Christmas | I Tri and Craft

December 23, 2013
by Dawn Marie Leave a comment

Menu Plan Monday Dec. 23 ~ Candy Cane Shortbread Blossoms

Ah, it’s finally the week of Christmas. Oh wait, holy cow! it’s the week of Christmas.

I was really sure I had so much more time.

The holiday week means less meal planning for me. So I decided to share a cookie recipe. We made some cookies for Ian’s school party and I decided to try a new one.

These cookies are inspired by the peanut butter blossoms. You know the ones with the Hershey’s Kisses placed in the warm cookies?

During the holidays Hershey’s makes a Candy Cane Kiss. They are super scrumptious. I’m not gonna lie, I have taken a bag (or two) to ‘share’ (with myself) before.

Candy Cane Shortbread Blossoms

Makes about 2 dozen cookies

Hershey’s Candy Cane Kisses, unwrapped
2 1/2 c. Flour
1 c. Butter, softened cut into cubes
6 Tblsp Sugar (6 tablespoon= 1/4 c. + 2 tablespoons)

In a mixing bowl combine flour and sugar. Cut in butter using a pastry blender or a blade attachment for your stand mixer. Add butter squares one at a time and blend until mixture resembles fine crumbs and starts to cling.
Form into a ball and knead until smooth.
Shape dough into 1-inch balls, place on cookie sheet and flatten. (shortbread doesn’t behave like other cookie dough so it will not flatten out when baked
Bake in 325° oven for 20-25 minutes, until center starts to set. While cookies are baking unwrapped enough kisses for the number of cookies.
Immediately press a Candy Cane Kiss into center of cookie and let cool on cookie sheet for five minutes.
Transfer to a wire rack, let cool until kisses harden.

Menu Plan 12/23-12/29

Mon: Slow Cooker Parmesan Chicken with Rice

Tue: Christmas Eve ~ out with family

Wed: Christmas dinner at my Sisters. We will be having ham, potatoes, rolls, caramelized carrots.

Thr: Hopefully we will be out going to see our Zoo Lights

Fri: Aunt & Uncles Christmas Party

Sat: Kitchen is Closed

Sun: Do I really have to start cooking again?

Happy Cooking

Need something to help plan your meals? I use the Plan to Eat online meal planner. Try it free for 30 days

Find more recipes at I’m an Organizing Junkie

December 22, 2013
by Dawn Marie Leave a comment

12 Days of Christmas Tradition ~ Day 7

One of the reasons I love the Christmas holiday is the traditions.

I love reviving old family traditions, and making new ones. I love remembering fondly the things that I did as a child at Christmas time and the things I couldn’t wait to do again.

As an adult, I get to make sure our family participates in our traditions and make new ones.

When I was little we used to go to a Breakfast with Santa. We would get dressed up and go downtown to Meier & Frank department store. (OK, I am gonna be honest and say I don’t really know if that was where it was held, but that’s what I remember. It might have happened elsewhere and my family will correct me when they read this)

In a gigantic beautifully decorated room we would have breakfast and Santa would show up. We all took turns getting our pictures with Santa and telling him what we wanted for Christmas.

I don’t really remember the details, but I remember the magic and the joy I felt.

I later found out we stopped doing it because the event deteriorated. The last year we attended we didn’t get a breakfast, but a box with a PB&J sandwich, or something like that. Plus the quality of the event was more cheap then magical. My mom decided it wasn’t worth it anymore.

Last year I decided I had to find a Breakfast with Santa event for us.

I found McMenamins, a local brewery & restaurant, hosts a Santa Breakfast. I love McMenamins so I thought it would be perfect. They have many wonderful restaurants around town.

Both last year and this year, I bought tickets too late, so I didn’t get the location I wanted. The last available location was at the Crystal Ballroom, a magnificent venue for concerts.

It is a buffet breakfast, but a good one because McMenamins has good food.

Santa comes early and you can go up at anytime to talk to him and take pictures. They don’t have a professional photographer, you just take your own.

Then all the kids run around and have a great time.

I love doing this because the kids don’t have to wait for hours in a line to see Santa. I will visit Santa this way for as long as I can.

What are your Christmas Traditions?

December 21, 2013
by Dawn Marie Leave a comment

12 Days of Christmas Tradition ~ Day 6

One of the reasons I love the Christmas holiday is the traditions.

I love reviving old family traditions, and making new ones. I love remembering fondly the things that I did as a child at Christmas time and the things I couldn’t wait to do again.

As an adult, I get to make sure our family participates in our traditions and make new ones.

Can you say COOKIES!!!

Of course we have a Christmas Cookie Tradition. Although it used to be me and my sister making cookies. In the past she has been known to make a ridiculous amount of cookies.

We need to make cookies for Ian’s school Christmas party. So I enlisted the help of Ian. And of course that meant Sid had to join the fun.

They each got to roll some out and use the cookie cutters.

But they got bored soon, and I had to finish the project.

We didn’t end up frosting them. The boys got sick and we ended up running out of time. But then again, no frosting might be better for a room full of preschoolers.

What are your Christmas Traditions?

December 20, 2013
by Dawn Marie Leave a comment

12 Days of Christmas Tradition ~ Day 5

One of the reasons I love the Christmas holiday is the traditions.

I love reviving old family traditions, and making new ones. I love remembering fondly the things that I did as a child at Christmas time and the things I couldn’t wait to do again.

As an adult, I get to make sure our family participates in our traditions and make new ones.

One tradition that has expanded over the years is our Gingerbread House Day.

all the little houses

Some of my cousins have started competing with each other for the highly coveted status of ‘Top Shelf’. It is given out by their mom, she puts her favorite house on the top of bookshelf in her living room.