Dear Santa,

Might you be able to drop by and help assemble some toddler toys, say around 12ish? And maybe bring me a gift certificate for some classes in mechanics with a focus on Big Wheel assembly?

Many thanks,
S

Carnation Famous Fudge Kit, A One Mom Review

Or, to get a better view click here.

Peppermint Roses

All dressed up with some place to go, these peppermint roses accompanied me to my first party of the holiday season. Tenderly crisp outside and melt-in-your mouth yummy on the inside, these easy-to-make meringues are likely to become a yuletide standard in our home. Prep time is short, and the resulting treats are like pretty little puffs of minty heaven.

The recipe is adapted from the Meringue Candy Canes recipe in this year's "Pillsbury Holiday Cookies" booklet. While whipping up the meringue was simple, piping out delicate candy canes from a decorating bag, as directed, proved to be exceedingly delicate work. Roses seemed a refreshing idea, and they were much easier to create.

To make these roses, simply dip the tip of the decorating bag in red food color rather than painting stripes on the inside of the bag. Then, beginning at the center of the rose, spiral outward, allowing meringue to overlap here and there, to imitate the natural imperfections of the flower.

Does Santa Fly With An All Girl Crew?

Could it be all Santa's reindeer are girls? Male reindeer usually drop their antlers before Christmas. Some pictures that have been captured, featuring antlers on each reindeer, could indicate it's an all gal sled crew. It's another Santa mystery to be solved.

Get the rest of the story on reindeer here.

Holiday Forecast

The blog holiday forecast -- fewer posts and a moratorium on political punditry this holiday season, possibly increased silliness.

Let It Snow!

Not the Tree Too

Although artificial trees and Christmas lights frequently have labels warning they contain lead, a recent press release from the National Christmas Tree Association raises the possibility that potentially harmful levels of lead may be found in some imported artificial trees. Click to read.

Overheard on the Block

As the fire truck drove by and stopped in front of the house with the giant Christmas display.

Boy 1: What the heck? What are they doing here?

Boy 2: (Matter-of-factly) Oh, must be something your dad set on fire.

Toys Not Made in China, Making Finding Them Easier

The Cool Mom Picks Safer Toy Guide is a toddler mom's toy fantasy land. It boasts the best finds of the season for moms who are fed up with toy recalls. Sellers offer gifts in almost every price range, from the $6 set of four colorful German-made balls at Oompa Toys to the $249 rocking dory hand-crafted by artisanal Maine wood-workers at Nova Naturals Toys and Crafts.

While major retailers are slower to respond to demand for toys not made in China, some toys made in the USA and in Germany can be found on the web sites of FAO Schwarz, Target and Toys R Us. These retailers don't make it easy though. Searching the sites is time consuming and often fruitless. Many, if not most, of the toys offered are made in China and, particularly in the case of Target and Toys R Us, often little or no manufacturing information is offered. (We found even if we called customer service to ask where a particular product was made, a Kiddi-O Tricycle by Kettler, neither Target nor Toys R Us could tell us. They suggested calling a local store, not exactly an efficient use of time.)

Even "The FAO Schwarz Toy Buying Guide," includes a statement from CEO Ed Schmults saying, "All toys sold in the US must meet certain US government safety standards concerning safety (choking hazards, toxic substances, etc.). However, the recent recalls suggest that it is possible for harmful substances to make it into toys." Perhaps an understatement?

Schmults also says, "There are many quality-oriented factories in China that don’t cut corners, but if you are uncomfortable with China production, then seek out alternative toys made with quality design and quality raw materials." While Scmults acknowledges that some people may be uncomfortable with China production, to continue defending Chinese manufacturers seems almost counterproductive. At this point, parents are more concerned with finding alternatives to toys made in China than trying to find a quality-oriented factory in China that can be trusted with the health of their children.

