I don’t know how things are at your house, but in the Sloderbeck and Janes’ family household, there are some dishes we ONLY make during the holidays. What is interesting to me is that they are often recipes that could be enjoyed and made any time during the year, but we actually don’t seem to even think about them until it is holiday time. I guess that is why they are special!

One of our favorite holiday dishes is one Jim’s mom used to always make. She called it Coca Cola Salad. Now that she has gone on to Heaven, Grace, our 16-year-old daughter, has taken charge of making this treat for the last several years. It makes sense since she is the one who always requests it. While all of us help her eat it, she loves it so much that she decided to make a double batch this time. Hopefully, it will make it past the first go-round of eating.

This year, we encouraged her to try making a couple of changes or “tweaks” to the recipe. We decided to try cutting back on some of the sugary parts of this recipe by using sugar-free Jello instead of regular Jello and used Coke Zero for the Coca Cola part. It certainly “acted” the same in the recipe and the taste is just as good as the “original” version.

So without any further ado, I present to you Coca Cola Salad from Ellie Mae’s kitchen! (I just know you’re smiling, Mom!)

Coca Cola Salad

Ingredients:

• 1 – 20 oz. can of applesauce OR 2 1/2 cups
• 1 – 20 oz. can of crushed pineapple
• 1 large box of cherry Jello
• 1 cup Coca Cola
• 1 cup chopped nuts (pecans are our favorite)

Directions:

1. Lightly spray a rectangular dish with a cooking spray. If doubling the recipe, you will want a 13″ x 9″ pan. Otherwise, a smaller rectangular pan will hold it all.
2. Using a medium saucepan, place the applesauce in the pan on the stove and use a medium heat setting.
3. Stir occasionally until the applesauce just starts to boil.
4. Turn off the heat and add the box of Jello to the applesauce.
5. Stir in the Jello until it dissolves completely.
6. Now add the crushed pineapple and Coca Cola and stir until blended.
7. Finally, add the nuts to the warm mixture.
8. Pour your Jello mixture into your prepared pan and cool until firm.

Enjoy!

Now, how about you? Do you have some favorite recipes that you only save for the holidays?

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Today begins a marathon for wrapping as many presents in one day as I can. I’m not quite sure how it got to be four days before Christmas. Unfortunately, it’s already 1:00 in the afternoon, and I haven’t wrapped the first present yet! Maybe that’s because I’m busy writing this post.

To begin, I thought you’d enjoy this picture. Now, I’ve wrapped a lot of presents in my lifetime, but never have I ever attempted anything quite this big!

Photo found at http://www.newscientist.com/article/mg20026873.800-the-scientific-guide-to-gift-wrapping.html?full=true

I wonder how many rolls of paper and ribbon it took to accomplish this? Well, I guess in actuality, if you can  afford to give a present like this, the price of paper and ribbon is no object.With Christmas right around the corner, Faith and I thought you might enjoy having our list of helpful and useful tips to assist you with your final gift wrapping. Whether it’s a marathon session for you, or simply finishing up those last-minute items, we hope you will find these tips beneficial.

1. First, put on your favorite Christmas music. This is absolutely essential. There’s nothing quite like some good Christmas songs to set the mood.
2. Wrap presents with some other people. Gift wrapping can be such a lonely and thankless job. Do it with other friends and family members to help pass the time and to keep you motivated to finish.
3. Station yourself at a big table if possible. I’ve tried wrapping presents on my king-sized bed for years, but I’m finding it’s hard on my back. Being able to sit down and wrap presents at a table or other surface you can slide your knees under will definitely help with back strain.
4. Make sure you have plenty of snacks. You can work up quite an appetite as you measure, cut, and secure your packages. Snacks like luncheon meat and crackers, salsa and chips, as well as fresh fruit help to keep up your strength during this event.
5. Your own roll of tape, scissors, and pen are a requirement. While Scrooge is not my favorite character at this time of year, it’s easy to get a little “Scrooge-ish” when you have to constantly take back the tape your helper “borrowed.”
6. The new stick on nametags are a must. What did we ever get along without them?
7. Don’t waste your time peeling off the back of sticky bows. You know they’re going to fall off your package if you do that. Besides, trying to find a corner to where the backing is easy to peel away from the sticky part can cause you to become “unglued.” Instead, put a small piece of scotch tape on each side of that piece of sticky backing and tape it to your package.
8. Some gift bags from the Dollar Store are a blessing for those odd-shaped items. Round is not a fun shape to wrap with paper.
9. Be sure you leave enough time to finish wrapping all your gifts! Just like running a real marathon, it’s no fun not to be finished when the event is over.

