Thursday, December 8, 2011

#Shortbread the Easy Way : ) #ShortbreadCookies #EasyCookieRecipes #Yum! #OnlineGroceryDelivery #NoEggs #ButterCookies #Cookies


Yay!! I just added Amazon.ca, for all my lovely Canadian Friends!! Yippee, eh?! lol! 


Shortbread the Easy Way : )
 I love the Double Batch the best - and then I make up 2 other sets of the Dry Ingredients, so your next batch of Shortbread is even easier and faster to make - yahoo!!
Double Batch of Shortbread (you might as well make a lot, you'll love them! lol!)
2 Cups Flour

1 Cup Icing Sugar


1 Cup Corn Starch


1 1/2 Cups Margarine or Butter, or a mix of both (3 bricks of margarine, melted, 1 minute in the microwave, baby!)


Some Sugar to sprinkle on top of the cookies, right before they go in the oven : ) Ah'Yum!

Mix the Dry Ingredients, sift with your hands

Roll into balls - a big ball, first, then roll it between your hands, like you're making a snake : )

Slice with a knife, kind'a round out the edges, if you want round Shortbread Cookies

I always bake on Parchment Paper, makes everything amazing!

Bake at 350 for about 15 - 20 minutes, keep an eye on them, take out the oven when very lightly golden on the bottom : )

Pop in the fridge - Enjoy!! 

I put the extra baggies of the Dry Ingredients in the fridge, and if you have an extra roll of the dough, just wrap in Plastic Wrap, refrigerate until you want to slice and bake that, too - whenever you run out of the first round o' shortbread Cookies - lol! ; )


#Shortbread #ShortbreadCookies #EasyCookieRecipes #Yum! 

#OnlineGroceryDelivery 

#NoEggs #ButterCookies #Cookies! 

Shopping! A whole lot of great deals for you!

My Favorite New Shortbread - yum!!
Heyyoo! It's me, Ailsa! Now I'm making Shortbread, year-round, because everybody loves it, and it's so easy a'schmeasy to make - plus, I make the 'make-ahead bags', now, so I make 2 extra double-bags, pop them in the fridge, for the next time I might want to make some delicious Shortbread - yahoo! Yum!

AND, thankfully, I actually remembered to label the bags with the amounts in them, and how much butter and margarine I'll need to add - melted, of course - no need to struggle to make delicious Shortbread, any more! : )

And now I just routinely have half butter, half margarine - is always really good, but if you want to go straight up on the butter, or straight up on the margarine, is all good, you'll love your Shortbread cookies any way you make them, and your house will smell delicious, too! Yum!
                      *******

Hellooo!  Well, it's almost Christmas, and what do you love at Christmas (other than the Christmas Carols and Presents!! lol!) -- Shortbread!  Yum!  Shortbread is always delicious (this recipe is craaaazy deelicious!), and I always thought it was too hard to make, and, frankly, not mine to make, since my Mum's Scottish shortbread is insanely delicious, and it always looked like a whole lot of work to me, and with a tricky, unpredictable result (in short, I thought I wouldn't be able to make it... )  But a few years back, our lovely Church, St. Andrew's Presbyterian Church in Belleville, Ontario, Canada -- so gorgeous, with a fantastic, young, enthusiastic, brilliant Minister, Anne-Marie Jones (her Dad, Bob Jones, was my Minister out in Picton, Ontario, and he officiated at my first wedding -- I've had two (lol!), and would like to have a third wedding, but this time, someone truly kind...I think you know where I'm going with that (no meannies! Only Goodies!! haha!), and Bob baptised my lovely daughter Cara, and Anne-Marie was Cara's very first babysitter, when Anne-Marie was a teenager -- so we've come full circle to come back to our wonderful Church -- I'm feelin' my roots! lol!

Holiday Sales and Clearance Sales - Yahoo! I love a great sale, any time of year! Same as my fave Shortbread - every day is a good day, for Shortbread - don't wait for the holidays to come around ! 

Anyway, our Church has a Shortbread Fundraiser every Christmas, so of course I do a lot of baking for the Church, so I signed up to make the Shortbread, determined to learn how to make it, and now I'm making it by the dozen (fer real -- yesterday, I made 5 dozen Shortbread Cookies (okay, I ate some of those, too! lol!)... I was baking Shortbread 'til I ran out of Icing Sugar and Corn Starch! Pretty funny!

