Peppermint Bark

Peppermint Bark is a pretty popular item these days. You can easily purchase it at the grocery store or specialty food shop. But it also is very easy to make. And homemade is always better, isn't it?

We try to make this every Christmas. This year, we made it after Christmas Day due to all of the additional busyness around our home. But we are still in the Christmas season, and it only is the sixth day of Christmas. So, we continue to celebrate! Making the season bright. Wearing pajamas a bit longer each morning; there's no hurry this week. Lots of playtime with new toys. Christmas books still being read. Christmas carols still playing. Cookies (and peppermint bark!) for dessert.

Peppermint Bark

ingredients:

1 pound (16 ounces) chopped bittersweet chocolate*

1/2 tsp. (or more to taste) peppermint extract

1 pound (16 ounces) chopped white chocolate*

3/4 C. chopped candy canes

directions:

1. Line an 11x17-inch baking sheet with foil and set aside.

2. Melt bittersweet chocolate in the top of a double broiler over lightly boiling water, stirring constantly. (I use a glass mixing bowl set into my soup pot.) Stir in 1/4 tsp. of peppermint extract (or more to taste).

3. Spread chocolate evenly onto the prepared sheet, using an off-set spatula. Chill until set, about 1 hour.

4. Melt white chocolate in the top of a double broiler over lightly boiling water, stirring constantly. Stir in remaining 1/4 tsp. of peppermint extract (or more to taste). Then, add candy canes and stir to combine.

5. Spread white chocolate mixture over chilled dark chocolate, spreading to the edge of the pan with an off-set spatula.

6. Chill until set, about four hours or overnight. Refrigerate until just before serving, then break into pieces and serve or package as gifts. Will keep in fridge for 5-6 weeks (or more, but it doesn't last that long in our house!).

notes:

*I have found that the chocolate baking bars work much better than chips.

And it is rainy and gloomy here today, so I just couldn't get the right, brighter lighting for these photos. So, I apologize if they seem a bit dark.

For more cookie recipes at a virtual cookie exchange, visit Catholic Cuisine.

His and Hers

My husband attends a silent Ignatian retreat every year. The order of priests and brothers that puts on the retreat has a strong devotion to Our Lady of Sorrows. Part of the retreat's prayer ritual is reciting the Chaplet of Our Lady of Sorrows several times throughout the weekend.

When Greg returned from his fall retreat this year, he mentioned that he would like his own Chaplet, so that he could continue praying it throughout the year.

His mentioning was my cue to get him a Chaplet for Christmas.

So, I contacted Barbara at Praying for Grace. She also has a rosary apostolate, Prayerful Beads, and she made me a Chaplet last year.

It was difficult to pick out a Chaplet for Greg. I wanted it to be just right. I ended up telling him that I was getting him a Chaplet, just to ask him about some of his preferences: color, material, weight, etc. I also told him that he had to forget that I just told him one of his Christmas presents ~ LOL!

During this process, I was looking at Barbara's rosary blog with my mom, showing her some ideas for Greg. And I also showed her this Rosary that I had been admiring for awhile. She suggested that I ask for it for Christmas, and so I eventually showed it to Greg. But he told me he already got my present. I was OK with that. I really didn't need another Rosary anyway. Maybe another time ...

When Barbara e-mailed me to tell me the Chaplet was on its way, she said that the envelope was to be opened by my mom. For some reason, probably because I was just about to have a baby, I didn't even think of this as unusual. I had so much else on my mind!

So, on Christmas Day, I gave Greg his Chaplet. I'm sure he forgot all about knowing. At least he acted surprised =)

And one of the gifts I opened was my beautiful Rosary! I couldn't believe it! I thought I had asked him too late. And I did, I guess. But my mom had told him about it sooner than I did. So he had ordered it before I even mentioned it to him!

His and her Rosary beads for Christmas! How wonderful is that!

(A little thank you to Barbara is in order. First for making these beautiful prayer beads for us. And second for being part of a Christmas surprise this year =)

Merry Christmas!

