Missing Meemaws and Papaws

Its almost Christmas. But I'm missing my Grandparents right now. Growing up, I was young, they were old. I remember them though like it was yesterday but I was too young then to realize that I needed to spend more time with them for one day they would be gone.

I was in my teens and twenties when they all passed. One by one they left this Earth to be with Jesus. I didn't think about the pain my parents must have felt to loose them. I just remember the pain of loosing my grandparents. I never knew the real pain would hit in my 40's. There is so much I'd like to show them and talk to them about. I wished I would have sat down with my papaws and listened to more stories. I would love to have learned more about their life growing up.

Christmas time is here and I miss them so much at times like this. I remember my maternal grandparents used to have the biggest Christmas tree! It was filled with old ornaments and icicles. You could look at the tree all day and still find an ornament on there you didn't see before. My sisters and brothers and I would spend a lot of evenings there while my parents did their Christmas shopping. I remember spending several hours folding reader digest books so that Meemaw could later turn them into Mrs. and Mr. Santa Claus.

Christmas day all the cousins and Aunts and Uncles would meet at meemaws for Dinner. I can still hear my papaw calling me "his hound dog", and I can still smell the fried chicken coming from the kitchen as the family table was filled with food. Meemaw made the best and most moist cakes you could ever have. The ones I remember most is the strawberry cake and goulash cake made with fermented fruit.

Meemaw used to always have a gun drop tree we all would pick off of.

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I never liked the spice gumdrops but it was fun taking them off the tree and eating them anyway. Then we would all rush into the living room for a wrapping paper frenzy as we tore into the presents that were awaiting for us under the tree.

Christmas eve is when we would spend time with my Paternal grandparents. There was always sweets on the table as cousins and aunts and uncles would all meet to share Christmas cheer. She also had a gumdrop tree we were not allowed to touch. I remember papaw would give us all a dollar for Christmas. This was a big deal as a dollar would by a toy at Kmart. He called me "Lether". He never could say "Lisa". He remember his cackling giggle when he would tell jokes. He couldn't hear well and we called him Mr. Magoo. That's who he reminded us of and he looked like him too.

Every time I'm around my daddy, I can see my Papaw in him. He is just like him in so many ways.
I sure do miss them all and wish they could be here. I guess we all feel like we should've spent more time with our grandparents.

Both of my parents work hard to keep up the family traditions of everyone getting together. It's cherished moments that can so easily slip by.

Biscotti

Every Christmas I like to bake some kind of goodies to pass out to my neighbors. It usually always consist of Boscotti. I enjoy making this Italian cookie. There are so many differnt flavors you can do. 

Biscotti is an Italian cookie- meanining "twice baked". 

Twice baked is exactly what it is. 

I use a basic recipe and add something different each time. So far my favorite is still the basic biscotti with Anise and vanilla flavoring. Then I add in some peacans, almonds or walnuts. I go nuts over nuts. I like them thrown into everything. 

 

This year besides the basic Pecan Biscotti, I made a batch of peppermint vanilla Biscotti. They turned out beautiful. Almost perfect I must say. After they cooled, I drizzeled them with white chocolate and crushed peppermint candy. My daughter said these will be perfect dipped in hot chocolate. I think shes right.

 

Speaking of chocolate, I also made a batch of chocolate Biscotti. I was dissapointed in the way these turned out. They came out too thick and crumbly with a slight gooey texture in the center. I knew I shouldn't have added the extra chocolate chips to them. Needless to say, they turned out ugly. I was ready to toss them in an old cookie jar and not share them. Then I drizzled them white chocolte I had left over from the mint ones. 

Hmmmm , ok so they dont look THAT bad. I went ahead and boxed them with the rest to give away. After all, the other ones were so pretty, the chocolate ones will just proove that they cant always be perfect. Not always. 

 

I will take a walk around the block and gives these away tonight as I wish them all a Merry Christmas. 

Vanilla Peppermint Biscotti

Ingredients 

6 Tablespoons butter

2/3 cup sugar

Dash of salt

2 teaspoons vanilla extract

1/2 teaspoon peppermint extract

1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder

2 large eggs

2 cups all all purpose flour

Directions 

Preheat oven to 350F. Lightly grease one large cookie sheet.

Beat the butter, sugar, salt, vanilla, mint, and baking powder until the mixture is smooth.

Beat in the eggs one at a time.

Mix the flour in (on low speed) and mix until smooth.