So if you have been looking for a really easy, no-fail Shortbread Recipe, you've come to the right place (and I hope you try my other recipes, too, or maybe decide to build your own house, too (make cookies, build a house, whatever, all in a few months work! lol!)... I'll show you how to do all sorts of things!! The Easy Schmeasy Way, just the way I like things to be -- easy schmeasy!

Easy Schmeasy Shortbread!
Easy Schmeasy No-Fail Shortbread


1 cup Flour
1/2 cup Corn Starch
1/2 cup Icing Sugar
3/4 cup Butter (you can easily use half butter, half margarine)


Sugar for sprinkling (Sprinkle liberally!)


Omg, could that beee any easier?? lol!  And no eggs, so if you or your child, or someone you know who is coming over for a visit, is allergic to eggs, this is a great treat!

Bake Shortbread in the oven, at 300 Degrees F. for about 20 minutes... may take longer... your house is gonna smell heavenly... 

I'm still waiting for my second batch of Shortbread  to finish baking. has been in there for well past 40 minutes... sometimes you'll cut it a little thicker, and can take more time - don't worry, it'll be delicious, just wait for your Shortbread to be very lightly brown on the bottom, if that... will all be delicious, with a little delicious 'crisp' to it - yum! 

Double Batch of Shortbread Cookies, even better!

2 Cups of Flour 


1 Cup of Corn Starch 


1 Cup of Icing Sugar (mixed it with your hands - you just sift it through your fingers, is fun!) 


Add in 1 1/2 Cups of Butter, or Butter/Margarine Mix : ) OR (3 Squares of Margarine - Melt it in the microwave for 1 minute)


You know what? I just put the half butter, half margarine in the microwave for about 50 seconds, mixed it with a knife (I used the Plastic 2 Cup Measuring Cup), and added it to the Double Batch of the Shortbread Mix, and since I already had the knife to stir the butter/margarine, then I just used the knife to mix the dough, and it was soo much easier than my usual (and favorite!) wooden spoon - who knew? Really cut down on the amount of work to mix in the Butter! And was a perfect texture, and now it's in the oven - yahoo!! Yippee! 

AND, you can easily bake your Shortbread Biscuits, Cookies, at 350 - will be faster, and will always taste great! No Worries! 

You just take out your Shortbread when it's very light on the top, lightly browned on the bottom - will be a'deeelish! Yum! : )

Everything you need for delicious shortbread... so easy!

Cream the Butter and Icing Sugar - now I just mix it all in the same big bowl, just melt the butter/margarine first, will be soo easy! : ) 
You'll need one large bowl and one medium sized bowl... I pop the butter/margarine mix into the microwave for about 30 - 40 seconds to soften it, then stir 'til that's smooth, then add in the Icing Sugar, and cream them together...

You know what? Now I just make all the dry ingredients (and I make a couple of extra double batches, put the dry ingredients in baggies, pop in the fridge for the next time I make shortbread) in one big bowl, there's no need to separate it out - you'll get the same great texture, no bother... and I melt the butter/margarine mix for about 50 seconds in the microwave, stir that butter/margarine mix with a knife, then pour into the dry ingredients, mix with the knife - will be soo fast and easy, you'll be shocked and amazed, and super-excited, to see how incredibly easy this Shortbread is to make : )


Such a great idea to pre-make the Shortbread Mix - just remember, it's 2:1:1 

2 cups flour, 1 cup icing sugar, 1 cup corn starch - love it! So easy!


I just get everything out, and you'll 'sift' it all together with your fingers - is so fluffy!

 Just ignore any old-fashioned ideas on how to make your shortbread - you wouldn't necessarily do everything else the old fashioned way, so step into the present with your Shortbread, too - will be just as delicious, and a whole lot easier and faster : )

 See the butter or margarine (I usually use 1/2 a cup of butter, 1 cup of margarine, but you can do whatever mix you like - all butter, all margarine - whatever you have in the house, put it in a microwave safe container - mine is the same plastic measuring cup I use for the rest of the recipe...and then just pop that in the microwave for 50 seconds, unless it's really cold, then maybe a little longer... )

And then use your knife to stir the butter/margarine, to remove most of the 'lumps', melt it a little more, then pour that right into your Shortbread mix, and then use the knife to mix it into the flour base... will be shockingly easy!

 Your Shortbread will look like large crumbles, and then you take a handful at a time, will make 3 handfuls, and just form it into a ball - will be super easy, and just pass it from hand to hand, easily, nothing hard about this, like you're playing with a baseball? Maybe? lol! 


