The Legend of the Candy Cane

Candy Cane
Originally uploaded by Pisces Romance

Mom sent this to me today and thought it would be good to post it for all to see.  It's a wonderful story about how those tasty Christmas treats came into being.

The Legend of the Candy Cane

Have a grand day!!! It's damp here...Snow maybe tomorrow!

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Thanks be to God!

~~Bad Haiku Friday and Haiku My Heart~~

When the season, you think, is getting out of hand, do like Sam!  Take a nap!!!  Or just take a break.  Times not the enemy.  Maybe the list of things to do is.  After the nap, see if there are some unimportant things on the list that can be eliminated or postponed.  You are too important to have all this stress.

Just do like Sam, CHILL.

(And in this weather it's not hard!)

Better yet is this
 Rely on Mary's image
of tranquility!



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Thanks be to God!

Please visit Laura at Catholic Teacher Musings the sponsor of Bad Haiku Friday.  Visit also Rebecca at recuerda mi corazon for Haiku My Heart.

Bad Haiku Friday

Haiku My Heart

~~Tea Talk~~

Christmas is not a time nor a season, but a state of mind. To cherish peace and goodwill, to be plenteous in mercy, is to have the real spirit of Christmas. ~Calvin Coolidge~

I'm having...Good Earth tea.  My delivery came yesterday.  Oh I have been with out it for three weeks.  That's a LONG time.

My teacup is...a Norman Rockwell mug that Hallmark produced many years ago.  I love them and use them often during Christmas.

The chocolate pecan candy is made by a neighboring parish each year

and it is oh so delicious.  There are sugar cookies topped with crushed

candy cane.  Understand that this is NOT my breakfast but only pictures

so I didn't have a photo of a lonely cup. 

I'm feeling...better since I think I have licked this cold that started Saturday.  I used Zicam for cold relief and it seemed to have done the trick.

On my mind...visit to INDY this weekend.  May not come to fruition.  Weather seems to be the culprit!  Will have to wait until Friday, but it seems a big storm is on the way and it may need to be postponed!  Love to visit the kids up their and enjoy their Christmas trees!

Wishing all a grandday!!!

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Thanks be to God!!

Now won't you join me and visit Ruth at Celebrate Friendship is hosting Tea Talk at her house?  Share a cup of tea or a cool refreshing drink with us.

Once Upon A Time Recipes

There is always that special recipe that brings back wonderful memories of gatherings of family and friends and grand times spent together.  Christmas is one of those times when memories flood back for me.  What about yours?

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Today's recipe reminds me of the gift of  a friend gave me and all the wonderful recipes and stories it has to tell.  The book is The Twelve Blessings of Christmas by T.J Mills and how that gift brings joy to to family and friends.  It also brings back memories of one of those traditions my family had at Christmas and the breakfast pastry on Christmas Day.

It was a treat each Christmas to have this fruit-filled stollen warm and tasty with our eggs and bacon after early Christmas Mass.  The recipe I have been using is not as complicated and takes very little time to prepare.  And so I offer it from the pages of this delightful book!

Christmas Stollen

1 1/2 cups warm water

2 packages yeast

1 package yellow cake mix

4 1/2 cups flour

1/4 teaspoon salt

1 can cherry pie filling

Mix together water, yeast, cake mix, flour and salt.  Place in a greased bowl and let rise until double.  Divide in half and roll to a 12 x 8 oval.  Spread 1/2 can of pie fill on one side of dough and fold over half of the dough on top.  Repeat with remaining dough.  Place on a greased cookie sheet and let rise until double in bulk.  Bake in a 350  degree oven for 20 minutes or until golden brown.  Cool completely and drizzle powdered sugar frosting.

(I place the loaves on baking sheet covered with parchment paper.  I also used cream cheese icing on the loaves.)

Baking this stollen each year also allows me the opportunity to thank God for Lisa who gave me this book in the first place.  She is on of those treasures for which I say,

"Thanks be to God!"

If you have a recipe your family enjoys traditionally every year, please link below so we can all share in the the excitement and try your recipe this year!!

~~Mosaic/Macro Monday~~

The tree is decorated and the lights are aglow.  

Still savoring the wonder of this Holy Season.

It seems like a long time ago now but every time I hang this and other ornaments that Ron and I have made out of porcelain I recall the joy I had in making them. They were gifts to family and friends.  To me they are still treasures of the wonderful Christmases past!  They instill in me the hope of Christmases to come.

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Thanks be to God!

Now visit Mary at The Little Red House and share in the beauty offered there.   Lisa at  Macro Monday  also has much to offer.  The pictures are grand.


