Christmas receipes

I made this cake recently for my Grandson's birthday and everyone is requesting it for Christmas. It's wonderful for chocolate lovers! And a good snack to have around to munch on is dj's King Crunch.

Best- Ever Chocolate Cake

3/4 c. butter
3 eggs
2 c. all-purpose flour

3/4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
1 tsp. baking soda

3/4 tsp. baking powder

1/2 tsp salt

2 c. sugar

2 tsp. vanilla

1 1/2 c. milk

1. Allow butter & eggs to stand at room temperature for 30 min. Lightly grease bottoms of (3) 8 x 1 1/2 round cake pans. Line Line bottoms of pans with waxed paper. Grease & lightly flour waxed paper & sides of pans.

2. Preheat over to 350. In medium bowl, stir together the flour, cocoa powder, baking soda, baking powder, & salt; set aside.

3. In a large mixing bowl, beat butter with an electric mixer on medium to high speed for 30 seconds. Gradually add sugar, about 1/4 cup at a time, beating on medium speed for 3 - 4 min. till well mixed. Scrape side of bow, continue beating on medium speed for 2 min. Add eggs, one at a time, beating after each egg (about 1 min. total). Beat in vanilla.

4. Alternately add flour mixture and milk to beaten mixture, beating on low speed just until combined after each addition. Beat on medium to high speed for 20 seconds more. Spread evenly in prepared pans.

5. Bake for 30 to 35 min, or until toothpick inserted in center comes out clean. Cool cake in pans for 10 min. Remove from pans and peel off waxed paper. Cool completely on wire racks.

6. Prepare chocolate frosting; fill and frost cake layers. If desired, top with chocolate curls or Christmas sprinkles. Store cake in refrigerator. Makes 12 - 16 servings.

Chocolate Frosting: In a large saucepan, combine one 12 oz. pkg semisweet chocolate pieces and 1/2 cup butter; heat over low heat until melt stirring often. Cool for 5 min. Stir in 8 - oz carton dairy sour cream. Gradually add 4 1/2 cups sifted powdered sugar, beating on medium speed until mixture is smooth.

This may seem difficult but it's not and well worth the compliments you will get!

dj's King Crunch

1 box(regular size) golden grahams cereal
1 jar (unsalted) peanuts
1 can potato sticks (shoestring potatoes)
1 pkg almond bark

In large bowl, mix all the ingredients together. Melt the almond bark (in the microwave) according to the directions on the back of the pkg. Mix the almond bark with the dry ingredients. (I use my hands to mix all to ensure better coating of the almond bark on the dry ingredients).
Once everything is mixed together, pour mixture onto 2 cookie sheets lined with foil or wax paper. Place the cookie sheets in refrigerator for 10-15 min. Remove from refrigerator and break the mixture apart and enjoy!
Note: if you can't find the large pkg of almond bark; you could use about 4 pkg of white chocolate chips. I store in gal. zip lock bags and take out what you need for self or guest.

Christmas Time

Peaceful night light

Angels we have heard on high

This arrangement is in honor of my Mother.. she and Jesus share the same birthday Dec 25. Her Italian Father named her Mary Christine and called her Christina

I started this arrangement when Taylor was so small that she had to stand on a small stool to see. She had to touch everything and talk to all the things in the arrangement.

Wise men at the birth of Jesus

Santa is checking his list and Taylor Danielle used to always look to see that her name was on the list!

round & round we go

Table setting

Alpine trees that I call my 3 sons trees

Red bow tree with my hand painted wood ornaments

Arrangement in my indoor patio/hot tub/spa room

table in patio/hot tub/spa room

Christmas tree in patio/spa room

Rudolph is ready to go

Come on Santa, don't just sit there.. let's go

flower arrangement

flower arrangement in sun room

table for Santa & his helper to have cookies and milk

One of my favorites that I keep on the table all year

fireplace with Al's stocking.. gotta to find mine to put up

This Christmas tree is 37 years old, can you believe. I have changed the decorations at times & I guess it will outlive me.

coffee table in the living room

Well, as Elvis would say "It's Christmas time pretty baby.. you be a good little girl cause Santa Claus is back in town". No one can sing it the way he does.

As you can tell from the pictures.. Christmas is my favorite time of the year and as was my Mother's. She always encouraged me to decorate and she was like a child loving it all. Even though it takes me longer as I get older to decorate my house for Christmas, I keep on each year for my Mother's sake and the grandchildren and friends who enjoy seeing it all. After days of putting it all together like painting scene after scene.. I sit down, listen to my collection of Christmas music, have my cry; look to the heavens and say "Merry Christmas Mother.. I hope you like it. And I just know she does :)

Traditions are important in families and we all have different ones. I now have the family gathering on Christmas eve to eat, be merry and open gifts. On Christmas day I go with the flow and let the day unfold as it may. As our children grow and have their own families.. they begin new traditions and still find some time for the old traditions they grew up with. Sometimes we want to hold too tight to the old ways instead of being excited about something new.

This will be my Christmas prayer at our gathering and I hope all who read this will be blessed as well.

Loving Father, help us remember the birth of Jesus, that we may share in the song of the angels, the gladness of the shepherds and the wisdom of the wise men.

Close the door of hate and open the door of love all over the world.

Let kindness come with every gift and good desires with every greeting.

Deliver us from evil by the blessing which Christ brings, and teach us to be merry with clean hearts.

May the Christmas morning make us happy to be thy children, and the Christmas evening bring us to our beds with grateful thoughts, for Jesus sake.

We thank God for His Mercy and Grace and ask for complete healing for Mikaslyn Larsen and Kendall King. Amen

Merry Christmas to all and to all a good night!! :) :)

A wonderful friend

Dottie and Marie

I have been so busy with the decorating and baking cookies to mail to my son in Va. and to Ken and Kendall in Tx. So I took time to enjoy 2 wonderful friends. Marianne invited me to lunch Tues and Marie invited me today. I have had 2 great days with wonderful friends! I forgot to get a pic of Marianne.

Marie is of my best friend's that I have known for over 20 years invited me to lunch and to spend some time together before she starts her new job at the state capital in Jackson, Ms.

Marie is such a wonderful Christian friend. The lunch was yummy and cozy in the restaurant even with all the rain outside. Afterward we came back to my house for hot tea and my homemade cookies. She wanted to see all my Christmas decorating. It took me 4 days to put it all together. I will take pictures and post later. We had a great afternoon walking down memory lane.

Good friends are so important in our lives because they love us unconditionally and will always be there if we should need them. I will post more later.. getting sleepy gotta go crawl in my warm bed.