  And then you'll roll it between your hands like you're making a log, or a snake, if you liked to play with Plasticine when you were a kid : ) 


 I never put it in the fridge before I slice the cookies, any more - it's completely unnecessary - I like to simplify a recipe, wherever I can - I think the old way to make cookies and especially Shortbread, seemed overly complicated, and so hardly any people were even trying to make it, and that just doesn't need to be the case - is super easy, and sooo crazy-delicious, you and your whole family, and all you' friends, will go crazy for it, is so lovely and light! 


And here it is, with the roll cut - you can do very thin slices if you love crispy Shortbread, and thicker slices (1/4 inch would be a thick slice), but you'll just naturally cut the size you like : )

And then, of course, I put the little slices on the parchment paper on the cookie trays, and sprinkle liberally with sugar - that's the Big Secret to making a lot of you baking, even more delicious! lol! More sugar! haha!




And now back to the original part o' mah' Shortbread page... lol! 


Put the flour and corn starch in the big bowl, and mix well. Fold in the creamy icing sugar and butter mixture. Stir until crumbly (at this point, you'll start thinking -- or, at least I started thinking -- hey, wouldn't this make a delicious Crumble for the top of a cheesecake, or any other kind of pie?? -- Always thinkin', I am! lol!)

Anyway, so you're going to make sure all the flour/corn starch is mixed in with the butter/sugar combo, then make sure your hands are really, really clean, and divide the dough in half (roughly, I hardly ever measure anything...), pick it up in your hands and squish it together to form a large ball, then pass it back and forth from hand to hand until it's nice and smooth... will be very fast... and it's not really like kneading the dough, more an easier method of kneading, I guess! lol!

Now I don't bother with refrigerating the roll of Shortbread Dough, either - just go ahead and slice it right after you've made it, and then if you have some extra - I usually have an extra roll to put in the fridge, to bake another day, or give away to someone you love - lol! But just take this out the fridge and let it warm up, to make it super-easy to slice and make the cookies - and remember to use the Parchment Paper and sprinkle on the sugar : )  the Parchment Paper isn't necessary, it's just fantastic, and about a Dollar at the Dollar Store - might be $1.25 - lol! 

Take a square of Plastic Wrap, and gently roll out your dough between your hands, like you're making a snake out of playdough (remember that in elementary school, or yesterday, if you're still in elementary school?? hahaha!), but make a big fat snake, about an inch in diameter. Just use your eye to judge :)  Wrap the Shortbread roll up in the plastic wrap, then pop it in the fridge for about 15 minutes, then do the next guy... you can easily double this batch, and that'll make 4 shortbread rolls...

Now for the really easy way to make perfect shortbread rounds...

See how easy??
Take the dough out of the fridge... using a nice sharp knife, cut 1/4 inch slices from the roll, and place on your cookie tray.  I always line the cookie tray with Parchment Paper, makes everything you bake amazing...

Reshape the circle of shortbread after you've cut it from the roll, to make it nice and pretty (!), and give each piece it's own space on the cookie sheet... 4 per row, usually... I make so much shortbread, I just use every possible available cookie sheet I have, so I use the pizza pan, too (!)

Now here's what takes this shortbread over-the-top (and I use this trick for my Banana Bread, too... yum!!), liberally, and I mean, a lot, sprinkle sugar over each shortbread cookie.  don't worry about making a mess, especially if you're using the parchment paper... just make sure each piece of shortbread has a generous sprinkle of sugar (you can use colored sugar to sprinkle, too.. kids love that sort of thing (!)...

Sprinkle with LOTS of Sugar : )
Pop your Shortbread in the oven, at 300 Degrees Farenheit for about 20 minutes... may take longer... your house is gonna smell heavenly... oh, they should make a shortbread scent!  Would be delicious! The key is to take the shortbread out when it's still white, lightly brown on the bottom.  If you happen to forget about your shortbread in the oven, and it gets a little brown on the top, too, no worries... you'll eat those ones, first! lol!

See how light the shortbread is when they come out the oven? 
If you're not sure whether it's done, take the shortbread out of the oven, try one cookie, then decide. You'll be surprised at how light they are when they're actually done :)  (okay, now try another cookie, and another, then just one more... see how that happens?? That's why I have to take my shortbread right over to the Church, for the Bake Sale, so I don't eat them all myself!! hahaha! I would happily have Shortbread for breakfast, lunch and dinner, and all snacks in-between, so I must monitor meself! Which begs the question, 'Can a girl (me!) survive on Shortbread, alone? What if it's really good Shortbread?? lol!


