Joyful Simplicities

Vintage Christmas Day 7

Download your ornament at www.simpleabundance.com/js097.pdf

Vintage Christmas 6

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Vintage Christmas 5

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Vintage Christmas 4

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Vintage Christmas 2 and 3

Download your ornament at www.simpleabundance.com/js092.pdf

Download your ornament at www.simpleabundance.com/js093.pdf

Tis the Season to Give to YOU!

Don’t Stand Under the Mistletoe with Anyone Else But Me…With much love and gratitude for supporting my work in this world, I want to help every reader of Simple Abundance Online/Joyful Simplicities/Life As It Can Be jumpstart your own holiday comfort and joy by gifting you with a gorgeous collection of enchanting vintage Christmas illustrations from my personal collection of ephemera.  Gathering these domestic art images has been one of my passions since my Mrs. Sharp’s Traditions chapter beginning in 1988. Preserving the work of Literary Domestics in word and image beginning with the Victorian era and now through the Great Depression and the Home Front of both World Wars has been such source of such deep contentment, that I’ve created a Vintage Bliss Advent Card collection consisting of 26 vintage cards/ornaments for you as a Joyful Simplicity (including a Boxing Day, December 26th bonus card). It is my belief that what we bestow with a grateful heart to the world with love through our work will be returned to us in miraculous ways.  So many of you do just this with your blogs, books, writing, art, crafts, businesses and families everyday and I am among your greatest admirers.  Perhaps this is a Divine reminder to you in this dark season of deep Mid-Winter, how much the world needs your Light.  In a world that wants us to believe that there is only space for few to shine, I want to wrap your Artist of the Everyday with a tapestry of encouragement, affirmation and appreciation.  There is no competition on the Spiritual plane.  Share your authentic gifts without fear.  What one woman has done, you can do, too and will in the next year.  This is not the day you quit.  This is the day you begin to believe in yourself and authentic gifts.  Time to throw another log on the fire to rouse those embers of desire.

    So come back every day (or sign up in the email block on the right and get a reminder) or visit here to download these bright and colorful remembrances of Christmases  Past,  circa the 1920s, and create your Advent Calendar. Simply print the illustrations on a cardstock, cut out and punch a hole for a ribbon tie.  Take a walk today and find a large branch, anchor it down in a heavy, weighted vase or even a coffee can filled with sand or dirt.  Wrap a wonderful fabric remnant around your vase and then count the days down.  With each day’s card/ornament remember how much you are loved and appreciated and know that you’re meant to celebrate Christmas, too.  If you have a blog or newsletter, you may use an image with attribution from the Simple Abundance Collection of Antique Ephemera and a link to our website and please let us know with an email to comments@simpleabundance.com.

    Let the Festivities begin…and sending you a prayer that you and yours will know precious moments of peace and plenty this Holiday Season…

    Here's your first gift of the season. To download your high resolution pdf, please visit www.simpleabundance.com/js091.pdf

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The Holidays are here, yum

And we’re off…..the Holiday Season has begun and I’ve yet to tell you about Tasha Tudor’s turkey roaster, or the Christmas plum pudding recipe for Stir-up Sunday (which was the first Sunday in Advent this year November 29th….seems like only yesterday that I pulled the recipe out and realized I was late).  Well, not to worry, this Christmas pudding recipe which is from Mrs. Sharp’s Traditions will set in three weeks.
   

You Will Need:

½ cup candied citrus peel
2 ounces candied lemon peel
2 cups raisins
2 cups currents
½ almonds, blanched and chopped
2 small nutmegs grated (1 teaspoon nutmeg)
1 teaspoon allspice
1 cup flour
1 teaspoon salt
½ ground almonds
12 ounces fresh brown bread crumbs
1 pound finely grated coconut (to replace suet)
½ lb unsalted butter (frozen) and grated
8 ounces dark brown sugar
4 ounces brandy
4 ouches sherry
Enough milk to mix (approximately ½ cup).

Chop the candied fruit peel, rains, currants, and almonds coarsely.  Mix them together thoroughly with all the spices.

In a large bowl blend together the fruit mixture with the flour, salt and ground almonds.  Work in the bread crumbs, coconut, butter and sugar (using your hands is easiest) until everything is thoroughly mixed together.  Beat the eggs lightly and add them to the mixture.  Add the brandy, sherry, and milk, stirring until the pudding is a soft paste. Let this mixture sit overnight in the refrigerator.

