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9 Ways to Prepare For a Stress Free Christmas Now

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To some, it might sound crazy to prepare for Christmas now when fall has just barely begun. But for most modern homesteaders, preparing for winter is something we do from the last frost to the first. So why not prepare for Christmas too?

In fact, I start preparing for Christmas on Boxing Day (the day after Christmas, December 26th), well before I even start preparing food stores and firewood for the following winter. Ya know why? Because Christmas is expensive! Hoo boy is it expensive! And busy. Good gravy is it busy.

So I’ve learned over the years that it’s much more economical and time-saving to think about Christmas well in advance and start preparing as early as possible to make things easier on ourselves when the big day rolls around.

Prepare For Christmas Early To Save Time And Money Later

While I do tend to start preparing for Christmas during Boxing Week (when there are excellent sales on all sorts of would-be gifts, Christmas decor, wrapping and the like), the biggest time for Christmas preparations happens now, during harvest season, as the weather starts to turn and the reality that winter is coming begins to set in, but when we’re still enjoying the time of abundance that the early fall season brings.

There is still plenty of goodness being offered up by the earth that we can turn into goodies to store away for Christmas, and there is still enough time to work the holiday season into our budgets and start putting a little bit away now so we can avoid getting hit with an anxiety-inducing bill on January 1st. It’s also the perfect time to start making plans for the season, including booking travel now before prices completely skyrocket and talking with family and friends about expectations for the Christmas season.

There are so many things you can do now to lighten your load later on. Here are 9 ways to start preparing for Christmas now to help make this a stress-free holiday season, because isn’t that the best gift of all?

1. Start putting money away now

Pay yourself first and start stashing away a little money now to go towards holiday expenses. This will save you having to spend your entire Christmas bonus or worse, rack up your credit card bill in December to pay for all of the holiday parties, gifts, travel, meals and incidentals that are synonymous with the most wonderful time of the year. Even if you only put away $20 or $25 a week, if you start now, you’ll have an extra $250-$350 by Christmas.

Think about how you can live more frugally or earn extra income now so that you can afford to put away a little money for the holidays:

  • Can you cook and eat at home more?
  • Forfeit shopping for a while?
  • Cancel a subscription?
  • Sell some things you no longer need or use?

Find ways to save and put the money you would have spent (or extra money you earn) away for later. This is a great way to build your savings regardless of what season it is or what holiday is approaching!

Pro tip: Put away a few bucks for yourself and gift it to yourself in an envelope at Christmas time. Or better yet, open it on New Years Day when the bills start coming due!

2. Save your points!

Take stock of your store points and save them for Christmas.

  • Grocery store points can be used toward items for holiday dinners and parties,
  • drugstore and department store points can be used toward gifts and stocking stuffers
  • gas station points can be used toward cheaper gas when you need to travel to see family.
  • if you earn points on your credit card, whether redeemable cash points or travel rewards, see if you can cash them in at Christmas to lighten your spending load.

3. Put up the harvest and start preparing Christmas dinner now

While it's a bit late in the season to be starting on this one, chances are if you're reading this blog you're probably already doing some canning and preserving. Putting up food for the winter now means less money spent on food later. And you better believe lots of that food can be used for your Christmas dinner or holidays parties.

Plus, preparing food now means less work later when you're super busy. For a super simple holiday dessert, put up some home canned apple pie filling now while apples are still in season and then substitute your home canned filling for the fresh filling in this Apple Crumble recipe.

4. Put up food with gifts in mind

Home canned and preserved food also makes great gifts for Christmas. Whether you need a quick hostess gift or want to put together a basket of goodies for someone special, jams, jellies, pickles and fancy preserves of all sorts make wonderful gifts for the holiday season.

One of my favorites to gift is this Red Pepper Garlic Jelly. Dried herbs (try these homemade spice and herb mixes with free labels!) and infused oils and vinegars make lovely gifts too!

5. Start planning a handmade Christmas

Handmade is almost always more frugal as you can buy raw ingredients in larger quantities and make big batches of things for loved ones at a fraction of the cost it would cost to buy the same pre-made items at retail.

Make a list of things you could make instead of buying for family and friends.

Homemade gifts to make now

Make a list now so you can get started on projects that will take more time and start gathering supplies for others.

