Peek Into Christmas 2022

Christmas PEEK INTO 2022

A supplement of the Pontotoc Progress

Contents

These are a few of our favorite Christmas things

Local Santas enjoy listening to children’s wishes

Classic toys can make you feel like a kid again

Celebrate the season through lighting an advent wreath

Enjoy the season in special ways

Ideas to spruce up your table during this special season

Holiday recipes

How to make a Christmas garland or swag from your own greenery

New Year’s Eve party ideas for food, games, & decorations

Santa visits around the town

Tanglefoot Tinseltown debut a success

Christmas calendar

On The Cover

Santa enjoyed strolling in downtown Ecru to see what all he could find to finish his list before taking his flight on Christmas Eve. Wood and Cloth was one of the places he stopped in and admired the beautifully decorated tree before going on his merry way. Santa went through out Pontotoc to visit in the stores to make sure everything was stocked up and ready for all his helpers. Make sure you check out all the things he saw in the pages of this magazine as well as catching up on all the local events and finding out how to enjoy the season to it’s fullest while you shop local.

Affordable Employee Benefits..........87

Algoma Country Store......................64

Bank of Pontotoc...............................22

Baps BBQ.........................................11

Boyles Tire & Auto Care..................39

Christian Connections.......................73

Circle of Friends................................78

City Mercantile.................................26

CK Walls/Trend to Pretend...............73

Crossroads Rehabilitaion..................73

Ecru Garden Center..........................85

Endville Storage................................82

First Choice Bank...............Back Cover

Flowers & Gifts by Redele...............66

Friendship Fitness.............................85

Friendship Medical Clinic.................87

Friendship Pharmacy........................86

Friendship Travel Center..................86

Hall’s Mowing Service.....................28

Happy Day Cafe.................................6

Image Awards & Gifts.......................65

Image Screen Print............................12

Jim’s Lily Pad...................................73

Johnson’s Wrecker............................17

Lifted Nutrition.................................63

Madges Country Store......................81

Market Basket...................................38

McCoy’s Meat Market......................72

Melinda Nowicki................................8

Merle Norman...................................82

Michael Jolly - Shelter Insurance......66

Millie Grey Home & Gifts..................7

Mills Home Center............................12

Montgomery Drugs..........................79

Moore Brothers Auto Sales..............33

Moore’s..............................................2

Mossy Oak Properties.......................65

Nate’s Steakhouse.............................39

Olives & Apples................................11

Outlaw Steakhouse...........................66

Oxford Pawn Shop...........................78

Park Medical Clinic..........................22

Patty Turk Properties...........................3

Peoples Finance................................63

Physical Therapy...............................64

Pickens

Magical Moments Enjoy the of Christmas

The magic of the moment comes when you put that one more surprise in the stocking for your child. And the joy of Christmas morning comes bouncing around you in their laughter and squeals of delight. Christmas is not just for kids, it is for those who are grown up too. It is the warmth of their smiles and the excitement in their voice as they take the toy and run it on the floor, pedal it through the yard or bounce it into the basketball goal. And yet, the season is more than that. It is the deep contentment you feel when you hear the strains of Silent Night, or take a few moments to look into the faces of those who are gathered around you in the candle light as you take time to read the Greatest Story ever told, that of a Babe born in a manger because there was no room for Him in the inn. It brings you back to the simplicity of life and love and why we are here. It tucks into your memory one more moment that can be relived long after the candles are blown out and life goes on. So slow down, enjoy what your communities have to offer. For while Christmas memories are but for a season, they last a life time.

These are a few of our favorite

Christmas Things

No matter how old you are there are some things about Christmas that you never forget. It’s that magic that makes glad the heart of adulthood as you look back over the years and realize how much you enjoy this season for the way people in your life made it special.

Early McKinney

WHAT IS YOUR FAVORITE CHRISTMAS SONG? Silent Night

WHAT IS YOUR FAVORITE CHRISTMAS MOVIE?

National Lampoon’s Christmas Vacation. I love the scenes where Clark Griswold is having trouble with the Christmas lights on the house.

WHAT IS YOUR FAVORITE CHRISTMAS FOOD? Chicken and dressing

WHAT IS THE BEST CHRISTMAS GIFT YOU’VE RECEIVED?

Power tools have always been my best Christmas gifts. They buy me clothes but I want power tools.

DID YOU PUT FOOD OUT FOR SANTA AS A CHILD?

We’ve always put out food for Santa, still do. Santa always got a piece of cake.

WHAT IS YOUR FAVORITE TREE DECORATING MEMORY OR TRADITION?

Five or six years ago I got a great deal on a LED Christmas tree that plays Christmas songs and the lights change colors. It’s been so much fun to deco rate this tree every year now. And it’s Blue Tooth compatible.

WHY IS CHRISTMAS SPECIAL TO YOU PERSONALLY?

Christmas is most special because it’s the true meaning of the birth of Christ. And it’s the joy of getting to share that message with our kids all these years and celebrating Jesus’ birthday.

Mallory Corder

WHAT IS YOUR FAVORITE CHRISTMAS SONG? Mary Did You Know?

WHAT IS YOUR FAVORITE CHRISTMAS MOVIE? Elf

WHAT IS YOUR FAVORITE CHRISTMAS FOOD?

Every Holiday, my grandmother, Jane Mapp would make these delicious cheese balls stuffed with olives. They are heavenly!

WHAT IS THE BEST CHRISTMAS GIFT YOU’VE RECEIVED?

My husband, Evan proposed Christ mas morning. That has to be my favorite Christmas gift.

DID YOU PUT FOOD OUT FOR SANTA AS A CHILD? We would put out cookies and milk!

WHAT IS YOUR FAVORITE TREE DECORATING MEMORY OR TRADITION?

Every year when our tree goes up, our elf, Rowdy comes back. My girls look forward to Rowdy’s return so much!

WHY IS CHRISTMAS SPECIAL TO YOU PERSONALLY?

Christmas is a time when my family focuses on being very intentional about doing for others and really focusing on the birth of our Savior. The most import ant thing about the season to me as a mother is that my children know and understand the ultimate gift that was given to us through the birth of Jesus and ultimately his death on the cross and resurrection.

Bob Peeples

Pontotoc Mayor

WHAT IS YOUR FAVORITE CHRISTMAS SONG? White Christmas

WHAT IS YOUR FAVORITE CHRISTMAS MOVIE? It’s a Wonderful Life

WHAT IS YOUR FAVORITE CHRISTMAS FOOD? Candy canes are my favorite. I enjoy them once a year.

WHAT IS THE BEST CHRISTMAS GIFT YOU’VE RECEIVED?

The best Christmas gift ever was a brand new bike of my very own. Wasn’t one passed down from my older brother.

DID YOU PUT FOOD OUT FOR SANTA AS A CHILD? We always left cookies and milk out for Santa.

WHAT IS YOUR FAVORITE TREE DECORATING MEMORY OR TRADITION?

Decorating the tree was a special event and the entire family was there. Taking the time to always do that as a family was what made it special.

WHY IS CHRISTMAS SPECIAL TO YOU PERSONALLY?

Christmas is most special because as a Christian it’s celebrating the birth of Jesus. It’s the intimacy as a family to celebrate that special occasion and spend time together. The older you get the more you appreciate it.

Virginia Crawford Patricia Henry Lance Martin

WHAT IS YOUR FAVORITE CHRISTMAS SONG?

“Mistletoe Jam” by Luther Vandross

WHAT IS YOUR FAVORITE CHRISTMAS MOVIE?

Elf! Every time I watch that movie, I laugh until I hurt!

WHAT IS YOUR FAVORITE CHRISTMAS FOOD?

My favorite dish during the holiday sea son is my Mama’s sweet potato casserole. I look forward to eating the casserole the next day because it’s even better!

WHAT IS THE BEST CHRISTMAS GIFT YOU’VE RECEIVED?

My Cabbage Patch Doll made by Mrs. Lucy Shelton (from Pontotoc). She had big, pretty eyes and lots of hair. Mrs. Lucy told me she made her just for me!

DID YOU PUT FOOD OUT FOR SANTA AS A CHILD?

Yes. Santa always got fruit and cookies.

WHAT IS YOUR FAVORITE TREE DECORATING MEMORY OR TRADITION?

Decorating with an ornament that was given to me by one of my sweet daycare kids in 1999. It is a snowman ornament given to me by Will Howard. The hand-crafted colors and details are so unique. What makes it more special is that we still keep in touch.

WHY IS CHRISTMAS SPECIAL TO YOU PERSONALLY?

First and foremost, Christmas is special to me because it’s the birth of Jesus Christ. Because of rich mercy, He died for me. Because of grace, He gave me life. The love He has for me, is the most precious gift of all. I’m so grateful! I pray everyone have a safe and blessed Christmas!

Fire Chief

WHAT IS YOUR FAVORITE CHRISTMAS SONG? O Holy Night

WHAT IS YOUR FAVORITE CHRISTMAS MOVIE?

I love ‘A Christmas Story.’ It runs 24 hours and I’ll watch it five times.

WHAT IS YOUR FAVORITE CHRISTMAS FOOD? Chicken and dressing

WHAT IS THE BEST CHRISTMAS GIFT YOU’VE RECEIVED?

My favorite Christmas gift ever is a double barrel shotgun my daddy gave me. He bought it from James Francis. It was the first gun that was mine and it’s special.

DID YOU PUT FOOD OUT FOR SANTA AS A CHILD?

We didn’t leave food out for Santa. We ate all the cookies around our house.

WHAT IS YOUR FAVORITE TREE DECORATING MEMORY OR TRADITION?

My favorite tree decorating memory is going to my grandmother’s house and she would decorate the tree with these beautiful sterling silver angel ornaments that had her grandkids names on them. There was 18 grandkids and it was so much fun to find the ornament with your name on it.

WHY IS CHRISTMAS SPECIAL TO YOU PERSONALLY?

Christmas is most special because we get to celebrate the birth of our Savior. And it’s also a day to finally relax, forget the frenzy, and enjoy friends and family, plus some food and football.

WHAT IS YOUR FAVORITE CHRISTMAS SONG?

It’s Beginning to Look a Lot Like Christmas

WHAT IS YOUR FAVORITE CHRISTMAS MOVIE? It’s a Wonderful Life

WHAT IS YOUR FAVORITE CHRISTMAS FOOD? Chicken and dumplings

WHAT IS THE BEST CHRISTMAS GIFT YOU’VE RECEIVED?

George (son) gave me a big dual fryer, which has the capacity to deep fry two things at once. The family all loves fried squash and chicken nuggets so I can make two of ev erybody’s favorite at one time now. They all come and eat holidays and Christmas and I love to pet ‘em when they come visit. In fact we wore one out and had to get another one.

DID YOU PUT FOOD OUT FOR SANTA AS A CHILD?

Oh yes we left milk and cookies for Santa and my children’s families do also.

WHAT IS YOUR FAVORITE TREE DECORATING MEMORY OR TRADITION?

I’ve taught piano lessons for 72 year and I can thank all those hundreds of students for my favorite tree decorating memories. My piano students have given me Christmas or naments all these years with their names on them. I can’t tell you the tears of joy those ornaments have brought me while deco rating the tree and seeing all those names again. It’s a blessing every year.

WHY IS CHRISTMAS SPECIAL TO YOU PERSONALLY?

Obviously Christmas is most special because we celebrate the birth of Jesus our Savior. And it’s so special for the time we get to spend with our families. My sweetest and most precious memories ever are the ones that have to do with celebrating Christmas.

Local Santas

enjoy listening to children’s wishes

Chris Golden, Mark Baldwin, and Brad White

BY

HANK WIESNER

Here’s a tale of three Santas, or if you prefer this legendary character’s oth er names: Father Christmas, Jolly Ole Elf, Kris Kringle, Saint Nick or Saint Nicholas.

These three local Santas for years have asked youngsters The Question until their lips chapped: “Have you been good all year?”

