Christmas Decorating

Yesterday we had our traditional after Thanksgiving get together.  Our son, daughter-in-law and daughter were here for a big turkey dinner with all of the usual dishes:  turkey, sage dressing, apple-cranberry-yam casserole,  mashed potatoes, noodles, gravy, green bean casserole, cranberry sauce, pistachio salad, rolls, and 3 different types of pie.  That was the main course.

We also had a spread of snacks with dips, veggies, and crackers.   My daughter makes a great pumpkin dip.  Here is the recipe:

Pumpkin Dip

1 bar of cream cheese

2 cups powdered sugar

1 can of pumpkin (15 ounce can)

Cream the powdered sugar and cream cheese with mixer, then slowly add the pumpkin.  Mix together and serve with graham crackers. 

While I was getting ready for dinner, the family started testing our outside Christmas lights and by late afternoon they had finished putting them up.  Here are the results:

They decorated all the way around the house, even the sides.

Many years ago I asked my father-in-law if he could weld.  I still remember the look he gave me.  I asked him if he would make a Christmas Star to hang on the front of our house.  He made the frame, and I wrapped it with 600 lights.  It's one of my most treasured Christmas decorations.

To keep the group energized while they were working, I baked cookies and served them warm from the oven. 

This was my Mom's recipe for Oatmeal Ice Box Cookies.  She was notorious for having a roll of cookie dough in her refrigerator so that when we stopped over she could quickly bake a pan of cookies, and we could have a cup of tea and a warm cookie.  I had made my cookie dough the day before just as she used to do, so all I had to do was slice and bake.  Enjoy!

Oatmeal Ice Box Cookies 

Makes about 60 cookies.

1 cup shortening (Butter Crisco)

1 cup brown sugar

1 cup white sugar

3 beaten eggs

1 teaspoon vanilla

1 1/2 cups flour

1 teaspoon salt

1 teaspoon baking soda

3 cups quick cooking oatmeal (uncooked)

1 cup chocolate chips (optional)

Mix all together.  After mixing you can either bake right away or make the cookie dough into rolls, wrap in waxed paper, and refrigerate.  Then slice thin and bake at 375 degrees for 10 minutes.   NOTE:  I bake at 365 degrees for 9 minutes with the oven on convection so the cookies are chewy. 

Thanks for stopping by for a visit!!