Last night I was talking to my Dad on the phone and directed him to my blog.  I was explaining a lot to him and he was on the computer because he got DSL and can multitask unlike me still on dial up.  Hopefully that will change in the next few months.

I told him to check out my archives page (listed above) but he said it did not come up.  So today, I checked it and it is fixed.  Seems like the L in HTML was missing.  That is enough to cause a major problem.

Nobody noticed it around here? and nobody told me?

Thanks Dad for the favor!

Happy Holidays.

Here is a post I made elsewhere and thought maybe some reader can use it in their life.  Actually, I just wanted a copy of my own post. ;-) But hey! I am sharing with you if you are reading this post!

A Yankee Swap/Exchange is when you have a group and each person puts their name in a hat, bag, envelope and you pick someone else's name and get a present just for that person only. The person in charge makes sure you don't pick your own name though although some people like to buy for themselves.

The name you pick remains a secret.  Sometimes there is a party for presentation and sometimes you just present the gift.

This is also can be know as a "Secret Santa" Yankee swap too.  Some Secret Santa Swaps you leave little gifts secretly for a few days for the person you pick.  They try to guess who their Secret Santa is.
You purchase or make your main gift, and on a designed day and time, make the presentation revealing yourself.

Another form of a Yankee swap, usually with a group, is you just bring a present at a set value all wrapped up. All gifts go on a main table. Some people just put their "from" name on a tag, most gifts though are "anonymous". Then each person picks a number for the order of picking a wrapped present. Some swaps require you do not tell what number you got, some people exchange order numbers.

Everyone sits down, a circle sitting arrangement is most ideal.

The first number goes to pick a present and opens it up so all can see.
The second person goes and picks a present BUT if he/she likes the first person's present better, they can "take it" and give them the one they picked to #1. This goes on, all numbers in counting order pick.

Depends on the group, but it can be that they just take the gift and give their wrapped gift so that #1 gets to open a second gift OR the gift is already opened before the swap so #1 knows what he or she is getting in exchange for it being taken.

Naturally if you are one of the last people, you can take from anyone who previously opened and swapped a gift. The last person to pick a present, usually ends up taking the best gift brought.

If you are thinking of organizing one, make sure the rules are in print and established within your group.
1. acceptable decent gifts -- something you would like to receive.
2. Price limit.
3. Whether "from" tags should be put on the gifts (safety and security reasons in some cases)
4. Limitation of taking a gift -- if the same "coffee pot" is taken three times, then it can no longer be taken away and stays with the last person who has it.
5. A "bonus" gift -- who ever picks that gift, it cannot be taken away. In other words, this gift is totally an unexpected and more expensive gift in the pile donated by the company. (EX: 2 tickets to the Superbowl, an exaggeration but you get the idea.)

I have even participated in a "bad gift Yankee swap", where you bring a gift you never used to recycle it with other participants. In other words, you are trying to get rid of something you have that is not being used or useless to you. Items do have to be in new condition, in original packaging though not used.

Another swap I participated in was one where you bring a yard sale find to pass off. Lots of laughs at that one.

Other terms used for this event "White Elephant", "Dirty Santa", "Gift War", "Grinch Exchange", "Rob Your Neighbor", "Thieving Santa", "Nasty Christmas", and "Cajun Christmas" swaps. They are basically the same thing but you bring things you wish to "regift" (slightly used, not used anymore, in very good to excellent condition).

In an episode of NBC's The Office, they had a Yankee Swap that Michael kept changing the rules. It was a natural disaster of course so it is best to have rules and stick to them.

All in all, it is a fun time around the holidays to participate in this sort of activity.

I just posted a couple of easy recipes. 

I will be updating my article archives this week since I have not been keeping on top of that. No piano playing Christmas carols this week or maybe on a limited basis.

People seem to be sick around here and I hope I do not get whatever they have.
This always happens when we have very warm weather (60-70 degrees) then very cold, windy, rainy weather. Several local stations report that we will not have a white Christmas.  For me, this is great news as the radiator just burst on the tractor so there is no snowplow till the radiator gets fixed.

The house had Christmas decorations but they all blew away with a two day wild wind and rain storm.

Poll --

I have watched Elf a few times on USA and a few times more to come.
I like A Christmas Story too.
Charlie Brown and Meet Me in St. Louis and Truman Capote's A Christmas Memory (usually on PBS - an excellent story!) also comes to mind.

So, what Christmas movies do you like to watch? (huge list in comments)

Here is another favorite and easy recipe of mine.  I am posting it because when I moved, I lost it, and I need to remind myself of it with a blog posting, just in case I move again and lose it again.  You all benefit here by my post.

I have made this four layer cake for former roomates and pot luck dinners and it is a huge hit.  Very easy to make.

1 - 18 1/2 ounce pkg yellow cake mix
2 eggs
2/3 cup Bacardi light rum (80 proof)
2/3 cup of water

Filling and Topping
1 pint (2 cups) of heavy cream
1/4 cup Barcadi light rum (80 proof)
pinch of salt
1 cup of confectioner's sugar (powdered sugar)

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.
Grease and flour two 8 or 9 inch round pans.

Combine cake mix, eggs,  2/3 cup of rum, and water in a large bowl.
Blend then beat at medium mixer speed 2 to 4 minutes.
Turn into prepared pans and bake according to cake package directions.
Cool layers throughly.
Slice the 2 cakes horizonally in half so you have 4 layers.
To make slicing easier, you can freeze the cake to firm it up a bit before slicing.  You don't get as many crumbs this way.

Combine remaining ingredients in a bowl, beat until cream mixture is stiff.
Spread cream mixture between layers and over the top of the cake.
Chill the entire cake till serving time.

Options -- decorate with fresh strawberries, or banana slices or sprinkle ground nuts or "hokey pokies" (jimmies, sprinkles) on the top.  You can even use a potato slicer and make chocolate curls for the top also.  


 

Christmas is just around the corner and decorated sugar cookies are easy to make and a wonderful treat with tea or hot cocoa!
I got this recipe off a Domino Sugar bag years ago and it is a favorite mostly because it is uncomplicated and easy. 
You can use any regular white granulated sugar you wish but of course, if you use the Domino sugar, they will taste better (joking)!

1 cup of sugar
1 cup (2 sticks) of butter or margarine
1 egg
1 tablespoon of vanilla (yes that is one tablespoon)
2 1/4 cups of all purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking soda

Additional sugar for the tops.

In a large bow., mix sugar and butter.
Beat in the egg and vanilla until light and fluffy.
Mix in flour and baking soda.

Divide dough into halves.
Shape each half into a roll that is 1 1/2 inches in diameter.
Wrap and refrigerate for one hour (or 30 minutes in the freezer).

Cut roll into 1/4 inch slices.
Place on ungreased baking sheet and sprinkle generously with more sugar.

Bake in 375 oven for 10-12 minutes or until lightly browned around the edges.

Cool on a rack.
Makes about 3 dozen cookies.