I've been too busy these last couple of months that I never blogged the two holidays that are indicative for family feast and treasures.
My Thanksgiving was slightly irregular than in the years past with the usual big family dinner of turkey, homemade noodles, mashed potatoes, corn, rolls, gravy, squash, dressing, and lots of various pies all created with my loving hands.But this year my oldest daughter decided to tackle the feat by herself. However instead of the usual dinner she decided to have an Italian feast something that she is fantastic at and loves to do.We had stuffed manicotti,spaghetti and meatballs .marinara and cheese sauce for the garlic bread, salad,with a fabulous punch with raspberries,strawberries ans blueberries.For dessert we had a rich chocolate cheesecake and a pumpkin cheesecake. wow needless to say none of us could hardly move ,it was sooooo good!!!!!!!!!! The weeks followed with the warmth of the Christmas season and the love of my family near to us especially our little Granddaughter were the usual cookies to bake chocolate chip, chocolate oatmeal.lots of rolled Christmas cookies with icing and decorated for the first year my grand daughter whom I love to have in the kitchen helping stirring and tasting .I think I actually enjoy the bars,brownies and rice krispie treats we make even more than the cookies.
We had a nice Christmas eve dinner with the ravioli casserole,salad,garlic bread and relish tray and I made the turkey and all the trimmings for Christmas.
I find that stuffing my turkey with a lemon cut in half,whole clove of garlic,fresh parsley,and a onion cut in half, really makes the turkey flavorful and moist.I still baste the bird with butter and seasoning. I think what I love most about the holidays is the smells. I have a recipe for a wonderful pot-potpourri..

Sliced apples
Sliced lemons
Sliced oranges
Water
Bay leaves
Whole cloves
Cinnamon sticks
Directions
In a slow-cooker, combine fruit to preferences of smell. Cover in water. Top with bay leaves, whole cloves, and cinnamon sticks. Leave slow-cooker on low.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
. A old recipe for the sugar cookies that I use whether I use it for roll out and cut out cookies or the ball shaped and flatten with a glass kind ,is as follows

SUGAR COOKIES from my MOM

pre heat oven to 350 degrees
3 sticks of butter of margin
2 cups of sugar
2 eggs
2 teaspoons of vanilla

mix until creamy
4 cups of flour
1 teaspoon of baking soda
1 teaspoon of salt
1 teaspoon of cream of tarter-optional
mix into balls of dough
dip a glass bottom in water,then sugar and flatten balls of dough into cookies shapes

Now when I'm going to roll and cut out cookies I like to frig the dough over night then spread flour out on the counter and divide your dough in half in order to work easier with it ,sprinkle the dough with flour also to prevent it from sticking to the rolling pin. If the dough is too sticky then add a little flour to it also.

I use just a half of stick of softened butter,4 cups of powdered sugar , 2 tablespoons of water then you can add whatever color of food dye you want and whatever flavor you want like almond, peppermint ,vanilla ,lemon,or even cherry.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

What is most important during this time is to share kindness and warmth with others.The prayer of St. Andrews reminds me on a daily basis of the extreme kindness that Christ gave to us and that of His most tender Mother and brave Foster-father.