Bonus: you cut down on packaging waste which is good for the planet too! Plus, am I the only one who hates having to deal with the huge pile of wrapping and packaging on Boxing Day, aka day after Christmas?

Didn't think so.

6. Look for deals now and stock up on things as you see them on sale

Whether it be Christmas gifts for people or a sale on turkey or ham, if you see something you know you'll need at Christmas on a great deal ahead of time and it can be put away or preserved until then, grab it now and spare yourself having to spend more money all at once closer to the big day.

7. Plan to decorate with items you already have and found items from nature

Save some money by not buying any decorations this year. Use what you already have on hand as well as items you can gather from nature. While you might not want to gather your evergreen branches or holly sprigs quite yet, you can start collecting pine cones and nuts that are falling from trees now. And they can do double duty as Thanksgiving decor!

8. Get back to what Christmas is all about

Whether you're sick of the financial burden of the holiday season, trying to minimize the amount of stuff in your life, looking to leave a lighter footprint on the planet or just want to get back to a simpler way of celebrating what matters most at Christmas time (which, by the way, is NOT consumerism), make a conscious effort to do Christmas a little differently this year.

Maybe that means paring down the gift-giving to a few simple handmade gifts. Maybe it means no gifts at all! (My husband did a no-gift Christmas with his family once where they all went skiing instead and each cooked a meal and wrote each other thoughtful cards instead of gifts).

Focus on spending time with loved ones instead of spending money on things that most likely nobody even needs.

This might require talking to friends and family now to make sure you are all on the same page so no one is disappointed or over-spending when Christmas rolls around. I had this discussion with my family this year, which take a lot of pressure off right away as we’ve all lowered our expectations as far as having to spend lots of money on gifts for each other this year.

9. Don’t get caught in the hype!

It's so easy to start strong and then succumb to the temptation to spend closer to Christmas.

Limit exposure to advertisements and stay away from malls. Forgo the Black Friday shopping this year; The deals aren't even usually on things you need anyway and you'll likely spend more money on other things just because they're on sale.

And anytime you do any online shopping, leave your items in the cart for at least 24 hours before checking out. If you still really want the items after 24 hours, go ahead and buy them. But give yourself time to sleep on your purchases.

If you do take advantage of sale days like Black Friday and Cyber Monday, make a list and a plan ahead of time and stick to your list! Don't be goaded into buying things you don't need and spending money you don't have.

What do you do to prepare for Christmas ahead of time? Comment below and continue adding to the list!

DIY Farmhouse Burlap Christmas Ornaments- Easy Homemade Project

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Farmhouse Burlap Christmas Ornament made with items you likely have hiding around the house. Um, yes, please!

I have a love of all things farmhouse, vintage, and rustic charm, especially rustic Christmas ornaments. Couple that with a love of homemade and frugal and I'm happier than our hogs in a mid-summer mud hole. If you've never watched hogs play in a swimming pool filled with mud, you're missing out.

Let's put on some Christmas Stovetop Potpourri and craft something homemade.

I also kind of love watching Fixer Upper with Chip and Joanna Gaines because I mentioned the vintage farmhouse thing, right? And in true homesteader fashion, DIY is the way we role.

As part of our Hand Made Christmas Challenge (click here and get yourself signed up pronto) I wanted to make some new Christmas ornaments using items I had on hand. Because a homesteader always has canning lids, bands, and burlap on hand, these darling ornaments were born.

You can watch our live tutorial here and some variations for your rustic burlap ornament making! Make sure to follow and like our Facebook page for weekly free training.

Learn how to make more homemade items, over 100+ plus recipes and tutorials, including the Homespun Holiday's Chapter in Hand Made: The Modern Guide to Made-from-Scratch Living, learn more here. 

