December 15, 2019

Have a Sweet Christmas!

Baking Christmas sweets in my new holiday top.  :o)

A mere ten days stand between us and “…the Most Wonderful Time of the Year“!
As my fellow Iowan, Andy Williams, happily and melodiously reminds us each Christmas season, “It’s the hap-happiest season of all”!  

Andy Williams’ upbeat “The Most Wonderful Time of the Year” can be
heard everywhere during the Christmas season!

Go here, to listen to Williams’ “The Most Wonderful Time of the Year” now.
Read about Williams’ Iowa roots, here.
Photo courtesy of Wikimedia Commons

Over the past few weeks, like you, I have been preparing for the Holiday Season. Christmas decorating, Christmas movies and activities, along with Christmas baking, keep me happily busy.

Decorations

Seeing the light of day, after a year of being relegated to basement storage, it is great fun to reacquaint myself with my Christmas decorations, while preparing the house for the holidays.   I share a few of those decorations in the photos below.

Simple white houses join mirrored cone trees,
along with a newer mid-centuryish Christmas tree tray,
in a happy holiday display.

My “sequined” trees (Are these called sequins?) were purchased from
a store going out of business, several years ago.

Bing Crosby (whose velvety voice made the melody,, “White Christmas” a holiday staple), in framed LP form, graces my hall table for the holidays each year, joined by a vintage plastic Santa, and vintage-look “Noel” greeting.
The old timey poster, at the bottom, is a new addition this year. I love it!

Here is a better look at the vintage-look poster.
It was an inexpensive purchase from Amazon this year, here.
I then put it in a poster frame that I purchased from Michaels.
(No, I do not get any $ for sharing this, or any other merchandise information in this blog with you.  :o))

This cute little TV music box was a gift from a friend who shares my love of classic Christmas movies. (Thank you, Jodi!)
The festive sign, an homage to the Christmas film, Meet Me in St. Louis,
and was a purchase from Etsy a couple of years ago, here.

Meet Me in St. Louis

Turner Classic movies often sponsors a classic Christmas film on the big screen in December.  This year’s offering was 1944’s, Meet Me in St. Louis.  A happy MGM musical starring Judy Garland, this film introduced the world to the song
“Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas”. What a treat to see this on the large screen!

A Christmas Eve scene from Meet Me in St. Louis with
Judy Garland and Margaret O’Brien.
Although, this photo is in black and white, the film was actually filmed in color.

Photo courtesy of Wikimedia Commons

The Nutcracker

Is seeing The NutcrackerBallet a part of your Christmas tradition?  It was for my family, when my children were young.  It was fun seeing The Nutcracker again, but this time with my grand daughter, her uncle/my son, and his girlfriend.

Seeing The Nutcracker was fun for all.

Christmas Sweets:
“Reindeer “Belly Buttons”

Tucked in-between all of the beautiful Christmas decorations, Yuletide movies,
awe- inspiring nativity displays and performances, and other time-honored traditions, are the sweets and goodies!  I share with you one of my sweet and salty favorites that are easy to create.

Gather the items needed, and unwrap the chocolate kisses.

Place the pretzels and then the chocolate kisses, on a parchment-prepared
cookie sheet.
Place in a 275 degree preheated oven for 2-3 minutes.
Preheating is important!
(I learned this after destroying one batch, by not doing so!)

Press the m & m’s into the softened candy kisses.

Place in the refrigerator until set.

My grand children enjoy making this treat, as well as eating it!

The Recipe

Reindeer “Belly Buttons”

INGREDIENTS:

25 small pretzels

1/2 (4 ounce) package chocolate kisses, unwrapped

1/4 cup plain m&m’s in holiday colors (red and green)

Parchment paper,
(or PAM cooking spray for greasing pan)

DIRECTIONS:

Preheat oven at 275 degrees.

Place the pretzels on a baking sheet that has been lined with parchment paper,
(or grease sheet/pan with PAM cooking spray) in a single layer.

Place one unwrapped chocolate kiss in the center of each pretzel.

Bake for 2-3 minutes, until the chocolate kiss softens.

Remove from oven.

Immediately, place one m&m in the center of each softened kiss, pressing down slightly.

Refrigerate for 5-10 minutes until firm.
(These freeze well.)

Makes: 2 dozen.

Annette’s Notes-Preheat the oven!

My family enjoys these all year long.
Replace the holiday/red and green m&m’s with other appropriate color m&m’s for other holidays.

More m&m “Belly Button” Ideas

Cupid “Belly Buttons”-red, pink, white

Leprechaun “Belly Buttons”-green

Easter Bunny “Belly Buttons”-pastel colors

Uncle Sam “Belly Buttons”-red, white, blue

Jack-o-Lantern “Belly Buttons”– orange, black

Scarecrow “Belly Buttons”-orange, yellow, red

Thanksgiving Turkey “Belly Buttons”– orange, yellow, brown

Reindeer “Belly Buttons”-red, green

Enjoy These Christmas Posts from Years Past!

My crew enjoying a “winter scene” at Walt Disney World.
1996

Counting the Days Till Christmas, 2013, here.

Christmas in Black and White, 2014, here.
(This blog post shares my favorite Christmas-related movies,
and my Christmas Eve Stew.)

Procrastination and Merry Christmas!, 2015, here.

A “Christmas Story” Christmas, 2016, here.

It’s Christmas Time!  Enjoy These Often-missed Yuletide Movies, 2017, here.
(This blog post shares more favorite Christmas-related movies.)

What’s Slumgullion?!, 2018, here.

Happy Bacon, Happy New Year!, 2018, here

Thank you for reading and wish you a Merry Christmas,

I’m Annette Stuff

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Thursday, January 23, 2019

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I proudly stand in front of the sleigh used in filming the 1942 Christmas classic,
Holiday Inn.
2010

This iconic sleigh was once on display at a, now-defunct, Maryland restaurant.
Read about that restaurant, here 
(The seventh paragraph in the article shares the sleigh’s origin.)
and here.

Wishing you a Sweet and Merry Christmas!