It's Beginning To Smell A Lot Like Christmas!

Hiya All! Well we are now two days into December and I think some one told the weather to act like it's December! It's cold and rainy today. For the first day of December we had our first big, heavy frost up here on the hill. We have had a couple of light ones but this one put the quietus on some summer plants still trying to survive. I'm glad I remembered to bring my orchid in.

Today I have a continuation of homemade decorations for a kitchen Christmas tree. I should have said on Monday when I started this that one year I didn't have an actual tree in my kitchen so I made these ornaments and hung them on a wreath for my kitchen door. So the smells and cheer were still there although I didn't need many for the wreath.

This is a recipe for cinnamon ornaments. It's cheap, simple and smells deliciously of Christmas time. Although I am not a huge fan of cinnamon scented things like candles and brooms these ornaments aren't too strong once they are made but do put a hint of spice in the air. Here's what you need and what to do:

Cinnamon Ornaments

2 bottles cinnamon (fifty cents each at the dollar store)
1/2 cup applesauce (I worked up to about this amount, start small and get to what you can work with)
cookie cutters
a tad of flour

Mix cinnamon and applesauce together in a bowl. Spoon out onto a lightly floured surface. This can be a little messy on your hands so flour yourself. Roll dough out with a rolling pin to about 1/4 inch thickness. Cut out shapes with cookie cutters. At this point you have two options. You can put your shapes onto wax paper and let them dry 24 hours or place them on a parchment paper* lined cookie sheet and bake in the oven at 200 for 20 minutes. Allow them to cool. However you choose to let them dry you need to make a hole for the hanger using a toothpick and going around in a circle before baking or drying. Make it far enough down into the shape so the ornament won't break. I made stars and had a couple of tips break off.

I hope you like them!

*Note: I wouldn't grease the pan. You can try baking them without parchment paper if you don't have it but only try a couple at first. I don't know if they will stick to the pan or not.

A Bit Of Understanding

Sometimes, while at work and especially during the holiday seasons, when things are hectic, there are places that you would rather be, try to think of this.

Try to put yourself in to the customer's shoes. They've gotten out of bed with you on their mind, for whatever reason, in my case.. they are cold because their heat has gone out. Maybe it's the call they have been meaning to make and now have to make. Maybe even with the hesitation of financial issues in their minds with "can we afford this now?" or "We cannot afford this but we have to." They may dread making the call just as much as you, with your busy work day, dread answering another call.

Sometimes it can be hard to think of sounding pleasant to the person on the other end of the phone line. Good customer service comes when caring steps in front of repetitiveness. Just because you sound good on the phone doesn't mean that you truly care about their problem, even if it is only having to listen to them for a few minutes.

Think of the questions that have been rolling around in their head all morning or all weekend, just waiting to ask you. Provide a service of listening to their problem and knowing that they trust in you and your company to take care of the needs of themselves and their family. Without them there would be no need for you to work there.

This year, give a gift to each person that you talk to by lending them a listening ear and a caring heart.

It's Finally Here!!!

Let's talk Christmas tree ornaments... please, please, please! I have been waiting since July for Christmas time to arrive and FINALLY!!! IT'S HERE! (I'm capitalizing because I'm shouting) I have been so excited about decorating our new home for the first time although it's really just putting the same stuff up in a new place. But I want it to be special for me and my Mr.

I am the type that enjoys a touch of holiday in each room. This week I want to talk about my kitchen. I have a small, four foot Christmas tree in a corner of my kitchen. Usually I will put items on it such as cookie cutters and kitchen-y items. This year I wanted smells of Christmas and more natural items that would also make the room smell of holiday when you walk into it. Let me tell you, after this past weekend the poor little thing is just full!

The first thing that I thought of to decorate my kitchen tree was fruit. I knew there were a couple of oranges and at least one apple in the refrigerator. When I found those I also found a lemon that I had used some of the zest off of on some asparagus last week. Here's what I did:


I preheated the oven at it's lowest temperature which was 170 degrees. Next I sliced the oranges, apple and lemon cross-wise into pretty thin slices. I took whole cloves and gently pushed them into the fruit and sprinkled the apples with a little cinnamon. I placed them onto a cookie cooling rack and popped them into the oven. You can place them directly onto the oven rack but keep an eye on them because they could fall through. I let them cook for about 40 minutes.


When they cool you can easily poke a hole through the citrus with a toothpick and thread ribbon or twine through them for hanging. It adds a touch of Christmas into the air when you walk into the kitchen. If you try this I am sure you'll enjoy it too!

Sweet Goodness and I mean the potatoes!

Hiya Turkeys! Not you of course... or is it? Let's see... I talked about baking, cooking, parades, pecan pie, cranberries, congealed tin can.. what's left? Oh I know. What am I most thankful for this year!

Last night while waiting for the finale of Dancing With the Stars to come on I thought about my blog post for today. I wanted to share one more recipe before Thanksgiving but also touch on what I am thankful for. I started making a list, it seemed to go on and on and on. This year I have been so incredibly blessed with my new husband and home, our fruitful garden this summer, my wonderful family, my time with Sipsey (sniff), my job, there's just so much. I feel like there are people out there that find it hard to think of something to be thankful for and I am thankful that I am not one of those people. That I can see and realize that life gives us so much to appreciate. Sweet, Sweet Life... let's enjoy it while we have it.

Sweet Potatoes

2 big cans of sweet potatoes (I buy the big ones this time of year)
1/4 cup butter, melted
2 tablespoons orange juice
1/4 cup brown sugar
2 good dashes cinnamon
mini-marshmallows

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Drain juice from sweet potatoes. Pour sweet potatoes into and bowl and mash. Add the rest of the ingredients except for the marshmallows. Pour into 2 quart casserole dish. Top with marshmallows. Bake for 20-25 minutes or until marshmallows are lightly browned.

You can make a variation to this my omitting marshmallows and adding chopped pecans, cinnamon and brown sugar on top.

Happy Thanksgiving!