I decided this weekend that during the month of November, I am going to physically prepare for Christmas. Not like the crazy Target lady in the ads (remember her?), but rather my home, my calendar, my shopping list, etc. I want to be able to spend Advent preparing my heart and helping my family ready to celebrate the birth of Christ, and if I tackle some other things now that may be able to help me breathe easier during December.
One tool I will be using is the brand-new Gooseberry Patch cookbook, Hometown Christmas. Like their Hometown Harvest cookbook I told you about last month, this cookbook is full of seasonal recipes, crafty projects, and tips to make your holiday shine! With a whole chapter dedicated to the Slow-Cooker, this is one that will stay on my countertop through the holidays. It’s also inspired me to host a holiday get-together with two chapters geared towards entertaining. Here’s the chapter lineup with yummy recipes from each:
Breakfast with Santa: Overnight Vanilla French Toast, Pretty Pecan-Cranberry Butter, Easy Cinnamon-Pecan Buns
Sledding Party Warmers: Hearty Hamburger Veggie Soup, Rike’s Barbecue
Old-Fashioned Christmas Dinner:Â Nanny’s Blue Cheese Potatoes, Inside-Out Raviolis, Scalloped Potatoes & Ham
Open House… You’re Invited! Cranberry-Pecan Spread, Tam’s Tomato-Basil Squares, Homemade Soft Pretzels, Easy Peppermint Eggnog, Cranberry Tea Punch
Tree-Trimming Treats:{In my opinion, this chapter has the best recipes in the book!}Â Peppermint Pinwheels, Layered Mint Brownies, Raspberry Jellies, Homemade Marshmallows, Apple-Walnut Bundt Cake, Snowy-Day Gingerbread, Bette’s Chocolate & Peppermint Roll
Slow-Cooker Comfort Foods: Laura’s White Bean Soup, LeighAnn’s Tortellini Soup, Apple Cider Pork*, Holiday Brown Sugar Ham
While the recipes are simple, many from great-grandmas and aunties, and all delicious, my favorite part of this new book is the chapter Coming Home for Christmas, which is all sweet Christmas memories from Gooseberry Patch fans around the world! Here’s one to make you feel all warm and cozy:
This is my fondest memory of Christmas past and present. On the 24th of December, our parents, my twelve brothers and sisters and I would get our horses, hook up the sleds and off we went into the woods to cut down our Christmas tree. We would sing carols as we went along, as the snow fells straight from the sky. Then we took the tree home and put it in the shed so the snow would melt off. Into the house we went for hot chocolate and Christmas cookies. By then it was time to put up the tree and we all decorated it before going to bed. This is going back over 45 years ago, and I will always carry those memories with me.
-Anita Wilson, Newfoundland Canada
Ready to deck your halls yet? =) Enter to win a copy of Hometown Christmas using the form below. I can’t wait to send one of you this brand-new cookbook just in time to help you prepare for the Christmas season! Ooh, and be sure to follow the Hometown Christmas board on Pinterest – the other early-bird reviewer bloggers are busy pinning away recipes from this cookbook! I’ll have a couple more recipes up there soon =)
-Anna
{girl with blog}
To prepare for Christmas, I decorate my home, make Christmas cards, a spread Christmas cheer for all to hear!
I listen to lots of Christmas music, and decorate with lots of lights.
On the night of November 30th, my husband and I decorate the house after the kids go to sleep. Then, they wake up to a holiday wonderland!
The day after Thanksgiving we always get the Christmas tree (or put the fake one when living in a desert, or in a country that does not celebrate Christmas) and begin decorating the house! That following weekend is devoted to the baking of trays full of treats to enjoy throughout the month while spending time with family and watching Christmas movies. As an established “lady of the house” now, would love some new recipes to add in to the old fashioned favorites!
This year I’m trying to have all my shopping done by December so we can truly enjoy the season with lots of reflection, baking, music and fun?
I decorate and bake! 🙂 I LOVE to bake for the holidays! 🙂
I love decorating the house! This year I am already half way done with my shopping (who am I?) so it will really relieve the last minute stress! I love you plan to spend December preparing your heart! We did Ann Voskamp’s Advent devotional last year and I will be looking for a new one to do this year. I really enjoyed the tradition and remembrance of it!
