2013 New Years Family Celebration

Whenever a holiday or special celebration comes around, I always start with the greatest of intentions to make a big deal out of it. My motto, "go big or go home". Well.... time, chores, kids, and work always seem to interrupt my grand plans and it's never quite how I pictured it. So to save myself some time and headaches, this year I delegated some of the party duties to my kids. Their first order of business, to make lanterns to decorate the house with. We stuck with the simple Chinese lanterns, as we could make them from bright construction paper and after all, that's what is important here, the bright colors! Bright colors are used in many cultures around the world because of their ability to attract good fortune. 

Chinese Lanterns

Supplies:

1. Multiple colors of construction paper
2. Scissors
3. Glue Stick
4. Glitter glue, markers or crayons (optional to decorate the lanterns)
5. Ribbon or string to hang

Directions:

1. Fold a piece of construction paper in half length wide.
2. Next Cut strips starting on the folded edge up toward the opposite edge. **Do not cut all the way through, only about 3/4 of the way, see the middle picture above.**
3. Next open up paper and glue one short side. 
4. Then wrap the glued edge around to the unglued edge and press to attach. 
5. Cut a small strip and glue on the inside of the lantern to make a handle. 
6. Decorate the lanterns with glitter glue or any other decoration you prefer.
7. Hang them up!

These are fun, quick and easy for kids to do. 

Balloon Drop

My kids never make it until midnight. I know if they did stay up that late they would be holy terrors the following day, so I'm thankful in a way they pass out early. However, they do stay up later than they normally would, and we celebrate as the New Year rings in around the world. We watch the times and countries and try to catch a glimpse of how New Years is being celebrated. This year we are incorporating a balloon drop! This is a very fun thing for kids to take part in! When London brings in the New Year, they pull the string opening a trash bag releasing a cascade of colorful balloons. 

Supplies:

1. Balloons
2. Draw string trash bag
3. Tape or something else to hook the bag to.

Directions:

Blow up the balloons, stuff them in a trash bag, tape or affix the bag to the ceiling. At the right time, open the drawstring and let the balloons drop!

P.S. I have also seen people cut open the trash bag so that it lays flat, then tape it to the ceiling, leave a small opening to stuff in balloons. Once it's filled with balloons then tape it closed. I didn't have the time or patients to do this part. 

Activities:

This is a night of family fun for us. We enjoy bringing in the New Year from the peace of our own home. We spend the evening playing video and board games, grazing on food, watching movies and seasonal T.V. programs. 

While my husband and I may enjoy a spirit or two (homemade eggnog, wine or champagne), I have always bought sparkling grape juice for my kids. They even have their own special "wine glasses" to drink from (they are cheap plastic but the kids feel pretty special with them). 

Grazing Menu of Choice

I incorporate some old favs along with things that people eat in other areas of the world. Whatever is on the menu, we snack on it all evening long. I suppose it's one last effort to gorge ourselves until our new year resolutions kick in. Every year the menu changes a bit. One of my favorite desserts is Watergate Salad, or the green fluff as we have called it. I have memories of my grandma making this for holiday celebrations and I LOVE it.  However this year I didn't have the time to make it. I wasn't sure what we would eat because a cold/flu has been circulating through our home. So I settled with shrimp, pigs in a blanket for the kids, guacamole, fruit,  cheese ball and crackers, eggnog, juice and I made for the first time a Dutch treat called Oliebollen (Click here to see how my Oliebollen turned out!). It's a pastry that is similar to a donut and is traditionally ate on New Years Eve in the Netherlands. 

One of my favorite things to do on a holiday is have chocolate fondue. It's a fun way to sit around the table as a family and enjoy a delicious treat. I reserve chocolate fondue for special occasions such as New Years Eve. The point is, have fun with your food selections, try new things, research what others may eat in different cultures and share in their traditions. 

Many Spanish speaking countries eat 1 grape for each of the last 12 seconds of the old year. 

New Year's Eve Traditions

Happy New Year!

Gelukkig Nieuwjaar

Hauoli Makahiki Hou

Bonne Année

Feliz Año Nuevo

While planning my families New Year's Eve celebration, I came across some interesting information about how others around the world celebrate this holiday. I LOVE things like this. It is my dream to travel to hidden, remote and populated places alike to experience other customs and cultures.....ahhhh, one day. In the meantime, I wanted to share with you some interesting info I found on world wide traditions for New Years Eve.

