Christmas with Kids

Everyone loves sweet potato casserole with marshmallows on top, especially kids! This Thanksgiving, whip up a batch and get in the spirit of the holidays! Here are a few recipes and tips to get you started!

Sweet Potato Casserole II by Stephanie Phillips
Holiday Sweet Potatoes by Diana Rattray
Whipped Sweet Potato Casserole by Bea
Sweet Potato Praline Marshmallow [...]

Rhonda, a fellow elf, sent in a favorite family tradition:
“Every year on Christmas eve, we bake a birthday cake for Jesus.  We light some candles and sing Happy Birthday.  We have decided his favorite cake is probably chocolate cake with chocolate frosting.”
My daughter thinks this is a great idea! Kids love birthday parties and it’s [...]

Today, let’s take some time to check our progress. How are you doing with the first 50 days of preparation for Christmas? Do you know where you’re spending Christmas this year, or are you playing host/ess? Menu? Guests?
Have you scheduled a family portrait sitting and selected/ordered Christmas cards?
Are you handmaking gifts this year? Knitting projects? [...]

It’s time for another Christmas Cookie trial run! This is the time to try those new cookie recipes out before you’re committed to making 13 dozen for a cookie swap. Make a batch and send them to work with Dad, or pack them in the kids’ lunches this week!
Go back to Day 90 Post for [...]

Christmas can be a hectic, overscheduled time of year. One very easy way to keep your family healthy and sane is to have a simple family dinner together as often as possible. This is made even easier by cooking in a slow cooker or picking up a prepared rotisserie chicken from your local market or [...]

Fondant is a wonderful thing. A versatile confection used in everything from cake decorating to homemade candies, you can make fondant at home and experiment with using it for your special occasion sweets. I’ve made fondant mints that used peppermint extract and pressed them into candy molds. They were a big hit!
You can shape fondant [...]

I’ve been trying to find the perfect hat to knit to convince other people to knit for fun, and I think I’ve found it! Who can resist this baby hat? For the experienced knitter, this could be an afternoon project. In fact, most knitted hat projects can be made in a day or two. They [...]

Alright, elves, it’s time to try out another cookie recipe! You know the drill. Check back here to refresh your memory.
Wonderful photo courtesy of Scott Schram.

Last week, I asked you to review your cookbooks and look for cookies you’ve always wanted to make. Well, today, think about making one of those new cookie recipes. You can do it today, or this week some time, but try one out! Your kids will be so thrilled to get them in their lunches [...]

Last year, we hosted Christmas dinner here for 13, and I’m not eager to repeat that until I get a double oven and another big refrigerator. Don’t get me wrong, a lovely time was had by all, but getting the meal components synchronized was just beyond my reach this time. One of the biggest issues [...]