Resources for Burlap Christmas Ornament:

Used canning lids (or new but this is a great project for used canning lids)

Canning Bands

Burlap  (I save burlap gift bags or scraps to use for this project)

Craft Paint ( black acrylic is what I used for this project)

Stencils  (I've had these stencils for 3+ years and reuse them for the floral or leaves)

Alphabet Stencils

White mini garland (I got mine from Michael's last year, but here's a similar green garland online)

How to Make Farmhouse Burlap Christmas Ornament

  1. Lay your canning lid on top of the burlap and cut out slightly larger than the canning lid. Hot glue the burlap to your canning lid, shiny side up.
  2. Center your stencil on the burlap and paint on the letter.
  3. Allow the paint to dry on the letter, about 30 to 45 minutes.
  4. Use leaf stencil or free hand your leaf pattern.
  5. Run a bead of hot glue on the inside of your canning ring and push burlap covered lid inside.
  6. Take your ribbon or garland embellishment and glue around outside of canning band to frame the ornament.
  7. Use ribbon or jute twine to create the hanger by making a loop (or try a bow) and glue it to the inner top of the canning band.
  8. Hang and admire your farmhouse Christmas ornament.

You can create a word like I did, or use an initial for family members or friends.

These make darling burlap Christmas tree decorations, but I'm thinking they'd be cute on a wreath or garland as well.

Are you planning on making a DIY Farmhouse Burlap Ornament now? I'd love to see it! Want more Hand Made Christmas fun? Make sure to sign up here for our FREE Hand Made Christmas Challenge and Series!

Traditional Christmas Pudding Recipe

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The making of Christmas Pudding is a British tradition that goes back hundreds of years. In my own house growing up, Christmas dinner would not have been complete without a bowl of steamy hot pudding to finish the meal.

I love old-fashioned traditional recipes. This was her grandmother's Christmas pudding recipe and I love that it can be made ahead of time and frozen. Plus, the sauce sounds amazing and a great way to use dried fruit or carrots. I'm so trying this one!

There are several types of Christmas puddings. Rich plum puddings are full of dried fruit, but oddly enough never plums, as in Old English many dried fruits went by the name of “plum.”

Figgy puddings are another Christmas treat, made popular as one of the verses of “We Wish You a Merry Christmas.” Unlike their plum cousins, they live up to their name and are actually made with figs.

Traditional Christmas pudding is often served with something known as “hard sauce.” This is a cold mixture consisting mainly of butter, sugar, cream, and vanilla, although I have seen at least one recipe incorporating egg yolk as well. The cold sauce would melt over the hot pudding to create a delectable sweet treat.

I love old-fashioned traditional recipes. This was her grandmother's Christmas pudding recipe and I love that it can be made ahead of time and frozen. Plus, the sauce sounds amazing and a great way to use dried fruit or carrots. I'm so trying this one!

Our family Christmas Pudding is actually a carrot pudding. This is another popular variation, especially among British Canadians. Unlike its cousins above, it is most often served with a brown sugar sauce.

Although I did not find the original recipe among my great-grandmother’s collection, I do have the recipe for “Christmas Pudding” written in my grandmother’s hand with the word “Mother” inscribed in the corner. Unfortunately, the recipe for the brown sugar sauce of my childhood was lost when my grandmother passed on, as no one seems to have ever written it down.  I attempted several recipes trying to recreate the flavor of my childhood and the recipe included below is the closest.

The recipe makes enough for two small puddings, or one large pudding. It freezes extremely well and is easy to reheat simply be re-steaming. I have changed the recipe only slightly from the original to incorporate butter instead of suet.

Resources: 

Speaking of old-fashioned and Great Depression Era wisdom, recipes, and tutorials, my new book Hand Made: The Modern Guide to Made-from-Scratch Living is packed with them and so is all of the bonus items and 3 bonus teaching videos you get with it on how to make homemade doughnuts, sourdough starter and more, check it out here.

Instant pot-I am officially in love with my Instant Pot, like right up there with my Mason jars and Pressure Canner! If you don't have an Instant Pot you can make this on the stove but seriously, the Instant Pot is amazing. And  you can make steamed puddings in it, score!

Traditional Christmas Pudding Ingredients

  • softened butter
  • brown sugar
  • raisins
  • grated carrot
  • peeled and grated potato
  • egg
  • flour (This works just as well with gluten-free flour. Learn more about gluten free baking in Successful Gluten-Free Baking That Tastes Good)
  • baking soda

Easy Christmas Pudding Recipe Instructions:

Cream butter and brown sugar until smooth. Add in raisins, carrot, potato and egg.   Stir in flour and baking soda.

Grease 2 small glass bowls or one large bowl. Fill with pudding. Leave about an inch between the top of the pudding and the top of the bowl to give it room to rise.

