Home for the Holidays with Author Catherine Castle

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Catherine Castle's Holiday blog series, Christmas traditions, Home for the Holidays, nativites, pictures of nativities

A Nativity Collection Tradition

 

Today marks the end of the Home for the Holiday blog series. I hope you’ve all enjoyed meeting new authors and finding out how they celebrate the Christmas holidays.  I’m closing out the series with a photo display of a few items from my Nativity collection. Every other year they go up on the sideboard I inherited from my mother. Opposite years get the Christmas village collection. The sideboard is getting quite full, and it takes me a long time to unwrap and arrange the Holy Family.

 

I especially love the unusual nativities, like this Celtic stone nativity.

And the American Indian nativity.

This next set was made by my sister and sister-in-law. I received it for Christmas in 1970.  It has a lighted stable, which you can see in the background. Don’t you love the expression on the little shepherd boy’s face? The small items in front of the manger are the wisemen’s gifts of gold, myrrh and frankincense.  I picked the gold nugget up on a trip out west. I don’t remember where the other gifts came from.

Here’s another favorite of mine-a Southwest design. The arms above the birds are three candleholders.

 

This is the oldest nativity I have. It’s a matching set of bookends painted by my husband when he was in grade school, and yes, I do display it.

And I can’t forget the needlepoint set crafted by my mother-in-law. The stable has “wings” on each side so it stands upright on its own, as do the Holy Family pieces.

These are just a few of my assortment of nativites. I have dozens more of all sizes and shapes, from Lennox china nativities to paper nativities. When we travel, I’m always on the hunt for them. Santa and his reindeer may be fun, but, to me, a nativity embodies the real spirit of Christmas.

What about you? Do you have a favorite nativity that you display at Christmas?

Thanks for sharing Home for the Holidays with me and my guest authors this year. I hope you’ve enjoyed it as much as we have.

Merry Christmas and Happy New Year to everyone!

 

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Home for the Holidays with author Bonnie Engstrom

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Three Engstrom Family Traditions

Thirty+ years ago I started buying three ornaments the day after Christmas when they were on sale. These would be a surprise for my three children next year when we decorated the tree. Since we had two boys and a girl, I had to be sure I found matching ornaments that represented each. My favorites are skiing bunnies, two boy bunnies (one dressed in green and one in blue) and a girl bunny dressed in red. These and their companions are now in storage in a box labeled Family Ornaments.

The Santa house is born!

When our first grandchild, Mookie, was born 10 1/2 years ago I wanted her to know the magic of Christmas. I wanted something she could understand at a young age. I wanted it to be bright and festive, so I focused on a Santa theme for our home. I never felt Santa took the place of Jesus, just added a bit of frivolity. So, my tree is decorated entirely, yes entirely, with Santas – many representing family members: a fishing Santa for Grandpa; a surfing Santa for one uncle, and a techie Santa for another; a baseball and golfing Santa for the kids’ dad; even dog and cat Santas for the pets. My entire house is decorated with Santas, even Santas representing the colleges we all attended. This year Mookie and her three siblings helped decorate the tree and enjoyed asking  which Santa represents whom.

  

Blessedly, my grandchildren attend Sunday school and I talk with them often about Jesus and His birth. Their parents and I have beautiful Nativity scenes in our homes. Perhaps when the children get a bit older, I will retire my Santas and decorate only with Nativity scenes (harder to find, though). Or, I may unwrap the family ornaments and use them. I’m not sorry I decorate with Santas. I’ve talked with God about this, and I think He’s okay with it. He knows my heart.

I have six grandchildren now. God has truly blessed me. And, it’s so exciting to see their faces light up seeing all the red Santas on the tree and the others in my house. I want them to remember Grammy’s house as the Santa house. Then, I will remind them about Jesus’ birth and the true story of Christmas. Santa is just fun, Jesus is what life on this earth is all about. Yet, both are givers of gifts. One the silly, fun gifts, the Other the gift of precious life.

