A Few of My Favorite Things

Okay, it's been a while since I last posted. What can I say? I've been sewing and shopping and playing with grandchildren and recovering. I've also been lazy. Our tree is up and decorated and many of our seasonal ornaments are on display but I have not photographed them. You are going to have to be satisfied with a couple more blocks from my Someday Christmas Quilt and a holiday meme.



Erin was recently tagged to do a 5 Random Things Meme. She left the tag open for anyone who wanted to play. I decided to take her up on the offer with a slight variation: mine will be 5 of My Favorite Things During the Holidays:

1. My favorite Christmas CD is Christmastime by Ricky Tims. I fell in love with it when I was working in the gift shop of the La Conner Quilt Museum; I played it all the time! Finally I had to just break down and buy a copy for myself ;- )

2. My favorite holiday movies are "A Boyfriend for Christmas" and "Borrowed Hearts." Confession time: one of my favorite things about this time of year is all the hokey, cheesy, wholesome made-for-TV movies. My television is almost always turned on to either the Hallmark channel or Lifetime these days. I'm a sucker for a happy ending. On the other hand, I can't bear to watch the animated holiday movies of the 1960's anymore, even in the name of nostalgia.

3. My favorite holiday treat: Teuscher's champagne truffles. DH and I used to share a couple of these on New Year's Eve to celebrate the anniversary of our engagement. Now that we know about my allergies to butter and cream we've had to substitute other treats. None of them are worth mentioning in the same paragraph with Teuscher's truffles. (Can you see my lower lip sticking out from where you are?)

4. My favorite gift to receive: books. In the past I especially loved to get quilt or art books with lots of color pictures. Now I content myself with works of fiction (or fabric or beads!). I also love to give books!

5. My favorite dish from Christmas dinner: my mother's frozen cranberry salad. I'm sure she got this recipe from some magazine, cookbook, or ingredient package in the 1950's. I can't eat it anymore either, but I thought I'd share it with those of you who can:

1 can whole cranberry sauce

2 teaspoons lemon juice

one 3 ounce package cream cheese

1/4 cup confectioner's sugar

1/4 cup Miracle Whip

1 pint whipping cream, whipped OR one package Dream Whip, prepared per the directions

(Is that stuff even available anymore? I used an 8 ounce tub of Cool Whip the last time I made this.)

nutmeats*

candied cherries*

*Mom just eyeballed these ingredients. I have no measurements for you. The nuts were probably chopped walnuts or pecans. The candied cherries were sliced or chopped.

In a bowl, blend the lemon juice with the cranberry sauce, mashing the berries slightly if necessary.

Line the bottom of a mold with the cranberry sauce mixture.

With an electric mixer (remember the Sunbeam Mixmaster?) cream the cream cheese with the Miracle Whip and confectioner's sugar until smooth.

Whip the whipping cream if you have chosen that route. Fold the whipped cream or Cool Whip into the cream cheese mixture; fold in the nuts and cherries.

Spread the whip cream/cream cheese mixture on top of the cranberry sauce in the mold and freeze.

This makes a very colorful presentation when unmolded. The bottom is white and the top is red. Of course you can garnish it anyway you like, and some of you will undoubtedly be much more creative than we ever were! I loved the texture of the foamy white layer and the coolness of the cranberry layer. :- )

And just in case I haven't whetted your sweet tooth enough:

P.S. If anyone wants to take this meme and use it on your own blog feel free to do so. Leave me a comment so I can come and see what your favorites are!