DECK THE HOLIDAY'S

Christmas Eve in a candlelit cemetery    At  Christmastime many Finns visit cemeteries to place candles by the graves of relatives, or by monuments such as this one in memory of war veterans. Visiting the local cemetery is very much a part of many Finnish families’ Christmas rituals. Hey, it’s not as morbid as it might sound.    Although going to a graveyard might seem an unlikely activity for the festive season, the sight of hundreds of graveside candles glowing in the snow in a serene wooded cemetery can be surprisingly uplifting. Placing candles on the graves of deceased relatives at Christmastime is a deep-rooted tradition followed by non-churchgoers and members of the Orthodox faith, as well as believers from the majority Evangelical Lutheran Church of Finland. “As many as three-quarters of Finnish families visit a cemetery at Christmas, mostly on Christmas Eve, and we even have to make special traffic arrangements to accommodate the crowds,” say...

   This recipe come from www.bhg.com .  These look like a very neat treat to have some family members help you make and to pass a chilly afternoon making. Makes : 12 servings Serving size: 1 cupcake Start to Finish : 1 hr 30 mins Average rating 5.0 from 1 reviews                                        O Tannenbaum Cupcakes Pointy ice cream cones provide the lift in these sky-high cupcakes. A star-tip frosting tool helps create the fir effect. Ingredients 1 recipe Creamy White Frosting or two 16-ounce cans creamy white frosting or vanilla frosting 1 1/2 cups powdered sugar 12 Pine Cupcakes or other 2-1/2-inch cupcakes 12 rolled sugar ice cream cones ...

   You got the first 13, in part I.  Now sit back and take in the next 12 of the Top 25 Food Gifts, Part II! Poppy Seed Thumbprints Recipe 60 Servings Prep: 15 min. Bake: 10 min./batch + cooling 15 10 25 Ingredients 1/2 cup butter, softened 1 cup confectioners' sugar 1/2 cup canola oil 1 egg 1 teaspoon Spice Islands® pure vanilla extract 2-2/3 cups all-purpose flour 1/2 teaspoon salt 2 tablespoons poppy seeds 1 teaspoon grated lemon peel 1/3 cup seedless raspberry preserves Directions In a large bowl, cream butter and confectioners' sugar until light and fluffy. Beat in the oil, egg and vanilla. Combine flour and salt; gradually add to creamed mixture and mix well. Beat in poppy seeds and lemon peel. Shape into 1-in. balls. Place 1 in. apart on ungreased baking sheets. Using a wooden spoon handle, make an indentation in the center of each co...

   This diy comes from www.makinglemonadeblog.blogspot.com .  These are real simple, just add your favorite paper or fabric.  Even make them different sizes and shapes. Enjoy! What inspires you? Sometimes I find inspiration in books, in nature, and in dreams. Sometimes I find it in the pages of a Pottery Barn catalog. Today I found it while playing home preschool with my daughter. During an impromptu tree craft I was doing with my Ms. Noodle (which can be seen at the end of this post) a lightbulb went off and I realized an easy way to make some pretty little trees. These trees can be tucked along a mantel, in windows, in nooks, on end tables, as part of your holiday table... I even thought they'd make cute gift tags. They take less than 5 minutes to make, too. Oh, and they are practically free. Sweet. Somehow they manage to look vintage and modern at the same time. My favorite mix! Since our mantel area is literally under const...

   India is a secular nation and houses every community. Christians are a minority here and form nearly 2.3% of the population. But the fact that there are only about 25 million Christians in India, in no way lessens the observance of the festival. Moreover, the occassion is celebrated not only by Christians but by people of other religions as well.    The tradition of Christmas observance was introduced here with the colonisation of Europeans. Though the country gained its independence in 1947, many European customs and festivals stayed on. The fact that there is the presence of a Christian community in India, helped the maintaining of these traditions in no less a way. Today, Christmas is the biggest and most-loved festival of Indian Christians. The festival is also enthusiastically celebrated by people of other religions residing here.    Like in many other countries, Christmas is observed in India on 25th December. Everyone gears up for...

   This diy comes from www.allisonwaken.squarspace.com .  Cute and clever. Enjoy! Super easy Christmas or Holiday craft | DIY modern holiday decorations Sunday, December 6, 2009 We’re working on lots of fun stuff, but I made this up this evening and thought I’d share. I wanted some fun framed holiday decorations, and something that was a little more modern. First, I had this 12x12 shadow box frame I had picked up on sale at Hobby Lobby. Then I found a piece of scrapbook paper, you could use patterned but I found this shimmery silverish color I found these little tubes of cute little bows for $1 and figured I could do something fun with them, so I figured, why not frame them? I wanted them in a square, but you could do any shape. A circle or triangle like a tree would be fun. I measured, and penciled in a square, I ended up going with a 2 1/2” border. Then just lay out all of the little bows into the shape. 25 little bows fit nicely into my s...

   Give the gift of great recipes this holiday season. Surprise someone special with one of these favorite food gift ideas—Christmas cookies, fudge recipes, Christmas candy and more! Gingerbread Cookies Recipe 60 Servings Prep: 30 min. + chilling Bake: 10 min./batch + cooling 30 10 40 Ingredients 3/4 cup butter, softened 1 cup packed brown sugar 1 egg 3/4 cup molasses 4 cups all-purpose flour 2 teaspoons ground ginger 1-1/2 teaspoons baking soda 1-1/2 teaspoons ground cinnamon 3/4 teaspoon ground cloves 1/4 teaspoon salt Vanilla frosting of your choice Red and green paste food coloring Directions In a large bowl, cream butter and brown sugar until light and fluffy. Add egg and molasses. Combine the flour, ginger, baking soda, cinnamon, cloves and salt; gradually add to creamed mixture and mix well. Cover and refrigerate for 4 hours or overnight or...