Rose of Bethlehem

There's a Rose in Bethlehem

With a beauty quite divine

Perfect in this world of sin

On this silent holy night

There's a fragrance much like hope

That it sends upon the wind

Reaching out to every soul

From a lowly manger's crib

Oh, Rose of Bethlehem

How lovely, pure, and sweet

Born to glorify the Father

Born to wear the thorns for me

There's a Rose in Bethlehem

Colored red like mercy's blood

Tis the flower of our faith

Tis the blossom of God's love

Though its bloom is fresh with youth

Surely what will be He knows

For a tear of morning dew

Is rolling down the Rose

Oh, Rose of Bethlehem

How lovely, pure, and sweet

Born to glorify the Father

Born to wear the thorns for me

 

For the Appetizer-lovers

Hot Cheese Dip

2 c. (8 oz) shredded mozzarella cheese

2 c. (8 oz) shredded sharp cheddar cheese

2 c. mayonnaise

1 medium onion, minced

1 can (4 oz.) chopped green chilies, drained

1-1/2 oz. sliced pepperoni

1/2 c. sliced ripe olives

Rye chips, crackers or fresh vegetables

In an ungreased shallow baking dish or pie plate, combine the first five ingredients. Top with pepperoni and olives. Bake, uncovered, at 325 for 25 minutes or until bubbly. Serve with rye chips, crackers or vegetables.

Yield: 24 servings

A Thought to Ponder

"The Church does not superstitiously observe days, merely as days, but as memorials of important facts. Christmas might be kept as well upon one day of the year as another; but there should be a stated day for commemorating the birth of our Saviour, because there is danger that what may be done on any day, will be neglected."

~Samuel Johnson

Lemon Snowflakes

This recipe for snowflakes starts with:

3/4 c. margarine, at room temperature

1/2 c. confectioners' sugar

1 T. grated lemon rind (or extract)

1 c. flour

1/2 c. cornstarch

1 cheery little sister, (opt....but I really like!)

Beat butter and confectioners' sugar in bowl unditl blended. Beat in rind.

Mix together flour and cornstarch. Stir into butter mixture until well blended and smooth. Wrap dough in plastic wrap and chill 1-2 hours or until firm enough to handle.

Or until the smiley face appears?

Hmmmm...

Prepare your sprinkle concoction!

1/2 sugar

1/2 sprinkles

Form dough into an 11" log about 1-3/4" in diameter. Roll in sprinkle mixture. Wrap log in wax paper.

To keep round shape cut tube from paper towel roll (or wrapping paper roll!); open lengthwise. Place wrapped log in tube. Chill at least 4 hours or overnight.

Isn't this just too clever? It keeps there from being quite so many half-round slice and bakes!

Preheat oven to 375*F.

Cut dough into 1/4" thick slices. Place slices, 1" apart, on ungreased cookie sheets. Use as much dough as you wish. Rewrap and refrigerate remaining dough.

Bake 10-12 minutes or until edges are golden. Transfer cookies to wire rack to cool completely.

Pipe or drizzle lemon icing in 3 or 4 concentric circles on one cookie. Working quickly, draw wet wooden pick from center to outer edge, dragging icing along to make snowflake effect.

Lemon icing:

Place 1/2 c. confectioners' sugar in a small bowl. Gradually stir in 2 tsp. lemon juice to make smooth, fairly thick icing. Makes enough to decorate about 1/2 the cookies.



I might also, in the future, use the frosting to make more snowflake-like shapes on top of the cookies. But these are pretty delicious regardless! Like a lemon shortbread cookie with tart lemon frosting! Melt-in-your-mouth!

The Sunrise

"Blessed be the Lord God of Israel,

for he has visited and redeemed his people

and has raised up a horn of salvation for us

in the house of his servant David,

as he spoke by the mouth of his holy prophets from of old,

that we should be saved from our enemies

and from the hand of all who hate us;

to show the mercy promised to our fathers

and to remember his holy covenant,

the oath that he swore to our father Abraham, to grant us

that we, being delivered from the hand of our enemies,

might serve him without fear,

in holiness and righteousness before him all our days.