In the morning, pour the mixture into a large, well-buttered pudding basin (or pour into two smaller pudding basins—this is an ample recipe), cover with greased paper and cloth (plain muslin), and tie it tightly around the rim of the basin.

Set the basin in a large open roasting pan filled to the sides with boiling water. Steam the pudding in this manner for 8 hours, adding hot water as necessary.

Remove the wet cloths and cover the pudding with fresh greased paper and fresh muslin.  Store the pudding in a cool, dark place for 3 weeks.  On Christmas Day, steam the pudding an additional 2 hours.  Unmold the pudding.

Before serving, add a spring of holly to the top of the pudding, cover with brandy and bring to the table flaming.  Serve Christmas pudding with either brandy butter or whipped cream.

Brandy Butter
1 stick sweet butter
1 cup confectioners’ sugar
¼ cup brandy

Allow the butter to warm to room temperature.  Beat vigorously until creamy.  Gradually beat in confectioners’ sugar until pale and fluffy, adding the brandy a tablespoon at a time.  Brandy butter can be made a few days beforehand; store in the refrigerator.

In an very informal ex-Brit Christmas poll, the Christmas Plum pudding at Williams-Sonoma is said to be as close as we can get this side of the pond.
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I don’t covet many things, but on my list of “someday” I’d love to have the reproduction “Tin Kitchen” in which the late and greatly missed Tasha Tudor roasted her Thanksgiving and Christmas turkey.   But that with that want definitely on the deferred list for now, I am enjoying Tasha Tudor’s latest Advent Calendar, which is available for mail order from her family’s website, www.tashatudorandfamily.com.  You’ll also find Christmas cards, gorgeous and practical aprons and sundries.  Be sure you register for their free newsletter.

Here is a picture of the wonderful Tasha Tudor Advent Calendar, it makes me feel like a kid again!

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Stuffing or Dressing, Let the Battle Begin

Whether you are ready for the holidays or not, they are quickly closing in on us. One of the perennial battles of the season involves a special contribution to the feasting: stuffing or dressing in your turkey? On which side of the table do you find yourself?

The type of delicious concoction you prefer and what you call it was planted early in life, in childhood. It was always called stuffing in our home and made with cornbread from my mother’s Kentucky roots. I don’t remember the Irish side of the family calling it anything different, but there are plenty of opinions around. The history of the bread-based delight claims that the Victorian upper class declared that stuffing would be called dressing in their world sometime around 1880. It apparently was important to separate the classes in even this simple distinction.

Discussions around the table make the conversation a little more rational. If it is in the bird it is stuffing. If it is baked outside the bird it is called dressing.

Some people think that Southerners call it stuffing and use cornbread as a basic ingredients. Folks in the Northeastern United States may add apples or sausage. Oyster dressing is a favorite at this time of year.

Whatever your pleasure, be it stuffing or dressing, we hope it conjures up memories of happy times around the table with your family and friends. Happy Thanksgiving, from our family to yours.

And the winner is .......

Congratulations to Morgan May Dickerson, winner of our pumpkin carving contest for herSimple Abundance pumpkin!! Thanks for Playing.

A Pumpkin Carving Party Contest

        How shall we celebrate All Hallow’s Eve this year – and celebrate children of all ages certainly should, (this includes you Babe) because this year as luck would find us, Hallowe’en is on a Saturday night.

    So we’re kicking off the celebration with our First Annual Pumpkin Carving contest! Oh my Gosh, yes! Of course, there are prizes, 1st place gets a one year membership or renewal, 2nd place is a 6 month subscription or renewal and 3rd place is a 3 month subscription or renewal. There is a catch—you have to send us a picture of your Jack d’Art to be posted Online by Tuesday, October 27th 2009.  The winners will be chosen by a panel of our amazing and wonderful Simple Abundance Close To Home Certified Leaders and the winners will be congratulated on line on the Big Day itself, just in time for your own All Hallow’s Eve Home Frolic!

    So head out to the pumpkin patch for a creative excursion as soon as you’re able and let your imagination run wild.

Ps There is no cost to enter this contest, just email your picture to comments at simpleabundance dot com Winner’s will be announced on October 31st. Get carving.