"CHRISTMAS IN JULY"/GIVEAWAY

WELCOME to "CHRISTMAS in JULY" @ my home.
We are going to start the month off with a "Home Tour"
of sorts.

But before we get started if anyone is here for
the ITALIAN STONE GIVEAWAY Click HERE
& it will take you to enter the Giveaway....

We will be going through the house as if we
were a guest..Consider yourself as my
Honored guest!

So the first thing we see is the PORCH...I really
want people to feel a Warm Welcome as they
approach my home. (Usually there is something
baking in the oven & the smells hopefully will make
your mouth water)...

This Santa I made @ a Beverly's Christmas

Workshop with a wonderful friend teaching us

how to paint them.

A few yrs. ago I was in Target & found this darling

"Welcome to the Warming House" sign & thought

"I know right where that will go!" The Snowmen

caught my eye in Walmart about 10 yrs. ago. & they

are a darling pair on the window sill each year!

The standing Santa alot of us women

made for Super Saturday at church

(when it was August or Sept. yrs. ago) The

lantern I just love because of the English

"Dickens" feel it gives to the porch.

I love cute signs..This one says "Home baked

Cookies", Hugs and Kisses, & "Lots of Giggles"...

And then there's Santa's mailbox which of course

says "Ho Ho Ho"...

Upon entering the house you probably smell

Cinnamon Rolls coming out of the oven..That happens

alot in this home. Then to your right are collections..

Does anybody else have alot of collections that they

have started over the years??? This started out as

my mother's little ski village 40 yrs ago. & now it

takes up 3 long Living room tables.

Do you see the Chalet in the back? My daughters

lovingly got that for me because I really liked the one in

"Christmas Vacation" & everybody should have a

wonderful "Advent" calender to countdown for Christmas!

I love all the village people & the square..

Sorry the next two are so blurry!!!

This is part of my Angel Collection.

I love my Nativity Collections of all

styles & sizes.

I got this Nativity in Australia 35 yrs.ago

And the beautiful velvet angel @ Costco a

number of yrs. back.

Costco was a great place to find the Caroler's I had

always wanted.

Another Caroler only she is holding a light..Would you

believe another find @ Costco about 25 yrs ago?

All my fellow buddy Teddy Bears &

Santa from "Polar Express" Don't you

just LOVE that movie??? Do you have a

"BELIEVE BELL?" I do..I make them to

sell @ my Christmas Boutique & "I hear the

BELL..Do YOU?

I really Love Christmas Trees.
All styles & shapes.

Below is my "Atonment Tree" sharing

the Best Reasons for the Season!
Inspired by a lovely gracious friend who

had one in her house & I thought that was

an inspirational idea!!! The PRESENTS

& GIFTS which are freely given to each

of us are THE ATONMENT, HOPE, JOY,

& LOVE..

This is one of my Favorite & Best Christmas Sellers

I make each year for the Santa's Gift Shoppe

Boutique I have in my home. Little tip: Just place

mini lights behind the glass & you have a beautiful effect.

One of my favorite things to make/sell & have in

my Home all year long...."Christ is the center of the

HOME, a guest at every meal, and a quiet listener

to every conversation." There is Peace & Harmony
more..just having this saying in our home.

I hope you have enjoyed our Christmas Tour

of the first room (our living room) & have gotten

some inspiration for your own "Christmas Home"

(If there is anything that I make/sell & you

would like to order..just let me know by email)

How to make Aebleskivers (Danish Pancakes)

Well the title of this post is:
How to make Aebleskivers....It's even
hard to pronouce but I hope to
show you how through this tutorial.

THE TOP PHOTO SHOWS YOU THE END
RESULT (or what we hope they will look like)
with a selection of my homemade jams: Straw-
berry/Boysenberry, Strawberry/Raspberry/
Blueberry, & Strawberry/Blackberry..Ymmm!!

This is a family tradition I remember my
mother making these a lot..not just at Christmas..
but all the time!! She was Norwegian (& was
raised by her Norwegian grandmother who
did not speask any English)

One of her favorite places was Solvang (a Danish
Community by Santa Barbara/Buellton area..
Calif.) where she got her pan (as well as I did)

According to Wikipedia, Aebleskiver
(Danish meaning apple slices, are traditional
Danish pancakes in a distinctive shape of a
sphere) They have been described as a cross
between a pancake & a popover... They are light
& fluffy & delicious with jams & confectioners
sugar or syrup & butter...

RECIPE

Mix together:
1 1/2 C. Flour
1/2 tsp. Baking Soda
1 Tbsp. Baking Powder
1/4 tsp. Salt

Beat together with a whisk or fork:
1 C. Buttermilk
2 Eggs
1 C. Sour Cream

Below: are some of the dry ingredients (I only
had dry Buttermilk which when mixed with water
is the same as regular buttermilk) I hope that doesn't
confuse you...I should not have had the buttermilk
in the picture or sour cream.



Below: These are the dry ingredients: Flour, Baking Soda,
Baking Powder & Salt in a bowl.

Below: These are the wet ingredients: Buttermilk,
Eggs, & Sour Cream

Below: This is how it looks mixed together (dry
& wet ingredients)

Below: This is the original Aebleskiver Pan..
You can get the original in Solvang or probably
online...Now I see similar ones everywhere..but
I don't know if they heat the same or are as
heavy & sturdy as this one is..It should last a
lifetime.



To Make: Combine the dry & wet ingredients
until smooth..put 1/2-1 tsp. oil in each space in
the aebleskiver pan. (I tried several different
ways: Non-stick spray burnt them, not enough
oil made the outside mushy, butter would probably
burn) The Canola Oil worked well..
Heat the pan until Hot...You should hear
the oil sizzle...before adding the batter.
Below shows you how they bubble like
regular pancakes (when they are ready to be
turned)

This is the tricky part..The Solvang people
say to turn them in 1/4 turns..Which I have tried
to show you here in the following 4 photos.

