Christmas time is here

I'll have to admit, I've been too busy to post for awhile.  With the new baby in the house we aren't on any kind of schedule, yet.  But I did manage to get the Christmas decorations up.  I started in the front room we call the parlor with the artificial tree.  I can put it up at my leisure or maybe just not as frantically.  Then the house decorations go up, wreaths on all the doors, Christmasy nick knacks here and there and then finally the real tree in the living room.  That just happened last Saturday.  It's already starting to drop needles so I hope it will last until Christmas day.

I put on the Christmas music while I put everything out.  Charlie Brown Christmas and Mannhiem Steamroller are the favorites, any version of Carol of the Bells and I love Sleigh Ride by the Boston Pops Orchestra.  Silent Night always makes me cray.

Then baking starts.  Many batches of Pumpkin Bread for gifts and for eating by the family.  Christmas sugar cookies will be tomorrow.  Then we'll have a big Christmas Eve dinner.  I hope to get some rest Christmas day.  I'm really tired.

Front door.  I just started doing the trees by the door and the swag is now artificial garland with lights. I used to do it all with cedar branches that just ate my hands up but decided the artificial looked just fine.  

The main event.  The real tree.  Decorated with ornaments collected over years and years.  All the little things the kids made in school, hand made ornaments and some vintage glass ones.  One year the tree fell over and broke lots of the ornaments and the vintage point that we bought when we first got married,  I cried!

The parlor tree all in blue and green lights and blue, copper and silver ornaments.  I love this tree.

Dining room table will be loaded down with food in a couple of days.

Fresh from the oven pumpkin bread.

Here'e the recipe.  I got it over 25 years ago as a recipe card from the grocery store.

3 1/2 cups AP flour

3 cups granulated sugar

1 tsp nutmeg

1 tsp cinnamon

1/2 tsp allspice

1/2 tsp baking powder

2 tsps baking soda

1 1/2 tsp salt

1 cup salad oil

4 eggs

2 cups canned pumpkin

Sift together all dry ingredients in a large bowl.  Add remaining ingredients and mix well.  Bake in 2 well greased loaf pans 50-60 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean.  Cool and sprinkle with powdered sugar.  

Enjoy and Merry Christmas!!!