“For last year’s words belong to last year’s language
And next year’s words await another voice.”
– T.S. Eliot, Four Quartets
Wishing you a beautiful New Year’s Eve and a blessed 2016!
Kristin
Happy New Year 2016!
categories: Uncategorized
Month: December 2015
Christmas Wreath Cookies
categories: Dessert
Okay, Friends! If you don’t have any cookies baked yet, you’re either not going to or you don’t have any quick, easy ideas. I can’t help you with the former, but here is a great recipe for the latter. My boys and I whipped these up today (for Santa and Mrs. Claus).
They are rich with butter, crumbly in the best kind of way, and packed with vanilla and almond flavors. I can almost guarantee that you have all the ingredients already (don’t quote me on that).
Wreath Cookies
1 C butter, softened
1/2 C sugar
2 1/4 C APF
1/4 t salt
1 egg
1/4 t almond extract
1/4 t vanilla bean paste (or extract)
5-7 drops of green food coloring
sprinkles
Preheat oven to 400F. Cream the butter and sugar together in a large bowl. Add the flour, salt, egg, almond extract, vanilla bean paste (or extract), and food coloring. Roll the dough into little balls and form a hole in the center (I used an icing tip). Put on the sprinkles. and place on an ungreased cookie sheet and bake for 10 – 12 minutes, or just before the cookies turn brown. Transfer to a rack to cool completely.
My boys also made these little masterpieces:
I let them go nuts with M&Ms, sprinkles, marshmallows, and icing. I think Santa will both enjoy them and go into a cookie coma!
Memories were made and that’s all that matters. <3
The Merriest of Christmases to you and your families! May you feel God’s love and know the real reason behind this special season.
God bless!
Kristin
Cross Themed Kindergarten & 3’s School Lunches
Here is one last lunch for the year! I actually made it last week, but forgot, in typical fashion, to post it.
I made a cross shaped apple butter sandwich. I also packed pita chips, yogurt covered raisins, cheese, red grapes, and an Italian almond cookie.
Blessings!
Kristin
Ornament Themed Kindergarten School Lunch
I only have one more special school lunch to make for this year, after today. I don’t even know where the time has gone!
**Red Dye #40 alert…below**
For tomorrow’s lunch, I made an ornament shaped sunbutter and apple butter sandwich. I used lots of colors to make it festive. I also packed pita chips, red grapes, colby jack cheese, a mandarin orange, and two little peppermint meringues that I made yesterday.
Kristin
Gingerbread Boy Kindergarten & 3’s School Lunches
Gingerbread is my absolute FAVORITE. I could eat it errday. Forrealz.
In honor of that, here’s my boys’ lunches for tomorrow:
I made gingerbread boy shaped apple butter sandwiches. I added details with Food Writers and chocolate covered sunflower seeds (which I also threw in the lunchbox, as well). I also packed snap pea crisps, red grapes, carrots (Smalls), corn (Bigs), yogurt with gingerbread boy sprinkles, and Trader Joe’s gingerbread boy cookies.
Gingerbread 4 life.
Kristin
Star of Bethlehem Kindergarten School Lunch
In his Kindergarten class, my son is studying Jesus’ special birth and all the events that led up to it. This season is so very important to our Christian faith and he’s so excited to be immersed in such a beautiful story each day in class. For tomorrow’s lunch, I made a ham and cheese Star of Bethlehem (lolz). That star (the real one, not the hammy version) is so symbolic of the birth of the baby who would go on to save us all, for all time, no matter the cost. The star shone so bright in the night sky, leading the Wise Men and others to the humble stable where our Savior was born.
I made a star shaped ham and cheese sandwich and I sprayed it gold with a bit of food safe spray. I also packed dried cranberries, pita chips, a mandarin orange, red grapes, a shortbread cookie, and a few red/green/white chocolate covered sunflower seeds.
May the light of the Lord shine brightly during this special season for all of you,
Kristin
Happy December! (And a Snowflaked Themed Lunch)
Happy Happy December! Is it cold where you are? Are you wearing boots and scarves? Making snowmen? Dancing in the falling snow?
Welp. I’m in shorts. With my A/C on. Dreaming about a cold winter. It’s a pipe dream, really, for us Florida folks.
So, I’m pretending it’s cold. My house is DECKED out in Christmas, I drink hot chocolate, I wear Christmas themed t-shirts. I’m trying, people.
I wanted to make a special December 1st lunch for my big boy for today, but I had a horrible migraine. So, I am made some today for both my boys for tomorrow.
A chilly, wintry themed one.
I made snowflake shaped jam sandwiches and added details with my Food Writers. I also packed goldfish crackers, colby jack cheese, dried cranberries, a mandarin orange (Bigs), a Go-Gurt (Bigs), grapes (Smalls), and a snowball donut (that was leftover from the special breakfast our elf Duncan [Donuts] brought the boys this morning).
“Silently, like thoughts that come and go, the snowflakes fall, each one a gem.”
-William Hamilton Gibson
Blessings!
Kristin