Christmas Greetings, Decorations, Treats and Lottery

I haven't had a lot of free time recently, and certainly no time to sit down and blog. Thought I'd better take the opportunity to wish everyone a very happy Christmas while I don't have something in the oven or boiling away.

 I've made so many buckeyes that I've lost count. They have to be one of the most popular things that I make at this time of year. Last week I packaged up a box of them for my friend Chris to take to her family in Wales. I made sure the box was secure with tape but didn't wrap the box because it would probably be unwrapped at the airport. I then put the box in a bag along with the rest of the presents I was taking to meet friends for a quick dinner and gift exchange at our Chinese restaurant. So I wouldn't forget the bag, I set it down next to the door and went out food shopping for all of 15 minutes. When I returned I saw two little Christmas goody holders on the floor. My dog had ever so carefully taken out and eaten 10 buckeyes without destroying the box! If she hadn't taken out those papers, I may not have noticed there were any missing that's how carefully she got them out. Of course, I had to go and make some more and find another box. I couldn't get angry because it was my fault for leaving them there to tempt her. I'll certainly make sure that the packages of bread that I'm going to make for Christmas Day are placed high up. I'm going to use the same recipe that I used last year. It's in my recipe file here. Keep fingers crossed that the rolls turn out as good this time.

I'm a little slow on the decorations, meaning that I haven't put up my little tree yet. I'll probably do that after I return from class tomorrow evening. The Christmas season here lasts until 6th of January anyway. I'm looking forward to having a rest if I'm allowed. The only thing which I'd change about this time of the year if I could are all the bangers going off any time of the day or night. My poor dog spends most of the time under the bed, and it's close to impossible to find a quiet time to take her out.

Today is our National Health Day or Christmas Lottery. People always say at least they have health if they don't win on the lottery. Chris came by to leave a ticket that we got our money back on I believe. Last year I'm sure I didn't get anything. I don't know what Madrid did right this year to win first prize since it hasn't had that honor since 1991. And to top it all off, we've had snow - not much but enough to cause pandemonium. Luckily when I finally got home last night, the rain had melted most of it all except the stubborn bits on cars.

Here's to everyone's having a wonderful safe Christmas.

 

Happy Birthday, Kath (In Memory of Angelcakes)

You will be forever missed and I'll always remember how wisely you spoke to us in your last blog.

Rockin' Around the Christmas Tree

Buckeyes (Chocolate Peanut Butter Balls)

Description:
Ever since my sister Diana made these for Christmas so many years ago, I've made them to give as gifts to students and friends every year. Luckily, I can get American peanut butter here (sorry but the British stuff isn't as nice).

Ingredients:
1 (18 ounce) jar creamy peanut butter
1/2 cup butter or margarine (softened)
1 lb confectioners' sugar (about 3.5 cups)
1 tablespoon vanilla
12 ounces chocolate chips (milk or semi-sweet)
3-4 ounces paraffin wax (I use 1/4 of a standard block)



Directions:
1. Cream peanut butter and butter.

2. Add sugar and vanilla and mix well.

3. Form into 1 inch balls and place in a pan or dish and put in the freezer for at least an hour.

4. Melt chocolate chips with paraffin wax in a double boiler.

5. Dip balls into chocolate with a toothpick about 3/4 of the way covered.

6. Place chocolate side down on waxed paper. I’ve got a vegetable steamer whose holes are perfect for holding the toothpicks, so the chocolate sets quicker.

7. Let set at room temperature or refrigerate.

Canadian Living, Eh?

If you're thinking of moving to Canada, consider the following:

TOP REASONS TO LIVE IN BRITISH COLUMBIA
1. Vancouver : 1.5 million people and two bridges. You do the math.
2. Your $400,000 Vancouver home is just 5 hours from downtown.
3. You can throw a rock and hit three Starbucks locations.
4. There's always some sort of deforestation protest going on.
5. Weed.

TOP REASONS TO LIVE IN ALBERTA
1. Big rock between you and B.C.
2. Ottawa who?
3. Tax is 5% instead ofthe approximately 200% it is for the rest of the country.
4. You can exploit almost any natural resource you can think of.
5. You live in the only province that could actually afford to be its own country.
6. The Americans below you are all in anti-government militia groups.

TOP REASONS TO LIVE IN SASKATCHEWAN
1. You never run out of wheat.
2. Your province is really easy to draw.
3. You can watch the dog run away from home for hours.
4. People will assume you live on a farm.
5. Daylight savings time? Who the hell needs that!

