Christmas

Getting ready for Christmas

We finally bought a full-size Christmas tree this year. I'd been holding out, hoping that one of these days we would be able to get a REAL tree, but since it seems we are always spending Christmas in Ontario, it doesn't make sense to have a real tree (i.e. fire hazard) drying out and dropping needles on the floor while we are away for 2 weeks.

We found a nice pre-lit one at Costco, and amazingly, had enough decorations to make it look quite lovely, if I do say so myself (pictures to follow). [This may be in part due to my savvy post-Christmas Superstore sprees where I can always find Christmas stuff for 90++% off!]

Getting ready to go out the other night, Elise was playing under the Christmas tree, and I thought it was a perfect opportunity for some photos. She was 6 months old yesterday!!!

Recipes!

I don't normally post recipes on our blog, but now that I am a "stay at home Mom" I have been spending more time in the kitchen and experimenting with different recipes. Here are a few that I've really liked:

This cookie bar recipe is so much quicker and easier than cooking sheets and sheets of individual cookies. They turned out great--I doubled the recipe...

http://www.bos-bowl.com/2010/04/oatmeal-cranberry-white-chocolate-chip.html

A great bran muffin recipe from All-Bran (see http://all-bran.ca/en/recipedetails.aspx?RecipetypeID=14141&t=512). I used the "molasses variation" at the bottom--so yummy and so easy!! Double the recipe if you can because they will go quickly!

1 1/3 cups or 325 ml All-purpose flour 1/2 cup or 125 ml Sugar 1 tbsp or 15 ml Baking powder 1/4 tsp or 1 ml Salt 1 1/2 cups or 375 ml All-Bran Original* cereal -OR- All-Bran Buds* cereal 1 cup or 250 ml Milk 1 Egg 1/3 cup or 75 ml vegetable oil

1. Stir together flour, sugar, baking powder and salt. Set aside.

2. In large mixing bowl, combine cereal and milk . Let stand about 2 minutes or until cereal softens. Add egg and oil. Beat well. Add flour mixture, stirring only until combined. Portion batter evenly into twelve greased 2 1/2-inch muffin pan cups coated with cooking spray.

4. Bake in oven at 200°C (400°F) for about 20 minutes or until muffins are golden brown. Serve warm.

Variations :
Molasses: Decrease milk to 1/2 cup. Add 1/2 cup molasses to cereal with milk. Omit sugar. Follow directions above.

YIELD: 12 muffins

PER SERVING (1 muffin):
170 Calories
7 g Fat
26 g Carbohydrate
3 g Dietary Fibre
4 g Protein