Of course, they already know the answer they’ll get.

Hundreds of children have said they’ve been especially good this year, double-checking to make sure they’re on Santa’s nice list, and telling Santa what they want for Christmas.

Each of the three Santas, Chris Golden, Brad White and Mark Baldwin was gracious enough recently to talk with the Pontotoc Progress.

In doing so, they took time out from “mak ing their list, checking it twice, to find out which youngsters have been naughty and nice,” to para phrase an old song.

Pontotoc firefighter Chris Golden has been an

“off the bench” Santa the past two years.

“I covered for my friend Brad White (also a Pontotoc firefighter) two times, and I don’t ever plan on doing it again,” he said with a chuckle.

“My children are school age, and as they grow older, I didn’t want them to find out it was me and not the real Santa,” he said.

He said once word got around that he’d been a Santa, “lots of places were asking me to do it,” he said.

Hundreds of youngsters from various schools and the United Methodist pre-school have sat on his lap at the Pontotoc Community Center.

Most ask for various things for themselves. But not all.

“I remember one little girl who asked that her brother and sister get presents before she did. That really sticks in my mind,” he said.

Are his Santa days behind him?

Well, never say never.

“I might come out of retirement if they need me,” he concluded.

Retired Pontotoc police officer Mark Baldwin — a second year Santa — enjoys the job “because I like being around kids. You never know what they’re go ing to say.”

It doesn’t take long to dress for the job.

“I’m 5-9, about 225, so I don’t need padding. I ha ven’t shaved since I retired, so I’ve got a gray beard already. I think I’m going to be pictured in the fam ily Christmas cards this year,” he said.

Of the hundreds of youngsters who have confided their wish lists to him as Santa, two little girls stand out.

“One kindergartener asked for a million dollars. I asked her what she was going to do with it. She said she wanted to buy a present for everyone who wouldn’t get a present this year.

“The other girl asked for a frog. I don’t know why. I talked to her teacher later and she said the youngster talks about frogs all the time.”

Is he done with being Santa?

“I enjoy it, and I’ll be back if they ask me to. If they want me, they’ll call me, and if they don’t they won’t,” he said.

They say you can fool all folks sometimes, and some folks all the time, but as Santa, he was busted by two youngsters, he recalled.

“There’s a little boy who sits in front of me at Black Zion Pentecostal Church. He came through the line while I was Santa.

“He never took his eyes off me. He pretty well knew it was me, but he wasn’t quite sure.

“The other youngster was my best friend’s grand daughter. She hopped in my lap, looked in my eyes and called me ‘Uncle Mark.’”

The longest serving of the three Santas is fire fighter/business owner Brad White.

He’s served as Santa for 10-12 years, by his es timation.

He’s heard hundreds of youngsters’ requests at the Community House, Pontotoc Elementary School and the Pontotoc First United Methodist Church.

He’s combined that part-time seasonal job with being deputy chief of the Pontotoc Fire Depart ment and owning his own business, Brad’s Elec tronics in Pontotoc.

What’s kept him serving as Santa all these years?

“It’s the excitement of seeing the smiles on the kids’ faces, things like that,” he said this week.

Once upon a time, a long long time ago, little boys asked for cowboy attire, and little girls want ed to be princesses.

Fast forward to the present. What youngsters ask Santa for today is a far cry from cowboys and princesses, light-years from child-size chairs, maybe a good whittling knife and rag dolls, and marching forward in time, Barbie Dream House or Nerf Gun, maybe Beanie Babies or Tickle Me Elmo, or Star Wars characters.

The in-thing today for modern kids is electron ics, and has been since White began his tour of duty as the Jolly Ole Elf.

“I hear kids asking for the same things —most ly I-pads, games, play stations. They also want phones, so they can play the games on them.”

He said retiring as Santa Claus isn’t anywhere in his future.

“I enjoy the job, and I’m going to keep doing it for as long as I can.”

He likes the work so much that he bought his own Santa suit five or six years ago.

He doesn’t need much padding to fill the suit out: “I’ve got the Santa build,” he said.

“I use it, then take it to the dry cleaners and keep it in a bag until it’s time to use it the next year.”

All three Santas wish you and yours a Merry Christmas and Happy New Year…

can make you feel like a kid again Classic Toys

REGINA BUTLER BY

Remember the day when all you wanted was to have a wagon of your very own, or go outside and jump up and down on a pogo stick? Nothing brings back the nostalgia at Christmas like seeing the same kind of toys you played with on the shelves again.

Christmas is about re-living your childhood through your children and there are a litany of toys out there to help you re-capture those moments you loved.

We have listed but a few here. But a quick search will bring up all memories of Christmas morning excitement when you discovered that special toy you had been asking for under the tree.

So bring back the memories and spend time with your own children making new moments with those you love.

Etch A Sketch

Great for car trips or mess-free art, little ones can create works of genius by cranking the dials to the left or the right. Shake it to reveal a clean slate.

GoGo Pogo stick

Safety has changed a lot, but bouncing up and down on a springed stick is still a blast – just don’t forget your helmet!

Vision Finder/ View Master

The personal slideshow is back, this time with an exciting trip to Africa, with fish and prehistoric creatures to explore. The coolest part? The images are in 3D.

Photo: Indigo

Photo: Toys R Us

Photo: Indigo

Nostalgic toys on your little ones Christmas

list this year

Source: todaysparent.com

Hot Wheels

With new Hot Wheels tracks coming out every year, there’s no end in sight for these little race cars.

Photo: Toys R Us

Rubik’s

Cube

This twistable puzzle has been stumping kids for years.

Photo: Mastermind Toys

Cash Register

Fisher Price re-issued their old-fangled register and it’s just like you remember.

Photo: Indigo

Lite Brite

The light-up art easel has changed a bit since it’s debut in in 1967— there’s new reusable templates and chunky plastic shapes (like stars and suns)—but it’s still 100 percent fun.

Photo: Indigo

Barrel of

Monkeys

You’re heard the expression “more fun than a barrel of monkeys” and it’s true. So much joy comes from a plastic tub of hanging monkeys.

Photo: Indigo

Radio Flyer Classic Wagon

The iconic little red wagon is a childhood staple.

Made to last, it’s great for schlepping kids, pets and toys in style.

Photo: Indigo

Mr.

Lincoln Logs

These cute pioneer-themed notched logs can be made into Fort Lincoln, a homestead, or whatever your little Laura Ingalls heart desires.

Photo: Toys R Us

Potato Head

Mr. Potato Head is always in style! Now you can get countless accessory packs and even a whole potato family, too.

Photo: Toys R Us

Play-Doh

This moldable, foldable, squishy clay has been rocking the activity table since 1955.

Photo: Toys R Us

Blocks

Blocks are a right of passage, they’re fun for stacking, tum bling and spelling out words. Keep the letters of your child’s name as a keepsake when they outgrow this classic wooden toy.

Photo: Mastermind toys

Celebrate the season through lighting an

Advent Wreath

BY

REGINA BUTLER

One of the most special ways you can celebrate Christmas this year is through making and advent wreath and wor shiping with your family as you reflect on Christ’s coming.

Christians throughout history have embraced this season of spiritual preparation using Advent readings—short Bible passages read during the lighting of the Advent wreath.

This sacred time invites us to slow down from all the holiday preparations and parties, take a deep breath, and remember the reason for the season: the eternal Jesus Christ taking on human flesh.

Focusing on Advent as an individual, a family, or a church can be helpful in refocusing us on the

“true meaning” of our Christmas season. As Dietrich Bonhoeffer once said, celebrating Advent re minds us that we are “poor and imperfect, and… look forward to something greater to come.”

He also compared the picture that Advent paints to “A prison cell, in which one waits, hopes — and is completely dependent on the fact that the door of freedom has to be opened from the outside.”

One writer explains that this season symboliz es the Church’s modern situation of prayerfully waiting for the return of Christ to consummate his eternal kingdom in the same way that the Old Tes tament Israelites prayerfully waited in exile for the coming of their Messiah (Acts 2:17; Hebrews 1:2).

Advent means to prepare yourself. What are we preparing ourselves for? To worship the One who came, was born as a babe so He could sacrifice his sinless self on a cross for us. The meaning of the season of Advent is to ready one’s heart for the arrival of Christ at Christmas. Through the four weeks of Advent, Christians use a wreath decorated with five candles to symbolize several sacred phases of preparation. The three Advent candle colors, purple, pink, and white, are representative of the faithful anticipation that believers partake to ready their hearts and minds for the birth or second coming of Jesus Christ.

Purple Advent Candle Pink Advent Candle

Purple has traditionally been the central color of Advent. This color signifies repentance and fasting. The Christian custom of withholding oneself food or some other desire is a practice wherein Christians demonstrate their devotion to God and sanctify their heart and body. Pur ple is also the liturgical color for Lent, which likewise incorporates a time of contemplation, repentance, and spiritual preparation.

Purple is also the color of nobility and the supremacy of Christ, who is recognized as the “King of Kings.” So, purple in this use illus trates the expectation of and welcoming of our King celebrated during Advent.

The purple candle is the first, second and fourth candles that are lit. They are the candles of hope, peace and love.

Pink is the color of Advent used during the third Sunday of Advent. Pink rep resents joy or triumph and this candle exhibits a transition in the season of Advent away from repentance and to a celebration. It is the third advent candle and the candle of joy.

White Advent Candle

White is the Advent candle color symbolizing purity, light, restoration, and holi ness. White is also a representation of victory.

The Christ candle is the fifth Advent candle, placed in the center of the wreath as a white candle.

Jesus Christ is the righteous, immaculate, pure Savior. He is the light come into a dark and depraved world. He is often described in the Bible wearing bright, pro foundly white robes, like snow, and shining with the brightest of light. When he was transfigured on the mountain with the disciples his robe became white. Fur thermore, those who accept Jesus Christ as Savior are cleansed of their sins and made whiter than snow.

Advent uses the four Sundays leading up to Christmas Day to prepare our hearts to truly worship our Lord when we celebrate His birth. This year, Christmas Day is on Sunday so advent will begin the last Sunday in November.

Each Sunday you will light four candles and on Christmas Day you will light the center candle, which should be taller than the other four.

WEEK 1 | NOVEMBER 27 | THE CANDLE OF HOPE

Like the prophets in the Old Testament, we hope for a Messiah to save us from the sin in the world (Isaiah 9:6-7). We anticipate our Savior’s arrival.

Also known as the “prophecy candle,” this candle assures us we can have hope that God will fulfill the prophecies declared in the Old Testa ment about Jesus. Hope doesn’t disappoint us (Romans 5:5). In this day and age, where evil abounds and all seems lost, we can also hope that the prophecies about Jesus’ second arrival to earth will also be fulfilled.

Hope, in the Bible, exists as a secure assurance, a trust placed in a trust worthy God. God has not failed us in the past, and therefore, if he claims he will do something in the future, we can have a hope that he will fulfill that claim.

Hope waits and endures. It isn’t flimsy or merely wishful thinking. It can withstand fire, trials, and despair.

WEEK 2 | DECEMBER 4 | THE CANDLE OF PEACE

One of the hallmarks of the Christmas story is when the angels appear to the shepherds and proclaim, “Peace on earth,” in Luke 2:14.

Jesus brought about peace, in the most unexpected ways, when he ar rived. The Jews, particularly the zealots, wanted a rebellion. They wanted their Savior to overturn the oppressive rule of the Romans and bring about peace in a violent way.

But Jesus had something else in mind. Jesus brings us peace in a number of ways.

First, he gives us inner peace. Because of his work on the cross, we have a chance to receive salvation and be indwelled by the Holy Spirit. This grants us an inner peace (John 14:27). Not only do we have the peace that comes from our assurance of salvation, but we also have the peace of mind knowing God will heal this broken world and will come again.

Second, we have peace with others. We put aside our differences (Galatians 3:28), especially with other believers, because we belong to the same family. We have the same purpose: to let others know about the peace of Christ.