TOP REASONS TO LIVE IN MANITOBA
1. You wake up one morning to find that you suddenly have a beachfront property.
2. Hundreds of huge, horribly frigid lakes.
3. Nothing compares to a wicked Winnipeg winter.
4. You can be an Easterner or a Westerner depending on your mood.
5. You can pass the time watching trucks and barns float by.

TOP REASONS TO LIVE IN ONTARIO
1. You live in the centre of the universe.
2. Your $400,000 Toronto home is actually a dump.
3. You and you alone decide who will win the federal election.
4. The only province with hard-core American-style crime.

TOP REASONS TO LIVE IN QUEBEC
1. Racism is socially acceptable.
2. You can take bets with your friends on which English neighbour will move out next.
3. Other provinces basically bribe you to stay in Canada .
4. You can blame all your problems on the "Anglo A*#!%!"

TOP REASONS TO LIVE IN NEW BRUNSWICK
1. One way or another, the government gets 98% of your income.
2. You're poor, but not as poor as the Newfies.
3. No one ever blames anything on New Brunswick .
4. Everybody has a grandfather who runs a lighthouse.

TOP REASONS TO LIVE IN NOVA SCOTIA
1. Everyone can play the fiddle. The ones who can't, think they can.
2. You can pretend to have Scottish heritage as an excuse to get drunk and wear a kilt.
3. You are the only reason Anne Murray makes money.

TOP REASONS TO LIVE IN PRINCE EDWARD ISLAND
1. Even though more people live on Vancouver Island , you still got the big, new bridge.
2. You can walk across the province in half an hour.
3. You can drive across the province in two minutes.
4. Everyone has been an extra on "Road to Avonlea."
5. This is where all those tiny, red potatoes come from.
6. You can confuse ships by turning your porch lights on and off at night.

TOP REASONS TO LIVE IN NEWFOUNDLAND
1. If Quebec separates, you will float off to sea.
2. If you do something stupid, you have a built-in excuse.
3. The workday is about two hours long.
4. It is socially acceptable to wear your hip waders to your wedding.

Pass this along to your fellow Canadians and foreigners who can learn something about the real Canada.

Let's face it: Canadians are a rare breed.

The Official Canadian Temperature Conversion Chart

50° Fahrenheit (10° C)
· Californians shiver uncontrollably.
· Canadians plant gardens.

35° Fahrenheit (1.6° C)
· Italian Cars won't start
· Canadians drive with the windows down

32° Fahrenheit (0° C)
· American water freezes
· Canadian water gets thicker.

0° Fahrenheit (-17.9° C)
· New York City landlords finally turn on the heat.
· Canadians have the last cookout of the season.

-60° Fahrenheit (-51° C)
· Santa Claus abandons the North Pole.
· Canadian Girl Guides sell cookies door-to-door.

-109.9° Fahrenheit (-78.5° C)
· Carbon dioxide freezes makes dry ice.
· Canadians pull down their earflaps.

-173° Fahrenheit (-114° C)
· Ethyl alcohol freezes.
· Canadians get frustrated when they can't thaw the keg

-459.67° Fahrenheit (-273.15° C)
· Absolute zero; all atomic motion stops.
· Canadians start saying "cold, eh?"

-500° Fahrenheit (-295° C)
· Hell freezes over.
· The Toronto Maple Leafs win the Stanley Cup

Crock Pot Apple Butter

Description:
This is a recipe that I got from a lady on here last year and decided to make this to give as gifts at Christmas. Since I don't know if we have Splenda here, I used 1 cup of sugar and 2 cups of unrefined brown sugar and it came out lovely. I put the apple butter in some nice jam jars that I had rather than freeze it.


Ingredients:
5 1/2 lbs apples, peeled and finely chopped (I use 3-4 different types of apples)
4 cups sugar ( I use 1 cup of sugar and 1 cup splenda, because I do not like it overly sweet.. the recipe calls for 4 cups of sugar)
2-3 teaspoons ground cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon ground cloves
1/4 teaspoon salt


Directions:
1 Place apples in a large bowl.

2 Combine sugar, cinnamon, cloves and salt.

3 Pour over apples and mix well.

4 Place in crock pot, cover and cook on high for 1 hour.

5 Decrease heat to low; cover and cook on low for 9-11 hours or until thickened and dark brown.

6 Stir occasionally.

7 Uncover and cook on low for 1 hour longer.

8 If desired, whisk until smooth.

9 Spoon into freezer containers, leaving 1/2-inch head space.

10Cover and freeze.