If I could think of one more, I would call this a “Top Ten List” of some kind. But I can’t, so I won’t.

We hope these tips come in handy for your wrapping session. Plus, now you will know what to do for next year in case you wait to do your gift wrapping at the last minute like I did.

Merry Christmas everyone.

I can say that because this is our blog.

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For many families, the Christmas season is full of activities, baking, and spending time together. One of the things we’ve done together, ever since our children were little, was enjoy a time of Advent–a time set apart for the spiritual preparation of Christmas.

While we’ve tried many different devotional studies over the past 25 years, our favorite without a doubt has been Jotham’s Journey: A Storybook for Advent. This is the most exciting Advent story we’ve ever read.

Each night of the four weeks leading up to Christmas, there is a story. It revolves around a ten-year-old boy who goes looking for his family across Israel. He encounters thieves, robbers, and kidnappers, as well as shepherds, wise men, and kind people. So many of the names and places are ones you would recognize from Scripture.

Each chapter ends with a cliffhanger, making children (and parents) excited about what Jotham’s next adventure will be the next time. Also, historical places and spiritual symbolism surrounding the Christmas season are explained following each adventure.

This book is actually the first of a trilogy. The other two titles, Bartholomew’s Passage and Tabitha’s Travels, are finally back in print. It is not necessary to do them in order, but it is fun to start with Jotham and then Bartholemew as their paths cross in the story line.

So, get some long-lasting Advent candles (the skinny ones won’t last long enough because the stories are so exciting and have some length to them), obtain a copy of Jotham’s Journey, and make this time of year extra special. I promise you, your children won’t forget it and neither will you.

Additional Note as of 4.25.11: The author of this trilogy has now done a story for Easter called Amon’s Adventures. It was a great read for us this Easter and builds upon the characters in his other books. I won’t ruin it for you, though. I’d love to know what you think.

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Can you identify with this picture?

I must confess there have been some years at Thanksgiving and Christmas when I’ve felt like this. Some years I’ve felt as though I hardly had time to sit down and enjoy a cup of coffee, much less time to watch “It’s A Wonderful Life!” But it IS a wonderful life, especially during this time of year when we celebrate the birth of our Savior Jesus Christ.

Well, this year I’m going to try something different. I’m going to poll the members of my family and ask them this question: “What three things are the most important aspects of Thanksgiving and Christmas that just have to be there for you in order for it to feel like Christmas?” For me, that means asking the two youngest children still at home who are 13 and 14, my mother who lives with me, and my husband. I, too, plan to examine this question.

I don’t know about you, but I can feel so out of control during the holidays that I lose focus of what is really important.  It’s so easy to get sidetracked on non-essentials. For instance, nobody makes me send out Christmas cards, decorate the house like it’s an entry for House Beautiful, or bake as if I was opening a restaurant.

For me, much of my stress level rises because I do it to myself. I know that time pressures elevate my blood pressure and December 25 is certainly a biggie. While I enjoy many of the things that come with Christmas, I want to use good judgment and make my efforts count. I know about being a good steward with my money, but my time is valuable, too. I want to use it wisely and for moments that really matter to my family.

Well, here is my chance to break the crazy cycle of the holidays–to find ways to slow down and cherish these special moments with my family.

So, this year I’m going to try a different approach. And while I haven’t asked my family members the “big question” yet, I suspect there will be a few things we all will share several things in common. Those will be the things I will focus on the most.

Will you join me?

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My mom and I made these totally yummy cookies yesterday as part of some holiday baking. They were a huge hit and they look so pretty! I just had to share the recipe with you all.

