Seven Quick Takes: Advent-is-Almost-Over Edition

Jennifer is our gracious hostess for the Seven Quick Takes each week, so be sure to stop by and check out the other Quick-Takers!

~one~

This week will be very quick for a few reasons. First, I take way too long to do this sometimes. Second, I've got things to do, including wrap a couple Christmas presents, put together one for my father from my girls, and get those cards out. Third, I've got cookies to bake - still.

~two~

Cookies. I really do love baking them, and this year, my husband gave me my Christmas present early. I didn't even think we were exchanging gifts, and he goes and offers to buy me a STAND MIXER to make my cookie-baking easier this year. I was SO blown away! It has made it very quick and easy to make my cookies this year, which is good on several levels. My poor old hand mixer had been in its dying throes for the last two years, and I'd burned out a couple of gears on the thing, which made mixing on low impossible. But the big reason I was so excited to start using it right away was ...

~three~

...Travel Man asked me to bake cookies for his co-workers as a Christmas gift. Which I agreed to. And then, when I went to get containers at Wally World I asked, "How many little boxes of cookies am I putting together, anyway?" The answer was 15. Well, actually, the answer was 17, but we miscounted the first time, and I went to Wally World at 9:15 last night to get the other boxes. Then I started stressing out, especially when the cookies were getting eaten as I baked. I put the kibosh on eating anything but the Tollhouse cookies (and not even all of them) until after I had packed cookies up. Oh, and I had Little Girl's dance class/party last night, which I also baked cookies for. And we're having an open house on Sunday, which I also need cookies for. And I also baked another batch of Tollhouse for Travel Man's training class on Tuesday. (Someone said my cookies were "bangin'," and I think that's good. At any rate, the cookies were gone by the end of class.) Oh, did I mention that I put together a hefty box for our pastor? Yes, I know that there are better gifts than cookies, but they really were made with love.

I baked hundreds of cookies by Thursday evening, in eight varieties, including one single batch of Tollhouse and two double-batches of said same. I have some left for Sunday, but I've still got three other kinds to make. And I forgot to take a picture of the cute boxes. Maybe Travel Man will bring home the last, extra box I sent with him. But here are some pictures of my cookies. :)

*My list of cookies I'm making this year. Yes, I am deranged enough to organize. I need to know what has to be put in the freezer or fridge so I can plan it out. Plus, if I bake two kinds of cookies in one day that bake at different temperatures, I can bake the lower-temperature ones first.*

*Tollhouse - notice the extreme amount of chips - doubled the recipe, tripled the chips. Dough is a carrier for the chocolate. Try these out of the fridge with a tall glass of cold milk.*

*We made Lollipop Sugar Cookies. Ball the dough - we used the cookie scoop I got from Wally World - then roll said dough in sprinkles or colored sugar, then pop a popsicle stick into it...*

*...press down on the ball of dough with a greased and floured glass (use the bottom, silly) so they are flat-ish. Bake 'em up ... *

*...and they come out like this. More than 50 of these, most of which are saved for the open house. These are by no means low-fat. I will post the recipes sometime soon, but trust me, these are delicious! We even made them one year for Big Girls' birthday sleepover.*

∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞

I'll have to take some pictures of the other cookies, too. I'll even arrange them nicely so you can see them in all their Christmas-y glory!

~four~

Next year, I will not think that I can include cookies-as-gifts in my grocery budget. They get their own budget.

~five~

In a wild demonstration of God taking care of little details in life - merely because it seems to please Him to do so - at the Knights of Columbus Christmas party, we won a turkey that seems to be around the 20 pound mark. Father K. (a brand-new Knight!) pulled Travel Man's number for the win! I am certain he's got plans and a bazillion invitations, but we invited him to dinner. We'll probably invite him to our Thanksgiving dinner in February, too, since I'm pretty sure he's been snatched up for Christmas Day.

~six~

Yes, I said Thanksgiving in February. Aren't you thankful all year long? And don't you love Thanksgiving dinner food? Why don't you have Thanksgiving dinner more often?

~seven~

Next week, I fully expect there to be no Quick Takes, so let me take this opportunity to wish you a blessed Christmas. It does begin on December 25, you know, and it goes to either the Epiphany (January 6) or Candlemas (February 2 - also known as the Feast of the Presentation), depending on how Old School you are. No, Travel Man doesn't let me keep the Christmas decorations up until February, though I do lobby for it every year.

So, Merry Christmas. Oh, and Happy Chanukah to any readers who celebrate as such!

O Antiphons: December 18

O Adonai

Jesse Tree: December 18

(Note: This is a series of posts from 2008.)

Theme: Jesus is Lord

2 And the Lord appeared to him in a flame of fire out of the midst of a bush: and he saw that the bush was on fire and was not burnt.

