This year I want to remember something. What I went into the kitchen for lol just joking well, not really, but that’s not what I want to remember. I want to remember how it felt last year when Christmas was over. The sadness that it was over and I that, maybe, I didn’t enjoy it the way I should have. I spent too much time planning and feeling guilty and not enough time feeling grateful. This Christmas I’m going to keep that in mind. For me, one way to help feel less anxious about what I can and can’t do, is to plan ahead and be realistic. Keeping all of this in mind I designed a December calendar that can keep us in the mood all month long! I’m not going to HOLD us to this “plan” though. We will move certain activities based on weather, or mix the days up, or even double them up or sadly I might have to last minute cancel an activity. It’s all good. The opportunity for 31 days of Christmas fun is there though. We are SO excited for the holiday season and these are a some options for us AND for you and your family if you too are looking for a month of holiday fun!
December 1: Decorate with the family. We like to have a whole month of festive decorations.
December 2: Start a Christmas puzzle. Our Elf, Maynard has been bringing us a puzzle Advent calendar and we all take turns building a box a day and adding to the Christmas puzzle. It has been so much fun, I wonder what this year’s puzzle will look like?Â
December 3: Cookie decorating party. I like to have the sugar cookies and gingerbread men baked and cooled so the Kids just get to be creative plus it goes much quicker so decorating can be done even on a weeknight.
December 4: New soup day! There is nothing like a big bowl of homemade soup on a cold winter day. Find & try a new soup recipe, these are 3 delicious soups that we have made recently.
December 5: Hot tea and a Hallmark movie. The W Network in Canada has had 3 NEW holiday Hallmark movies, every weekend. It’s crazy to me that we get SO many new movies every year, I LOVE IT!
December 6: Explore local Christmas markets for unique gifts, delicious food, and festive decorations. Enjoy the holiday atmosphere and support local vendors.
December 7: Craft holiday decor from nature. Use your imagination! Pine cones, holly, fir, wreaths of pine and even walnut shells make perfect crafting items that you can find on a family nature walk.
December 8: Donate non perishables to your local food bank. I like to buy a few extra items while grocery shopping and leave them in the donation bin on the way out.
December 9: Play Christmas music as you get ready for school/work. Trust me Christmas music makes everyone smile, even grumpy morning teenagers lol!
December 10: Make teacher gifts. Every year we make treats for the Kid’s teachers and coaches. This year we will be making Chocolate Wreaths, check back soon for more information.
December 11: Have a mug of hot chocolate and start a holiday book. I read 10 fun Christmas books this year, you can check them out, here.
December 12: Have dinner by the tree. This is just a fun and easy activity that makes a weeknight dinner just a little more special.
December 13: Have a game night in your pajamas. This year we have invited HBear’s BF and SBean’s Besty to team game night. A new level of parenting reached lol.
December 14: Family video Christmas greeting. This is new for us but I have tasked the Kid’s with coming up with a “script” or idea to make a 30 second Christmas Greeting Reel. We’ll see how this goes LOL.
December 15: Go Christmas shopping and smile at everyone you see. I promise this will make Christmas shopping a breeze. Your daughter flies by and helps all the people working in the service industry SO much, by simply smiling. If you really want to make someone’s day AND your own, compliment 1 person in each store you go in, Christmas cheer is a real thing!
December 16: Buy socks for your local homeless shelter. Better yet fill a bag with new socks and any old mittens, toques, scarves or parkas you may have at the back of your closet.
December 17: Learn how another county/culture/religion celebrates the holidays. We have made Metis En dimiyoer Puchinn or Half Hour Pudding and No Bake Kwanza Brownie Balls in the past. The Kids love trying new holiday recipes from other countries and we try to do a Racette interpretation of a Dutch holiday dish. Hanukkah is Dec 14-22 this year and this would be the perfect time to try latkes, challah, or Sufganiyot.
December 18: Look for local concerts featuring Christmas music. Enjoy the festive atmosphere and celebrate the season with live performances.
December 19: Popcorn and a family Christmas movie. Every streaming service has multiple new holiday movies out this year but we love the oldies like Frosty, Charlie Brown and Rudolph!
December 20: Visit a local tree farm or go for a hike to find your own (see provincial laws on tree cutting). I didn’t get to do this with my family last year because I was down with Covid. This year I hope to be healthy enough to join the fam on this favourite tradition.
December 21: Decorate a gingerbread village. Another cherished tradition is decorating gingerbread house at Grandma and Grandpa’s house. They drink hot chocolate, eat more candy than they use and squeeze frosting freely in their mouths. It’s a blast!
December 22: Go up the mountain or to the sledding hill and take your toboggans. This year we are going to meet up with my Sis and her family and find a deserted mountain, bring a thermos of hot chocolate and go sledding! I’m excited!
December 23: Take photos in the snow. This is one of the activities that can be done during other activities but is just a reminder to take the picture and make sure YOU are win it!
