Friday, December 22, 2006

Wow, I acutally managed to post 2 days in a row!

We've been doing a lot of baking lately for Christmas and I thought I'd share one of my favorite recipes. Beware though girls! My dad LOVES this dough so if you have cookie dough lovers at home and you don't watch, you might not have any to bake the cookies with! =)

Shortbread Cookies ~~ from the kitchen of my Momma =)

1 1/2 cup butter (3 sticks)
1 1/2 cup powdered sugar
2 1/2 tsp vanilla
3 cups flour

Blend the butter and sugar until smooth and fluffy. Add vanilla. Blend in the flour gradually. (I've found through trial and error that this is important.) =) The dough should be the consistancy of playdough. Add a few tablespoons of milk to soften it a bit if needed.
Roll dough out to 1/4'' thick and cut out. Bake at 350 for 8-12 minutes or until a light golden. Cool on the pan for about one minute before removing from tray. *Hint - when rolling out the dough, use a half and half combination of powdered sugar and flour to keep the dough from getting to stiff and dry.
Enjoy!!

I hope everyone's Christmas preparations are going well and that you all find it a day of Joy and Rest!

Thursday, December 21, 2006

Christmas Time!

I'm thinking I'm long overdue for a post. I decided to write the first annual Christmas Letter from and about Rachel. That should cover me for the rest of the month or until I post again. (I've proven to be a most spasmatic blogger.) :-)

Greetings one and y’all! (Ok, maybe I do hang out in the sticks a little more than I should…) It’s that time of year! The season to celebrate the birth of Jesus Christ! I love this time of year- the frantic last minute shopping (even though I’ve only two more gifts to buy…), the cooking of lots of yummy food, getting together with family and friends. God has blessed me in many ways this year in my family and friends and I am so thankful for all of you. Looking back on this past year, there have been a lot of “ firsts” for me.
~I was a bridesmaid for the first time. My sister Bethany got married and she asked me to be her maid of honor. That was a lot of fun! I have to admit though; my face was so sore from all that smiling!
~I got a new job! I started to work for Columbia Credit Union on May first and have loved it! It was a real answer to prayer. When folks ask me what I do for work I tell them, “I take people’s money from them.” I work at the Battle Ground branch with some really great people and have had the chance to meet lots of nice, new people too. And some not so nice people. I must say that I’m flattered that some people think I (a simple teller) have the power to change Federal Regulations just for them! =)
~I got my first car! It’s a little white Dodge Intrepid that Dad and I bought it. It’s not new, but it’s new to me. I call it Bianca. (Yes, I named my car…) She’s a good little car and I like to keep her very clean. =)
~Our family took a trip to Ohio in September and we got to spend time with Dad’s side of the family. While we were there, we drove to Kentucky one day and visited Churchill Downs. It was a dream come true for me! I’ve always been horse-crazy and I was in heaven. I even took a little jar of dirt from the track! ~ My sister Rebekah and I took an early morning tour the next day and we got to see the horses run their morning workout as the sun rose over the Twin Spires of the Downs. (I loved it; can you tell?)
~I discovered for the first time that I can quote “The Court Jester” in its entirety, songs and all! (* pats self on the back)
There were some other firsts for me this year; like my first time flunking a class at College and my first speeding ticket, but we won’t talk about those! =) I still like to laugh at the most inordinate times and I think I have a movie quote for just about any situation. This year has been one of growing in the Lord and learning to trust Him implicitly. So much of the time I think I can do it on my own and over and over again He reminds me I can’t. As my Dad would say “You’re not the fourth person of the Trinity.” Praise the Lord for that! =)
This has been a good year for me and I’m excited to see what next year will bring. I hope your Christmas is filled with rejoicing in the Birth of Jesus. May He bless you greatly this coming year!
Love, Rachel