I haven’t been a very good blogger lately. I know, I admit it – I’m sorry. There are plenty of excuses for my lack of writing. I could say “work has been busy” or “there’s no time around the holidays” or “my dog ate my notebook”, but I’m not going to use any of those excuses today. No, my excuse is light. It’s been getting dark so early these days; by the time I’ve finished cooking or baking, there’s no window light left to take photos – and that’s at 4:30! I can’t tell you how many perfectly blog worthy meals have not yet made it here because of light. I miss the long summer days with endless bright light – those were the days.

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Thank you all for sharing your favorite holiday traditions, I have loved reading every single one. They were all so unique and heart warming, they made me very happy.

And now, for our randomly selected winner!

Kim
December 6, 2009 at 4:12 pm
I’ll add a nice prime rib roast beef to that Yorkshire pudding for Christmas Day dinner!!

Congratulations, Kim!
I’ve loved putting on this giveaway, so look for more in the future!

I’m stuck in holiday mode and I don’t think I can get out. It’s cold and raining outside, Christmas music and sparkly lights are everywhere and all I want to do is bake cookies. Actually, the main reason I want to bake cookies is so that I have a reason to turn on the oven. Our house is so cold, I’ll take any excuse to turn it on. Don’t be surprised if most of the things I post here in the next few weeks have spent some time in the oven.

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I have been talking, thinking, obsessing about holiday gifts this year. I want to find and make great presents without draining my piggy bank. Because this has recently become my mission, I’m having a little giveaway so that you can either check another gift off your list or give yourself an early present – you deserve it!

Green Grocer Bags have become my new favorite thing to bring to the grocery store. Here are a few reasons why I love them:

1. Five bags in one! You get a big tote bag and four smaller produce bags.
2. Each bag is a different, bright and cheery color.
3. They make me feel cool at Rainbow.
4. They are the product of a small, local business with a lot of heart.

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I’ve been thinking a lot about Christmas gifts. I talked to Greg about my many ideas last night while he was trying to fall asleep – he fell asleep while I was talking. But none the less, I’m sure most of you are also thinking about presents, considering how quickly we’ve been flying through the holidays. This year though, I am thinking more about gifts because it is a year of saving money and cutting back for a lot of us. This will be the perfect year for experimenting with home made gifts. Whether it’s a hand made card, a cozy knit hat, or sweet treats like these, now is the time. I’m going to be giving a lot of food related gifts this holiday and I’d like to share some of them with you throughout the next few weeks. Today, I made Vanilla Spiced Pear Butter. Isn’t that the perfect name? - Vanilla Spiced Pear Butter, I could say it all day. It has made the whole house smell exactly like it sounds and it is heavenly.

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