“For God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life. For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but in order that the world might be saved through him.”
white
traditional
Christmas cards are a tradition that I enjoy and cherish. Hope it doesn’t completely die out!
pine
Pine bough garland around our front door of our former home.
Currently at our home we are surrounded by evergreens but they are more of the fir variety and not pine.
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Hope all is well in your corner of the world as you anticipate Christmas and all that it means to humanity.
We’ve had this little tin for years and the scenes go well with the Bible verses from Luke.
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“And in the same region there were shepherds out in the field, keeping watch over their flock by night. And an angel of the Lord appeared to them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were filled with great fear. And the angel said to them, ‘Fear not, for behold, I bring you good news of great joy that will be for all the people. For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Savior, who is Christ the Lord. And this will be a sign for you: you will find a baby wrapped in swaddling cloths and lying in a manger.’
And suddenly there was with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host praising God and saying,
‘Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace among those with whom he is pleased!”
(Luke 2:8–14, ESV)
This last scene comes later in the Christmas events before Joseph, Mary and Jesus flee to Egypt to escape King Herod’s evil plans. The Wise men and Joseph are warned by God about Herod.
My little tin also has a scene with a Little Drummer Boy which comes from a popular Christmas song but isn’t in the Bible.
We are in the midst of our Thanksgiving family time here in Colville. This post was prepared ahead of time to publish until I gather the current family photos from activities we are enjoying in real time.
A ‘before’ photo of the queen size bed and accessories in the ‘Blue Room’. We sold this bed complete to my cousin who lives here in Colville.
We have two guest bedrooms in our Country Bungalow. We call this room the ‘Blue Room’. The other guest room we call the ‘Play Room’ because that is where any toys and books are stored for our Grands.
The Blue room was ready for an upgrade with a new king bed set-up. It was fun to pick wall art and linens for a new look. Most of the wall art came from Hobby Lobby on a week when they were all 50% off. It wasn’t as much fun for Greg to assemble the platform for the mattress. It also was a complete clown-show for Greg and me when we took off the wrapping on the mattress that came in a box, rolled up tight. It pretty much explodes into it’s flat king size shape. We were tossed about until we gained control of it and slid it on to it’s platform! Whew!
Andrew and Katie arrived here on Thanksgiving and got to enjoy the ‘new look’.
Here’s a recent photo of Katie with her latest hair coloring. By now we have taken many family photos while celebrating the Thanksgiving extended weekend together. I’ll be sharing those soon.
And in other news we had our first wee snowfall of the season.
We hired a couple of young men from our church to come and clear our planters for winter. Little did we know when we scheduled that we’d have snow to deal with. Thankfully it was just an inch of snow that melted quickly. The guys persevered with freezing fingers and did a great job for us. I’m so thankful to have this task behind us in time for Winter.
Caramel Pecan Cookies These might seem a little involved to make, but they are worth it.
Basic Butter Cookies for Crust:
2 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 1/2 sticks (3/4 cup) unsalted butter, softened
1 cup sugar
1 large egg
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
Whisk together flour, baking powder, and salt in a small bowl.
Beat together butter and sugar in a large bowl with an electric mixer at medium-high speed until pale and fluffy, about 3 minutes in a standing mixer (preferably fitted with paddle attachment) or 6 minutes with a hand held mixer.
Beat in egg and vanilla.
Reduce speed to low, then add flour mixture and mix until just combined.
Grease a 13 by 9-inch metal baking pan, then line with foil, leaving a 2-inch overhang on both ends, and grease foil.
Press dough evenly onto bottom of baking pan, using plastic wrap on top to prevent dough from sticking to your fingers.
Chill until firm, about 20 minutes.
While crust chills, put oven rack in middle position and preheat oven to 375 degrees F.
Bake crust until golden brown, about 30 minutes.
Cool in pan on a rack 20 minutes. (Leave oven on.)
Caramel pecan topping:
1 1/2 cups sugar
1 cup heavy cream
3/4 stick (6 tablespoons) unsalted butter, cut into bits
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 cups pecans (1/2 pound), toasted, cooled, and coarsely chopped
To make topping while crust cools:
Cook sugar in a 2 1/2 to 3-quart heavy saucepan over moderate heat, undisturbed, until it begins to melt.
Continue to cook, stirring occasionally with a fork, until sugar is melted to a deep golden caramel. Tilt pan and carefully pour in cream (caramel will harden and steam vigorously).
