A Table Set for Christmas Brunch

I love having people over - especially my family.  I want my kids to enjoy people and what it takes to get ready for people to come to the house.  So, Christmas Eve the kids and I got the table ready for our Christmas brunch.  They had so much more fun than I thought they would have had!  To begin, we set out a holiday tablecloth I picked up half off one year after Christmas along with the Santa table runner.

I used my everyday plates as a charger for my Old Time Santa salad plates.  I got these after Christmas either the year we got married or the year we got engaged (I can't remember at all) from Target.  Along the sides of the plates, went the silverware that matches the salad plates.  My mother-in-law gave me these as a Christmas present (the same year I got the plates).

 The place setting was complete with my Heritage coffee mugs and winter scene ice tea glasses (which we got from Arby's - yes, Arby's - the year we got married).  Carter thought Grandma's cloth napkins would look best tucked into the glasses, and what a great choice he made!

 I am a Santa girl!! I love Santas!  So, of course, the centerpiece of the table was one of my old time Santa figurines.  My grandmother or my mother gave me this and I just LOVE it!!  We set it on top of my crystal cake stand.  Around it, we placed a pine wreath wrapped with gold ribbon just for that extra touch.

I loved my table and once it was filled with family it was perfect! However, I think I loved my help even more!
We were ready for a wonderful brunch of muffins, breakfast tacos, fruit, coffee and hot apple cider!

Christmas Eve Traditions

We have always been full of tradition when it comes to Christmas.  I think it is one reason I love Christmas the way I do.  The night begins with some kind of family meal.  This has evolved over the years from desserts with the Wilcoxsin clan, to finger foods with aunts, uncles, cousins and grandparents, to the big Christmas meal with family.  This is what we did this year - our full blown out Christmas dinner and it was wonderful as always!

Sweet LB is ready for dinner

Uncle Chuck is getting Carter ready for dinner.
Chuck made Carter this vest and it was a HUGE hit!!!

Games of all kinds are ALWAYS a part of the evening. 

After dinner and games, we headed back to our house to get ready for the jolly old man himself to come.  We had been tracking him all day and did one last look to see that he was getting closer and closer to us! So, the kids put out cake mix cookies they had made along with a Christmas Tree cake and a Dr. Thunder - for a little caffeine rush after all the milk!  The kids each wrote Santa something (which will be posted later) . . . .

hung up their stockings . . .

and read 'Twas the Night Before Christmas with Daddy.

Carter has been MOST enthusiastic about Christmas since Thanksgiving, so needless to say, he was a bit wound up Christmas Eve.  Santa obviously had gotten that message and called Carter that night.  He told Carter he better go to bed so he could come!  Whatever else was said, must have worked because Carter went straight to bed and was asleep in 10 minutes!!

Santa kept his word and came!  What loot he brought for Carter!  He wants everyone to see the Elvis Andrus jersey hanging! Santa's elves went to MUCH trouble to get this jersey!!! Thank you, Dallas, TX, elves for pulling through!!!

Laura Beth's loot . . . .  Mom and Dad want to say a special thank you to some secret elves who helped add to the kids' stash!  You helped make our Christmas especially bright this year and we will be forever grateful!

More proof that Santa did come . . . everything was gone from his plate and he left the sweetest note to the kids telling them how proud he was of them!  We really are beyond blessed with such amazing kids!

Merry Christmas to all,

and to all a

Good Night!

Christmas Cooking Day

I had just mentioned that I had not done much Christmas cooking with the kids - well, we made up for that Christmas Eve!!!  Laura Beth spent the night at Gran and Grandad's the night before and woke up to help Grandad make Nana Willis' tea cakes.

Old Fashioned Tea Cakes

(Nana Willis via Mrs. Dixon)

Beat together: 3 eggs

2 c. sugar

4 T buttermilk

1 c. shortening

1 t. vanilla

Sift together and add to first mixture. Add more flour if needed.

4 c. flour

1 t. baking powder

1 t. soda

1/2 t. salt

Refrigerate about 30 minutes for easier handling.

Roll out on lightly floured baord, cut and space far apart on greased cookie sheet.  Sprinkle with sugar. Bake in 400 degree oven until lightly brown for 10-12 minutes.

I was not able to get any pictures of this cookie expedition but I know the outcome was great! So glad the third generation of the family is making these special cookies!  We all think of Nana when we think of these cookies!

After lunch, LB came back with us to the house and we made our first Kisses Pie (see the following post for the easy recipe)!  Then, Carter was ready to make his cookies.  He had been patiently waiting to make his chocolate chocolate chip cake mix  cookies.  He did it all by himself, too! I was super proud of him and his efforts!

Chocolate Chocolate Chip Cake Mix Cookies

1 chocolate cake mix

2 eggs

1/2 c. oil

1 c. chocolate chips

Mix all the ingredients together.  Place on cookie sheets.  Bake at 350 for 8-10 minutes.

