Thursday, December 9, 2010

Enquiring Minds Want To Know

Enquiring Minds Want To Know is a weekly meme hosted by Dollycas' Thoughts. How well do you know your favorite bloggers? This meme is designed to help us find out a little about each other, every week. A Mr. Linky is provided so we can keep up with each other. Please help this meme to become a success. Join in and answer Dollycas' Questions each week... It's fun and entertaining!

This weeks questions and my answers:

1.) Do you have an artificial or real Christmas Tree?

We had an artificial tree for years and while they are convenient and you can leave them up longer, they just aren't as 'Christmassy' to me. When I was younger we always, went out and cut our own tree and I wanted my kids to have that experience as well. So we have a real tree every year, which we are putting up tonight! And we generally cut it ourselves and it makes the house smell soooo wonderful. I love Christmas time and I can't wait to decorate the tree and listen to Christmas music and drink hot chocolate.

2.) Do you feel you decorate just enough, over the top, or not enough?

I used to decorate with lights outside and inflatables and the whole nine yards, but I begin to think that was way over the top. I still decorate quite a bit, but not sooooo much. I wrap the mailbox pole with a Holly garland. I have two flower boxes on my porch that I decorate with fake snow and Christmas ornaments, pine cones, that sort of thing. I have a wreath on my front door and decorations inside, the tree, my table has a holiday table cloth and centerpiece.... Ok, Ok, so maybe I'm still a little over the top LOL....

3.) Do you have a favorite Christmas Cookie, if you have a recipe please share?

I love Christmas Cookies, so I have tons of recipes. I even thought about doing a Virtual Cookie Swap this year on my blog, but the idea came to me a little late, so that's something for next year. Here is one of my favorite recipes. They are sometimes called Swedish Poor Man's Cookies, but we call them Rags and Tatters.

Rags & Tatters

(Makes about 36)

3 egg yolks
3 tablespoons of sugar
3 tablespoons of heavy cream
1/4 teaspoon of crushed cardamom
or 1 tablespoon of Brandy
1 1/4 to 1 1/2 cups of flour
powdered sugar

Beat egg yolks until light. Add sugar and cream, beat well. Blend in cardamom or brandy. Add flour and mix well to make a smooth dough. Roll out to 1/16" thickness. Cut into strips about 1 1/2" wide. Cut diagonally at 4" intervals. Make a 2" slit crosswise in center and slip one end trough the slit to make a "bow". Deep fry in hot deep fat (350 F) until delicately browned, about 1 to 1 1/2 minutes. Drain on paper towels. Cool and sprinkle with powdered sugar.

5 comments:

Barb said...

Hi There!
I'm with you on the idea of a real tree! I need that pine smell to make it feel Christmas-y! I think I need to send you some REAL snow for your decorations.....lord knows we have enough of it ;) Drop by and check out my cinnamon sugar cookie recipe! BTW if you want to do a cookie recipe swap next year, count me in....my MIL is a baker and I have tons of good recipes!

dollycas aka Lori said...

I know you home must be beautiful. I am with Barb on the cookie swap for next year. We gather at my MIL'S each year to make Christmas cookies, I just supervise, but some new recipes would be great. I have been thinking about trying to get my sister-in-law and mother-in-law together to make a family cookbook next year to pass on to our kids and they to theirs, my husband thinks I AM CRAZY!

justpeachy36 said...

I think that's a great idea! I would have loved to have had some of the recipes that my grandmother used to make. My grandfather immigrated from Scotland when he was just a boy and she used to make some cookies and different things that he brought with him and I wish they had been written down. I know your kids and grandkids would just love that when they got older.

Anonymous said...

I love the idea of a cookie swap! We always have an artificial tree but would love to have a real one again. My parents always had a real one then after Christmas would plant it in the yard. I live in Florida and have to use fake snow too! Sometimes it's hard to get in the Christmas spirit without snow. I grew up where it snowed a TON each year and really miss it.

Audra said...

Lovely post! I'm an Air Force brat and we were stationed overseas for most of my childhood, so it was fake trees for us every year! In some ways, that makes me feel like it's the holidays -- wrestling with the pieces, etc while we laugh and decorate. I do appreciate the live tree my friends have (but not the mess of needles!). Love the cookie recipe!