FReeper Canteen ~ An Old-Timey Christmas~ 06 Dec 2005

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[GummyIII]

 

 

	What memories do you have from Christmases past?  What recipes have been handed down through the years in your family?  Do you have a tradition to share?  A Christmas craft to show?  Is there something that you think of while you are away from home that gives you those warm fuzzy feelings?  Share with us!  We'd love to hear it!

Grandma's Old-Fashioned Stack Cake (A Christmas Favorite in Gummy's Family) 3/4 cups shortening 1 cup sugar 1 cup molasses 3 eggs 6 cups all-purpose flour 2 t baking powder 1/2 t soda 1 t salt 2 t ginger (ground) 1 t cloves 1 t nutmeg/all spices 1/2 c. buttermilk 1 t. vanilla apple filling (see below)  Cream shortening and sugar until light and fluffy, add molasses mixing well. Add eggs one at a time, beating will after each. Combine dry ingredients; add to creamed mixture alternately with buttermilk, beating well after each addition. Add vanilla and blend well. Place dough on a floured surface, work in enough flour to make dough easy to handle. Divide into 9 balls, then press each ball of dough evenly over bottom of a lightly greased 9" pan. Bake at 350 for 12-15 minutes or until lightly browned. Cool slightly, remove from pan. Spoon a small amount of apple filling over a cake layer, top with another layer. Repeat procedure until all layers are used. Wrap or store in an airtight container, let stand overnight. Yield one 9" cake. Apple Filling: 1 1/2 lbs. Dried apples, cooked, drained 1 1/4 cups packed brown sugar 3/4 cups sugar 1 T. cinnamon Combine all ingredients, mash well. May use applebutter or cook apple sauce (4-6 cups) with sugar and cinnamon to taste until thick.		Crocheted Snowflakes It's been a tradition in my family from before I was born to make ornaments for our trees. Over the course of my lifetime, I have made and accumulated so many handmade ornaments that I can't put them all on one tree.  Some of them are my girls', and they will be taking them eventually.   One of the things that my grandmother handed down to me is the knack of crochet. She taught me to make many things, but one that I treasure at Christmas is crocheted snowflakes.  I have quite a few on my tree she and I have made, and my mother has more than that on her tree. Directions for one pattern: * 1.5 mm or US size 7 crochet hook * White Crochet Thread (Size 20)  Special Stitches: Shell, (2dc, ch2, 2dc) in space) Beginning Shell, sl st in next dc and in next ch2 sp, ch3, (dc, ch2, 2dc) in same space. V-st, (dc, ch1, dc) in dc indicated. Instructions: Ch 12; join with sl st to form a ring. Rnd 1: Ch1, sc in ring, (ch6, sc in ring) 5 times, ch2, tr in first sc to form last loop(6 loops) Rnd 2: Ch1, (sc, ch30 twice in same loop and in each loop around; join with sl st to first sc (12 ch-3 sps) Rnd 3: Sl st into first ch3 space, ch3 (counts as first dc throughout), (dc, ch2, 2dc in same sp, ch3, dc in next ch-3 space, ch3 *work shell in next ch -3 space, ch3, dc in next ch3 space, ch3; rep from* around; join with sl st to firsxt dc (18 sps) Rnd 4: Work beginning shell, ch3, skip next 2dc, work V-st in next dc, ch3 *work shell in next shell (ch-2 sp), ch3, skip next 2dc, work V-st in next dc, ch3; rep from* around; join with a sl st to first dc(6 V-sts and 6 shells) Rnd 5: sl st in shell, ch1, sc in same space, *ch10, trc in next shell, ch 5, sl st in top of trc, ch12, sl st in twelth ch from hook, ch5, sl st in 5th ch from hook, trc in same shell, ch10, sc in next shell* rep[ from* 5 times, sl st into first sc. End off, weave in ends. Starch, pin in shape to dry on a towel, then hang.	Gummy's Russian Tea (she stole borrowed the recipe from her mother...ahem!) 6 regular tea bags  1 large can of concentrated orange juice or about 2 quarts of fresh orange juice 2 oranges 4 lemons 3-4 sticks of cinnamon  8-10 cloves  sugar to taste Boil a 1/2 gallon of water in a large pot, remove from heat.  Steep tea bags in hot water for about 10 minutes (makes a strong tea).  Remove tea bags, add orange juice.  If using concentrated o.j., add the 3 cans of water to the mixture.  Add the cinnamon and cloves to the pot, slice lemons and place them in the pot, sweeten to taste, and simmer for an hour or so until it smells good and tastes great! Remove the lemons, cinnamon, and cloves or it will become too strong. Garnish with fresh orange slices. If you don't use sugar, you can make it without and add your favorite sweetener to each mug/cup as you drink it.  This will keep it from being syrupy.  Store the remaining in the refrigerator and heat a cup in the microwave as you want it.   If you are sick, have a cold, or whatever, this is a good tea to get vitamin C. Plus, it's just SO GOOD!!  I love it in the winter time.    Instant Russian Tea 1/2 c. instant tea 1 c. Tang 1 pkg. pre-sweetened lemonade 1/2 c. sugar 1/2 tsp. cloves 1 tsp. cinnamon Mix well and place enough in cup of hot water to taste. (For a sugar-free mix, use 2 pkg. sugar-free Tang and 1 pkg. sugar-free lemonade)
Disclaimer: Not suitable for Grinches or Scrooges. Santa reads this news, too!!		Gummy News is produced  as a service to our troops.   Volume 1, Number 3.	Best viewed at 1024x768,  medium text size

