Kim is gone....Nat is gone

[amid chaos]

Nat ate 'em all.

 

[DebºoºS]

Oh no! Wa Wa! That's what I get for coming late to the party.

 

[marydmjj]

My dear MIL used to spend the week after Thanksgiving making 20+ different kinds of Christmas cookies. She knew the exact point in which to freeze them so they would be ready to bake when needed. Her cookies were famous. People at her office and my FIL's lumber yard would beg for the cookie platter. When she passed away we found a 3 ring binder that she had been working on with all of her receipes. She had even written an opening page that talked about how much joy she felt baking and sharing her cookies. On each recipe she would make a note on the history of the recipe or where she got it, how popular that particular cookie was, if my DH (her only child, and VERY SPOILED) liked it or not, where to freeze it for baking later, etc. I haven't taken up the challenge yet but it is something I am going to do when my youngest DS is in school all day. I really really miss her, especially this time of year.

 

[amid chaos]

One year my husband wanted to give out cookie platters to 25 managers. He asked me if i'd bake, I said "SURE, but you're helping". We spent 3 whole days baking. it was fun, and much appreciated by those receiving platters. That christmas I got my kitchen aid mixer from my husband, guess he got sick of my hand held mixer.. Now, when I bake it's a breeze with that mixer.

Mary, what wonderful memories your MIL gave left you. you ought to give a couple of those recipes a try.

 

[Tulirose]

Mary I love your MIL story.

Early in our marriage I would make cookies as Christmas gifts and the second Christmas the hand mixer burned out and I busted into tears. DH went out and bought a Kitchen Aid Mixer for me then and nearly 30 years later it still works great! Funny, I was making cookies as gifts because we couldn't afford to buy real gifts but he spent (charged) a small fortune to buy that mixer for me. It was a worthy investment in more ways than one.

BTW, Amid - Hubby was here when I was checking this and my Cruisetoberfest thread. When I was reading response about baking cookies for your DH's managers and how your DH had to help, I remembered and told my husband that your hubby is a chef and that you guys just had his dream kitchen built. I then went looking to show him photos of your kitchen. I can't find the thread or photos??? Hubby was patient for a little bit and then left the room when I couldn't find photos quickly and now he is in bed. I searched a bit more before posting this and want to know... what happened to your beautiful kitchen?? It is missing in cyberspace land!!!!

 

[Tulirose]

P.S. - Hope Mamu got a great start on her vacation today! Hope she has a ton of fun in the sun and comes back ready and raring to bake up a storm!!

 

[amid chaos]

Tuli..I dont know what happened to that thread..send me your email and I'll send some pictures of the kitchen.

 

[Tulirose]

The off topic discussion today is Holiday music! What are some of your favorites?................

My favorite Christmas music is music from my childhood that I taped from my parents albums. They include the Ray Conniff Singers but the absolutely most favorite of the childhood songs I remember and still play is POLISH CHRISTMAS MUSIC!!!! Some song in Polish, most in English, with Polish accent and the wickedness meanest sounding Santa supposedly laughing but it fooled me as a child. It is about time to go dig up those cassette that I recorded with this music early in my marriage and start playing them again!!

 

[bobbiwoz]

Tulirose, what a surprise! I just sent DH to work with some Polish Christmas carol words for him to copy up on songsheets. We're celebrating mom's 85th birthday at WDW, and before we go to the International Dinner on the 20th, we've asked our gathering to come to our villa, where someone is bringing a Polish Christmas carol CD and with the words we supply, we're going to have a "go" at recreating some of mom's (and my) Childhood memories of song.

For more modern music memories, we always love the CD from Disney's Candlelight Processional, and then the Kingdom Heirs have a Christmas CD that includes "Mary Did You Know" which is probably our favorite song.

I love reading about all of the cooking memories, I don't have those. Mom was early in the game for making "healthy" cookies. She would decide that recipes had too much sugar, butter, whatever, and so she adjusted. Her cookies were HARD and I don't even want to go into the taste. People wondered why I always said that I'm really not too fond of cookies. Ha! That has changed.

