday Quick Hints—Thanksgiving Edition

Blanch green beans the day before, cool in ice water. Keep in frig. Re-heat quickly in a saucepan right before serving.

Make mashed potatoes early in the day. Simmer peeled or unpeeled potatoes in chicken stock with whole cloves of garlic. When potatoes are soft enough mash them still in the stock with cream cheese, sour cream, heavy cream, milk, and/or butter (whatever combination of these you want). Add in fresh minced herbs (parsley, sage, rosemary, basil, thyme, oregano, whatever you have) and salt. Keep warm in a crockpot until serving time.

Take a leisurely walk.

A McKenna family necessity: Apple/Pickle relish. There is no recipe. Just cut up as many apples as you want, peeled or unpeeled, add about half as much diced onions, and the same amount of diced dill pickles. Sprinkle with sugar and white vinegar. Stir.

Remember your camera and use it.

What wine goes well with everything on the menu? Think full-bodied Zinfandel.

I Hate Halloween

Ever since high school, when I read Carrie, before anyone knew who Stephen King was, I have hated horror stuff. Shortly after I read the book, the movie came out and that iced it for me. After that final scene, (no, I mean the final, final scene with Amy Irving), I would never see another horror movie. I don’t understand why people group sex and violence into the same category; sex is a joyful act between two people and violence definitely isn’t. Why do some parents let young kids watch everyday violence on the news and in the movies, but turn off the love scenes? IT. DOES. NOT. MAKE. SENSE.

Anyway, I get the history of Halloween and I understand the traditional fun of letting little kids dress up and knock on doors for trick-or-treat, but this macabre obsession with dark, evil things disturbs me. If I had my way, our front porch would be decorated nicely with pumpkins, cornstalks, a lovely wreath for the door. But no, Brad wants the whole kit and caboodle. He spent $250 on strobe lights, and skulls that talk, and battery-operated eyeballs that peak out of the bushes. The worst part is the mask that oozes blood. I will spend Halloween evening in my bed with a good book and the door closed.

Christmas Treats

So, here we are…the presents are wrapped, the tree is up, the house is decorated. We are going to Sacramento to spend Christmas with our parents. It’s the first Christmas we haven’t been home with our own kids in 26 years. Luckily we will have a post Christmas party with them next Wednesday.

Surprise treats arrived by UPS. We didn’t expect such a generous gift from our supplier. We will be eating these goodies until July. And then we got these flowers from another supplier. We used to get them every year, but we assumed that we wouldn’t be on the list any more, since we don’t buy as much from them now. And the best part is that they both matched my color scheme. How does that happen?

We have matching presents under the tree. It makes me so happy to look at it. I bought a gift wrapping set at Costco. Of course, all the sheets were too small to wrap most of my gifts, so I ended up piecing them together. And for the really big ones, I had to go buy regular rolls of wrap in gold. But they look great mixed in under the tree with their matching ribbons and bows. Also I bought the really large six inch wide ribbon by Martha Stewart at K-Mart and it looks fabulous on the biggest packages.

We’re in charge of three major meals and a breakfast this Christmas. For Christmas eve, Brad is cooking a rib roast with garlic sweet potatoes at his parents. Then on Christmas day, a ham with asparagus almondine, and sauted sweet potatoes with my family. We still have to decide on what to have for the dinner with the kids, but probably something Chinese, just to be fun and different.

I will concentrate on spending time with my family for the next few days, so I will probably not be writing on the blog for awhile. I hope that you each have a chance to find joy and love in your own heart as you celebrate Christmas this year.

Morning Thoughts

This is the view from my pillow in the morning. If Brad turns on the lights before I get up, I can literally lay in my bed and watch the lights. And if I happen to have my wireless laptop with me, I can type this message to you while in bed watching the lights twinkle. My life is wonderful.

I hope that you are feeling the love this Christmas season. I am enjoying it more than ever. A lot of it has to do with writing this blog. I stop every day and think about what is bringing the joy of Christmas spirit into my life and how I can share it with you. Being conscious of it makes all the difference.

There are still presents that I need to buy, with only five days to go. But I am not stressed about it. I will go out later today or tomorrow and finish up. I do not feel pressured to get the perfect present, like I used to try so hard to do. Everyone gets a nice present, that's it.

Tuesday Quick Hints--Christmas Edition

Candles and Beans: This is super easy: any container, any candles, any dry beans. I’m sure you can put together something.

Crackers: an English tradition that is catching on here finally. At the dinner table each person holds one end of the cracker and his neighbor holds the other end. Count together..1,2,3…pull! A loud pop and everyone gets a paper crown, a toy and a silly riddle to read aloud. One year we were laughing and carrying on so much we didn’t notice that the paper landed on the votive candles which set the tablecloth on fire. Talk about Christmas excitement!

Nutmeg: You’d be amazed at the difference using fresh nutmeg makes. You can now buy the whole nuts in grocery stores from McCormick spices. Use one of those rotary hand cheese graters or a microplane, but be very careful of those fingertips. Apple or pear crisp, rhubarb pie, scalloped potatoes with gruyere cheese, banana bread, all taste better with fresh nutmeg.


I haven’t really done this yet, but it seems like such a good idea:

Tin for Gift Cards: Use a rectangular mint tin, like Altoids, to wrap a gift card. You can use scraps of paper, maybe cut up old Christmas cards to decorate the top and inside of the tin lid. Use a small square of tissue paper inside to make it more like opening a present. Much nicer presentation than an envelop.

Danny Seo

If you haven’t discovered Danny yet, you’ll hear of him soon. He’s the newest darling of the green stylist world. All his ideas are crafty with an easy reuse, recycle theme. He has some good Christmas ideas lately. I particularly like his little birdhouses on December 1st.

http://dannyseo.typepad.com/

Nativity Scene

This crèche is the most precious thing we own. It’s a shame that we only get to see it for three weeks out of the year. Brad’s parents, Bill and Janice Mills, made three sets in 1969. I think of what it was like for them back then, making these gifts from their hearts with their own hands.

It was hard to photograph, but each piece is coated in mother of pearl which glistens in the light, reflecting the light in the room and sparkling with the Christmas lights. I found the manger at a Christmas craft fair in the 80’s. It was the exact right size. We found the newest addition to the scene, Twinkle Flakes, at Home Depot.

Our Magic Snowflake

On our Christmas tree there's one special ornament, which charms guests and especially children every time. One touch and it turns on all the lights on the tree! When we have kids over, we stand them in front of the dark tree and tell them to touch the snowflake. The expression on their faces go from dubious questions to delight instantly.

It works by static electric and is plugged in to the lights with it's own extension cord. I wish I could tell you how to get one, but I bought it at Lowe's two or three years ago. Maybe they still carry them.

Bed Garland

I’ve had this idea rolling around in my head for awhile now. I finally got to complete it yesterday. I wanted to make it as a surprise for Brad, but he figured it out as soon as he saw me eyeing the garland at the store. I think it looks wonderful. Waking up this morning under my stars made me smile.

We have had the bamboo structure over our bed for about a year now. The lights I bought at Target stay up all year. I got the garland from Home Depot -- $14.99 for 6 feet. Needed three for this project. I found the gold stars in our Christmas decoration box, probably from Dansk a few years back. It took less than 10 minutes to put together and I never want to take it down.