Cover the bowl with a piece of parchment, followed by a piece of tin foil, secured with string. My grandmother used a clean piece of muslin instead of the parchment.

The pudding can be steamed in a double boiler, or you can place the pudding in a large pot, placing the pudding bowl on a small ramekin or mason jar ring to keep it off the bottom of the pot.   Pour water in the bottom to no more than 1/3 of the way up the sides of the bowl.

Steam the pudding for 2 – 3 hours, or until a toothpick comes out clean.   My small puddings are usually done at 2 hours, with a large pudding taking the full three. Add additional hot water to your pot as necessary to keep your pot from boiling dry.

Turn the pudding out onto a plate and serve hot with brown sugar sauce.

How to Make Traditional Christmas Pudding in an Instant Pot:

Pour 2 cups of water into the insert.  Place the trivet in the insert, and put the uncovered bowl on the trivet. Create a foil sling to easily pull out the pudding from inside the Instant Pot.

Cover with lid, leaving the sealing valve open so it can vent and set to Saute function.

Once cooker starts to steam, if using an electric cooker, set to “Less Heat” Saute function. (If using Instant Pot, the “Adjust” button allows you to change Saute setting.)

Then steam the pudding for 15 minutes. After steaming, seal the release valve of cooker and turn off from Saute cycle, then set to high pressure for 35 minutes.

Once cycle is complete, if using an electric cooker, press Cancel and let naturally release for 30 minutes or up to 1 hour.

Carefully lift out the pudding using the foil sling (be careful, the sides of the pot will still be hot).

Run a knife around the top edge to help the pudding release from the sides of the bowl before inverting on a plate.

If you wish to freeze the pudding, leave it in its bowl and wrap well with plastic wrap.  Thaw in the fridge and steam to reheat.  We have had puddings survive in the freezer up to a year.

I love old-fashioned traditional recipes. This was her grandmother's Christmas pudding recipe and I love that it can be made ahead of time and frozen. Plus, the sauce sounds amazing and a great way to use dried fruit or carrots. I'm so trying this one!

Historical Recipe: Christmas Pudding

Andrea Sabean
4.15 from 34 votes
Print Recipe Pin Recipe
Prep Time 10 mins
Cook Time 2 hrs
Total Time 2 hrs 10 mins
Servings 8

Ingredients
  

  • ¾ cup softened butter
  • 1 cup brown sugar I find this very sweet and personally use only ¾ cup
  • 2 cups raisins
  • 1 cup grated carrot
  • 1 cup peeled and grated potato
  • 1 egg
  • 2 cups flour this works just as well with gluten-free flour
  • 1 tsp baking soda
  • Brown Sugar Sauce
  • ½ cup butter
  • 1 cup brown sugar
  • 1/3 cup milk or cream
  • 1 tsp vanilla

Instructions
 

  • Cream butter and brown sugar until smooth. Add in raisins, carrot, potato and egg. Stir in flour and baking soda.
  • Grease 2 small glass bowls or one large bowl. Fill with pudding. Leave about an inch between the top of the pudding and the top of the bowl to give it room to rise.
  • Cover the bowl with a piece of parchment, followed by a piece of tin foil, secured with string. My grandmother used a clean piece of muslin instead of the parchment.
  • The pudding can be steamed in a double boiler, or you can place the pudding in a large pot, placing the pudding bowl on a small ramekin or mason jar ring to keep it off the bottom of the pot. Pour water in the bottom to no more than 1/3 of the way up the sides of the bowl.
  • Steam the pudding for 2 – 3 hours, or until a toothpick comes out clean. My small puddings are usually done at 2 hours, with a large pudding taking the full three. Add additional hot water to your pot as necessary to keep your pot from boiling dry.
  • Turn the pudding out onto a plate and serve hot with brown sugar sauce.
  • Brown Sugar Sauce Instructions
  • Melt butter in a saucepan. Whisk in brown sugar and continue to stir constantly until boiling. Boil for two minutes. Remove from the heat and whisk in milk and vanilla. Return to the heat and stir constantly until the mixture once again comes to the boil. Thin with more milk or cream if necessary. Serve warm.

