Table of
Articles...
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Contents Four Ways to Celebrate
The Holidays Affordably
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Festive Cocktails
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Snow Globe Cookie Jar
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Snowball Cookie Recipe
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Fun Coloring
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Christmas Fun Facts
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PPHM
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Altus
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Oakwood Homes
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FOUR WAYS TO CELEBRATE THE HOLIDAY SEASON AFFORDABLY:
The Holidays can be an expensive time for decorating, entertaining and shopping. Luckily, there are easy ways to save this holiday season, so you can spend more time celebrating and less time stressing over expenses. CREATE Typically, one of the largest expenses during the holiday season is gifts for friends and family. Instead of spending a fortune on store-bought presents, consider creating a DIY gift. COOK
One of the best parts about the holidays is baking deliFor Example, you can place cious treats for the whole family to enjoy. A holiday favorite is dry ingredients inside a canning jar with an easy-to-follow recipe for sugar cookies or holi- fruit cake, so bake up something tasty like date nut bread using simple ingredients like flour, milk and eggs that can be bought day pancakes for a creative, inexpensive gift. from a discount retailer like Dollar General. Gift cards dressed up with a festive greeting card also makes a great present. Another option is to look for an auto- CLEAN The holidays are often about spending time with famrenewal program that allows you to give a practical gift like diaily and friends, which means you could be doing a lot more pers, pet food and more to recipient on a weekly or monthly entertaining than usual at your home. Get your home holidaybasis. ready by making a plan for house-cleaning.
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FOUR WAYS TO CELEBRATE THE HOLIDAY SEASON AFFORDABLY: Continued... Straighten up before cleaning, so the process is expedited. To save on cleaning supplies, consider buying store brands, rather than name brand products. Be sure to also add the smells of the season with scented candles and electric warmers. CELEBRATE Adorning your home with holiday decorations can really get your family in the spirit. Deals on dollar ornaments, festive garland, decorative trees and fun wreaths can help you to make your home festive without breaking the bank. By spending carefully, you can celebrate affordably and in style, without breaking the bank.
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FESTIVE COCKTAILS FOR HOLIDAY HOSTING:
Hosting a holiday party? You may have an array of hors d’ oeuvre, a savory entree and delectable dessert planned, but if you are looking to really wow your guests, consider creating a few signature cocktails for the occasion. As more spirits brands introduce limited edition holiday flavors into their seasonal repertoire, spicing up holiday entertaining is becoming a lot easier and a lot more delectable. Alongside your desert course, consider serving up these sweet cocktails.
CHAMPAGNE AND CRANBERRIES • 6 Dried cranberries • 3/4 cup Champagne or sparkling wine, chilled Place cranberries in Champagne flute. Pour Champagne over berries. Serve immediately. Cranberries are an easy and festive way to dress up Champagne. Your guests will love watching the cranberries dance in the glass.
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cocktail shaker. Add ice cubes; cover with lid, and shake vigorously until thoroughly chilled (about 30 seconds). Strain into a chilled martini glass. Garnish, if desired.
GINGERBREAD MARTINI • Ginger Liqueur • Crushed Gingersnaps • 2 tablespoons ginger liqueur • 2 tablespoons vanilla-citrus liqueur • 1-1/2 tablespoons coffee-flavored rum • 1 tablespoon honey • 2 teaspoons whipping cream • 1 cube ice cubes Dip glass rims in ginger liqueur and crushed gingersnaps. Store glasses in freezer up to 2 days. Stir together 2 Tbsp. ginger liqueur, vanillacitrus liqueur, coffee-flavored rum, honey, and whipping cream in a
GRINCH COCKTAIL RECIPE • 2 ounces Midori melon liqueur • 1/2 ounce lemon juice • 1 teaspoon simple syrup • Maraschino cherry for garnish This green cocktail called the Grinch has none of the nasty elements of Dr. Seuss’s classic holiday character. On the contrary, it’s reminiscent of the changed Grinch with the sweetest flavors; melonflavored Midori and lemon juice. It’s all sweetened even further with a little simple syrup. Add a maraschino cherry or strawberry for the garnish and to represent the changed heart of the green man.