Perhaps my very favorite tradition happens when we have our semi-annual holiday party between Christmas and New Year’s Day. The invitation requests each guest bring a wrapped ornament with a tag explaining its significance to their family. As guests enter the party they drop their ornament in a big basket by the door, and as they leave they take one from the basket. It’s a fun exchange and almost always results in a perfect surprise. One year a neighbor who is a pilot brought a tiny airplane ornament. By pure chance our son who had recently purchased his own airplane got it! Now that’s serendipity! The Day family in my novella Her Candy Cane Christmas^* shares this tradition. Read the story to find out what ornament Noelle picks. And, like our family, they serve Honey Baked Ham soup; but unlike ours, they skip the tradition of Swedish Glögg, my hubby’s specialty.

 

About the Author

BONNIE ENGSTROM, is a freelance writer, former newspaper columnist, wife, mom and grandmother. She lives in Scottsdale, AZ, with Dave, her psychologist husband of over fifty years, and Sam and Lola, their dogs. Her favorite genres are romance, mystery, and ‘fun’ animal stories.  You can learn more about Bonnie at her website http://bonnieengstrom.com/  Her Candy Cane Christmas is available at Amazon on Kindle or in print.

 

Home for the Holidays with Author Joi Copeland

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Photo from Wikimedia

 

Christmas Lights

 

“Baby, it’s cold outside!” And we love it! Christmas time in Metro-Denver, Colorado, with a chill in the air, is one of the things my family and I adore. It just isn’t Christmas for us if it is 80 degrees.

So, one night a year, we adorn our jackets, scarves, mittens, and beanies, and we head outside to our vehicle. We drive just a little ways down the street to another one of our favorite places: Starbucks. Once we each have our drinks, we jump into the van, turn on Christmas music, and drive around looking at Christmas lights.

We love to see what different houses do to celebrate the birth of our Savior! When we lived in California, we used to drive to Rancho Cucamonga and Glendora and check out the neighborhood light displays. Those were always the best. Such creativity went into lighting up each house in those neighborhoods.

When we moved to Colorado seven years ago, we discovered they don’t have neighborhood lights like we are used to. So, we pick a few streets to drive down, ooh and ahh over the light displays, enjoy the music, and enjoy each other. My boys, husband, and I love this tradition. Sometimes, we last an hour, others we last a little less. It doesn’t matter how long we are out, as long as we are with each other

 

ABout the Author:

Joi loves Christmas because of the beauty and wonder of how God chose to reach man. His love for us astounds Joi and she loves to celebrate this time of year! It is her favorite season!

Joi writes Women’s Christian Fiction, based on Hope and Redemption. You can find Joi and her books at Amazon.

 

Home for the Holidays with author Traci Tyne Hilton

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A Sweet Christmas

When I say my mom can cook, I’m not just being polite. Once, her food was described as “magical” by a woman whose own mother was a home ec teacher! She has “the touch” for want of better word. A way of making simple food glorious and fancy food taste like it came from finest restaurant in the world. I suspect cooking is her spiritual gift.

Growing up with that kind of talent meant that every holiday was a “food” holiday, and none more so than Christmas. I could sing raptures about the seven or eight kinds of Christmas cookies we had every year, or the broiled sweet potato spears she invented a few years back, or the double-stuffed overnight mashed potatoes, but those are second tier foods when compared to the one thing that says Christmas to our family.

Cinnamon Rolls.

These aren’t your normal fluffy bread and frosting things you can get at the mall. These are decadent, gooey, caramel covered pieces of heaven. Once, while traveling across the state on vacation, I came across one restaurant who made cinnamon rolls that rivaled my mom’s, but that was the only time I have had anything as good, ever. In my life. I know I should share the recipe with you now. That is what you came for. But how can you share a spiritual gift? You have the touch, or you don’t!

