Heap on more wood! The wind is chill: But let it whistle as it will, We’ll keep our Christmas merry still.~Sir Walter Scott
My father, Armand Mattia, built this faux fireplace for me out of scrap wood and gingerbread trim. ( He is a man of many talents, he worked with a team of engineers to design and develop the Tomahawk Heat Seeking Missile used in the war, and he can build cute things! How cool is that!)
I love the way it brightens the corner with a wonderful warm glow. The people who bought our house in California before we moved to Missouri wanted to keep it. I don’t blame them! It warms the hallway to my bedroom now, so I get to enjoy it as I walk by it everyday. Thanks Dad!
Let the trees in the woods sing for joy before the Lord.
~ 1 Chronicles 16:33
Jesus is the reason for this glorious season!
Frosted windowpanes…candles gleaming inside….
This adorable antique little girl is my husband’s Grandmother. Her name… little Miss Naomi Agatha Madsen. What a dreamy picture of pure sweetness!
Oh Honey!!
(If you don’t know me yet, this is what I say when I see something so stinkin’ cute!)
She grew up to be the prayer warrior of the family. She fell asleep every night with an open Bible and prayers for her children and grandchildren fresh on her lips. What a legacy and a priceless gift, to blanket loved ones with warm prayers of goodness, mercy and grace. Oh, that we would do the same, with fervency! If we don’t pray for our loved ones, who will?
“The earnest prayer of a righteous person has great power and produces wonderful results.” James 5:16B
Well, little miss “NoNo” as she was endearingly called, was the baker of many delectable, made-from-scratch, sweet and golden confections. One of which was her spicy, sugared, Gingersnap Cookies. A must-have on our holiday table. I would like to honor her this Christmas season by sharing this heirloom recipe ( which she would be thrilled and humbled that you would want it.).
Grandma’s Gingersnaps
3/4 cup butter (softened, not melted)
1 cup sugar
1/4 cup molasses
1 egg
Mix together above ingredients until well blended, then add:
2 cups flour
2 tsp. baking soda
1/4 tsp. salt
1 tsp. cinnamon
1 tsp. ground cloves
1 tsp. ground ginger
Beat all ingredients well. Wrap dough in plastic wrap and chill in refrigerator at least an hour. Then roll into small balls (large marble size). Dip balls into a bowl of white sugar, and place on a cookie sheet. Bake in a 375 preheated oven for 8 minutes (not a minute more, you want the cookies to be crisp on the outside and chewy on the inside.)
Just wait until the buttery-spice aroma of these cookies meander it’s way through each room of your home, it’s so heavenly…you’ll wonder if Angels may have fluttered by. 
And how about something to warm your tummy when the wind is whirling with a shivering chill. This delicious hot orange spice tea promises to warm you from your sassy hair-do, down to your cute little red painted toes! It is so scrumptious that it would be a great little gift to give.
Just mix and pour into canning jars, add a fabric square, a tag, and maybe a little ornament, like this frosted snowflake from Wallmart.
As you can see there are “Red Hots” (cinnamon candies) mixed in. It really adds a festive touch as well as extra flavor.
Here is the recipe:
2 cups instant dry tea
2 cups orange Tang
4 cups sugar
1 cup lemonade mix
2 tsp. cinnamon
1 tsp. ground cloves
1 cup cinnamon candies
Mix together in a large bowl and ladle into glass jars. The serving instructions on the tag should read: Stir 2 heaping teaspoons into a mug of steaming hot water. Enjoy with a good book in front of a warm fire!
In the November issue of Good Housekeeping magazine, Reese Witherspoon talked about a similar recipe. She says it is southern. So, I would like to hear from you southern gals, are you familiar with this cozy tea?
“For somehow, not only at Christmas, but all the long year through, the joy that you give to others is the joy that comes back to you.”
~John Greenleaf Whittier
Stay warm and sweet!
Thanks for stopping by for pie!
Ruthann
P.S. I will be sharing my peach pie and pie crust recipe in a future post, thanks for asking!
I love being home for the holidays…
the aroma of turkey roasting…
the warmth of the kitchen…
a delicious array of all those wonderful treats
that bring back memories
of grandma’s recipes,
of mom and our delightful aunts
chattering in the kitchen,
stirring, chopping,
and spicing things up with cinnamon,
sugar and the latest family news.
