Dear Sunday Letter friends—
Reminder: two weeks ’til Christmas! 🎉
There’s no denying it at our house. We are in full Christmas mode with our tree up, amaryllis bulbs growing, poinsettias here and there, and yes, the stockings are quietly hanging by the fireplace.
AND in three short weeks, we will be greeting a brand new year. 🎆
It’s hard to believe since yesterday was Halloween, wasn’t it?
Ruby got a Workout
Just like Bernice (who named her Keurig Stella and her car Miss Fiona), I’ve named my KitchenAid mixer Ruby because she’s red.
And Ruby got a good workout this past week!
I don’t know about you, but this time of year I gauge the goodness of a week in part by the frequency I use my KitchenAid. And last week I used her three times.
She helped me make fruitcake cookies for Momma’s birthday, Elvis poundcake for Jim’s birthday (Jim is my sister’s guy), and brandy whipped cream to crown said Elvis poundcake.
Yes, it was a yummy week.
Fruitcake Cookies
Confession: I do not like fruitcake.
Not in a house.
Not with a mouse.
Not in a box.
Not with a fox.
Not here or there,
or anywhere.
BUT I love these fruitcake cookies. And there’s a story behind the recipe.
My nana (Frances Creecy) always made these cookies at Christmastime. She died of leukemia over 30 years ago, but I can still smell the aroma of her kitchen in Keiser, especially during the holidays. And for some odd reason, Momma never baked her cookies.
Why? I do not know go ask your dad.
Since I have Nana’s recipe box stuffed with her recipes, I decided to make them for Momma’s birthday. And I thought I’d share Nana’s original recipe here (written in her lovely cursive on a tiny scrap of paper), in case you’d like it too. The cookies are soft and not too sweet, perfection with morning coffee or hot tea or a snack while watching Hallmark Christmas movies.
With respect to the Elvis poundcake, you absolutely cannot go wrong with this recipe.
I’ve shared the recipe before, so click HERE to get all the details. This time, I served it with a berry compote (1 pound of raspberries and blackberries cooked with 2 T honey) and Ree Drummond’s brandy whipped cream. Oh.my.word.
Tip: Brandy whipped cream pairs well with morning coffee too.😉
Favorite Thing!
If you need a last minute Christmas gift idea, might I recommend the POPCHOSE Fabric Shaver? It truly will freshen up all those sweaters and scarves in your closet that have become fuzzy and pilled.
My daughter-in-law gave this to me because I lusted after the one she had given her mother, and it really is a great little tool. (I had something similar years ago but it wasn’t electric, and I have no idea what happened to it.)
I realize this may be a strange thing to talk about on my Sunday Letter, but when I find something I think might benefit you, I want to let you know about it. (And no, this isn’t a sponsored post.)
The before and after of my Fa-la-la-la-la scarf provides proof of this little machine’s greatness.
Not only is the result amazing, but the process of moving the small handheld appliance across the fabric and hearing the buzz of the fuzz coming off is strangely satisfying.
These things are fun and fun is good.
Waxed Amaryllis
Have you seen the waxed Amaryllis bulbs that are so popular this holiday? I have one growing in my kitchen window.
I don’t know if mine will bloom for Christmas (what a timing issue to try and force bulbs to bloom by a certain date), but I sure do enjoy watching it grow a little each day.
It seems impossible, doesn’t it? A bulb dipped in paraffin that will grow without a drop of water?
Secret: The wax holds water inside.
I’ve never tried to make my own, but if you are inspired to try it, The Art of Doing Stuff provides a step by step guide. Waxed bulbs can be pricey unless you find them at Trader Joe’s for $8 (like the one I have—thanks Lynn!).
Anywho, I think they are cool.
Things Momma Says:
I’ve never cared one iota about the Army Navy game.
***
Thanks for reading another Sunday Letter, friends. Life is short. Deck the halls and enjoy every silly moment.
Grace Grits and Gardening
Farm. Food. Garden. Life.
Rest in Peace to our gorgeous and talented friend, Elizabeth Crigger Scokin.
Heaven just became more stylish.
🕊
I’m with Mama on this one! We are babysitting our own Holly jolly.
Have fun!!!
I tried to do my own waxed Amaryllis (from the same website…she’s hilarious!) but i watched what I thought was a tiny green tip sprouting out for months…til I finally accepted it wasn’t happening.
I finished Bernice Runs Away last week. Perfect timing as I read it between Thanksgiving and Christmas, just like in the book. Enjoyed it SO much! Thank you for being a writer!
Our Ruby is a foster puppy who is going to her forever home next weekend. Her adopter is from Kansas and we are meeting her halfway. So happy for Ruby, so mixed emotion for us as we’ve all grown so attached but no way can we go forward with three dogs, our two are about all we can manage long term. We’ve had Ruby three months.
Merry Christmas to you and your family. We had a mini early Christmas get together yesterday. I’ll take it! Any time with family is the best time no matter what day it is.
I have a granddaughter who is all about family tradition who asked for an old family recipe called “Baskins Robbins Pie” which in no way resembles ice cream but that’s how it came named to me over fifty years ago and so we still refer to it as such now. I believe the modern version is called three layer pie or something else by others… but I digress. The recipe was passed to me by my motherinlaw many years ago and I had it written on an index card which over five decades has become stained and frayed by years of making it, always a family favorite for Christmas Eve. So when the granddaughter asked for it I found a small two sided frame and slipped the old recipe inside, boxed it up and sent it to her. She was touched and now has a recipe to hand down to her daughter some time in the future and in the mean time she has a gentle reminder of her old Mimi . Hopefully someday she will be making Baskin Robbins Pie and remember me fondly.
Love this!
Thank you for your letter and the recipes!
Did Elizabeth Crigger die? I was married to Bill Bracey from Blytheville. Knew Charlie and Ann.
Sadly, yes. Cancer.
Someone gave me a waxed amaryllis! It’s sitting in my kitchen window, too!