Okay, go make youse own shortbread, now -- you're gonna go crazy for these Shortbread Cookies!

Much Cookie Love, Ailsa xox!

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I had to deliver the Shortbread to the Church before I 'accidentally' ate it all! lol!



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Okay, 'til next time!! Go haz you'self Lots of Love!! Ailsa : )



   Wow, that's a great idea!  Text books are soo expensive! 


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Soo, apparently my stooopid cable bill has gone down a little bit (now I'm in Victoria, BC, Canada), but from $180/month to $156.18? No. That's ridiculous. We are being majorly ripped off in Canada. I hope the new government can help get Canadian Consumers much better deals, allow fair competition, and stop these companies in Canada from gauging the Canadian Public - that's not okay. 

(See, this is why me needs more cookies! hahaha!) 

I am soo done with my cable bill - $180/month???  Whatdahell?, as James on BB would say - lol!  That's too high - so unreasonable... I love these new companies that are giving us real options, so you can still watch all your favorite TV shows, and easily save sooo much money... is the best!

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Today I just made a couple of extra bags of the shortbread Mix - sometimes, that seems like such a hassle, to see if you can find some Corn starch and Icing Sugar... even though it's super-easy to mix, it does seem like a hassle before you actually make your delicious Shortbread, soo... I just made 2 extra Double Batches, so, 2 Cups of Flour, 1 Cup of Corn Starch, 1 Cup of Icing Sugar, mixed it with my hands - you just sift it through your fingers, is fun! And then I made another double batch for tonight... and then I'll put it all into rolls , or 'logs' in the fridge, and make them a wee bit at a time, so they're always lovely and fresh! Yum! And that makes your house smell unbelievably delicious!!

Grocery Delivery! Yahoo!! 

This is so cool - let's say you've now been binge watching your fave shows, and you STILL have 4 more seasons left of your brand new-to-you show, soo you don't want to get up off the couch, but, also, you know you should probably get you' some groceries?

Problem - Solution! lol! 

Check and see if your area is covered by either VONS or Safeway... they cover some of the same areas, and some different areas - does that make sense? lol!

I loove this Delivery Service for Groceries and whatever you might need, right to your door, just in general, but what a great idea in bad weather, no more stooopid traffic, or if you're not feeling up to going out to the store, or you just don't feeeel like going out to the store...or if you're like me, and get so caught up in whatever you're working on, and don't want to stop just 'for food' - haha! And no need for Taxis, if you need to take a cab to the grocery store...that's a huge savings, right there, right?

Wow, Grocery Delivery Service - that's fantastico!! Yippee!!  Hello, Future - you look great! : )




I think this is such an amazing new service for your groceries - and anything you ever need from the grocery store - if you've ever had a time when you had a tiny baby, or you're super-busy (same thing - hahaha! All the New Moms will be laughing, now - lol!)..but if you're busy at work, or busy at home, or traffic, or you're busy binge-watching your favorite shows - hahahahaha! This might be the new wave of the future, right? Ordering your groceries online?

And I would imagine you would save a lot of money, since you would just buy what you actually need... might really work for dieting, too, since, well, if we're in the store, and be 'we', I mean 'me'...anyway, let's say I've got my grocery list, then I'm at the store, and I think, you know what, I'll just nick down the Candy Aisle, see if Chocolate is on sale (see how much I like Sale Chocolate - hahaha! Is it tastier, or just less expensive?? We'll never know! It's all gone, now - hahaha!)

Not that you couldn't just 'browse' for that, anyway... right? Me thinkin', now, o' course, where is the Sale Chocolate, online?? hahaha! But let's say you're you, and not me, and you have a LOT more self control than maybe ME do... so you order all the things you really wanted, and not just a whole cart full o' Wunderbars, on sale... hahahaha! Wouldn't THAT be fun - just a cartful of Sale Chocolate?? haha! Okay, clearly, me needs a treat! lol! : ) #SaleChocolate! Ha!

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Tuesday, December 6, 2011

#PecanPie Easy and Delicious Pecan Pie.. the Secret is the Pie Crust : ) #PieCrust #PieShell #PieRecipes #Pie! #PeachPie

Pecan Pie, Baby! Yum! 
And Easier Than You Might Think! You Can Do It! : )

Yummy Pecan Pie!

