The 12 Posts of Christmas, Day 12: Among Us
So the Word became human and made
his home among us. John 1:14
From our home to yours–Merry, Merry Christmas!
A Rural Girl Writes
Related posts:
The 12 Posts of Christmas, Day 1: Our Hillbilly Christmas Wreath 2019!
The 12 Posts of Christmas, Day 2: An Unforgettable Small Town
The 12 Posts of Christmas, Day 3: Cookies From Christmases Past
The 12 Posts of Christmas, Day 4: For Whom the Christmas Bells Toll
The 12 Posts of Christmas, Day 5: Smoked Turkey Cheese Ball
The 12 Posts of Christmas, Day 6: Of Hair Combs and Watch Chains
The 12 Posts of Christmas, Day 7: Homespun Christmas Ball Ornaments
The 12 Posts of Christmas, Day 8: A Couple of Misfits
The 12 Posts of Christmas, Day 9: Nutballs
The 12 Posts of Christmas, Day 10: Christmas is for the Birds
The 12 Posts of Christmas, Day 11: Our Family’s Christmas Eve Traditions
Posts from a year ago:
The 12 Posts of Christmas, Day 12: The Real Christmas Light
The 12 Posts of Christmas, Day 11: Stable Reflections
From two years ago:
The 12 Posts of Christmas, Day 12: Reflections
The 12 Posts of Christmas, Day 11: It’s Okay to Say ‘Merry Christmas’
The 12 Posts of Christmas, Day 11: Our Family’s Christmas Eve Traditions
Inside: Tonight we hold our Christmas Eve traditions. We actually celebrate the night before rather than December 25. Come along for a peek into how my family does Christmas.
It starts with a small feast. New and old favorites. Ducks and rice, deer roast, mini pizzas, smoked turkey cheese balls, sausage, cheese, ham, dips, chips, rye bread, pies, and cookies. Plenty of cookies.
And great conversations around the dinner table.
When we’ve all had our fill, we gather around the Christmas tree to hear Emily read the Christmas story.
Mom asks Ricci to sing “Silent Night,” and we join in. Followed by an impromptu version of “Last Christmas” from Jeremy, Ricci, and family.
Time to hand out presents. Jeremy has been doing this probably since he learned to read. In a flurry of paper and thank-yous and “how did you know I wanted this,” gifts are unwrapped and treasured. Homemade goodies from Mom, along with an orange and apple–just like she received as a child.
And the paper covers the floor. And some of it flies.
Then it’s time for more conversation and last-minute nibbling.
Until the hour grows late. And the adults get sleepy. And it’s time to pack up and go. Hugs and thank-yous and Merry Christmas.
And grateful hearts. For the family we cherish. For the gifts we’ve received.
For a Babe in a manger, the best gift of all.
Resources and related posts:
The 12 Posts of Christmas, Day 1: Our Hillbilly Christmas Wreath 2019!
The 12 Posts of Christmas, Day 2: An Unforgettable Small Town
The 12 Posts of Christmas, Day 3: Cookies From Christmases Past
The 12 Posts of Christmas, Day 4: For Whom the Christmas Bells Toll
The 12 Posts of Christmas, Day 5: Smoked Turkey Cheese Ball
The 12 Posts of Christmas, Day 6: Of Hair Combs and Watch Chains
The 12 Posts of Christmas, Day 7: Homespun Christmas Ball Ornaments
The 12 Posts of Christmas, Day 8: A Couple of Misfits
The 12 Posts of Christmas, Day 9: Nutballs
The 12 Posts of Christmas, Day 10: Christmas is for the Birds
Posts from a year ago:
The 12 Posts of Christmas, Day 11: Stable Reflections
The 12 Posts of Christmas, Day 10: Festive Simmering Potpourri
From two years ago:
The 12 Posts of Christmas, Day 11: It’s Okay to Say ‘Merry Christmas’
The 12 Posts of Christmas, Day 10: Simple Ornaments
The 12 Posts of Christmas, Day 10: Christmas is for the Birds
Inside: Christmas is for the birds–when you make these cute birdseed ornaments. Nice stocking stuffer for the birdwatcher on your list!