We added a bit of crushed peppermints to the tops of some of the cookies to make them more festive!

Carter and his cookie creations!

Then, Chuck (my youngest brother) is in from LA.  He picked up some pomegranates and we made my dear friend's, Kristen, recipe for Chocolate Chip Pomegranate Cookies. The kids were a huge help and really did a great job with the cooking process of these cookies.

Chocolate Fudge Pomegranate Cookies

Makes about 30 cookies

1 c. butter, room temperature

1 1/2 c. sugar

2 eggs

1 tsp. vanilla

2 c. all-purpose flour

1/2 c. cocoa powder

1 tsp. baking soda

1/4 tsp. salt

2 Tbsp. pomegranate juice (or pomegranate/blueberry juice, which was all I could find. Delicious, but EXPENSIVE)

1 c. milk chocolate chips

1/2 c. pomegranate arils

Cream butter, sugar, eggs, and vanilla until fluffy. Sift flour, cocoa powder, baking soda, and salt - combine dry mixture and wet mixture. Add pomegranate juice and mix once more. Fold in chocolate chips; fold in pomegranate arils last. Refrigerate dough for at least 2 hours - but the longer, the better.

When dough is ready to be baked, gently scoop dough out and onto a greased or parchment-lined cookie sheet. Some arils will burst in the process, but it all ends up O.K. =) Bake cookies at 350 degrees for 8-10 minutes. Cool a bit before eating.

These cookies are best eaten right after baking. After about a day, the pomegranate arils start to shrink and aren't juicy anymore.

Mixing up part of the recipe

My great help!

LB is an amazing cook for being 8 years old!

Pomegranate seeds with the dough in the background!

Adding them in!

The final product was wonderful!!! So wonderful I don't have pictures to prove it!  Go to Kristen's blog to see her final product - they obviously have more will power than we do!!!

A Kisses Pie

I love spending time with the family - no matter which part of the family it is.  I was blessed to be able to spend a little time in the kitchen with my niece, Addison, this year.  She taught me how to make her speciality - Kisses Pie!!

Kisses Pie

(makes 2 pies)

2 pie crusts

1 bag of Hershey Kisses or Silver Bells

2 containers of Cool Whip

Whipped Cream

Chocolate toppings of your choice

Bake the pie crusts according to the directions.

Unwrap the kisses into a microwave safe bowl.

Heat until the chocolate is melted. 

Stir till smooth.

Add Cool Whip.

Mix till well blended.

Pour into pie crusts and chill.

Top as you desire.

Here's my head chef, Addison, with her pie.
My kids and I plan on making this for our Christmas Eve dinner.

Thank you, Addison!

I love you!

A Country Christmas Comeback

Opryland is one of the kids' favorite places to go and explore.  After the Nashville floods, we were all very worried about Opryland and what would happen.  However, they pulled together and the hotel opened right before Christmas for its HUGE Country Christmas.  After going to ICE, we could not help but to go and see how the hotel was decorated.  It was lovely. The kids were precious.  They were amazed at each and every turn they made.

LB was intent on showing Johnathan and Addison the cave she and Carter discovered at Lads to Leaders.

They especially loved the BIG poinsettia tree.

Papa John and Mama C with the Welch grandchildren

A rare family picture in the Delta

Santa Claus is Comin' to Town in ICE!!!!

Our holiday was made a little brighter thanks to a kind gentleman (again from Dustin's church) who gave us all tickets to experience this wonder!  All had a great time!

Bundled up and ready to go!

Completely bundled up now and ready to go!

I love Fred!

The kids loved going down the ICE slide

LB with the nativity shepherd

One last picture - yes, Carter is crying because he wanted to continue sliding!!!

ICE was amazing as always and we are so thankful for the big generous hearts who have helped make our Christmas so special!

A Welch Christmas

We woke up Monday morning to a BIG breakfast and Christmas with Damon's side of the family! The kids are always a hoot when they are together.  They took turns passing out all the presents which was interesting to say the very least - some presents were mixed up and some were opened that should not have been,  but hey! They had fun!

Carter had another baseball Christmas - big surprise there!! Although he did get a Titans sweatshirt, too!

 All the kids waited so patiently as they watched others open presents!

Once Johnathan opened his Star Wars Lego book from us - that was all he cared about!

(except picking his nose, apparently! - You will love me for that one one day!)

LB was most excited (just a tad) when she opened her

PILLOW PET!!!!

More of Carter's baseball things - showing off his new baseball gloves

(Just like Josh Hamilton's, mind you)

I don't know what I did for this picture to turn out like this, but I thought it was cool looking.

Johnathan took a break from Star Wars Lego book to play his annual

Hot and Cold game with Damon.

Overall it was a great Christmas with wonderful family!