A Different Plan - Part 2 (A New Plan)

Remember when I said I had a plan?

We had all the details worked out. A schedule for everyone.

But, God had a different plan.

Christmas Eve I was finished. All my presents were wrapped. The pie I would take for dinner was baked and ready. Hubby had someone to fill in for him for Christmas Eve service (just in case). I stayed home that evening to put Joseph to bed at 7:00.

Hubby got home about 8:30. He still had a few things to wrap. So, I puttered around on the computer for a bit while he finished up. Then, as had become our tradition for Christmas Eve, we watched "It's a Wonderful Life" and went to bed.

As we were getting ready for bed, I felt a bit uncomfortable. I thought it was indigestion. It would pass. And it did. Hubby wondered if it was something else.

Then, it happened again ... about 10 minutes later. Hmmm. This is different than any indigestion I'd had before. Hubby thought it was indigestion. I said, "I'm scheduled for a C-section in 36 hours."

It happened again. Hubby decided it was time to call.

Resigned sigh.

I called the doctor. He called his mother to stay with Joseph.

All previous plans went out the window and a whole new plan began.

The details of the trip to the hospital and the hours after we arrived are mostly a fog. We arrived almost simultaneously with 2 other couples. One delivered before me.

Cora arrived about 4 AM Christmas morning. Our Christmas baby.

The plan had changed, but oh what a beautiful present.

Mary had a plan too. She was getting married.

But God had a different plan.

There was a visit from an angel. She was going to have a baby.

A pregnancy she hadn't wanted. What would she tell her family? What would she tell Joseph? How would he react? What would he say? The questions multiplied as the days continued.

All previous plans went out the window and a whole new plan began.

Then there was a decree from Caesar. They had to go to Bethlehem. They wouldn't even be home when her baby arrived. She wouldn't have her mother to help her. Or the other local mid-wives. What if something happened while they were traveling? More questions. The plan changed again.


And while they were away, it happened. They tried to find a place to stay, but the city was crowded. A stable near an inn was all that was available. At least it was under some cover away from the elements.

The details are fuzzy. We don't know very much - and it doesn't matter.

Sometime that day, Jesus arrived. The Christmas baby.

The plan had changed, but oh what an amazing present!



Coming Soon ... Part 3 (Attitude Adjustment)

Cookie Marathon! Day 3

The Cookie Marathon continues today after a brief break yesterday, so that I could go work at my Dad's house.

Currently there are Date Nut Pinwheel logs in the freezer. Once they're frozen they'll be cut into cookies and baked, probably tomorrow morning.

Just to keep things real - this is what my kitchen looks like right now:

I've got to wash a bunch of dishes before I can do the next thing.  On days like this, I really wish I had 2 bowls for my mixer. I prepped the ingredients for the Cocoons while the filling for the pinwheels was cooking. So they will be next. Then I'll work on Chocolate Chip Cookies and make the dough for the Sugar Cookies.

Since we are likely to get several inches of snow tomorrow I think we'll probably finish up the kids' Christmas shopping tonight and we will bake the sugar cookies tomorrow while it snows. Sounds like fun to me!

If you'd like to see the rest of Cookie Marathon 2009 go here.

Updated Sat. AM:  I'm pretty much done with cookies. I got the Date Nut Pinwheels & Cocoons baked. One batch of Chocolate Chips baked and then I got sidetracked by getting ready for the big snow. (20-30 inches predicted as of this morning.) My kitchen has not yet recovered, but being stuck inside all day will give me plenty of opportunity to get it cleaned - assuming I don't get too distracted watching the snow. When I finally get it all together, I'm also hoping to make the Sugar Cookies with the kids today. I'll post a final update.

Cookie Marathon - Day 2 Update

It's 10:00 on Day 2 of the Cookie Marathon and I'm too tired to continue tonight.

