Often it was the little things that made those darkish days more pleasant. A storybook shared while snuggling on the couch. A slice of warm-from-the-oven banana bread with a pat of butter.  A phone call or visit from a friend which might include commiserating, laughing, book sharing and other conversations about the stuff of our lives—important and trivial.

Connecting with a friend was often all I needed to chase the blues away. I treasured those conversations—especially face to face ones. Someone else understood and was walking my path too!  And my load was lightened.

I savor the many memories I have of kids running around my house, my friends and I using our well-honed ability to carry on a deep conversation in spite of many interruptions.  These play dates often included a hot cup of Chai tea and something to nibble: perhaps a slice of banana bread, because somehow there are always overripe bananas around where there are preschoolers.

If you are struggling with the winter blues today, why not make a phone call or invite a friend over? See what happens to your feelings when you intentionally connect with someone else.  Initiate a conversation. Have an old fashioned coffee klatch.  Or just go for it and throw a party and fill your house with preschoolers and parents—for no reason at all.

Here are some recipes which have been a pleasant accompaniment to many happy play dates. Chai tea and my aunt’s delicious banana bread. Invite a friend over and enjoy!

Chai Tea Recipe

However much water you use initially is how much milk (preferable whole milk) you add to the batch at the end.
Black Tea
Cardamom Pods (crack open a bit)  I use 5 -7 pods for 3 -4 cups of chai
Fresh Ginger – cut up or crush about a 1” inch segment
Cook water, cardamom, ginger and tea – boil for about 3 – minutes
Strain off the cardamom, ginger and tea bags (you could always put the cardamom, ginger and tea bag in a cheesecloth pouch to make it easier to strain later.
Add milk, and heat back up.
Add sugar or sweetener to taste.

Serve and enjoy.

Aunt Lib’s Banana Bread

¾ c. flour
1 ½ c. sugar
1 t. baking soda
½ t. salt
2 eggs
2 med. ripe bananas (1 cup)
½ c. vegetable oil
¼ c. + 1 T buttermilk
1 t. vanilla
1 c. chopped walnuts

Combine flour, sugar, baking soda and salt in medium bowl. Set aside. In another bowl mix together eggs, bananas, oil, buttermilk, vanilla and walnuts. Add the flour mixture to the wet ingredients and mix until just combined. Do not over mix.

Pour into a greased loaf pan. Bake at 350 for 1 hour and 25 minutes.

Cool for 10 minutes then remove to wire rack.

-posted by Donna Detweiler, who usually find banana bread dry and boring, but goes for seconds on this version!

On such moment was the neighborhood kids club my daughter decided to host. She was around 8 years old at the time.  We often had families with younger children visit, and she had an interest in these little ones.  Her girlfriend who lived next-door was also, and one day they hatched the neighborhood kids club idea.

They created elaborate plans which they excitedly showed me. A permission slip was designed. Lists of games prepared. A detailed schedule constructed, including when the children would take a potty break and have a nap. The 5 children invited ranged from 2 to 4 years old.

We chose a date, and the girls called each of the parents.  The children were thrilled to have been invited to “Katie’s house.”  The mothers’ reaction was much the same. And so the plans were set.

The girls worked hard to get everything ready. They refined their lists. Got out the age-appropriate toys.  They enthusiastically shopped for snacks and juice boxes at the store. They could hardly wait.

The moms and kids arrived and signed in their children.  Smiles were on all faces as these young girls took charge of these delighted little ones. Much to my surprise, most of the moms actually left, which tells you how desperate mothers can be for time away!

For the next hour and a half, the budding teachers cared for their little charges.  They played Ring around the Rosie, and toss the balloon.  They had a snack and played outside. They read a story. They also chased around little boys who wouldn’t sit in a circle, or play a game, or do anything they were told to do. They learned that sometimes the schedule doesn’t work and that kids do what they want to do and you can’t make them do what YOU want them to.

At the end of the club, the mom’s picked up their children, who got hugs and kisses before they reluctantly left. The teachers were not so reluctant to see them go. They were exhausted!

“Mom, that wasn’t as fun as I thought it would be,” said my tired daughter.