[GummyIII]

Paper Plate Angel
	Draw a pattern like this on the underside of a paper plate. Cut along the lines, discarding the dark section.
	Decorate the angel.
	Overlap the edges of the angel's skirt slightly and tape or staple it into place.

 

Shooting Star Ornament
	Materials # A small piece of thick paper, felt, or other flexible, easy-to-cut material - one or two colors # Scissors # Pencil # Reinforcements (optional) # Glitter (optional) # Markers (optional) # Glue
	Cut a circle from the paper, felt or other material. A good circle template is a coffee mug.
	Starting at the edge, cut a spiral going to the center of the circle. Decorate with glitter or markers.
	Cut a small star, about 1 or 2 inches wide. Make a tiny hole in the star. The ornament will hang from this hole, so you might want to use reinforcements (these are doughnut-shaped pieces of plastic used to reinforce the holes in notebook paper and are available at stationery stores). Decorate the star with glitter or markers.
	Glue the spiral to the center of the shooting star
These and other great Christmas Crafts can be found at http://www.enchantedlearning.com/crafts/christmas/

[GummyIII]

Thread's up!

[cyborg]

In before tomkow bump!

[HopeandGlory]

Good morning Troops, Veterans and Canteeners.

* * * * * * * * * * * *

Our Flag Flying Proudly One Nation Under God

* * * * * * * * * * * *

Lord, Please Bless Our Troops, they're fighting for our Freedom.

I pledge allegiance to the Flag
of the United States of America,
and to the Republic, for which it stands;
one nation UNDER GOD,
indivisible,
with liberty and justice for all.

Prayers going up.

[Diva Betsy Ross]

Excellent Gummy! YEAH!

[Army Air Corps]

Tenth!

[GummyIII]

LOL!! Way to go!

[GummyIII]

:-) Hi, Diva!!

[Diva Betsy Ross]

My favorite tradition is (I have so many of them) that each year we pick out ornaments and I put the kids names and year on the bottom. I have done this since I was three myself and now I out my childhood ornaments on my grown up tree.

[Diva Betsy Ross]

Your thread looks great!

[GummyIII]

I had all day to do it...lol!! Home on with a snow-day.

[GummyIII]

uh.......let's try that again... "Home with a snow-day"

[Diva Betsy Ross]

ahh snow day. I went running tonight and I forgot my hat and I just wore a sweatshirt. It is a bot cool for that- even here. I hope your snow looks pretty.

[Diva Betsy Ross]

That is the awesome thing about posting to a dyslexic I always fill in the words. I knew exactly what you meant- I didn't even notice..*LOL*

[luvie]

Present and accounted for! Beautiful opening table, Gummy! (((hugs)))

[cyborg]

hehe! ;o)

[GummyIII]

LOL..good!

[GummyIII]

Thanks, Luv! Hugs, back!

[luvie]

Good evening Hope! Thanks for our beautiful pledge to remind us what we stand for! (((hugs)))

[Gucho]

~ An Old-Timey Christmas~ 06 Dec 2005


Bump - Thanks for the ping.