The original recipe proportions said it only made 24 servings so my mom and I doubled the recipe and we added some chopped pecans. (Everything is better with some added pecans, you know!) The recipe came from All Recipes.com

White Chocolate and Cranberry Cookies

INGREDIENTS

• 1/2 cup butter, softened
• 1/2 cup packed brown sugar
• 1/2 cup white sugar
• 1 egg
• 1 tablespoon brandy (We used Vanilla instead and didn’t double it)
• 1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
• 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
• 3/4 cup white chocolate chips
• 1 cup dried cranberries

DIRECTIONS

1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees F (190 degrees C). Grease cookie sheets.
2. In a large bowl, cream together the butter, brown sugar, and white sugar until smooth. Beat in the egg and brandy. Combine the flour and baking soda; stir into the sugar mixture. Mix in the white chocolate chips and cranberries. Drop by heaping spoonfuls onto prepared cookie sheets.
3. Bake for 8 to 10 minutes in the preheated oven. For best results, take them out while they are still doughy. Allow cookies to cool for 1 minute on the cookie sheets before transferring to wire racks to cool completely.

We hope you enjoy them as much as we did. They go great with coffee or hot cocoa. And don’t tell anybody, but I had some for breakfast this morning too.

They say that confession is good for the soul, so here goes…….I had some for breakfast, too!

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As we were putting up the Christmas tree this year, I noticed several ornaments my children have made over the years that have lasted for years. And the other thing I realized about them was that each one of them was made by a child of mine when they were young.

While I wasn’t involved in all of the processes that went into making them, I hope my pictures will help you know what to do. The first two ornaments were made by my children during a church project. The other one I made with my child at home.

I happen to know when each of the ornaments was made because I always date them. This is something I’ve done since my first Christmas with my hubby back in 1974. If you don’t date your ornaments, may I encourage you to do so. Knowing when your child made a particular ornament and how old they were when they did, will bring a sweet memory and a smile to your face.

Ornament #1

This first ornament was one that Faith made when she was seven years old. It dates back to 1984 and was one that she made during a church activity.

It is composed of three clothespins that do not contain the springs–two of them are glued side by side to form the body, and the third one is turned and glued upside down to form the head and antlers.

As you can see, there are tiny eyes glued on the sides of his head, along with a tiny bell that is placed under his mouth and tied around his head once the glue is set. (I suspect a glue gun was used for the gluing part of this project.) The bell was tied on with a thin piece of white string so it is difficult to notice.

Finally, small pieces of red and green felt were glued over the body, a small white ball glued on for his tail, and black felt markers used to color his hooves.

And by the way, this little reindeer is extremely easy to “clip” onto the Christmas tree.

Ornament #2

This cute little bird ornament was made by my son Danny when he was only three. Now, I suspect he probably had some help with it, but it was simple enough that he was able to actively participate in its creation.

As you can see, this little bluebird was made from a pine cone. Here in Georgia, pine cones are plentiful. However, if you don’t have very many where you live, you can certainly buy them at a craft store.

Basically, it consists of a pine cone for the body, a small styrofoam ball for the head, a firm piece of cardstock for the beak, and another piece  of cardstock for the tail.

If I were making this myself, I would start by cutting off the rounded part of the head that sits on the pine cone. This will make gluing much easier as it will allow a bigger surface to adhere to the body.

Before gluing, paint the body and head with some blue paint. Apparently, the pine cone and head were painted with an acrylic water-based paint, patted on with a brush. Using this type of paint will allow for fast drying.

The little beak was made from yellow cardstock cut into a triangle and gently forced into the styrofoam, or maybe a small slit was cut and the paper eased into the slit. I can’t really tell at this point.

Cardstock was then cut to look like a tail and then glued into the pine cone. The curl to the tail is optional. As I recall, it was flat and straight when Danny first brought it home 23 years ago.

A string was then tied to the head, or went around the body, and with great pride, Danny brought it home from church and hung it on our tree. It has been one of my favorite ornaments ever since.

Ornament #3

Finally, this ornament was probably the easiest of all three to make. This was made by my son Jeremy when he was five years old. I actually helped him make this one, so I know firsthand what was involved in the process.

First, I gave him five craft sticks. These are the fatter ones you can buy at a craft store, or right here. They do make thinner ones, but I wanted to let him color the sticks, so I used the fatter ones.

After Jeremy finished creating his works of art on each side of the sticks, I began placing a  small amount of tacky glue at each place where they intersected.