“Well, let’s talk about that,” I responded.  “What did you learn?”

A lot, we concluded. Little kids don’t sit in circles very well.  They like to play outside the best.  Some kids don’t like to color.  Snack time was a success.

“I think stations for coloring and snack would be a good idea for next time,” she concluded. “And we’ll play more games outside too.”

And they did. The next club was better than the first.  But she was still pretty tired at the end. Reality.

I’d recommend encouraging your interested kids to host a neighborhood kids club.  It was a great experience for my daughter and didn’t take much planning or extra work for me.  We had all the resources at home. The kids made the entire plan.  I played a supporting role and enjoyed it.

I’m not sure if my daughter is destined to be a teacher or not, but I know that she learned  a lot, not only about kids, but about having an idea and seeing it come to life, imperfections and all. And isn’t that what life is about.

-posted by Donna Detweiler, who sees how having older children interact with younger children is a win for everyone.

When I was single, my friends and coworkers complemented me for my self-discipline. Would someone please tell my husband that it’s very rude of him to laugh so hard at that description of his wife? I was disciplined back then!  If you only have one duck to line up (me), how hard is that?  So why put it off?

But then I got married and had kids, which equals ducks galore, if you know what I mean. And because they rarely lined up for more than a moment anyway, why should I try until the nick of time?

My descent into procrastination was gradual. I tried to keep up “duck management” in my early married life. I continued my notebook with weekly, monthly, and yearly goals. I made out a menu and grocery list for the week. I cleaned the house regularly. Mr. Clean was my bff.  Somewhere after baby number one got a baby sister, I lost ground.  My personal goals notebook went missing ten years ago.

Though I don’t know how they do it, some mothers don’t procrastinate! Their laundry gets done before someone has run out of clean underwear. They have eggs back in the refrigerator before they get halfway into a batch of chocolate chip cookie dough. The sheets are laundered and the bed made up before the mother-in-law is ready to retire to the guest room for the night. Of course I’ve never procrastinated to such an extreme. (I’ll blog about lying next January.)

Somewhere amidst being a wife, mothering, homeschooling and blogging, I guess I slid down a slippery slope into procrastination. So now you know why it’s time for a New Year’s resolution.  I feel the call; I’m tired of the chaos. My ducks are a little older.  They can actually line up on their own once in a while. I guess it’s time to attempt to return to my former life of discipline.  To fan that flame. To find my old notebook. To prove my smirking husband wrong. Wish me luck!

-posted by Donna Detweiler who has not procrastinated in the writing of this blog.  Victory # 1.

Image: EA / FreeDigitalPhotos.net

Today, party mix can no longer be called “Nuts and Bolts.”  It has evolved way beyond that nickname.  I counted 75 versions of party mix on the Chex website!  From sickly sweet to super savory, there is something for every set of taste buds.  In the sweet category, these sparked my curiosity:   Bananas Foster Crunch, Ginger Honey, Hot-Buttered Yum, and Chai Crunch.  Interesting savory selections included: Cajun Kick, Moroccan Crunch, Chili & Lime, and Backyard BBQ.

As a child, when we made party mix in the oven it was an hour long process.  I always hung around and “helped” so I could snack. With the microwave, 15 minutes is all you need to concoct a batch. Little hands can help with measuring, pouring and stirring.  This makes a good activity for a wintery day or night with a delicious result. 

This week, each of my children chose a Chex mix recipe for me to share with you. Katie, 10, picked the good ol’ traditional.  David, 13, chose one called “Deviled.”  For these recipes, go to www.Chex.com.  For nostalgia sake, I called my mother and got her recipe for the original “Nuts and Bolts” from her dog-eared Betty Crocker Cookbook.  Enjoy!

Nuts and Bolts—Betty Crocker Cookbook, 1971

4 c. cheerios
1 ½ c. mixed nuts
1 ½ c. seasoned croutons
1 c. pretzels
½ c. salad oil
2 t. Worcestershire sauce
1 t. garlic salt
1 t. seasoning salt

Preheat oven to 275 degrees.  Measure cereal into a large roasting pan. Mix spices with salad oil and pour over cereal, mix well.  Bake for 45 minutes, stirring every 15 minutes.

