A CHRISTMAS THOUGHT

I enjoy the LDS sight meridianmagazine.com. Today there was a beautiful Christmas article entitled "Our Place in the Christmas Story" by Wallace Goddard He quoted the following from a book by Dennis Rasmussen called "The Lord's Question" I think it is the nicest thing I have read in a long time about Christmas.


A thousand years before a thousand years ago a holy night descended on the world.

In the darkness of Bethlehem the omnipotent God became an impotent Baby.

The hands that made the world and hung the stars in the sky were now just large enough to grasp a mother’s finger ...

What would be said of a God who came not in glory but in secret,

a King who came not to command but to obey ...

He revealed that man’s greatness is not to be found in dominion over the will of another but in submission to the will of God ...

He began his life in a stable, that no one should ever feel too lowly to approach him ...

And now that I have come, what gift shall I leave before him?

I know, because he has told me, what will gladden his heart:

"Love one another; as I have loved you … By this shall men know that ye are my disciples, if ye have love one to another."

As I bring the gift of love, I shall see the smile of my Lord Jesus Christ.

Creamy Lemon Chicken

Last night I had 28 people from my bookclub to dinner and I served the following recipe that I got from my sister-in-law Alicia Chilcote. I served all these people with 6 large chicken breasts. I know it is hard to believe but I made 35 cutlets from these breasts which were extra large. It is a great recipe and easy to do ahead.  With 6 breasts you will probably need more croutons, eggs and flour. 


Creamy Lemon Chicken

6 Chicken Breast (boneless, skinless) 
or 12 chicken tenders
1 cube of butter or ½ C light olive oil
1 can of Chicken broth (I like 2 cans)
2 eggs beaten w/a little water
1 cup of flour w/salt, pepper, and paprika
1 box of seasoned crouton crushed
silvered almonds (opt)
1 cup
sliced lemons

Trim chicken and pound several times (about ½ inch thick) to tenderize. (I usually cut chicken breast in 3-5 pieces) then dip each breast in flour mixture then egg and then crushed croutons. This can be done the night before. Melt butter (I use light olive oil) Brown each piece nicely on each side. (I like to do this on a griddle as you can do a lot at one time and put a small amount of oil under each cutlet.)

Reduce heat and add chicken broth (almonds are added at this time) and simmer about 30 min. until tender. (I have browned the meat the day or morning before and put in a casserole dish. Then an hour before serving add the broth and bake covered 350 for about an 1 hour) I heat the broth before pouring it over the chicken if I am baking it. I like to add 2 T. dried onion and about ½ Tsp Tyme and ½ Tsp Marjoram and simmer the broth a little before pouring over the chicken. Costco has a big bag of garlic croutons that I blend in a processor to a medium fine consistency for coating the chicken.

Whip cream and add salt, yes salt just to taste (about ½ teasp for a pint.) To serve place chicken on platter and top with a slice of lemon and top with whipping cream. To eat squeeze lemon and spread cream over chicken. ( just before serving I squeeze a little lemon over the casserole of chicken and then have a bowl of lemons for more personal squeezes and the whipped cream passed in a bowl for the individual to put on as much as they want. )

The Best Carmel Popcorn in the World!

This is 2 batches one wrapped ready for giving and the second cooling.  I have enough for all my favorite people.

OK, Maybe the "Best" in a world is a little presumptuous but it just might be. It makes a lot and is very easy. If you are going to cook something during the Holidays it should be a lot so you can share.

Pop 4 hot air poppers of corn using 1/3 C. of corn for each batch. (Go get a hot air popper at DI if you don't have one. This is all I use mine for.) Put the popped corn in a very large bowl or pan.
(I bought a plastic bowl that holds about 5 gallons to make this in. A very big soup pot will work)

In a large heavy pan or Dutch oven stir together:
¾ C. butter
½ C. Honey
2 C. Brown Sugar
½ C. Whipping cream (can use evaporated milk it tastes almost as good)
After a good boil starts boil 5-8 min. if you like crisper popcorn cook longer. .
Remove from heat add:
1 tsp. Vanilla
1 tsp.  Baking Soda
3-4 Cups unsalted nuts (Can use toasted almonds, mixed nuts, peanuts, cashews…but no salt)
Stir the nuts into the caramel mixture after the soda and vanilla and pour over the popcorn. Stir to coat popcorn thoroughly. Put two sheets of wax paper together about 2 feet long each on a counter or table and spread the popcorn out in a shallow layer to dry for an hour or two.

