Christmas Preparations

Our home is bustling with Christmas preparations as I'm sure it is at your home as well.  I try to do as much as possible in advance of  the big day ahead.  Both of our children and our grandchildren come to stay for a few days beginning on Christmas Eve.   All of the beds in our home are made up to accommodate the big ones and little ones.  Along with the master bedroom we have a guest room upstairs and two bedrooms downstairs that will serve as home for our family.  Also the office will be turned into a little bedroom for the youngest grands.  Our home will literally be full to the brim.  It's all good and we are so thankful to share this special season with our family.

Long Night's Moon

There is food to buy and cookies to bake.  Cookie making has started as Samuel and I made a double batch of chocolate chip cookies yesterday.  We had to bake off two dozen to check to see if was of the finest quality!  The rest of the dough is resting in the fridge and will be baked next week.  This saves a lot of time for last minute preparations.  I also made sugar cookies with the younger grands, but they are at their home now along with the cookies.

Sadler Christmas Teapot

I've mentioned before that our daughter Noel was born on Christmas Day.  Years ago I asked her what kind of birthday cake would she like.  She said she wanted Peppermint Ice Cream Cake.  This is a cake that I first had when I was a little girl at my great aunt's home.  It all seemed so exotic to me at the time as I'd never had an ice cream cake.  It's quite simple to make and is very tasty and suits the holiday season.  I've been making this cake for Noel ever since she graduated from princess cakes, Miss Piggy cakes and such.

If you want to make it, now is the perfect time to find Peppermint Ice Cream.  Not all stores have it so you will have to probably visit a few groceries.  Even though I originally had it in the summer as a child, I've only seen the Peppermint Ice Cream around Christmas these past few years.  Of course you can make this cake with any of your favorite ice creams.

All you need is two ingredients!

Peppermint Ice Cream and Angel Food Cake

First tear an Angel Food cake into pieces.  It doesn't matter if they are uniform.

Place the torn angel food cake and the softened ice cream into your mixing bowl.  You can do this by hand, but I find it's easier in my stand mixer.

This is so easy, now after all of the ingredients are mixed,  spread the mixture into a greased pan.  I often use the plastic container the angel food cake came in.  I've also used a Christmas ice mold and also a bundt pan.  Then wrap your cake and place it in the freezer to harden. 

We always make a special time in the afternoon to recognize Noel's birthday.  We bring out this cake and presents wrapped in birthday wrap.  If you want to read ideas on how to celebrate a birthday that falls on Christmas , you can read what Noel wrote last year Here

After seeing many of all of your lovely decorations, I was inspired by Liz  to dress up our chandelier in the dining room.  I've always kept it plain, but I just adore what Liz has done.  I used some little angels to hang from our chandelier.  I have many angels and I thought this theme would look well in here.  I used an old swag that has seen better days and just doubled it.  I think I like it!

Here is a close up of one of the angels.  They were a gift from my sister-in-law years ago.

My sister gave me this angel a few years ago and she lights up the dining room when the lights are off.

And there were in the same country shepherds  abiding in the field, keeping watch over their flock by night.  And, lo, the angel of the Lord came upon them, and the glory of the Lord shone round about them: and they were sore afraid.  And the angel said unto them , Fear not: for behold I bring you good tidings of great joy, which shall be to all people.  For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Saviour, which is Christ the Lord.