Christmas is for the Birds
I’ve been wanting to make these birdseed ornaments for a while now. They make an awfully cute little “thinking of you” gift at Christmas, or anytime, really. It’s a great alternative to more cookies and candies–although I’m certainly not against a good confection! But there are always those folks with special diets or watching what they eat, even at Christmas, if you can believe that!
My niece Victoria agreed to be my model today. She also happens to be the subject of one of my favorite early posts, “Way to Go, Birds!” So it was only fitting that she hung the birdseed ornament.
These ornaments are fairly simple to make, with a few cautions. Working with unflavored gelatin can be a little tricky. The first time it took a little while for the gelatin to dissolve, and by the time it did, it was so thick the birdseed stuck to my fingers when I tried pressing it in the cookie cutters. The second time I decided to sprinkle the gelatin on top of cold water and then bring it to a boil. The gelatin dissolved well, but I didn’t let it get hot enough, and the birdseed didn’t quickly soak up the liquid. So I used a little more birdseed, and it didn’t stick together quite as well, though I was able to more easily press the seed into the cookie cutters.
I suggest having all of the ingredients ready to go because you’ll need to work quickly. The birdseed dries fast–which is why you shouldn’t double the recipe. Make small batches instead, and definitely try making a couple of batches to get the hang of it.
And give these ornaments time to dry. Overnight would be best. I dried mine for several hours, and the thinner ones were ready, but the thicker ones weren’t quite there.
The birds are waiting! Let’s get to the directions. . .
You Will Need:
- 3/4 to 1 cup of birdseed
- 1 packet of unflavored gelatin
- 1/4 cup of cold water
- cookie cutters, lightly greased
- twine and ribbon (for decorating and using as a hanger)
- parchment paper (waxed paper will also work)
Directions:
In a saucepan, add water and sprinkle the gelatin evenly over the surface. Mix well and bring the liquid to a simmer, continuously stirring until the gelatin is dissolved. Allow the mixture to cool briefly–a minute–and stir in 3/4 cup of birdseed until liquid is absorbed. (You may need to add the rest of the cup, but don’t go beyond that or the birdseed won’t stick together as well.)
Have a piece of parchment paper spread out to use as a work surface and for the ornaments to dry. Fill cookie cutters halfway, place a piece of twine, ends at the bottom and loop extending over the top. Fill in the rest of the cookie cutter with the birdseed, packing and pressing it in and making sure to get the mixture into all the corners.
Let ornaments dry overnight–at the very least several hours. When they’re dried, gently push the ornaments out of the cookie cutters. Add decorative ribbons and hang on a tree branch, preferably close to another branch where birds can perch to eat.
Yields 3 or 4 small to medium ornaments, depending on the size of the cookie cutters.
Use for gifts or give yourself a present and enjoy watching all the birds stop by!
Do you like bird-watching?
Resources and related posts:
The 12 Posts of Christmas, Day 1: Our Hillbilly Christmas Wreath 2019!
The 12 Posts of Christmas, Day 2: An Unforgettable Small Town
The 12 Posts of Christmas, Day 3: Cookies From Christmases Past
The 12 Posts of Christmas, Day 4: For Whom the Christmas Bells Toll
The 12 Posts of Christmas, Day 5: Smoked Turkey Cheese Ball
The 12 Posts of Christmas, Day 6: Of Hair Combs and Watch Chains
The 12 Posts of Christmas, Day 7: Homespun Christmas Ball Ornaments
The 12 Posts of Christmas, Day 8: A Couple of Misfits
The 12 Posts of Christmas, Day 9: Nutballs
Posts from a year ago:
The 12 Posts of Christmas, Day 10: Festive Simmering Potpourri
The 12 Posts of Christmas, Day 9: My Ragtag Collection of Ornaments
From two years ago:
The 12 Posts of Christmas, Day 9: Nutballs
Inside: One of my all-time favorite cookies, handed down from my German mother-in-law. These no-bake spicy cookies are easy to make and quite unique. Try ’em for something different this Christmas.