Fantastic Deals for you, baby! 
A while back, I  made 3 Pecan Pies... 2 for the Church, and one for 'tasting' ... lol!  (I always like to keep one for mah'self!! haha!)  It was very easy to make, and I was worried, as many people are, that the Pecan Pie wouldn't set, because you're looking at all these ingredients that are 'wet', so you're thinking it might be runny, but it totally set, no problemo, so if you've been thinking about trying a Pecan Pie, or three.... this is a nice little recipe!  I just sent the photos from my cell phone, so will post those in a sec!

Easy and Delicious Pecan Pie

The Easy Schmeasy Pie Crust (it makes a huuuge difference in how tasty this pie is... and all other pies! lol!)





Easy Peasy Pie Crust 
This is the easiest pie crust, ever -- make it right in the pie plate, no rolling, just mix and press with your fingers.... and it's excellent for a low cholesterol diet... very low in fat and sugar, so great for diabetics, too... I love it because it's fast & easy (much like myself! lol!), delicious, and no lard -- ick!! The trick is to mix the milk with the oil -- I just shake it in a jar, or put the milk and oil in a glass, cover with plastic wrap, shake shake shake!  Fun to make with the kids, too! https://buildyourownhousebodylife.blogspot.com/2010/10/piecrust-easy-schmeasy-pie-crust.html

Ingredients:

3 Eggs, beaten (now what did they do to you?? haha!) (7 eggs for the 3 pies... 2 large, one small pies)

1 cup Corn Syrup (2 1/2 cups for the said 3 pies...)

3/4 cup Brown Sugar (2 cups for 3 pies...I think you see where that is going...!)

1/4 Cup Butter, then melt it... (slightly over a 1/2 cup butter for the 3 pies...)

1 teaspoon Vanilla (3 tsp. vanilla for the 3 pies... I'm like a broken record... remember those?? lol!)

Pecans... maybe about a cup per pie... I used a large bag o pecans for all three pies... enough to cover the bottom of the Pie Shell

Get all yer ingredients together, first (seems like a Good Idea!), and your pie plates.  I normally like to use glass pie plates, and the deeper, the better (insert bad joke, here... buh-dum-bum...), but when I'm making pies for the Church, it's easier to use tin foil pie plates. If you're using the glass or 'regular' pie plates, make the pie crust right in the pie plate, but I found that it was too tricky with the foil pie plates, so I poured the flour mixture into a glass bowl to mix, so I wouldn't frustrate meself! (See how I watch out for my sanity like that?? haha!)

Easy Schmeasy Pie Crust - low cholesterol and low fat!! 
Press the crumbly dough into the pie shell, start with doing the sides of the pie shell, first, then do the middle, set aside (no need to bake it, first...)

In a large bowl, crack and beat the eggs

Add the Corn Syrup, stir relatively slowly (mostly to prevent spillage!)

Add in the Brown Sugar (whisk with a spoon or fork, if you feel like it...)

Add the Vanilla

Cut the Butter, then melt in the microwave for about 40 seconds, let cool, and stir into mixture.  (Good idea to cool the butter, on account'a you don't want to cook the eggs! haha!)

Now you will have a delicious looking big bowl of caramel, basically! Yum!  You'll be pleased with what that looks like, already...:)

Preheat your oven to 350 Degrees Farenheit

Hilarious when the pecans 'float' to the top!
Carefully arrange the pecans on the bottom of the pie shell... get the kids to come and help, r at least to watch, since this is hilarious, when you pour the 'caramel' on top of the pecans, and they 'magically' rise to the top of the pie... this makes this pecan pie one of the most fun pies to make...! Start around the outside of the pie, then do the center, then 'fill in the blanks'... I used the whole pieces of pecan around the outside and in the middle, first, then used the not-so-whole pecans for the in-between bits... worked out really well, fer sure!



Almost done!
Gently pour the 'caramel' sauce over the pecans, about 3/4 of the way up the sides of the pie shell... the pecans will magically rise to the top -- really, that just breaks me up!! lol!

I always put my pies on another cookie sheet, so the bottom is protected, and had tin foil at the ready, to cover the pie when it is half-way done, so the pie crust won't burn... no need to be fancy, just pull off a square of aluminium foil enough to cover the top of the pie...

Bake for about 35 minutes - 45 minutes, but check after 20 minutes, or so, to see if the pies need to be covered... they should be 'set' by then, so the tin foil won't stick to the top...

You'll know when they're ready when they are lightly brown and no wiggling! haha!