The Hebrew word for peace, Shalom, goes far beyond not fighting with oth ers or peace as we know it. Shalom is, in essence, how things are meant to be: a slice of heaven.

The peace of God allows us to look at others through heaven’s eyes and help guide the world to see God’s here and not-yet here kingdom.

Peace from God, biblical peace, allows us to trust in God’s promises (Prov erbs 3:5), through restful, tranquil faith, despite the dark, scary world around us.

WEEK 3 | DECEMBER 11 | THE CANDLE OF JOY

This candle reflects the joy that comes through Jesus’ arrival, and through the salvation he has gifted us.

During this third week of advent, this Sunday celebrates the passage Phi lippians 4:4-5, its verses extolling readers to “rejoice” for “indeed the Lord is near.”

In other words, this week celebrates the joy of Christ’s coming to earth.

No matter what color of candle a church displays on that third Sunday, churches want to highlight the importance of joy in advent season. During a time where depression is at an all-time high and people seem to be in the most despair, this candle offers a bright light during a dark time.

It is also known as the Shepherd Candle to highlight the joy the shepherds experienced when they received the good news about Christ’s birth (Luke 2:820). During the middle of the night, the darkest time, the shepherds encoun tered angels.

WEEK 4 | DECEMBER 18 | THE CANDLE OF LOVE

Love plays a vital role in the Christmas story. Because of Joseph’s love for Mary, he didn’t stone her when he found out she was pregnant with what he thought was a child out of wedlock with another man (Matthew 1:18-19). Mary has a natural motherly love for Jesus, and ultimately, we see God’s love for everyone by sending his son for us (John 3:16).

Jesus focused on preaching love throughout his ministry. Two of his greatest commands involve love: Love God, love your neighbor (Matthew 22:36-40).

Love is the greatest of all the virtues on the Advent wreath and encompasses Jesus’ entire purpose for being on earth (1 Corinthians 13:13).

We cannot walk with Christ without it, and we cannot have the Christmas story without it. As Linus states in A Charlie Brown Christmas, “That’s what Christmas is all about, Charlie Brown.”

CHRISTMAS DAY | DECEMBER 25 | THE CHRIST CANDLE

Light the white candle at the center of the wreath on Christmas Day or Christmas Eve.

The white tends to symbolize Christ’s purity, showing Christ’s blameless ness. We do have to keep in mind, churches can vary on candle colors, and not everyone chooses to light a white candle for Christ.

Not surprisingly, the Christ candle represents Christ and the role he plays in the Christmas story. Jesus brought light into the world through his arrival on earth as a baby.

The greatest gift of all came that first Christmas. It wasn’t wrapped in a beau tiful package and set under a decorated tree. The greatest gift came wrapped in the flesh of baby Jesus and laid in the rough wood of a manger. Our perfect gift would later be rewrapped in the scars of our sin and nailed to the rugged wood of a cross on Calvary, all because of love.

Read more at christianity.com

How to make an Advent Wreath A

n Advent wreath is simple to make and can be made a number of different ways. One of the simplest ways is to get a pretty round plate and put five votive type candles on it, four on the edges and one in the middle. Put a little block under the one in the middle to raise it up as the Christ candle.

Fill in cedar, holly and red berries around it, being careful to make sure it is lower than your flame.

If you want your wreath to be totally safe, you can purchase the LED type candles and use them. You can use silk holly and greenery so it won’t dry out. This makes a great decoration in your child’s room if you wish to remind them of what the sea son is about.

If you want to use the tapers with the different colors like is discussed in the advent wreath arti cle, purchase small candle holders and put them in a plate or you can make the wreath with a foam circle from the dollar store. Score out the holes for the candles to fit in, putting the middle candle in a holder in the middle of the circle. You will have to place this on a plate or pan and put water in it so your greenery will stay fresh. Stick greenery into the foam and make sure it stays moistened throughout the month.

The advent candles can be a part of your mantle decorations if you wish. Instead of putting them in a circle line them up on your mantle with the Christ candle in the middle.

It is not the color of the candles that is important or that you have everything perfect around them, it is the fact that you take a few moments throughout this blessed season to reflect upon the birth of our Lord Jesus.

Enjoy the season in Special Ways

Christmas is a time of togetherness. Together with family and friends and we find ways to make the season meaningful as we share our moments. In Pontotoc this season there are several ways you can make memories for a lifetime by organizing a Christmas caroling group or just by listening to the music of the season in a different way. You can also take a moment to worship as you take communion. Whatever you do, just take time to reflect on the season and Who it is all about.

Candle Light Ceremony

What could be more uplifting during the Christmas season than sitting with a congregation singing old Christmas hymns by the light of hundreds of candles? First Baptist Church in Pontotoc will have a Christmas Candle light ceremony Christmas Eve, Saturday, December 24, 5 p.m. if you wish to start your Christmas celebrations off right.

by Jacob Burch

Christmas Eve Communion

For a quiet, reflective Christmas Eve go to First Methodist Church on Main Street in Pontotoc for communion some time between the hours of 5-6 p.m. The come and go event will give you and your family a moment to slow down and think about the real reason for Jesus being born.

Photo by Terry Wood

Photo

Christmas Caroling

The voices blend to remind you of “O Holy Night” or “O Little Town of Bethlehem” as folks come together to bring the message of comfort and joy through song to those who are home bound. The folks Carey Springs Baptist Church spend some of their Christmas season doing just that. Why don’t you organize your own choir and get to singing to the folks in your neighborhood?

Concert Hall Christmas Musical

For a unique Christmas experience, Dr. Chris and Dr. Laura Thompson will present an evening of concert hall style music at the Maple Drive Presbyterian Church in Pontotoc on Tues day, December 20, 6 p.m. The couple will bring music to you with the violin and pi ano.

Christopher Thompson, violinist, has performed to acclaim as a soloist and re citalist in the United States, Europe and the Far East. In 1983, Thompson was a winner in the NFMC Young Artist Auditions. In 1994, Thompson was one of eleven music professors in the United States to be award ed a Senior Fulbright Lectureship. As a Se nior Fulbright Scholar, Dr. Thompson was appointed as Artist-in-Residence with the Taipei Symphony Orchestra in Taiwan. In 1992, Thompson was invited to present vio lin master classes at the University of Siena in Italy, where he also performed recitals in venues throughout Tuscany and southern Switzerland.

Laura Thompson earned the Doctor of Arts degree in Vocal Pedagogy from the University of Mississippi, the Master of Music degree in Vocal Performance from

Louisiana State University and the degree of Bachelor of Science in Music Educa tion from Mississippi State University. She holds Orff Level I Certification from the Eastman School of Music. Laura Thomp son studied voice with Wiley Tatum, Sandra Kungle, and with Professor Cynthia Linton at the University of Mississippi. She has

performed in Master Classes presented by Oren Brown of the Juilliard School of Mu sic. As a mezzo-soprano, Laura Thompson has performed as soloist with the Paducah Symphony, the Alabama Festival Chorus and Orchestra, the Memphis Oratorio So ciety, and the River City Opera in Baton Rouge.

Photo by David Helms

Christopher Thompson

Laura Thompson

Ideas to spruce up your table during this Special Season

The Christmas season is a great time to make any home a bit more merry and bright. Most folks let their personalities show through their home decor, and decorating is just as personal as decorating throughout the rest of the year.

The main living areas of a home get the most decorat ing attention, with a Christmas tree or menorah taking a prominent position in the front window. Garlands, can dles and other accoutrements also may dress up spaces. However, when it comes to hosting a party, attention also should be given to the dining table - which can ben efit from a festive centerpiece.

Pre-made centerpieces are undeniably attractive, but adding a homespun touch can be a fun creative pursuit and become a family tradition. Explore these simple ideas to dress up your holiday table.

FROSTED PINE CONES

Gather pine cones and a few evergreen boughs. Give the pine cones a touch of winter whimsy with a lit tle faux snow in a can or even white paint. Nestle the boughs and pine cones into a wide-mouthed vase or bowl in the center of the table. Individual pine cones can later be turned into place cards for seating guests. You can also spray them gold or silver for a rich toned look.

CHRISTMAS THANKS

Cut many strips of paper roughly 6 inches in length from various colored pieces of paper to match the theme. When guests arrive, ask them to write a favor ite Christmas memory or two, or what they’re thankful for. Twirl the paper strips around a pencil to curl them, and then place the curlicues into a decorative bowl in the center of the table. Later in the evening, the host or hostess can read some of the sentiments.

BIRCH WOOD

The crisp white coloring of birch bark is right at home with holiday decor. Go stark with pieces of the cut wood in varying heights intermingled with white candles that mimic the shapes and scale of the wood.

MAGICAL FOREST

Use green and silver conical party hats to turn a table or sideboard into a veritable evergreen forest. Arrange them on a blanket of faux snow or white confetti.

FRESHLY CUT

Select attractive flowers in vibrant hues from a florist or even the supermarket floral section. Cut the stems and place them into an unusual display container, such as Christmas mugs or a punch bowl.

GLASS BAUBLES

Who says ornaments should be exclusive to the tree? A crystal plate or glass cake stand can be transformed into an icy delight when filled with glass ornaments.

FRUIT AND VEGETABLES

If guests are coming over and the race is on for a fast centerpiece, look no further than the kitchen. Lemons, artichokes, pears, or pomegranates look festive in a bowl.

Use these ideas, mix and match them, make them your own with your personal touches.

Party Starting Appetizers

Balsamic Bruschetta Photo courtesy of forkinthekitchen.com

Balsamic Bruschetta

1 loaf French bread, cut into 1/4-inch slices

1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil

8 roma (plum) tomatoes, diced

1/3 cup chopped fresh basil

1 ounce Parmesan cheese, freshly grated

2 cloves garlic, minced

1 tablespoon good quality balsamic vinegar

2 teaspoons extra-virgin olive oil

1/4 teaspoon kosher salt

1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

Balsamic vinegar enhances the sweetness of the tomatoes in this easy bruschetta recipe. It can be prepared the night before and all you have to do is toast the bread just before the party. And the neat thing about this appetizer is it looks like Christmas. It can easily be tuned into finger food by cutting the French loaf slices in half rather than putting it on the whole slice. That way you get twice as many servings in one loaf of bread. If you do this, cut the whole loaf in half, then do the slices. Another way to serve this is to put the bruschetta into a clear bowl and center it on a clear plate and put your toast around it.

Preheat oven to 400 degrees F. Brush bread slices on both sides lightly with 1 tablespoon oil and place on large bak ing sheet. Toast bread until golden, 5 to 10 minutes, turning halfway through.

Meanwhile, toss together tomatoes, basil, Parmesan cheese, and garlic in a bowl. Mix in balsamic vinegar, 2 teaspoons olive oil, kosher salt, and pepper.

Spoon tomato mixture onto toasted bread slices and serve immediately.

Sausage Flowers

1 pound ground Italian sausage 1/2 cup shredded Monterey Jack cheese

1/2 cup shredded Colby cheese

1 cup salsa

24 (3.5 inch square) wonton wrappers

3/4 of a 16 ounce container sour cream

1 bunch green onions, chopped

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Lightly grease a miniature muffin pan.

Place ground Italian sausage in a large, deep skillet. Cook over medium high heat until evenly brown. Drain and re move from heat.

Stir Monterey Jack cheese and Colby cheese into the warm sausage to melt. Stir in salsa.

Gently press wonton wrappers into the prepared min iature muffin pan so that the edges are extending. Place a heaping tablespoon of the sausage mixture into each wonton wrapper.

Bake 10 minutes in the preheated oven, or until wonton edges begin to brown.

Transfer baked filled wontons to a serving platter. Dollop each with approximately 1 tablespoon sour cream. Sprinkle with green onions.