Happy New Year! It's a term given in greeting to family, friends, acquaintances, and strangers to welcome in the New Year. Along with warm greetings and well wishes, cultures going back as far as ancient Babylonian times have established traditions that are still practiced today such as shooting off fireworks or special meals, cakes or drinks. Most cultures slowly incorporated January 1st as the first day of the new year. Before this they considered the first day of Spring to be the beginning of the new year. Below are some of the well known and not so well known traditions. I encourage you to add some of these customs to your own New Years traditions! I am incorporating a Dutch pastry called Oliebollen that is normally  made for New Years Eve. (Click here to see how my Oliebollen turned out!) 

The Dutch: (Netherlands) They build massive bonfires with their Christmas trees and eat sugary treats called Oliebollen. It's a donut type of pastry covered in powered sugar. They are one of many cultures that partake in eating circular shaped foods that represent good luck or good fortune for the new year. 

Often, families will read Psalm 90 from the Old Testament in the Bible on New Years Eve. Psalm 90 is from the Old Testament. It was a prayer from Moses to humankind (much of Psalms was written by David). Psalm 90 inspired a hymn by Isaac Watts, "O' God, Our Help In Ages Past".  Psalm 90:12 "Teach us to number our days, that we may gain a heart of wisdom." The "number our days" portion does not mean we should focus our energy on the limited amount of time we have but rather to cherish each and every day as a gift from God. Click on Psalm 90 to read it in its entirety. Psalm 90 explores depths of thought about the existence of humankind and our relationship with God. 

Spain and other Spanish speaking countries: They eat 12 grapes, one for each stroke of midnight. If consumed by the last stroke you will surely have good luck the next year. 

Denmark: In Denmark, people jump off of chairs right at midnight symbolizing "leaping into the new year". They also break dishes outside of family and friends homes. 

Philippines: People in the Philippines dress in polka dots! Just like in other cultures, anything round is considered to bring good fortune for the upcoming year. 

Puerto Rico: Here, some people throw buckets of water out of doors and windows at midnight, this represents the phrase "out with the old and in with the new".  Many also go on a cleaning spree. They clean their homes, cars, offices inside and out! And last, my favorite, is wearing yellow underwear.  Bright colors are associated with good luck in many cultures around the world for New Years Eve. Yellow is believed to bring luck as it is the closest color to money or gold. AND, very important, the yellow undies must be brand new! AND they are even luckier than lucky if you receive them as a gift.  

United States: Here in the Good Ol' U.S. of A, we have a multitude of traditions. An open house type of tradition started in New York where people would open up their houses to family, friends and neighbors to come, visit and eat. People would spend the day/evening going from house to house. Even George Washington took part in this. We also, like many other cultures, eat pork. Pork and Kraut are probably the most popular. Pork is chosen because the animal symbolized progress. Pigs push forward when rooting for food. Southerners often eat Hoppin' Johns, which consists of ham and black eyed peas (recipe: Hoppin' Johns). We also have our own tradition known around the world of the New York celebration. I grew up watching Dick Clark each New Years Eve, once the ball began to drop you could sense a rise in excitement and anticipation. I have always wanted to be there in Times Square for the celebration! 

These are just some of the customs adopted around the globe. I have decided to incorporate a few traditions in my families own New Years Eve celebrations! I hope you do as well!

Sources:

http://www.caliricans.com/2011/01/puerto-rican-new-years-traditions/

http://www.epicurious.com/articlesguides/holidays/newyearsday/luckyfoods

http://www.sj-r.com/top-stories/x65622509/Just-for-kids-New-Year-s-traditions-from-around-the-world?zc_p=0

http://www.gmanetwork.com/news/story/288142/pinoyabroad/worldfeatures/old-traditions-around-the-world-for-the-new-year
http://abideintheword.com/?p=220
http://www.ministrymatters.com/all/article/entry/1884/article-group-study-god-is-forever

Dutch Oliebollen (Oil Balls)

