Hope everyone has a fabulous Fourth of July with family, sun and fun.
We did a trip up north to family last weekend and had a fabulous family breakfast in Kewaunee County, Wisconsin at a local restaurant.
Texas Toast Red White and Blue style! Fresh strawberry sauce and blueberries, and of course with Wisconsin dairy whipped cream.
Have a Great Holiday!
All the opinions and photographs in this blog are my own. I have not been paid or reimbursed in anyway for my opinions, posts or any products shown or anywhere I shop.
Thanks always for visiting.
I will try and respond to every comment and answer every question.
We've been members of the Botanic Gardens for quite a few years, but we haven't been able to ever attend their "Lightscape" that has grown over the years.
The Gardens are in Glencoe, just north of Chicago proper by a few miles. The property stradles the Edens Highway to Wisconsin. Once upon a time the road was old Hwy. 41 before the Interstate system. It has matured over the years and is definitely my favorite place to go in any season.
Described as a winding walk of 1.8 miles of lights, music and stunning vistas after dusk. I'm including a link to the Gardens description...it's not an advertisement as very few of my reader's are from this area.
These photos are from three different cameras and people. We all have a different way of looking at things. I was fascinated with the colored spots on the bare trees.
These are polyester covered lights you walked through...was very---Avatar like! And safe---the upside of this 'walk' was the amount of children in strollers and seniors in wheel chairs.
These were huge and shimmered and changed slowly with colors to the music.
Everything from Opera, to Josh Groban, to Rock, Blues and even some Hip-hop...not to mention Carols, and kid's song---even Gene Autrey and Rudolph the Rednosed Reindeer.
I loved our normal favorite Grape Arbor, covered in a woven pattern of rainbow lights! We got so many ideas for our own displays. Can't wait until next year!
There were tons of photo ops...but this is just two old duffers that made it through the over hour walk...now to trek a quarter mile to the car...LOL. Bundled up---but gosh I was sweating in all those clothes.
Have Happy Holidays and Merry Christmas to ALL! I used this photo for our Christmas Card...so Enjoy!
Cookie Day was yesterday(Sunday), and flour was flying, laughter was ringing, and carols were humming in the background. We were only six this year...but maybe more fun than having 13 or so...LOL. And we made proportionally less cookies, which helped.
I set up everything in the middle of our huge kitchen table. Sprinkles are put on the Lazy-Susan.
This is the last year I will buy pre-packaged cookie icing. I will invest in more tips and bags and mix the icing myself with powder sugar. cream of tartar, and vanilla. Sure works better than the prepackaged icing, tastes better too.
These are my hubby's THICK Cookies---it's his grandmother's recipe so very OLD. We had the fifth generation making her cookies, yesterday! The recipe is probably older than that, too.
Really cute decorating the girls did, we all cut back on icing---lol, I know you can't tell.
Alvina's OLD RECIPE for Form Cookies.
I use unbleached flour and have substituted Crisco for half the lard...but the consistency changes. Upside these are delicious, hold well, and are perfect for decorating or just sprinkling sugar on.
You can leave out the egg white and the icing is fine and dries nicely with just water
What's left to do this week---Klejner, Finksbro, Vaniller Kranse, Pound Cake, Pumpkin bread baked into gingerbread house forms-for gifts, Peppernuts...and chocolate crinkles and coconut wreaths...I better get cracking, no elves to help with these!
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I will try and respond to every comment and answer every question.
All the opinions and photographs in this blog are my own, I have not been paid or reimbursed in anyway for my opinions, posts or any products shown. Please do not use photos without linking back to this blog without my permission. Thank you for your cooperation, Sandi Magle
Hi, Dear Readers. I have been doing more than blogging this last few weeks. We had Thanksgiving and then slid into full blown Christmas prep---going through everything--jarring memories--and rearranging, culling, cleaning. I'll be able to post more soon.
An old 'memory' that popped up
on my FaceBook from 7 years ago.
We only have one grand girl. And from the beginning we always did things with her when she visited.
Here she is at just two all ready for making
Christmas cookies.
We pretty much left her alone to do what she wanted on Family Cookie Day...where we make cookies with 4-5 families around our island and huge kitchen table.
She was very quiet, content in the high chair and busy. I'm always a believer it is the process that is to be enjoyed, and not the final result with children.
No one paid her any attention as tray after tray of cookies went into the oven. Meanwhile, Grampa was giving her more flour and more 'child safe-no-fresh-eggs cookie dough'.
These were her mom's photos
Probably two hours later....
"OH, Dear....I have flour in my hair, and I'm all sticky..., I'm not sure I like this."
Like I said, it's the process....lol.
Everyone else was very busy, too!
Do you have a favorite
Family Holiday Group Do-Together?
Please share in comments, I'd love to hear from you!
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I will try and respond to every comment and answer every question.
I will post at the following Link Parties, I hope you visit them.
All the opinions and photographs in this blog are my own, unless otherwise designated. Please do not use my photos without permission. I have not been paid or reimbursed in anyway for my opinions, posts, or any products shown or anywhere I shop.
I will try and respond to every comment and answer every question.
All the opinions and photographs in this blog are my own, I have not been paid or reimbursed in anyway for my opinions, posts or any products shown or anywhere I shop.
Please do not use photos without linking back to this blog without my permission.