-posted by Donna Detweiler, who has a tradition of taking party mix on airplanes for snacking with the complementary drinks.  Yum.

How long did Mary’s first labor last? Was it difficult? Did she have back labor? Were any other women helping in her delivery?

Did Jesus latch on right away?  Did he eat heartily? Did he drop below his birth weight?

Did Jesus have colic?  Cradle cap?  Diaper rash?  Thrush?  Ear infections?  Reflux?

How long did Mary nurse him?  When was his first solid food?  What did he like? Did he throw food on the floor or smear it in his hair?

When was his first smile? When did he roll over? Did he crawl early or late? Did he crawl army style, sideways, on his bottom? When did he take his first step?

Did he share his toys? Did he go through the terrible twos? Did he poke his new baby brother?

Did he and his brothers play sword fighting? Was he athletic?  Did he love to read? Did he like to draw or make things? Did he love animals? Did he think girls have cooties?

Was he a rascal? Did he and his brothers pull pranks? Did they camp in the hills? Make campfires? Tip sheep?

Did Jesus like learning carpentry?  Did he ever cut himself? Lose his dad’s tools? Leave them out in the rain? Carve a fishing lure when he was supposed to be making a shelf?

Was Jesus with his earthly dad when he died? Did take over the carpentry shop? Did his brothers work there? Did they get along? Did his mother play favorites?

Did he have a best friend? Did they fish together?

How did he tell his mother and brothers he was leaving the family business? Did they give him a hard time? Was it difficult to live without a home, or a wife, or his own family? Did he feel lonely, or left out, or sad?

What did it feel like to do a miracle? Did he like the common wine?  Was he showing off when he made miraculous wine and it was said to be the best?

What was his favorite food?  Did he like to garden, or cook?

What did it feel like to be tempted by Satan? Did he feel scared of him, or mad at him? Did they greet one another as familiar enemies? Did Satan push Jesus around? Did Jesus push back?

Where was Mary when Jesus’ trial took place?  Who was with her?  Was she remembering his birth; Gabriel, the inn, the angels, the shepherds, the wise men? Was she feeling confused?

Did Jesus ever appear to Mary after the resurrection?  Did he hug his mother or have a meal with her? Did he tell her details about the home in heaven he had prepared for her?

Luke 2:19 says, “But Mary treasured up all these things and pondered them in her heart.” This Christmas season, I’m joining Mary in pondering the wonder of the birth of Jesus.

Since the children have flesh and blood, he too shared in their humanity so that by the power of his death he might destroy him who holds the power of death—that is, the devil—and free those who all their lives were held in slavery by their fear of death.  Hebrews 2:14

When the shepherds had seen the baby, they spread the word concerning what had been told them about this child: “Today in the town of David a Savior has been born to you; he is Christ the Lord.

And He shall be called Emmanuel, which means, “God with Us.” Matthew 1:23

-posted by Donna Detweiler who wishes you all a very Merry after Christmas!

Children’s artwork is often refreshing in its simplicity and innocence.  It doesn’t have to follow any rules to be special. From the modern art look of toddlers, to the stick figures of 4 year olds, so the lollipop trees of kindergarteners, the pieces created by children is treasured because of the relationship, not because of the look, although many of us love it whether we know the particular child or not.

I chose to decorate my kitchen with my children’s art.  I bought inexpensive Lucite box frames, which allowed me to easily slip a picture in the front of the cardboard, and then change the pictures at will. The kids glowed with pride seeing their framed pictures.  I hung 6 frames in my white-walled kitchen. The bright colors stood out and created an eye-catching whimsical look that gave me energy whenever I was in there.

These frames plus one or more selections of a child’s artwork make a perfect gift for grandmas and grandpas, aunts, uncles etc.   The frames come in many sizes and cost less than $10 and can be found at most drug and grocery stores than have a frame section. The artwork, of course, is free!

Other repositories for children’s art are easy to make–online calendars, mugs, mouse pads etc. You can buy thermal coffee cups which allow you to slip any artwork in a decoration around the cup. Another popular holiday option is the homemade garden stone or hand print.  Children design their own stone with their name or a theme. Most craft stores carry many inexpensive varieties of these keepsakes.

