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St. Nicholas Day Letter Cookies
By Brenda Hyde
December 6th is St Nicholas Day, and Dutch
children are traditionally given letter cookies to
eat on this day. Try this easy family project:
You will need:
16 ounce double crust pastry
8 ounce pack marzipan(almond paste)
milk
Dip your fingers in sugar and roll the marzipan
into "fingers" about the size of your index finger.
Wrap each little rope in a string of the pie pastry
that you have cut to fit. Gently press the edges
together with a little bit of milk to seal them.
Form each little roll into the shape of a letter.
Some letters will take more than one roll, and
you can use the milk like glue to join them.
Place the letters on a baking sheet, leaving
space inbetween. Bake 10-15 minutes in
the center of the oven. Be very careful when
lifting them off the tray to cool. Place all the
letters in a pretty basket, and after supper
the family can sing traditional Christmas carols
and eat their letters!
About The Author
Brenda Hyde is a freelance writer living on ten acres in rural Michigan with her husband and three kids. Stop by and visit her garden blog, Garden of Grace & Whimsy, and her photography blog, A Dance of Words & Photos.
SeptemberLady "Born and have lived in Southern MD most of my life. My husband and I just finished building a new home on the family farm, where I hope to retire in the near future.
My interests: Doll collecting, cookbook collector (especially old ones), antiques, family/friend get-togethers, cooking/baking, flower and vegetable gardening, bird-watching."
Memorial Day: Backyard Grilling Memorial Day signals the start of barbecue season. Everyone wants to light that fire and charcoal that first meal. A few tips might pre- vent your entree from becoming a "Burnt Offering."
Read these tips for plenty of grilling ideas, make this year's barbecue perfect!
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The stems and blooms are both edible and have a mild garlic onion taste. I've noticed many writers will list this as primarily as an Asian herb, as they are also known as Chinese chives, Chinese leeks, ku chai (China) or Nira (Japan), but it has many other uses as well!
The Perfect Porch Swing Perhaps it is the soothing rhythm or the reassuring creak of the porch swing that attracts us. Perhaps it is the companionable silence or quiet conversation. Or maybe swings simply remind us of more genteel times.
Although porch swings can be purchased in a wide range of materials, the most common are wicker and wood. You can also make your own porch swing from one of the myriad of woodworking patterns available at garden centers, hardware stores, or on the Internet.
Memorial Day: Backyard Grilling
Growing and Using Garlic Chives
The Perfect Porch Swing