Cookie recipe:
From the Joy of Cooking (yes, I do have ONE favorite cook book!)

Cinnamon Stars

Preheat oven to 300 degrees

Sift: 2 cups confectioners' sugar

Whip until stiff but not dry: 5 egg whites, 1/8 teaspoon salt

Add the sugar gradually, continuing to whip. Add: 2 teaspoons cinnamon,1 teaspoon grated lemon rind

Whip constantly. Reserve one-third of the mixture. Fold into the remainder: 1 pound ground unblanched almonds

Dust a board or pastry canvas lightly with confectioners sugar. Pat the dough to the thickness of 1/3 inch; it is too delicate to roll. If it tends to stick, dust your palms with confectioners sugar. Cut the cakes with a star or other cutter, or simply mold them into small mounds. Glaze the tops with the reserved mixture. Back on a greased cookie sheet about 20 minutes (I prefer using parchment paper) for the cooking part.

Makes about 45 1 1/2 inch stars.


Lisa is an award-winning author and super mom who is able to plan weddings at the flutter of a heart.

As beautiful as she is sweet, Lisa is a great writer friend and blogger.

You can find her website HERE.

Angela's Story

This year has been crazy busy. So crazy, and so busy that the holidays started to feel more like a chore than a blessing. And that's just wrong. I had to take a moment and reboot the Merry in Elizabeth Merry (yes, that is my middle name). I wanted a reminder that Christmas is more than just shopping, so I contacted some blog friends and asked them to help me celebrate this season by answering  five quick Christmas questions to help me get this season rolling. Keep stopping by the blog from now until Christmas to see how our fellow blog buddies celebrate the holidays!

1. Favorite Christmas movie? Santa Clause - I love seeing Tim Allen put on Santa's suit every year and get whisked away to the North Pole. 

2. Favorite Christmas song? Joy to the World. I've loved singing it at the top of my lungs since I was a little kid, seconded only by Gloria in excelsis Deo. I'm not saying I sing those songs well, but I do like to sing them loud. :) For softer, nicer songs, I like Silent Night the best, with the lights off and candles lit. And, I like singing Frosty the Snowman and Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer, too. (I'm kind of a big fan of singing, so I could just go on and on about Christmas songs.)

3. Favorite Christmas tradition? There are so many! My husband, my kids, and I started making gingerbread creations about ten years ago, and we've made some interesting stuff with gluten free gingerbread - a ferris wheel, castles, the Dawn Treader, the tea party scene at Bag End, and a few houses. However, that doesn't mean that these crazy creations make it every year from the idea stage to the picture stage without problem. We've had many structures blown down by the big bad wolf, eaten by dinosaurs, and knocked down by Sauron. We liked our ewok village best - although I think the gummi bear ewoks were a little more war-like that the original Star Wars ewoks. Plans are underway for this year's creation, but I'm not sure how it will turn out yet.

4. Favorite Christmas memory? Another tough question. I love Christmas Eve, singing in candlelight at worship; and I love opening presents around the tree. That last sounds a bit greedy, but I love watching my family members open their gifts. I remember my grandma sitting with her lap loaded with presents, wearing a bright pink pair of ear muffs I had given her and smiling. I'm pretty sure she didn't really like them, but she loved me  and graciously thanked me for my dorky present to her. She knew I just wanted to keep her warm. :)

5. Favorite Christmas cookie recipe? (With recipe) Gingerbread!

I actually use the Betty Crocker recipe with just a switch of flour.

Tyrean's Gluten Free Flour Mix

Equal parts of these two products:

Bob's Red Mill Garbanzo and Fava Bean Flour Mix

and

Bob's Red Mill Sorghum Flour

I mix these together in a giant bin, and then just scoop the flour out when I bake.

(I'm not going to go into why I'm gluten free because I don't want it to be the center-piece of my existence. It just is.)

Gingerbread Recipe

Ingredients

1 cup packed brown sugar

1/3 cup shortening (we use canola oil)

1 and 1/2 cups dark molasses

2/3 cup cold water

7 cups flour (all purpose or gluten free)

If gluten free, add 2 teaspoons guar gum

2 teaspoons baking soda

2 teaspoons ground ginger

1 teaspoon ground allspice

1 teaspoon ground cinnamon

1 teaspoon ground cloves

1/2 teaspoon salt

Directions

1. Beat brown sugar, shortening (or oil), molasses and water in a large bowl with electric mixer on medium. Stir in remaining ingredients. Cover and refrigerate for 2 hours.

