24 Days of Christmas: December 24

 Merry Christmas, everyone! May 2021 be better and brighter than 2020.

24 Days of Christmas: December 23 – Hard Sauce Is Easy

While traditionally served over the Christmas pudding, hard sauce works just as well on cakes, between cookies or even on mince pie. Why not? It’s basically just icing. Here are two easy ways to make it:

Easy Hard Sauce One

butter

icing sugar

brandy or rum

Take one generous tablespoon of butter for each serving. Cream until soft. Or you can use margarine if you have a decent-tasting one. I find Becel works well and speeds up the process since it’s already soft when you take it out of the fridge. Gradually add in icing sugar until it resembles icing. Thin it back down by adding in brandy or rum a few drops at a time. You want it gloopy but not so thin it runs off the spoon. That’s it.

Easy Hard Sauce Two

Substitute room temperature store-bought vanilla frosting for the butter and icing sugar. Thin down a few drops at a time by adding in brandy or rum. The results aren’t as good but if you happen to have some unused frosting in the fridge it’s a good way to use it up.

24 Days of Christmas: December 22 – Festive Tablecloth

Remember those paper snowflakes and garlands we were making back in the first week? Well, here’s a way to put them to use. You’ll need a dark blue tablecloth (I actually used tissue paper for purposes of illustration), an assortment of paper snowflakes and garlands, and another clear plastic tablecloth. Simply border the tablecloth with garlands and arrange the snowflakes in the middle, then cover with the plastic tablecloth to keep things protected and in place. You could use holiday-themed sequins if you have any but I’d avoid glitter as you’ll never get it off the plastic cover.

24 Days of Christmas: December 21 – Egg Nog

Of course you can always buy the yellow-coloured syrup with the artificial rum flavour that passes for egg nog in the grocery store. But home made tastes better and takes less than five minutes to make.

 

1 egg

1 level tablespoon white sugar

¼ cup table cream (10%)*

½ cup milk

dash nutmeg

 

Combine the first four ingredients in your Magic Bullet or blender and zap for a few seconds until foamy. Add nutmeg and your poison of choice (rum or brandy are traditional but almost anything works) and there you are. Merry Christmas!

 

Serves 1

 

*You can just use milk if you like but the texture won’t be as rich.

24 Days of Christmas: December 20 – Room in Our Hearts

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.

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 into 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.

Luke 2: 6-16 (KJV)

24 Days of Christmas: December 19: Christmas Don’t Be Late

 

My parents had this album and every Christmas growing up we’d listen to it. It just wouldn’t be the same without the chipmunks. Alvin? Alvin? ALVIN!!!

 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wdN_8OlJGs0

 

24 Days of Christmas: December 17-Christmas Stress

 Oh, Christmas Stress

(you know the tune)

Oh, Christmas stress, oh, Christmas stress,

Why must you put me to the test?

Oh, Christmas stress, oh, Christmas stress,

You've got me feeling not my best.

To trim the tree or send my cards?

Buy presents? Decorate the yard?

Oh, Christmas stress, oh, Christmas stress,

Why must you put me to the test?

I need to bake, I need to shop,

But I just feel I want to drop,

Oh, Christmas stress, oh, Christmas stress,

You've got me feeling not my best.

The tree is up, the wrapping's done,

The kids are having lots of fun.

Is that the door? I've got to run!

And may God bless us, everyone.

24 Days of Christmas: December 16 – Animated Winter Village

I found this animated winter village, complete with instrumental Christmas music, on YouTube. It’s totally cute and charming and apparently runs for four hours (there’s about a 15-minute loop for the animation though the music doesn’t repeat). You may be interrupted by ads, however, though they are several minutes apart.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FRpKNsytq9Q

 

24 Days of Christmas: December 15 – Robert Frost Poem

This poem suggests to me someone dealing with Christmas stress (perhaps on their way to do the last of the shopping?) and pausing for a few minutes’ peace before getting on with things.

 

Stopping by Woods on a Snowy Evening

Robert Frost – 1874 – 1963

 

Whose woods these are I think I know.

His house is in the village though;

He will not see me stopping here

To watch his woods fill up with snow.

 

My little horse must think it queer

To stop without a farmhouse near

Between the woods and frozen lake

The darkest evening of the year.

 

He gives his harness bells a shake

To ask if there is some mistake.

The only other sound’s the sweep

Of easy wind and downy flake.

 

The woods are lovely, dark and deep.

But I have promises to keep,

And miles to go before I sleep,

And miles to go before I sleep.

24 Days of Christmas: December 14 – Wooden Nativity Scene

 

Today I thought I’d show off the nativity scene my dad made for me years ago. He got the pattern out of a magazine and it must have been a popular one because at least one set of my in-laws also have one.

Mine’s unique, however. The original pattern didn’t have camels, but at my request Dad made me a couple. Don’t they look sweet? Though I gather in real life they’re anything but.

 

24 Days of Christmas: December 13 – Counted With Us

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 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. 

Luke 2: 1-5 (KJV)

 

24 Days of Christmas: December 12 – Christmas Truce

In December of 1914 the First World War had only been going on for five months. Things were relatively peaceful and the men in the trenches celebrated Christmas the best they could despite the cold and the wet and the mud and the enemy in their trenches nearby. In some places they were actually close enough to hear each other. Check out this amazing 2014 Christmas “advertisement” (I’ve put that in quotes because they’re not selling anything) from British supermarket chain Sainsbury’s. You might want your Kleenex handy.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NWF2JBb1bvM