Via Happyskrappy's flickr
If you aren’t seeing some of your nearest and dearest this holiday season but you want to send them something special, here is a treat for a tried-and-true delicious care package:
Nana’s Snickerdoodle Cookies
Ingredients
For the dough:
1/2 cup butter, softened
1 cup sugar
1/4 teaspoon baking soda
1 large egg
1/2 teaspoon vanilla
1 1/2 cups all purpose flour
For the coating:
4 tablespoons granulated sugar
1 1/2 teaspoons cinnamon
Method
- Preheat oven to 375 degrees.
- In a mixing bowl with an electric mixer beat the butter on medium speed for 30 seconds. Add the 1 cup sugar and baking soda and beat until combined.
- Add an egg and vanilla and mix until well blended.
- Beat in as much flour as you can with the mixer. Stir in the remaining flour.
- Gather the dough into a ball and cover with plastic wrap. Chill in the refrigerator for 1 hour. (Don't skip this step!)
- In a shallow bowl, combine the 4 tablespoons sugar and 1 1/2 teaspoons cinnamon. Shape the chilled dough into 1 inch balls and roll in the cinnamon sugar mixture to coat.
- Place balls of dough 2 inches apart on a cookie sheet lined with parchment paper.
- Bake for 10 to 11 minutes or until edges are golden.
- Let cookies cool completely on a wire rack.
Once you’ve baked and cooled the cookies — making sure to sample one or two — pack them into Tupperware containers, alternating sheets of parchment paper with layers of cookies. Scatter candies throughout the containers, such as chocolate kisses or peanut butter cups. Wrap each Tupperware with ribbon, securing tightly. Package them up in a box to ship off to your lucky recipient!
This Holiday Season: Accents For Less
December 2011
Whether you’re having people over for a party or simply sitting at home where it’s warm and cozy, try these inexpensive touches to make your home feel more festive during the holiday season.
On Your Table
Glass ball ornaments are plentiful this time of year. Instead of — or maybe in addition to — using these on a tree, fill a few glass vases with them. Because they come in so many different colors, you can get ones to fit whatever holiday you celebrate — reds and greens for Christmas, blues and silvers for Chanukah. These make great centerpieces.
For a fun, creative twist on a different centerpiece, purchase several large ball jars. Fill them with cinnamon sticks, pine cones and holiday greens for a beautifully-smelling, rustic-looking tabletop display. You can add some small branches to give texture.
Deck the Walls
Is your fridge overflowing with holiday cards? Purchase a large, vintage picture frame from an antique store or flea market (you won’t need the back or the glass). If you like how the frame looks, leave it the way it is, but if not, paint it a fun, bold color. String four or five lines of fishing wire (you want them to be about two inches apart) across the width of the frame, securing it in place with tape or glue. Hang it prominently on your wall. Now attach holiday cards to the fishing wire with colored clothespins — transforming well-wishes from friends and family into a work of art!
If you have too many ornaments for your tree or you’ve decided you don’t want a tree at all, find a long branch. Leave it natural or paint it your favorite holiday color. Secure it to a wall that needs decorating with hooks. Next put up your ornaments. Hang them from ribbon or string tied to the branch, varying the lengths. Depending on how seasonal the ornaments are, you can leave them up through the New Year.
Brighten Your Home
Since the sun is setting earlier now, putting candles in different rooms will brighten up your abode during the early evening hours. Purchase a hurricane vase or two, fill the bottom with smooth pebbles or rocks (you can find pebbles just for this purpose at Crate&Barrel or a craft supply store) and put a candle in so it rests on top of the pebbles. These will make dramatic centerpieces on your coffee table and your dresser.
Another way to brighten inner spaces is a bowl of citrus fruits, such as clementines or oranges. In prominent spots that need some fresh, lively color, put some holiday greens in as well to create wonderful edible displays. They are better than bowls of holiday candy — you don’t have to feel guilty about eating the contents each time you walk by!
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