Bobbi

 

[gina2000]

I don't know what to do first.....eat some cookies....listen to some music or clean up the mess from vacation!

It's nice to see this thread.

 

[amid chaos]

GINA!!!! Welcome home!!!...not that you want to be though, right...LOL

Here's a baking memory from childhood. My mom made peanut brittle...not just a little but ALOT. it took her all day...she would pour it batch by batch onto cookie sheets and wrap the whole sucker up, unbroken into foil and wrap a ribbon around it. I cannot stand peanut brittle to this day and on cooking day, i would do everything i could NOT to be home..oh that smell haunts me even today.
Then on Dec 24, my 2 brothers and sister would have to pack up all those peanut brittles and deliver them to all the neighbors...god, how we hated that...especially as teens...LOL
At least we can all laugh abotu it today. Oh and I htink my kids feel the same way abotu gingerbread baking day..LOL

 

[gina2000]

Well, I like peanut brittle (in small doses) and I love gingerbread. So I guess....I'd love being at your home while you are baking!

I miss you, Vanessa.

 

[amid chaos]

I miss you too gina!!!

Kim should be coming home today...so welcome home Kim!

We had some fun while you were gone, but we'll behave now. LOL

 

[Tulirose]

.........Kim should be coming home today...so welcome home Kim!

We had some fun while you were gone, but we'll behave now. LOL

Speak for yourself!

Hi Gina!!! Hi Kim!!

 

[Tulirose]

Tulirose, what a surprise! I just sent DH to work with some Polish Christmas carol words for him to copy up on songsheets. We're celebrating mom's 85th birthday at WDW, and before we go to the International Dinner on the 20th, we've asked our gathering to come to our villa, where someone is bringing a Polish Christmas carol CD and with the words we supply, we're going to have a "go" at recreating some of mom's (and my) Childhood memories of song.........

What a great idea. Your mom is going to love it!!! Are you singing in Polish? Only Polish word I know is "Spotch" which means bedtime or something to that effect. I brought the music cassettes out today but have yet to play them. Wish my parents had taught us more Polish but as first-born generation Americans they were anxious to give up the "old ways" of their parents and integrate to the American way of life which meant, of course, speaking English (well, at least then, times have changed.)

 

[bobbiwoz]

For my 8 years of grammar school I heard Polish Christmas carols, and we had some Polish lessons. As I read your "Spotch" (I don't know spelling either, but I recognize it as my sister and I were sent there too)!

Our Christmas carol, (Koledy) words are in Polish, and I remember them from singing in the church choir. All girls were in the choir during 6,7 and 8th grades.

Being Americanized was important to my grandparents, but because of school, I did learn some words and traditions. When my sister turned 50, I dragged out my accordian and found words and music to "Sto Lat" (A song of festivity, may you live 100 years!) and she was so surprised, it was the best gift I could have given her!

If Tulirose or anyone wants the words to the 4 Polish carols that I have, I'll be happy to send them to you, just PM me, I'll mail them right away!

Bobbi

 

[amid chaos]

Bobbi...what wonderful memories!

 

[Snowwark]

Yes, I'm home, but pretend I'm still gone, okay? I'm SO glad to see everyone eating cookies and reminiscing about Christmas.

Nat, I'm glad you enjoyed your vacation!

Mamu, I'm sorry I missed you! Have a wonderful trip!

Tulirose, I have no idea what I was doing on the Monday you mentioned, although it probably had something to do with Mexico (), Luke's hot nuts, or Hot Toddy! Oh, la la!!

Vanessa, we missed you terribly.

This board has been so dormant lately, this thread is a welcome sight!!

 

[NHMickey]

I enjoyed it so much we leave again friday for two more weeks. Xmas in the MK....

 

[bobbiwoz]

Welcome back Kim and Gina. NHMicky I just can't imagine the fun of going for 2 weeks! We're leaving on Friday and we have to be sure to pack things to keep us warm!

Bobbi