How to Make Traditional Christmas Pudding in an Instant Pot:

  • Pour 2 cups of water into the insert.  Place the trivet in the insert, and put the uncovered bowl on the trivet. Create a foil sling to easily pull out the pudding from inside the Instant Pot.
  • Cover with lid, leaving the sealing valve open so it can vent and set to Saute function.
  • Once cooker starts to steam, if using an electric cooker, set to “Less Heat” Saute function. (If using Instant Pot, the “Adjust” button allows you to change Saute setting.)
  • Then steam the pudding for 15 minutes. After steaming, seal the release valve of cooker and turn off from Saute cycle, then set to high pressure for 35 minutes.
  • Once cycle is complete, if using an electric cooker, press Cancel and let naturally release for 30 minutes or up to 1 hour.
  • Carefully lift out the pudding using the foil sling (be careful, the sides of the pot will still be hot).
  • If there are water droplets on the pudding when you remove it from the Instant Pot, gently dab with a paper towel or clean cloth.
  • Run a knife around the top edge to help the pudding release from the sides of the bowl before inverting on a plate.
Tried this recipe?Let us know how it was!

What's your favorite traditional Christmas recipe? Try this Christmas Stovetop Potpourri to have your home smelling amazing this holiday.

DIY Canning Ring Wreath

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This DIY canning ring wreath is my new favorite homestead decor ever! You guys know I have a canning addiction.

Learn how to make this simple DIY Christmas canning ring wreath with supplies already on hand. Plus, you can use it for any holiday. I think this is my most favorite wreath ever! And no pine needles drying up and falling on my floor!

Being able to take something that's just lying around, and then turn into something oh so cute, well, this little homesteading heart just kept pace with a fast fiddle stomping tune. (Did I ever tell you I know how to do the Tarheel stomp and love bluegrass? Too much info….)

Anyone else love free? Because free is about as frugal as you can get. Plus, I happen to think this captures simple and rustic together in a beautiful way…. that doesn't make me conceited because I made it, does it? (Let's just be good friends and say it doesn't, okay?)

This is part of our homemade Christmas series. One of the best ways to save money is to use things you already have on hand. To get my FREE Pioneering Today-A Homemade Christmas e-book, sign up here for our 8 Week Homemade Christmas Series and get the book as a bonus!

This canning ring wreath just keeps getting better and better, because you can swap out the decoration on the side to fit any season. Right now, it's a rustic fall look for Thanksgiving.

Other holiday embellishment ideas

Christmas– red ribbon, pinecone, bell, snippets of evergreen boughs, any tree ornament

Valentines- red and pink ribbon, felt heart ornament

Easter- eggs, bunny ornament

Spring bird nests, hydrangea, spring flowers, moss, twigs with buds

Summer sunflowers, bright flowers

Learn how to make this simple DIY Christmas canning ring wreath with supplies already on hand. Plus, you can use it for any holiday. I think this is my most favorite wreath ever! And no pine needles drying up and falling on my floor!

Fall feathers, dried flowers, seed pods, leaves, cinnamon sticks, star of anise

Resources for Canning Ring Wreath

34 Wide mouth canning rings 

Jute twine (seriously, jute twine might be one of the most used items on our homestead, from the garden, to kitchen, and now decorating!)

Burlap ribbon or this snowflake burlap ribbon

Thread and needle to gather ribbon into embellishment flower

Tip: if you want a really rustic wreath, use rusted canning rings. Typically, you don't can with the rusted rings anymore because they're harder to screw on and don't get as tight. You shouldn't store your home canned goods with the rings on either, so this puts them to good use.

How to Make Canning Ring Christmas Wreath

Learn how to make this simple DIY Christmas canning ring wreath with supplies already on hand. Plus, you can use it for any holiday. I think this is my most favorite wreath ever! And no pine needles drying up and falling on my floor!

Gather your canning rings. I used wide mouth to make a larger wreath, but have used smaller rings to make a table top canning ring pumpkin (check out the video on it here). If you have two colors of rings, I had silver and gold, separate the canning rings out into two piles by color. 

Learn how to make this simple DIY Christmas canning ring wreath with supplies already on hand. Plus, you can use it for any holiday. I think this is my most favorite wreath ever! And no pine needles drying up and falling on my floor!

