A Visit to the German Christmas Market

This weekend we braved the cold and headed to the city for the German Christmas Market. We took the train in...the girls always love riding the train and we enjoy not dealing with city holiday traffic!

The outdoor market is set up around City Hall and this is only it's 2nd or 3rd year. It is set up to showcase European crafts, but we also enjoyed vendors from South America and other parts of the world as well, and also some good old typical Christmas stuff. Steve and I were actually impressed with how nice the entire experience was.

We enjoyed window shopping with the girls, explaining about the arts and crafts, even watching some crafters at work. Our favorite vendor was a German vendor with a big heated tent...it was cold that day! The tent was filled with beautiful Christmas ornaments, finely carved displays, German carousels, and exquisite nutcrackers. There is just something extra special about enjoying works of art.

We also enjoyed a yummy German lunch...bratwurst, weisswurst, sauerkraut, German potato salad, and some really delicious warm potato pancakes. I wish I had taken a picture of our food!

We finally got so cold that we found it hard to enjoy the market any longer, so we went in search of a coffee shop. The downtown Macy's had neato window displays that we enjoyed while we walked. We found a Starbucks on the other side of City Hall and enjoyed warming up while we watched all the shoppers bustling about. The horse-drawn carriages were in full swing, complete with sleigh bells. As Steve and I watched our girls taking it all in, we thought of these lyrics...

City sidewalks, busy sidewalks, dressed in holiday style.
In the air there's a feeling of Christmas.
Children laughing, people passing, meeting smile after smile and on every street corner you'll hear.

Silver bells, silver bells
It's Christmas time in the city
Ring-a-ling, hear them sing
Soon it will be Christmas day.

It was a great day in the city! Here are some pics...enjoy!

Sugar Cookie Happiness~

The girls and I made good old sugar cookies last week for a Christmas gathering at our home. I think they turned out very nice...don't you? And they were just as yummy as they were pretty.

We used Alton Brown's recipe which you can find here. I really liked this recipe because the cookies did not puff up or out too much. They kept their shape really well. The girls had fun using all sorts of different sprinkles to decorate with.

Toffee Anyone?

Hello all...hope this finds you enjoying all sorts of yummy Christmas treats. I had a request to share my "toffee" recipe, so here goes.

I received this recipe from a co-worker way back from my days at Verizon and I've been making this recipe for 10 years now. Everyone always enjoys it and is amazed at how easy it is. One year I actually spent a lot of time making all sorts of beautiful and delicious Christmas cookies and treats and this was the one that everyone liked best...and, of course, it's the easiest...figures :)

I also love this recipe because you break it up to serve...very nice when you plan on shipping it...it doesn't matter if the cookies break :) Also nice when you're shipping around the world. I heard my brother was Big Man on Base when these arrived in Iraq.

You will need:
Saltine crackers
2 sticks of butter
1 cup firmly packed brown sugar
1 package chocolate chips
1 cup nuts to top

Preheat oven to 350. Cover bottom of cookie sheet with the saltine crackers, salt side up. You may need to break up some to fill in the gaps. Heat brown sugar and butter in the microwave for 3 to 4 minutes. Mix very well until they are completely blended. This will take a minute or two. Pour butter/brown sugar mix over the saltine crackers and spread to cover. Put in the oven for 10 minutes. Remove from oven and put any floating crackers back into place. Pour bag of chocolate chips over the crackers. Put back in oven for just a bit (less than a minute) to heat the chocolate chips so you can spread them over the top. Sprinkle with nuts. Refrigerate for at least a couple hours. Break up and ENJOY!

I've done lots of different toppings variations as well. I've used all sorts of different kinds of nuts, course ground sea salt, crushed peppermint candy (a favorite at Christmas), coconut, etc. How about some cranberries or other dried fruit or crushed up your-favorite-kind-of-candy? I've used white chocolate chips too and sometimes you can find flavored chocolate chips that might make a nice variation. I've also heard of using graham crackers instead of saltines...maybe I'll try that next :)

One other note: I use a cutting board to press my topping into the warmed chocolate layer...helps it stick a bit better.

Whatever variety you make, I can almost guarantee that it will be a hit!

Enjoy~
Rachel

I'm not a Seamstress...

...but I think the girls will like these anyway. I'm posting this because my mom asked to see pictures of my recent sewing project.

This taggie bIanket is for Sophia. She has one that is beyond well-loved that a friend made for her when she was born. She is very tactile and still loves to rub and play with tags. I hope she likes this one as much as I do.

I made this denim purse for Bella using an old pair of jeans. I saw one of Bella's friends with a similar purse and thought I'd try it. It was simple. I cut the leg of the jeans, sewed one end closed and added some pretty beaded fringe to the bottom end. I sewed on the straps and this purse even has a metallic button closure at the top. I found these felt flowers and ironed them on and added a few stitches for extra staying power. And, viola, Bella has a purse waiting for her under the Christmas tree. I hope she likes it :)

Well, I'm happy to say that my sewing machine and I are becoming friends~

Have a great day~
Rachel

Missing: One Front Tooth

Sophia lost her first tooth on Saturday, November 20th. It had been super loose for a long time, but she did not want anyone touching it and would not try to pull it out herself...so we waited. We had planned to head to the mall after Steve got home from work (yes, he works a half-day most Saturdays) so the girls could have their picture taken with Santa. Sophia was eating a cheesestick when he got home and she was super excited to show Steve just how amazingly loose her tooth was. She opened her mouth to show him...and the tooth was gone! I wish I had a camera ready to capture the look of utter surprise...priceless! So, where did it go? I checked the cheesestick...no tooth. I couldn't imagine that she had swallowed it, but I've heard of that happening. Then she started telling me about the "hard bite of cheese" in her cheesestick. She had bit into something hard and had spit it into the garbage. Thankfully, it wasn't very full or messy. I began to carefully pull things out of the trash and discovered one tooth just patiently waiting to be found. I was really happy that we found it so easily...so was Sophia :) Under the pillow it went and the Tooth Fairy kindly left her a $2 bill...the first tooth is special and therefore gets a special dollar according to the note that the Tooth Fairy also left.