My husband surprised me by flying my daughter Ashley and son J.J.
out from
California for Thanksgiving!
Yay!!!
I love my girls! Here is Ashley and Summer Rose
taking a hug-break
while helping to whip fresh roasted sweet potatoes,
which they later topped with lots of brown sugar,
chopped pecans and melted butter.
My college boy J.J.
( I am so proud of him!)with sweet Summer.
(we are missing his darling girlfriend Tiffany!)
Dusty and Kimmy, married one year.
Oh, the weather outside is frightful…
but the fire is so delightful!
Playing games on Thanksgiving morn.
Ahh…
I was one happy mama to hear the laughter
of all of my kids once again.
Kimmy and Ashley would want you to know they don’t have their make-up on yet!
They just may get back at me for this photo!
But I think they are adorable, make-up or no make-up
(now as for me… gotta have my lipstick on at all times,
along with my blush and eyeliner and mascara.
My husband calls it my “hobby”
when I put my make-up on every morning.
I have to, or I’ll scare people! ) Seriously.
I love cooking in the kitchen with Peggi!
(she is my daughter-in-law’s mom)
She is so fun and joyful, I wish you all could meet her!
We had a few mishaps that morning…
we giggled a lot,
I felt like we were Lucy and Ethel!
Here we are ready to roast that bird!
Ashley wanted a peach pie…. so Ashley got her peach pie!
It’s best when you can use fresh summer peaches, but in the winter, frozen is better than none!
One of my favorite quotes about pie
comes from Nigella Lawson’s book,
How To Be A Domestic Goddess
“…like the first kiss, it’s the first pie that counts:
as soon as I whipped it out of the oven
and sprinkled sugar all over it,
I felt suffused with heady satisfaction.
This was a real pie:
the sort that I thought
only women with sensible hands
habitually wiped briskly on aprons could make.
It changed my culinary self-image instantly.
And that is why I am so evangelical now.”
It may sound silly, but for years I was so afraid to make a pie.
So when I finally made my mind up to do so,
and I pulled that hot apple pie out of the oven,
juices bubbling thick, crust golden crisp,
aroma so heavenly…
I thought…
I Am A Real Woman Now!
Now, with dozens of pies under my belt,
making pie is …well…easy as pie!
Practice being the person you want to be.
With practice I am now a pie maker.
Imagine that!
Okay…do you see the snowballs resting peacefully around Baby Jesus?
Well, boys will be boys……
my sons saw those and couldn’t resist a snowball fight.
They are made from Styrofoam…so have at it!
um…J.J. is that your shoe on the sofa? 
Here is Dusty waiting for the perfect moment to blast his brother…
and my hubby Gary leisurely enjoying his pumpkin pie.
J.J. is giving it all he’s got!
As he has said before,
“Go big, or stay home!”
Meaning, whatever you do, pour your heart into it.
Peggi and Jim, Kimmy’s parents. What fun to have them join us
for Thanksgiving! We love them! They are starting up a new Christian Church in
Check out their web site that my son Dusty designed!!
(just click on The Journey)
We had a variety of non-alcoholic sparking juices
along with our meal.
Peach, grape,white grape and blush grape.
They looked like liquid jewels in crystal goblets.
Funny thing is, I looked for sparking cider,
but couldn’t find any.
It worked out even better!
Do you all know about the Apples to Apples game?
If you don’t, stop reading this blog and go get it right now!
ummm…….you’re still reading!
Okay you can get it later!
It is such a fun game, easy to play and creates a lot of laughter!
I thank my Lord Jesus for all of His blessings!
He loves us all so lavishly.
You are the apple of His eye.
You are adorable to Him!
When He looks at you,
I’m sure He says “Oh, Honey!”
Thanks for stopping by for pie!
Hugs to you all!
Ruthann
P.S. To answer a few questions left for me on my comments….
1. I bought the large Baby Jesus at HomeGoods last year. There aren’t any manufacturing markings on it.
2. My wall color is Burnt Almond from Home Depot, Behr paint. It’s sort of the color of a brown paper bag.
3. My home accessories come from a variety of places, antique stores, gift shops, ebay etc. I also used to be in the retail business and would find unique things at the gift shows. I have been married 29 years, and things accumulate!
Thank you all again for such nice comments! You know how to make a girls day!
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