Her recipe was one she learned in high school, and hasn’t changed much since. She makes the sweet bread “to touch.” When it looks right, it’s ready. She lets it raise, then butters it and sprinkles it liberally with cinnamon and sugar, in proportions that look right to her expert eye. Then she rolls it up, slices it, and lets it rise again. She bakes it with a special brew of butter and brown sugar to make the caramel, as I can’t eat corn syrup any more, though it used to be Karo Syrup for the caramel.

That’s it. Some sweet bread, some sugar, some butter, and some cinnamon. Anyone could do it, right? Sure. If they are magic! Want to try it anyway? (and who wouldn’t?) Here’s a link to a similar recipe. If it tastes like magic when you are done, I suspect, just maybe, cooking is your spiritual gift as well!  Caramel rolls

 

About the Author:

Traci Tyne Hilton is a Christian Cozy Mystery author with over 13 novels out, three of which are pretty darn wintery. She and her family are praying for a white Christmas—a rare treat in their part of the Pacific Northwest! Learn more about Traci’s work at http://www.tracihilton.com and come by and say hi on facebook at Facebook.com/tracithilton.

Home for the Holidays with Author Gail Kittleson

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Catherine Castle’s Holiday blog, Christmas Past and Present, Holiday Tradition, Home for the Holidays with Author Gail Kittleson

 

Christmas Past and Present

 

More than thirty years ago, my husband and I spent Christmas alone in a distant land—Senegal, West Africa. Knowing what our two-year-old daughter and one-year old were missing around their Grandmas’ Christmas trees, with cousins and packages galore, we were sort of bummed. But opening the packages we’d packed in a barrel six months earlier helped, and instituted a new holiday tradition.

It was only a cheap metal contraption, but when we put it together and lit the candles, the hot air caused movement and a chiming sound the children loved. So after we returned to the States, we kept unpacking the treasure every year so it could dance in the middle of our table.

At some point, Grandma gifted us with a wooden version—the real thing, straight from Germany, and our grandchildren enjoy it as much as their mom did. Interesting that such a small addition to our decorations has made such a big difference in the eyes of the little ones.

Kind of like the small things in the Nativity story—a stable, no room in the inn, shepherds posted nearby. Those shepherds became real for me in Senegal, where we worked with Pulaar herdsmen, and I wrote an essay about one of them when he visited our courtyard one day. This real shepherd, smelly and germy and culturally worlds apart from us, changed my view of the stable scene.

If you’d like to read more about him, you’ll find the story in a fresh anthology published by Little Cab Press.

 

About the Author

Gail loves Christmas because it’s all about people. From the manger scene in Bethlehem to the modern-day celebrations, people are front and center during this season. And that means STORY is bursting out all over. Gail writes women’s historical fiction, and her debut novel, IN THIS TOGETHER, released in November. Dottie Kyle, the heroine, experiences Christmas 1946, with people challenges galore. And Gail’s finding that even after publication, it’s still all about people.

 

Home for the Holidays with Author Mary Ellis

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Breakfast casserole, Catherine Castle’s Holiday blog, Home for the Holidays, make-ahead-breakfast, Mary Ellis

Award-winning author Mary Ellis is with us today sharing her favorite Christmas Morning Breakfast Casserole. This sounds so yummy!  I’m doing a Christmas brunch this year, and I’m searching for easy brunch recipes. I love the make-ahead aspect of this recipe.

Christmas Morning Breakfast Casserole

by Mary Ellis

 

Melt 2 Tbls butter in a skillet and add 4 cups of hash brown potatoes. Season to taste.

Scramble about 18 eggs (add a small amount of milk and salt before cooking)

2 lbs bulk sausage – sauté until brown and crumbly. I add a small amount of Lawry’s seasoning salt while sautéing.

Add 1 can of cream of mushroom soup and 1 can of milk to ½ the cooked sausage. Mix well and heat thoroughly.