What in the world is a Oliebollen? This very question danced through my mind while I was researching foods to make for New Years Eve. The name translates literally into Oil Balls. They are a donut like pastry that hails from the Netherlands. This delight is strictly a seasonal item and is made to ring in the new year and is traditionally consumed on New Years Eve.  I became intrigued by this little pastry and felt that I needed Oliebollen in my life. So today, I made a batch for our New Years Eve family celebration. In my opinion, if a donut and an elephant ear from your local county fair got married and had a baby, it would be called Oliebollen. They are a delicious spongy pastry with a slight crispy fried outside covered in a dusting of powdered sugar and cinnamon! All I can say is Nom...Nom...Nom. I found the below recipe at http://dutchfood.about.com/od/breadspastriescookies/r/Oliebollen.htm. I haven't changed anything about it since this was my first time making these. I did however make one batch without any fruit added and another with raisins mixed into the dough. Enjoy!

Ingredients:

• 1 tsp sugar
• 2 small packets of (instant) dry yeast
• 4 cups flour (400 g)
• 1/4 cup sugar (50 g)
• 2 eggs
• 2 cups milk (475 ml)
• 1 tsp salt
• 8 cups vegetable/sunflower oil (2 liters)
• Powdered sugar
• Ground cinnamon

Directions:
In a small bowl, mix the teaspoon of sugar into 1/2 cup (120 ml) of hand-hot water. Sprinkle the yeast on top and allow to stand for 10 minutes. Stir to combine. ***Important: If your yeast/water mixture does not bubble then you will need new yeast as it is no longer active. Mine didn't bubble until I let it sit for 10 min and then stirred. Then those little yeasty boys woke up!

Flour/Sugar mix with well inside

Next, mix together the flour and sugar in a mixer then make a well in the middle of the mix. Add the eggs and yeast mixture to the well. Then warm up the milk in the microwave (it should be lukewarm). Add half of the milk to the well in the flour and mix until all ingredients are combined. Once combined add the rest of the milk and whisk until smooth. It will be very wet and this is normal! 

Cover the bowl with a damp dish towel and allow to rise in a warm area for about an hour. I just sat mine on top of my stove. The oven was not on or anything. It sat at room temp. Once the dough has doubled, stir in the salt (and fruit, if using). 

Heat the oil in a large, deep pan or in a deep fryer. To check whether the oil is at the right temperature, stand the handle of a wooden spoon in the oil. If little bubbles form around it, the oil is ready.

You will need two tablespoons to form and handle the dough, as well as a slotted spoon to remove the 'oliebollen' from the hot oil. Quickly dip the two tablespoons into the oil and form small balls of the dough with the oiled tablespoons, carefully scraping and dropping the dough into the hot oil. **I used a cookie dough scoop. It looks like an ice cream scoop but a little smaller. I was struggling with the 2 spoon method. So if you have a cookie dough scoop I highly recommend using one.**The 'oliebollen' will sink to the bottom of the pan and then pop right back up. You should be able to fry at least 6 'oliebollen' at a time, but don't crowd the pan (see Tips below). Fry until golden brown on both sides, carefully flipping when required. Drain on a tray lined with paper towels.

Sieve powdered sugar over the 'oliebollen' as well as a dusting of ground cinnamon, and serve warm.

If all of the Oliebollen are not consumed at once, then allow them to set out long enough to get "stone cold". Next, place them in an airtight container and store at room temp for no more than 2-3 days.

You can then heat up your leftovers in a preheated oven at 390 degrees F for 15 min or try in a microwave for 20 seconds. 

Snow Ice Cream

Snow Ice Cream!!!

This week Ohio, along with much of the mid-west, was blasted with the first real winter weather of the season. I read today that the central Ohio region received more snow this week than of ALL last winter! I really hope this is not a precursor of things to come. I love the snow but being snowed in and slipping and sliding on the road really does get old. So last night we were expected to get an additional 2-5 inches of snow on top of the 6 inches we got the day after Christmas! I decided that making some snow ice cream with the kids would be a fun way of enjoying all of this fluffy white stuff.

The base of the ice cream is from a Paula Deen recipe for Snow Ice Cream found here at http://www.pauladeen.com/recipes/recipe_view/snow_ice_cream/. And since I can't leave anything well enough alone, I tweaked it oh so slightly. So the next time you experience a snow storm do what I did, set out a large mixing bowl, make some hot cocoa, put on your favorite music of the moment (mine was Andrew Lloyd Weber's Phantom of the Opera) and make a delicious bowl of snow ice cream!