So with here's what we've made:
Cinnamon Ornaments (okay, not a cookie, but we did make them)
Chocolate Crinkles (double batch)
Chocolate Chips
Turkish Hats
Reeses's Chewey Chocolate Cookies
Sugar Cookies
Date Nut Pinwheels
Cocoons
Chocolate Dingalings
Chocolate Crackers (recipe below)
Moravian Spice Cookie Wafers (delicious, but time consuming)
Rosenmunnar
Lemon Cake Mix Cookies (I added these while I was waiting for butter to soften this morning)

The Rosenmunnar turned out well. Not perfect, but really good. I love these cookies, but I've discovered this is a slightly finicky cookie. The recipe calls for cooking them 12-15 minutes, but I think you should start checking them at 8-9 minutes.

I'd really hoped to get the Date Nut Pinwheels into the freezer tonight, but it just didn't happen. I want to be sure we have several non-chocolate varieties to choose from in addition to all the chocolate laden cookies. They pinwheels will wait for another day.

Cookie Marathon! Day 2

The Cookie Marathon continues at my house today.

Here's where we are so far with my list:
Cinnamon Ornaments (okay, not a cookie, but we did make them)
Chocolate Crinkles - dough made, ready to bake
Chocolate Chips
Turkish Hats
Reeses's Chewey Chocolate Cookies
Sugar Cookies
Date Nut Pinwheels
Cocoons
Chocolate Dingalings
Chocolate Crackers (recipe below)
Moravian Spice Cookie Wafers (delicious, but time consuming)
Rosenmunnar (Swedish thumbprint cookies)


Planned for today:
Chocolate Chips
Chocolate Crinkles baked
Rosenmunnar (it's a cold, crisp day - a good day to make these)
Date Nut Pinwheels - dough & filling made, rolled and into freezer
Sugar Cookie Dough - ready for kiddos to cut & decorate tonight.

Chocolate Crackers
(printable recipe)

Ingredients:

• 1 Cup butter
• 1 Cup sugar (or brown sugar)
• 1 tsp vanilla
• 35-38 saltine crackers (~1 sleeve)
• 8 oz chocolate chips
• 1 Cup chopped nuts
  

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 325°.
   
2. Boil together butter, sugar, vanilla for 3 minutes. DO NOT STIR.
3. Line 10x15 cookie pan with sides* with foil, grease. Cover with saltine crackers.
4. Pour syrup (above) over and spread.
5. Bake at 325° for 8 minutes.
6. Remove from oven and score through middle and side of each cracker for easy separation later.
7. Sprinkle with chocolate chips. Spread as they melt.
8. Sprinkle lightly with finely chopped nuts.

Notes:
* A 10x15 cookie pan will fit the crackers perfectly. You will need to cut 2-3 down the middle to fill in one edge.
I've never tried using Reynolds Release Non-stick foil, but I think it would work well.
We like pecans on the top, but the nuts are really optional.

Be sure to come back and check on my progress!
You can see the other Cookie Marathon posts here.

DIY - Make Your Own Ornaments

Every year there is the dilemma... what to give a teacher? What to give the grandparents? Some are easier to find gifts for than others.

A few years ago, a friend gave me this very easy and inexpensive recipe for ornaments. It has now become a tradition in our house. We make them every year and give them to teachers, bus drivers, Sunday School teachers, grandparents, even the mail carrier!

Cinnamon Ornaments
(printable recipe) 
 

Supplies/Ingredients:

• ¾ Cup applesauce
• 1 Cup cinnamon (4.12 oz bottle)
• wax paper
• rolling pin
  
• cookie cutters
• 1 drinking straw
  

Directions:
1. Mix applesauce and cinnamon with hands in small bowl until smooth ball of dough is formed.