If you want to make is especially decadent: (My family now insists on the chocolate)  melt 2 - 12 oz. pkg. of good milk choc. chips like Giradelli or bulk chocolate chopped up and pour over the popcorn. This is how I melt chocolate: chopped up or chips in a shallow glass dish and in the oven with the oven light on. It takes 4-5 hours but the low heat keeps it from going grainy.  I block of chocolate in the oven light overnight will melt without chopping.  Or you can put the chopped chocolate in a glass bowl and set it over a pot of very hot water and stir until melted.

Christmas Letter

MERRY CHRISTMAS TO MY DEAR FAMILY AND FRIENDSDecember 2007

Wow! What a year this has been for us. In some ways it seems a bit unreal. After living in our house in Farmington for 29 years I didn’t think we would ever leave. In October 2006 we became enchanted with a lot we walked by every morning on our hill climb. It is in a gated area where there will be 35 houses and someone will shovel the snow and mow our lawn. There is a wonderful wooded area in the back. After seeing a model of the house in Draper I was smitten and we began the process. In January we rented a storage unit and started to go through 29 years of pack ratted stuff. We needed to move—finally, there was pressure to sort and discard.


We put out a For Sale sign in late March and sold the house in 10 days. The new owners wanted to take possession in one month. Our new house would not be finished until the end of September so we moved everything we could live without into a storage unit and moved into an apartment in Kaysville.


The apartment ended up being an adventure in itself and I could write a couple of pages about it. I will just say that we threatened to call the police on our neighbors who had something noisy going on outside our front window night and day.


This time in transition wasn’t a rest. We refinished 19 chairs (three of them with upholstery) 3 tables, curtains for seven windows, a bedspread and various pillows. Mike made 2 stained glass windows. We also ended up finishing 28 doors and 14 panels for the cabinets in the new house but that is a long story that I will leave untold.

We had some summer trips planned but didn’t dare go anywhere because it was necessary to check in on the house daily as there were too many mistakes happening. Maybe this is what house building is always like. It wasn’t very fun.

 We moved everything into the garage of the new house from the storage units and apartment the last 3 days of September. Then I walked 50 miles every day for three weeks opening boxes and finding a place for everything. Sometimes the place was DI or the dumpster. We didn’t sort and discard enough in the beginning. Mike may have done permanent hip damage carrying boxes. Two months later he is still hobbling around. This move nearly killed us both.

 We love the house and feel lucky to be in such a beautiful place. It has so many convenient aspects that we will enjoy until we move to the rest home.

 Late November we flew to San Diego and then drove to Ensanada Mexico to spend a week on the beach with the Whitmer and Johnston Families. Jared Johnston rode his motorcycle in the Baja 1000 race and his sister Tara rented a house that held 20 of us to be there and support him. It was a rest we needed.

 Beau is still in LA working for Electronic Arts. He made a WWII video game this year. We see him every other week as he flies home to be with Michael. We taught Michael how to play baseball in our apartment back yard this summer. Mike got him his own golf clubs and hopefully now he will make him into a good golf partner. Michael started Kindergarten and is growing up too fast. I cherish his beautiful little soul. Colette is the best mom ever and a daughter we adore.

 Maren was made manager of the new Tai Pan store in Clearfield. It was a great career advancement for her but she is paying the price this Christmas season with 14 hour days.
Ian moved to Portland the end of last year. A gallery sponsored a show for him in August. He worked very hard all summer oil painting 12 paintings for the show. It was nice to see him work hard and get some exposure.

Leif is in Seattle. He plans to get back in school this year, hopefully at the University of Washington. He wants to get a teachers certificate in photography. He has worked as a student mentor in a city photography program this year and likes working with young people.

 The move put a big halt to my painting but I have a wonderful new studio and plan to get started again when the holidays are over. I did paint a still life that I had made into tile for my kitchen backsplash. It turned out to be a fun addition to the kitchen.

