Weathering the Storms

It continues to pour outside.  So much rain has come down over the past 24 hours that the floor of poor Charlie's barn has turned into a mud puddle.  We mucked her barn out this afternoon and put down two bales of fresh straw to try to soak up some of the water.  It is still soggy.  Hopefully the rain changes to snow soon to give the water a chance to get absorbed into the ground.

While it storms outside, I have been busy baking up my own storm in the kitchen.  I might have given myself a sore back and sore feet but I am happy to report that my holiday baking is now complete.  I have made everything that the boys asked for, as well as all of my holiday favourites that remind me of loved ones.

I am ready to get started. 
I needed a "rest chair" in the kitchen. 
Seriously, I am that pregnant.

 I tackled Dad/Aunt Jane's fudge first.  I knew that this was going to be a tough one for me because Dad and I have always made this together.  However, I wanted to try so today was my first solo attempt.  I have detailed instructions from Dad, so everything went according to plan.  It was strange to work through the steps by myself but I find that doing things that he used to do helps me to keep his memory alive in my heart. 

It is a bit on the shiny side still and has a very creamy texture. 
Next time I will mix it a tiny bit longer to get a drier consistency.
Definitely edible though.

Next up were GG's butter tarts.   This was a specific request from Liam.  I am happy to report that I am more reliably able to make these well.  I have made this recipe about 8 times now and am getting much more comfortable with the process.  They turned out great!

Another family favourite is peanut butter balls.  The boys really like these and so do Auntie Megan and Uncle Christian who will be visiting us over the holidays.

Finally, I made cream cheese oreo truffles.  On a break from work, Ian helped me dip these in white chocolate and sprinkle them with candy cane dust.  Done and done!

What the heck are we going to do with all these holiday goodies you ask?  Share, of course.  The boys are well versed in the "getting" part of Christmas but we continue to work on the "giving" part.  

To reinforce the importance of giving at Christmas time, after school today Liam and I prepared holiday treat packages for our neighbours.

These gift boxes are all packaged up and are ready to be dropped off tomorrow morning along with some holiday cheer.  Hopefully this activity helps refocus some of the boys' attention on giving instead of always getting.  Here's to hoping.  I think it is a work in progress.