Christmas

Just like Thanksgiving, after our Christmas meal at mother's we had plenty of good desserts to choose from. And once again after looking at all the desserts I should have skipped the meal and headed straight to the dessert tables. I made a Christmas cookie bouquet and banana split cake to go with all the other desserts...Chocolate cake, coconut cake, Martha Washington candy, fudge, red velvet cookies, Vermont maple pecan cookies, peanut butter cookies, banana bread. And believe it or not, I think I may be missing some desserts to list here.

For years I have been making  the  banana split cake and Janet has been making her delicious chocolate fudge. And it just wouldn't be Christmas if Mother didn't make her Martha Washington candy. I remember her making it when I was a little girl. At Christmas time look for the old ice bucket and you will find the Martha Washington candy. (see recipe below) 

 My Christmas Cookie Bouquet

Sweets 

and more sweets

Martha Washington candy in 50 year old ice bucket 

We not only celebrated Christmas but also Gan's birthday. She was 97 on Christmas Day.

Gan's birthday cake that Aunt Ebby brought.

Mother and Gan

 

Here are a few pictures Christmas morning before going to Mother's. Luke and Avery were at our house Christmas morning so Santa came to visit once again.
Luke and Avery lined up at the end of the hall waiting for us to say go so they could run to the living room to see what Santa had brought just like their daddy, Ross, and uncles, Ryan and Tony, had done years ago

Checking out the toys that Santa brought.

 

Avery getting good at unwrapping gifts

  

Luke with the rubik's cube from Ryan and Randi.

  

Luke and Tony after Luke unwrapped his hexbug from Tony and Brittany.

Martha Washington Candy

Ingredients:

4 cups chopped pecans
1 stick margarine, melted
1 can sweetened condensed milk
2 boxes (16 ounce size) confectioners' sugar
4 cups coconut
1 teaspoon vanilla extract

2 small bags chocolate chips
1 stick paraffin

Directions:

Mix first 6 ingredients then refrigerate until firm. Take out of refrigerator and roll into walnut- size balls. Put on a cookie sheet and return to refrigerator until firm. Melt paraffin and chocolate chips in a double boiler. Dip balls into chocolate and put on foil until firm and dry.

Note: Mother dips them with a wooden skewer then when dry re- dips the top only to cover the hole left by the skewer. 

Joyce's Christmas Party

My niece, Joyce, had a Christmas party and invited three of her friends to her house on December 10th.  I made sugar cookies, turtle cheesecake bites and Oreo cheesecake bites to go with all the other food her mother made. Luke and Avery were here for the weekend so they got to join Joyce, her friends and her brother, James. 

Cheesecake bites (See recipe below)

Cousins

The boys

The girls

Turtle Cheesecake Bites
 

Ingredients:

• 1 1/2 cups Oreo cookie crumbs
• 4 1/2 T margarine melted
• 25 caramels
• 1/4 cup milk
• 2 packages (8 oz) cream cheese
• 1/2 cup sugar
• 2 teaspoons vanilla
• 2 eggs
• pecans pieces
• mini chocolate chips

Instructions:

Mix Oreo crumbs and melted margarine, then press into mini paper cups. Microwave caramels and milk until caramels are melted. Pour small amount on crust and refrigerate approximately 10 minutes. Save remaining melted caramels for topping. Beat cream cheese, sugar and vanilla until well blended. Add eggs one at a time mixing on low speed after each addition just until blended. Pour over caramel mixture and crust. Bake at 325 degrees for approximately 15-17 minutes or until center is almost set. Cool in pan on wire rack . Top each with mini chocolate chips and pecans then drizzle with melted caramel mixture. Refrigerate. (Makes approximately 48 mini cheesecakes.)

Note: I made the mini Oreo cheesecakes using the same recipe above but omitting the caramels, milk, pecans and chocolate chips. After adding the cream cheese mixture over the crust I added several small pieces of an Oreo and pressed partway into the mixture.