Cook over moderately low heat, stirring, until caramel is dissolved.
Remove from heat and stir in butter, vanilla, salt, and pecans.
Immediately spread topping over cooled crust and bake until bubbling, about 20 minutes.
Cool completely in pan on rack, about 2 hours.
Run a heavy knife under hot water, then wipe dry and cut confection into 2-inch triangles, diamonds, or squares.
Caramel pecan cookies keep, layered between sheets of waxed paper or parchment, in an airtight container at room temperature 1 week.
We had a blueberry bush on our property in Kenmore and while we lived there I decided to combine some of the fresh berries with banana to make this loaf.
Ingredients:
2-1/2 cups flour
3 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
3/4 cup walnuts
1 cup sugar
1/3 cup soft butter
1 egg
2 medium ripe bananas, cut up
1/2 cup milk
3/4 cup fresh blueberries
Method:
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
In medium bowl, sift together the flour baking powder and salt, set aside.
Using a blender chop the walnuts and add them to the flour mixture.
Put the sugar, butter, egg, bananas and milk in the same blender container that you chopped the walnuts in.
Blend on medium for 15 seconds or so stopping the motor to push the bananas down if needed.
Pour over the dry ingredients and mix for a few strokes then fold in the blueberries and mix carefully till well moistened.
Pour batter into greased loaf pan, 9x5x3.
Bake in preheated oven for 55-60 minutes or until tester comes out clean.
It was an epic fishing day for JJ. He caught the first fish of the day.
He also caught the largest fish of the day!
Addy enjoys the fishing part but not the slimy fish part.
Last Wednesday the boat was launched in the lake for a cooling off outing. A beautiful time on the water.
When Gramps and I went over for an amazing lamb gyro meal with homemade pita, gyro lamb meat, and tzatziki, JJ was excited to tell me he swam off the boat in the lake and showed me how far he swam. The lamb that we enjoyed was from the lamb butchering that Gramps helped with last week.
Addy and JJ made dessert for our meal and even hand picked all the raspberries. It was delicous!
Quote of the night from JJ; “Everything is better home made!”
We are hard at work here at our country bungalow getting ready for a garage sale on Friday and Saturday. We still have a lot to do before Friday. I keep finding more things to add to the piles. If I’m scarce on my visits you’ll know I’m busy in the shop pricing items to sell!
For April I’m challenging myself to an A-Z photo a day excluding Sundays and in addition to any regular posts that come to be.
Today is Thursday April 17th and the letter is O. I’m manipulating this one since it is Easter Week.
O is for Old and Older photos of Easter celebrations.
Easter in the 50’s at 4635 Oak Street in Pico Rivera.
Joshua’s first Easter in 1979 in Huntington Beach, California.
Easter on Arroyo Drive at Dzedushka’s and Babushka’s in the early 80’s.
Easter in Ventura 1986.
Easter in Yorba Linda, 1987.
Ventura 1987.
Easter in Yorba Linda, 1988.
Easter in Bothell 1989ish
All the rest of these photos are from Easters in Kenmore after 2001.
Our Russian greeting at Easter; Christ is Risen, Truly He is Risen.
Russian Easter Bread that we call Kulich and our Mennonite Friends call Paska.
2010
Sweet Cheese Spread for the Kulich/Paska that we call Seernaya Paska.
2011
2012
2013
The year we were in Italy just before Easter we brought home the Italian version of Easter Panettone from Milan for our Easter treat. We didn’t bake our traditional Easter bread that year.
2014 was another Panettone Easter.
2015
We baked Kulich in 2015!
Easter preparation day in 2016.
2016 was the daffodil year.
It was also our first year with our newest daughter-in-law.
Easter celebrations are a priority in our heritage and in our present lives.
The Resurrection we celebrate at Easter is the climax of the story of Redemption God planned throughout all of history. We worship and serve a risen Savior in whom we have redemption. He provided the sacrifice we needed for our sins to be forgiven. Because of that forgiveness, we can live a new life in Him with hope for our future.
Colossians 1:13-14
He has delivered us from the domain of darkness and transferred us to the kingdom of his beloved Son,in whom we have redemption, the forgiveness of sins.
Today on this year’s calendar and in Easter week we think about the Last Supper and Jesus Christ’s humility in washing His Disciples Feet. We also consider His instruction and encouragement to His Disciples on this night for what was about to happen.
