Inexpensive Christmas Ornament Craft Idea

This is a neat idea for jazzing up plain old candy canes to make the into extra special christmas ornaments.




Greetings Cards & Gift Ideas:

Jesus Candy Cane Shirt 2	Jesus Candy Cane Legend Christmas Card	Candy Cane Small Christmas Stamp
Mouse Tunes	Christmas Card: Candy Cane Christmas Dragon	Rudolph Candy Cane
Christmas Tree Greetings Card	Customisable Snowman	Geometric Christmas Trees Greetings Card

The Meanings of Christmas Part 1

In this day and age, where Christams has become a largely commercial affair - greetings cards, gifts, parties, extravagant meals - it is easy to wonder whether younger generations know the real meaning of Christmas, and what exactly it means to those of other generations.

Back to basics: Christmas is a celebration of the birth of Jesus. The name comes from the compound of "Christ's Mass" of Middle English origins. The date of 25th December is unlikely to be the true birth date of Christ, but may have been determined as being the date that was exactly 9 months after the date that some early Christians believed to be the date of conception. Others believe that this date was chosen as it is the date of the winter solstice on the ancient Roman calendar, whilst yet other branches of the Christian religion celebrate Christmas Day on January 7th or 19th. Despite being a Christian celebration, many non-Christians and non-Christian countries recognise and celebrate the event. Clearly then, Christmas means different things to different people, no matter it's true meaning.

Christmas Meanings Greetings Card

to be continued......

Homemade Cranberry Sauce

Cranberry Sauce

Ingredients
12 oz fresh or frozen cranberries
1 cup Sugar
1 1/4 c Water
Juice and grated rind of 1 orange

Method

1. In a 2-quart saucepan combine the sugar, water, orange juice and  orange rind. Stir over medium heat, until  the sugar has dissolved.
2. Add the cranberries to the sugar syrup, bring to a boil, and cook until cranberry skins start to split (about 1 minute).
3. Remove from the heat and pour into a bowl to cool.
4. For a finer sauce, pass through a seive, or whiz in a food blender.

Frugal Tip #1

An inexpensive Christmas gift can be made by filling a jar with colourful boiled sweets/candy, especially if you select a colour theme such as red, white and green. Certain brands of coffee's jars are ideal for these gifts; my favourite brand (Dow Egbert) has a glass lid with a plastic/rubber seal that pulls on/off rather than a screw-on lid.  Tie a festive ribbon around the neck of the jar and voila, a wonderful homemade gift! This idea is great for all those aunties and uncles.