Adoption movie

I just watched a wonderful movie titled "October Baby".  It is a very touching movie.  I watched it twice.  Of course I cried too.  I really liked to lyrics to the songs too.  I hope others will watch this movie and see the beauty in adoption.

It is SNOWING!!

The snow has come!!  I love it.  I bet it will be gone by Christmas though.

Puzzle Pieces of Adoption

I went to an adoption conference a little over a year ago and I was thinking about it today.  I recall while sitting through one of the seminars, that a thought came to me, "adoption is like a big puzzle".  I remember thinking that my husband and I needed to look harder for our birthmother puzzle piece.  I hope that through our more concerted efforts of late, that we will be blessed with that piece to our puzzle.  Our prayers go out to all women who are considering this great act of love: Adoption.

Our 'Halls" have been "Decked"

All year long our 4 tubes of Christmas decorations sit in the basement.  They exploded into the house and it looks very festive now.  Here's a look at a few of the decorations.

 The stockings are hung by the chimney with care...

 While visions of sugar plums (or candy canes) danced in their heads.

 On Dasher, on Prancer, on Comet...and all the others.

Glædelig jul is Merry Christmas is Danish.  My mothers side is from Denmark and this year I added some Danish style paper decorations.  

 The green tulle wreath I made at a craft day at church.

The reason for the season is our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ.  We are so thankful for Him.  Let us all remember the 'Christ" in Christmas!!  Merry Christmas to all!!

Fall Birthday... x3

So all the guys in our family have FALL Birthdays.

                                                               Andrew is now 16!!

Our family friend, Iona, made Andrew's cake.  She knows how much Andrew loves hot dogs, so she thought hot dog candles would be the perfect thing for him.

Jeff is also 16 plus a few more years.

Oxford had his 3rd birthday on October 17th, 2012.

He enjoyed a yummy meal to celebrate.

Family Recipes...Part Two

**Christmas brings more recipes out.  My mother would make Sunrise Cake as Jesus' birthday cake each Christmas Day.  She got the recipe from her sister.  It is one of my favorite cakes due to the almond extract!!

Sunrise Cake
2 cups self-rising flour
2 cups sugar
1 cup cooking oil
6 whole eggs
1 teaspoon almond extract

Sift the flour and sugar and set aside.  In a large bowl, beat the oil and eggs with a mixer.  Add the sugar/flour mixture and then the almond extract. Beat for 10 minutes at medium speed.  Bake in greased tube pan for 1 hour at 325 degrees.  Cool for 30 minutes before removing.

Glaze
1 cup powdered sugar
1 TBSP butter 
Add milk until right consistency.

Pour over cooled cake top.


**Another one I love is the Apricot candy mom would make for the holidays.  I have not been successful in getting mine to set up right, but I do try.

Apricot Candy
3/4 cup sugar
1/2 cup milk
12 oz. dried apricot, chopped
2 cups walnuts
2 cups raisins

Cook on pan until thick. Roll in waxed paper logs.  Cool.  Cut into disc shape and roll in powdered sugar.
Makes 3 logs.


**No-Bake Cookies were my older sisters favorite cookie while growing up.

No-Bake Cookies

1/2 cup butter
2 cups sugar
1/2 cup milk
Boil together for 4 minutes.

Remove from heat and stir in:
2 cups rolled oats
1/2 cup coconut flakes
1/2 cup cocoa
1 TBSP vanilla

Mix well, drop by TBSP onto waxed paper.

**One of my favorites to make all year long are Sugar Cookies.  I have a very large collection of cookie cutters for all seasons.  I do like to make sugar cookies for my holiday cookie plates that I make for friends. This recipe is from a family friend, Barbara Anderson.  We always used her recipe.

Sugar Cookies
Cream together:
1 cup shortening
1 2/3 cups sugar

Combine:
1 cup sour cream
2 eggs
2 tsp vanilla

Sift:
2 tsp baking powder
1 tsp salt
1 1/2 tsp soda
 5 cups flour

Add dry ingredients alternately with the liquid and cream ingredients.  Roll out 1/4" thick. Roll out on powdered sugar instead of flour.  Cut with cookie cutters. Bake on greased cookie sheets, 8-10 minutes at 375 degrees.


** This next recipe was for special occasions.  The French Pear Pie is a yummy treat.

French Pear Pie
5 Bartlett pears
3 TBSP frozen orange juice concentrate

1/2 tsp grated lemon peel

Peel and core pears and slice thinly.  Toss lightly with undiluted juice concentrate and lemon peel.  Place fruit in unbaked 9" pie shell.

Mix together the crumb topping:
3/4 cup flour
1/2 cup sugar
1/8 tsp salt
1/2 tsp ground ginger
1/3 cup butter

Mix together until crumbly.  Sprinkle evenly over the pears, being careful to cover all the pears.  Bake at 400 degrees for 40 minutes or until fruit is tender.

You can maybe understand from this posting, that I really enjoy sweet treats.  I will work to find some savory recipes for the next Family Recipe post.  I hope you try some of these recipes out!!

Momma Duck

This summer a momma duck chose our front yard to be her nesting spot.  We have this quarter circle with flowers, and she started to nest right in the corner, against the house.  I watched her day after day.  I got a look into her nest while she was off feeding and I saw 8 eggs.  A couple days later I saw 10 eggs.  I did some research and it said the momma duck lays one egg a day, once the last egg is laid, then it would take up to three weeks for all the eggs to hatch.  Each day I would check on the momma duck and tell her she was being a good momma.  She tolerated me while I did yard work and watered the flowers from time to time.  I missed the hatching as I was on  trip to Boston.  I was a little sad to have missed this.  I did see the chicks with their momma down in the creek.  They were so cute.

I thought of a parallel with the momma duck and our hopes to adopt.  We need a birthmother to choose our house and us to raise her baby, just as the momma duck thought our front yard would be a safe place to lay her eggs.  I hope we can be chosen soon.

The chicks have all grown up now and spent their days at the pond across the street from our house.  I wish I could tell which ones were our ducks, but they all look the same.  Maybe next summer we will have another nest in our front yard.