Category: Christmas

Peppermint Almond Bark

This one is too easy.  Too, TOO easy, but it's one that we can't do without each Christmas season.

Ingredients:

• 1 lb white almond bark
• 1 cup crushed peppermint candy

Directions:

Melt the almond bark over very low heat or in the top of a double boiler.  Be careful not to scorch the almond bark.  When the almond bark is completely melted, stir in the crushed peppermint candy.  Spread onto a foil-lined cookie sheet and allow to cool.  When completely cool, break into irregular pieces.

Link to last year’s post: http://misterme.com/2009/12/15/two-turtle-doves/

Homemade Caramels

These buttery caramels have been a delicious holiday treat in my home since I was a child.

Ingredients:

• 1 12-oz can of evaporated milk
• Dash salt
• 2 cups sugar
• 1 3/4 cups Karo syrup
• 1/2 lb butter
• 2 tsp vanilla

Directions:

Combine 2/3 of the can of milk, salt, sugar, Karo syrup and butter in a heavy pan.  bring to a boil, stirring constantly.  Continue stirring and boil over medium heat about 10 minutes.  Add the remaining 1/3 can of evaporated milk.  Boil, stirring constantly until it reaches soft ball stage and is a nice caramel color.  The total boiling time should be about 30 minutes.  Add the vanilla and stir to combine.  Pour into a buttered 9x13 pan.  You can put a layer of chopped nuts (walnuts, pecans, or toasted almonds) in the bottom of the pan if desired.  When completely cooled, cut into 1-inch squares and individually wrap in wax paper.

Link to last year's post: http://misterme.com/2009/12/14/a-partridge-in-a-pear-tree/

Last year, I did a post a day for the twelve days of Christmas.  This year, I'm going to do it again, but this year, it will be the twelve culinary days of Christmas.  I'm going to share some of my favorite recipes with you.  Some of them are Christmas treats and others are recipes I use all year long.

I'll also link back to the same day from last year so you can enjoy both at the same time.

So Merry Christmas from Mr. Me!  I hope you find a recipe or two that you enjoy this year.

And here are the answers that I promised you!

1. HYAMLCLYHBL - Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas
2. TFNTADS - The First Noel
3. GRYMGLNYD - God Rest Ye Merry, Gentlemen
4. BWBRTGGNOWACTHTB - Bells Will Be Ringing
5. ICUAMCTGSOO - It Came Upon a Midnight Clear
6. SNHNAICAIB - Silent Night
7. OTFDOCMTLGTM - The Twelve Days of Christmas
8. DTHWBOHFLLLLLLLL - Deck the Halls
9. YBWOYBNC - Santa Claus Is Coming to Town
10. JTTWTLHC - Joy To the World
11. YKDADAPAVCACADAB - Rudolph the Red Nosed Reindeer
12. ISMKSCUTMLN - I Saw Mommy Kissing Santa Claus
13. CSBSDIHS - Silver Bells
14. HTHASGTTNBK - Hark, the Herald Angels Sing
15. GGROBARWHFOHCE - Grandma Got Run Over By a Reindeer
16. OHNTSABS - O Holy Night
17. AIWFCIMTFT - All I Want For Christmas Is My Two Front Teeth
18. DTTSIAOHOS - Jingle Bells
19. SBSASUTTFM - Santa Baby
20. WTKOOA - We Three Kings
21. ITMWTOTY - It's the Most Wonderful Time of the Year
22. IDOAWCJLTOIUTK - I'm Dreaming of a White Christmas
23. CROAOFJFNAYN - The Christmas Song
24. IBTLALLCEYG - It's Beginning to Look a Lot Like Christmas
25. OLTOBHSWSTL - O Little Town of Bethlehem
26. SBRAYL - Winter Wonderland
27. IBHFCYCCOM - I'll Be Home For Christmas
28. WWYAMCWWYAMCWWAMCAAHNY - We Wish You a Merry Christmas
29. IHTBOCDTOFCP - I Heard the Bells on Christmas Day
30. IHABCWY - Blue Christmas
31. FTSWAJHS - Frosty the Snowman
32. JOSNLYETW - Jolly Old St. Nicholas
33. IWAHFCOAHWD - I Want a Hippopotamus For Christmas
34. GKWLOOTFOS - Good King Wenceslas
35. UOTHRPOJGOSC - Up On the Housetop
36. JBJBJBR - Jingle Bell Rock
37. HHHHWTMBKRMYEVCT - Happy Holidays
38. JHTSBJRTTT - Sleigh Ride
39. IRCSBICO - Baby, It's Cold Outside
40. GCHABSTCRIT - Merry Christmas Darling
41. CTTMPRPPP - Little Drummer Boy
42. AWHHOHSSOTP - Angels We Have Heard On High
43. HAHJCITBTOTY- Holly Jolly Christmas
44. AIAMNCFHB - Away In a Manger
45. STNWTTLLDYSWIS - Do You Hear What I hear?
46. OTWOIFBTFISD - Let It Snow
47. OCTOCTHATLSV - O Christmas Tree
48. LTBPOEALIBWM - Let There Be Peace On Earth
49. YAMOMGYRAAH - Mr. Grinch
50. WCITWLTROMLIS - Greensleeves (What Child Is This?)

