A last time idea,just in case you have some leftover black olives and cream cheese. And it's so in theme! Penguins love snow,they love it so much they might move over here! I made them for DDs birthdays and people were just staring at them,kind of reluctant to eat them,they thought of them being too pretty for being edible.Don't worry,they were gone in no time!
Recipe belongs to Kellie in SLO @ zaar.Quantities can be changed,of course.

1. For the tummy:Cut a slit lengthwise from top to bottom in each jumbo olive.Fill the cavity of each jumbo olive with about 1 tsp of cream cheese.
2. For the happy feet: Cut carrot into 1/4 inch slices, then out of each slice cut a small notch (this is your penquin's feet), save the piece you cut out this will become the beak.
3. For the beak:Cut a small slit in the center of each small olive and press the cut out piece of carrot into the hole with the pointed end out.
4. Assembly:Using a frill toothpick, stack head (small olive), body (large olive) and feet (carrot slice), adjusting so that beak, cream cheese breast and notch in carrot slice line up.

Do you want to know how my day went??? I was a disaster in the kitchen,my jam cookies turned into Persian raisin cookies,my lemon drops I had to stick two of them together with lemon curd,my coconut balls,Rafaello,will turn into white fudge. Even though I screwed up pretty much everything,except Chocolate Peanuttis, it hit me that I didn't throw out anything and I managed to turn it into something else.That has to count for something.And do you know what my daughter told me at the end of the day? "Mommy your the best cookie maker in the whole world!" So it was so worth it to screw up  if I got the credit from them.Yeah,the little one kept munching,she could only manage "tootie",as she doesn't talk yet.
The cookies in the photo are from two years ago,decorated by Jenifer,who was very careful that the cookies got all the body parts and we use it to decorate the tree.I think by now is missing the legs,since Stephanie tried to chew on it. But it's still hanging on the tree.

I want to wish all of you who read my blog,commented,requested it by email and all the other technical stuff, Happy Holidays and may they be exactly the way you want them! I'm really hoping that the next year will bring me what I'm wishing for and I'll share it with you as soon as it comes true.Keeping my fingers crossed for myself and for all of you,who have special wishes.

I received this card tonight and I felt like I was in a magic world.Hope you enjoy it as much as I did.
Merry Christmas!

CLICK HERE to see the holiday card! Merry Xmas!

I found this little gem in Australian Women Weekly's biscuits and slices and I always make these cookies.I've tried them with almond,peanuts,sesame seeds and walnuts.



Ingredients:
125 gr butter
1 teaspoon vanilla essence
1/2 cup sugar
1 egg
1 1/4 self raising flour
2 tablespoon cocoa
3/4 unsalted dry roasted peanuts
extra 1 cup unsalted dry roasted peanuts(for rolling)

Beat butter, vanilla, sugar and egg till smooth. Stir in flour and cocoa, then peanuts. Make small balls - or bigger if you like them bigger- roll in extra nuts, place on greased oven tray, flatten slightly. Allow a few cm between cookies. Bake in moderate oven for about 15 minutes or until firm. Cool.

This is Lainey6605's recipe and I made them last Christmas and they were great! Went really fast too!



Ingredients:
1 cup sweetened flaked coconut
1 cup all purpose flour
1 1/4 cups confectioner's sugar
pinch of salt
6 tablespoons unsalted butter, softened
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
4 teaspoons milk

1. Grind 1/2 cup of the coconut in food processor.
2. Chop remaining coconut and set aside.
3. Add flour, 1/4 cup of the confectioners' sugar and the salt.
4. Pulse to blend
5. Add butter and vanilla; pulse until dough comes together.
6. Heat oven to 350 degrees.
7. Roll dough into 1-inch balls.
8. Place dough balls 1 inch apart on an ungreased baking sheet.
9. Bake cookies until firm but tender, 15 minutes.
10. Remove to rack, let cool completely.
11. In small bowl, stir together remaining 1 cup confectioners' sugar and enough milk until smooth but still thick.
12. Dip cookies in glaze (about 1/2 t for each), letting it drip down sides.
    Dip in chopped coconut and set aside for glaze to dry.