And we merrily went on our way to the mall and had this photo taken a few hours later.

The close up was taken today...her new tooth is making good, crooked progress~

God bless~
Rachel

Proud to be an Air Force Granddaughter

Hello...I know, I've been a slacker. All three or four of my blog readers have turned blue in the face waiting for my next post :)

I am definitely behind in keeping up with my "electronic diary". I have lots I hope to post, and find time slipping away too easily. However, one reason for my slacker-ness was the first part of my pregnancy. The first trimester is well over and I am feeling so much better. So I've been trying to catch up on all sorts of things around here...like school for the girls and cleaning the house...blogging had to be put way on the back burner.

Um, Rachel, this is nice and all, but what does any of this have to do with the title of your post?

Glad you were wondering!

Our family traveled down to Raleigh, NC last month for the NC Veterans Day Parade. My dad, retired Air Force Major Yates, was the chair of the parade this year and he did a GREAT job organizing the event! He invited us down to participate in the parade. Well, there was no way that this homeschool family was going to miss out on an opportunity like this...history and civics at it's best!

In preparation, Bella knitted her own red, white, and blue scarf for the parade. I made a matching one for Sophia. I also taught the girls a bit about the history of Veterans Day and took them for a visit to the PA Veterans Museum right here in our little town of Media. We talked about family members on both sides of our family who have served in the military. It was interesting to see them connect that their own Uncle Chris is a veteran who has served in both Iraq and Afghanistan.

Parade day was cold and chilly and a bit wet...thankfully the rain held off until right after the parade and ceremony were over. Dad had arranged for the girls to ride in a classic car...they actually got to be in the parade...wow! Steve and I walked along with them. It was a very special experience...one I'll cherish. We stayed for the ceremony and speeches following the parade. The girls listened, sang, asked questions...it was wonderful.

After the parade, we celebrated with a Veterans Day themed tea-party feast organized by my Mom, Sophia, and Bella...yum! Bella and Sophia each honored my dad with a speech thanking him and sharing with him how much they enjoyed the parade. This was their own idea and neither Steve nor I had any idea they were planning a speech...we were touched and impressed. Bella ended her speech with, "I'm proud to be an Air Force granddaughter"...I almost cried and I think my parents were very touched too.

I am thoroughly impressed with my dad and the wonderful job he did organizing the parade. Thank You, dad, for all your hard work. The parade was wonderful and an honor to all the Veterans and their families. You can see more of the parade at www.ncveteransparade.com

Here are some of the pics I took...enjoy!

God bless~
Rachel

Is it Too Early for a Christmas Post?

I realize you may still be experiencing sugar shock from Halloween, but I though it timely to share anyway. I, personally, am glad that Halloween is over. I'm ready for the next round of holidays...I'm ready for the Thanksgiving turkey...I'm ready for the Christmas decor to take center stage. With that being said, here's an essay I recently wrote...may God inspire you this holiday season.

Two Catalogues

Ah, yes...Christmas is just around the corner. I know because I have started receiving all sorts of interesting catalogues in the mail. Some of these "extended advertisements" are fun to flip through; festive decorating ideas, gifts discovered, new recipes to share.

I was very much struck, though, last week by two catalogues that arrived in my mailbox. The difference between these two catalogues is startling and should cause all of us to consider how we spend our money.

One was for a very fine, very expensive clothier. I don't even know how or why I got on their list because anyone who knows me knows that fashion simply is not a high priority for me. Some might even say that I am "fashion challenged" and I'm okay with that. The other catalogue was the World Vision Christmas Gift Catalogue. This catalogue is filled with things that you can give to children and families, sometimes even villages, all over the world, that make a true difference in the life of the recipient(s). Gifts like seeds, farm animals, fish ponds, and water wells...gifts that change and sometimes even save lives.

I do not want you to misunderstand me. I am not saying that having or enjoying the nicer things in life is wrong. I do believe, however, that we must examine our desires and that we should present them before our Lord for His evaluation. I imagine that you would find that many "must haves" in our consumer culture would not be as enticing when evaluated in the Lord's light. I imagine He would have you consider others more important than that overpriced coat or the latest gadget.

Let us not lose sight of the truth of Christmas. Please be praying about a gift to help the less fortunate. Would our Lord have you give to a family in need? Or to a ministry that clearly shares the gospel? God will lead you where He would have you give. And if you're interested or aren't sure where to start, here are two of our family's personal favorites: www.worldvisiongifts.org and/or www.covenantmercies.org

I love the holidays and I love giving and receiving gifts. I also love how the Lord allows my family to feel His special pleasure when we are able to share a gift with someone in need. It really is wonderful; He blesses us for blessing others. What at first may feel like a sacrifice, He turns into joy and a treasure! May you enjoy the extra blessing of knowing that you faithfully followed the Savior into His Christmas season.

"Do not lay up for yourselves treasure on earth, where moth and rust destroy and where thieves break in and steal, but lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust destroys and where thieves do not break in and steal. For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also." Matthew 6: 19-21

"Honor the Lord with your wealth..." Proverbs 3: 9

"...blessed is he who is generous to the poor." Proverbs 14: 21

Have a blessed day~

Rachel