Sausage Flowers

Spicy Turkey and Cranberry Pinwheels

1 (12 ounce) package fresh cranberries

2 small jalapeno peppers, stemmed and chopped

4 green onions, chopped 1/2 cup chopped fresh cilantro

1/4 cup white sugar

1 tablespoon lime juice

8 ounces cream cheese, softened

8 ounces shredded sharp Cheddar cheese

4 (12 inch) spinach flour tortillas

32 thin slices turkey lunch meat

Combine cranberries, jalapenos, green onions, and cilantro in the bowl of a food processor; blend until everything is finely chopped. Transfer mixture to a bowl. Stir in sugar and lime juice. Cover and refrigerate for 1 hour.

Mix cream cheese and Cheddar cheese together in a bowl until evenly combined. Spread mixture evenly on top of tortillas to cover. Spread 1/4 cup of cranberry mixture on one half of each tortilla. Layer 8 slices of turkey lunch meat over cranberry mixture.

Tightly roll up each tortilla, starting on the end with the meat and cran berry mixture. Use a serrated knife to cut into 1-inch pieces. Serve imme diately or refrigerate until use.

Photo courtesy of allrecipes.com

Festive Olive and Cheese Appetizer

Sausage Applesauce Appetizer

2 pounds Italian sausage

3/4 cup packed brown sugar

1 cup chunky applesauce

1 onion, chopped

Preheat oven to 325 degrees F. In a large skillet, fry sausage until it is browned. Drain well. Cut the sausage into bite-size pieces. In a small cas serole dish, combine sausage, brown sugar, applesauce, and onion. Bake at 325 degrees F (165 degrees C) for 45 minutes. Serve with toothpicks for easy nibbling.

Festive Olive and Cheese Appetizer

24 sprigs fresh rosemary

12 ounces marinated mozzarella balls, drained

1/2 cup pitted green olives, rinsed and dried

1/4 cup pitted black olives, rinsed and drained

1/4 cup cherry tomatoes toothpicks

Cut rosemary sprigs and arrange into a 10-inch wreath. Start by placing 1 sprig at a 45-degree angle with the tip facing outwards. Continue adding sprigs in the same direction until you have formed a full circle. Arrange clusters of mozzarella balls, olives, and tomatoes over the rosemary. Serve with toothpicks on the side.

Cheese Balls

2 cups grated sharp cheddar cheese

1 stick very soft butter

1/2 teaspoon salt

1 teaspoon paprika

Red pepper to taste

1 1/2 cups all purpose flour

Well drained stuffed olives

Mix cheese and butter, add dry spices and flour slowly using your hands. Wrap approximately 1 teaspoon dough around each olive. Place on cookie sheet to freeze and then put in zipper bags. When ready to eat, take out what you want and put on cookie sheet and bake at 400° until brown.

Note: you can also put the cheese mixture around pecans or small cocktail onions.

Oyster Cracker Mix

1 bag oyster crackers

1 can mixed nuts

1 package pretzel sticks

1 box cereal (rice or wheat or corn chex)

2 packages Hidden Valley Ranch® dressing mix

1 teaspoon dill weed

1/2 to 1 teaspoon garlic salt

1/2 teaspoon lemon pepper

Enough oil to coat the mix, about half a cup. Tobasco sauce to taste

In a large bowl mix oil, salad dressing mix, dill weed, garlic salt, lemon pepper and tobacco. Mix well. Add all other ingredients and stir. Spread on cookie sheet and heat at 300° until slightly browned tossing every 15 minutes.

Smoked Salmon Spread

1 (8 ounce) package cream cheese, softened 1/2 cup sour cream

1/4 cup heavy cream

1 tablespoon lemon pepper

1 teaspoon dried dill weed

1/4 cup chopped green onions

8 ounces flaked smoked salmon

Stir together the cream cheese, sour cream, heavy cream, lemon pepper, and dill in a bowl until smooth. Fold in the green onions and smoked salmon until evenly mixed. Re frigerate 1 hour before serving.

Notes: This can be made ahead the day before so it will have plenty of time to get cool. It can also be spread on flour tortillas and rolled and refrigerated overnight and cut into pinwheels.

For more delicious appetizer recipes please go to allrecipes.com

Photo courtesy of Jones

The main attractions at your Christmas Dinner

Lemon Roasted Chicken

Photo courtesy of tasteofhome.com

Tangy Honey-Glazed Ham

Lemon Roasted Chicken

1 tablespoon minced fresh thyme or 1 teaspoon dried thyme

1 teaspoon sea salt

1/4 teaspoon garlic powder

1/4 teaspoon coarsely ground pepper

1 roasting chicken (5 to 6 pounds)

1 medium lemon, halved

1/4 large sweet onion

1/4 cup fresh thyme sprigs

6 garlic cloves, peeled Lemon wedges

Preheat oven to 350°. Mix minced thyme, salt, garlic powder and pepper. Place chicken on a rack in a shallow roasting pan, breast side up. Tuck wings under chicken; tie drumsticks together. Squeeze juice from lemon halves over chicken; sprinkle with thyme mixture.

Loosely stuff chicken with squeezed lemon halves, onion, thyme sprigs and garlic. Roast 1-1/2 to 2 hours or until a thermometer inserted in thickest part of thigh reads 170°-175°. (Cover loosely with foil if chicken browns too quickly.)

Remove chicken from oven; tent with foil. Let stand 15 minutes before carving. Serve with lemon wedges. Read more at tasteofhome.com

Maple-Mustard Turkey Thighs

1 pound new potatoes, quartered

2 - 2 1/2 pound turkey thighs (about 4 thighs), skinned

1/3 cup coarse-grain brown mustard

1/4 cup maple syrup or maple-flavored syrup

1 tablespoon quick-cooking tapioca

Place potatoes in a 3-1/2- or 4-quart slow cooker. Place turkey thighs on potatoes. In a small bowl stir together mustard, syrup, and tapioca. Pour over turkey. Cover and cook on low-heat setting for 6 to 7 hours or on high-heat setting for to 3 to 3-1/2 hours. Makes 4 servings. Read more at bhg.com

Tangy Honey-Glazed Ham

1 (10 pound) fully-cooked, bone-in ham

1 1/4 cups packed dark brown sugar

1/3 cup pineapple juice

1/3 cup honey, or more to taste

1/3 large orange

2 tablespoons Dijon mustard

1/4 teaspoon ground cloves

1 1/2 teaspoons lemon juice, or to taste (Optional)

Preheat the oven to 325 degrees F (165 degrees C). Place ham in a roasting pan. Bake ham, uncovered, in the preheated oven for 2 hours. While the ham is bak ing, combine brown sugar, pineapple juice, and 1/3 cup honey in a saucepan. Zest orange into the sauce pan, then squeeze in the juice. Add Dijon mustard and ground cloves; whisk mixture over medium-high heat as it comes to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer until glaze thickens slightly, 5 to 10 minutes. Taste glaze and adjust seasonings. Add lemon juice for more tang, or honey to make it sweeter. Set aside. Remove ham from the oven after it has baked for 2 hours. Brush with glaze. Bake for an additional 30 to 45 minutes, brushing ham with glaze every 10 minutes.

Notes: Leftover ham can be stored in an airtight con tainer (or in tightly wrapped aluminum foil) and refriger ated for up to five days. Reheat at 325 degrees F for best results. It can also be frozen. Place fully cooled, sliced ham in an airtight freezer bag or container. Leftover ham will last 3-4 months if stored properly. Read more at allrecipes.com

Caramel Apple Pork Chops

4 (3/4 inch) thick pork chops

1 teaspoon vegetable oil

2 tablespoons brown sugar salt and pepper to taste

1/8 teaspoon ground cinnamon

1/8 teaspoon ground nutmeg

2 tablespoons unsalted butter

2 tart apples - peeled, cored and sliced

3 tablespoons pecans (Optional)

Preheat oven to 175 degrees F. Place a medium dish in the oven to warm. Heat a large skillet over medium-high heat. Brush chops lightly with oil and place in hot pan. Cook for 5 to 6 minutes, turning occasionally, or until done. Transfer to the warm dish, and keep warm in the preheated oven. In a small bowl, combine brown sug ar, salt and pepper, cinnamon and nutmeg. Add butter to skillet, and stir in brown sugar mixture and apples. Cover and cook until apples are just tender. Remove apples with a slotted spoon and arrange on top of chops. Keep warm in the preheated oven. Continue cooking sauce uncov ered in skillet, until thickened slightly. Spoon sauce over apples and chops. Sprinkle with pecans. Read more at allrecipes.com

Photo courtesy of Dotdash Meredity Food Studios

Swedish Meatballs

2 slices day-old white bread, crumbled

1/2 cup heavy cream

1 teaspoon butter

1 small onion, minced

2/3 pound ground beef

1/3 pound finely ground pork

1 egg

1 tablespoon brown sugar (Optional)

1 teaspoon salt

1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper

1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg

1/4 teaspoon ground allspice

1/8 teaspoon ground ginger (Optional)

1 tablespoon butter

1/4 cup chicken broth

3 tablespoons all-purpose flour, or as needed

2 cups beef broth, or as needed

One half of an 8 ounce container sour cream

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Place bread crumbs into a small bowl; mix in cream. Allow to stand until crumbs absorb cream, about 10 minutes.

Meanwhile, melt 1 teaspoon butter in a skillet over medium heat; cook and stir onion until light brown, about 10 minutes. Transfer onion to a mixing bowl.

Mix ground beef, ground pork, egg, brown sugar, salt, black pepper, nutmeg, allspice, and ginger with onion in the mixing bowl. Lightly mix in bread crumbs and cream.

Melt 1 tablespoon butter in a large skillet over medi um heat. Pinch off about 1 1/2 tablespoon meat mixture per meatball; form into balls. Place meatballs into the skillet and cook, turning often, until browned, about 5 minutes. Insides of meatballs will still be pink. Place browned meatballs into a baking dish, pour in chicken broth, and cover with foil.

Bake in the preheated oven until meatballs are tender, about 40 minutes. Remove meatballs to a serving dish.

Pour pan drippings into a saucepan over medium heat. Whisk flour into drippings until smooth. Gradual ly whisk in enough beef broth to total about 2 1/2 cups liquid. Bring gravy to a simmer, whisking constantly, until thickened, about 5 minutes.

Just before serving, whisk in sour cream. Season with salt and black pepper. Serve gravy with meatballs.

Notes: You can double the recipe and keep it warm in a slow cooker. Worth the effort, and the meatballs are even better the next day! Reserve brown gravy and add sour cream to it the day you serve the leftovers.

Read more at allrecipes.com

Photo courtesy of thelemonapron.com

Sensational Side Dishes

Roasted Sweet Potatoes and Vegetables

Photo courtesy of dinneratthezoo.com

Bacon and Cheddar Green Bean Casserole

4 (14.5 ounce) cans green beans, any style, drained

2 (10.5 ounce) cans condensed cream of mushroom soup

2 2/3 cups French’s® French Fried Onions, divided 1 cup milk

1/2 cup shredded Cheddar cheese, divided 6 slices cooked bacon, divided 1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Combine green beans, condensed soup, milk, and pepper in a large bowl. Add 1 1/3 cups French-fried onions and 1/2 of the Ched dar cheese. Crumble 5 slices of bacon; add to the green bean mixture and mix until well combined. Transfer to a 3-quart baking dish. Bake in the preheated oven for until hot and bubbly, about 25 minutes. Remove from the oven and stir. Sprinkle with the remaining Cheddar and onions. Crumble remaining slice of bacon over top. Return to the oven and bake until onions are golden brown, about 5 more minutes.

Note: You can double the recipe and freeze one for lat er. If you plan to freeze it, it’s best to cook this green bean casserole in a foil pan. Once it has cooled, wrap it in one layer of storage wrap followed by one layer of aluminum foil. Freeze for up to six months. Thaw in the fridge and reheat in the oven.

Read more at allrecipes.com

Grandma’s Corn Pudding

5 large eggs

1/3 cup butter, melted and slightly cooled 1/4 cup white sugar 1/2 cup milk 1/4 cup cornstarch

1 (15.25 ounce) can whole kernel corn, drained

2 (14.75 ounce) cans cream-style corn

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F (200 degrees C). Grease a 2-quart casserole dish.