2. Using ~¼ of dough, roll dough to ¼ inch thickness between sheets of wax paper.

3. Peel off top sheet, cut into desired shapes with cookie cutter.

4. Make a hole in top with drinking straw.

5. Place ornaments on a lined baking sheet.*

6. Let stand 2-3 days, turning occasionally, until dry. OR, bake 2½ hours @ 200°.

7. Insert ribbon through hole and tie.

Notes:
* It is very important to line the baking sheet with waxed paper or parchment. If you dry them on an unlined baking sheet, the ornaments will react with the metal and discolor.
One recipe makes enough for 7 teachers, 1 bus driver and 3 grandparents for us, but it depends on the size of your ornaments.
You can get more ornaments by rolling the dough thinner, however thinner ornaments tend to break more easily.
You may also decorate these with opaque paint.

These ornaments are a whole lot of fun to make with the kids. They're also super cheap and that definitely Works for Me!

Do you have a fun craft you like to make with the kids each year?

Cookie Marathon!

The Cookie Marathon has been an off and on part of my Christmas traditions since I was a teenager.

I've been planning today's Cookie Marathon for several days, but unfortunately there have been some interruptions along the way...

1) Hubby didn't take as long Christmas Shopping as I thought he would.
2) I'm missing a few ingredients I thought I had on hand (not a huge deal, I'll just do those recipes tomorrow instead).
3) Joseph was sent home from school because he bumped his face on a shelf. He's got quite the shiner just below his eye and had originally said his vision was a bit blurry. He's currently at the Pediatric Ophthalmologist with Hubby.

A Cookie Marathon always starts with a little prep work. Usually you make sure you have all your ingredients for all the various recipes you want to make before you start.

I missed that one this year.

I have also found it very helpful to have plenty of cookie cooling space available

Yes, that's the Cookie Sheet covering that table. Underneath is the box of cookie tins. I'll be rooting through that box from time to time over the next few days.

I've started today with the Reese's Chewey Chocolate Cookies because they are quick and easy. They also tend to last the longest around our house. They are a favorite of hubby, but he doesn't come close to eating the whole batch. I'll post the recipe for those soon.

I've also made a batch of Turkish Hats, but for some reason I didn't get very many this year, so I'll have to make a second batch.

Here's the list of absolute must-have cookies at our house:
Chocolate Crinkles
Chocolate Chips
Turkish Hats
Reeses's Chewey Chocolate Cookies
Sugar Cookies
Date Nut Pinwheels
Cocoons - I'll have to dig up this recipe; Mom used to make them and my brother has requested them.

On the optional list are:
Chocolate Dingalings
Chocolate Crackers (can you tell we like chocolate at our house?)
Moravian Spice Cookie Wafers (delicious, but time consuming)
Rosenmunnar (Swedish thumbprint cookies)

And on the list of cookies I've never tried but would like to are:
Chocolate Thumbprints
Candy Cane Cookies
Gingerbread Cookies
Spritz cookies - I have several recipes to choose from.
Brown Sugar Cookies

Here's the current state of my back table:

What are your family's favorite cookies?

A Different Plan

Ever had a plan that didn't go exactly as planned? I had one. I had all the details worked out.

To start, my attitude stunk.

I was due on December 29. Four days after Christmas.

Uh oh.

I did not want to have a baby on Christmas Day.

Joseph was just 2 years old. This would be the first Christmas he was really aware of anything. I wanted to be there to watch him open presents. I wanted to see his face and hear his squeals. This was my son! We were starting our own family traditions. It was important for me to be there.

I did not want to have that baby on Christmas Day.

So, we made a plan and scheduled the C-section for December 26. We would go to my sister's for dinner on Christmas Day; Joseph would stay at her house that evening, so that Hubby and I could leave for the Hospital before dawn the next morning.

He would stay at my sister's that day and my father would bring him to the hospital to see his new sister. Then, my mother-in-law would stay with him at our house for several days while I was in the hospital. We had it all worked out.

God had a different plan.

Mary had plans. She was engaged to a kind man. They were going to be married.

She was making plans for their life together after the wedding. She gathered the things she would need; discussed the plans with her mother. How many bowls would she need? How many blankets?

She would take care of Joseph. She looked forward to cooking for him. Later they would have children. The families were excited. She would make a good wife and mother.

God had a different plan. A better plan.


Coming Soon... Part 2