Wednesday, December 22, 2010

Cookie Bake

Only three more days until Christmas Eve and I am ahead of schedule. Last night and tonight, I have baked several cookies:

Gingerbread Men and Stars.



Cardamom Spice.



Sugar Cookies.



Chewy Chocolate Ginger.



Almond Cookies.



I'll provide the recipe info later, when I have a moment to breathe.

Why do I do this to myself every year?



Tomorrow night, I will finish baking the almond cookies, prepare and bake chocolate chip cookies, and bake the sweet cardamom crackers. And if I have time and I am not too tired, I will start decorating the sugar cookies.

Floury hugs and kisses,
SC
xoxo

Monday, December 20, 2010

Happy Birthday, Nico!


This weekend, we celebrated my nephew, Nicolas' 3rd birthday. He loves anything that has to do with tools and gardening so my sister made a giant gingerbread construction worker to top his chocolate birthday cake, tools and all. Nico was so excited about his cake. It was yummy too.



I made him this little sock dog (think sock monkey). I got the pattern from an old Martha Steward magazine but if you are interested in making one, I found the instructions on her website here. It is very easy to make. Isn't he cute?



Nico approves! Woof!



I started the preparation of my cookie doughs which I will start baking tonight. I usually don't decorate my gingerbread or sugar cookies because I always run out of time but this time, I am really going to make an effort. Stay tuned.

When I was at my sister's, I realized that I had not taking pictures of Viviana's doll. The pattern is an Alicia Paulson pattern from her book, Stitched in Time and it is the inspiration behind the army dude.





I also made her this embroidered pillow for her birthday which I had also forgotten to photograph then. So here you go. This design was my own. One side is for rainy days and the other side is for sunny days. Lately, it's been on the rainy side.





On Sunday, I made a little crochet car for Alec. He loves cars. I also got the pattern from the same Martha Stewart magazine I got the sock dog pattern but I couldn't find it on her website. Basically, the body is a cube made from six 4" squares and the cab is made from eight 2" squares. All crocheted in a single crochet pattern. The pattern calls for foam inserts but I just used stuffing for stuffed animals and I improvised on the tires because by the time I got to the tires, I was tired and didn't want to make stuffed tires so I just tacked on the tires in a single layer. I don't think Alec will mind.


Me and Alec. Love.



So this week is the last week before Christmas and as usual, I will be spending my evenings baking cookies. Wish me luck. Cookies are always so temperamental.

Tuesday, December 14, 2010

A Concert and Lots of Cookies

This weekend, Mateo's school band performed in their Annual Winter Concert. As always, their band teacher did an excellent job in organizing it. Mateo is really enjoying being part of it. Here he is with his band buddies. Don't they look handsome?



After the concert, Mateo went to Grandma's house and I was whisked away for a triple date. We met with Iliana and Hector and Julissa and David to watch The Tourist. I'm sad to say that I was a bit disappointed in the movie. I found it a bit flat, lacking action and suspense. And Johnny, oh Johnny. I hope that he has not lost his ability to play an actual human. With that said, I'll watch it again when it comes out on DVD. I just have to support my guy and feed the obsession.

Here we are being silly at Brea Birch Street after the movie.








After our date, my dear friend, Julissa ended up with appendicitis and had to have an appendectomy. The movie was not that bad. Poor friend. Take care and hope you feel better soon!

I visited my mom and checked out all of her lovely Christmas decorations. I took lots of pictures but, of course, crappy camera. Need I say more? My mom completely and utterly transforms her entire house into a Christmas wonderland. She leaves no room behind, no corner untouched. Everywhere you look, it's Christmas. Here are some of the better pictures but they do not do her abilities justice.

Remember the Thanksgiving wreath I made for my door?
She made her own Christmas version for her door. Great job, Mom!

She made this cute topiary out of styrofoam spheres wrapped in yarn.
Too cute!

Her little Christmas Village.
She bought the same little village houses I got at Target last year.



Sidebar: I do hope that Mr. Casillas is reading this blog and getting the hint. If you are reading this blog, honey, a camera, a good camera for Christmas would be nice!