Whisk eggs lightly in a large bowl. Add milk, melted butter, sugar, and cornstarch; whisk until well combined. Stir in drained corn and cream-style corn until fully blend ed. Pour mixture into the prepared casserole dish. Bake in the preheated oven until golden brown, about 1 hour.

Notes: To store allow the corn pudding casserole to cool, then transfer the leftovers to an airtight container. Store in the refrigerator for up to five days. Reheat until warmed through in the oven or in the microwave. You can freeze corn pudding for up to three months (though since it is dairy-rich, the texture may change a bit during the thawing process). If you plan to freeze corn pudding, it’s best to cook it in a foil pan. Allow it to cool completely, then wrap the whole pan tightly in storage wrap. Wrap it tightly again in at least one layer of aluminum foil. Thaw in the refrigerator overnight and reheat until warmed through in the oven or in the microwave.

Read more at allrecipes.com

Roasted Sweet Potatoes and Vegetables

1 pound sweet potatoes, cut into long, thin rectangles

1 large carrot, cut into long, thin rectangles

1 parsnip, cut into long, thin rectangles extra-virgin olive oil, or as needed salt and ground black pepper to taste

4 sprigs fresh thyme 2 tablespoons maple syrup, or to taste

Preheat oven to 375 degrees F. Scatter pieces of sweet potato, carrot, and parsnip onto a jelly roll pan; drizzle with olive oil and season with salt and black pepper. Roast in the preheated oven until vegetables are partially soft, about 30 minutes. Scatter thyme sprigs over vegetables and drizzle with ma ple syrup. Return to oven and bake until vegetables are soft, about 15 more minutes.

Read more at allrecipes.com

Cornbread Salad

Pan of cornbread. Cooked. 1 cup of each: (veggies diced)

Tomato Green pepper

Celery

Onion

1 package bacon, cooked and crumbled. Mayoannaise to bind

Crumble cornbread. Add other ingredients. Mix good. Add as much may onnaise as it takes to hold the veggies and bread together. For a different taste you can use part mayo and part ranch dressing.

Bacon and Cheddar Green Bean Casserole

Photo courtesy of Del-Monte

with Horseradish

Mom’s Zesty Carrots with Horseradish

1 1/4 pounds carrots, cut into matchsticks

1/2 cup mayonnaise

2 tablespoons grated onion

2 tablespoons freshly ground horseradish

1/2 teaspoon salt (scant)

1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper (scant)

1/4 cup dry seasoned bread crumbs

2 tablespoons melted butter

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F. Place carrots in a pot and add water to cover. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat to a simmer and cook until tender, 6 to 8 minutes. Drain carrots, reserving 1/4 cup of the cooking liquid. Transfer carrots to a shallow baking dish. Mix reserved cooking water, mayonnaise, onion, horseradish, salt, and pepper together in a small bowl until combined; pour over carrots. Bake in the preheated oven for 15 minutes. Meanwhile, toss bread crumbs in melted butter. Sprinkle over carrots and bake until crumb topping is crisp, an additional 3 to 5 minutes.

Read more at allrecipes.com

Cheese Grits Casserole

2 1/4 cups whole milk

2 1/4 cups water

1 teaspoon salt

1 cup quick-cooking grits

1 (8 ounce) package processed cheese (such as Velveeta®), cubed 1/2 pound sharp Cheddar cheese, cubed

1/4 cup butter

1/8 teaspoon garlic powder

2 eggs, beaten

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Butter a 9x12-inch baking dish. Bring milk, water, and salt to a boil in a large saucepan; gradual ly sprinkle grits into the boiling liquid, stirring to combine. Cook until thickened, about 5 minutes. Stir processed cheese, sharp Cheddar cheese, butter, and garlic powder into grits, stirring until cheese has melted.

Let the mixture stand until cooled, about 15 minutes. Stir beaten eggs into grits; transfer to prepared baking dish.

Bake in the preheated oven until the top is lightly golden brown and the grits are set, about 45 minutes.

Read more at allrecipes.com

Mom’s Zesty Carrots

Photo courtesy of dinneratthezoo.com

Chef John’s Potato Roses

3 pounds Yukon Gold potatoes, no wider than a muffin tin cup

1/3 cup melted butter, or as needed, divided

1 tablespoon minced fresh rosemary

2 teaspoons kosher salt

3/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

1 pinch cayenne pepper

3/4 cup grated Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese

Preheat oven to 400 degrees F. Generously grease a 12-cup muf fin tin with melted butter, reserving the rest for the potatoes. Slice potatoes to about 1/16 to 1/8 inch thickness using a mandoline or vegetable slicer. Discard end pieces that are mostly skin. Place slic es in a bowl and add rosemary, salt, black pepper, and cayenne pep per. Drizzle in the remaining melted butter. Toss with your hands to evenly distribute, about 2 to 3 minutes, trying to separate all the potato slices. Grate about a quarter of the cheese over the potatoes. Toss. Add more cheese; toss again. Continue until all cheese is in corporated. Stack potato slices in uneven layers (to resemble flower petals) in prepared muffin tin, ending with some of the smaller piec es. Bake in preheated oven until potatoes are tender, 45 to 60 min utes, testing with a metal skewer for doneness. Potatoes should be very soft. If potatoes look too brown but aren’t yet cooked through, cover pan with foil for the final minutes of baking. Loosen edges of potato roses with a fork and lift out of pan to serving dish.

Notes: These rose-shaped potato gratins would be great for enter taining, since you can make them ahead, and keep them warm in the pan, or cool and reheat in the oven when you are ready to serve. The technique is straightforward, but make sure you season the potatoes generously. Use your mandolin or vegetable slicer to get all the potatoes the same width.

Herbed Wild Rice Dressing Recipe

5 sourdough or white bread slices, cut into 1/2-inch cubes (about 3 cups)

2 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil

1 cup chopped celery (about 3 stalks)

1 medium-size red onion, diced

2 Honeycrisp, Granny Smith or Fuji apples, diced

4 cups cooked wild rice

1 cup toasted walnuts, roughly chopped

1 tablespoon chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley

1 tablespoon chopped fresh sage

1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice

2 teaspoons kosher salt

1/2 teaspoon black pepper

1/4 cup firmly packed fresh flat-leaf parsley leaves

Preheat oven to 400°F. Toss bread cubes with melted butter in a medium bowl. Spread on a baking sheet, and bake until crispy and lightly browned, 5 to 8 minutes. Heat oil in a skillet over medi um-high. Add celery and onion; cook, stirring occasionally, until tender, about 8 minutes. Add apples; cook, stirring occasionally, until apples are tender-crisp and browned, 5 to 7 minutes. Stir in toasted bread cubes, rice, walnuts, chopped parsley, chopped sage, lemon juice, salt, and pepper. Cook until heated through, about 3 minutes. Spoon onto a serving platter. Top with parsley leaves.

Chef John’s Potato Roses

Photo courtesy of allrecipes.com

Warm, DeliciousChristmas Breads

Double Cranberry Banana Bread

Photo courtesy of tasteofhome.com

Quick Yeast Rolls

1 cup hot water

3 tablespoons white sugar

2 tablespoons shortening

1 (.25 ounce) package active dry yeast

2 1/4 cups all-purpose flour

1 egg, beaten

1 teaspoon salt

Mix hot water, sugar, and shortening in a large bowl. Let cool until lukewarm.

Stir in yeast until dissolved, then mix in flour, egg, and salt. Cover and let dough rise until doubled in size, about 30 minutes. Grease 8 muffin cups. Divide dough equally into the prepared muffin cups. Let rise again until doubled in size, about 30 minutes. Preheat the oven to 425 degrees F. Bake in the preheated oven until golden brown on top and a knife inserted in the center comes out clean, about 10 minutes.

Homemade White Sandwich Bread

2 cups water, divided (warm, 110-115°F)

1 cup milk (warmed to 110-115°F)

1/3 cup granulated sugar, divided 3 (0.25oz each) packages (21g) or 6 3/4 teaspoons Red Star Active Dry Yeast

1 large egg

1/3 cup melted butter (or vegetable oil)

8 cups bread flour, divided

2 teaspoons salt

Grease four 9x5x2-inch loaf pans; set aside

In stand mixer bowl, combine yeast, 1 teaspoon sugar and 1/2 cup water; let stand 10 minutes. Stir in remaining 1 1/2 cups water, milk, remaining sugar, egg and butter. Add 3 cups flour and salt. Using a paddle attachment, blend on low speed for 30 seconds. Beat on medium speed for 3 minutes.

Switch to dough hook attachment. Gradually stir in enough remaining flour to make a soft dough. Knead until smooth and elastic, about 5 to 7 minutes.

(NOTE: For hand mixing: following above steps, mix in gredients in large mixing bowl using a wooden spoon or dough whisk. Knead on floured surface until smooth and elastic.)

Cover; let rest in warm place for 10 minutes.

Punch dough down. Place on lightly floured surface; di vide into four equal pieces. Cover 3 pieces with tea towel.

Roll or pat one dough into a 14×7-inch rectangle. Start ing with shorter side, roll up tightly, pressing dough into roll. Pinch edges and taper ends to seal. Place seam down in prepared loaf pan. Repeat with remaining 3 pieces. Cover and let rise in warm place until doubled in size, about 45 minutes.

Preheat oven to 400°F. Bake loaves 25 to 30 minutes, un til lightly browned and bread sounds hollow when tapped. Remove from pans and cool on wire rack.

Quick Yeast Rolls

Photo courtesy of lilluna.com

Double Cranberry Banana Bread

1/3 cup shortening

2/3 cup sugar

2 large eggs, room temperature

1 cup mashed ripe banana

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

1-3/4 cups all-purpose flour

2 teaspoons baking powder

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/4 teaspoon baking soda

1 cup whole-berry cranberry sauce

3/4 cup chopped pecans, divided

1/2 cup dried cranberries

Preheat oven to 350°. In a large bowl, cream shortening and sugar un til light and crumbly. Beat in eggs, banana and vanilla. In another bowl, whisk flour, baking powder, salt and baking soda; gradually beat into creamed mixture. Stir in cranberry sauce, 1/2 cup pecans and dried cran berries.

Transfer to a greased 8x4-in. loaf pan. Sprinkle with remaining pecans. Bake until a toothpick inserted in center comes out clean, 50-60 minutes. Cool in pan 10 minutes before removing to a wire rack to cool completely.

Can you freeze Double Cranberry Banana Bread? Securely wrap cooled loaf in foil, then freeze. To use, thaw at room temperature.

Cinnamon Bread

BREAD

2 cups all-purpose flour

1 cup white sugar

1 cup buttermilk

2 large eggs

1/4 cup vegetable oil

2 teaspoons vanilla extract

2 teaspoons baking powder

1 1/2 teaspoons ground cinnamon

1 teaspoon salt

1/2 teaspoon baking soda

TOPPING

2 tablespoons white sugar

2 teaspoons margarine

1 teaspoon ground cinnamon

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Grease a 9x5-inch loaf pan.

Make bread: Beat flour, sugar, buttermilk, eggs, oil, vanilla, bak ing powder, cinnamon, salt, and baking soda in a large mixing bowl until well combined, about 3 minutes. Pour batter into the prepared loaf pan; smooth the top.

Make topping: Stir together sugar, margarine, and cinnamon in a small bowl until crumbly; sprinkle over batter. Use a paring knife to swirl batter for a marbled effect.

Bake in the preheated oven until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean, about 50 minutes. Remove bread from the pan to a wire rack to cool completely.