I love to do everything. We usually decorate a day or two after Thanksgiving and baking commences shortly after :))
To prepare for Christmas , I keep my shopping list with names saved from year to year , start shopping early , and make a list for food I want to cook . So guess it boils down to , I am a list maker .
We set a budget for everyone and then my mom and I head out on Black Friday for an entire girls’ day of shopping. It’s a tradition for us. To me, that kicks off the Christmas season!
love to listen to music.Do some baking .Put up a tree . We are not able to exchange Christmas gifts this year.Husband not working.
I prepare for Christmas by making my Christmas cards.
Love listening to Christmas music as I try new recipes to give to friends and family.
Listen to lots of Christmas music and bake lots & lots of wonderful tasty cookies to giveaway.
Since it’s just two of us, we really don’t do much. One year we thought it would be funny to go out for Chinese on Christmas Day. Typically we cook whatever strikes us. No set menu
I like the Christmas movies and cartoons that come on then
Remember how happy my kids were when they watched them
Stocking up on baking staples & watching endless winter movies is how I prepare for the holidays!
I do lots and lots of baking so that on Christmas Eve I can deliver many trays of goodies to friends, family and patients.
The day after Thanksgiving, I start playing Christmas music. It’s also the time to watch the old Christmas classic movies like “White Christmas” and “The Bishop’s Wife”.
I listen to lots of Christmas music and start my baking, and I know it’s right around the corner when I get my Santas Choice Hampers!!!
Sounds like a great cookbook! Christmas is my favorite time of the year. So love spending time with family and making good food to go with it.
We bake cookies and deliver them to neighbors and decorate the house and tree, sing christmas carols and songs.
I love to listen to Christmas music, watch Christmas movies, decorate my home, using alot of lights. I have grandchildren now, they keep me young, and we have fun. Love baking cookies, bars, and pies, and a new Christmas cake every year.
Our family gathers for breakfast every Christmas morning.
I think of the sparkle in my children and now grandchildrens eyes. The magic of the season. When my children were small we always made a red velvet cake and sang happy birthday Jesus.
It is supposed to be warm in Michigan this weekend so will decorate my home.
It sounds like a great cookbook because I love to bake and try different recipes!
I love to decorate the outside of my home. My husband of 33 years thinks I am a nut because I REFUSE to let anyone else up the ladder:)
To prepare for Christmas I have to put up the tree and decorate it. Decide on what to have for Christmas dinner, wrap all the presents, send out cards make sure the house is spic and span. But the best part is waiting for family to come in then I know its Christmas.
Baking is a big part of our family’s traditions. We have a few recipes that we make every Christmas but we love trying out new things. Santa has never gotten the same cookies twice!
i bake pie and cookies santa’s favorite
I decorate my house, listen to Christmas music and bake goodies! Also start shopping! My favorite time of the year!!
I love everything about Christmas, but especially decorating, baking and making gifts. I have ot take a week of vacation from work to get everything done. I host a holiday brunch for my staff that is something they always look forward to. I would rather spend time with people than making gifts.
I start my list for gifts and start baking.
Pray, decorate, cook and anticipate!!
Baking, Mass as a family, Christmas music!
I always vow to be more prepared and seem to still be running like crazy trying to get it all done. Perhaps it is time to make things simpler…
This sounds like a super fun book! I love new recipes and holiday ideas!
My family comes home for Thanksgiving and we start decorating and I try to have all my shopping done by Dec. 1.
Our house is where our entire family celebrates the Holidays, Thanksgiving & Christmas! I love the house full of family making memories, laughing, eating!
To prepare for Christmas? I panic, panic and then panic some more … make lists ….shop, shop and shop some more, then send out Christmas cards (usually too late), then panic and bake and clean and panic and decorate and then … it’s here and gone and I’m still not ready! Oh well, maybe next year! lol I really need this book!
One thing my 14 yo daughter and I do to prepare for Christmas is read the book, “The Christmas Mystery” by Jostein Gaarder every year. We start on December 1st and the book’s chapters are arranged by date from Dec. 1 thru the 25th. We’ve been doing this for the last seven years and we both have a lot of laughs while doing it. There are parts where I always pause…and she knows what phrase comes next and she giggles it! I’m thinking this is a tradition she will probably continue with her children someday!