 Mike’s days are numbered at work but we don’t quite know what that number is. He is only working half time now and may retire for good sometime next.

I try to write something regularly and teach a class on occasion to Relief Societies. In February I have a group signed up for a 6 week class in "Writing Family Stories."We are involved with about 6 people in a Spanish discussion group. Mike is our fearless leader. He has been great with lots of creative ideas to keep us learning. After 9 months we are seeing some progress. Mike just needs some immersion and he will be fluent. I just need more time to study and maybe I will progress. That is my new year’s resolution. I feel a Spanish speaking mission coming on.

 I now have a blog and am excited about the prospects to share lots of ideas, recipes, stories and pictures. Check it out and please leave me a comment if you do. It is:http://charmainesgibblegabble.blogspot.com/

Life is good. I hope it is for you also.
Love, Charmaine

Mint Sandwhich Chocolates

some to giv
I like to make candy the first of December because I always have something ready for whatever comes up. Candy stays fresh all month and is easier to make than lots of things. The secret is finding somewhere to hide them from your husband and kids (and yourself) These chocolates are my families favorite and they are very easy and everyone can't believe you made them. Buy 2 lbs. of chocolate drops and 1 lb. of green mint drops. Michael's Crafts sell these along with anyone who sells bulk chocolate also Hobby Lobby in Layton. I always get it at Kitchen Kneads in Ogden along with my nuts. They also carry Dutch process bulk cocoa that is heavenly. If you make anything with cocoa it is hard to give up once you have used it.

OK on to the recipe: Get a large sided cookie sheet and put four or five sheets of newspaper in the bottom cut to fit nicely. (this keeps you from cutting up the bottom of your pan when you slice the mints) Next put 3 sheets of waxed paper over this cut to fit. The better the fit the nicer the edges of your mints. Get 2 medium glass bowls and put 1 lb. of chocolate drops in. Now take out about 1/2 cup and put in 1/2 cup of good semisweet chocolate chips or you can just leave in the 1/2 cup of drops and have thicker mints. This is my change to the recipe since the drops are not real chocolate but they survive melting heat well. The chocolate chips improve the flavor a lot. Add 3 T. vegetable oil and 4-5 drops of mint extract. Heat in the microwave on 4 or 5 power for 3-4 minutes. If most of the drops are melted you can stir until they all are. Pour onto the wax paper and spread with a spatula to get as even as possible. Tap a few times on the counter to level. Let set in a cool place if you have one (don't refrigerate) for 20 to 30 minutes. The only problem these mints have is if you let them sit too long between layers sometimes they separate a little. Make the mint layer the same with the entire pound and 3 T. of oil and I always add a little more mint even though they already have some mint flavor. Pour over the chocolate layer being careful not to interrupt your chocolate too much as you smooth it out. Tap to level again. When it is set up melt the last pound of chocolate as the first and pour even and tap. Let them set an hour or so and then cut them with an exacto knife to the desire size. They cut easier if they don't set up too long. I just usually eyeball the width to about 1 1/4 inch. Its OK if they are a little skeewampus...they taste the same. Sometimes the paper sticks to the bottom and must be peeled off some of the squares. I put them into plastic bags and then into a Large Christmas tin and then store them in a cool place. They stay beautiful all month. This makes 3 lbs. I have often made 2 batches so I have e away. Enjoy!

A Christmas Story I Wrote

A TREE FOR MOLLIE
Written by Charmaine Anderson -- based on a true story

The floor was cold as Mollie stepped out of bed. She could feel the heat from the big black coal stove coming up the stairs to her room. It was still dark when she heard daddy pulling out the old clinkers with a poker as he built a fire. She had snuggled next to her little sister Bobbie not wanting to get up until the chill was out of the air. The morning light was streaming into the room now. This was an important day.

Mollie tucked the covers in around the sleeping Bobbie, pulled socks on her cold toes and a sweater over her nightgown. She wanted to speak to daddy early this morning to make plans for getting a Christmas tree. She hoped they would drive to the mountains and chop their own pine tree but some years they bought one from a tree lot in town. She was worried about both prospects because the car was out of gas. But she knew her dad would think of something.

