Christmas Morning

Christmas in Forest

Cheerleader Christmas Party

The Cheerleader Christmas Party was at our house. Each cheerleader brought an appetizer. After eating, we played “Dirty Santa”.

Christmas Candy

Courtney and I enjoy making Christmas candy.

We are sharing a few of our favorite recipes.

Enjoy!

WHITE TRASH

WHITE TRASH RECIPE

3 Cups of assorted cereals

1/3 cup of each raisins, peanuts, pretzels (we just add pretzel and M&M's)

4 oz of white chocolate

Melt chocolate and stir in cereal mixture until well coated. Dump on wax paper until cool and dry. Then break bite size pieces.

PEPPERMINT BARK

PEPPERMINT BARK RECIPE

12 oz white chocolate, such as Ghirardelli

1/3 cup, plus 2 tablespoons, candy canes crushed

2 tablespoons semisweet chocolate chips

Line a 13 X 9 baking pan with aluminum foil and set aside. Melt the bark and add 1/3 cup of peppermint. Pour the mixture onto the foil-lined pan, spreading it to within a half inch of the edges. Melt the semisweet chips and drizzle them over the white chocolate mixture. Sprinkle on the remaining candy pieces. Place the bark in the refrigerator and chill until firm, about 15 minutes. Then break the bark into pieces.

EASY PEANUT BUTTER CANDYEASY PEANUT BUTTER CANDY RECIPE

1 pkg almond bark

1 cup peanut butter

1 cup dry roasted peanuts

2 cups Rice Krispies

2 cups mini-marshmallows

Melt bark in microwave for 1-2 minutes. Blend in peanut butter. Add rest of ingredients. Spoon on waxed paper and let cool and harden.

OREO BALLS

OREO BALLS RECIPE

1 pkg Oreos

1 8oz cream cheese (softened)

almond bark

Crush oreos in food processor or blender (a little at a time). Mix in cream cheese (this takes a little while). Roll into small balls. Put in freezer for several hours. Melt bark. Dip balls in bark. Allow to harden on wax paper.

HAYSTACKS

HAYSTACK RECIPE

1 6 oz pkg butterscotch morsels

1/2 cup peanut butter

3 oz chow mein noodles

1 cup peanuts

(I usually double recipe)

Melt butterscotch and peanut butter over low heat. Remove from heat; stir in noodles and peanuts. Drop by teaspoons onto wax paper. Cool and harden.

CROCK POT CHOCOLATE PEANUT CLUSTER

CROCK POT CANDY RECIPE

1 1/2 vanilla almond bark (30 oz)

1 (12 oz) chocolate chip semi-sweet

1 pkg german sweet chocolate

1 (16 oz) jar salted peanuts

1 (16 oz) jar unsalted peanuts

Cook on low for 3 hours. DO NOT STIR OR DISTURB...until time is up. Drop onto waxed paper until cool and hardened.

WHITE CHOCOLATE PRETZELS

WHITE CHOCOLATE PRETZELS RECIPE

Almond bark

pretzels

Melt bark. Add handfuls of pretzels. Remove pretzels (with fork is easiest) and place on wax paper until cool and hardened.

Gingerbread House

This year Courtney insisted decorating the gingerbread house all my herself (because I LOVE to help). She began mixing the icing. OOPS she realized she put in 2 Tablespoons instead of 2 teaspoons. Thanks goodness I had vanilla frosting in the pantry. We had a discussion...is it called icing or frosting...

Decorating the roof

Serious Concentration


View of the front

Great Job Courtney! The finished gingerbread house.

Courtney's Decorations

The Christmas tree in Courtney's room! She does her own decorating!!

Ellie and Court's stockings! She also has the camo one...it holds MORE Santa goodies!!

Advent Christmas Tree

Christmas Decor

I enjoy decorating our home for Christmas! I did purchase a few new items this year. Hey, after 19 years it is time to change and update!! I am posting just a few photos...don't want to bore you with EVERY room!!

Welcome to the Upchurch Home!

New door swag

Luke 2:10 and Nativity set

Foyer- Every year we send and receive Christmas cards. I cannot bear to part with a single one. One of my favorite ways is to decorate the tree with Christmas cards. The Christmas village collection is located under the tree.

Breakfast table

Courtney treasures her Beanie Baby Tree.

Do you remember the Ty Beanie Baby phenomenon? When Courtney was younger, Papaw (my father-in-law), gave beanies as a gift/happy for EVERY holiday, birthday, and all A’s on report card! Courtney’s collection exceeds 300!
Imagine the excitement of a beanie-crazed child opening a Christmas gift to find a fiber optic Christmas tree full of “Jingle Beanies”!

Christmas Tree

Fontanini Nativity Scene

Papaw also started the Fontanini Nativity collection. Courtney receives a piece of the collection each year.

Dining room table with Christmas china

Buffet table - Mississippi Magazine article: simple tomato frames are transformed into elegant Christmas centerpieces.

Santa collection

Mantel decorations - "the stockings were hung by the chimney with care"....

Ornament tree with a few favorite ornaments. Christmas books: The Legend of the Candy Cane, The Christmas Lizard, The Crippled Lamb and The Night Before Christmas. This is our third Christmas in our new home and I have not been through the hundreds of books in the attic to find the other Christmas books. We love books!

We started a new family tradition on Christmas Eve. Courtney will only have 3 gifts to open under the tree (wise men 3 gifts to Jesus). Three gifts are new pajamas, a new piece of Fontanini nativity, and a surprise.

A FEW old traditions:

• Photos for Christmas card
• Bake and decorate cookies
• Decorate gingerbread house
• Make and deliver candy to neighbors, friends, and teachers
• Ride around town and look at decorations (one honk if ok...2 honks if we really like)
• Watch ALL our Christmas movies
• Purchase new ornament for tree
• Operation Christmas Child shoe box
• Courtney decorate Precious Moment Advent Christmas Tree...starting December 1 decorate tree with one ornament...by the 24th it is fully decorated
• Courtney wraps ALL the gifts!
• Read the birth of Jesus