DECEMBER 2021
Hill Country
Backpack Connection
BOOK CHARACTER DAY
FUN WITH PUMPKINS
CHRTIRSTMAS ADITIONS
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You probably have more traditions involving family than you realize. These traditions create memories and provide a sense of family identity. And traditions not only connect you with your immediate family—they also bridge the gap between generations. If you want ideas for family Christmas traditions that you can start this year, then these are some great options! We reached out on our Boerne Area Women and Boerne Mom’s FB page (the one with red lettering) to see what fun family traditions your neighbors do year after year. We hope you might find something you would like to add to your list of holiday fun for your family.
Fun things to make
B. Dodd and others shared their love of making cookies with their family. Ginger Bread Cookies are always a big hit to eat and decorate. Do it as a family or invite friends over to help and take some home. We have found this is a fun way to share the Christmas spirit. Gingerbread Cookies Servings: 24 Cookies Prep 30 minutes Cook 30 minutes Chilling time 20 minutes Ready in: 1 hour 20 minutes Cookie Ingredients 3 cups (425g) all-purpose flour 1 Tbsp ground ginger 2 tsp ground cinnamon 1/4 tsp ground cloves 1/4 tsp ground nutmeg 3/4 tsp baking powder 1/2 tsp baking soda 1/2 tsp salt 3/4 cup (165g) packed dark brown sugar 10 Tbsp unsalted butter, softened* 1 large egg yolk 1 1/2 tsp vanilla extract 1/2 cup molasses (not blackstrap) 1 - 2 Tbsp milk Icing 3 (420g) cups powdered sugar
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1 1/2 Tbsp (15g) meringue powder 4 - 6 Tbsp water 1/4 tsp vanilla extract Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Whisk dry ingredients (flour, ginger, cinnamon, cloves, nutmeg, baking powder, baking soda and salt) and set aside. Cream butter and sugar until well combined. Mix in wet ingredients of egg yolk and vanilla. Then molasses and 1 Tbsp milk. With mixer set on low speed, slowly add in dry ingredients and mix until combined, while adding additional milk as needed just to bring dough together. Roll dough: Divide dough into two equal portions then roll each portion out evenly to 1/4-inch thickness (into more of a oblong or rectangular shape so it will fit on a cookie sheet) between two sheets of parchment paper. Chill on a cookie sheet in freezer 10-20 minutes, or until firm then cut into shapes using cookie cutters. Transfer to baking sheets 1 inch apart and bake. Bake in preheated oven 8 minutes or until slightly set*. Cool on baking sheet 2 minutes then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely. Make the icing: Add powdered sugar and meringue powder to the bowl of an electric stand mixer. Fit mixer with paddle attachment, add in 4 Tbsp water and the vanilla them mix on low speed until combined. Add more water to thin as needed and increase speed and whip mixture until it is glossy and thickens up. Tint with food coloring if desired. Transfer to piping bags fitted with tiny round tips. Decorate as desired. Notes: *Butter should still hold its shape well and be cool. The cool butter will makes dough easier to work with and make cookies spread less. **Cookies should leave a slight indentation when touched. Cookies are even better and softer the second day.
N. Miller shared their family’s tradition of making Santa and reindeer pancakes. One of the cutest activities we have seen!
S. Johnson shared a family recipe we had never seen before. They make buckeyes, a chocolate peanut butter treat that makes your mouth water. YUM!!! R. Sallot: “Tamale soup every Christmas Eve, driving through the lights in Windcrest, shopping for gifts to donate to other families, stringing popcorn for the tree.” HEB FESTIVE TAMALE SOUP 12 HEB chicken Tamales, cooked 32 Oz Cookwell & Company Tortilla Soup 10 oz HEB diced tomatoes with green c hilies 32 oz Hill Country Fare white hominy, d rained 8 0z Shredded Colby Jack Cheese Remove husks from tamales and cut into bite-sized pieces. Place in 3-quart sauce pan and tomatoes and green chilies with juice and bring to a boil. Reduce to medium heat
and simmer 10 min. Then, add hominy and cheese and stir to melt.
Places to go and more fun things to do from Boerne area moms:
Several moms mentioned the drive-through at St. Helena’s Church, a great activity for the family!
N. Miller: “Bass Pro Shop every year for their Christmas set up, games and pictures with Santa. Also dressing up the kids in their Christmas clothes and walking around downtown Boerne shops, stopping to take their pictures in the pavilion. Although we haven’t done it every year, adopt a family for secret 12 days of Christmas drop off. Also our church Christmas party at the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints, usually has snow for the kids to play in.” B. Mackay “I make and sell gingerbread house kits and doing that as a family is fun. We also have homemade kolaches on St. Nicholas Day. Also finding the Christmas pickle in the tree. “Our top favorite is doing 25 days of togetherness. Each day leading up to Christmas we have an activity planned to do as a
family anything from making paper snowflakes to going to the Christmas parade. Just simple fun things!” A. Bierstedt: “I’ve completely stopped gifting. Instead, we do a road trip. We’ve done Galveston and Moody Gardens. Waco, silos, and zoo. Hill Country, murals, stone henge, Uvalde, Drive Tanks, and Ox Ranch. Panhandle, and Monahan’s Sandhills. I’m hoping the experiences will be something they always remember. D. Gardner: “Minivan express. We surprise the kids one night out of the season. When we blow a train whistle, they know to find their tickets and get into the minivan in their PJs. We bring popcorn and hot chocolate and watch Polar Express in the car while we go on an adventure to see Christmas lights, or visit a nativity, or go stay at a fun hotel. It varies year to year.” B. Legge: “Dickens on main! Baking cookies. Boerne handmade market.” D. Forrest “Everyone gets a stocking with fruit, candy, etc. and at the bottom is a can of Silly String! No one cares about anything but being the first one to get the can shook and opened! Some of the best fun with everyone (sometimes 20+ people) is running around the house shooting each other. The clean-up is not for sissies, I’ll bet you could still find a little bit in every house we’ve lived.” R. Fincke: “Christmas breakfast at the Hungry Horse Restaurant. With the help of the Hungry Horse restaurant and Santa, the Boerne EMS Association will be serving breakfast Christmas day from 7:30am–10:30am or until the food runs out. If you don’t have time for a sit-down breakfast, to-go plates are also available. The breakfast is by donation. All proceeds will be split between the Boerne Community Coalition and the Russ Brenner EMS Scholarship Fund. For the past 26 years, this breakfast has been hosted by the Boerne EMS Association.
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