Again this Wednesday please
join me in offering Once Upon a Time 
Recipes, a story and recipe you
have as tradition at your house.

The Littlest Angel

When I was 7 years old my Aunt Rosemary gave me these records.  And every year thereafter there was that anticipation of hearing them again.  You know even now there is something so tender about this beautiful tale that I want all children to hear it.  For me today this was a treasure found again, and all because I happened upon it at YouTube. It still brings tears to my eyes and allows me to hope that I will find myself walking or even skipping down the streets of heaven.  I too want to balance myself on the edge of a cloud...Oh, heavenly!  Hoping you have the time to linger here and listen to it.

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Thanks be to God!

~~Bad Haiku Friday and Haiku My Heart~~

Don't want to hurry

Want to savor the moment

Decorating fun

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Thanks be to God!

Please visit Laura at Catholic Teacher Musings the sponsor of Bad Haiku Friday.  Visit also Rebecca at recuerda mi corazon for Haiku My Heart. 

Bad Haiku Friday

Haiku My Heart

--Tea Talk~~

Cookies are made of butter and love.  

~Norwegian Proverb

Tea Talk today serves two purposes.  First to share my morning with you and also to clarify an error in yesterday's post "Once Upon A Time Recipes." 


So let's begin.

I'm having...Celestial Seasoning Cool Raspberry Black Tea  though I brewed it with hot water instead of cool water...It really is a tasty tea.

My teacup is...my favorite Christmas mug.

I'm feeling...Embarrassed because I didn't proofread the Candy Cane Recipe better yesterday.  I glad however that I decided to make a batch of cookies for Ron as a surprise.  Because of that surprise I found my "surprise."  But I think and I hope I caught it in time before anyone started to make them.

On my mind...The Candy Cane Cookie Caper and solving the mystery of too little flour in the batter.
If you have already printed the recipe just make sure you change the amount of flour to 2 1/2 cups.

The batter is easy to work with...

I use my Pampered Chef Pizza stone to roll them out on...

Lay them on the cookie sheet carefully...

I baked them for 15 minutes instead of  9 inures because
I made them larger than suggested...

Ron was surprised and so was I because though they

aren't the fanciest candy canes I ever made they really

do taste good!

Wishing you all a wonderful Tea Talk Thursday and come back next Wednesday and I'll try to proofread my Once Upon A Time Recipe post a little better.  Hoping you will stop by and share your recipes!!

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Thanks be to God!!!

Now won't you join me and visit Ruth at Celebrate Friendship is hosting Tea Talk at her house?  Share a cup of tea or a cool refreshing drink with us.

Once Upon A Time Recipes

There is always that special recipe that brings back wonderful memories of family gatherings and grand times spent together.  Christmas is one of those times when memories flood back for me.
What about your?

The recipe I offer today is one that Ron's family has shared since they were small children.  And so it was on that special "cookie baking Sunday" that we all did our part to make these fun cookies.

Wes, Laura, David and Ron

having a wonderful time baking  together.

Burlingame, CA, 1973

Candy Cane Cookies

1/2 cup softened butter
1 cup shortening
1 cup powdered sugar
1 egg
1 1/2 teaspoons almond extract
1 teaspoon vanilla
2 1/2 cups flour
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon red food coloring
Crushed peppermint candy (optional)

Cream margarine and shortening.  Add sugar and egg.  Add dry ingredients.  Divide dough in half, color half with red food coloring.

Use 1/2 teaspoon of each color, roll and twist colored and uncolored dough then lay the cookie on an ungreased baking sheet, shape like candy cane.  Top with crushed peppermint candy if desired.

Preheat oven to 375 degrees and bake 9 minutes or until set and very light brown.  Makes 4 dozen.

If you wish you can also use green food coloring and twist the dough into wreaths.

 It was such fun baking and watching the little ones eye as they watched the cookies come off the cookie sheet.  They were so careful not to break the Candy Cane.

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Thanks be to God!

If you have a recipe your family enjoys traditionally every year, please link below so we can all share in the the excitement and try your recipe this year!!

--Mosaic Monday~~Macro Monday~~

My what a grand time we all had!!!!

And then there is the hope and reminder of Spring!

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Thanks be to God!

Now visit Mary at The Little Red House and share in the beauty offered there.   Lisa at  Macro Monday  also has much to offer.  The pictures are grand.

Instead of taking an Adventure Tour this
week I thought it would be fun if you would
share holiday recipes you have that have
a history. So this Wednesday please
join me in offering Once Upon a Time 
Recipes, a story and recipe you
have as tradition at your house.