And you, child, will be called the prophet of the Most High;

for you will go before the Lord to prepare his ways,

to give knowledge of salvation to his people

in the forgiveness of sins,

because of the tender mercy of our God,

whereby the sunrise shall visit us from on high

 to give light to those who sit in darkness

and in the shadow of death,

to guide our feet into the way of peace." 

--Zechariah

(at the circumcision of his son, John)

Luke 1: 68-79

For breakfast!

Cinnamon Cream Roll-Ups

1 package (8 ounces) cream cheese, softened

1 egg yolk

1-1/4 cups sugar, divided

1 loaf (1 pound) sandwich bread, crusts removed

1 tablespoon ground cinnamon

1/4 cup butter, melted

In a small bowl, combine the cream cheese, egg yolk and 1/4 cup sugar; mix well. Flatten bread slices with a rolling pin. Spread cream cheese mixture over each slice to within 1/2 in. of edges. Roll up diagonally from point to point.

In a shallow bowl, combine the cinnamon and remaining sugar. Dip roll-ups in melted butter, then in cinnamon-sugar mixture. Place in an ungreased 15-in. x 10-in. x 1-in. baking pan. Bake at 350° for 16-19 minutes or until lightly browned. Remove to wire racks to cool.

Yield: 8-10 servings.

Also works with whole wheat bread. :)

From the mouth of a teenager...

"My soul magnifies the Lord,

and my spirit rejoices in God my Savior,

for He has looked on the humble estate of His servant.

For behold, from now on all generations will call me blessed;

for He who is mighty has done great things for me,

and holy is His name.

And His mercy is for those who fear Him

from generation to generation.

He has shown strength with His arm;

He has scattered the proud in the thoughts of their hearts;

He has brought down the mighty from their thrones

and exalted those of humble estate;

He has filled the hungry with good things,

and the rich He has sent away empty.

He has helped His servant Israel,

in remembrance of His mercy,

as He spoke to our fathers,

to Abraham and to his offspring forever."

--Mary, the mother of Jesus

(Luke 1:46-55)

I Wonder as I Wander

I wonder as I wander out under the sky,

How Jesus the Savior did come for to die.

For poor on'ry people like you and like I...

I wonder as I wander out under the sky.

When Mary birthed Jesus 'twas in a cow's stall,

With wise men and farmers and shepherds and all.

But high from God's heaven a star's light did fall,

And the promise of ages it then did recall.

If Jesus had wanted for any wee thing,

A star in the sky, or a bird on the wing,

Or all of God's angels in heav'n for to sing,

He surely could have it, 'cause he was the King.

-----

"I Wonder as I Wander"

an Appalachian Christmas carol

by John Niles

 based on fragments he heard a North Carolina mountain girl sing in 1933.

And just for your information, all these pictures were taken on the same evening at Evan's Orchard, in 15 degree temperatures with the wind blowing. :) I wondered, as I wandered, what could have possessed Tyler and I to go out...but the sunset was gorgeous!

For a chilly day...

        

Super-Simple Crockpot Chili

3 lbs ground beef, browned and drained

3 (16-oz) cans red kidney beans, drained

3 (14.25oz.) cans diced tomatoes, partly drained (save some liquid)

3 med. onions, chopped

3 garlic cloves, crushed

3 T. chili powder

1-1/2 tsp. ground cumin

1-1/2 tsp. black pepper

1-1/2 tsp. salt

Combine all ingredients in slow cooker.

Cover and cook on Low 8-10 hours.

Yield: 15 servings

I love recipes with only two lines of instructions...

-----

And on a different note, the girls are walking around with flashlights tonight, in case the possible ice storm (supposed to beginning at midnight) blows in "all of a sudden, and the lights go out, and we can't see where we're going." So if you don't see any new posts in a few days, don't worry...the girls are keeping us in the light, even if the internet's out.