Although the wonderful events Christianity remembers on this holy day didn't happen on 25 December, I join with my Christian brothers and sisters throughout the world in celebrating the events of the birth of Jesus Christ:

And in the sixth month the angel Gabriel was sent from God unto a city of Galilee, named Nazareth, to a virgin espoused to a man whose name was Joseph, of the house of David; and the virgin's name was Mary.  And the angel came in unto her, and said, Hail, thou tht art highly favoured, the Lord is with thee: blessed art thou among women.

And when she saw him, she was troubled at his saying, and cast in her mind what manner of salutation this should be.

And the angel said unto her, Fear not, Mary: for thou has found favour with God.  And, behold, thou shalt conceive in thy womb, and bring forth a son, and shalt call his name JESUS.  He shall be great, and shall be called the Son of the Highest: and the Lord God shall give unto him the throne of his father David: and he shall reign over the house of Jacogb for ever; and of his kingdom there shall be no end.

Then said Mary unto the angel, How shall this be, seeing I know not a man?

And the angel answered and said unto her, The Holy Ghost shall come upon thee, and the power of the Highest shall overshadow thee: therefore also that holy thing which shall be born of thee shall be called the Son of God.  And, behold, thy cousin Elisabeth, she hath also conceived a son in her old age: and this is the sixth month with her, who was called barren.  For with God nothing shall be impossible.

And Mary said, Behold the handmaid of the Lord: be it unto me according to thy word.

And the angel departed from her.

It would be difficult to imagine how many thoughts and feelings passed through Mary as she learned she would be the earthly mother of the Savior of the World.  How much better would each of us be if we could echo her words:  "Be it unto me according to thy word."

Several months later, Jesus was born:

And it came to pass in those days, that there went out a decree from Caesar Augustus, that all the world should be taxed.  (And this taxking was first made when Cyrenius was governor of Syria.)  And all went to be taxed, every one into his own city.

And Joseph also went up from Galilee, out of the city of Nazareth, into Judaea, unto the city of David, which is called Bethlehem; (because he was of the house and lineage of David:) to be taxed with Mary his espoused wife, being great with child.

And so it was, that, while they were there, the days were accomplished that she should be delivered.  And she brought forth her firstborn son, and wrapped him in swaddling clothes, and laid him in a manger; because there was no room for them in the inn.

This was no ordinary child--no ordinary birth.  The news traveled quickly--the messengers were not of this Earth:

And there were in the same country shepherds abiding in the field, keeping watch over their flock by night.  And, lo, the angel of the Lord came upon them, and the glory of the Lord shone round about them: and they were sore afraid.