God bless you with a heart to believe on the Lord Jesus Christ and be saved!
1. Did you watch the Super Bowl? Did your team win? What’s your favorite game day snack for whatever sport is happening?
We did watch the game and were so surprised at the blow-out. The Eagles played a great game. I’m glad the Chiefs finally got some good plays in. We really didn’t have a favorite team. For game day snacks I like Charcuterie with meats and cheeses and veggies with dips like artichoke and a baguette cut up in thin rounds and nuts and I could go on and on.
2. What’s your ‘superpower’?
Detective work is one of my super powers and along with that comes spotting danger. Those powers made me a real good Playground teacher.
Another super power, because I love to do it, is planning a trip.
3. Will you do anything special on Valentine’s Day? If so do share. Any thoughts on/about this particular holiday?
I’m thinking I’d like to do a chocolate fondue again.
Chocolate Hazelnut Fondue
1-1/2 cups half and half
1 cup heavy cream
1-1/2 pounds bittersweet or semisweet chocolate, finely chopped. (I used 2 bags of semisweet chocolate chips that I didn’t need to chop)
1/4 cup Frangelico liqueur (If you do not want to use this you can substitute 1/4 cup of strong brewed coffee)
1/4 cup chopped toasted hazelnuts (as always you can omit the nuts if you’d prefer)
Method:
Place the half and half and heavy cream in a double boiler.
Heat the creams until they bubble.
Reduce the heat and gradually stir in the chocolate chips 1/2 cup at a time whisking while adding. When the chocolate is completely blended in, add the liqueur.
Keep warm and sprinkle with hazelnuts just before serving.
You can divide the chocolate into individual dipping bowls and serve with dipping fruit and other items or you can put the chocolate into a fondue pot at this time, too, to keep it warm.
Some dipping suggestions: cookies, biscotti, cubes of cake, dried apricots, pineapple, fresh berries, sliced pears, orange slices, and marshmallows.
This recipe easily served 8 people with leftovers. If you are serving a smaller group half the recipe.
I enjoy hosting a little Valentine dinner and decorating in pink, white and red for a change.
Share a favorite verse or quote relating to love.
1 John 4:7-12
Beloved, let us love one another, for love is from God, and whoever loves has been born of God and knows God. Anyone who does not love does not know God, because God is love. In this the love of God was made manifest among us, that God sent his only Son into the world so that we might live through him. In this is love, not that we have loved God but that he loves us and sent his Son to be the propitiation for our sins. Beloved, if God so loved us, we also ought to love one another. No one has ever seen God; if we love one another, God abides in us and his love is perfected in us.
4. Are you a fan of the rom-com genre? If so what’s one of your favorites?
Not a fan of this genre in movies or books. Give me a good murder mystery with a faithful loving relationship in the plot line and I’ll be happy.
If you’re not a movie go-er then what about a book you love that features a great love story?
Going back to murder mysteries the relationship between Gamache and Reine-Marie in the Inspector Gamache series of murder mysteries is a great love story. Their relationship is loving, faithful and an everyday kind of relationship, not far fetched but inspirational.
How about a favorite love song?
This song about God’s love in sending Christ to save us is a current favorite.
On a more earthly note, from my high school days, I’ll go with Cherish by the Association. There were so many popular love songs in the 60’s.
I love good music sung by talented singers. Even if they sing something that isn’t necessarily classified a ‘love song’, it brings out the love in me. Andrea Bocelli can be singing anything and it sets a amazing mood. Nat King Cole is another singer who’s voice is ‘music to my ears’. Music is very key in my personal history. God has used it in powerful ways in my life.
5. Let’s get creative…write an acrostic using the word L-O-V-E.
Living in love
On the cusp of heaven
Visualizing with hope
Eternity
6. Insert your own random thought here.
My favorite Valentine’s! Photo from Valentine’s Day 2024.
We are finally getting a few inches of snow here in Colville. It was a great day to stay inside. The inspiration came to do a deep cleaning of the kitchen cabinets, trim and the ledge that runs around the upper part of our kitchen filled with tchotchkes.
It is a very good feeling to have all the dust bunnies and the grime cleaned. I’m ready for a white glove inspection.
Spring will take us outdoors to take care of things we didn’t do in the fall so winter indoor cleaning will work nicely for us this year.
The Happy Wonderer ~ ellen b. 