If you have more of one color than another, decide if you'll make a pattern by doing two of one color to the other or any other combination you wish.

Learn how to make this simple DIY Christmas canning ring wreath with supplies already on hand. Plus, you can use it for any holiday. I think this is my most favorite wreath ever! And no pine needles drying up and falling on my floor!

Take a length of jute twine and begin sliding the canning rings onto it. Make sure they're all turned the same direction.

Learn how to make this simple DIY Christmas canning ring wreath with supplies already on hand. Plus, you can use it for any holiday. I think this is my most favorite wreath ever! And no pine needles drying up and falling on my floor!

When all of the the canning rings are threaded onto the thread, join the two ends of jute twine together and tie tightly into a bow. Use the two loops of the bow to hang your wreath.

Next, lay your burlap ribbon out flat. Using about 1 inch stitches, go up the center of the ribbon with thread. Pull taunt and gather the ribbon, making a burlap ribbon embellishment (aka rustic flower).

Our chickens just got done molting, so I used three of their feathers to give my rustic flower a bit more flare. Hot glue the feathers on the back of your rustic feather and then hot glue it to your wreath.

Frugal tip: Look for things around your home, yard, or barnyard you can add for a bit of charm without buying anything.

Learn how to make this simple DIY Christmas canning ring wreath with supplies already on hand. Plus, you can use it for any holiday. I think this is my most favorite wreath ever! And no pine needles drying up and falling on my floor!

Challenge: Make your wreath and share it in our Homemade Christmas Facebook group. You'll get an invite when you sign up for our free 8 Week Homemade Christmas Series.

More Posts You May Like

16 Christmas Cookie Recipes (13 Gluten Free Options)

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There are many things I love about the pioneers and how they celebrated Christmas. One, it wasn't all about the latest and greatest gift. Second, the church Christmas program was the highlight for many families, which focused on Jesus (Need more focus on Jesus in your Christmas? Have You Written Your Letter? Dear Jesus, All I Want for Christmas). Third, special treats and the focus of today's post is a cookie exchange.

I love Christmas baking but I didn't have any gluten free recipes for friends and family. This is a great roundup of real food cookies with gluten free options. I can't wait to try some for our cookie exchange.
All photos used with Permission

Cookie's are something almost anyone can bake, unlike jelly rolls and cheesecakes, that take a bit more know how and experience in the kitchen. (Though everyone has to start somewhere, so never be intimidated to try something new, and go for those harder recipes!)

[Read more…]

Have You Written Your Letter? Dear Jesus, All I Want for Christmas

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This time of year, we're inundated with references to Santa Claus. As a Christian, I like to keep Christ front and center in my mind and my children's. However, I can't shield them from the story of Santa, but I can turn it back towards Jesus.

Why You Should Write Jesus a Letter this Christmas www.MelissaKNorris.com

The real St. Nick was a man who shared his wealth with those who needed it. But in today's society, that part seems to have been lost in the tales.

There is one thing that I believe as Christian's we should copy from the many Santa Claus traditions. Most of you will remember either writing Santa a letter or hearing about other children who did. Last year my son wrote a letter to Santa in school.

I thought about all the gifts we receive at Christmas, and how so many of them (especially with children) get carried out in the trash the following year. Either broken, out grown, or plain not wanted.

[Read more…]

5 Tips to Beat Holiday Stress in the Kitchen

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With next week commencing the kick off of the six week official holiday season between Thanksgiving and News Year Day, I know a lot of people get a tad stressed out. It can be difficult to find time to breathe, let alone cook things from scratch, and enjoy the season.

5 Tips to Beat Holiday Stress in the Kitchen www.MelissaKNorris.com Pioneering Today Don't let time constraints keep you from serving loved ones unprocessed, from scratch, homemade food this holiday season

What's a person to do? I can help ya out with some of that.

You see, I used to be one of those folks who loved the holidays, but my joy and hair, was about to be all pulled out with frustration, anxiety, and lack of time. I decided I wasn't going to spend the rest of my children's Christmases stressed or running myself ragged. We made a lot of changes, which I talk about in Pioneering Today-A Homemade Christmas, but I'll share some of them with you here today. (I can't share them all in one blog post, because then, well, it would be a book. 🙂 )

[Read more…]

Old-Fashioned Ginger Cream Cookies

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The fire crackles and pops before you. Spicy fragrant cedar boughs hang from your mantle and a white pine trimmed with popcorn and cranberries bedecks your front room. A steaming mug of homemade apple cider and a plate of fresh baked cookies sit beside you. Your best friends settle in for a moment of chatting, a rare moment to savor good company.