The Two Houses

I pity that house

whose snow-bedecked yard

lacks good-hearted snowangels

standing their guard.

Where a squirrel eating seed

needn't sharply petition

more accurate throwing

of white ammunition.

Whose steepest descents

lie smooth and so fair

with narry a grass

by tobogan laid bare.

Where lacking are cries,

"My nose feels frostbitten!"

And, "Wouldn't you know?

I've misplaced my mitten!"



Whose guests are not greeted

by families of white

Carefully crafted

to look perfectly right.

But blessed is that house

with doorway of puddles

where shoes of the many

get into great muddles.

Where Christmasy lights

are of color! Not bland

and preferably blink

when switched on by the hand.

So perhaps a bit lively

with plenty of chatter

'specially when cocoa's

to be had by the fire.

But I'll take that house

full of kids to the top

to the serenest abode

happy children, has not.



Mmmm....snack mix!

I know...no picture, no good! But I really wanted to post one of my favorites tonight! I'll try to put one in after I make it. :P And anyway, all you need to see is how easy it is and take my word for how tasty it is! I think I've made it for the past 3-4 years.

Holiday Party Mix

9 c. corn chex

6 c. popped popcorn

1-1/2 c. dry-roasted peanuts

1 c. brown sugar

1 stick butter or margarine

1/2 c. light corn syrup

1 tsp. vanilla

1/2 tsp baking soda

10 oz. pkg Christmas M&Ms

1 pkg. white yogurt covered pretzels (my favorite!!)

Preheat oven to 250*F. Grease large roasting pan. Mix cereal, popcorn, and peanuts. Pour into prepared pan.

Combine brown sugar, butter, and corn syrup in medium heavy-duty saucepan. Bring to a boil over medium heat stirring constantly. Boil, without stirring for 5 minutes (trust me! It doesn't burn!). Remove from heat, stir in vanilla and baking soda (let the kids do this and call it the day's chemistry experiment...). Pour evenly over cereal mixture to coat evenly.

Bake for 45 minutes, stirring every 15 minutes. Cool completely in pan, stirring frequently to break apart. Stir in M&Ms and pretzels (make SURE mixture is cool before you add these...or else!)

Store in airtight container.

Yield: never enough

Mini Cinnamon Rolls...

In cookie form!!

Here's try #1.

Hmmm...the result of talking while measuring the flour.

Is that what we decided, my unnamed cookie friend?



Try #2.

MUCH better!!

And the recipe:

Mini Cinnamon Roll Cookies

1 cup butter, softened

1-3/4 cups sugar, divided

3 egg yolks

1 tablespoon plus 1 teaspoon honey, divided

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

2-1/2 cups all-purpose flour (a little more?)

1 teaspoon baking powder

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/2 teaspoon cream of tartar

1 tablespoon ground cinnamon

8 ounces white baking chocolate, chopped (or powdered sugar glaze!)

In a large bowl, cream butter and 1-1/4 cups sugar until light and fluffy. Beat in egg yolks, 1 tablespoon honey and vanilla. Combine the flour, baking powder, salt and cream of tartar; gradually add to creamed mixture and mix well.

Shape a heaping tablespoonful of dough into a 6-inch log. In a shallow bowl, combine cinnamon and remaining sugar; roll log in cinnamon-sugar. Loosely coil log into a spiral shape; place on a greased baking sheet. Repeat, placing cookies 1 in. apart. Sprinkle with remaining cinnamon-sugar.

Bake at 350° for 8-10 minutes or until set. Remove to wire racks to cool completely. In a small bowl, melt baking chocolate with remaining honey; stir until smooth. Drizzle over cookies. Let stand until set. Store in an airtight container.

Yield: about 2-1/2 dozen.