Making sure that glue had not oozed out from under each intersection, I then placed a clothespin at each point of the star and allowed it to dry overnight.

The next day, I simply removed the clothespins and had Jeremy place his ornament on our tree. I wish I had taken a picture of the smile on his face.

It is my hope that if you have little children–even grandchildren–that you will enjoy making these simple ornaments with them. If they turn out like ours did, you will be able to enjoy them for many years to come.

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Don’t you just hate a dry turkey? I know I do. I am about to share with you my BEST secrets for obtaining a moist turkey. Because no matter how pretty your bird is to look at, no one enjoys a dried out turkey.

MY TURKEY TIPS:

1. Use an internal thermometer. Don’t wait for that little pop up timer to work or rely on the cooking time based on the weight of your turkey. Use an internal thermometer inserted into the thigh of the turkey (being careful not to touch the bone since it will register as a hotter temperature).  THIS is a good one. It’s just like the one I use. The thermometer stays in the turkey and the timer part will alert you when the turkey reaches its desired temperature. The United States Department of Agriculture recommends that the turkey be cooked to a temperature of 165°F (74°C), as measured in the innermost part of the thigh. If the thigh is 165°F, the breast meat is likely to be 10°F hotter. On a side note, I never stuff my turkey with stuffing because you have to cook the turkey longer in order to make sure the stuffing reaches the proper temperature. That extra time dries out the turkey.
2. Place tablespoons of butter underneath the skin of the turkey. THIS is my single most favorite tip I ever found about keeping a turkey moist. You have to use your hand to first loosen the skin away from the breast meat. You want to be careful not to tear the skin. Then I cut about 6 tablespoons of chilled butter to go under the skin. I typically use 3 tablespoons on each side if it’s a large turkey. You slowly push the butter up under the skin to evenly distribute them. As the turkey cooks, the butter melts into the breast meat keeping it moist and tender.
3. Coat the outside of the turkey with oil. This is so much easier than trying to rub butter all over a cold bird. It will help you achieve the golden brown look that every turkey deserves. Don’t forget to season your turkey after you massage it with oil. I like to use salt, pepper, rosemary and thyme. If your turkey reaches the level of goldenness you desire but isn’t done cooking yet, you can cover it with a tent of foil to prevent over browning.

Well, those are my tips. I used to be intimidated with cooking turkey but these tips have never failed me. The only problem is: Once your extended family finds out what a wonderful turkey chef you are you’ll be nominated to always cook the turkey from now on.

…especially if your husband keeps volunteering and nominating you every year! And he’s right; you do cook a great turkey.

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The first year our family began homeschooling was 1989. It was a time of excitement, hard work, and trying new things.

One of my favorite memories from that first year was our study of the Pilgrims. In order to make this event in history “come alive” for my children, my husband and I decided to put forth some extra effort. What better way to make your children feel like a Pilgrim, than a ride on The Mayflower. Here is what happened.

On a Friday, early in the afternoon, we announced to our children that they only had two hours to pack up some of their belongings. Without disclosing what we were planning, we told them to pack items they felt they would need, as if they were going on a trip. After two hours, we would meet in our bedroom.

At approximately four o’clock in the afternoon, the children showed up with a small trunk, a few toy cars, and some books. Then we announced that for the next 24 hours, we would be re-enacting a voyage on The Mayflower. From that moment, they were not allowed to leave our room and would have to remain until we “landed.” There would be no electricity used–only candles–and our attached bathroom would become “the bucket room.”

The children were instructed that they would have to sleep on the floor with whatever coverings they brought aboard; however, mom and dad would be allowed to sleep in their own bed. Rank does have its privileges, you know.

We placed an expandable gate across the doorway, high enough off the ground to allow our dog to come in and out of our bedroom by crawling under the gate. My mother, who lives with us, would remain “on land” and would take any phone calls and see that the dog was allowed to relieve himself outside.

From our studies we had learned that the Pilgrims ate beef jerky, hard tack (a hard, dried-out biscuit), and drank stale water during their journey across the sea. While I had prepared some jerky and allowed some rolls to harden, I personally refused to drink stale water.