Place dough onto the prepared baking sheet and shape into one large or two small logs.

The dough is sticky so use a spatchla to shape and smooth the dough.

Bake the dough for 25 minutes. Remove from the oven.

Reduce the heat to 325F.

Let the dough cool some and cut into 1/2 inch slices.

Separate the biscotti slices and lay them on their side.

Bake for 15 minutes. Flip them over and bake another 15 minutes.

Place on a rack to cool and store in an airtight container.

Christmas on Main-Memories

I always get giddy when my husband decides takes the route down Main Street on the way home. Ive always liked the look of the old buildings and fancy street lights. A lot has changed through the years. Some of the buildings have been torn down and replaced by parks or pavilions.

Christmas time down Main Street always brings back memories of the 70's. We lived in Belmont. Thanksgiving night was the night the town of Gastonia turned on the Christmas lights. Gastonia was about ten miles away. It was such a big deal. We piled up in dads Oldsmobile Station Wagon and headed up to Main Street. Its a small town with barely a quarter mile stretch, but as kid, it was ten miles long. The lights were strung across one side to the other. With the radio playing Christmas songs, cars would drive slow bumper to bumper. It was a big deal riding through the tunnel of lights. The cars would be full of kids with their heads hanging out of every window with smiles and wondering eyes. 

The town still decorates for Christmas but its not the same. Its sort of sad how the simple joys just dissapear as the world changes. I found a photo of the town at Christmas from the 50's. I was not there but it looked the same in the 70's except for the old cars of course. I had to pull out my cell phone and snap a photo from the same corner as the vintage photo was taken. 

Looks like they kept the tradition for quite a while. By the 80's, its all started trickling away. It takes a lot more now days to impress a child. Oh how I miss those simple days. 

THEN (daytime).

NOW (daytime)

 

Cold walk and Mistletoe

I slept in this morning. I didnt get up until 8:00. Im usually wide awake at 6:30 and will lay around until my fitbit alerts me to get up at 7:00 to go to work. Saturdays I try to sleep in but it usually never happens. My body seems to have its own clock..

When I got up this morning it was 31 degrees outside. I dont like to go outside if the temperature is below my age. I popped some english muffins in the toaster, poured a cup of coffee and snuggled up to my iPad for some reading and writing. 

After breakfast I did some laundry and walked a mile on the treadmill that we ended up pulling out of storage last week. Boring!!! 

I sat back down to another cup of coffee when I suddenly got an idea. I asked Nick if he would like to bundle up and take a walk up the road. "I know where some mistletoe is on a tree along side of the road". Ive had my eye on it all week as I drive by it each morning on the way to work. Im sure its within reach and would love to have some. 

He never turns down a walk so we bundled up and headed up the road. 

The tree was just two blocks away but before we stopped for the mistletoe, I suggested we go ahead and gets some miles in since I was warmed up a little. We ended up walking three miles. On the way home, we stopped at the tree. "Right there. You see it? Mistletoe!

  

It was a little far from reach but Nick was able to pull the limb down just enough for me to jump up, hang on and grab it off.

 

It was a nice bundle but no berries. There are no berries because its not been cold enough. Its also odd to find it growing low. 

 

It now hangs in the doorway of the living room. 

And for the record, Ive aready tried it out and it works.

 

Make Your Own Tortilla Chips

I always have flour tortillas in the house because I we have a tendency to make cheese quesadillas like they were grilled cheese sandwiches. 
They came in handy the other day when I needed chips for a dip I purchased and didn't want to head back to the store. 

I wasn't sure how to make my own but I had an idea, and it worked.

 

• I grabbed a stack of about six or eight four tortillas
• cut them in triangles
• placed them in a single layer on a cookie sheet
• sprayed them with olive oil spray
• sprinkled a little salt on them
• heated the oven to 350 degrees
• and baked them for 15 minutes.

Wahlah! Just like that. I have the perfect chips to use in my spinach artichoke dip.

We had them all eat in no time and I had to make another batch.
They had a taste equivalent to a pita chip or cracker but the way they disappeared, you would think I made chocolate chip cookies.

You can enjoy them with dip or for a sweeter side, while they are still warm, roll in a cinnamon/ sugar mixture and drizzle with honey to make a Mexican dessert known as Sopapillas.

Personally, I think I will continue doing chips like this. They are a lot cheaper and healthier...Ok, maybe they are not any healthier but I can keep thinking that.