Isaiah 9:6

For to us a child is born,

to us a son is given;

and the government shall be upon his shoulder,

and his name shall be called

Wonderful Counselor

"And the child grew and became strong, filled with wisdom. And the favor of God was upon him."

(Luke 2:40)

"And because of him you are in Christ Jesus, who became to us wisdom from God, righteousness and sanctification and redemption."

(1 Cor. 1:30)

"If any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask God, who gives generously to all without reproach, and it will be given him."

(James 1:5)

Mighty God

"O Lord God of hosts, who is mighty as you are, O Lord, with your faithfulness all around you?"

(Psalm 89:8)

"The Lord your God is in your midst, a mighty one who will save; he will rejoice over you with gladness; he will quiet you by his love; he will exult over you with loud singing."

(Zephaniah 3:17)

"And they sing the song of Moses, the servant of God, and the song of the Lamb, saying, 'Great and amazing are your deeds, O Lord God the Almighty! Just and true are your ways, O King of the nations!'"

(Revelations 15:3)

Everlasting Father

 "How great are his signs, how mighty his wonders! His kingdom is an everlasting kingdom, and his dominion endures from generation to generation."

(Daniel 4:3)

"But of the Son he says, 'Your throne, O God, is forever and ever, the scepter of uprightness is the scepter of your kingdom."

(Hebrews 1:8)

“'Fear not, I am the first and the last, and the living one. I died, and behold I am alive forevermore, and I have the keys of Death and Hades.'"

(Revelation 1:18)
 

Prince of Peace

"But he was wounded for our transgressions; he was crushed for our iniquities; upon him was the chastisement that brought us peace, and with his stripes we are healed."

(Isaiah 53:5)

"Therefore, since we have been justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ."

(Romans 5:1)

"I have said these things to you, that in me you may have peace. In the world you will have tribulation. But take heart; I have overcome the world.”

(John 16:33)

A Mini Favorite :)

Been looking around at cheesecake recipes, and found these cute little things! :) Knowing my family, they'd probably prefer an oreo crust and no nuts on top. Or a graham cracker crust with a drizzle of melted strawberry jam! What's the fun of baking of you can't experiment every now and again?

Caramel Chocolate Cheesecake Bites

3/4 cup toasted wheat germ

2 packages (8 ounces each) reduced-fat cream cheese

3/4 cup sugar

1/3 cup baking cocoa

4 egg whites

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

36 pecan halves

3 tablespoons fat-free caramel ice cream topping

Coat 36 miniature muffin cups with cooking spray; generously coat each with wheat germ. Set aside.

In large a bowl, beat cream cheese and sugar until smooth. Add cocoa; mix well. Beat in eggs and vanilla just until combined. Spoon 4 teaspoons into each muffin cup.

Bake at 350° for 13-16 minutes or until set. Cool in pans for 10 minutes before removing to wire racks. Cool for 30 minutes and refrigerate. (Cheesecake may sink in the center upon cooling.)

To serve, top each with a pecan half. Microwave caramel topping on high for 10 seconds or until soft. Spoon 1/4 teaspoon over each.

Yield: 3 dozen.

Christmas Hymn

Holy Child who chose the hearts of men

To be His favoured home.

Leaving heaven's gates for Bethlehem,

God came to call His own.

Now to us the highest King is born

Behold the Royal Son!

Glory kneels to mend all that is torn

The promised Child has come.

Joy and pain as man He knew on earth;

No place to lay His head.

As a servant He embraced this world,

And on a cross He bled.

Having borne the deepest grief of man

He rose to heaven's throne.

Now I'm sheltered in the Father's hand

I stand by grace alone.

May the gift of God amaze us still--

The triumph of all time.

As His child I kneel to Heaven's will,

To make His purpose mine.

Though this road be scarred with trial and pain,

It's paved with lavish grace.

Knowing Him will be my greatest gain;

My hope the Saviour's face.

