Holiday Recap

Well, the holidays are finally over. And while I cooked at least a month's worth of food in the week between Christmas and New Years, I don't have any pictures. Not of the food, anyway. But I have lots of pictures of the fun.

Each of our kiddos and their families were in at some point during the week. We ate (obviously), we played, we enjoyed each other's company. And spent a fair amount of time outside. 

Yep, the stars at night really are big and bright. Making it a great night for a bonfire.

Our oldest daughter and I took some of the boys to the Blue Bell Creamery where they make some of the best ice cream in the world. And yes, we got samples.

Of course, the week's big finale was our annual New Year's Eve fireworks display.

The house is quiet now. I've hung up my apron and returned to my desk where a delightful Christmas story waits to be completed. So maybe the decorations will stay up just a while longer.

Happy New Year, y'all!

Award-winning author Mindy Obenhaus is passionate about touching readers with Biblical truths in an entertaining, and sometimes adventurous, manner. She lives on a ranch in Texas with her husband, two sassy pups, countless cattle, deer and the occasional coyote, mountain lion or snake. When she's not writing, she enjoys spending time with her grandchildren, cooking and watching copious amounts of the Hallmark Channel. Learn more at mindyobenhaus.com

The Winter Solstice is Special This Year

Regular readers of the Yankee Belle blog know the bloggers pretty well, don't you? Mindy is the Texas rancher, Cate is the teacher living in the middle of Brooklyn, Ruthy is the Upstate New York pumpkin farmer, and Missy is the sweet-as-a-Georgia-peach pastor's wife. But what about me? Well, Jan is the lover of all things Black Hills and a closet weather geek.

What? You didn't know I was a weather-geek?

No matter where we've lived, my eyes have always been on the sky.

Of course, in our new Black Hills home, there is plenty of sky to be watching!

I've been known to drive a hundred miles to experience a temperature inversion, or spend hours looking at weather maps. I'll go outside in the middle the night to feel what -15° is like, or bake in the sunshine on a 100° day to get my dose of Vitamin D (it doesn't take long!)

Now that we live in the country (wide open spaces and little light pollution,) I'm adding a bit of astronomy in a subheading under meteorology. A couple years ago, I started tracking the sunrise and sunset times in my bullet journal, along with the day's weather and phases of the moon. I'm slowly learning to recognize constellations (hello, Orion!) and have started tracking their nightly progress. 

One reason why I take the dogs out for their final nightly walk instead of my dear husband is to look at the stars!

All of this is an introduction about what I really want to talk about today! This is the winter solstice, and it's a very special day.

For the first time since 1226, tonight we will be able to observe a great conjunction of planetary alignment with Saturn and Jupiter - basically, a double star.

That's pretty cool. Here's an article about it: Is it the star of Bethlehem? or This article from Forbes

Whether it is the star of Bethlehem or not, it's still a fantastic occurrence. Not a once in a lifetime event, but a once in a millennium event!

I just hope the skies will be clear tonight!

But the greatest thing about the winter solstice is that our daylight hours begin to increase. 

Starting tomorrow, the days will be a little bit longer and the nights a little bit shorter. Only about a 15-20 second difference at first, but then the sun begins its journey north, picking up speed as it goes until we reach the summer solstice. This difference isn't as dramatic the farther south you go, and I can just imagine what that yearly trek is like in Canada or Alaska!

You might have noticed that the increase in daylight just happens to happen close to our celebration of our Savior's birth.

Coincidence? I don't think so. 

Many years before Jesus' birth, Isaiah prophesied this:

John, in the first chapter of his gospel, tells us this:

Jesus is the light of the world. 

Have a wonderful Christmas week! 

Jan Drexler has always been a "book girl" who still loves to spend time within the pages of her favorite books. She lives in the Black Hills of South Dakota with her dear husband of many years and their active, crazy dogs, Jack and Sam. You can learn more about Jan and her books on her website, www.JanDrexler.com.

A Kid-Filled Christmas

 Good morning, all o' youse! 

Or, as Missy would say "all y'all"!!!!!

Lena and Jeter, snuggle time!

It's no secret that my life tends to revolve around kids. A whole bunch of kids. A riotous bunch of the little darlings and it's also probably no surprise that I was voted most likely to be a kindergarten teacher in my senior year in high school... 

WHICH DID NOT HAPPEN OFFICIALLY!!!!

I got married at 19 and we had six kids in twelve years, so it was very preschool friendly. Eventually, once my kids were older, I left my job as a teacher's aide and opened an in home daycare with amazing families... and wrote in the middle of the night.

I was so blessed! Sprinkles, glitter and glue, oh my! :)

So being a grandmother, making messes, cleaning up messes comes naturally.  We can't do our traditional "Make a Memory Day" because of the virus, so instead of having all the families here at once, we're dividing and conquering. It means Grammy travels a bit, but Have Grammy, Will Travel!

Last Sunday we did Gingerbread House Day.... I put the houses together early in the day so the kids didn't get frustrated with waiting for royal icing to dry... So they gathered for the fun!