Schmults does go on to offer some helpful advice about selecting quality toys in general saying, "Look at how the product was designed : Does every part have a purpose? Toys with excessive moving parts can be prone to breakage and factories may use cheaper materials to reduce the cost of manufacturing a complex item." Notably, FAO Schwarz does stay ahead of Target, Wal-Mart and Toys-R-Us by offering the capability to search for toys by country of origin. Then again, based on price and reputation, it seems FAO Schwarz should be offering more non-China products than they are.

All-in-all, mainstream American retailers are still missing the mark in responding to the recent toy recalls, leading former customers to smart solutions like The Cool Mom Picks Safer Toy Guide and new relationships with the toy sellers found there.

French Toast Casserole with Easy Cranberry Sauce

Lazy me. I like French Toast, but who has time for all the endless dipping, frying and flipping on holiday mornings? This easy recipe provides a simple alternative. It can be adjusted to feed few or many. It even works well refrigerated, reheated and served the next day.

The simplicity with which it is prepared belies the complexity of texture and taste it delivers. There's no need to mix to perfection before putting it in the oven. The varied textures help deliver its rustic charm.

Ingredients:

4 slices thick-cut raisin bread
4 large eggs
4 Tablespoons sour cream
3 Tablespoons sugar
1 Tablespoon cinnamon
1 teaspoon nutmeg
Dash ground cloves
Real butter

Grease 8 inch x 8 inch glass pan with real butter. Toast raisin bread under oven broiler until golden brown, and set aside. Mix eggs, sour cream, sugar, cinnamon, nutmeg and ground cloves in large mixing bowl. Tear toast into small pieces, varying in size from about 1/2 inch to 1 1/2 inches, adding to egg mixture as you go. (This allows different levels of saturation, adding to the complexity of the dish.) Pour into pan, and cook at 350 degrees for 30 to 40 minutes. Less time for a more pudding-like consistency. More time for consistency nearer French Toast.

Serve with alone, topped with whipped cream or topped with Easy Cranberry Sauce as seen above.

Is It Too Late to Return the Turkey?

Best Thanksgiving Help Sites:

Visit CooksIllustrated.com for the full Thanksgiving survival guide.

Better Homes and Gardens offers a step-by-step guide from buying and thawing to roasting and carving.

Hot lines and online help links abound at About.com, links for everything from Butterball to OceanSpray.

"Last Minute Turkey Day Salvation," from Wired.com, features tips for the seemingly unsavable turkey.

Kids table conundrums are solved at MarthaStewart.com, where you'll find creative ideas, complete with instructions and patterns.

Seriously short on time? For easy last-minute options, visit the Boar's Head DigiCatessen. Click on the turkey, and do a little last minute turkey salvation dance as their many options for pre-cooked turkey pop up.

December Feature: Home for the Holidays

Blog posts here in December will feature recipes, decorating tips and a little dollop of holiday madness. After all, I'm still a mom of two toddlers.

Thanksgiving Dinner

I won't be cooking a big bird. In fact, eating out is my idea of a festive Thanksgiving. How about you?

Welcome to Retroville: Holiday Shopping with Thrift Shop Style

Vintage cards, wrapping papers, and ephemera from the 1920's through the 1970's are some of my favorite inexpenisve treats for holiday decorating.

This box, which I purchased for $1 from a Salvation Army store, came filled with cards in excellent condition, including the one featuring Santa with Raggedy Ann as seen on the front of the box and here below.

For Veterans Day, Holiday Parcels to Iraq

For all our armed forces do and sacrifice, Liv is organizing a parcel sending party to bring a little home for the holidays to our men and women in Iraq. Click here to visit her blog to learn more.

Shopping with Style, While Wearing Pajamas

Ah, the luxury of shopping online, pajamas, a bottomless cup of cappuccino, no disgruntled sales clerks, and now Etsy. Featuring hand-made, hippest of the hip goods, Etsy.com offers shoppers an alternative to stale products mass-produced in China. From cork mats to superhero capes, there is an abundance of creative goods to keep the debit card warm.