And the angel said unto them Fear not: for, behold, I bring you good tidings of great joy, which shall be to all people.  For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Saviour, which is Christ the Lord.  And this shall be a sign unto you; Ye shall find the babe wrapped in swaddling clothes, 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, good will toward men.

And it came to pass, as the angels were gone away from them to heaven, the shepherds said one to another, Let us now go even unto Bethlehem, and see this thing which is come to pass, which the Lord hath made known unto us.  And they came with haste, and found Mary, and Joseph, and the babe lying in a manger.

And when they had seen it, they made known abroad the saying which was told them concerning this child.  And all they that heard it wondered at those things which were told them by the shepherds.

But Mary kept all these things, and pondered them in her heart.

And the shepherds returned, glorifying and praising God for all the things that they had heard and seen, as it was told unto them.

The news traveled farther still via a sign in the heavens.  Those who were looking for the sign followed it to see , and to worship, the Christ child:

Now when Jesus was born in Bethlehem of Judaea in the days of Herod the king, behold, there came wise men from the east to Jerusalem, saying, Where is he that is born King of the Jews? for we have seen his star in the east, and are come to worship him...And lo, the star, which they saw in the east, went before them, till it came and stood over where the young child was.  When they saw the star, they rejoiced with exceeding great joy.

And when they were come into the house, they saw the young child with Mary his mother, and fell down, and worshipped him: and when they had opened their treasures, the presented unto him gifts; gold, and frankincense, and myrrh.

The story of the birth of Jesus Christ beckons to each of us today, though more than 2,000 years have passed.  The signs and wonders we read about in scripture invite each of us to come and see Him.

It was a singular event--a small moment of time.  Yet this event--the birth of Jesus--can have a profound effect on each of our lives if we follow the example of the shepherds and of the wise men and, without hesitation, seek out the Savior and Redeemer of mankind.

Merry Christmas!

The Man Who Missed Christmas

by J. Edgar Park

It was Christmas Eve; and, as usual, George mason was the last to leave the office.  He walked over to a massive safe, spun the dials, and swung the heavy door open.  Making sure the door would not close behind him, he stepped inside.

A square of white cardboard was taped just above the topmost row of strongboxes.  On the card a few words were written.  George Mason stared at those words, remembering...

Exactly one year ago, he had entered this selfsame vault.  Then, behind his back, slowly, noiselessly, the ponderous door swung shut.  He was trapped--entombed in the sudden and terrifying dark.

He hurled himself at the unyielding door, his hoarse cry sounding like an explosion.  Through his mind flashed all the stories he had heard of men found suffocated in time vaults.  No time clock controlled this mechanism; the safe would remain locked until it was opened from the outside tomorrow morning.

Then realization hit him.  no one would come tomorrow--tomorrow was Christmas.

The Only Christmas I Remember

by Bob Lonsberry

In the first-grade we were poor, in a house with three other families on a busy street a few blocks from school.

And it was Christmas.

I knew that. But I didn't know we were poor. You don't know those things when you're in the first-grade.

When you're in the first-grade and you sit in class with rounded scissors cutting strips of construction paper and gluing them around one another into hoops and eventually a long multi-colored chain that you string around the tree your teacher brought to class. You don't know much then.

Only what your mother tells you.

And mine told me not to get my hopes up. She told me that Santa might not be able to stop. That he might be busy, and might have to come to our house later.

And that we couldn't have a Christmas tree.

It must have hurt her to tell me that. I know it hurt me to hear it. It disappointed me. And she told me not to be sad, that something would work out.

She was 24 then, and her second baby was about six months old. My little brother Sean who slept beneath me. Beneath me in a box on the bottom bunk in a closet with a brown folding door.

She said something would work out and one night she popped popcorn and opened a bag of cranberries and we sat there with needle and thread stringing them into garlands to drape around our apartment. Mostly she strung and mostly I played with the thimble. Played with the thimble and ate the popcorn and marveled at how beautiful it was.

