Tag: Christmas

Eggnog Sugar Cookie Bars

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InsideBruCrewLife.com

I had high hopes for these bars. Wouldn’t you love a recipe that promises the flavor of a sugar cookie with all the ease of a brownie or a bar? This version from InsideBruCrewLife.com popped up on my Pinterest feed at just the same time that I wanted cookies to eat during a Star Wars marathon with the family. How convenient for me!

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With no egg yolks, cream of tarter, corn starch, cream cheese or sour cream, this very basic assemblage of ingredients were gathered (under the supervision of two-thirds of the household’s pets). Also adding to the ease of directions- no refrigerator rest time, no smushing with glasses dipped in sugar. I changed only a couple things by omitting the rum flavoring from the cookie dough and icing, and using less sugar in the icing.

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click for WilliamsSonoma.com’s link for this good nutmeg grinder

Eggnog Sugar Cookie Bars
(as inspired by InsideBruCrewLife .com)

  • 1/2 cup butter
  • 1/2 cup brown sugar
  • 1/2 cup sugar
  • 1 egg
  • 1/4 cup eggnog
  • 3 cups flour
  • 1 teaspoon baking powder
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt
  • 1/2 teaspoon nutmeg- use freshly ground nutmeg for out of this world flavor!
  • In a medium bowl, combine flour, baking powder, salt and nutmeg. Set aside flour mixture.
  • In another bowl, cream butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Add egg, mix until combined; add eggnog, mix.
  • Add flour mixture to wet mix and stir until combined, but do not over mix.
  • Press dough into greased 9″ x 13″ baking dish and bake for 15 minutes. Let cool before frosting
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My nutmeg grinder… love it!

Overall, I’d say that we like these cookies. They definitely were super easy, and fast to prepare. They are not a substitute for a really tender yet crisp sugar cookie, though. Sometimes you have to go through those extra steps and use those slightly different ingredients to get exactly what you want. It will be worth it.

Eggnog Icing
Cream together until very light and fluffy one stick of butter and 2 1/2 cups of butter. Slowly add 1/4 cup eggnog and add 1/4 teaspoon nutmeg.
Makes more than enough to frost the above recipe

 

 

 

Dat Tree -or- If Mamma Ain’t Happy…

Last year’s Christmas Tree was too small, I decided. So were the previous trees we have brought into our living room. As a matter of fact, we’ve never had a really big tree in the house before. I arrived at this decision based on only one fact: the trees are too small because I’ve not been able to put up even half of the ornaments the family has made or collected.

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The tree is in the middle of this pic… see? Doesn’t look that huge, right?

The Husband and The Boy were helplessly dragged into doing my bidding, and I bid the purchase of a Twelve Foot Tall Christmas Tree. I swear it didn’t look as big at the tree farm, growing next to a couple other big ‘uns.

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Has The Boy gotten smaller or The Tree gotten bigger?

Aaaannd here it is:

The amount of profanity that was uttered in my living room in the course of getting this tree erect is matched only by the amount of times we laughed at the ridiculousness of its size. Another frequently sworn oath was “Never again!”

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The Roomba has quit.

Happy, the Valentine’s Day Roomba (don’t be jealous of the depths of romantic gifting in our home), has put in his official 48 hour notice.

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Dat Tree!

Let the ornamentation begin! I hear that today is National Cocoa Day, someone bring me a mug of hot chocolate as we decorate this bad boy. It’s not too much to ask, is it?

 

San Bernardino Gives -or- Here Comes Santa Claus… Incorporated!

 

What does a community do after it has been quite literally and most painfully duped by evil in their midst? They hold the massive, charitable event, as they have for more than 60 years, and see that children and entire families are cared for at Christmas time and throughout the entire year. Here comes Santa ClausIncorporated.  San Bernardino will continue to give because that is what this community does- it cares.

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And we started with PRAYER

A whole lotta people showed up for not just a fundraising luncheon (delicious salad, stuffed chicken, vegetables, and dessert, by the way).

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some of the talented dancers

We were there to bid on a silent auction, a live auction, watch a dance/fashion show featuring styles from Macy’s collections and some very talented dancers… and the most fun event of the day… see who wins the Christmas Trees Raffles- who will win not only the trees, but all the decorations and gifts on and underneath these professionally decorated beauties!

Oh no! What does Santa Claus Inc. do when some of their usual volunteers cannot show up (law enforcement in the area was extra busy this week)? The Veterans of Foreign Wars Motorcycle Club stepped in to offer their help.

I learned a few new things about this gigantic event- not only are children and their families matched with gifts and warm clothing from Santa Claus Inc., but these kids are often helped out with needs that come up throughout the year. They are not forgotten. The care and giving is year-round.

Look them up- if you are interested in donating to an organization with an army of volunteers who help clothe and bring joy to thousands (as in, over 750,000 people over the decades- that’s almost a million!), Santa Claus Inc. may be a great fit for your generosity.

And please remember: like most charities, Santa Claus Inc. does not ask whether a child or their family is Christian, agnostic, Jewish, atheist, a non-believer, or Muslim. This is a group that cares about the well-being of a child. That is all.

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Many other gifts are available for purchase- designer purses, gourmet baked goods, jewelry, photography services… all giving a portion of the profits to Santa Claus Incorporated.

IMG_9468AND WILL YOU LOOK AT THIS: what happens at our table? A friend of the family wins this beautiful tree! Congratulations, Tanya!

IMG_9452Those of us that didn’t win were able to partake of the adult beverages… I can personally vouch for the Bloody Marys.

I have tried very hard to be accurate about the details surrounding this wonderful event- any mistakes are mine alone, and I will get them corrected as soon as they are pointed out to me. I can attest to these facts- I didn’t win a tree again this year, boo! They make a mean Bloody Mary at the Santa Claus Inc. bar. We admit that once again,  we did take the leftover half of our table’s coffee cake home to my mom like we have for several years in a row (no sense in wasting good sweets!). Biker dudes and women are cool, and San Bernardino is beautiful.

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