I enjoyed using my children’s art for gift wrap. At Christmas time, I would cover the table with the end roll of newsprint I’d gotten from the newspaper office. I gave the kids red and green markers, crayons and Christmas stickers and let them scribble and draw. After we finished the background, we’d put Christmas stickers all over it. For another year, I did another variation on the gift wrap theme: old-fashioned potato prints.  I cut simple designs in the potatoes, like a tree or a star, and let them dip them in red and green paint.  I used special ribbon to complement the children’s unique wrapping paper and to achieve a finished look.  Rustic twine worked well when I used brown paper one year. Real cloth ribbon makes any package look spectacular.

Win-win is how I describe using children’s art at Christmas time. We need meaningful gifts to give.  Children need to have fun and feel special.  All this is accomplished with little cost and great memory-making when we recognize the lasting value of what is right under our noses at home. Children’s art—which is available up to the last minute too, with no shipping charge!

-posted by Donna Detweiler, who is confident that gifts of children’s artwork makes just about anybody’s Christmas day more special.

Just imagine you weren’t slightly sick of this ubiquitous song and think about it as though it was the first time you’d ever heard it.  It has a lively tune. It’s really easy to sing along with, and the lyrics paint a compelling picture. Dashing through the snow.  A one-horse open sleigh, Laughing all the way. Making spirits bright. A sleighing song tonight. No wonder people love this song. Wouldn’t you enjoy riding in that sleigh on a dark, starry night, being pulled behind some Belgian horses with steam coming from their nostrils as they tossed their manes and bells jingled in the crisp night air? I would!

Back in the 1800’s, when horses were still the main mode of transportation, sleigh riding was popular.  James Lord Pierpont wrote his song originally titled “One Horse Open Sleigh” about the sleigh races held on Salem Street in Medford Square, Massachusetts.  Records show Pierpont’s song about this winter event was copyrighted September 16, 1857.

Today in Medford, you can find a plaque commemorating the “Birthplace of Jingle Bells” at the Simpson Tavern–19 High Street, in case you go looking. The lively tone and mood of Pierpont’s song befits a tavern.  I can picture the men and women, exhilarated and flushed from the brisk outdoor air, coming in to Simpson’s place to laugh and talk about the race. I picture Pierpont at the piano, coaxed into entertaining the crowd, coming up with this lively ballad about their winter night reveries as the fire of the tavern crackles in the background.  Laughter rings through the warm room and the horses bells can be heard in the distance. Perhaps some races are still in progress as the group warms up with ale and friendship.

To be fair I must tell you that there is some controversy about the writing of Jingle Bells. Some claim that the song was written by Pierpont for a Thanksgiving program for Sunday school children while he lived in Savannah, Georgia. The citizens of Medford, MA, refute that claim and historians continue the debate.

I obviously think Jingle Bells is a song worthy of a fresh look this holiday season. So, here are the lyrics for you to enjoy as you picture yourself back in New England during a snowy Christmas season. Frankly, I’m having trouble imaging Pierpont writing this song in Georgia!

Dashing thro’ the snow,
In a one-horse open sleigh,
O’er the hills we go,
Laughing all the way;
Bells on bob tail ring,
Making spirits bright,
Oh what sport to ride and sing
A sleighing song to night.

Chorus:
Jingle bells, Jingle bells,
Jingle all the way;
Oh! what joy it is to ride
In a one horse open sleigh.
Jingle bells, Jingle bells,
Jingle all the way;
Oh! what joy it is to ride
In a one horse open sleigh.

A day or two ago,
I thought I’d take a ride,
And soon Miss Fannie Bright
Was seated by my side,
The horse was lean and lank;
Misfortune seemed his lot,
He got into a drifted bank,
And we, we got upsot.

Chorus

A day or two ago,
The story I must tell
I went out on the snow
And on my back I fell;
A gent was riding by
In a one-horse open sleigh,
He laughed as there I sprawling lie,
But quickly drove away.

