My Christmas Tree is Still Up

Yeah....it looks mighty pretty, too.

I did take the outdoor decor down on the 7th, but the tree still stands. Lit.

I've been taking and editing photos all afternoon instead; these are my favorites so far:



And the prize for silliness goes to....

Arboretum

Sadly, so much damage was done during Hurricane Ike this September, that the facility was closed for several months to repair the damage and clear trails. However, for the most part, the staff and volunteers have done an amazing job of reconditioning the park and preparing it for the Spring. Since it is fairly warm here, plants are already blooming, if they ever stopped. The Beastlings and I had a wonderful time.

Promise Not to Tell

I finished Promise Not to Tell, by Jennifer McMahon this morning. It was a compelling, easy read with a well-written, complex story. In short, a good spooky read. I started it yesterday evening and had a hard time putting it down to go to bed. Most of the characters are quite vivid and well woven. I didn't read any reviews or the Amazon synopsis before picking up the book and reading them now, I'm glad I didn't, though the reviews are generally very good. They tend to give away information best gleaned from the book itself.

Off to get everyone ready for the aforementioned Arboretum outing....

The Library

I picked the boys up from preschool and asked them, "Who wants to go to the library?" The shrieks of "Me! Me! Me! Me!!!!" made me proud. I only hope they are this enthusiastic about reading in the coming years.

I picked up a few books for me, too. It's good for them to see me reading and of course it's good for me to be reading.

I'm turning off the computer now to go and read them.

Plan B

We were supposed to go to the Arboretum, but the rain put the kibosh on that.

So I tried a new mix. I have what I think is the perfect sugar cookie recipe,* but I got a bunch of this mix on cheapo-after Christmas sale. It comes with a free cookie cutter in each box (also good for Play Doh) and doesn't expire until August. So anyway, I could hardly pass it up, especially since the ingredient list is up to my standards.


So the review is this: they are good. Not as smooth as regular sugar cookies, but they are mostly whole grain, so you aren't going to get that. The flavor, texture, appearance....all very good.

Can you see me in the reflection of the jar? I'm naked.

Just kidding.

Oh, and it made two dozen good sized cookies with the cookie scoop and we had some extra dough after that and made the kids some "pies" with two mini-tart pans and strawberry all-fruit jam.

I'm hoping to do the arboretum on Thursday, so stay tuned.

*SUGAR COOKIES
1 cup Butter – softened
1 1/2 cups Sugar
1 Egg
1 teaspoon Vanilla Extract
1/2 teaspoon Almond Extract
2 1/2 cups All purpose flour
1 teaspoon Baking soda
1 teaspoon Cream of tartar

In a mixing bowl, cream butter and sugar. Add egg and extracts; mix well. Combine flour, baking soda and cream of tartar; add to creamed mixture and mix well. Shape into a ball. Chill for 1-2 hours. On a lightly floured surface, roll out dough to 1/8" thickness; cut into desired shapes. Place on greased baking sheets. Sprinkle with colored sugar. Bake at 375 degrees for 6-8 minutes or until edges are light brown. Cool on wire racks

ROYAL ICING
1lb Confectioner's sugar
1/8t Cream of tartar
3 Egg whites, room temp.

Sift the entire pound of sugar to remove all the lumps. Place egg whites in mixing bowl and add sugar and cream of tartar to whites while stirring. When all the sugar is incorporated, using an electric mixer, beat until thick and very white. Mixture will hold a peak. This should take 5-7 minutes.

When finished, cover icing tightly with a damp cloth or plastic wrap as it dries very quickly and will form a crust.

To tint icing, use a small amount of color at a time. Paste food colors will not change the consistency as liquid colors will. For a quarter cup of icing, dip the tip of a toothpick into the color, then into the icing. Stir well. If you desire more color, dip again. Proceed gradually. For strong colors like red, royal blue and dark purple, you will need 1/8 teaspoon to 1/4 cup icing.

Winter in the Bayou City

These are my Fairy Rose, Dianthus, and Lantana, none of which has stopped blooming since summer. We have another month or so before we can be sure there won't be a hard freeze, but it's looking like we may escape it this year.