You can turn them completely over the first
time but it will be a flatter sphere & not as
fluffly inside..It should be round all the way around.

My mother turned them with a knitting needle..I
found a wooden skewer grabbed it the best.
I have seened people use a fork to turn them as well.

Below: This shows you how they should

look when done...Crisp on the outside &

soft/fluffy on the inside...

After you put them on your serving plate sprinkle

Powdered Sugar on top (either with a special

can for sprinkling or take a sifter..here is a smaller

sifter size for rolls & such)

and now dip them into your favorite jam or

melted butter & syrup....is your mouth

watering yet???

AND ENJOY!!!!

Christmas Ideas For Your Home

Merry Christmas!!! Only 10 days
& 4 hrs til Christmas Day 2009!
This is our Family Room fireplace,
lighted garland, wreath & stockings.
Does it make you feel Warm & Cozy?

I hope you've been enjoying the wonder
of the season...especially family &
friends...I have..We had a great time
at the boutique...Saw old friends &
made new ones!!!

As soon as santasgiftshoppe was over
we had to tear down & rearrange for our
annual Christmas Party (our 20th this yr)
So it's been a hectic few weeks...

I thought I'd give you a look at some of
the vignettes (in our home) in hopes to
inspire you as to some simple things that
you can do to bring a big impact into your
own home.

This is a favorite wall of mine..The Gingerbread

wall..

This is a lighted garland strung over the China

cabinet that is filled with A Christmas Dish
Collection. Some special Christmas items are atop

the China cabinet.

This home "Believes" I love that saying..

and ours does!!!

More Gingerbread men..

They are a favorite of mine, too!!

Above is an idea that is so simple...To change the

"look" of your Kitchen into a "Christmas Kitchen"

just make or buy RED curtains & instantly you have

changed the atmosphere to "Christmasy."

And last on the tour today is the bath.

Why shouldn't it look "Christmasy"

too??? All we did is put a poinsettia plant,

a Christmas Tree & a quilt wall hanging...

Plus on the wall (you can"t see) is our

"Elf Clock" easy to make out of card

stock...Their fun & cute!!

COME BACK SOON!! The RECIPE for

"The Chocolate Tower" Christmas

Dessert....will be on the blog!! You'll

really want to try this one!!

HOME FOR CHRISTMAS

REMEMBER WHEN...??? This is a photo of
Christmas Past..around 1961. Barbies,
Shoe Skates, Record Players..some things
remembered...

We always had a Charlie Brown type-
Christmas Tree...Even though you could see
through it's branches (& cost under $3) it was
BEAUTIFUL to me... because of the FAMILY
SPIRIT of LOVE that surrounded it...

Another "Christmas" Memory...Cousins

in N.Y...Dollies: Tiny Tears, Betsy Wetsy...

Below is a Family tradition...Mom's Annual

Cookie Bake for us & the neighborhood kids..

She taught us how to bake cookies (from scratch)

& have the kids decorate their cans...fill them up

with their treasures they made to take home to

share with their families..

And last is the original type "Christmas Village"

(from the 60's/70's) Do you remember those??

with little plastic houses w/lights in it???

It looks a lot different than our Grand "Christmas

Villages" we have now...A simpler time/a simpler village..

These are but a few memories I have of Christmas'
Past..but THE MOST MEMORABLE CHRISTMAS

for me was when I was in another country far away for

(1 1/2 yrs) I was going to marry someone..but decided

against it & had a FEELING I needed to be "HOME

for Christmas" (no matter what) in 1976.

I'm glad I listened to that feeling..because that

was my "Last Christmas" with my Dad...He died

a few months later..unexpectedly @ age 56.

It was the "UN TANGIBLE" precious gift of

"Love & Time" I got to spend with my Dad &

Family...I remember most & Grateful for!!!

***People ask why do you want to have a Christmas

Boutique?? Rearrange your house...all that

time, work, & trouble...

My answer is to UPLIFT & SHARE with the

community...the Christmas Spirit, the wonder

& enchantment of the Season..Things I have been

blessed by my family & growing up with..ideas to

bring families closer together.... free gifts, tips....

Seeing people smile & be happy even with hard

economic times...there's a lot to Love & Share...

WHAT WAS YOUR MOST MEMORABLE

CHRISTMAS GIFT??? (tangible or intangible)

Please leave a comment...We would all love

to hear.....Thanks for visiting!!!!!!

"Thank You" for sharing your "Christmas Memories" on our 1st GIVEAWAY

This is what we gave away....... A "Cutie-Pie"

3 piece Mother/Daughter apron set w/Bow....

We will post the WINNER on Monday Oct. 12, 2009.

We had sooooo much FUN, we are going to do it

again in November....next month.....so keep

checking back to see when.....I've already decided

to GIVEAWAY a 12x12 Italian Stone w/Vinyl

Lettering on it.....

*********( *This particular GIVEAWAY

will be open to USA residents ONLY)********

I WISH to extend a HEARTFELT "Thank You"

to ALL who shared their "Favorite Christmas

Memory" with us....They were all wonderful to

read and inspiring in many cases...(some new

traditions to put into our Christmas' in the

future.)

Thought I would show you one of my "helpers."

She was a BIG help as you can see....

This is our cat "ELLIE"... She is a fun,

investigative, & "makes me laugh" kind

of Kitty....We adore her...She really likes to

get "Up Close & Personal"... I think the

PINK attracted her attention....or maybe

it was all those polka-dots...

A SPECIAL Thanks goes out to my Friend

"Sharlene" and her precious daughter "ELLA"

for being such GREAT Models for the aprons...