Layer in the bottom of a 9 x 9 x 3 inch pan the hash browns, followed by the scrambled eggs, the sausage, and finally the sausage/soup mixture. Bake at 350 degrees approximately 15 minutes or until bubbly. Then add 2 cups of a finely shredded cheese of your choice (mild or sharp cheddar works well) and continue to bake until cheese melts.

This recipe can be prepared the day before, refrigerated overnight, and then baked. You might need to add a little extra baking time.

About the Author:

Mary Ellis loves dinner with her numerous cousins on Christmas Eve, followed by candlelight service in the hosting family’s church. Then she sleeps dreaming of sugar cookies, roast turkey and brightly wrapped presents under the tree. She lives in Ohio with her husband, dog and cat, and writes Amish fiction and romantic suspense for Harvest House Publishers.  Mary can be found on the web at: www.maryellis.net

Check out Mary Ellis’ other posts on this blog by searching for Mary Ellis.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Home for the Holidays with Author Catherine Castle

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Catherine Castle’s Holiday blog, Christmas poems, Ghazel poetry form, Home for the Holidays with author Catherine Castle, White Christmas poem

A Christmas Ghazel

by Catherine Castle

 

I love Christmas music. When radio stations begin playing Christmas music the day after Thanksgiving I turn on the radio and listen to the songs. The music is great, but as a poet at heart, I love the lyrics best.

Around Thanksgiving, I also start thinking about my own Christmas lyrics, aka poems, a few which have been set to music (which only I can play, because I write and sing better than I compose). Almost every year I write a new Christmas poem. I’ve been too busy to write one this year, so I’ll share an oldie I wrote with my daughter in mind.

White Christmas Ghazel echoes another tradition my daughter and I have. We make Sugar Christmas cookies from Great-Grandma’s recipe and watch the movie “White Christmas” starring Bing Crosby and Rosemary Clooney. Our favorite song, which we always sing together, is “Sisters”.

The poem, which is part of my poetry chapbook Christmas Cacophony © 2011, is written in the Ghazel form. A ghazel is poem consisting of 5-12 rhymed couplets with the same rhyme and pattern and includes the poet’s name in the last line.

 

White Christmas Ghazel

By Catherine Castle

from the chapbook

Christmas Cacophony

© 2011

 

A white Christmas means there is snow.

White Christmas is also a musical show.

Watching the musical, they drink cocoa,

And they roll out Christmas cookie dough.

With flour-crusted hands, they doe-see-doe.

They sing “Sisters” as Bing croons in falsetto.

Their duet isn’t very pianissimo.

Catherine and her daughter sing with braggadocio.

 

Have you ever tried your hand at a Christmas poem?

 

ABout the Author:

Catherine Castle loves every part of the holiday season. She loves the hustle and bustle of decorating, shopping, baking Christmas cookies with her daughter while they sing Bing Crosby, and the family gatherings. She especially loves the quiet, still moments on Christmas Eve when they light the candles at the Christmas Eve service and remember the reason for the season.  You can learn more about Catherine on this blog or at her Amazon

 

 

 

 

 

Home for the Holidays with Author Donna Alice Patton

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Author Donna Patton, Catherine Castle Holiday Blog, Christmas traditions, Holiday Sightseeing, Home for the Holidays

 

 

Over the River and Through the Woods

A Holiday Tradition with Donna Alice Patton

 

Over the river and through the woods . . . to the big city we go!!

As a country girl at heart, it’s not often you’ll find me in any city. . .  except at Christmas. Once a year, my family (whoever can come on a certain date) follow a tradition Grandpa Corbin began over forty years ago. We meet in downtown Cincinnati to welcome in the season with a little holiday sightseeing.

When we went with Grandpa, the main objective was to watch the lighting of the gigantic Christmas tree on Fountain Square. Now our trip has evolved more to Sunday afternoon family time.

Our first order of business is always taking a horse-drawn carriage ride through the city.

