More Preparations

Cookie baking and candy making are in full swing here! On today's schedule: Put the icing on the brownie bites and finish making the Peppermint Patties. We ran out of chocolate for the patties, so a grocery trip also is on the schedule. Oh yes, and buy a tree! We always go with a real tree, so we wouldn't want it up much earlier than this anyhow, but the kids are champing at the bit and ready to finish decorating.

Actually, there's a lot more on the schedule, but why get further behind by stopping to list it all? Nothing like heading to the kids' Christmas Concerts to remind us to enjoy all the hustle-and-bustle along with the lovely moments where you get to be still and just savour what is happening! The Christmas Concerts Were a first for both, as it's a small gymnasium, so they usually split the grades into Christmas concert and Spring Concert. Tthis year they did three nights in a row of Christmas concerts, so we attended two of those. They both did a lovely job, and are both doing great with their French! Vive le Vent d'Hiver!



The other night, in between rounds of snow shovelling (lots and lots this year! Will have to take photos for the next post!) we enjoyed painting gingerbread cookies together. This has become one of our traditions, though I prefer the sugar cookies to gingerbread (but there is always next year) and the fun is the same either way. The kids wanted to use the ninjabread cutters as well, so we did, and now have Ninja-Santas. Also the Grinch, Tobias Fünke in his Blue Man getup, ginger-elves, and Bonhomme. 

I found a new recipe for the Peppermint Patties, and it is way easier to work with than the last one I tried. Of course, last time I made these, I did also have a new baby, so that does colour the memory slightly! Still, I know these are a lot easier, because rather than rolling and cutting the filling, in this version the filling can be shaped into balls and flattened by hand, which is way, way speedier, if less uniform.

Also, I used chop-sticks instead of fondue forks for dipping the filling, and it worked great! For some reason, I had the idea to use my new mesh rack for the patties to cool on, but it was a very  bad idea. Stick with wax paper. To remove the patties from the mesh rack, we inverted it and set a warm cookie sheet onto it. My husband figured out that if we propped up the rack with chop-sticks above the pan that they'd be able to drop freely, and most were none the worse for wear, with the others being delicious and eaten.

The kids enjoyed crushing peppermints for decorating the patties, and did a great job as Candy-Sprinklers. My eldest also is enjoying taking photos, so she gets photo credit on several of these!












Sewing and knitting continue. I am almost finished the tuque. I was finished earlier in the week, only it was too short. Sigh. Had to unravel the lining part-way, unravel the tuque itself partway, and then add to both before getting to the decreases. It looks to be a better fit now, but I was hoping to be done and on to finishing the mittens by now! Ah well, better it takes longer and fits right in the end!