Christmas is rolling around again another year, arriving quite soon now, only about a month away!
Our coming next four weeks of so eagerly awaiting another year’s arrival of the Christmas holidays here in our town and all around the globe wherever Christmas is celebrated, will be, as always, simultaneously a mixture of not here soon enough or back again much too fast, depending on circumstances of whoever is doing the days-till-Christmas countdown.
So much to be done in the remaining days and weeks, rushing around to get everything done and ready in time before December 24 and 25 always makes those four weeks before Christmas seem to be flying by much too quickly for shoppers and home chefs busily cooking up lots of holiday goodies.
Simultaneously, for our excited youngest generations, every one of those way too many all-too-excruciatingly long days between now and December 24 and 25 will seem to drag on forever and ever and ever.
For some of us older generations, Christmas can wait for just a bit, much as we love it and look forward to its imminent arrival in yet another December.
It is the joys of and the reason for our celebration of Thanksgiving that are so very happily and completely filling our thoughts and our lives.
Most of us are so fortunate to have so very much for which to be so very grateful. Memories of and reflections on all of our many earlier Thanksgivings and the real reason for celebrating this annual so very special holiday likely will be filling our minds at this so very special time and will maintain a top spot in our hearts throughout these coming days immediately following Thanksgiving.
After that, oh yes, not just the kids but all of us of all ages now will once again be so excitedly and joyfully counting down the weeks and then the days until we’re out there once again caroling “Joy To The World” on or preceding yet another joyous new December 24 and 25.
For now, we will be celebrating yet another year’s Thanksgiving Day, enjoyed to the fullest!
Let us be thankful for this so very meaningful day, for our still being here to celebrate Thanksgiving, for our having food this day and every day, and for our opportunities to share our foods with others who don’t have much.
Now comes Christmas and maybe even some snowflakes adding to the holiday merriment. Yes, there can be “snowflakes” even here in Florida, thanks to the contributor of this first recipe!
LYNN GOODWIN’S
SNOW FLAKES
Recipe from First Presbyterian Church of Apopka’s
Treasures and Pleasures
1 bag (12 ounces) chocolate chips
1 cup creamy peanut butter
1 stick butter
1 box Crispix cereal (12.3 ounces)
3 cups powdered sugar
Melt chocolate chips, peanut butter and the butter over low heat. Put cereal in large pot or bowl. Pour the chocolate mixture over the cereal. Toss with hands until well coated. Put powdered sugar in large paper grocery bag. Pour in the coated cereal and shake, shake, shake.
JOY STOKES’ ENGLISH TOFFEE
Recipe from First Presbyterian Church of Apopka’s
Treasures and Pleasures
1 pound butter (not margarine)
1 pound brown sugar (light)
2 tablespoons white Karo syrup
1/4 cup chopped almonds or other nuts
6 ounces chocolate chips
In heavy pot, blend butter and sugar. Heat, stirring constantly, until well blended. Add white syrup and cook at low medium-high until candy thermometer registers 290 degrees, hard crack stage, taking about 12-15 minutes.
Add almonds and pour onto greased cookie sheet (with four edges) and let cool. Melt chocolate chips and spread toffee. Sprinkle with chopped nuts, if you wish, and press them into the chocolate. When hardened, break the toffee into bite-sized pieces. Store in airtight container. This is best made on a dry, sunny day.
SIS PITMAN’S
OLD FASHIONED FUDGE
Recipe from First Presbyterian Church’s Treasures and Pleasures
2 cups sugar
1/3 cup cocoa
1/2 cup milk
1/4 cup margarine
1/2 teaspoon vanilla
Put all ingredients except vanilla into a heavy saucepan and mix. Boil till a drop forms a soft ball in cold water. Remove from heat, add vanilla and set in pan of cold water till cool.
SIS PITMAN’S
PEANUT BUTTER FUDGE DREAMS
Recipe from First Presbyterian Church’s Treasures and Pleasures
1 cup white sugar
1 cup brown sugar
1 cup milk
Few grains of salt
1 cup marshmallows
2 tablespoons butter
1/4 pound p¡eanut butter (about 1/4 of a small jar)
1 teaspoon vanilla
Cook the white and brown sugars, milk and salt to the soft-ball stage. Add the marshmallows, butter and peanut butter just before removing from stove. Cool, add vanilla and beat the mixture, then pour into a buttered pan.
CHRISTMAS WASSAIL
Recipe from Favorite Recipes of Sweetwater Oaks
2 quarts apple juice
2-1/4 cups pineapple juice
2 cups orange juice
1 cup lemon juice (or 1/2 cup for less tartness)
1/2 cup sugar
1 cinnamon stick
1 teaspoon whole cloves
Combine all ingredients and bring to a boil. Simmer for 30 minutes. Uncover and simmer for 30 more minutes. Serve hot.
MAVENE SPECK’S RED PUNCH
Recipe from Favorite Recipes of Sweetwater Oaks
1 quart Hi-C peach
1 quart 7-Up
1 quart ginger ale
1 cup frozen lemonade
1 large can frozen orange juice
1 quart cranberry juice
1 package cherry Jello-O
1 cup sugar
1 cup boiling water
Combine all ingredients, refrigerate, and serve.
MAVENE SPECK’S
STRAWBERRY PUNCH
Recipe from Favorite Recipes of Sweetwater Oaks
3 ounces strawberry Jell-O powder
2 (6-ounce) containers lemonade
2 (6-ounce) containers orange juice
6 cups cold water
2 cups fresh strawberries
28 ounces ginger ale (add last)
Combine all six ingredients, in order given. Recipe does not indicate whether strawberries should be left whole, crushed, halved or sliced to float, so it’s your choice.
HELEN ANDERSON’S
ALMOND PUNCH
Recipe from Favorite Recipes of Sweetwater Oaks
2 cups sugar
14 cups water (which equals 1 gallon less 2 cups)
1 (12-ounce) can orange juice concentrate
1 (12-ounce) can lemonade concentrate
1 can (46 ounces) pineapple juice
1 small bottle almond extract
Dissolve the sugar in water. Add orange juice concentrate and the lemonade concentrate, pineapple juice and almond extract. Refrigerate until time to serve.
CLAIRE ELLINGTON’S
BERNICE’S FRUIT PUNCH
Recipe from Favorite Recipes of Sweetwater Oaks
1 gallon water
2 pounds sugar (4 cups)
1 can (48 ounces) grapefruit juice
4 (48 ounce) cans pineapple juice
1 pint real lemon juice
1 quart ginger ale
Dissolve sugar in water. Add other juices. Refrigerate until ready to serve. Add ginger ale just before serving.