2. Heat oven to 350. Grease cookie sheet lightly.

3. Roll dough 1/4 inch thick on floured surface. Cut with cutter or use pre-made design cut-outs of paper and a sharp knife. (We create our own designs with paper, pencil, a ruler, and scissors beforehand.) Place on cookie sheets. (about 2 inches apart for regular cookies)

4. Bake 10-12 minutes (or 20 if you are creating big shapes), or until no indentation rmeains when touched. Immediately remove from cooke sheat to wire rack. Cool completely, about 30 minutes. Decorate with colored frosting, colored sugar, and candies if desired.

(On decorating: you can decorate gingerbread house pieces before putting them together or after putting them together. It can be tricky either way.)

Gingerbread Glue Icing (for houses and other structures)

This nasty tasting icing is edible, but it is mainly used for making sure that the house stays standing, so just use it on the joints of the house or structure.

1 pound powdered sugar

1/2 cup egg whites (or comparable egg replacer)

1/2 teaspoon cream of tartar

Beat slowly until icing is smooth. Use immediately before it dries. If it dries, add a small amount of water, and re-mix it. 

Tyrean is a writer, blogger, and mother. 

Always a support and positive spirit, Tyrean is a blog friend I consider a blessing. 

You can find her blog here and her books here.

Thanks for stopping by Tyrean!!

     

Game over. Magnolia won 62-0. Time to relax.

Our silly seniors may be relaxing too much.

The little brother with the big brother. Conner and Carter after the game.

Bringing the gold home to Magnolia High!

Carter feeling speechless. Got to love my baby's fashion. He's in the 2nd row, with the hat. His style is only topped by the lucky banana's style.

         

One of the drawbacks of being a writer is that your job has no hours. 

Don't get me wrong...it TAKES hours. It just doesn't HAVE hours. 

There is a huge amount of flexibility to the work. We can push our deadlines. Play hookie. Get distracted. Fall behind. Drop off the face of the literary world...all because...why? 

Because no one can fire us, you say? Maybe, but no...

It's because we're insecure. 

It's tough to say, "No, I can't do that...I have to work."

Because seriously, how can we- with a straight face- call this work? 

We're just drinking coffee and making crap up. 

That's not work. 

So, in your guilt, which is induced by the lack of gumption to call hanging out with pretend people a job, you agree to do just about whatever someone calls and asks you to do. 

Or is that just me? 

My husband says it's just me. 

He says I'm too easy.

I told him I thought that was what he loved most about me....

This month's awesome co-hosts: Sandra Hoover,Mark Koopmans, Doreen McGettigan, Megan Morgan, and Melodie Campbell! 

And did you know our fearless ninja leader has a 
book on sale!? 

CassaStar is on sale for .99!

To pilot the fleet’s finest ship…

Few options remain for Byron. A talented but stubborn young man with a troubled past and rebellious attitude, his cockpit skills are his only hope. Slated to train as a Cosbolt fighter pilot, Byron is determined to prove his worth and begin a new life as he sets off for the moon base of Guaard.

Much to Byron’s chagrin the toughest instructor in the fleet takes notice of the young pilot. Haunted by a past tragedy, Bassa eventually sees through Byron's tough exterior and insolence. When a secret talent is revealed during training, Bassa feels compelled to help Byron achieve his full potential.

As war brews on the edge of space, time is running short. Byron requires a navigator of exceptional quality to survive, and Bassa must make a decision that could well decide the fate of both men. Will their skills be enough as they embark on a mission that may stretch their abilities to the limit?

“…calls to mind the youthful focus of Robert Heinlein’s early military sf, as well as the excitement of space opera epitomized by the many Star Wars novels. Fast-paced military action and a youthful protagonist make this a good choice for both young adult and adult fans of space wars.” - Library Journal

This has been an IWSG post. Join us here!

*I'm going to take a tiny blog break. I need to catch up on, well, just about everything!
 I'll be back next Friday. Pinky swears.