Chorus

Now the ground is white
Go it while you’re young,
Take the girls to night
And sing this sleighing song;
Just get a bob tailed bay
Two forty as his speed.
Hitch him to an open sleigh
And crack, you’ll take the lead.

Chorus

Additional song notes:  Jingle is not a kind of bell, it is an imperative verb. And bobtail simply means that they “bobbed” or cut short the tail of the horse, which was the style of the day.

-posted by Donna Detweiler, who has actually ridden in a one-horse open sleigh on a starry night in Montana—one of the highlights of her life!

The celebration of Advent dates back to the 4^th century.  Converts to Christianity observed Advent as a season of preparation for baptism. In the Middle Ages, Advent was a time to look forward to the 2^nd coming of Christ.  The traditional observance of Advent still celebrated today involves the anticipation of the nativity.  By lighting a candle on each of the four Sundays leading up to Christmas day, Christians prepare to celebrate his birth on Christmas day. While many people still celebrate the religious aspects of Advent, the use of Advent calendars has become part of the secular observance of Christmas too.

The earliest Advent calendars probably originated in Germany. German Lutherans in the 19^th century would draw chalk lines on their doors to help children count down the days until Christmas. Lighting 24 candles was another common practice.

The first handmade Advent calendars began in Hamburg, Germany. Soon, a printer in Munich named Gerhard Lang created the standard Advent calendar still recognizable today.  He glued 24 little colored pictures to cardboard and then attached another piece of cardboard with 24 matching doors on top. His company, Reichheld Lang Printing Co. marketed 30 designs. In 1930, they were forced to close when cardboard was rationed during WWII.

After the war, Richard Sellmer Verlag of Stuttgart, Germany, began to print the calendars again.  Today, this enduring company continues to carry a stock of 1,000 calendars.

Advent calendars come in a variety of styles ranging from inexpensive traditional designs, to more expensive 3D Lego versions and everything in between!  Handmade Advent calendars are a popular craft this time of year. Just google “Homemade Advent Calendars” and you’ll find many easy –to-make ideas.

A 1946 newspaper article showed President Eisenhower’s grandchildren gleefully opening up doors on a “Little Town Advent Calendar.”  Subsequently, the popularity of these calendars soared in the US. Of course. Advent calendars capture children’s anticipatory nature the world over.

Click on this link for more information on the history of Advent and the Advent calendar.

-posted by Donna Detweiler, who remembers how excited she was each morning to discover what tiny picture of a toy was behind the numbered door on her Advent calendar!

Written by Lydia Maria Child in 1844, this holiday poem was first published in a magazine for children called Flowers for Children, Vol. 2.  A novelist, journalist and teacher, Lydia was a well-known author.  When she began to write passionately about freeing slaves, her popularity waned, however she continue to write in spite of the controversy, courageously expressing her opinion that slavery was unjust. She passed away in 1880, after a rich literary life.  Her published works were diverse, including her works for children, a novel about pioneer life, how-to housekeeping books, emancipation literature and more.

If you’ve forgotten the tune, here is a link to the melody:  www.Christmas-Carols.net. I found many versions on YouTube. You can download the sheet music at www.free-scores.com, or download an MP3 version at www.beemp3.com/index.

A Boy’s Thanksgiving
By Lydia Maria Child

The Grandmothers at Thanksgiving

Over the river, and through the wood,
to Grandfather’s house we go;
the horse knows the way to carry the sleigh
through the white and drifted snow.

Over the river, and through the wood,
to Grandfather’s house away!
We would not stop for doll or top,
for ’tis Thanksgiving Day.

Over the river, and through the wood-
oh, how the wind does blow!
It stings the toes and bites the nose,
as over the ground we go.

Over the river, and through the wood.
with a clear blue winter sky,
The dogs do bark and the children hark,
as we go jingling by.

Over the river, and through the wood,
to have a first-rate play.
Hear the bells ring, “Ting a ling ding!”
Hurray for Thanksgiving Day!

Over the river, and through the wood-
no matter for winds that blow;
Or if we get the sleigh upset
into a bank of snow.

Over the river, and through the wood,
to see little John and Ann;
We will kiss them all, and play snowball
and stay as long as we can.