Ingredients

1. About 8 Cups of fresh snow. Mine actually ended up with about 11 cups. I set out a very large mixing bowl where it wouldn't be bothered by kids, animals, winds etc.
2. 1-14 ounce can of Sweetened Condensed Milk
3. Any flavor extracts of your choice. We used Vanilla, Lemon, Strawberry and Mint. The amount of each extract will depend on your personal preference and how many different flavors you want to make. We'll address this later on.  
4. Coloring of your choice.
5. Ice cream toppings such as sprinkles, chocolate syrup, etc. 

Directions

Bowl of Snow

First you will need to set out a large bowl or bucket to collect the falling snow. Once it's filled to about 8-11 cups you are ready for the next step! 

Next you will need to add the entire can of sweetened condensed milk to the bowl of snow. Mix thoroughly and set it into the freezer to keep it fresh and frozen. 

Now, READ THIS PART CAREFULLY, how you proceed with this next part is up to you. The Paula Deen recipe has you add 1 tsp of vanilla to the snow/sweetened condensed milk mixture and stop there. But since we were feeling inventive, I wanted to make four different flavors. So I separated the snow/milk mixture evenly into four different mixing bowls. Next we added the flavor extracts. I began with a 1/4 of a tsp of flavor in each bowl. I added more based on taste and our preference. By the time we were done I had added 1/2 a tsp of each flavor to it's own bowl. In retrospect, I could have really added another 1/4 tsp to make it a little more flavorful. So my recommendation is to tweak this to your personal tastes. 

Once you have the flavors how you like them, add the colors as you prefer. I like softer colors. In my Wilton classes, one book says that neon or bright colors are less appetizing. I would have to agree. 

Then cover your bowls with foil, and place them back in the freezer for about an hour give or take depending on the freezer. If you leave it in there for to long it will be frozen solid. If this happens pop them in the microwave for a few seconds and stir or let sit out for about 10-15 min.

Lemon Ice Cream with a Cherry On Top!

Once your ice cream has set up in the freezer, it's time to enjoy! You may need to stir it up a bit. I left mine in the freezer almost all afternoon so by the time we ate it, it was frozen solid. I popped mine in the microwave for a few seconds, gave it a good stir and we were ready to enjoy it! I hope you like your snow ice cream as much as we did. 

Easy Peezy Cupcake Ornaments

Sweetness on a tree

Ok, Ok Ok! I know, it's after Christmas so why in the world would I post a craft for a Christmas ornament? Well..... I'm real early for next year.  :) I absolutely LOVE Christmas time plus I'm extremely behind on my posting and blogging. So here we go! 

I found this little beauty originally at this site, http://dollarstorecrafts.com/2011/11/make-cupcake-ornaments/. Such a cute idea! I made a ton of these and gave them out as present toppers for teachers, pastors and family. They are incredibly easy (a bit messy) and oh so cute! 

Supplies:

1. Miniature cupcake liners, preferably the foil ones but I just used what I had on hand and they are regular paper liners.
2. Miniature ornaments found at the dollar store. I got a pack of 12 for $1! I did have a hard time finding just silver ornaments which is what I was really on the hunt for. I initially could only find an assortment of red, green, gold and silver. I used all but the gold in that pack. When I went back to the dollar store they had a box of all silver. 
3. Faux berries. I got a small bundle of these at Michaels craft store. I believe it was only a couple of dollars then I used a 40% off coupon from the Sunday paper to get it even cheaper!
4. Paint. I used Folk Art brand white paint for the frosting of my cupcake that I had already on hand.
5. Glitter. I have two daughters so of course we have enormous amounts of glitter always on hand. 
6. Glue Gun

Instructions:

First you will need to frost the cupcake. Dribble, paint or drip the white paint onto the ornament ball around the hook. I sat mine inside the container they came in since there was a nice and snug little spot for each ornament. Then I drizzled the white paint all over the tops. This was actually trickier than I thought. The paint pours out very easily and made a bit of a mess. Operator's error. 

Next either dip the wet paint into glitter or sprinkle the glitter on the painted area. I left the ornaments in their little container over night to dry completely. 