Tips :If you don’t have buttermilk, you may substitute it with milk plus 1 tablespoon vinegar to measure 1 cup. Read more at allrecipes.com

Christmas Star Twisted Bread

1 package (1/4 ounce) active dry yeast

1/4 cup warm water (110° to 115°)

3/4 cup warm 2% milk (110° to 115°)

1 large egg, room temperature

1/4 cup butter, softened 1/4 cup sugar

1 teaspoon salt

3-1/4 to 3-3/4 cups all-purpose flour

3/4 cup seedless raspberry jam

2 tablespoons butter, melted Confectioners’ sugar

Dissolve yeast in warm water until foamy. In another bowl, com bine milk, egg, butter, sugar and salt; add yeast mixture and 3 cups flour. Beat on medium speed until smooth, about 1 minute. Stir in enough remaining flour to form a soft dough.

Turn onto a floured surface; knead until smooth and elastic, 6-8 minutes. Place in a greased bowl, turning once to grease top. Cover and let rise in a warm place until doubled, about 1 hour.

Punch down dough. Turn onto a lightly floured surface; di vide into 4 portions. Roll 1 portion into a 12-in. circle. Place on a greased 14-in. pizza pan. Spread with one-third of the jam to within 1/2 in. of edge. Repeat twice, layering dough and jam, and ending with final portion of dough.

Place a 2-1/2-in. round cutter on top of the dough in center of circle (do not press down). With a sharp knife, make 16 evenly spaced cuts from round cutter to edge of dough, forming a star burst. Remove cutter; grasp 2 adjacent strips and rotate twice out ward. Pinch ends together. Repeat with remaining strips.

Cover and let rise until almost doubled, about 30 minutes. Pre heat oven to 375°. Bake until golden brown, 18-22 minutes. (Watch during final 5 minutes for any dripping.) Remove from oven; brush with melted butter, avoiding areas where jam is visible. Cool com pletely on a wire rack. Dust with confectioners’ sugar.

Cinnamon Bread

Photo courtesy of smalltownwoman.com

Christmas Morning Sweet Rolls

1 package (1/4 ounce) active dry yeast

1 cup warm water (110° to 115°)

1/2 cup sugar

1 teaspoon salt

4 to 4-1/2 cups all-purpose flour 1/4 cup canola oil

1 large egg, room temperature

FILLING 1/3 cup sugar

1-1/2 teaspoons ground cinnamon 1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg 3 tablespoons butter, softened

FROSTING

2-1/2 cups confectioners’ sugar 5 tablespoons butter, softened 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract 2 to 3 tablespoons eggnog

In a small bowl, dissolve yeast in warm water. In a large bowl, combine sugar, salt, 1 cup flour, oil, egg and the yeast mixture; beat on medium speed until smooth. Stir in enough remaining flour to form a soft dough (dough will be sticky).

Do not knead. Place in a greased bowl, turning once to grease the top. Cover and refrigerate overnight.

For filling, in a small bowl, mix sugar, cinnamon and nutmeg. Punch down dough; turn onto a lightly floured surface. Roll into a 18x8-in. rectangle. Spread with butter to within 1/2 in. of edges; sprinkle with sugar mixture. Roll up jelly-roll style, starting with a long side; pinch seam to seal. Cut into 12 slices.

Place in a greased 13x9-in. baking pan, cut side down. Cover with a kitchen towel; let rise in a warm place until doubled, about 45 minutes.

Preheat oven to 350°. Bake until golden brown, 20-25 minutes. Place on a wire rack to cool slightly. Beat confectioners’ sugar, butter, cinnamon, vanilla and enough eggnog to reach desired consistency; spread over warm rolls.

Photo courtesy of tasteofhome.com

Heavenly, Scrumptious Christmas Desserts

Pecan Pie Cheesecake

Photo courtesy of gimmedelicious.com

Pecan Pie Cheesecake

FOR THE GRAHAM CRACKER CRUST

18 cracker graham crackers

1/3 cup brown sugar, packed

1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

8 tablespoons (4 ounces) unsalted butter, melted

FOR THE CHEESECAKE FILLING

32 ounces cream cheese

1 cup brown sugar, packed 3/4 cup heavy cream 1/2 cup sour cream

2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract 1/2 teaspoon salt 2 tablespoons cornstarch

2 large eggs

FOR THE PECAN TOPPING

1 1/2 cups pecans

2/3 cup brown sugar, packed 2 tablespoons unsalted butter 1/2 cup heavy cream

2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract

1/2 teaspoon salt

Prepare the Graham Cracker Crust, by preheating the oven to 500 F. Pulse the graham crackers and brown sugar in a food pro cessor until they are fine crumbs. Pour in the melted butter and va nilla while the food processor is running. Run until the butter and vanilla are incorporated into the graham cracker crumbs. Pour the graham cracker mixture into the bottom of a 9-inch springform pan. Press down the mixture with a measuring cup to create an even crust. Set aside until you complete the filling.

Prepare the Cheesecake Filling Make sure everything is at room temperature. This will ensure for even mixing with fewer lumps. Beat together the cream cheese, brown sugar, heavy cream, and sour cream. Beat until completely smooth and very fluffy. Beat in the vanilla, salt, and cornstarch. Beat in the eggs one at a time until the batter is smooth and completely incorporated.

Pour the batter over the prepared crust. Bake at 500 F for five minutes. Then turn the heat down to 200 F and bake for an hour and a half or until the internal temperature reaches 160 F. The cake will jiggle slightly when gently shaken. Place on a cooling rack and allow to cool to room temperature. Cover the cake with plastic wrap and place in the refrigerator overnight, or for at least four hours.

Prepare the Pecan Pie Topping by preheating the oven to 350 F. Toast the pecans on a sheet tray for 5 to 10 minutes, shaking occasionally. Add the brown sugar to a large saucepan. Heat on medium-high heat and allow the brown sugar to melt. Add in the butter and heavy cream into the pan. Stir gently with a wooden spoon and allow it to come to a boil. Turn the heat down and add in the vanilla and salt. Toss the pecans with the finished caramel. Pour the pecan mixture over the top of the cheesecake and serve immediately.

Christmas Tree Pretzel Rods

8 ounces green candy coating 6 large pretzel rods

Assorted sprinkles, optional

Place the green candy coating in a microwave-safe bowl. Micro wave in 30-second intervals, stirring after every 30 seconds to pre vent overheating. Arrange the pretzel rods on a baking sheet covered with parchment paper or waxed paper. Transfer the melted coating to a large plastic bag. Snip a hole in the corner of the bag. Drizzle the coating over a pretzel rod in a tree shape: start about halfway up a rod, and make the wide base of the tree, gradually narrowing as you reach the top until it comes to a peak at the top of the pretzel. While the coating is still wet, sprinkle it with assorted sprinkles to represent Christmas lights. If desired, you can place a gold candy or star-shaped sprinkle on top. Repeat until all of the pretzels have been turned into trees. Refrigerate the tray briefly to set the coating.

Read more at thespruceeats.com

Mama Audra’s No Bake Fruitcake

2 boxes graham cracker crumbs

Orange sliced candy diced English Walnuts Pecans 1 box raisins

1 32 ox bottle karo syrup

Plastic wrap for pans

In a big bowl put in cracker crumbs, add orange candy and mix well. Add walnuts and pecans and mix well. Add box of raisins and mix well. Hollow out center of the mixture and pour in syrup and mix all this well by hand. Line bundt or loaf pan with plastic wrap and pack mixture into it. Cover with more plastic wrap or aluminum foil and let set out over night. Put onto plates and refrigerate.

Sent courtesy Kenneth Ball

Christmas Tree Pretzel Rods

Photo courtesy of thespruceeats.com

Turtle Candy With Pecans and Caramel

6 ounces pecan halves, toasted 12 ounces soft caramels, homemade or store-bought 8 ounces semisweet chocolate

Gather your ingredients. Prepare a cookie sheet by covering it with aluminum foil or parchment paper and spraying it with cook ing spray. Arrange the pecans in clusters of 4. Each pecan should point in a different di rection resembling the four limbs of a turtle. Alternatively, you can just drop them in small clusters on the baking sheet but be sure they overlap to avoid the caramel oozing down the spaces between nuts.

Place the unwrapped caramels in a micro wave-safe bowl and microwave them until melted, stirring after every 30 seconds. If af ter the first time in the microwave they seem very stiff, add a spoonful of water to help soften. Allow the caramel to cool slightly, scoop a spoonful of caramel onto each pecan cluster. Set aside.

Melt chocolate in microwave or over a dou ble boiler and spoon over caramel later letting some drip down the sides so it covered the top of the caramel completely. Refrigerate for at least 30 minutes. Serve at room temperature. Read more at thespruceeats.com

Gingerbread With Lemon Glaze

FOR THE GINGERBREAD

1 2/3 cup all-purpose flour

1 1/4 teaspoon baking soda

1 1/2 teaspoon ginger

3/4 teaspoon cinnamon

3/4 teaspoon salt

1/2 cup sugar

1 beaten egg

1/2 cup dark molasses

1/2 cup vegetable oil

1/2 cup boiling water

FOR THE GLAZE

2/3 cup powdered sugar 3 tablespoons lemon juice

Gather the ingredients and preheat the oven to 350 F. Sift together the flour and bak ing soda into a mixing bowl. Add the ginger, cinnamon, salt, sugar, egg, and molasses. Mix with a spatula until the mixture is combined and resembles wet sand. Add the oil and boiling water and whisk for about 2 minutes until the batter is smooth and shiny. Oil and flour a 9-inch square baking dish or pan. Pour in the batter and tap it down gently on the table to settle it evenly. Bake for 35 minutes, until the gingerbread pulls away slightly from the sides and the top springs back when lightly touched. Combine the powdered sugar and lemon juice and whisk together until smooth. Pour over the hot gingerbread and spread evenly with a spatula.

As it cools, the glaze will soak into the top and around the sides. Serve warm or at room temperature.

Read more at thespruceeats.com

Turtle Candy with Pecans and Caramel

Photo courtesy of tthespruceeats.com

Comforting Christmas Beverages

Hot Cocoa Mix

Photo courtesy of kyleecooks.com

Cemetery Cider

2 1/4 cups pineapple juice

2 cups cranberry juice

1 3/4 cups water

1 tablespoon whole cloves

1/2 teaspoon whole allspice

3 cinnamon sticks, broken

1/4 teaspoon salt

1/2 cup brown sugar

Pour pineapple juice, cranberry juice and water in a perco lator. Place cloves, allspice, cinnamon sticks, salt and brown sugar in the percolator basket. Perk for 10 minutes or until percolator stops perking.

If you do not have a percolator, pour pineapple juice, cran berry juice, and water into a big pot. Place cloves, allspice, cinnamon sticks, salt and brown sugar is a coffee filter, cheese cloth or anything the spices can seep through. Tie up the filter and place in pot. Bring to a boil and simmer for 10 minutes. Pour into a mug and enjoy!

Hot Cocoa Mix

10 cups dry milk powder

4 3/4 cups sifted confectioners’ sugar

1 3/4 cups unsweetened cocoa powder

1 3/4 cups powdered non-dairy creamer

In a large mixing bowl, combine milk powder, confection er’s sugar, cocoa powder, and creamer. Stir till thoroughly combined. Store cocoa mixture in an airtight container. Makes about 15 cups mix, or enough for about 45 servings.

For 1 serving, place 1/3 cup cocoa mixture in a coffee cup or mug, and add 3/4 cup boiling water. Stir to dissolve. Top with dollop of whipped cream or a few marshmallows, if desired.

Note: Vary the flavor of your mix by trying flavored non dairy creamer such as cinnamon, hazelnut or French vanilla. Read more at allrecipes.com

Luscious Slush Punch

2 1/2 cups white sugar

6 cups water

2 (3 ounce) packages strawberry flavored Jell-O® mix

1 (46 fluid ounce) can pineapple juice

2/3 cup lemon juice

1 quart orange juice

2 (2 liter) bottles lemon-lime flavored carbonated beverage

Bring the sugar, water, and strawberry flavored gelatin to a boil in a large saucepan; boil for 3 minutes. Stir in the pineap ple juice, lemon juice, and orange juice. Divide mixture into 2 separate containers and freeze. When ready to serve, combine the contents of 1 container with 1 bottle of the lemon-lime fla vored carbonated beverage in a punch bowl; stir until slushy. Repeat with remaining portions as needed. Or you can forgo the ice and make this into a warm punch.