And then, if you still want even more delicious Pie... my fave Peach Pie! Yay! Deeeelish!

Let the pie cool down, then pop it in the fridge to cool down completely.  This is another pie, like my favorite, favorite Peach Pie, that tastes better the colder it gets... and, of course, serve with delicious whip cream!! Yum!
My Favorite Peach Pie!!  Peach Pie

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Sunday, December 4, 2011

#Party! How to Throw a Great Party #GivingTree #FoodBank #ToyDrive #Donations #Charity #HolidayParty #Uber #ChristmasParty #Wine! #Parties


I totally built this house -- cool, eh?? lol!
How to Throw a Fabulous Party -- and you won't go mad or break the bank!

(Oh, and this is a while back... but is always a great idea, so if you're having, or going to, a lovely Holiday Party, at home, or an Office Party, please consider adding a #GivingTree - you'll have so much fun, and help lots of people in your area, too : ) 

A 'Giving Tree' is a little idea I thought of adding to our Annual Holiday Party, a few years ago, so our guests could bring a Gift for a Child in need (and hopefully a Food Item from their Cupboards, too!!) to put under our Tree. Then we took all the Gifts and Food down to the Children and Family Charitable Group. They had a whole list of Families in need in our own Community, so we knew everything was going to the right place. There were 38 Families on their List, and we had enough to give something to everyone. Great idea, eh?? Simple, and it is really effective.


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The 'Giving Tree' worked out really well -- we've given Baskets and Baskets of Toys and Gifts to charity, and a whole lot of Food Items for the Food Bank, too! How about doing that at your own Party, or your Office Party? Just think of all the Gifts (or Food or Money...) we could give if we all did this at a Holiday Party! Together we could all raise a tremendous amount of stuff that would make everyone's holiday that much better.

Make sure you get home safe, and all of your guests do, too, from your holiday parties : )

Don't wait 'til Christmas to add a Giving Tree to your Party -- be creative and change up the theme to suit the occasion... Easter Baskets at Easter time, Hearts Full of Hope at Valentine's Day (I know, that one sounds a bit hokey, but you've got plenty of time to think up something considerably better...!), or just 'Baskets of Hope' at any time of the year. Anything to add a wee bit of something for those in need, since need doesn't go away after the Holidays.

When everyone gives a wee bit, we end up with a whole lot of help. (Is that the sap I hear running from the trees, already, or is that just what I wrote?? ha,ha! Ah, well. This stuff does sound a tad pollyanna-ish, but it's necessary until the Governments have decent programs for all people to adequately Feed, House and Educate everyone in the society. Until that day comes, and I believe it will, we'll just have to band together to bridge the gap. Plus, you can have a Cheers for me at yer Party, so that'll be fun, right?!

See all the Gifts for Children in need in our community?  If you are in the States, you'll have a Toys for Tots Program near you, and that's wonderful to give to, and in Canada we have all sorts of places to donate toys and gifts to - remember the older kids, too, and I always put stuff in for the Moms - Moms need love, too! xox!

Here's my lovely daughter, Cara, in the kitchen, right before the party - lots of booze, lots of  alcohol-free drinks, too! (Man, I miss this kitchen! This is the last house I built...)

I filled the dining room table full of lovely treats, and I always set up an additional serving table (see over by the window?), with a giant Chocolate Yule Log - is that a Canadian thing, or does everyone love a Chocolate Yule Log?? Is like a log, literally, a chunk of wood, but made out of cake and icing - lots of icing! - and all very festive! lol!) and then there are treats and snacks set up on every surface in the house... coffee tables, end tables, you name it, there's a snack on it! 

So here's how to do it --

Set up your Christmas (or Chrismakah...!) Tree before the Party, and put some nice Baskets underneath the Tree. If you are using Laundry Baskets (technically, my favorite kind of Basket!), just put a Table Cloth or some nice material over the basket to brighten it up.

Put out a Few Baskets for the Toys and Gifts, and a Few Baskets for the Food Items. If they fill up during the Party, you can run and get more baskets, or just put the Toys around the Tree and use the Baskets for the Food. (Now that everyone knows we have a Giving Tree at our Annual Holiday Party, we get too many Gifts to put in the baskets, so now we just have our Guests place their gifts right under the Giving Tree, and I load them into my van after the party. Oh, I love a Generous Guest!!)