Margaret’s Nutballs
I can’t help noticing a theme emerging from our DIY projects and recipes this Christmas season–balls! Ornament balls, cheese balls, nutballs. Heck, even the Hillbilly Christmas Wreath has a round shape. I promise, it wasn’t planned! Well, the wreath was. . .
Mostly this season we’ve been winging it. You know what they say about the best laid plans. Of course, if there weren’t a lot of plans to begin with, then, well . . .
This post was supposed to run after the cookie reflection post, but I had some problems with the recipe. For one, it’s written from the way Europeans do recipes–they weigh just about everything, it seems! So this was in ounces, and in the past I think I made it by looking at ounces in a package and then eyeballing it from there. So I had this batch made that I hadn’t figured out the amount of walnuts measured by cups. Then, upon sampling it, the dough tasted pretty bland. Mom said it was a dud–and it was! Which got me to thinking, I should have bought fresh spices. I definitely recommend fresh spices. You think it hasn’t been that long, but just give ’em a taste. You’ll see maybe you’ve had that bottle of allspice for two years instead of six months.
The third issue is one that doesn’t bother me but bothers a lot of other people. Raw eggs. Well, I learned something. You can buy pasteurized eggs that are uncooked. I actually didn’t know that but wondered why, when we had bought a particular brand of eggs, they had the letter P stamped on them. Problem solved.
Fourth dilemma, if you can call it that, was the “drying” time. I had thought it could take days, but Mike said growing up they’d often sample a few that were a bit soft, but after sitting out to dry overnight, they were ready. I’m taking him at his word. He grew up eating them, after all.
Okay, we’ve dealt with the issues, so now onto the recipe!
- 1½ + ¾ finely chopped walnuts (meal consistency)
- 6 tablespoons of Truvia
- 1½ teaspoons of ground cloves
- 1¾ teaspoons of ground allspice
- 2 egg whites, beaten (use pasteurized eggs)
- 4 teaspoons of vanilla extract
- Set aside ¾ finely chopped walnuts into a small bowl for rolling balls in.
- In a large bowl, add 1½ cups of finely chopped walnuts, Truvia, cloves, and allspice and mix well.
- Add beaten eggs and vanilla extract into the mixture.
- Form into balls no larger than 1-inch.
- Roll balls into the remaining nut meal and set aside to dry on a sheet of wax paper.
- Best left to dry overnight.
- Enjoy!
Notes: If you want to use granulated sugar instead of Truvia, use 3/4 cup + 1 tablespoon. Originally this recipe was made with rum. I experimented with using rum extract, which worked well, so you might replace half (or more) of the vanilla extract with rum extract. I used Watkins brand. For long-term storage, monitor these cookies. Often when making low carb or Keto desserts, they need to be refrigerated. I know when we used to make these with sugar, we just left them out and they were fine. I don’t know if that will work with these.
One final word. If you’re a fan of things like spice cake or chai tea, then this recipe will likely be your thing. It’s a unique recipe, and one that I have cherished over the years, thanks to Margaret who graciously shared it with me.
Happy cookie sampling!
What have you been baking this Christmas?
Resources and related posts:
The 12 Posts of Christmas, Day 1: Our Hillbilly Christmas Wreath 2019!
The 12 Posts of Christmas, Day 2: An Unforgettable Small Town
The 12 Posts of Christmas, Day 3: Cookies From Christmases Past
The 12 Posts of Christmas, Day 4: For Whom the Christmas Bells Toll
The 12 Posts of Christmas, Day 5: Smoked Turkey Cheese Ball
The 12 Posts of Christmas, Day 6: Of Hair Combs and Watch Chains
The 12 Posts of Christmas, Day 7: Homespun Christmas Ball Ornaments
Posts from a year ago:
The 12 Posts of Christmas, Day 8: Maple Walnut Fudge
The 12 Posts of Christmas, Day 7: Christmas Literature
From two years ago:
The 12 Posts of Christmas, Day 8: Spending Christmas with Charlie