RUM BALLS RECIPE AND PHOTOS

One of the things I love is cookies, so at Christmas, I make sure there are plenty of them to be had, always baking at least six kinds, and sometimes more. I used to start in October, putting the dough together and freezing it until December, but now all that baking just get squooshed into the week before Christmas.

I was supposed to do the rum balls Monday, so they'd have a week to sit, and be ready for the first family get-together on the 22nd, but I forgot. Well, the flavors won't be quite as blended and melded as they might have been, but having *hic* tried them immediately after putting them together this *hic* afternoon, I can say probably nobody will be complaining.

Here's what you'll need:

2 1/2 cups crushed gingersnaps
1 1/2 cups finely ground pecans
1/2 cup honey
6 Tablespoons rum
Powdered sugar to roll rum balls in

Crush the gingersnaps. I used a rolling pin and plastic bag, my usual method, but after I did the pecans with the Salad Shooter, I was kind of slapping my forehead. Next time, I'll used the Shooter for the gingersnaps, too.


After crushing the gingersnaps, grind the pecans. Use your Salad Shooter. Or whatever works.


Mix all the ingredients together, except for the powdered sugar, until the dough forms a sticky mass.


Pinch off bits of dough and form into balls, and roll balls in the powdered sugar.


Let the rum balls sit for a week. My cook book doesn't say what sort of container to use for that, but I'll probably put them in a plastic container with a paper towel on top.

This was the first time I've tried this recipe, and the cookies are yummy, but the dough seemed much too gooey to me. I ended up crushing another cup's worth of gingersnaps, and adding them and another 1/2 cup of the ground pecans, too. You may or may not have to do that, probably depending on the brand of gingersnaps you use.

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GIFT WRAP MY WAY

Admission: Lame title. Just couldn't think of anything better.

I have more gift wrapping to do, but my new fabric gift bags make it so simple! Pretty, too. So I'm sharing, and again letting the news out: These bags will be in my Etsy store in due time, but let me know if you want some, and I'll make "due time" arrive more quickly!

Here's one way to use the gift bags:

Start with one of my gift bags.


A close-up to show the streamers sewn into the bottom seam


Fold gift to fit the width of the bag, then insert


Finger-pleat the top of the bag down to the gift


Tie the streamers in a bow. Done!

A second look for the same type bag, this time with a flat gift, a book, to be specific:

Take a bag and a book

Put the book in the bag, then fold the top corners of the bag down to form a a point



Fold the top down, bring the streamers up around the gift, and tie a bow. Done!

I'm wrapping gifts again on this day of snowflakes and ice, so there'll be more gift wrapping to show off later!

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GIFT WRAP: USING A WINE BAG

'Tis the season to wrap presents! It's a chore that never seems very chore-like to me. In fact, if I start early enough not to be rushed, it's quite a pleasant activity.

Have I mentioned I have new gift bags? I've been making them from oversized fabric swatches from the various interior design houses here in town. Today I wrapped gifts in two styles of the bags, and decided to put up small tutorials about it.

I will have both fabric bag styles on Etsy later; in the meantime, if you're interested in them, just drop me an email or a comment or something!

I chose a wine bag for the first gift, which wasn't a bottle of wine. It wasn't a bottle of anything. It makes me think naming a bag "wine bag" just because a wine bottle fits well in it is a bit too limiting.

Here's my collection of items needed:

Wine bag, gift, extra bow (optional)

Put the gift (in this case a can of candy) in the bag

Fold the top of the bag down, and tie the cord around the gift.

If you like, tie on a bow, arranging the loops and cord ends prettily.

It's about as easy a gift wrap as I've ever done, it's green, being from recycled materials, and hopefully the recipient will reuse the bag, which makes it even more green. Easy, green, and almost sure to be reused--that's a formula that makes me smile.

FRIDAY FENCE POST #13

Just one fence this Friday. I had a fence in mind to photograph, but didn't get to it, instead spending the day at home, kind of disjointedly putzing around, waiting to hear if the chest pains Mama was having were a heart attack. She's in ICU tonight, with just one other patient there. They're keeping a close watch on her, but the doctor doesn't really know what's causing her distress. Two of the five enzymes that indicate a heart attack are present in her blood, but not the biggest tattle tale enzyme they look for. Hopefully, she'll be home tomorrow.

Yesterday was one year since Daddy's death, so this may be a reawakening of all the grief, and a fresh immersion in memories and longing. Their anniversary was last week. It would have been their 65th, if I'm counting right. (Let's see...my older brother would be three years older than me, which would make him....et.)

I loved the view of a garden in bloom through the lattice "windows" of this fence. Isn't it pretty?

SPOTTED COW: FEATURED ETSY BLOGGER

The EtsyBloggers Team is featuring SpottedCowSoaps this month. She's also known as Ms Moo.

I'm realizing while I type that both names have associations for me, SpottedCow because of the little bit of doggerel my dd used to recite:

I never saw a purple cow.
I hope I never see one.
But if there is a purple cow,
I'd rather see than be one!

and Ms Moo because my nickname for one o my granddaughters is Mickey Moo.

That's a bit off topic, though, isn't it? Or as my high school English teacher would often say, "but I digress". (He was great that way. Never knew what subject we'd be getting, but it was always interesting.)

Ms Moo creates a lovely-wonderful line of soaps and scrubs, with most everything looking good enough to eat, although wash clothes haven't been on the menu for me yet. But scrubbies? The way she packages them, on top of handmade soaps to look like frosting on a cupcake? Maybe you wouldn't actually put them in your mouth, but you'd sure have them to your nose!





Below is an Etsy mini for Ms Moo's store. You can click on any image and be taken right to that article, and from there poke around and explore. (Can you say "Stocking Stuffers"?) There's something for everyone, guaranteed!

Etsy: Your place to buy & sell all things handmade SpottedCowSoaps.etsy.com

FRIDAY FENCE POST #12

I didn't get the Friday Fence Post posted yesterday. Was going to, but couldn't find the cord that connects the camera to the computer. I found it easily enough this morning, oddly enough. Must have been tired, huh?

But I did find a really cool fence! Someone has created their own version of Stonehenge, right here in little ol' Portland, Oregon. Too much fun altogether.




Two more, just because I liked them:

NEW! COFFEE POT PEOPLE "On Vacation"

I've been working on a new project, one I'm excited to share, not to mention crow about.

My Coffee Pot People and Tea Kettle Characters have gone on vacation, and brought back with them the photographic "proof" of their travels. (And we all know pictures never lie, right?)

The photographs have all made it onto the front of cream-colored blank note cards, and will shortly be available in my Etsy store. And although I haven't scanned the final product into my computer yet, I am (was there ever any doubt?) going to share the pictures right this very minute.



Angie on the beach at Grayland, Washington



Bob, from inside the Sea Lion Caves on the Oregon coast



Belle, visiting relatives in Savannah, Georgia



Cowboy, in Fresno, California



Harold Angel, flying watch over highway construction north of Grants Pass, Oregon



Sage, in Carysbrook, Virginia



Raoul at Burning Man



This barefoot boy refuses to tell me where he found the fountain!



Nigel, under the St Johns Bridge near Portland, Oregon



Orin, who found this boardwalk on one of his daily hikes



Rocco, enjoying a gondola ride in Venice



Violet, basking in the reflected gleam of the Eiffel Tower


That's it for now! I have another fifty or sixty yet to do, so these vicarious vacations will undoubtedly keep me occupied for some time to come!