Tell Your Guests in Advance that you'll be having a Giving Tree so they have time to pick something up. When you send out your Party Invitations (I just e-mail mine -- who has time to write an actual letter these days??), be sure to include a line that says something like,

"We're having a Giving Tree Party! If you would like to bring a Toy, Gift and/or Food Item to our Party, we would love your gift! All the Toys and Food will be Donated to a Local Charity after the Party."

Your Guests will respond very well to this, and I always write it so that it is completely optional. We love a good bottle of Gin, don't get me wrong, but we can buy that for ourselves, so we love it when our Guests bring something for someone who really needs it (toys and food, not gin! ha,ha!)-- that way we all will have a much nicer Holiday Season, right?

This year, I'll be able to tell our Guests from Last Years Party how much stuff we were able to Contribute to our Local Charity -- what a great group of Friends we have! And I'm guessing that you, too, have a fabulous group of Friends and Co-Workers ... people who would be more than happy to Give to a Good Cause.

It'll literally take me a couple of weeks to get the House all set up for the Party, but it'll be worth it because it's always so much fun! Looks like we'll easily have over a 100 people, so we should get a lot of stuff to go under our 'Giving Tree' and in the Food Baskets to take down to our Local Family Charity.

I am really hoping to get the word out on that Party Idea. Just think how much stuff we could all donate if we took one item to a Party. If you are thinking about having a Party this Holiday Season, or already have one planned (or have been Invited to one and you know the Host or Hostess well enough to ask them if they would try that too...!), please consider Adding a Giving Tree to the Event. Staff Parties, too -- there must be a million Staff Parties at this time of year! Wouldn't that be a huuuge amount of stuff for Families in need?? There are all kinds of Groups in need of stuff -- the Fireman's Fund, The Salvation Army, Women's Shelters, Food Banks, Homeless Shelters, Churches...all sorts of Groups you can donate your 'Party Goods' to -- wouldn't that be sooo great! Then we can really enjoy the Holiday Season!


How to Throw a Great Informal Party:

The most important thing to know about Throwing a Great Party is that it's not as hard as it sounds. People like to Mingle and Talk, so really you just need to provide a Warm and Welcoming Place where Everyone can come and have some fun.

Here's what works well for a Winter Party -- it's all very Festive!

Everything is set up so your Guests can choose to have a Non-Alcoholic Drink, or Add a Wee Something to the Mix. It's very 'Family Friendly', and there's lots to choose from for the Designated Drivers in the Crowd.

Hot Apple Cider in a Giant Pot, Electric Wok or Crock Pot. Spiced Rum and Vanilla Rum on the Side!! Tastes like a Hot Apple Pie! Yum! (It's just Apple Juice heated up with Cinnamon Sticks thrown in for Flavor.)

A Great Big Bowl of Punch, Non-Alcoholic. Vodka or Rum on the Side. Float some Sliced Fruit in the Punch -- looks lovely! (Punch is really easy to make -- use a Frozen Punch Base, then add the required Water, then Add Gingerale or Sprite -- any light Pop -- and then add in Any Pink or Red Pop -- like a Cranberry Pop or Grapefruit Pop. Slice the Lemons, Limes, and/or Oranges and let them float on the Top of the Punch. Add in some Ice Cubes, and you're all set!

Have a Coffee and Hot Chocolate 'Station'. Baileys or other nice Liqueur that goes well with Coffee or Hot Chocolate on the Side. I just make a Big Pot of Coffee, then have more Filters with the Coffee in them, all ready to go if you need to make more... and Two Kettles Set up So people can make themselves a Hot Chocolate or Tea, if they are so inclined. Set out Hot Chocolate, Tea, Cream, Sugar and lots of Teaspoons. You can use Throw-Away Cups, or Regular Mugs, if you have lots of them.


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Have a Wine Bar -- I just Set out a Nice Variety of Wine and Lots of Glasses. You know what is the most popular Drink at our Parties (next to the Hot Apple Cider, where I hang out!)? My friend, Steve, calls it 'Sody Pop Wine', so now I do, too, and it's aptly named, since it's pretty much like tasty pop all liquored up! ha,ha! It comes in about a million Fruit Flavors (yes, I am exaggerating, but only to keep myself amused as I write this...), and you can get it at any Liquor Store. It's generally under $7.00 a bottle, so you can pick up quite a variety of Flavours. Black Current and Strawberry are the most popular at our Parties. Sadly enough, we buy this by the Case, now! It's light and deeelicious!

Have a Bar Stocked with Hard Liquor. Mix on the Side -- Coke, Pepsi, Gingerale ... and remember to have the Diet Versions of each of those Drinks to offer to your Guests.