Am starting to get a few things set up for the holidays. Want to get a few meals frozen ahead so it is easy when time feels short. We are checking lights this weekend, and want to decorate outside next weekend.
I need to get the tree out of storage and decorate my kitchen table. I have a small apartment so a few decorations go a long way. Oh, yes! I can’t forget the Christmas wreath that I made. I like to make things myself and for gifts.
I am making Christmas gifts for everyone this year and I will spend my Christmas alone but happy. I go to the movies and see all the new shows that come out. It is a enjoyable day and the prep is easy because I cook a little all week and have a nice meal before I leave then great leftovers when I get home.
I make most of my gifts as well. I make clothing and food. I love to decorate the house and outdoors.
I tell my wife and son to give me their wish list by the day before Thanksgiving. That way I can take my time looking and ordering, plus sometimes I luck out on Friday and Saturday after Thanksgiving sales.
I make cinnamon buns Christmas morning.
I put up my tree the day after Thanksgiving and start decorating.
I listen to Christmas music, decorate the house, then relax w/hot chocolate
the day after (sometimes during ) Thanksgiving I have my husband bring down all my Christmas tubs from the attic – and all day affair! I just love going thru all my decorations and adding more every year of the things I make……………all the things handed down and made by family.
I start planning the menu for Thanksgiving and Christmas at the same time so I can start looking for deals
I do the usual (cards, cookies, etc.) but I also give my kids money each year to give to charity. They are adults now and it is interesting to see where they put the money.
I dwell deep in devotions during the season of advent, decorate the house, make delightful cookies, and prepare my home to welcome guests.
I love Gooseberry Patch cookbooks & so does my daughter. This looks like another great one to peruse. I like to listen to Amy Grant’s Christmas CD when I decorate & that really helps put me in the Christmas mood.
Start early as not to be overwhelmed
Start with Thanksgiving day! We have a traditional dinner in the mid afternoon. Then we bring out the Christmas things that evening! The tree must be up that day! My boys pull out all 20 nutcracker and place them around! Every few days I bake some sort of treat! I love the Christmas season since I have learned to slow it down and not stress to get things done!
Would love to win. I love Christmas.
I LOVE decorating for Christmas….I have way too much stuff and it takes more than a day to decorate it all with the 2 trees I put up! 🙂 I have been itching to put my trees up early but really want to enjoy Thanksgiving especially since I am hosting this year…so I am forcing myself to wait! 🙂
Always a good reminder to focus on preparing our hearts for Jesus during Advent. It’s fun decorating the house to help ’em along!
It’s not Christmas at my home until the village is up and running. Train and everything.
November and December are my favorite months! For us, Christmas starts the day after Thanksgiving. Putting up and decorating the tree, hanging the stockings, playing all the old favorite Christmas carols, and watching fun and sentimental movies together puts all of us in the Christmas spirit.
I pinterest Christmas things beginning in October and start talking about how wonderful Christmas is to anyone who’ll listen! I plan Christmas crafts and gifts to make and do my best to wait until the week of Thanksgiving to put up my decorations! This is the most wonderful time of the year!
Tree goes up weekend after Thanksgiving (usually). I plan gifts to make (and give); and bake, if I find the time. In the past few years, I’ve become much better, and not stressed, if I can complete all my projects!
For Christmas we decorate the house, put up lights, buy presents for family and friends, and make lots of delicious food!
We celebrate Thanksgiving and Christmas in our home with our visiting children and grandchildren. We decorate inside and outside on Black Friday, instead of shopping. LOL! So less stressful. On Dec 20 and 21 we bake about 40 dozen Christmas cookies and 8 different kinds to share with family and friends. Yummy! I am always looking for new recipes and this book would be ideal.
We celebrate Christmas with our children, grandchildren, nephews and their families. We get together after the Christmas because we are a family of preachers and we spend the month of December with Christmas programs, church parties and Christmas Eve services. After all has settled we get gather at our home to just spend time together over food and fellowship. It is truly a blest season.