That’s where we invite you this week…

To a place of sweet fellowship, sharing not just the recipes of a traditional cookie exchange, but also the corners of our hearts where we hold cherished scriptures.

Our hope through this blog hop is to join with you in starting the holiday season off in gentle, truth-filled simplicity, and perhaps even inspiring a new tradition in your home.

The Way It Works: Readers who “hop” from blog to blog this week will have five printed recipes and scriptures by the end of the week. The scriptures can be crafted into the beginning of a scripture garland– a place to gather verses close to the hearts of those you love. They can also be used as ornaments or gift tags.

Read on for more information, and be sure to check the list of all five stops at the bottom of this post!

Ginger Creams with Maple Icing Recipe at www.melisaknorris.com

I'm sharing a new Christmas favorite recipe. I have a thing for browsing through old recipe books. My mother gave me my great-great-grandmother's cookbook this summer and I've poured over it. The descriptions, the little stars by recipes she must have tried or especially loved help connect me to a woman I've never met, but whom helped shape the woman I am through the generations of my family. This recipe uses simple ingredients, one most every farm and homestead had on hand, especially molasses as sugar wasn't as easily afforded or found. I hope you enjoy it as much as we do.

Ginger Creams with Maple Icing

1/3 cup softened butter

Mountain Hearth Christmas Ginger Cream and Maple Icing Recipe at melissaknorris.com

1/2 cup sugar

1 egg

1/2 cup molasses

1/2 cup water

2 cups flour

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/2 teaspoon baking soda

1 teaspoon ginger

3/4 teaspoon nutmeg

3/4 teaspoon cinnamon

Maple Icing

1 cup confectioners sugar (don't have any, make your own)

1 Tablespoon maple syrup

1 Tablespoon hot water

Mix butter, sugar, egg, molasses and water together in a large bowl. Stir dry ingredients together in a medium bowl and combine with wet ingredients. It will feel like a wet dough. Chill dough for at least 15 minutes. Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Drop by teaspoonfuls on a light greased cookie sheet. Bake 8 minutes or until hardly no imprint remains when lightly touched. While slightly warm frost with maple flavored icing.

To make icing blend maple syrup and hot water together. Add sugar and stir. If it's too thick, add more hot water. Too thin, add more sugar. Spread on cookies with a spatula or drizzle. Makes approximately 4 dozen.

Printable version of recipe and scripture garlands.

On the hunt for more yummy cookies? Check out 16 Christmas Cookie Recipes with 13 Gluten Free Options!

Ginger Cream Recipe from Mountain Hearth Blog Hop www.melissaknorris.com

If you’ve been following the blog hop this week, you know we’re each sharing a scripture that’s dear to our heart. You can cut out the strip and create a paper chain/garland with them, or cut out the wreaths that bear the scriptures, to use as ornaments, gift tags, or to adorn pine garlands, etc. The hope is to create a simple but meaningful reminder of the life that this season celebrates, and the Life Eternal that we share, as a result.

There is no better gift than that of peace and joy through the love of Jesus. No matter what circumstance I'm faced with, I have the hope of His grace, strength, and mercy. And it's free to all who will call upon His name.

My verse is:

May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing, so that by the power of the Holy Spirit you may abound in hope. Romans 15:13

Mountain Hearth Christmas Blop Hop Verse Garland www.melissaknorris.com

These wreaths, filled with God's truth, will be doubling as gift tags on presents under our tree this year. I pray they will bless the recipient as much as they do my own heart, as I spend time in scripture while preparing homemade gifts to gift my loved ones.

Mountain Hearth Christmas Downloadable Bible Verse Gift Tags www.melissaknorris.com

At the end of the week, each of the five of us will pick one of the scriptures from our comments, and put them together on one last printable for you in the days that follow. When all is said and done, you’ll have 10 scriptures total to begin your scripture garland, and we’ll provide you with a blank template as well, should you wish to carry on the tradition and include more friends-and-family-favorite scriptures in your garland.