Throughout our voyage, we read stories about the Pilgrims, played games, and talked of how difficult it must have been for over 100 people to remain confined in such a small space for 66 days. (I wish we had had The Voyage of the Mayflower Game back then to play.)

As darkness fell, we lit our candles around the room and tried to imagine how scary it must have been for little children–even adults–to be down below deck with little or no light. Thankfully, our Mayflower did not rock and roll as the real one would have; we talked of how beef jerky and hard rolls would not be our favorite foods after a short period of time; and we shared how brave these people must have been and how their faith would really have been tested during their journey.

After a refreshing night’s rest (at least for mom and dad), we had more jerky and hard tack with water for breakfast. It was becoming obvious that all of us were looking forward to coming ashore in America. With several more stories and times of quiet play, we landed!

Grandma was there to greet us as we came ashore. Upon our arrival, we enjoyed a wonderful hot meal, prepared by my mom as we shared stories of the Pilgrims from a new perspective.

This is definitely one of my most memorable homeschooling experiences from growing up! Well, the full size (and by that, I meant gigantic) Tee-Pee that my parents built in our living room comes in as a close second for most memorable homeschooling experience. My brothers and I still laugh about eating beef jerky all day as we were trapped on The Mayflower. For some reason, it sure seemed like a longer “trip” when I remember the story.

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Have you ever slept on silk sheets?

Well, I did once, for about three days. Here’s what happened.

A few years ago, I found some beautiful, red silk sheets on sale, just before Valentine’s Day. Being the romantic that I am,  and because I wanted to have an example to share in the classes I teach on sex and intimacy in marriage, I decided I had to try them. While I was certainly this would qualify as one of life’s ultimate experiences, it was also something I had decided I wanted to try before I died.

With my purchase in hand, I made my way home, gently washed them while my husband was at work, and waited for the special day to arrive.

Sure enough! Just like every other year, Valentine’s Day appeared right on schedule. I lovingly placed the  beautiful red sheets on our bed and imagined what my valentine would say when he saw them for the first time.

When the time came to reveal my surprise, my husband appeared quite pleased. In retrospect, silk sheets were something we had joked about on occasion throughout our marriage; however, I don’t believe either one of us ever thought we would own them. We were both excited with our new treasure.

Then it was time to sleep. Neither one of us were prepared for what we found. Why, did you know that silk sheets are hot? They don’t breathe. I really was hoping that the sheets wouldn’t make me too cold, but I never expected to sweat in them!

And did you realize that silk sheets will make their way to the bottom of the bed without your permission? Our bed doesn’t have a footboard, which I’m sure was part of the problem, but I’ve never had a problem with my other sheets ending up on the floor during the night. Man–silk sheets just refuse to stay where you put them.

Well, we did stick it out for three nights worth of sleeping. Then my husband came down with some unknown rash. Being a physician, he wasn’t able to figure out what it was. Could he be allergic to silk sheets?

After his breakout and our three days of disturbed sleep, we felt it best to get rid of the sheets. I mean, what good are beautiful sheets if they’re hot, they fall off the bed, and they make your husband contract a strange rash?

However, I didn’t have the heart to just throw them away, so do you know what I did? I gave them to my daughter! I mean, just because they didn’t work out for us didn’t mean they wouldn’t enjoy them.

But you know, after I gave her the sheets, I’ve never heard a word about them. I’m beginning to wonder if she gave them away, too.

No, I didn’t give them away. They’re safe and sound on a shelf in my closet. Sadly, they don’t get much use around here either. Strangely enough I wasn’t hot with the sheets…I was cold. But that’s probably because ALL our blankets kept sliding off onto the floor! I’d be tempted to try Satin Sheets but that would definitely have to wait for the summer!

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Now that the holiday season is over, Faith and I have been reflecting upon some things we enjoyed about this year and some things we would like to do better or differently next year.

I had a hard time getting into the Christmas spirit this year and I’m not exactly sure why. As I’ve reflected upon this, I can think of a few things that may have contributed to this for me:

For the first time since I can remember, we went out of town for the Thanksgiving weekend to help care for Jim’s mom. While that was a situation that helped out my brother-in-law and his family, it really caused a disconnect for me with my own children and their families.