I was going through my reviews and this recipe popped up twice and since I made it last year and had quite a few people wondering how to make it, I knew it's about time I posted it in here too.I still haven't finished transfering my recipes,but what can I do if I keep making new ones .This is SweetPQ's recipe,I haven't heard from her in quite some time.Hope she's OK.




IIngredients
2 1/2 quarts popped corn (remove unpoppped kernels)
1 cup granulated sugar

When I think of Dreamer in Ontario,this recipe comes to mind.It's so easy ,fast and delicious that you'll try them for sure.



Ingredients:
granulated sugar
1/2 lb puff pastry,defrosted

Ok,it was quite small,but our town is quite small too-about 40,000 population. I live on the 8th floor so up here it was quite warm looking the weather.That was just until we arrived downstairs.Two little daughters with myself,little's little in the stroller and we went to the Christmas market.It was cold.Freezing cold,but luckily it's a five minute walk from my home.Initially,we planned to stop somewhere else too,but it was just too cold.
The best thing about the market was that there were no Chinese products,everything was made locally.
Handmade cushions with pretty details.
These things were made by the children and the money went for charity.We got the ornament with the dried orange.Isn't that a neat idea???

I wasn't keeping it a secret (already posted about it in my Romanian blog),but we already set up the Christmas tree. This year,somehow,everything started so early and I'd rather have my kids feel the holidays spirit now and not after Christmas is over.
In Europe,on the night between December 5th and 6th St Nicholas comes.My Jenifer calls him Santa's little brother. He brings presents for the good kids and a stick for the naughty ones. So we set up the tree that evening.
In our family,we have a tradition:we collect Christmas decorations and share memories about them around the holidays.
I've received these ornaments from Laura,lalaloula as you might know her. It was last year around this time that we 've heard of eachother at the Holiday tag game and she wanted to send me a Christmas package because she thought I was a nice person. Now talk about nice,who the nicest person in this story is? Not a lot of people would do this.These beautiful ornaments were in the package and everybody here adores them.
The photo frame,comes from Toranosuke,my little student from Osaka,from the days when I use to teach there.I left Japan just when the Christmas holiday started and I was overwhelmed by the number of presents I received . I asked this kid's mother why she gave me a present and she said:"Because everytime you'll look at the frame you'll remember my son."And she was so right.

These are the cookies that we've made a couple of years ago with Jenifer.Did you notice her attention to detail? This year we'll try the cute animal cutters and I'll go shopping next week to search for the seasonal ones.

Tree is being decorated now.

Everyone's helping...

But someone got tired!
And here it is our little golden and red themed tree.I'm against having a real tree,I really see no sense in cutting a tree for a few days.

We still look for decorations but haven't seen anything special yet!

I had to share the beautiful cards that I got at the Holiday Card Swap. I decided that I won't send my relatives cards this year,since in the past I didn't even get a thank you. My kids really enjoyed looking in the mail box every day,they were kind of uses after I took part in the post card swap.
This card is from LeahMarie:
And the other one is from 4-H-Mom.

We're expecting even more cards since I signed up at Kittencal's as well,lots of friends there too. My daughter,Jenifer,is working on a couple of surprise cards that she wants to send.
I want to thank to the nice ladies that I was teamed up for their lovely cards.Happy Holidays!

Afrikaans:Geseënde Kersfees
Australia: Ave a Bonza Chrissy,Mate!
English:Merry Christmas
Farsi: Christmase shoma mobarak boshe
French: Joyeux Noel
German: Fröhliche Weihnachten
Greek: Kala Christouyenna
Hungarian: Kellemes Karacsonnyi Unnepeket
Italian: Buon Natale
Japanese: Kurisumasu Umedetou
Portuguese: Feliz Natal
Romanian: Craciun fericit!
Spanish:Feliz Navidad



I'd like to add more to this list,so if you know how to say Merry Xmas in another language please leave a comment and I'll update. thank you and Merry Christmas to you all! Ho-ho-ho

Still haven't finished transfering my review from the zaar.Made this in May and as I'm searching for Christmas gifts,I'll put it in here as I might use it.



Ingredients:
2 cups sugar
1 1/2 cups instant coffee
1 cup non-dairy powdered coffee creamer
1/2 cup cocoa
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon

In bowl mix all ingredients.
Place in sealed container for up to six months.
To Use: Add 2-3 tbs to a large mug of hot water.