World’s Easiest Cookie Recipe

Since it is almost New Year’s Eve, I thought you might like this recipe for Pumpkin Kisses.  If you are tired of baking Christmas cookies but want a treat to munch on for your New Year’s celebration, this is  the perfect recipe for you. It is delicious and it is also the world’s easiest cookie recipe. My Erin gave it to me. Try it….. I’m sure you will agree.

Pumpkin Kisses

Mix  a small 15 oz. can of pumpkin with 1 box of dry spice cake mix. Blend until smooth.

Fold in 1 package of chocolate chips.

Put walnut size dabs of the batter onto greased cookie sheets.  Bake at 350 for 17-19 minutes... cool and then frost with the cream cheese frosting listed below.

*Cream Cheese Frosting

Put an 8 oz. pkg. of cream cheese and 1 cube (1/2 C) of softened butter into mixer.

Blend until creamy. Add 1/2 t. vanilla and 1 lb box of powdered sugar

Mix slowly until until powdered sugar is blended in -then beat at high speed until the frosting in light and fluffy. You can add a little water if the frosting is too thick. Spread on the cooled Pumpkin Kisses. Top with colored sugar sprinkles if desired.

*This frosting is so good I use it on almost anything that needs frosting.  You can make it into chocolate frosting by just adding Hershey’s cocoa powder to your desired taste.

 

I gave these out in my Christmas cookie plates and everyone loved them. I hope you will too.

I’ve been under the weather since Christmas and pretty much down. However, I’m better today. I plan to work in the Temple this evening and be in tip top shape to bring in the New Year.  I hope that you are too.   Hugs, Lura

The best part of Christmas - my card to you

Dear Blog Friends

Here it is almost Christmas time again.

I can hardly believe it.  I am so thankful to be alive and here with my family and you to enjoy this season. I am thankful that my husband is with me. I have always been thankful for these things…. but this year is special. I think knowing how close John and I came to dying in our auto accident last March has made me more appreciative  than ever before of life, family and friends.

Thanks to all of you that cared about us, prayed for us and were so kind to support me with your cards, calls and comments during that difficult time. What a blessing you were to me and I will always be grateful.

Here is the 4th annual posting of the Christmas poem I wrote for you.
We are older and a bit worse for ware… but the house is about the same. I was not up to decorating as much this year…. but hopefully I will be again next year.

I hope you enjoy reading my poem again. It was written for you with love.

The house is decked out with lights on each tree

 

With flowers and presents

and much greenery.

We have new decorations
and the old ones so dear
are out of their boxes
and up for the year.

Each table is set awaiting the feast

of turkey and dressing,

of ham and roast beef


There will be yams and potatoes
and gravy galore

and veggies and salads
and desserts and more.

But the sweetest things
that this season does bring
is not the goodies or bobbles
or pretty sights seen.
...

It's not the gifts or the parties

or good shows on TV

that are the best part of Christmas

for you and for me.

 

The best part of Christmas
is the feeling of love

That we have for family and friends

and our Savior above
...

It's the thought of Angels

 
and Shepherds…

and the bright star they saw...
and a wee Babe and His mission
that fill us with awe.
...

As we reflect on our abundance and cheer

Let us remember the reasons we're here

...

Let us love one another and try with our might

to keep His commandments and do what is right....

 May the spirit of Christmas we are feeling today

linger all year and in our hearts stay.

Merry Christmas to all of you

This is the season of Love and I am sending it to you.

It is nice that our daughter, Lynell, is a professional photographer.
Here are the family photos she took for us last year. Unfortunately John and I were not able to travel to the family reunion this year and we didn’t get new pictures taken….. but I bet we will next year.

Our Family
David, Mindy, Lura, John, Lynell and Erin

We are so thankful for each of our children.
No parents were ever blessed with dearer children. They are not perfect….but they are perfect for us. Each one of them loves the Lord, their spouses, their children and us. Could we ask for more??? I think not!

The Grand Kiddos
(Minus Justin who is on an LDS mission in Guatemala and Evan who was asleep.)
...
These grands are the light of our lives. Each one brings us so much joy. What a blessing they are to us.

I will update you on family activities in my year end post.