Because we were out of town for the few days following Thanksgiving, we didn’t enjoy Bake Day. This is a time when my two daughters, my daughter-in-law, and I get into the kitchen and make some family favorites. Then we sent a bunch of the treats to our husband’s work place for them to share with their coworkers. Because life got pretty busy for all of us after we returned from out of town, we were never able to find any other time to allow Bake Day to happen.

However, I have been thinking of what I believe will be a better way to do Bake Day next year–and we will do it next year. I would like to spend the day after Thanksgiving deciding what we want to bake, go out to lunch, then go to the grocery store to purchase what we need; then proceed with the baking beginning on Saturday instead of Friday.

We didn’t do any fun crafts this year. I don’t know if it’s because money was tighter this year or our schedules filled up with other activities or what, but I missed them this year. I guess I also felt like we “fell behind” in our studies–whatever that means. Next year we must do better. It’s one of my favorite memories to do with my children.

The other thing I know to be true is we’re still living in a house I was so hoping would have sold by now. I remember thinking last Christmas that I didn’t want to have Christmas again in this house, but that’s exactly what happened. I didn’t get past my sour attitude like I should have. Now, I’m still hoping we’re moved by this next Christmas, but if we’re not, I’ve got to rise above it and change my attitude. Faith, I might need some help with this one.

In my post on polling my family of what they felt they really needed this year for it to feel like Christmas, I did do everything they requested, so I was successful at this. However, I knew in my heart that I was only doing the basics so I could say I accomplished what everybody wanted. Next year, I truly want to do better and will work harder to allow the Christmas spirit to infect me.

So, I guess that just about does it for me. Now it’s your turn, Faith.

Next year I want to do less work and make more memories!

I want to cook fewer items for Thanksgiving. I cooked WAY too many side dishes and wore myself totally out. I also hosted two Thanksgiving dinners at my house and that was pretty tiring too. For Christmas I made a much more simple meal and it was just as tasty and suited for family time with a large group of people.

And EVERY year I tell myself that I’m going to start sooner with shopping so I’m not so crazed. I have moved to more and more online shopping for Christmas and that has helped a lot, so much so that my poor mail lady began to think I was some crazy woman that hated to leave my house. At least that’s the feeling I got when she tentatively asked me, “Umm, so I guess you don’t like to go out and shop.”

Next year I want to do more crafts and holiday activities with my kids. We do Advent as a family in the evenings but so much of the memories that I have from growing up center around the fun things we did during Christmas time.

The first few years that my parents started homeschooling us, we took the entire month of December off from traditional schooling and read books, did holiday baking, and lots of crafts together. It was great! There is always more math to get done and another paper to write. I don’t have any memories that begin with, “Oh, remember that time in Algebra when we learned that cool equation?” But I have plenty of memories to choose from during our “Christmas school” month. Some of those memories include:

• The Cinnamon-Applesauce ornaments that we made that I still have on my tree every year.
• The wooden clothespin nativity figures we put together and attempted to make clothes for out of fabric and felt scraps. I’ll never forget my little brother gluing a sheep to his shepherd’s shoulders that made it impossible for the shepherd to stand.
• The Christmas play we performed at my grandmother’s house that included my dad dressing up as Santa Claus. His “Ho, Ho, Ho” is pretty convincing!
• I loved painting the countless plaster ornaments that you can buy at the craft stores around Christmas. I would paint those things all day long. I can’t wait to paint them with my kids! We painted so many that everyone in the family has some on their tree.
• I loved watching cheesy Christmas movies. (I still do and I wrote about a few of my favorite Not So Classic Christmas movies here.) Some of my favorites times were sitting together watching movies and laughing at how silly they were with my brothers. It always amazed us how those cheesy movies still managed to make our mom cry. (And now that I’m a mom, I cry at even the cheesiest movies too.)

So I guess most of the things I want to do differently center around the idea that I don’t want to feel so busy. I don’t want to look back at the rush around Christmas and regret the time I didn’t spend with my family and wish for a chance to make more memories.

Faith, after reading what you had to say, I am struck by the fact that I only have a few more years with your brother and sister at home. You’ve made me realize as well that the holiday season needs to be more fun and less work. After all, I’ve always said since we’ve been homeschooling that it’s all about relationships, not about academics.

Thank you for your insights.

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