She scurried into the kitchen where her mother was cooking a big pot of oatmeal. It smelled spicy and sweet. She went to the stove and stirred the pot a few times and then sat on a little stool by the big warm stove and rubbed her arms and hands. At the window she could see a few flakes of snow falling. It made her happy to think that they might have a white Christmas.

"Where’s Daddy" she asked her mother. "He’s in the shed killing a couple of chickens for dinner tomorrow." She answered

Mollie was determined to talk to her dad but didn’t want to go to the shed while he was plucking the chicken feathers. The smell was horrible. She would wait until he came back to the house.

She found a book to read and continued to sit on the stool as her mother cooked and hummed softly. Mollie couldn’t concentrate on the book as her mind kept wandering to thoughts of Christmas and the tree. She jumped up and ran up to her room to get a coat and shoes. She would endure the chicken feathers—she and daddy had to talk!

The shed was not far away in the back yard. The snowflakes floated around her face as she bounced along. She pushed hard on the heavy shed door; it didn’t budge. Daddy came quickly to pull it open and she hurried in.
"Hi, sweetie," he said. "What brings you in here so bright and early?’

"Daddy, when are we going to get the Christmas tree?" She tried not to think about the smell or look at the naked chickens lying on the table.

There was a long silence. Daddy’s eyes were fixed on the floor. He pulled his hands out of his pockets and placed them lightly on Mollies shoulders.

"I know this means a lot to you Mollie," he said, "but there is just no way for us to have a Christmas tree this year. You know the country is in a depression. We have no money to buy gas for our car and so there is no possible way to get a tree. I am sorry. We are blessed to have a home and food. I hope you will understand. We will have the best Christmas we can without a tree."

He couldn’t be saying this! She pulled away as the tears welled up in her eyes—begging would be useless. She knew her dad well enough that when he spoke—the conversation was over. She ran to the door. It didn’t seem so heavy this time but swung open easily and slammed soundly.

Mollie raced to the house and up the stairs to her room. She pulled the covers over her head as she jumped back in bed with Bobbie. Her sobs woke her little sister.

"What’s the matter?" Bobbie asked.

"We’re not going to have a Christmas Tree," Mollie cried though she knew her sister was too young to understand or care. Why did they have to be poor and live on a farm? Why did this stupid depression have to happen? She heard her baby brother crying from her mother’s bedroom and went in to get him. She gathered him into her arms and buried her head in his softness hoping his sweetness would console her disappointment.

All that day Mollie avoided her dad. She helped with the baby and played with her little sister and read in her chilly room. But then Daddy didn’t seem to want to cross her path either. He spent his day digging some vegetables from the root cellar and repairing a fence to keep their cow from escaping. Then he disappeared into the shed and whittled.

On Sunday Mollie, Bobbie and their mother rode to church with a neighbor. Daddy stayed home with baby Ted. When they returned Mollie could smell chicken roasting and potatoes boiling on the stove. Dinner looked delicious but she didn’t have much of an appetite. Daddy asked questions about church but only Mama would answer. Mollie knew she was being a brat but she couldn’t help it—at least not today. She was trying to think of something to decorate instead of a pine tree. Maybe they could find a branch from a bush in the yard and pretend it was an evergreen. Somehow they had to have a Christmas tree!

The next morning when Mollie came down to the kitchen she planned to approach daddy about a substitute tree. But he was nowhere to be found—even Mama didn’t know his whereabouts. She said he had gotten up early, built a fire in the stove and left on foot. She wasn’t sure what he was up to.

All day they waited—each one taking a watch at the window. Staying out the entire day without communicating with Mama was so unlike Daddy. Perhaps he had gone to help a neighbor and circumstances had delayed his return.

As the afternoon wore on and the snow continued to fall, the concern and worry showed on Mama’s face. While Mollie stared down the lane she saw a figure approaching in the distance. It looked more like a snowman than a real man—a snowman dragging a pine tree.

Mollie grabbed her coat and ran out the door. So many confusing thoughts swirled through her head as she hurried down the road to meet her daddy. She had acted like a spoiled child and now she knew her father had walked all day to bring her a Christmas tree.