The carriage ride in downtown Cincinnati

True, the lights aren’t on during the day, but we can see the store windows with clever decorations. Sometimes we sing “Jingle Bells” and wave at people passing by. More often it becomes a time of sharing family stories. Many of my grandparents and great-grandparents left the farms in Kentucky to settle in Cincinnati. The carriage ride is a way to ‘tour’ some of the places relevant to our family’s lives. Our younger members – rural kids every one – find it unbelievable that people could LIVE eight stories up as their great-grandma did.

Next stop is our traditional visit to the Westin Hotel. Every year they put up a decorated Christmas tree in the lobby, complete with Santa and eight flying reindeer.  We gather in front of the white picket fence for photo ops, and then ride the escalators (a real novelty) to the second floor. The Westin advertises Cincinnati Theater’s play of “A Christmas Carol” with life-sized figures in clever, Christmas decorations. It’s fun to stand by Scrooge or Tiny Tim, take pictures and pretend to be part of Dickens’ classic tale.

Then it’s on to Macy’s. In a rural area where we waited ten years to have Wal-Mart, a real department store is a novelty. The little girls adore the perfume counter with all the free samples. The Santa-believers in the bunch love the department store Santa. If the line is reasonable, we wait for the littlest family members to share their wishes with the Jolly One.

After Macy’s, we might head off to Eden Park and the live Nativity, or maybe to explore a new part of the city. Weather permitting; we stop at Fountain Square for some ice skating on the seasonal rink. If it’s too cold, we may all end up somewhere warm and cozy for hot chocolate. Although it might seem uneventful to many people, our Christmas City Day has become a cherished tradition. It’s a time to celebrate the holidays, our family and a way to share memories with the younger generation. Somehow, I think Grandpa would be happy to know what he started.

 

About the Author

Donna Alice Patton is a freelance writer and editor who lives in rural Ohio. Christmas is one of her favorite times of the year – even with the necessity of keeping the wood stove filled! Reading books with a Christmas theme is a favorite activity for any season of the year. Visit her at her Amazon Author page.

Home for the Holidays with Author Amber Schamel

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Author Amber Schamel, Catherine Castle Holiday Blog, Christmas without a Christmas tree, Holiday Traditions, Home for the Holidays

 A Holiday Centered Around the Reason for the Season

  by Amber Schamel

The Holidays at my house are unique. One of the most common comments I receive after telling folks I’m the second oldest of twelve children is “Christmas must be a hoot!” and let me assure you. It is.

You’ll probably be surprised to hear that my favorite Christmas tradition is…not having a Christmas tree.

WHAT? No Christmas tree? With twelve kids?

No, I’m not one of those people who doesn’t celebrate Christmas at all. I love Christmas, but unfortunately, there are a lot of people in this world that would like to take CHRIST out of CHRISTmas. My family wanted to keep the holiday centered around its true meaning, so instead of a Christmas tree, we have a manger.

This manger is homemade out of wood in a crude style that looks authentic. My brothers made it with their own hands, which makes it even more special. We put it in the living room and fill it with hay. Then my baby sister will contribute one of her dolls to serve as Baby Jesus for the season. We wrap it in a pillow case or something of the sort to act as swaddling clothes. We hang a star above the manger. When I was young, we cut out a star from cardboard and covered it in foil. Today, we have a snazzy light up star that blinks. 😉

The Christmas gifts are placed under the manger, just like the Wise Men  might have done thousands of years ago. My family is big on gifts, so we end up with a LOT of them by Christmas morning. Even our youngest ones will work hard and save money so they can buy something at the dollar store to give their brothers, sisters and parents for Christmas.

To me, this tradition is priceless. It gives the young children a visual and emotional connection to the Nativity.

In what ways does your family keep the Christ in Christmas?