Read more at allrecipes.com

Sparkling Punch

2 lemons

3 large oranges

1 (6 ounce) can frozen lemonade concentrate

1 liter club soda

2 25 oz. bottles sparkling apple cider 1 tablespoon white sugar

2 trays ice cubes

Thinly slice the lemons and the oranges and place in a large punch bowl. Pour in the thawed lemonade.

Gently stir in the club soda and the sparkling apple cider. Add sugar to taste. Add ice.

Note: you can also throw in limes for a twist. Read more at allrecipes.com

Spiced Tea

1 1 pound- 20oz jar Tang® orange drink

2 cups sugar

1/2 cup instant tea

1 package lemonade mix 1/2 teaspoon ground cloves 1/2 teaspoon allspice 1 teaspoon cinnamon.

Mix it all up and enjoy. Place three to four teaspoons of the mixture in a large mug and pour in the hot water. If it’s not strong enough, add more.

This recipe can also be adjusted to your taste. If you want it to have a stronger tea taste, add more tea.

Wassail

2 quarts apple cider (not juice)

2 1/4 cups unsweetened pineapple juice

2 cups orange juice

1 cups lemon juice

1/2 cup sugar (not splenda) 3 or 4 cinnamon sticks 1 teaspoon whole cloves

Combine all ingredients in a medium-large pot. Bring to a boil. Cover, reduce heat, and simmer 30 minutes. Uncover and simmer additional 30 minutes. Strain and discard spices. Serve hot.

Now the neat thing about this wassail recipe is you can bring it to a boil and then put it in the crock pot to simmer. Make sure to have plenty of the cold mixture already blended to add as the other runs low. You can also freeze this and pull it out for other celebrations through the year.

You can keep it in the refrigerator for at least a couple of weeks and then zip it into the microwave a cup at a time.

This can also be made ahead a couple of days before your celebration and put in the refrigerator so all you have to do is pour it into the pan that night or day.

Holiday Punch

1/3 cup white sugar

1 quart cranberry juice

2 cups unsweetened pineapple juice

3 tablespoons almond extract

1 (2 liter) bottle ginger ale

In a large container, mix together sugar, cranberry juice, pineapple juice and almond extract. Refrigerate for 1 day. To serve, pour juice mixture into a punch bowl. Stir in ginger ale.

Note: Make a day in advance to allow the flavors to meld.

Read more at allrecipes.com

Photo courtesy of eatwell101.com

How to make a Christmas from your own greenery Garland or Swag

Nothing says welcome to the season like a pretty live garland on the mailbox.

Greenery draped down a stair rail is a good way to bring the smell of the outdoors inside for the Christmas season. Make sure you check it for dryness and spritz it with water to keep it fresh.

Nothing says it is Christmas like the smell of pine and cedar in the house. In this day of mostly store bought Christmas trees, we miss the fragrance of Christmases past. One way to bring that nostalgia back is to make a live swag or garland. Green boughs be decked with simple red ribbons or extra baubles that won’t fit on your Christmas tree tucked here and there in your home will bring the delightful smell throughout your home.

Most people think of swags and garlands for the front door, however, if you place them just right, they can be put on bed posts, attached to the wall above the mirror in the bathroom, just anywhere you want to have a little extra live Christmas.

Making a swag or garland for your home is easier than you think. What is the difference between a swag and a gar land?

A garland is a long strip of greenery that is usually draped along a wall or over an object. While a garland is of a similar width throughout, a swag has a tapered end or ends, with a thicker area at the top or in the middle. Swags can vary in shape according to how wide your door is and how much room you have between the door and the ceiling.

The easiest way to make either of these beautiful decora tions is to purchase the cheapest wire garland you can find. You will need a pair of heavy duty wire snips to cut the gar land the length you need it, or you can simply drape it over your door and let each side hang down.

Wherever you want to attach this to the wall or the door, plan on putting hooks or nails into the wall to secure the swag after you put it together. Inside your home you can use the heavy duty hooks that you can temporarily put up and remove. These are ideal if you rent your home or if you just don’t want more holes in your wall. Another idea is to plan your swag around the pictures that you already have hung on your wall. Take the pictures down for the holidays and put the greenery in its place.

REGINA BUTLER BY

Pine and magnolia cones give your live garland an earthy look. Don’t forget to tuck the bright holly or nandina berries in.

Now lets gather our live touches. This is a good time to take your chil dren or grandchildren for a walk in the woods. They will enjoy the simplic ity of the wind, the chatter of the squirrel and the call of the birds.

There are all kinds of textures out there from the smooth pine needles to the prickly cedar and holly bush. Nothing says your garland is from the south like magnolia leaves. Don’t overlook pine cones or the magnolia cones. They can add an earthy tone to your swag or garland. Also look for the unusual, for instance the long curvy seed pods of the honey locust tree. If you have a cotton patch available clip a few of those to give it a country feel.

When you bring your greenery home put it in a bucket of hot tap water and let it soak for an hour or so to let the needles get extremely hydrated.

A couple of other ideas with your swag before you even get started with it is to purchase some gold or silver spray paint. Spray paint your pine cones or even the leaves of the magnolia to give your creation the Midas touch. It will add a little bit of gleam to your season.

Once you have your greenery back home, simply attach it to your gar land twisting the fake greenery around the limbs of your real greenery.

If you keep it inside, make sure you hang it up away from heat drafts.

You can bedeck anything with these from your stair rail to your mail box. Make sure you attach it firmly so the southern winds won’t blow it away.

Your fresh greenery will need a little bit of care to keep it that way all month long. Once the wreath is hanging on a door or elsewhere, spritz it with water every few days to prevent it from drying out. If you have lights in the wreath or garland, make sure you unplug them before you spray it. Try spraying it in the morning before you leave the house and it will be ready to plug in when you come home.

So take a walk in the woods and bring the freshness of it inside and make memories to last a lifetime.

How to tie a bow

Awell tied bow brings your creation all to gether. Tying bows is not difficult. The mar ket today has the ribbon with wires running down each side, making the process even easier. But even if you get the simple velveteen red ribbon, it can be tied to make beautiful bows for your home.

To tie the bow you will need ribbon, wire and little wire cutters. You can use thin green floral wire that comes or you can purchase the craft pipe cleaner che nille wires.

Now comes the bow tying. When you think of a bow you immediately think it should have a smaller circle in the middle with larger loops on each side. You don’t always have to tie it that way. If you make some of your loops smaller than others, it will have a three dimensional effect once you fluff them out. An other tip is one that I had to really grasp when I tied bows is you don’t have to have the same number of loops on each side. If you do an uneven number, say seven loops, or nine loops, when you pull the loops out and around it gives your bow a more finished look.

When I go to tie a bow, I look at the wreath or gar land that it goes on and think about how big the loops should be. I take the ribbon and make loops back and forth in my hand according to how many I want, and then leave about four inches more and cut the ribbon. Then the tying begins.

Go to one end of your ribbon, start about an inch or two in and hold it between your thumb and first to fingers. Crinkle the ribbon like a paper fan holding it with those three fingers. The more you crinkle it the fluffier your bow will be. Make a loop the size you had in mind and place the ribbon between those fingers again, gathering it tight. Make another loop, doing the same thing, twisting the ribbon so the printed side is showing. What I do is I start with two big loops about the same size, then do a small loop about an inch less than a big loop then a small loop, until I have all the ribbon gathered between those fingers. You should have a bit left over so you can grip it good.

Take your wire and put it around all those loops and twist it as tight as you can, then take the loops and fluff them out. At this point, you can either attach your bow to the swag or garland or you can add tails to your bow before you attach it. Cut a couple of lengths of ribbon, pinch it half way down and attach it to your bow with the left over wire than attach to the greenery creation.

The stately Magnolia says that your greenery is truly from Mississippi. Try spray painting the leaves gold or silver to add gleam to your garland or swag.

New Year’s Eve Party Ideas

The old clock will be ticking to midnight before we know it spelling the end of 2022 and the beginning of 2023. If you are tired of hurrying and scurrying from one party to another, you can make the New Year’s Eve party a family affair. Get the kids involved and don’t worry about dressing up or wearing makeup!

Use the week after Christmas when the kids say they are

bored to create special things for your party.

Decorate the house with anything that sparkles or glitters, set up card tables with your favorite board games and enjoy the evening.

Food can be simple have the kids help plan the menu and prepare the foods. For kids who like to cook, it can become a party activity in itself.

Games

SNOWBALL FIGHT

Gather all your stray socks, you know the ones that don’t have a mate, and let the kid dos have a snow ball fight. Take the sock and fold it in half, then in half again, then fold it like you would to put away to have a nice tight snowball. It doesn’t matter what the colors are, divide the socks be tween a couple of teams, put them in the hall, on the front porch or back porch and let them have fun.

Appetizers & Finger Foods

Setting out a buffet filled with easy appetizers everyone can snack on all night. Things like raw veggies and dip, crackers and cheese, pretzels, and popcorn work well for kids.

Additionally, a few easy kid-friendly appetizers perfect for New Year’s Eve include:

CHARCUTERIE

Set up a snack board with foods like crackers, cheese cubes, grapes, and carrot sticks.

NEW YEAR’S SNACK MIX

Mix Chex cereal, pretzels, Cheerios, and M&M’s. Melt white chocolate chips in the microwave, and pour it over the snack mix. Spread it in a layer on a parchment-lined baking sheet, and let it sit until it hardens. Get the full recipe on Sports Mom Surviv al Guide.

STELLAR CHICKEN NUGGETS

In a blender, puree a package of thawed vegeta bles and an egg. Combine it with ground chicken. Spread a layer of panko breadcrumbs on a baking sheet, and flatten the chicken mixture over the top.

Then, spread another layer of breadcrumbs over that, and use a star-shaped cookie cutter to cut nuggets. But don’t waste what is left over, cut it into triangles or whatever else so you will get all the chicken goodness. Lay the nuggets on another baking sheet, and bake until finished. Get the full recipe on Red Tricycle.

PIGS IN A BLANKET

Kids love this oldie but goodie, and it’s also su per-simple. It only requires wrapping cocktail sau sages in crescent roll dough and baking them until they’re golden brown. Get the full recipe on Culi nary Hill.

CHEESY MEATBALL PULL-APART PIZZA RING

Spread pizza dough with ricotta cheese, layer on meatballs, and sprinkle on some shredded mozza rella cheese. Follow the video tutorial on Pinch of Yum to fold the dough into a ring shape, and then brush it with a beaten egg, season with oregano and salt, and bake it until it’s golden brown. Serve it with marinara sauce for dipping.

Draw a hop scotch board on the front porch with chalk. Test folks skill at hopping the New Year in. And if you don’t remember how, draw three boxes the same size, then two side by side on top of those, then one in the middle on top of those, then two more side by side on top of that one and then one more on top of those two, and draw a house at the top for HOME. You should label them by numbers, 1, 2, 3, 4 and 5, 6, 7 and 8, 9, Home.

Other games you can play are Yahtzee, Mo nopoly, Clue, Life or any other board game you may have given them for Christmas. You can also play card games like Rummy, Uno and SkipBo. This is a great time for the family to spend family time together.

Decorating

Add your own New Year’s Eve decorations to your home during the last days of December using the kids help to keep them from getting bored.

SNOWFLAKES

White paper snowflakes can start the blizzard going. Fold and cut them from plain white printer paper. Then, tape them to the windows or walls or hang them from string and tape them to the ceiling. You can fold them the old-fashioned way you learned in grade school or opt for kirigami style, a six-sided fold that more closely resembles the structure of an actual snowflake. Get the full instructions on Wonder How To. For added fun, search online for kirigami templates. You can find one for almost every interest and fandom — from snowmen to Disney’s “Frozen” to “Star Wars.” You might even want to throw in a few extra friendly snowmen. They can stay up throughout January.