Mollie threw her arms around him and cried, "Oh daddy, why did you go out on a day like this? I wanted to tell you this morning that we could manage with a pretend tree. I am so sorry." They moved down the lane together. Daddy didn’t speak. She helped him remove his boots and brushed the snow from his face.

"I wanted my little girl to have a tree." Was all he said.

Mollie went to the window often that Christmas to gaze out to the distant hills and wonder how anyone could walk so far and then carry a large tree such a long distance home in the cold and snow. She was awed by daddy’s sacrifice and ashamed of her own selfish behavior.

It was a beautiful tree—tall and straight with crisp prickly branches. That evening the stately pine stood in the living room on a tree stand built with scraps of lumber. The next day they all gathered to decide how to decorate it. Daddy remembered seeing some red rose hips left on the wild roses by the creek. He went to pick some along with the silvery dried milk weed pods close by.

The little family sat together one evening at the kitchen table and strung together red rose hips, white popcorn and silver pods to make a festive garland. They fashioned bows with scraps of fabric. Mama created some delicate little snowflakes with white paper. Daddy pulled out a box with a few ornaments from past Christmases and when the decorating was finished Mollie thought it was glorious. She sat by the tree for hours enjoying every branch and ornament—the tree glowed with love.

On Christmas morning there were two little dolls from Santa under the tree. Daddy had built a doll bed and Mama hand stitched a perfect little quilt. Mollie could see fabrics from some of their dresses in the blanket. The two dolls fit perfectly in the little bed just like Mollie and Bobbie fit in their bed together. There were six little willow bark whistles; each one made a different sound. The hours daddy spent whittling in the shed he carved a perfect chain from a long stick with a four-sided cage on the end ; a ball rolled inside the cage. Baby Ted loved it. Mollie was always amazed at what daddy could do with his hands—his great loving hands. She would never forget this Christmas.
**************************************************************************
I am Mollie’s daughter and when I was a young girl she told me this story as we were bundled in an old truck going to the Mountains to chop a Christmas tree for our home. This story is a gift I cherish. I believe our stories are the only treasures that will have any real value to our posterity. Christmas traditions, passed on from one generation to another, convey to children that they are loved.

When my first little boy was three years old, my husband took him Christmas tree shopping. I was home with a new baby. We were living in California at the time and my husband did not have to trudge through the snow. We had a car with gas to carry the tree home. After dragging the little guy through several tree lots looking for the perfect tree my small son tugged on his daddy’s hand and said, "Dad, let’s not get the right tree." I guess even a twig from the yard would have made him happy.

Yummy Cookies

I plan to post recipes on a regular basis. This is a cookie recipe I found about a year ago and it is great and easy! Every time I take it somewhere I get raves and recipe requests. It makes a lot and they are festive for the holidays. You can use mixed nuts if you try to get as much salt off as possible. Shake the salty nuts in a strainer and then rub between some paper towels or just buy unsalted. Toast the almonds if you use them. Get a big bag at Costco and put them on a cookie sheet and bake for 10-12 minutes at 375 or until light brown. Then they are already roasted for whatever you want or just eating. The "release foil" is available anywhere and makes them easier to work with but other foil might work if you spray it generously with Pam. I have always used the release for this.


Chewy Nut Bars

Crust
1 box devils food cake mix
2 sticks (1 cup) melted butter
1 large egg
2 tsp. VanillaMix together and press into the bottom of a large sided
cookie sheet which has been lined with release foil.
Bring the ends of the foil above the ends of the pan.
Bake 350 for about 12 minutes. The center should be flat.
Cool completely. The crust needs to be good and solid to
get the topping on easier.
Topping
¾ cup brown sugar
3 large eggs
¼ cup light corn syrup
2 tsp. Vanilla
3 cups of nuts coarsely chopped (any of pecans, cashews,
walnuts, toasted almonds hazelnuts) (I used unsalted except
the cashews but I tried to shake off the salt) I used toasted
almonds cashews and pecans. They were good.
1 ½ C. semisweet chocolate chips

After the crust is cooled, Mix the nuts and chocolate chips
in the topping glaze and pour over the crust. Make sure the
syrup didn’t pool in the middle. Bake for about 20 minutes
until the syrup is set.
Cool and lift out by the end foil and cut into desired pieces.