Swedish Tea Ring--a Christmas Classic

Last time, I wrote that I am officially done with Christmas. I am. So done. (Except for the cleanup which is still looming large...)


But I just had to post the following for posterity.


It is our family Christmas morning tradition and I wanted to document step-by-step as I learned from The Master...my mother-in-law.


If my husband were to choose his favorite home-cooked, nostalgic Christmas memory...it would be Swedish Tea Ring.


Don't worry...there is no tea in it. Also, I asked my friend from Sweden if she ever made it and she said the recipe was much too sweet to be officially Swedish. But we Americans can pretend. It is delicious.


Here's how to do it:

Make your favorite sweet roll dough recipe or find one online like this one.

Let rise.

Oil countertop and roll dough with an oiled rolling pin into a large rectangle.

Spread with softened butter.

Sprinkle with brown sugar, cinnamon, nuts, raisins or chocolate chips.

Our family likes a lot of chocolate chips!

Roll the whole thing into one long delicious snake.

Position carefully into a ring shape on a greased baking tray.

Using clean scissors, make slices approximately 1 1/2 inches apart, but only about three-quarters of the way toward the center of the ring.

Take each slice and twist gently, forming a cinnamon roll wreath.

Bake.

Frost with white icing and use green sugar and maraschino cherries to decorate.

Serve Christmas morning with scrambled eggs or breakfast casserole.

Delicious!

Christmas Lists

I feel like I have been hit by a train. The Polar Express, to be exact.

I will not even attempt to document everything that has happened during the past few days. I choose instead to make a few lists, then hop off the Christmas train and buy my ticket for 2008. Here goes...

List#1

Things that made me feel all warm & Christmas-y two days ago...

but now make me feel slightly nauseous:

• eggnog
• fudge
• Celine Dion Christmas album
• giftwrap, tags, boxes, bows
• ham
• children laughing, people passing
• laundry
• Christmas trees & decor

(Ok...the laundry and Celine always make me a little nauseous...but I liked my tree until yesterday!)

List #2

Gifts that made me smile:

• my blogswap package from Heidiram...I LOVE cinnamon bears!
• books
• perfume
• giftcards
• household gadgets
• The Ultimate Gift--my own laptop!!! (aka: the gabtop)
  
  

List #3

Gifts soon to be "lost"

• remote control noisy train
• electronic whoopie cushion (aka: the "stinky 'chine")
• Mexican train game noisemaker
• toy harmonicas
  
  

List #4

Wii are Family--Our Onscreen Alter-egos

• Jakii
• Emii
• Sammii
• Lukii
• Mommii
• Daddii
  
  

List #5

People Who Needed Christmas Naps

All women and children under age four

List #6

People Who Actually Took Christmas Naps

Santa Junior
and Santa Senior
Ho Ho Ho

My Holiday Read

I just finished reading Atonement by Ian McEwan and don't even have the right words to gush. Just know that I loved it from cover to cover. It was the perfect mix of all my favorite literary ingredients: wartorn Europe, star-crossed lovers, countryside English manors, precocious children, and all the requisite twist, turns and tears. I would love to hear from others who've read this. Did it break your heart, too?

It's All Downhill Now...

....enjoy the ride!

MERRY CHRISTMAS

It's Beginning to Look a lot Like...

Nutcracker with Nana

Games and goodies

Football with family

Santa and snow flowers

Oh! And a big empty box...

Mrs. Claus

Mrs. Claus is tired tonight. She's had a long day shopping, wrapping, cooking, cleaning, laundering and adding those all-important final touches. Her in-laws' sleigh lands tonight, so she wants the North Pole to look just right. And the elves have not been so helpful.

While Santa gets the glory for all the big-ticket items, Mrs. C. sometimes feels picked on. Does anyone notice she has a big ole stingin' paper cut right between her thumb and index finger? Christmas card casualty. Does anyone care that all the teachers/coaches/bus drivers/neighbors have been remembered? With big jaunty bows and matching gift tags! Does anyone realize that all this Christmas magic has been generated by the Claus without the whiskers?! Ho Ho No.

This post is dedicated to all you Mrs. Claus-types out there. You, the unpaid masses, laboring in kitchens and classroom parties and dollar stores everywhere. You, who do your regular-every-day stuff and then tuck your children into bed so you can start in on the "holiday shift". You, who realize that Christmas is actually another full time job from Thanksgiving til New Year's Day. (Which, unfortunately happen to also be the shortest days of the year!) I salute you all.

Yes, Virginia. There is a Santa Claus. But there is also a Mrs. Claus. And tonight she's very tired...

More Sweet Revenge

When I'm not blogging, talking on my cell phone or listening to my iPod, I like to pretend I am a pioneer mother. I used to want to be Mary or Laura Ingalls...but now, I just wanna be "Ma." Wasn't she the BEST?

That's why I love cooking things from scratch. It feels so wholesome and old-fashioned and my kids are all around and we're making a big mess and listening to Christmas carols and planning who we're going to share our goodies with.

If you are not yet going completely Christmas crazy, I recommend making something homemade and old-fashioned.

This is not the easiest caramel recipe in the world...but the results are so delicious. It is definitely a once-a-year treat! Enjoy...

Perfect Caramels
2 cups light Karo syrup
2 cups sugar
3 cups whipping cream--scalded in microwave
1 tsp. salt
2 Tbsp. vanilla
1/2 can Eagle Brand milk--scalded in microwave
1 cup chopped walnuts (I never add these)

Boil syrup and sugar until the mixture begins to change color. Stir constantly. (I usually cheat on this part...not stirring constantly, but keeping on medium low heat and checking a lot!) Add whipping cream gradually. Keep boiling rapidly. Add Eagle milk a little at a time. Boil to a medium hard ball stage or 230 degrees. (This will take about 17-25 minutes.) Add salt, nuts and vanilla before removing from heat. Pour into a shallow buttered pan. Cool and cut into 1 inch squares, wrap in wax paper or cellophane.

In a related story, Em finally lost her bottom tooth! As you can see from the photo, her permanent tooth has been there for awhile and is probably already decayed. The tooth fairy will not be leaving her usual contribution, choosing instead to donate to the "EM-DENT Fund" which has been set up to defray the costs of future fillings, crowns and orthodontia. Please let us know if you'd like to contribute. Thank you.

You Can Take the Teacher Out of the Classroom...

I used to teach elementary school. I was good at it. The kids liked me. The parents liked me. The principal liked me.

For some reason, I thought being a good teacher meant I would be a good mom. But I found out very quickly that it is much easier to control a classroom full of sixth graders than one colicky infant.

I think teaching is easier because you are only with the children 8 hours during the day, with breaks at lunch and recess. The students come with their clothes on, shoes tied, teeth brushed (sometimes) and all other basic needs met. Plus, you don't have to live with them.

I wouldn't trade being a mom for a classroom full of the best-behaved students in the world. But sometimes, I like to pretend I am still the professional educator and that my children are my willing and eager pupils.

Here is our holiday/geography project:

Thanks to all of you who have sent cards and are helping my kids find the states on the US map as well as learning the correct postal abbreviations! We have received 30 cards so far, from ten different states as well as Vietnam and Canada. Arizona is winning in the "most cards" contest...probably thanks to Nana and Papa who sent an individual card to each family member. Utah and Pennsylvania are tied for second place.

Results will be posted before the New Year. Stay tuned...