When the eyes are sleeping,

but the soul is light,

Goes the Blessed Mother

through the winter night.

Knocks with tender speaking

at the door so mild:

Will you give me a present

for my Baby Child?

He will lie in the stable

suff'ring cold and harm,

Give him all your love,

love makes him warm.

Give him all your longing

and the stall will be bright,

Kneel humbly adoring,

thus off'ring him light.

And open your heart

as crib for him wide,

He will work the wonder

of the Holy Night.

(A Children's Carol, German, source unknown)

+++

Merry Christmas!

He is Journeying Toward Us

The nine months draw to a close, and our Lord's last act is to journey from Nazareth to Bethlehem. It is toward us, as well as toward Bethlehem, that He is journeying. He is about to leave His home a second time for the love of us. As He had left His uncreated home in the Bosom of the Father, so is He now going to leave His created home that He may come to us and be still more ours.

—Fr. Frederick W. Faber

Bethlehem

Advent: Weeks Three and Four

As we draw closer to the Child who is coming, the anticipation heightens.

He is so near. We are so excited.

(I looked like this for only one day of these last two weeks of Advent ... My baby was getting ready. Ready to be born. And I was ready for him to be born, too =)

But these last few days can feel so busy. We are busy getting things ready. Making final preparations for Christmas.

Most importantly, we are continuing to prepare our hearts, making room in them for Him to be born within us.

In addition to our hearts, we are preparing our hearth and home, too.

Wrapping. Baking. Cleaning. One last check to make sure I have all of the fixings for Christmas dinner.

When things get a bit too busy, though, which can so easily happen, it is important to refocus, to sit and be still. I have certainly had the privilege of doing this often these last couple of weeks with my new baby boy. He has helped me slow down. To be still. To breathe in Heaven, which is so close at this time of year.

O Come. O Come. Emmanuel. God With Us.

(This daughter of mine has gotten pretty good at sitting, too. She's often a ball of energy. But her new baby brother draws her into this sitting position quite often.)

And the O Antiphons help us to remain in prayer.

(No, I did not make these adorable chocolate coins. But a friend did, and she brought our family a meal this week. And this coin was tucked in her key lime bars. I am sure she knew I would get it. And love it.)

Yes. I think we are ready. Ready for Christmas. For the birth of our Savior.

As we continue to pray. As we continue to finalize our preparations.

We sing, we breathe ...

O Come. O Come.

Let us adore.

Yarning Along ...

... with Ginny is something I look forward to each week! I missed all of the projects and books last week, because I had just given birth to a healthy baby boy!

I guess I'm on what is called a babymoon, and I am loving every moment. My new routine involves a nice afternoon siesta. My baby usually takes an extra-long nap at this time of day, and we just snuggle the afternoon away in my big, comfy chair! I usually doze off, but when I'm awake, it is the perfect time to get a bit of knitting in. And when my children return from school or wake up from their naps, I am more than available to read a book or two with them. I know this little ritual won't last forever, but for now, it is wonderful, and I am grateful for this special time with my new son.

This week, I cast on a Milo vest for my 3yo daughter. (It is her turn for a hand-knit!) I think I started over about three times, though. I blame the pain meds that I am taking for my recovery =)

A new Christmas book that my children and I are enjoying is Joy to the World by Tomie dePaola. It is a collection of three of his stories—The Night of Las Posadas, The Story of the Three Wise Kings and The Legend of the Poinsettia—as well as select Christmas carols and dePaola's famous illustrations.

All Wrapped Up

Thank you all so much for your sweet congratulatory comments. And thank you for your prayers. My recovery is going as well as expected for a c-section. Joseph is doing beautifully, too. And the children are adjusting (with the anticipated ups and downs that go with that) ...

I originally had written the below post before Joseph was born. But I never got a chance to post it, due to his early arrival. So, I have revised it and am posting it today =)

***

Before Joseph arrived, I was nesting quite a bit. You probably aren't surprised by that.