Lots and Lots of Ice!

Tons of Finger Foods -- Treats of All Sorts, like Cookies and Cake Squares, Cheese & Veggie Platters, Shrimp Rings, Tortilla Chips 'n Salsa, Regular Chips ... whatever appeals to you. Save yourself a whole lot of time by just buying these already made -- I swing by Costco and M&M's before the Party to pick up a nice variety of Bars and Finger Foods, then it's just a matter of cutting and putting them on Platters. You can use regular Plates (Small and Large) to present the Cookies & Cake Bars -- just place them in a circle on the plate, and then go up one or two more layers, getting smaller with each layer. I use Cutting Boards for the Cheese & Crackers -- fast and easy.

Optional: Some 'Real Food' -- I like to Serve Chili and Rolls. This year, I'm going to skip the 'Real Food' thing. Our Big Holiday Party is always during the day (From 2:00 - 7:00 pm), so providing a 'Real Meal' isn't really necessary). I do keep the number for the Pizza Place handy in case anyone stays late, or I'll whip up a big batch of Pasta.

For the Kids (we like 'Family Friendly' Daytime Parties...), I set up their Treats and Drinks Downstairs. I've found that Individually Wrapped Treats -- Chips, Chocolate Bars, Candies -- work out well. I set out a big box of Chips -- the ones you get for the kids' lunches. Beside that I have a few cases of Pop, all different Varieties. It's much easier for Kids to help themselves to what they like, and you don't have to worry about germs being spread in a big bowl of Chips. Set up the TV so they can Watch Movies on the Big Screen (and have them all ready to go...), set up a Games Area with a few good Games, and have some Music available, too if you have Older Kids at your Party.

That's about it! Not too hard to put together -- lots of nice Decorations, Napkins, Glasses, 'N All...Don't worry too much about Your Party. Your Guests are there to see you, chat with each other, and maybe get in a wee dance, if you happen to go down that path. It'll all work out, and if you have a Giving Tree, you'll end up having a great time and have lots of great stuff to Donate to a Local Charity, too! See, it's easy shmeasy!

Now, these are specific to Our Parties...but see what will work for you : )

Our Pool Table is Downstairs, so I would imagine there will be a steady group of Men (mostly...) playing Pool for the good part of the day, so they can keep an eye on the kids!! YaaHoo!!

Treats for the Children are best if they are individually wrapped, to cut down on any 'cross-contamination', and if you know or have any kids, I think you'll know just what I mean ...! Ha,ha,ha! So Chips, Canned Pop, Small Chocolate Bars (they're eaten before they melt!!) ... it's easy and the kids will love it. Although, one year, we did have an 'incident' where one small child actually ran their hands all covered in chocolate along the carpet -- hard to believe. And the parents didn't say a word, which was unpleasant, so think about who your guests are before you put out the chocolate! And don't be afraid to 'alter' you Guest List for the next party, if you want to maintain your sanity at any Future Parties!

So the big key to the Success of an Informal Party is to have everything pretty much 'Serve It Yourself', that way even if the Host or Hostess has had 'the Mostest', if you know what I mean, the Party can still go on and everyone will have a great time. It's just a whole lot more relaxing for everyone if people can just mingle around freely, and eat and drink whatever they like.

You know a good name for this kind of Party?? A Mingle and Jingle Party! Ha,ha,ha!

So, pass this Giving Tree Idea along to your Friends, Neighbors, Pastors, Teachers ... the more people we get in on this, the more stuff we can give! Hey, we can all take pictures of our Giving Trees, and then I can post them on my Site! Then we can all check out your Living Room, too! Now, that'll be fun!

Party On, Baby! Ailsa  xox!!

Make sure everyone who is drinking at your Party has a Designated Driver. We have a lot of Neighbors who can just walk over, so they're the lucky ones! I always make sure I have lots of great drink choices that are non-alcohlic so everyone can have fun, and everybody stays safe.


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Get some Music for yo' Party!

** That's my big house from when I was married... I sure miss that house!  Looking at my old living room, which was sooo gorgeous, makes me want to build that house, again... but the next time I build it, I want to 'move it around', in that I want to build the 'West Wing' over the garage, this next time... so a higher roof-line, probably a 4 car garage (why not?? lol!), maybe more of an angle in the house.. we'll see what the Lot loks like, when I get around to building another house (soon, I hope!! lol!)


Happy Holidays!!  Ailsa :) xox

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