"Holy Child Who Chose the Hearts of Men"

by Keith and Kristyn Getty

Delicious Equation

+

=

Sweet Potatoes and Apples

(my Grandma's recipe!)

5 med. sweet potatoes

5 med. tart apples, peeled and thinly sliced

1/2 c. sugar

1 T cornstarch

1 c. cold water

1 tsp lemon juice

1/4 c. butter, cubed

1/4 tsp. ground cinnamon

1/8 tsp. salt

Place sweet potatoes in a Dutch oven and cover with water. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat; cover and cook for 20 minutes or just until tender. Drain sweet potatoes and cool slightly. Peel and cut into 1/4-in. slices. In a greased 13x9x2-in. baking dish, layer half of hte apples and sweet potatoes. Repeat layers.

In a small saucepan, combine the sugar, cornstarch, water and lemon juice until smooth. Bring to a boil; cook and stir for 2 minutes or until thickened. Remove from the heat; stir in the butter, cinnamon and salt. Pour over sweet potatoes and apples. Cover and bake at 350 for 30 minutes. Uncover; bake 10 minutes longer or until apples are tender.

Yield: 12 servings



God-Man

"If we could condense all the truths of Christmas into only three words, these would be the words:

'God with us.'

We tend to focus our attention at Christmas on the infancy of Christ. The greater truth of the holiday is His deity. More astonishing than a baby in the manger is the truth that this promised baby is the omnipotent Creator of the heavens and the earth!"

--John F. MacArthur, Jr.

Goodie Gifts

So are you all catching on?

My goal is to post every day this December...

recipes, Scriptures, more recipes, Christmas quotes, recipes, etc.

:)

And Monday's postings will be

GOODIE GIFTS

One of our favorite things to give out at Christmas time is snack mixes.

The games to be played, crafts to be created, and trees to be decorated require something yummy to nibble on to keep up one's strength!

Zesty Snack Mix

11 cups Cheerios

8 cups Crispix

8 cups Corn Chex

6 cups bite-size Shredded Wheat

1 package (10 ounces) corn chips

1 jar (8 ounces) salted peanuts

1 package (8 ounces) pretzel sticks

1 package (7 ounces) sesame snack sticks

1 package (7 ounces) shoestring potato sticks

1 pound butter, cubed

3 tablespoons garlic powder

3 tablespoons onion powder

2 tablespoons hot pepper sauce

2 tablespoons lemon juice

2 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce

2 teaspoons garlic salt

In a large bowl, combine the first nine ingredients. In a large saucepan over low heat, melt butter. Add seasonings; stir until dissolved. Pour over cereal mixture; stir to coat.

Place in large greased roasting pans. Bake, uncovered, at 250° for 1 hour, stirring every 15 minutes. Store in airtight containers.

Yield: 12 quarts

And 12 quarts is PLENTY to pass around to friends, neighbors, and the mailman, and STILL have lots leftover.

And yes, shredded wheat is a weird ingredient, and I actually ended up having to use frosted shredded wheat last year...but it was my favorite nibble in the whole thing!

(picture from http://www.tasteofhome.com/)

Oh dear...

I already made our goodie list...

so why did I have to just go find THIS!?!?!

Peppermint Biscotti

Ingredients:

3/4 cup butter, softened

3/4 cup sugar

3 eggs

2 teaspoons peppermint extract

3-1/4 cups all-purpose flour

1 teaspoon baking powder

1/4 teaspoon salt

1 cup crushed peppermint candies

Frosting:

2 cups (12 ounces) chocolate chips

2 tablespoons shortening

1/2 cup crushed peppermint candies

In a large bowl, cream butter and sugar. Add eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition. Beat in extract. Combine the flour, baking powder and salt; stir in peppermint candy. Gradually add to creamed mixture, beating until blended (dough will be stiff).