I didn't have the energy or ability to tackle big organizational projects or anything like that. So, I tried to accomplish as much as possible from a sitting position, which was challenging. I had to wait upon my husband to tackle any rearranging of furniture I wanted. (And yes, I wanted a bit of that =)

One thing that I was able "to nest" were some of my knitting projects. Finishing up a few projects in the course of a day or two felt like a type of nesting to me anyway.

The knitting bag is now lighter, and the basket next to my chair is emptier. Another sign (to me) that I was getting ready/preparing/nesting for something major to happen!

My finished projects:

You-Make-My Hat ...

... on a very happy boy.

The February Doll Sweater (in December =) ...

... which will be wrapped up for Christmas for my 8yo daughter, who is the owner of Kit (photographed below when said daughter was at school).

The Twirly Skirt ...

... which my very patient 5yo received (incomplete) for her August birthday. She is finally was able to wear it. Four months later. (Ahem!)

***

A very happy and blessed fourth week of Advent to you, friends!

Welcome

Born on the Feast of St. Lucia.

He is my very own star boy.

Joseph Ignatius

Dec. 13, 2010 ~ 2:12 p.m.

8 pounds, 6 ounces ~ 21 inches

Arrived back at home today. We are doing well ...

Please keep my recovery (from a c-section) in your prayers.

Pondering, Preparing

These quotes from the book Joyous Expectation have touched me in a deep way. A connection to Our Lady and dear St. Joseph that I have never felt before. I am grateful for the blessing to ponder how they must have prepared for their Baby in the same ways I am preparing for mine ...

"To celebrate Christmas is to journey in expectancy toward birthing and its aftermath. A woman waiting for childbirth is known to nest—to prepare her home from top to bottom: to gather, clean, weave, and wait. In her expectancy, Mary, too, waited and wondered.

Husbands prepare in their own way: providing, building, hammering and pounding—pondering, too, this little stranger about to invade their territory. Joseph journeyed with Mary.

***

As we journey with [Mary], we wonder what it was like for her in her ninth month. By this time she had prepared what she needed for her baby's arrival. Old stories tell us she was a weaver of fine linen. Her child would have the best. Joseph, a carpenter by trade, would have made the dwelling ready in his own way—crafting the finest cradle ever. They were ready.

Advent: Week Two

Setting the scene.

For that long-awaited night ...

Hope fills our hearts.

As we continue to hear about God's plan for salvation.

And how we fit into it.

The lights. The memory-filled ornaments.

Remind us of how good God has been to us.

We are so very blessed this Advent.

To be together.

In this house.

Awaiting the birth of two babies ...

And even though today, the weather outside was frightful, indeed ...

... we are reminded that all of creation praises God. Even the snow and wind and cold.

And so do we.

A joy-filled third week of Advent to you!

Letting Ourselves Be Found

As we are searching for God, the good news is that God is searching for us. Better yet, He has found us. The great question is not whether we have found God but whether we have found ourselves being found by God. God is not lost. We were, or, as the case may be, we are.

Here is what St. Paul says: "It is full time now for you to wake from sleep." He is telling us to wake up the gift already given. This season of the Church's calendar is called Advent, which means "coming." Christ came, Christ comes, Christ will come again. There is no time—past, present or future—in which Jesus the Christ is not God with us. He was with you yesterday, is with you today, and will be with you tomorrow. So we are invited to give up our searching and let ourselves be found by the One who wants to be with us, and to have us with Him, forever.

—Fr. Richard John Neuhaus, God With Us

Yarn Along V

Each week, I have been enjoying the Yarn Along that Ginny at Small Things hosts. I have been truly inspired by all of the projects and have received a lot of wonderful book recommendations, too.

This week, I am finishing up a hat for my 3yo son, which I found on Ravelry.

With the baby hats I’ve made recently, my son kept asking me to make him a hat. Multiple times per day, he would ask me, “You make my hat?”

So, I affectionately named this hat "You-Make-My Hat!"

I used up yarn from my daughter’s twirly skirt, which I still haven't sewn together (ugh).

