Re: ***Holiday Planning, 2016***

[blessedw2]

sounds really really good!!! d harriet... I can be your guinea pig for tasting the lovely cakes/cupcakes that you make!

[Nancy]

I have been making paper crafts got snow flake paper cover on primary paper for kid crafting fun! Hgp lists will go in another field note book size insert.

[blessedw2]

what a great idea d nancy! planning for fun with d kids for the holidays.. I wish I had thought about that!

[blessedw2]

Our christmas carol tickets came in.. I can't make reservations at the restaurant attached to the goodman theater yet though... I bought tickets for the parking last year and the parking lot didn't acknowledge or tickets when we got there so I won't do that again. That's the problem living near a big city with big events - I know one year I was able to get Taylor swift tickets for dd's years ago and I am so happy I ordered parking ahead of time but I think I should be okay for this one.

[Nancy]

I am continuing stocking up on mixes and some canned goods for fall. Thanks for the kudos gals!
I have been working on some ideas for gifts to make prepping fabric. I am thinking aprons and reversable bags with pockets. (Dgd is taking a cooking class.)

[Harriet]

I used a plain white cake mix (Dunkin H calls theirs classic, as opposed to their super moist) and "Doctored" it according to the Cake Doctor book's recipe. Instead of the additions the pkg calls for, you use some that are just as easy for you, but give a homemade taste:
for this white cake, 1 cup whole milk, 1 stick butter melted, 3 large eggs and 2 teaspoons vanilla extract.
As far as our guests, not one left a bite of cake and the comments were all positive.

I like the idea of a standby basic "scratch" cake recipe that's easy enough to be "in my head". It can be a no brainer (which is what I need!) , and will work fine for lots of occasions with changes of frosting or drizzle or glazes making it special. This one was a cream cheese/whipping cream white frosting with cut up strawberry pieces also between the 3 layers.

I used a recycling trick found in an internet baking blog for getting the layers nice and flat for decorating, and also used another internet tip of slightly lowering the temperature to 325 to keep them flat. Worked very well with nothing lopsided or mounded, and it was easy to decorate the flat cake top.

Our green-eyed boy5 says the mistake I made was not serving ice cream, too. You can't please all the people all the time.
Wow - electricity popped off before I submitted and I'm so glad to see that when we got power back the computer had evidently saved my complete page for me. I don't think that used to happen.

[Nancy]

Make ahead meal accents did put some peaches in the freezer and half of the peach crisp. I am thinking sliced ice cream round for ice cream sands a fun activity with youths.

[blessedw2]

HI! Sounds delicious d Nancy!

did you all see that the holiday grand plan has started! I feel like I'm in panic mode. No money saved. My house focus has not been done in weeks and clutter has built in my home to the point I have CHAOS.

I have to remember not to over goal.

Nice thing is that my brothers gift has been taken care of. My d mom and I went in together on a gift for his cabin.

my holiday grand plan list book is done!

[Nancy]

Got some more fabric then the snafu in the basment w washer so have not done any sewing of crafting.

[blessedw2]

sorry you had problems with the washer and water!