Read the rest:

Exodus 3:2, 20:1

O Antiphons: December 17

You'll have to forgive the "2006" date on these. The music is beautiful, so I'm going to post them despite it being 2009.

For more on the O Antiphons, you can go in my way-back machine to these posts. (In the future, I will use the label that I added specifically for these Antiphons.) You can also read some more on them at Julie's blog, Happy Catholic. (I recommend her blog, anyway!)

O Sapientia

Jesse Tree: December 17

(Note: This is a series of posts from 2008.)

Theme: Jesus is Wisdom

6 I made that in the heavens there should rise light that never faileth, and as a cloud I covered all the earth: 7 I dwelt in the highest places, and my throne is in a pillar of a cloud. 8 I alone have compassed the circuit of heaven, and have penetrated into the bottom of the deep, and have walked in the waves of the sea...

Read the rest:

Sirach 24:2, Wisdom 8:1

Jesse Tree: December 16

(Note: This is a series of posts from 2008.)

Theme: John the Baptist

6 And John was clothed with camel's hair, and a leathern girdle about his loins; and he ate locusts and wild honey. 7 And he preached, saying: There cometh after me one mightier than I, the latchet of whose shoes I am not worthy to stoop down and loose. 8 I have baptized you with water; but he shall baptize you with the Holy Ghost. 9 And it came to pass, in those days, Jesus came from Nazareth of Galilee, and was baptized by John in the Jordan. 10 And forthwith coming up out of he water, he saw the heavens opened, and the Spirit as a dove descending, and remaining on him.

11 And there came a voice from heaven: Thou art my beloved Son; in thee I am well pleased.

Read the rest:

Mark 1:1-18

Jesse Tree: December 15

(Note: This is a series of posts from 2008.)

Theme: Mary

28And the angel being come in, said unto her: Hail, full of grace, the Lord is with thee: blessed art thou among women. 29 Who having heard, was troubled at his saying, and thought with herself what manner of salutation this should be. 30 And the angel said to her: Fear not, Mary, for thou hast found grace with God.

31 Behold thou shalt conceive in thy womb, and shalt bring forth a son; and thou shalt call his name Jesus. 32 He shall be great, and shall be called the Son of the most High; and the Lord God shall give unto him the throne of David his father; and he shall reign in the house of Jacob for ever. 33And of his kingdom there shall be no end.

Read the rest:

Matthew 1:1-18, Luke 1:26-38

Jesse Tree: December 14

(Note: This is a series of posts from 2008.)

Theme: Joseph

18 Now the generation of Christ was in this wise. When as his mother Mary was espoused to Joseph, before they came together, she was found with child, of the Holy Ghost. 19 Whereupon Joseph her husband, being a just man, and not willing publicly to expose her, was minded to put her away privately. 20 But while he thought on these things, behold the angel of the Lord appeared to him in his sleep, saying: Joseph, son of David, fear not to take unto thee Mary thy wife, for that which is conceived in her, is of the Holy Ghost.

Read the rest:

Matthew 1:18-25

Jesse Tree: December 13

(Note: This is a series of posts from 2008.)

Theme: Solomon

5 And the Lord appeared to Solomon in a dream by night, saying: Ask what thou wilt that I should give thee.

6 And Solomon said: Thou hast shown great mercy to thy servant David my father, even at, he walked before thee in truth, and justice, and an upright heart with thee: and thou hast kept thy great mercy for him, and hast given him a son to sit on his throne, as it is this day. 7 And now, O Lord God, thou hast made thy servant king instead of David my father: and I am but a child, and know not how to go out and come in. 8 And thy servant is in the midst of the people which thou hast chosen, an immense people, which cannot be numbered nor counted for multitude. 9 Give therefore to thy servant an understanding heart, to judge thy people, and discern between good and evil. For who shall be able to judge this people, thy people which is so numerous? 10 And the word was pleasing to the Lord that Solomon had asked such a thing.

Read the rest:

1 Kings 3:5-14, 16-28

Jesse Tree: December 12

(Note: This is a series of posts from 2008.)

Theme: David

26 And David spoke to the men that stood by him, saying: What shall be given to the man that shall kill this Philistine, and shall take away the reproach from Israel? for who is this uncircumcised Philistine, that he should defy the armies of the living God? 27 And the people answered him the same words saying: These things shall be given to the man that shall slay him. 28 Now when Eliab his eldest brother heard this, when he was speaking with others, he was angry with David, and said: Why earnest thou hither? and why didst thou leave those few sheep in the desert? I know thy pride, and the wickedness of thy heart: that thou art come down to see the battle. 29 And David said: What have I done? is there not cause to speak?30 And he turned a little aside from him to another: and said the same word. And the people answered him as before.

Read the rest:

1 Samuel 17:12-51