Among the many currently calling to my card:

Holiday Cards from MagnoliaMoonlight. Retro Christmas trees and Asian inspired snowflake vines top cards edgy, but not over the top.

Hand-stitched vintage textiles and papers from Cotton Bird Designs. Little birds stitched from vintage fabrics, old maps, and ticket paper give recycled items new life.

Retro-fab car litter bags from Allyson Hill. Remember that lame plastic trash bag Grandma insisted on taking in the car in 1975? Now that I have kids, I so understand. Car litter bags are back and with ever so much more style.

Kids' custom superhero capes from Panjo. What all the cool superheros will be wearing this spring.

Cork mats from Shandke. Aesthetically pleasing in color, shape, and texture, subtly varied shades of cork arranged in a staggered pattern tempt bare toes.

These and more are available at Etsy, where independent designers and crafters share their goods.

Simplifying Sending Christmas Cards

Writing furiously to address and mail fifty cards in one day, the thought creeps in, "Maybe, they could be Happy New Year cards, or maybe Valentine's," and a promise is made to start earlier on those Christmas cards next year. They provide an excellent opportunity to reaffirm connections with family and friends, an opportunity that is easily lost in the season's busy schedule.

Conquer the Christmas card crunch by using an organized approach and addressing cards early. Organization is key. Keep a running Christmas card list and add new friends and business acquaintances throughout the year. Using your email program's contacts manager makes it quick and easy. Street addresses looked up online may even be added automatically, if using Microsoft Outlook, and by categorizing entries as "family," "friend," or "business acquaintance" they can be sorted into separate lists in a snap.

The number and type of cards needed can quickly be determined by reviewing the categorized lists. Sending secular cards to business and casual acquaintances is often advisable. Messages such as "Peace" and "Happy Holidays" are preferable when the person's tradition or ethnic background is unknown.

Christmas cards of all sorts are often available as early as the beginning of October. While they are usually not mailed until the week of Thanksgiving, addressing them can begin much earlier. It is the bulk of the work and can even be outsourced to a professional calligrapher or card sellers such as Hallmark.com and USPS.com. Though setting aside a couple of hours on Saturdays, with the family, to address cards over hot cider can get them done quickly and be lots of fun.

Cards should be addressed, signed, stamped, and mailed no later than December 5th to allow time for recipients to send return cards if they wish. Additional cards kept in a container with stamps and a pen near where mail is read can make sending response cards quick and easy.

Once established, an organized Christmas card system can be updated throughout the year, simplifying keeping in touch with family, friends, and business acquaintances.

Super Fudge

Creamy, chocolaty warmth all wrapped up in a holiday treat, fudge comes but once a year in our house, and it's never made by me. Until now, that is.

Carnation's Famous Fudge Kit has given me the pre-packaged courage to share in my mother's role as family fudge-maker. It comes complete with a can of evaporated milk, semi-sweet chocolate morsels, a bag of marshmallows, a bag of "sugar mix," and a pan/gift tray. The only thing not included is two tablespoons of butter. Illustrated instructions are printed on the back of the box.

I think I can handle it. I've got to get a domestic move on after all. My husband is downstairs baking brownies.

Tune in soon for a review of the fudge making experience, complete with pictures.

Dia de los Muertos, A Celebration of Life through Day of the Dead

Cool glasses of water, flickering candles, and the aroma of marigolds welcome spirits of departed loved ones in Dia de los Muertos celebrations across Southern California this week. In celebration of their lives, family and friends create beautiful altars. Sugar skulls, rosary beads, and favorite foods are carefully displayed alongside old photographs and mementos.

A photographic sampling of San Diego's Sherman Heights Community Center's Dia de los Muertos celebration follows. To learn more, visit ShermanCenter.org.

(Click on any photograph to view full size.)



*Special thanks to Doris Villasenor of the Sherman Heights Community Center.