I was going to make the hat blue, orange and yellow, but my son told me he doesn’t like yellow. So, it is just blue and orange =) The one thing I am uncertain of about this pattern is the purl decreases. The pattern says to purl two together through the back, but I tried that, and I didn't like it. (Maybe I was doing it incorrectly?) The pattern also says you can do a regular p2tog, so I did that, but I am still unsure.

Fretting about my hand-knit hat being "just so," I then read a little quote from my Advent book Joyous Expectation. To give some context, the chapter is talking about how the busyness of the Advent season can make us feel like the backside of woven fabric. So many things we "should" do, it can appear to be a tangled-up mess-of-a-time. But through prayer, we can turn the tangled mess over, and the true masterpiece of the season will be revealed to us.

The quote that I thought applied to my knitting said: "As the Amish make their prized quilts with an intentional flaw, a flaw must be woven in to remind us that only God is perfect."

Did you just read that?

An intentional flaw! Because only God is perfect!

Oh, did I need to read that!

This quote helped me let go of the desire to knit the perfect hat. Does it really matter if the purls are right or wrong? What matters is that I made this hat for my son, and he will like it and won't even know of its imperfections. It is a gift, and no gift—but Jesus—is perfect.

Anyway ... that was my little lesson for the week =)

The books in the photo are a few of our seasonal favorites: The Miracle of Saint Nicolas, The Little Drummer Boy, Gingerbread Baby and The Legend of the Candy Cane.

One Year Later ...

Perhaps, if you have been with me for awhile now, you will remember this post from last Advent. It talks about my missing Advent wreath.

It was on backorder.

So, I made this one.

I ended up feeling deep peace about this simple little wreath. Advent 2009 didn't begin the way I thought it was going to. But at the same time, I was taught a personal lesson that I hope I won't forget.

And when my wreath finally arrived ...

... well, it was in pieces.

The lesson continued ...

The company from which I purchased the wreath was kind enough to give me a full refund. And they didn't even ask me to return it.

As I was about to throw it out, my husband said, "Wait! I can fix that."

And he did.

One year later.

He claims the material is a little difficult to make sturdy again. But even if it only lasts this season, I am grateful.

Not necessarily for an "official" Advent wreath. Our little simple one would have been fine again this year ... or until I had the time to find a new one.

But I am especially grateful for a handy husband who took the time to fix this wreath for his wife. Even though she has already given him a to-do list a mile long.

He just knows how important these things are to her. And she loves that about him.

Advent: Week One

Quietly waiting. Watching.

Hoping.

Remembering.

Wondering.

This first week of Advent.

Loving This

This is the first year we have done a Jesse Tree.

I started out with one plan, and then this was given out.

What a gift!

So simple to do.

Only moments.

But profound, thought-provoking moments. For child and parent alike.

We are loving this gift.

It has deepened our Advent experience already.

And we've only just begun. To open up the story.

Jesus' story. And our story, too.

Yarn Along IV

This week's Yarn Along, hosted by Ginny, takes on a bit of an Advent theme for me.

I am sharing a project that I have been working on for a long time. (I started it back in March.) It doesn't really have a deadline, so I simply take it out in-between projects or when I need a break from whatever I'm currently working on. Over the summer, I didn't work on it much, but now that the nights are colder, this is the perfect knit, because it keeps me warm while I make some progress! And it is a quiet, simple knit—just right for a quiet, simple Advent.

It is a prayer shawl. And the pattern is from this book. The yarn is Patons Shetland Chunky Tweeds in Sea Ice.

As for books, I am reading two Advent-themed books. Destination Bethlehem is our family read-aloud. This is the third year we have read this book during Advent, and my children really enjoy it. It's very anticipatory in nature, guiding the characters—and readers—closer and closer to the birth of Jesus.

For my own, personal reflection time, I am reading Joyous Expectation: Journeying Through Advent with Mary. Being nine months pregnant myself this Advent, I already have started to experience a new and profound connection with Our Blessed Mother. I feel a deeper connection to her, as I await the birth of my son in just a couple weeks. I feel very, very grateful for this, and pray that through these meditations, I can prepare for my son's birth, as well as Christ's birth, with her as my guide.

A blessed Advent to you!