Paulina, my cousin, Rebecca's daughter, had a cookie exchange party. It was lovely to get the kids together and enjoy each other and the food. My cookies, did not turn out too well, though. I attempted to make cookie pops (cookies on a stick to resemble lollipops). Since I am a working woman now, I decided to cut corners and use store bought sugar cookie dough and mix in a few favoring and coloring ingredients to it. I don't know if it was the dough, or the oven temperature, or maybe I rolled them out too thin, but they spread too thinly and ran into each other in the oven. Then, the skewer sticks that I used did not bake in well enough and they started to separate from the cookie. I ended up taking the skewers out and taking them as they were. All in all, they tasted fine. Fine enough to win second place. Cari's cookies, of course won First place. Congratulations, Cari!




The First Prize winner and the Judge.

The kids: Paulo, Mateo, Alec, Andy
Ricardo, Luc, Viviana, Paulina, Joaquin, Rebecca

Prior to her cookie party, Paulina performed in the Nutcracker Ballet
for her ballet studio. Unfortunately, we did not make it to her performance but
I hear it got rave reviews. Thata girl, Pauli!

Best of everything!
SC
xoxo

Wednesday, December 8, 2010

It's beginning to look a lot like Christmas

This weekend, the weather was so chilly, it actually felt like Christmastime. And the perfect time to get the tree and haul out the decorations.

So we headed over to the forest (Home Depot) to pick out the best tree.









We found it! A beautiful, perfect, 7-foot Noble Fir.



Ooh scary...

We had the logger (Home Depot guy) chop it down (not really) for us and we brought it home to decorate. When we got home Mr. Casillas pointed out the leaves on the ground which made me look up at the trees and I noticed how beautiful they were in their golden and fiery orange splendor. You caught that huh? He says look down and I look up. That's how we roll. Anyway, since we are in the burbs and sometimes it's difficult to feel at one with nature, I am so grateful that my neighbor, Rhoda, planted these trees 50 years ago when our street was only half the size of what it is today. Thanks to her, we have a beautiful Maple Tree-lined street (well only half way down anyway).

So now all our decorations (inside the house) are up. Thank goodness my mom came over to help! Mr. Casillas still has to get around to putting up the lights outside but at least the inside is done and that makes me feel warm and fuzzy.

Since Mateo was a baby, I have been putting a tree in his room. Here is the tree onhis wall:

And here is his real little tree. Every year we buy him an ornament to put in his tree. We try to get him something that is relevant and meaningful to whatever stage in life he is in or what ever he is digging that year. One year, at our vacation in Puerto Vallarta, we got him a Huichol egg. Hopefully, he'll remember what a wonderful vacation that was. Last year Horacio got him a Yorkie figurine (not knowing that would be Penny's last Christmas). This year I got him a glass trumpet to mark his increased appreciation for music and playing an instrument. His tree is also the catch-all tree where all the unwanted and weird ornaments go. Hee! He is so sweet. He always acts as though he really loves his ornaments. I think he does but I think he used to appreciate them more when he was a little boy and I hope that some day when he has his own little family, he will put them up on their tree and remember how much he is loved and how much we want to give him the best life we can.

Last year after Christmas, I got these little village houses on sale at Target. Too bad they don't have them again this year. Oh, except for the little church on the far left. We got that one from our dear neighbor, Tiny who passed away a few years ago. He made that little church and it is just so special. I put them on the buffet in the dining room. Don't they look sweet? I wish you could see how beautiful they look in person.

Okay, guys. Sorry for the blurry picture of our tree. As you well know, I don't really have a good camera and I couldn't get a nice picture of the tree. I tried it with lights on, then with the lights off, then with the flash on, then with the flash off. I give up. But you get the idea.

Anyway, several years ago, they had Shabby Chic ornaments at Target and I scored some at their after Christmas sale. These glittered sparrows were part of my loot

and my tree topper. Again, and I don't know why Target does this, they have something really great and beautiful and then they stop carrying it. Annoy!

This is my kitchen tree. This one has a candy-ish theme. At least the colors are candy-like. This year, my mom made a gum drop garland for it that just ties it all together.



It's such hard work to put up all of the decorations but in the end, it is so worth it.

I hope you have your decorations up too. Enjoy them and remember that Christmas is not just about decorating your house but it is also about decorating your spirit in the true meaning of the season.

Good tidings!

SC
xoxo