The Cobbler and His Guest

by Leo Tolstoy

In a certain town, there lived a cobbler, Martin Avdeich, by name.  He had a tiny room in a basement, one window of which looked out on the street.  Through it he could see only the feet of those who passed by, but Martin recognized many people by their boots, which he had repaired.  He had plenty to do, for he worked well, used good materials, and did not charge much.

Years before, his wife and children had died and Martin's despair had been so great that he reproached God.  Then one day an old man from Martin's native village, who had become a pilgrim and holy man, stopped in.  Martin opened his heart to him.

"I no longer wish to live," he said.  "I am without hope."  The old man replied, "Your despair comes because you wish to live for your own happiness.  Read the Gospels:  there you will see how God would have you live."

Martin bought himself a Bible.  At first, he meant to read it only on holy days, but, once begun, it mate his heart so light that he read it every day.

Stubby Pringle's Christmas

by Jack Schaefer

High on the mountainside by the little line cabin in the crisp clean dusk of evening, Stubby Pringle swings into the saddle.  He has shape of bear bundled think against cold.  Battered hat is pulled down to sit on ears, and in side pocket of jacket are rabbit-skin earmuffs he can put to use if he needs them.  Stubby Pringle swings into the saddle.  He looks out and down over worlds of snow and ice and tree and rock.

"I'm Stubby Pringle, cowhand of the Triple X, and this is my night to howl.  I'm Stubby Pringle, son of the wild jackass, and I'm heading for the Christmas dance at the schoolhouse in the valley."

Stubby Pringle swings up, and his horse stands like rock.  It knows the folly of trying to unseat Stubby Pringle.

"Why you flop-eared ewe-necked cat-hipped strawberry roan, you look like you should have died weeks ago but you won't 'cuz you got iron rods for bones and nitroglycerin for blood."

Stubby Pringle sits in his saddle and he grins into cold in distance.  Why, shucks, he's still just a boy.  His twentieth birthday is still six weeks away.  He has been taking care of himself since he was orphaned at thirteen.  He's been doing man's work since he was fifteen.

Stubby Pringle slips gloved hand to wipe frost off the saddle.  he slaps right-side saddle bag.  It contains a burlap bag wrapped around a two-pound box of candy, of fancy chocolates he acquired two months ago and has kept hidden from Old Jake.  He slaps left-side saddle bag.  It holds a burlap bag wrapped around a paper parcel that contains a close-folded piece of dress goods and a roll of pink ribbon.  Interesting items, yes.  They are ammunition for his campaign to soften the afflictions of whichever female among those at the schoolhouse appeals to him most and seems most susceptible.

The Gift of the Magi

by O Henry

One dollar and eighty-seven cents. That was all. And sixty cents of it was in pennies. Pennies saved one and two at a time by bulldozing the grocer and the vegetable man and the butcher until one's cheeks burned with the silent imputation of parsimony that such close dealing implied. Three times Della counted it. One dollar and eighty- seven cents. And the next day would be Christmas. There was clearly nothing to do but flop down on the shabby little couch and howl. So Della did it. Which instigates the moral reflection that life is made up of sobs, sniffles, and smiles, with sniffles predominating.

While the mistress of the home is gradually subsiding from the first stage to the second, take a look at the home. A furnished flat at $8 per week. It did not exactly beggar description, but it certainly had that word on the lookout for the mendicancy squad. In the vestibule below was a letter-box into which no letter would go, and an electric button from which no mortal finger could coax a ring. Also appertaining thereunto was a card bearing the name "Mr. James Dillingham Young." The "Dillingham" had been flung to the breeze during a former period of prosperity when its possessor was being paid $30 per week. Now, when the income was shrunk to $20, though, they were thinking seriously of contracting to a modest and unassuming D. But whenever Mr. James Dillingham Young came home and reached his flat above he was called "Jim" and greatly hugged by Mrs. James Dillingham Young, already introduced to you as Della. Which is all very good. Della finished her cry and attended to her cheeks with the powder rag.