Check back here next week for information on where to find those last printables!

The Mountain Hearth Christmas Line-up:
Monday 11/4: Laura Frantz~ http://LauraFrantz.net/journal/
Tuesday 11/5: Joanne Bischof ~ http://www.joannebischof.com/
Wednesday 11/6: Melissa K. Norris ~ https://melissaknorris.com/
Thursday 11/7: Amanda Dykes ~ http://amandadykes.com/hearth/
Friday 11/8: Lauraine Snelling ~ http://amandadykes.com/lauraine/

 

What is your favorite Bible verse? Do you have a traditional recipe you make every holiday? How did your cookie recipes find their way into your kitchen?

Close up photo of four iced ginger

Ginger Cream Cookies with Maple Icing

Melissa Norris
2.40 from 5 votes
Print Recipe Pin Recipe
Prep Time 20 mins
Cook Time 8 mins
Course Dessert
Servings 48

Ingredients
  

Ginger Cream Cookie

  • 1/3 cup softened butter
  • 1/2 cup sugar
  • 1 Egg
  • 1/2 cup molasses
  • 1/2 cup water
  • 2 cups flour
  • 1/2 tsp salt
  • 1/2 tsp baking soda
  • 1 tsp ginger
  • 3/4 tsp nutmeg
  • 3/4 tsp cinnamon

Maple Icing

  • 1 cup confectioners sugar (don't have any, make your own)
  • 1 tbsp maple syrup
  • 1 tbsp hot water

Instructions
 

  • Mix butter, sugar, egg, molasses and water together in a large bowl. Stir dry ingredients together in a medium bowl and combine with wet ingredients. It will feel like a wet dough. Chill dough for at least 15 minutes. Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Drop by teaspoonfuls on a light greased cookie sheet. Bake 8 minutes or until hardly no imprint remains when lightly touched. While slightly warm frost with maple flavored icing.
  • To make icing blend maple syrup and hot water together. Add sugar and stir. If it's too thick, add more hot water. Too thin, add more sugar. Spread on cookies with a spatula or drizzle. Makes approximately 4 dozen.
Keyword cookie, ginger cream
Tried this recipe?Let us know how it was!

Pioneer Homemade Christmas-How to Make an Evergreen Swag

by 8 Comments

Holiday Swag in 15 Minutes www.MelissaKNorris.com Pioneering Today

Our pioneer forefather's didn't decorate as lavishly as we do. Depending on the region they lived and items on hand, there would be popcorn chains, cranberry chains, cedar boughs, paper chains, or small hand crafted ornaments.

In ode to that, I went traipsing outdoors to cut my own evergreen boughs for a swag. I actually intended to make a wreath, but I know how to improvise when in doubt. So, I made a swag.

We have an abundance of trees on our acreage, but if you don't, it only takes about four small branches, so I'm sure if you asked a neighbor, they wouldn't mind a bit. I actually trimmed one branch that was beginning to stick too far out in the driveway.

Project supplies needed:

Evergreen branches *see note on the best choice
Twine
Ribbon (optional)
Picks or ornaments (optional)

*I recommend choosing cedar or pine. Hemlock looks lacy and intricate, but it drops its needles fast. Cedar drapes so prettily and smells like Christmas, so that was my choice, but if you wanted different textures you could combine pine and some holly sprigs.

Gather your branches, I cut part of the branches, varying in length. Then lay them out.

cedar boughs

Lay your largest branch down first then layer the others on top until it looks good to you. Next, using twine or wire, (I had twine on hand from tying up the raspberries), tie the tops of the branches together, making sure to leave a loop for hanging your swag.

Tie your branches together

Now, attach a bow to the top, hiding your twine or wire. You can hot glue pinecones or ornaments to your swag for added glitz. I used a few red berries picks and just twisted the end of the pick onto the branch. For larger picks or if you'd like ornaments, use your hot glue gun. Note: Glass ornaments may not stand up to freezing temps and frequent door openings. Put your wreath hangar on your door and hang up your masterpiece.

Now you have a beautiful piece to greet guests. The boughs will last for at least a month or two outside in the cooler temps.

Use any leftover evergreen branches to make Christmas potpourri so your house will smell amazing. Merry Christmas!

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