I bought some forms and then built others from graham crackers.  Here's the royal icing:

3 egg whites

4 cups confectioners/powdered sugar

Beat the eggs until frothy, then add sugar one cup at a time. Beat until mixed. When all sugar is mixed in, beat at high speed until frosting is thick and glossy and holds it's shape. If you need to thin it, add bits of water carefully.

GRAHAM CRACKER HOUSES!  These are fun and reasonably priced. You can make six from one box of graham crackers, so six houses for around $2.50.... I did them in various sizes and roof pitches so they wouldn't all look the same, but they came out so cute! 

I cut the triangle ends from a square part of the cracker.  I used the pizza cutter for separating crackers on the line and a sharp knife for cutting the triangles.  I made the square into an isosceles triangles by cutting from the center point of the top of the cracker, diagonally down to each corner. That left two right angle triangles, perfect for eating! :)

To make it easy for the kids to decorate, I glued the houses to the Christmas plates with a bead of frosting shaped like the bottom of their particular house.

Mary Ruth.... diving in before everyone else got here, a quiet moment. Also a rarity!

The troops have arrived....

Mary Ruth also opened the candy and put it out in pretty bowls so the kids wouldn't have to stick their grimy little hands into the bags. WIN!!!!

And here are four of the finished works of art!!!!!

So just in case you think I'm like Joe Expert at everything.... Here's a shot of my Thanksgiving turkey.

Yep.  That's the bottom....  The top/breast is on the platter.

OH MY STARS, I've rarely gotten a turkey just right so now it's just a family joke.

Yep.

#PINTERESTFAIL

Random box of books? No... We did a massive giveaway over the weekend. So many people are shut in nursing homes, care facilities, apartments for seniors, senior complexes, etc. and some of the folks are afraid to go out because of Covid. Some are afraid to keep living... so with Beth Jamison's help we boxed up a gazillion books (61 books in and there were some serious promo copies upstairs, even with all the promos I do for my books. Crazy and crazy fun! 

We had folks drive in... we loaded boxes into their cars... and they drove off.

Contactless act of kindness! 

It was so nice to see folks' reactions. We made sure that each box had some Love Inspireds, some indies and some of my trade paperbacks (Wishing Bridge, Double S Ranch, etc.) and I think folks were thrilled. And that made us happy because giving is always the best way to get happy, isn't it?

Now we're moving full speed ahead with a very different holiday profile... no big Herne party, no large group on Christmas Eve.... And it's not that I'm worried about myself. I'm in great health and fairly solid shape, but what if we unwittingly pass this on to one of the older family members who isn't in that kind of shape or circumstance?

I don't know if I could really forgive myself.

Out in the open, all fall, we had a gazillion people here, but that was outside and over several acres.

Inside in the winter is a germ spreader in WNY. 

So we're being cautious because we need to be. 

Although there's the stubborn Irish side of me that wants to shrug off the virus and do things my way.... but with an average of 600 positives/day, we have to be prudent.

Which means more chocolate for me and my pants are already too tight. YIKES!!!! :)

We'll get by... all of us. We always do. With His help and a dose of patience.

Multi-published, bestselling inspirational author Ruth Logan Herne is living her dream of being a published author... with over 60 published novels and novellas, Ruthy sneaks around the house in the dead of night, writing sweet heartwarming stories on the Q.T. because her family is noisy and somewhat intrusive.... but they're hers, so what's she gonna do? :) Friend Ruthy on Facebook, email her at loganherne@gmail.com or stop by her website ruthloganherne.com... she'd love to meet you! 

The Yankee-Belle Cafe is Closed for Christmas

Crab Casserole

Merry Christmas week!

Okay, I have a confession to make: One of my weaknesses is a good Chinese Buffet. I love Chinese food in general, but when I get to sample small helpings of all my favorites, I'm in my happy place!

However, I'm the only one in our household that feels that way. So when we go out to eat, we choose somewhere that we both enjoy. The result? It's been a while!

But earlier this month, when I was visiting my dad in Indiana, we went to his favorite buffet for lunch one day.

Guys, they had this new dish I had never seen before! (I'm sure you already know all about it, LOL!) It was a casserole made with fake crab (aka surimi) and cream cheese. It was like crab rangoon, but with more crab and less rangoon! I had two helpings!

And you guessed it, once I got home I started craving it... So I went hunting for a recipe. When I searched on-line and found dozens of recipes for "Chinese Buffet Crab Casserole," I realized that I was the only one in the world who hadn't known about this delicacy.

The main ingredient in this dish is seafood (of course,) but the recipes went from all surimi, to combinations of canned crab meat and fresh shrimp. The cheeses varied too, as well as other seasonings.

I came up with a combination I thought sounded like the casserole I had enjoyed so much and I made it for a Christmas party with the ladies from church.

Jan's Crab Casserole

ingredients:

about a pound of surimi (aka fake crab)
1 Tablespoon lemon juice
1/2 cup sour cream
1 (8 ounce) package cream cheese, softened
1 clove garlic, minced
1 Tablespoon minced onion
1/4 cup mayonnaise
1 1/2 teaspoons Worchestershire sauce
1 1/2 cups shredded mozzarella cheese (reserve 1/4 cup)

Mix all the ingredients together in a large bowl (except the reserved 1/4 cup cheese.)