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SNOW GLOBE COOKIE JAR :
Skip the same-old tin and give cookies in a festive (airtight) jar instead. Step 1: Use a fine-tipped brush to paint small white dots on the outside of a glass jar (1.6 quart hermetic storage jar) Step 2: Fill bottom of jar with snowball cookies. (Recipe on page 12) Place small plastic globe-inspired vignette. Step 3: Tie gift tag to jar with ribbon.
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Walking through a Winter FUNderland:
Fun Coloring for the Kids! From Christmas lights to ornaments, adding color to your Christmas is a MUST! Besides, you don’t just want to leave your winter a stark white, do you? So pop off those marker caps and open your crayon boxes and get ready to deck your halls with a blast of color and imagination. Make your holiday season especially Bright!
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SNOWBALL COOKIES : Cook Time: 15 minutes Oven Temp: 350 degrees F Ingredients: 2 sticks unsalted butter, (at room temperature) 1 1/2 cups confectioner’s sugar (sifted)
Directions: 1.Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F and line 2 baking sheets with parchment paper. 2. In the bowl of a standing mixer on medium-high speed, beat the butter with 1/2 cup of the confectioners’ sugar until light and fluffy. Add the vanilla and beat to combine. With the mixer on low, gradually add the flour, pecans, and salt until the dough comes together. 3. Scoop out the dough by the tablespoonful and use your hands to roll it into balls. Place balls 1 inch apart on the prepared baking sheets. 4. Bake for 15 minutes, watching closely, until cookies are set but before they begin to turn brown. Immediately transfer the cookies to a wire rack and let cool for 10 minutes. 5. Place the remaining powdered sugar in a shallow dish. Roll the warm cookies in sugar to coat, then return them to the rack to cool completely. 6. Once cool, roll the cookies in confectioners’ sugar once again. Store them in an airtight container. 2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract 2 cups all-purpose flour 1 cups finely chopped pecans 1/2 teaspoons kosher salt
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15 FUN FACTS ABOUT CHRISTMAS:
1. The first United States President to decorate the White House Christmas tree was Franklin Pierce.
2. Santa Clause gets his origins from St. Nicholas a generous man from the 4th Century A.D. who helped children and the poor and often threw gifts threw children’s windows to make them happy. The story was brought to America by Dutch immigrants who called the man “Sinter Klaas.” 3. Electric lights for trees were first used in 1895. 4. In 1843, “A Christmas Carol” was written by Charles Dickens in just six weeks. 5. During the Christmas buying season, Visa Cards alone are used an average of 5, 340 times every minute in the U.S. 6. More diamonds are sold around Christmas than any other time of the year. 7. Coca Cola was the first beverage company to use Santa Clause for a winter promotion. 8. If you received all of the gifts listed in “The Twelve Days of Christmas” song, you would receive 364 presents. 9. The U.S.’s official national Christmas Tree is located in King’s Canyon National Park in California-- a giant sequoia over 300 feet high nicknamed the “General Grant Tree.” 10. Christmas became a national holiday in America on June, 26, 1870. 11. The first state to recognize the Christmas holiday officially was Alabama. 12. Mistletoe was chosen as Oklahoma’s state flower in 1893 and later changed to the state floral emblem. 13. “Jingle Bells” was first written for Thanksgiving but later became one of the most popular Christmas songs. 14. Christmas trees are edible. The needles on pines, spruces and firs are actually a good source of Vitamin C and the pine cones are a good source of nutrition. So forget about the orange juice and go munch on your Christmas tree. 15. Germany made the first artificial Christmas trees. They were made of goose feathers and dyed green. 14
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