Tag...Christmas

1. Egg Nog or Hot Chocolate? Hot Chocolate; although I like Egg Nog too

2. Does Santa wrap the presents or just sit them under the tree? When I was a child Santa always just set them out for us. So far, in my home, he has wrapped them.

3. Red or white lights? I have white lights on our tree. We don't have lights on the outside of our house yet but I'm sure they will be colored.

4. Do you hang mistletoe? No

5. When do you put your decorations up? Usually the weekend after Thanksgiving unless I get antsy.

6. What is your favorite holiday dish? Wow, that is hard. I like Christmas dinner better than Thanksgiving. I like it all…the ham, the potatoes, my mom’s ROLLS, the cheeseball and above all the Shrimp Dip! (Recipe below)

1/4 Cup milk
1 T. Mayonnaise
2 T. Lemon Juice
-Beat the above ingredients into 8 ounces of soft cream cheese
Add:
2 T. Finely Minced Onion
2 tsp. Salt
1 tsp. Dill Weed
1/2 tsp. Soy Sauce
1 Cup Chopped Shrimp

7. Favorite Holiday memory as a child? I have so many. My mom always went out of her way to make Christmas special for us. Now that I’m an adult with my own family I am in awe at how she made Christmas so special each year. She is amazing! We had/have the tradition of having a Christmas Eve party at our house and Grandma and Grandpa from both sides would come over. We would eat and open presents and I just remember LOVING that night! I remember my Grandma Zobell would make us pajamas every year.
Unfortunately my favorite childhood memories revolve around “stuff” because as a kid that is what it’s all about. I fondly remember the Christmas I got my Cabbage Patch Kid. I remember being told MANY times that Santa was having a hard time finding Cabbage Patch Kids for everyone that wanted them and I could very well not end up with one on Christmas morning. Imagine my surprise when I woke up to one! I was elated!

BY far my favorite Christmas morning was when Jenny and I got the Barbie Dream House. I don’t remember asking for it so it was a shock that “Santa” got it for us. I can honestly say that it provided hours and hours if not years and years of play for me and my friends. I can remember spending from sun up until sun down in the basement playing Barbies! I loved it.

I could go on and on but I will conclude with this one. It is kind of corny. Normally I HATED chores but around Christmas I didn’t mind them so much. I remember usually the day of Christmas Eve we would get up early, put on the Christmas music and start cleaning the house. I can still smell cinnamon and cloves on the stove and hear Andy Williams singing in the background while we dusted, mopped and vacuumed. I can still feel the anticipation of having family over that night while we got the house looking spotless!

8. Do you open a gift on Christmas Eve? When I was a child we could open our Grandma and Grandpa’s gifts.

9. How do you decorate your Christmas tree? I had the MOST fun decorating our tree our first year of marriage. I remember seeing the idea at Robert’s craft around October and starting to think of ideas to make it my own. I took Mike there and showed him what I was thinking and he was immediately ANTI! He did not trust me at all. I ended up making some old fashioned felt ornaments that look like gingerbread and the rest are bulbs and fake old fashioned candy. Colors are red, green and white. When it all came together Mike admitted to me that he thought I was crazy and that we would have the ugliest tree – but he liked it and was very impressed with my vision coming together. He apparently lacked the vision. Last year I made some real gingerbread men to hang on the tree and I intend to do that each year as a tradition.

10. Snow: Love it or hate it? LOVE it until after New Year’s Day. Then it can go away.

11. Can you ice skate? Not very well. Don’t like it too much.

12. Do you remember your favorite gift? Well, you can probably look above and figure out that as a child it was probably my Cabbage Patch Kid and the Barbie Dream House. As an adult….probably my digital piano that Mike got me, it got me playing the piano again which was nice.

13. What's the most important thing about the holidays for you? Although from all the above statements it doesn’t seem like it – the most important part of the holidays for me is trying to remember and instill around me the reason for the season. I like the focus to be on Christ and family.

14. What is your favorite holiday dessert? Tassies! (Recipe below)

6 ounces of Cream Cheese
2 sticks of Butter
2 Cups Sifted Flour
Cream butter and cheese until light and fluffy. Add flour and mix by hand. Press dough into small tea bisquit pan. Put 1/2 piece of pecan in bottom of shells you have pressed out.
Filling:
3 eggs
1 1/2 C. Brown Sugar
Pinch of Salt
1 1/2 T. melted Butter
3/4 tsp. Vanilla
Beat eggs, add brown sugar, butter and salt. Add vanilla. Pour into pressed out shells over pecan half and sprinkle with chopped pecans. Bake 350 degreees for 17-20 minutes.

15. What is your favorite holiday tradition? Christmas Eve Party with the family.

16. What is on top of your tree? Star

17. Which do you like best giving or receiving? Giving of course; especially if I feel like I found the “perfect” thing.

18. Christmas Song? I have a ton so I’ll just list some of my favorites.
“I Heard the Bells on Christmas Day” – I cry whenever this one is sung at church!
“Sleigh Ride”
“O Come All Ye Faithful”
“Joy to the World”
“Let it Be Christmas” – Alan Jackson
“Some Children See Him”

19. Do you like candy canes? Not Really.

I tag anyone who feels like doing it!