Divide dough in half. On an ungreased baking sheet, shape each portion into a 12-in. x 2-1/2-in. rectangle. Bake at 350° for 25-30 minutes or until golden brown. Carefully remove to wire racks; cool for 15 minutes. Transfer to a cutting board; cut diagonally with a sharp knife into 1/2-in. slices. Place cut side down on ungreased baking sheets. Bake for 12-15 minutes or until firm. Remove to wire racks to cool.

In a microwave-safe bowl, melt chocolate chips and shortening; stir until smooth. Drizzle over biscotti; sprinkle with candy. Place on waxed paper until set. Store in an airtight container.

Yield: about 3-1/2 dozen.

(photo from www.tasteofhome.com)

Good and Perfect Gifts

This morning I woke up before my alarm (!) and sat in my comfy blue La-Z-Boy, watching flakes of snow fall outside. A miracle for early December in KY! And today especially, it just overwhelmed me that God should choose to create something so beautiful as snow. I mean, who'd have thought to make fluffy white stuff that falls from the sky and covers up the barren ugliness of winter, turning it into such a new and wonderful world of whiteness? We are so undeserving of the love that even such a small thing as this displays!

But today in particular, each little flake seemed specially sent down from a dear Father in heaven, who thought to order such a special gift for Hopie's 6th birthday! He knows what little girls love, so this snow isn't just a natural phenomenon...they're snowflakes from heaven! :) Each one crafted individually and uniquely by the same God who, "Brings out the starry hosts one by one and calls them each by name."

(Is. 40:26)

"Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of lights with whom there is no variation or shadow due to change."

(James 1:17)

Sometimes the gift might not be so enchanting as fresh snowfall. It might even be something the world would be inclined to call a curse.

An illness.

Difficulty making ends meet.

The loss of a loved one.

A hurtful misunderstanding.

But the God who would send us a gift that cost Him so much; who sent His dear and beloved only Son, to live on this earth, endure such hardships, loneliness, and suffering; who ordained for Him to die such a cruel death in the place of those who only mocked and hated Him, is the same One who ordains the strange gifts of difficulty and suffering for His children, "so that being justified by His grace, we might become heirs according ot the hope of eternal life."

(Titus 3:7)

It can be so hard to understand sometimes. We can't see, and don't often understand how He works or why He allows things that seem so much more to our hurt than for our good!

 But our God is LIGHT, "with whom there is no variation or shadow due to change."

"For God who said, 'Let light shine out of darkness,' has shone into our hearts to give us the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ."

(2 Cor. 4:6)

It is light that gives us a sense of depth and perspective in what we see--

whether an object is round or square, rough or smooth.
Perspective changes somewhat based on where the light is coming from. But when the light comes from inside, from the Light of the World, not only do the dark shadows in our own hearts flee away, it also gives us God's perspective of the world around us and the events that happen. Though our eyes still see dimly, and though the flesh still hinders at times, Christ in our hearts sheds a whole new light on things like suffering and pain, that we never understood before.

"So we do not lose heart. Though our outer self is wasting away, our inner self is being renewed day by day. For this light and momentary affliction ['we were so utterly burdened beyond our strength that we despaired of life itself'] is preparing for us an eternal weight of glory beyond all comparison, as we look not to the things that are seen but to the things that are unseen. For the things that are seen are transient, but the things that are unseen are eternal."

(2 Cor. 4:16-18, 1:8)

Like the flakes of snow, what He sends to each believer is unique. Weeping and rejoicing together. To grow our faith, heighten our dependence, increase our love, to purify and make us more holy. And in the end, they collect together as a beautiful blanket of white that reflects His beautiful grace and glory.

One day I hope I'll be able to look back and see how faithfully and mercifully He has dealt with me in all things, and how "for those who love God all things work together for good, for those who are called according to His purpose." (Rom. 8:28) And praise Him for each moment of my life. Good or ill. Joyful or sorrowful. Because the Master Craftsman of this beautiful world chose to take me into His hand to faithfully work and bring to completion the good work He started in me when He saved me. Even if it be by means I don't always comprehend.