Over the river, and through the wood,
trot fast my dapple gray!
Spring over the ground like a hunting-hound!
For ’tis Thanksgiving Day.

Our pre-Thanksgiving meal hike by Lake Michigan.

Over the river, and through the wood-
Old Jowler hears our bells;
He shakes his paw with a loud bow-wow,
and thus the news he tells.

Over the river, and through the wood-
when Grandmother sees us come,
She will say, “O, dear, the children are here,
bring pie for everyone.”

Over the river, and through the wood-
now Grandmothers cap I spy!
Hurrah for the fun! Is the pudding done?
Hurrah for the pumpkin pie!

-posted by Donna Detweiler, who is having Thanksgiving at her house this year, but grandmother is coming over the river and through the woods to join us.

Not all flavors are created equal

Along with marshmallows a’ la carte, roasted marshmallows are a favorite at fall campfires.  The classic S’More can’t be beat, but lots of new marshmallow flavors exist.  Chocolate, caramel swirl, strawberry and tutti-fruity have hit supermarket shelves, although not all flavors seem to be available all the time. And not all flavors taste good over a fire.  When was the last time you enjoyed a hot strawberry? A toasted lemon? Or burnt-around-the-edges lime?  To each his own, but caramel or chocolate seems to rest better between two graham crackers and a wedge of chocolate.

Crispy treat heaven

But melt strawberry marshmallows with some butter and crispy rice cereal and let it cool; well, that’s a different story. Strawberry aficionados will have a tough time leaving them alone.  Chocoholics have the same trouble with chocolate marshmallow crispy squares, or with white marshmallows squares to which a handful of chocolate chips has been stirred in.  Death by Crispy Square would be treats made with both chocolate marshmallows and chocolate chips. What a great way to go!

Fast, flavorful and fun

Since the invention of flavored marshmallows, rice crispy squares are practically gourmet and still fast to make; ten minutes tops If using the microwave. With different flavors and toppings, they can be adapted to any festivity. Orange, red and brown sprinkles for fall. Team colors for a sports party. Red and green sugar for Christmas. Multi-colored sprinkles or M & M’s pressed into the top for birthdays or any occasion.

Easy and popular

Crispy squares have become my number one choice when taking dessert to a potluck or providing a family with dinner.  I often put three flavors side-by-side on a cookie sheet: 1/3 chocolate, 1/3 strawberry and 1/3 white with sprinkles. Inexpensive, easy to transport, fun to look at and taste, they always makes a good impression. (Of course all the other parts of the meal I provide are incredibly healthy and nutritious….)

Here’s the recipe:

Generously butter a cookie baking sheet

In a 3 qt. casserole dish or other microwave-safe bowl, melt ¼ cup of butter. Add one package of marshmallows of your choice (regular or minis work fine) and stir so that marshmallows are coated in butter. Return to the oven and microwave until marshmallows are puffy and melted together—2-4 minutes depending on your microwave oven.

Carefully fold in 6 cups of crispy rice cereal.  Mixture will be gooey.  Stir until cereal and marshmallows are evenly combined.  If desired, fold in ½ c. chocolate chips (or more to taste.)  Transfer mixture to cookie sheet.  Dampen your hands so mixture won’t stick and pat evenly onto cookie sheet.  One recipe will fill 1/3 to ½ of a pan depending on how tall you want them. Sprinkle immediately with desired topping.  Press topping gently into squares while still warm.  Repeat process with next flavor. Press 2^nd flavor onto cookie sheet next to 1^st flavor.  Repeat with 3^rd flavor, creating 3 stripes of flavored squares. Cool. Cut into squares.

Mooshy, squooshy, sickeningly-sweet marshmallows bring out the kid in us. So next time you’re at the store, buy a package of your favorite marshmallows, and join your child in old-fashioned marshmallow fun, however you like ‘em best.

-posted by Donna Detweiler, who while blogging today munched a sprinkled crispy square with her coffee. Yum.

We found a gourmet marshmallow review here. They look YUMMY! Think Maple Pecan, and Kona Coffee Crunch. Or even Key Lime Sublime.