We love the Lord and enjoy this season when we celebrate His birth. I hope that all of you have a very Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year in 2012
Hugs, Grammy Lura

Smiles of the Season

It is hard to believe that this time next week will be Christmas. Some people may get tired with all there is to do during the Christmas season and be glad when it is over….. but…. I never get enough of it. I wish that it lasted much longer. I never tire of singing the Christmas carols, visiting with friends, attending Christmas programs and enjoying all of the decorations.

I am not ready for Christmas to be over in one week. Are you??

For us, the Christmas season began the day after Thanksgiving when my kids help me take down all of my Thanksgiving decorations and put up our tree.

We passed out the gifts for each of our Utah families…

Grampy loaded them up with fruit from his orchard…

We almost got our traditional picture by the scarecrow…

We hugged each one goodbye and…

Then they were off….. Thanksgiving was over….but…. our Christmas season had officially begun.

Almost every thing about the Christmas season makes me smile.

One of my favorite things is getting together with friends and socializing.

We had a lovely steak dinner at Dave’s and Kathy’s beautiful home with all of our cruising buddies. It was our Panama Cruise reunion. We had so much fun reminiscing that we’ve already planned our next get-together in Jan.

We tend to make more time for socializing during the holidays…

It is fun seeing our friend’s beautiful homes… all decorated and lovely…

(Many of our friends have gorgeous homes… much nicer than ours…. but then they are doctors and lawyers, etc.…not teachers like John and I were!!! In spite of their abundance they always make us feel at home and valued)

Is anything better than eating delicious food with dear friends???

I think not!!! I especially enjoyed the open house given by President and Sister Morgan from the Redland’s temple. The Morgan’s host a week long open house buffet for all 500 of us temple workers. Being guests in their home and partaking of their sweet spirits is always special.

I have not been up to much entertaining this year. I didn’t host any big events like I usually do… I just don’t have the strength yet…but… I did enjoy having Carolyn and Don and then Mindy, Ernie and my grands for dinner this weekend. It wasn’t much, Carolyn brought over a lot of the food, but having friends over on Friday night and family tonight made me smile.

Christmas baking and giving makes me smile too.

A couple of weeks ago I attended a cookie exchange with some friends. We each baked 10 dozen cookies and traded them with each other. I made Pumpkin Kisses. I will share the recipe with you that my Erin gave me on another post. They are the world’s easiest cookie to make and they are delicious.

We all came away with 10 dozen different kinds of homemade cookies to give away.

I made up my cookie plates and John, Claire and Austin helped me deliver them to neighbors and friends.

We may not have been the best carolers, but Claire made up for it by singing a Christmas solo at each house. She has a lovely voice and everyone wanted her to do an encore for them…. which she did. Here she is singing to our 90 year old neighbor and helping him decorate his tree. That made me smile.

I also spent time with my Women’s Improvement Club (WIC) sisters wrapping gifts for our local Settlement house and homeless shelter. My heart was touched by all the gifts that had been donated to brighten Christmas for those who are less fortunate. People are generous during the Christmas season and that makes me smile.

Christmas programs make me smile.

This is the 2nd year in a row that Michelle has opened up her beautiful home for our Relief Society Christmas program and luncheon. She moves all of her furniture out to make room for us. What an act of service that is!

I was in charge of putting on the program. I appreciate these sweet friends that helped me put on our Relief Society Christmas program.

The Stake Relief Society presidency prepared the luncheon.

Everyone enjoyed the program and lunch. Their efforts made me smile.

The Madrigals sang for our WIC Christmas luncheon. The music was beautiful.

Last night we attended a delicious dinner with our fellow temple workers. It was hosted by our friends, Clark and Cindy in their lovely home.

Our dinner was followed by games and a touching Christmas story which helped us focus on the real meaning of this season.

I am sure that this coming week will speed by and Christmas will be here before we know it. Let’s be sure to remember that Jesus is the reason for the season. Let’s all try to be more Christ-like in our thoughts and in our dealings as we go though the hustle and bustle of getting ready for Christmas.

I know some of you may be a bit blue this year. I am sorry. I hope that you can find smiles by reaching out to others who may be having trouble finding their smiles too. That always works for me when I am feeling down.

Have a great week. I will be posting my annual Christmas Card to you and updating our family news in my next posts.

John and I wish you the very best. ( I couldn’t get John to wear a Santa hat to the party last night, but doesn’t he look cute in his Panama hat he bought in Panama???) I hope that your week is full of smiles.

Hugs, Grammy