 

About the Author

Amber’s favorite Christmas tradition is not having a tree.  Author of over half a dozen books, Amber Schamel writes riveting stories that bring HIStory to life. She has a passion for travel, history, books and her Savior. This combination results in what her readers call “historical fiction at its finest”.  She lives in Colorado and spends half her time volunteering in the Ozarks. Visit her online at www.AmberSchamel.com/

 

 

 

Home for the Holidays with Author Katie O’Boyle

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Catherine Castle Holiday Blog, Finger Lakes book settings, Gluten-free recipe, Home for the Holidays, Katie O'Boyle, Mushroom-Garden Stuffing, Waking Up to Love

Can you say, YUMM? This delicious recipe, from author Katie O’Boyle, has me ready to run to the store, get the ingredients, and make it tonight. Who cares about the turkey!

 

Family-favorite Stuffing for Christmas Dinner

 

For author Katie O’Boyle, the family Christmas dinner is a simple and joyful celebration. Four people gather in Seneca Falls—Katie’s sister, her brother-in-law (the cook!), their ninety-three-year-old friend John, and Katie. John brings wine, Katie brings Mushroom Garden Stuffing, and the cook does the rest: golden-roasted turkey breast, two kinds of potatoes, green beans, peas, butternut squash, cranberry sauce, and gravy. Healthy and delicious! Dessert features a pie and may include a few help-yourself treats like cashews, chocolates, and cookies from a holiday Cookie Walk.

Mushroom Garden Stuffing is a long-time favorite. The two main ingredients, apples and celery, please every palate. This recipe works just as well with margarine instead of butter and with any kind of bread.

Katie bakes it at home in a 3-quart oval baking dish, then warms it 15-20 minutes before serving.

 

Mushroom Garden Stuffing

(gluten-free)

4-6 Tbsp. butter

1 cup sweet onion, chopped

3 cups celery, chopped

1 pound fresh mushrooms, sliced

2 cups crisp apple (such as McIntosh), chopped

4 cups gluten-free cornbread, cubed in 1-inch pieces

1/4 tsp. sage

1/4 tsp. thyme

1/4 tsp. black pepper

 

Bake the cornbread ahead and allow to cool completely (may be baked a day ahead).

Preheat oven to 325 degrees.

Heat 4 Tbsp. butter in a large skillet. Clean and chop the onion and celery. Add to skillet. Cook on medium heat, stirring occasionally, until onion is transparent and mixture begins to brown. Then transfer to a large bowl.

Clean and slice the mushrooms and remove moisture with paper towels. Add more butter to the skillet as needed. Add the mushrooms and sprinkle with the sage, thyme, and pepper. Stir occasionally to incorporate the seasonings and insure the mushrooms brown evenly.

Meanwhile, peel and chop the apple. Add to bowl with celery and onion. When the mushrooms have browned, transfer to bowl with onion, celery, and apple. Mix to combine.

“Toast” the bread cubes in the skillet, in batches, scraping the pan with a wooden spoon so the bread picks up any leftover butter and herbs. Add to bowl. Toss gently to combine.

Butter or grease the casserole dish. Add contents of bowl. Bake covered 30 minutes; uncover and bake 30 minutes more or until top begins to brown.

Tips from Katie: to accommodate my arthritis, I sometimes buy pre-chopped onion and celery and pre-sliced mushrooms, or I prepare the vegetables the night before. If I’m not up to baking cornbread from scratch, I use Glutino Gluten-free Pantry Yankee Cornbread mix and follows package directions.

 

About the Author

Katie O’Boyle is the author of the Lakeside Porches series of contemporary romances from Soul Mate Publishing. She grew up in Seneca Falls in the heart of the Finger Lakes of Upstate New York. Her books are set in the fictitious Finger Lakes town of Tompkins Falls.

Katie’s latest release, Waking Up To Love, features a Christmas wedding in Cornwall. Traditional chestnut stuffing is on the buffet, along with a golden-roasted bird, carvery roasts, gravy, fruit sauces, abundant vegetables, and figgy pudding.

For more information about Katie and her books: http://www.katieoboyle.com

To read more about Katie on this blog check out her latest posts Planning A Cornish Wedding