Spoon it into a greased casserole dish. I used my 8"x 12", but a 9" x 13" will work great.

Bake in a 350° oven for about 30 minutes, or until the casserole is bubbly and the cheese is beginning to brown on top.

This casserole is delicious hot, but I had leftovers, so I tried them cold, too. Delicious both ways! And it's a great topping for a cracker or pita chip!

And I'm definitely going to save this recipe for future special occasions.

Since this is the day before Christmas Eve, I want to wish you and yours a very special, peace-filled Christmas!

Jan Drexler lives in the Black Hills of South Dakota with her husband and growing family. When she isn't writing, she loves hiking in the Hills or satisfying her cross stitch addiction.

You can find Jan on Facebook, Jan Drexler, author, or her website, Jan Drexler.com

My Most Favorite Holiday Recipe

Yes, just in time for this last week before Christmas, I'm going to share my most favorite recipe of the holiday season. I discovered this recipe more than twenty years ago and have used it every year since. Even if you're not a cook, you can still make your whole house smell as if you've been baking up a storm. It will smell like Christmas.

Oh, and did I mention it can double as a perfect gift idea, too?

This is my holiday scent I always have simmering on the stove from Thanksgiving till New Year's. And it's super simple. 

Here's what you'll need:

• 1 orange
• 1 lemon
• 3 cinnamon sticks
• 3 bay leaves
• 1/4 cup whole cloves

Now simply quarter the fruit and put two wedges of each into a large saucepan along with the spices and a quart of water. You can save the rest of the fruit for another batch later. Bring to a slight boil and then turn heat to a simmer. Add more water as necessary. 

That's it! It will last for several days. Simply put a lid on it and refrigerate overnight. And as far as giving it as a gift, put all of the ingredients except for the water into a clear cellophane bag, tie with a pretty bow and add a tag with instructions on the back and you're good to go. It's as pretty as it is practical. 

I can't believe Christmas is almost here. A week from today is Christmas Eve. What do you have planned? Does your Christmas center around that one day, or does it spread out over several days like ours usually does? 

Merry Christmas, y'all!

Three time Carol Award finalist Mindy Obenhaus lives on a ranch in Texas with her husband, the youngest of her five children and two dogs. She passionate about touching readers with Biblical truths in an entertaining, and sometimes adventurous, manner. When she's not writing, she enjoys cooking and spending time with her grandchildren. Learn more a mindyobenhaus.com.

Christmas Candies

The Christmas season is now in full swing. You know what that means. Time for parties and church/family gatherings. And that means it's candy making time.

All those gatherings are the perfect opportunity to break out those favorite candy recipes you make only during the holidays. Because let's face it, if you make it just to have at home, you're going to be the one eating it all. Well, I would be anyway. I have little restraint this time of year. 

Peanut Clusters are one of the first things I make every year. (recipe here)

They're super easy to make AND they freeze well. That means you can make them now and then simply thaw what you need as you need them. They're perfect for parties and gift-giving.

Another annual treat that freezes well is Peanut Butter Balls. (recipe here)

Also known as Buckeyes, these are reminiscent of Reese's Peanut Butter Cups. You can find the recipe here, however I have made one minor change. Actually, one that makes things so much easier. Instead of melting a bit of paraffin into chocolate chips (very old-school), I simply use the melting wafers or coating chocolate. Both are made to coat and harden into a nice chocolatey shell.

My mom's favorite Fantasy Fudge is next. (Recipe can be found here)

This recipe has adorned the back label of Kraft Marshmallow Cream for as long as I can remember. However there was a slight change somewhere along the way. The recipe has always called for a small can of evaporated milk. But for some reason, the makers of evaporated milk changed the amount in the can from 6 ounces to only 5 ounces. And because of that, my beloved fudge just wasn't the same. It wasn't until I stumbled across the original recipe my mom had cut off of the back of a jar many, many years ago that I discovered the problem. So, don't buy the small can of evaporated milk. Do yourself a favor and get the larger can and measure out a full 6 ounces.

Trust me on this one. That one little ounce of evaporated milk makes all the difference.

Another confectionary treat that's perfect for both young and old is Dipped Pretzel Rods, (Tutorial here)

Their sweet/salty mix makes them a delicious treat. And you can add sprinkles or drizzle them with those colored candy wafers you find by the cake decorating supplies to make them extra festive.

My final favorite chocolatey Christmas treats are Pretzel Turtles. (Recipe here)

Like the Dipped Pretzels, these Pretzel Turtles require no baking skills. All you need to do is assemble. But your patience will be rewarded with a very tasty treat that will wow your friends and family. 

That's my lineup of holiday candies. What are some of your favorite Christmas candies to share?

Three time Carol Award finalist Mindy Obenhaus lives on a ranch in Texas with her husband, the youngest of her five children and two dogs. She passionate about touching readers with Biblical truths in an entertaining, and sometimes adventurous, manner. When she's not writing, she enjoys cooking and spending time with her grandchildren. Learn more a mindyobenhaus.com.