CURLED RIBBON

Curled ribbon makes any night special, especially New Year’s Eve. Get your leftover Christmas curling ribbon. Curling it into corkscrews is easy — and inexpensive — but it looks fantastic ev erywhere. Just scrape the blade of a pair of scissors up the ribbon, and it instantly curls.

For a New Year’s Eve vibe, try to find shiny metallics — espe cially silver or gold — or glitter ribbon. You can hang it from light fixtures, doorways, lamps, mantels, or even on the bathroom mirror or straight down from the ceiling. Scatter a few curls to decorate your buffet as well.

LIGHTS, LIGHTS AND MORE LIGHTS

New Year’s Eve is all about the lights, sparkle, and glitter. So the more twinkling lights, the better. Turn off the glaring overhead lights, and let the fairy lights out. Turn your tree on for one last time.

Also, set out any battery-operated candles you own — from pil lars to votives to tea lights. For fire safety, avoid real flame candles with kids unless you know there’s no chance anyone will get near the flame. If you don’t already own them, invest in a bulk pack of battery-operated tea lights.

HOW TO MAKE FROSTY LIGHTS

Make inexpensive frosted candleholders by gluing Epsom salts to plain glass jars or votive holders picked up from the dollar store. To do it, mix white school glue with water (3 parts glue mixed with 1 part water), and paint it onto the votive holder’s sides. Then, roll it in a plateful of Epsom salts. Once it dries, it becomes a sparkling frosted votive holder that appears to be covered in ice and snow.

STARS EVERYWHERE

Stars are another decoration commonly associated with New Year’s Eve. Buy little paper cutouts to hang from the ceiling, prop on mantels, or scatter on tables. If you can’t find any, it’s easy to make your own. Just invest in some glitter paper. Trace stars onto the paper, and cut them out. Then tape string to the backs to hang them from the ceiling or tape them to the wall or a bathroom mirror.

Alternatively, a garland of paper stars looks great draped from your fireplace mantel. Just make sure they aren’t draped too close to a flame. Cut enough stars to fit the width of your mantel from gold foil paper and gold glitter paper. You can either stitch them together or cut holes on each cross point and tie them together with gold curling ribbon or cut gold chenille wires and join them that way.

Noisemakers

No New Year’s Eve party is complete without some way to ring in the new year, and kids love anything that lets them get as loud as they want. But no need to break out the pots and pans when you can make your own. Here are a couple of ideas that you can do with even the youngest of your elementary aged children.

RICE SHAKERS

Recycle a toilet paper tube into a fun shaker by covering one end with a square of construction paper and taping it down. Flip the tube over, and fill it with a handful of dry rice. Then cover the other end with another taped-down square of construction paper. Use a third strip of construction paper to wrap the center of the tube, covering the tape. Then decorate the shaker with glitter glue, stickers, paint, or markers. Get the full instructions on Easy Peasy and Fun.

PAPER PLATE NOISEMAKERS

Use markers, paint, stickers, self-adhesive gems, and pompoms to decorate the backsides of two paper plates. Flip one of the plates over and glue a craft stick to the edge of the plate. For an extra-festive touch, curl some short lengths of leftover curling ribbon and staple those around the edge of the plate. Once the glue is dry, toss a handful of dry, uncooked pasta onto the plate. Lay your other plate on top, and staple the two plates together around the edges. Make sure the staples are close to gether all around the plate so none of the pasta falls out. You can use sequins to cover the staples. Use the craft stick handle to shake the paper plate rattle. Get the full instructions on Mom Unleashed.

CONFETTI POPPERS

Tossing confetti is a time-honored way to ring in the new year. And making confetti poppers is a craft that keeps kids en tertained until the hour comes. Even better, you can make it using materials you likely already have lying around.

Just gather up some toilet paper rolls, latex balloons, tape, and leftover wrapping paper. Tie a knot in the end of a latex balloon, and snip the balloon in half. Wrap double-sided tape around the bottom of a toilet paper tube, then stretch the knot ted half of the cut balloon over it. Decorate the tube using your wrapping paper of choice, and put a small handful of confetti inside. (If you don’t have confetti, you can make your own us ing any paper and a hole punch or crosscut shredder.) If desired, cover the open end of the tube with more wrapping paper to hold in the confetti until it’s time. At midnight, remove the cov er, pull the knotted end of the balloon backward, release it, and watch the confetti explode from the tube. Get the full instruc tions on Thrifty & Crafty.

Make your own party hats

Making a traditional cone-shaped party hat is an easy craft, and you can decorate it however you want. Raid your craft supply cab inet and use whatever you have on hand — from glitter glue to puffy stickers to self-adhesive gems. Or you can use glitter card stock.

SUPPLIES

1 plate (9 inches for a child, 10 inches for an adult)

1 sheet construction paper or card stock at least 1/4 inch larger than your plate

1 pencil, pen, or marker (for tracing)

Scissors

Stapler

Hole punch

Transparent tape (optional)

Elastic string

Tacky glue or a glue gun and glue sticks

1 tinsel pom-pom

1 tinsel garland

Craft supplies for decorating (such as markers, stickers, self-ad hesive gems, and glitter glue)

DIRECTIONS

Lay the plate on top of your construction paper or card stock face side down. Use the pencil, pen, or marker to trace around the plate.

Use the scissors to cut out the circle.

Find the center of the circle by folding it in half. Very lightly crease it, then fold the resulting half-moon shape in half from tip to tip and lightly crease it. Unfold your circle. The lines intersect at the center point. Cut a single line from the outer edge of the circle to the center point. It doesn’t matter where on the outer edge you start. You can use one of the creases as a guide to keep the line straight if desired. Create a cone shape by overlapping one side of the cut line over the other. Keep sliding one side over the other until you reach your desired shape. Staple it in place.

On opposite sides of the bottom of the hat, use the hole punch to create a hole for the hat’s elastic chin strap. If desired, you can reinforce the holes by taping several layers of tape over the original hole and punching through the tape. That lowers the likelihood the elastic will break through the paper when someone puts it on.

Tie one end of an arm’s length of elastic string through one hole. Place the hat on the wearer’s head, and measure the string so it’s long enough to go under their chin and tie onto the other side of the hat. Cut off the excess string, leaving 1 to 2 inches for tying, and tie the other end through the other hole.

Using tacky glue or hot glue, affix the pom-pom to the top of the hat.

Cut a length of tinsel garland — enough to fit around the hat’s bottom edge — and use the glue to affix it around the edge.

Decorate the hat however you’d like.

Remember the year with a time capsule

Decorate a shoebox with markers and stickers, and label it with this year’s date. Then fill it with objects that remind you of expe riences you had over the past 12 months. They could be photo graphs, artwork, or knickknacks — whatever you want to include.

While you make the time capsule, reminisce about your favorite memories over the last year. It’s the perfect opportunity for laugh ter and family bonding. If you need help getting started, an online search brings up tons of New Year’s Eve printables designed for kids to list their favorite memories and decide what they want their next year to look like.

You can also let your children write notes answering the follow

ing question:

What do you want to be when you grow up? (Or for an adult, when you were my age, what did you want to be when you grew up?)

What did you learn this year? What do you want to learn next year?

What’s your favorite thing that happened this year? What do you want to do next year?

Next year, when you open the shoebox, you’ll have a box full of memories to look back on and reminisce over.

Read more at Money crashers.com

Santa visits Around the Town

Shop Local

this holiday season!

Tanglefoot Tinseltown debut a success

One of the premiere events of the Christmas season will take place the weekend of December 3 and 4 at the First Choice Pavilion. Tanglefoot Tinseltown will once again be set up for youngsters and grownups alike. The days feature arts and crafts, music, food and a train ride with Santa. Hours will be 9 a.m. - 5 p.m. and Sunday hours will be 12 noon to 4 p.m. so make your plans to attend the magical fun that first weekend.

Christmas Calendar

FRIDAY, DECEMBER 2

Thaxton Christmas Parade - 6:30 p.m. Lineup time starts at 5:30 Parade starts at 6:30. Please be making your plans to put an entry in the parade. After the parade there will be a meal of soup, chili, hotdogs, drink, and dessert served for a donation to help with expenses. The theme for this year’s activities will be “Candy Land.”

Old Photos and Santa Letters

Due in the Progress before 5 p.m.

SATURDAY, DECEMBER 3

Tanglefoot Tinseltown - 9 a.m. - 5 p.m.

Tanglefoot Tinseltown will be at the First Choice Pavilion, 139 West Reynolds Street, Pontotoc Vendor pop-up shops, music, food, ride the train with Santa. Come enjoy the first days of December getting in the Christmas mood.

Sherman Christmas Parade - 2 p.m. Line-up time will begin 1:30 p.m. at Barclay.

Toccopola Christmas Parade - 5:30 p.m. Line up starts at 5 p.m. Music and food afterward in the community center.

Ecru Christmas Parade - 7 p.m. Line-up will start at 6:30

SUNDAY, DECEMBER 4

Tanglefoot Tinseltown - 12 noon - 4 p.m. Tanglefoot Tinseltown will be at the First Choice Pavilion, 139 West Reynolds Street, Pontotoc Vendor pop-up shops, music, food, ride the train with Santa. Come enjoy the first days of December getting in the Christmas mood.

MONDAY, DECEMBER 5

Pontotoc Christmas Parade - 6:30 p.m. Line up starts at 5:30 Theme is “It’s the most wonderful time of the year”

FRIDAY, DECEMBER 9

Algoma Baptist Church Drive-thru Nativity - 6-9 p.m.

Discover the true meaning of Christmas through the six scenes of the nativity. The five scenes portrayed are:

• The angel appearing to Mary

• Mary and Joseph on their way to Bethlehem

• Mary, Joseph and the baby Jesus in the manger

• The angel appearing to the shepherds

• Three wise men on their way to find the new-born King There is no charge. Bring your group by bus, by van or by car. Algoma Baptist Church is located off Highway 15 South, one mile down Algoma Road.

SATURDAY, DECEMBER 10

12th Annual Rudolph Run - 8 a.m. 5K, 10K, Relaxing Reindeer.

The Velveteen Rabbit Christmas Play

By special arrangement with Pioneer Drama will debut at The Main Community Theater - 2 p.m. and 6 p.m.

Algoma Baptist Church Drive-thru Nativity - 6-9 p.m.

Discover the true meaning of Christmas through the six scenes of the nativity. The five scenes portrayed are:

• The angel appearing to Mary

• Mary and Joseph on their way to Bethlehem

• Mary, Joseph and the baby Jesus in the manger

• The angel appearing to the shepherds

• Three wise men on their way to find the new-born King There is no charge. Bring your group by bus, by van or by car. Algoma Baptist Church is located off Highway 15 South, one mile down Algoma Road.

SUNDAY, DECEMBER 11

The Velveteen Rabbit Christmas Play By special arrangement with Pioneer Drama will debut at The Main Community Theater - 2 p.m.

THURSDAY, DECEMBER 15

Christmas Open House at the Town Square Post Office Museum - 1-3 p.m. Drop by for a cookie and punch. Tour the museum and discover our history in a different way.

FRIDAY, DECEMBER 16

Salvation Army Angel Tree Gifts due before 4 p.m.

SATURDAY, DECEMBER 17

Christmas Wreaths for Veteran’s Graves pick-up - 9 a.m. - 12 noon Pick wreaths up at the Habitat for Humanity warehouse on Coffee Street.

SUNDAY, DECEMBER 20

Concert hall style Christmas Music with Dr. Christopher and Laura Thompson - 6 p.m. Maple Drive Presbyterian Church

SATURDAY, DECEMBER 24

Here comes Santa Claus!

SUNDAY, DECEMBER 25 Happy Birthday Jesus!

Details about all these activities will be in the Pontotoc Progress newspaper over the coming weeks. Don’t miss an issue!