So count each flake as joy, for it comes from the hand and heart of an ever-faithful, awesome, loving God! And know that you can cast yourself and your cares fully upon Him in your day of trouble. For there is no trouble He gives, that He does not also promise to give shelter and help in the midst of.

Coated Cookie Drops (a.k.a. "Santa's Eyeballs")

It can be a good and bad thing, getting the brothers into the kitchen.

Good thing being, they make good things like these!

Bad thing being...well, the a.k.a. that sticks.

Santa's Eyeballs

1 pkg. (20oz.) oreos (plain or mint-flavored)

1 pkg. (8oz.) cream cheese, softened

15 oz. white candy coating

12 oz. chocolate candy coating

Place cookies in food processor, cover and process until fine crumbs. In a mixing bowl, beat cream cheese and cookie crumbs until blended. Roll into 3/4" balls. Cover and refrigerate at least 1 hour.

Melt white candy coating. Dip half of the balls to completely coat. Melt chocolate coating. Dip remaining balls to coat. Place on wax paper until hardened.

Drizzle white candies with remaining chocolate and drizzle chocolate candies with white.

Store in refrigerator.

Or...

*sigh*

Incarnation



"The Son of God became a man
to enable men to become sons of God."

--C.S. Lewis

Cranberries!

Cranberries are pretty much one of my favorite fall/Christmas berries.

But they're only in stores for a limited number of months!

What usually happens is that Mom and I will both grab 2-3 bags when we go to the store, and throw them into the freezer, not knowing the other one has done it a time or two already. Quite an efficient way to stock up for a year...or two.

And here's a delicious way to combine leftover Thanksgiving turkey, rolls, and those cranberries...if you care to dry 'em first. ;)

Cranberry Chicken Salad Sandwiches

2 c. cubed cooked chicken or turkey breast

6 T. prepared reduced-fat salad dressing (we used regular Ranch dressing)

1/2 c. dried cranberries

1/4 c. finely chopped onion

1/4 c. chopped celery

1/2 tsp. salt

1/4 tsp. pepper

8 dinner rolls

8 lettuce leaves

In a small bowl, combine the chicken, salad dressing, cranberries, onion, celery, salt, and pepper.

Cut tops off rolls; hollow out each roll, leaving a 1/2 inch shell. Line each with a lettuce leaf; fill with

chicken salad. Replace tops.

(note...we didn't hollow out the rolls but just put as much filling as we could between the two halves, and
then ate more of the chicken salad on the side without the roll.)

:)

Thanksgiving Pie

This Thanksgiving came and went so fast, I didn't have time to record every single step of the Thanksgiving process like I did last year. :) Ha ha...and I'd rather be able to post Christmas recipes in the coming weeks instead of spending all December writing about Thanksgiving, like I did last year!

No...instead I have chosen a single recipe to record...

Cherry Pie!

This pie has its roots in our family. My Oma and Aunt Peg are fabulous bakers, and make THE best cherry pies (and sweet rolls, but that's beside the point). This is my second attempt at my own famous cherry pie. The first was a couple years ago...and it did what cherry pies should not...ran juice everywhere!!!

Hence the tapioca in this year's recipe. :)

Tart cherries, sugar, tapioca, and the drained cherry juice.

Mmmm.

While the cherry mixture sat for about 15 minutes, I whipped out a couple apple pies.

Well, okay.

I had help.

Three girlies volunteered to peel/core/cut my apples, and got it done quite speedily.

Back to the cherry pie!

Crust is often the determining factor...

flaky not soggy!!

And just for fun...a lattice top!

Sharing the oven space with the apple pies.

Little One came to visit me in the kitchen to see what was up. Next year she'll be chopping apples with the best of 'em!

Ta da!

Still have some changes I'd make if I make it again (more cherries! egg wash on the crust!) but it was a fun change from our usual pumpkin and apple choices.

Happy Thanksgiving!