Hello everyone~
Wow...it's been kind of a slow around here today, and I expect it will remain so as people start traveling for the holidays. It's very unusual for me to post on the same page of the thread that I posted my message last night.
I think someone already asked this, but what are everyone's plans for Christmas/the holidays? Our kids have a half-day of school Friday, the 21st, and we'll head straight to my in-laws that afternoon to celebrate Christmas with them. Unfortunately, it will be a very short visit as our choir program will be presented as part of the church service Sunday morning the 23rd, so we'll drive home Saturday evening. I'll probably work a half-day Christmas Eve, and we'll attend Christmas Eve service that night, have brunch and "Santa" with the kiddos here Christmas morning, and head to my Mom's early afternoon to celebrate with my family (my mom, brother and his wife and kids, as well as four other cousins and their famlies). I'll be working the rest of the week, but hubs will be off to spend time with the kids. I plan on taking a couple of days off work after New Year's to hang out with the kids before they go back to school January 7th.
I had the day off work again today, as our patient census continues to be somewhat low and we would have been overstaffed at work, otherwise. I really don't mind taking a few extra days off over the holiday season, and it allowed me to finish up with the bulk of my Christmas shopping and finally begin wrapping presents too.....not that we have a Christmas tree to put the wrapped gifts under just yet......
According to the auto body shop, our minivan is
supposed to be ready for us Thursday, and then we should be able to pick out and transport home a tree. This may be the first year I have most of the wrapping finished
before putting up and decorating our Christmas tree.
Lynne~ How did the difficult typesetting go for the book you mentioned? I can imagine that formatting those kinds of things can often be tedious. Are you still in the process of editing any of your books, or kind of in a holding pattern right now?
Desiree~ Was your son's yellow belt testing successful? Good for him being so active, and I bet he enjoys the classes. What kinds of tasks are involved when you volunteer at school?
Song~ My daughter wasn't too disapppointed about losing her team's games in the tournament. The girls have fun just hanging out together, and seem to enjoy that aspect of tournaments as much as they do playing in the games. It's so interesting how eating customs vary from country to country, and it's funny how your in-laws view dessert as part of their custom. I don't like to eat chocolate or things that are
too sweet with my coffee, but love the taste of pumpkin bread or lemon poppyseed muffins with coffee (my expensive Starbucks toffee not latte, that is.
) I'm happy to share the cupcake recipe. They're called
Killer Cupcakes, and the recipe is from a Junior League Cookbook I've had for years.
Cupcakes:
4 squares (4 ounces) semisweet chocolate
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 sticks (1/2 pound) butter
4 eggs
1-1/2 cups sugar
1 cup all-purpose flour
Filling:
8 ounces cream cheese, softened
1/4 cup sugar
1 egg, beaten
Dash of salt
3/4 cup semisweet chocolate chips
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Line standard muffin tins with paper cupcake liners (I used the pretty silver foil liners.) In the top part of a double boiler over simmering water, melt the chocolate with the vanilla and butter. In a large bowl, beat the eggs until thick and add the sugar. Beat in the flour. Fold in the butter-chocolate mixture once it has cooled slightly. Spoon into the prepared tins, filling the cups 2/3 full.
For the filling.....mix the softened cream cheese, sugar, egg, and salt until just blended. Stir in the chocolate chips. Drop a rounded teaspoon of filling onto the top of each cupcake. Bake for 30 minutes. The recipe should make 20-22 cupcakes, but I always fill my cupcakes a little too full
, and my batch made 17 cupcakes.
I made the cupcakes to take to work and they seemed to be a hit with everyone. They look kind of pretty with that little bit of cream cheese filling baked right onto the center of the cupcake....and there's no need for frosting. With five eggs and two pounds of butter they're obviously very rich, and not for the faint of heart.
Sean~ That's good news that you'll be working most of this week. What foods do you hope to pick up for Christmas dinner? Do you eat dinner with your immediate family, or other extended family members?
Marielle~ I'm so jealous that you'll have a few weeks off work, but you'll certainly need it to paint, pack, unpack, and hopefully get settled in to your new home comfortably. Will you try and recruit family members or friends to help with painting and moving? Happy early birthday to your brother.