Once dry, glue into the bottom of a small cupcake liner. I found I needed to not just put one dot of glue in the liner but rather glue it all around the ornament so that the liner held snugly to the ornament. I glued mine in off-set or tilted slightly so that the ornament hook wasn't sitting right on top of the cupcake. This way the berry or "cherry" will be on the very top when you glue it.

Then I cut off a faux berry, or "cherry", and glued it next to the ornament hook on top of the cupcake. 

Tie a ribbon to the hook and you are ready to go! These turned out to be way cuter than I thought they would!

The Sweetie-Pie Snowman Guy!

Snowmen melt my heart!

Wow and Holy SMOKES, I can't believe it has been so long since I posted. Ironically, I have been snapping  pics and completing projects left and right but have not had the time to sit down, write and post! So here I am now, it's 11:00 at night, the family is sound asleep and I'm sharing with you one of my favorite crafts from this holiday season. The snowmen pictured above are nothing more then a man's tube sock filled with rice, rubber band together and garnished with adorable accessories thanks to my good friend, the glue gun.

My 9 year old daughter made one of these guys at her 3rd grade winter party. I immediately fell in love! They are super cute and cheap to make! Who could ask for a better home made present from the kids? I decided right then and there that my daughters would be making and gifting these little guys for Christmas. So the first day of winter break we set off to the dollar store (Dollar Tree to be specific). I adore the dollar store! There are so many fun and awesome things you can find or you may find you can make. There is an amazing website with dollar store ideas that you can check out here http://dollarstorecrafts.com/ (I will be posting another craft I did from this site soon). Now, I didn't find this particular craft there but I have seen this little snowman made in many different ways online. This is just my version. 

Supplies:

1. Men's, white tube socks (I got a pack of 3 pair from The Dollar Tree, thus yielding 6 socks)
2. White Rice or Bird Seed (I bought White Rice as it was a little cheaper and didn't smell weird like the bird seed used in my daughter's class project)
3. Googly eyes (had these at home in my craft supplies)
4. Assorted Buttons (again these were already at home)
5. Pipe Cleaners of all sizes for the scarf and or mustache (already owned these little buggers)
6. Pom Poms (again, these were in stock at my house)
7. Hot Glue Gun (use caution if making this with small kids, mine has a low and high setting, I had it on low so my kids could do more of this project on their own with only my guidance)
8. Rubberbands
9. Measuring cups
10. Funnel or a paper cup with the bottom cut off to act as a funnel for filling your socks

**** Note: I bought 2 packages of tube socks (12 socks total) and 10 pounds of white rice from Walmart (roughly $2.98 for one 5 lb bag). This made 11 completed snowmen. ****

Instructions:

First, you will want to fill one sock with a cup and a half of rice/bird seed. When I helped the 3rd grade class I had a funnel, however at home I could not find such a miraculous device so I took a paper cup and cut off the bottom of it. Then I slipped it into the top of the sock thus achieving funnel functioning. :) 

After filling the sock with a cup and a half of rice/bird seed, use a rubberband to close off the first "snow ball".  In other words, wrap the rubberband around the sock at the very top of your snow ball like you are putting hair in a pony tail. This will conclude the bottom of your snowman. 

Next fill the sock with 1 cup of rice/bird seed, then wrap a rubberband around this section. This completes the head of the snowman. 

Now you will notice you have an extremely long top to your snowman (the top of the tube sock). You will begin to fold down the sock until it meets the head of your snowman to make the hat.

Next you are ready to decorate and bring your little guy to life! I glued a pom pom on top of the hat for decoration, used googly eyes, a pom pom for the nose, buttons down the front and a pipe cleaner for the scarf.  There are so many different things you can do to decorate your snowman. 

I hope you enjoy making your snowmen as much as we did. They were such a hit with the people that received them as gifts. AND, we have an entire family of Snowmen living out their winter days in our living room. I couldn't be any happier with this project.  It is amazingly adorable, incredibly cheap and so so soooo easy! 

P.S.  The 'Stache......

So I almost forgot the 'Stache-man. How in the world could I have forgot about the 'Stache-man?! The 'stache was inspired by one such snowman from my daughter's 3rd grade class. One boy that I was helping told me he didn't want his to have a scarf but rather a mustache. He proceeded to bend his pipe cleaner into a rather awesome fu-manchu and then asked me to hot glue that baby on! So the 'Stache-man was born! What an awesome idea! I Love kids!