December 24: Go light hunting. Give out thank you notes to the house with the best lights thanking them for their displays. This was a suggestion from SBean last year after we saw an amazing house lit up to the nines and I promised I would add it to the calendar this year.
December 25: Play Christmas music at dinner. Heck, play Christmas all day! We usually stop all holiday music on Boxing Day because there are only so many Christmas songs and we have been listening to Last Christmas for almost 5 weeks now soooo get your holiday fill at dinner!
December 26: Watch a movie inside a fort. No need to go out and spend more money! Stay in and make a blanket fort, watch movies while cuddling and eating up all those yummy leftovers.
December 27: Write thank you notes. This is something I did as a child and I think it is something I am going to bring back. Send a little handwritten thank you note to show your loved ones that you appreciate the time they took to think of, buy, wrap, and give you all those wonderful gifts.
December 28: Visit a local ice rink with friends for a fun day of skating. Enjoy hot chocolate afterward to warm up!
December 29: If you have a backyard, host a winter bonfire. Roast marshmallows, make s’mores, and enjoy the warmth of the fire with friends and family.
December 30: Go on a winter night walk. I love the sound of boots crunching snow in the dark of night. I don’t know why snow sounds louder in the dark. Sounds? Ha! If you are from a place like Winnipeg, you know what I’m talking about.
December 31: Spend time creating a vision board to set your intentions for the new year. Include goals and dreams to inspire you.
This year for Holiday Baking my Kids have requested my MIL’s Sugar Cookies, Peanut Butter Marshmallow Squares, and Gingerbread Men. Same same as every year lol. I agreed but told them I wanted to add a few new winter baked treats to the holiday dessert table. They obviously agreed lol, so here they are!
These Magic Cookie Bars speak for them themselves, they are absolutely, magical! Magical of the sense that I baked them, cooled them, and poof, they all disappeared! Lol for real though, these super easy, super sweet and sticky delicious bars did not last the week. They were absolutely delicious and easy enough that I can make them again and again and again lol this holiday season!
Ninja asked me what made these Powdered Sugar Doughnuts wintery and I said, they’re white. Ha ha ha ha ha I don’t know why when I see powdered sugar doughnuts, I always think of winter and snow. Cinnamon sugar doughnuts, that’s the beach but powdered sugar doughnuts, that’s December in a cute little baked circle that are good enough to eat! Side note * I tossed the doughnuts in powdered sugar while they were still hot, if the sugar doesn’t stick for you try brushing with melted butter before powdering them.
Every year for the holidays, we bake my MIL’s famous sugar cookies and decorate them with icing and sprinkles. We are going to do that still but I thought, let’s have sugar cookies that don’t take days of chilling, rolling, cutting out, baking, cooling, and decorating. That’s a lot, lol. These Chocolate Sugar Cookies are easy to prepare, are rich in chocolate, and the perfect amount of sweetness for the holiday season.
I will also be making Gingerbread Men this Christmas, but until then I baked these delicious Gingerbread Muffins that taste just like a delicious chewy gingerbread cookie. These muffins are moist and spongy, and are richly flavoured with gingerbread spices, brown sugar, and molasses, perfect slathered in butter or on their own.
While my kids love the chocolate sugar cookies, I made these Dark Chocolate Cranberry Almond Cookies for a bit of a sophisticated take on a holiday cookie. Ninja and I absolutely loved this grown-up version of a chocolate chip cookies. Dark chocolate, cranberries, and almonds work together so perfectly these would make a perfect addition to your holiday baking table or as a gift for someone special.
The brownies I made for Halloween were a huge hit, so I thought we would try to replicate my children’s happiness with these Hot Chocolate Brownies with Marshmallow Frosting.We loved these brownies so much. I loved these brownies so much. These brownies are rich and fudgy, and the frosting was buttery and sweet, but not too sweet, which was surprising with the marshmallow and all, ummm I just gotta say, marshmallow frosting is a BIG yes from me!
Magic Cookie Bars
9
bars10
minutes35
minutesIngredients
1/2 cup butter
2 cups graham crumbs
14 oz sweetened condensed milk
2 cups chocolate chips
1 1/2 cups shredded coconut
1 cup maraschino cherries, chopped
Directions
Preheat the oven to 350F. Line an 9"x13" inch square pan with parchment paper. Grease. Set aside.
In a mixing bowl, combine softened butter and graham crumbs.
Press this mixture into bottom of the prepared baking pan.
Pour the sweetened condensed milk evenly over the base.
Sprinkle the chocolate chips over the milk.
Sprinkle the shredded coconut evenly over the chocolate chips.
Spread out the chopped cherries over top of the coconut.
Bake for 30 - 35 minutes or until beginning to brown.
Remove from oven and allow to cool completely in the baking pan. Once cooled use the parchment paper to lift out of the pan. Cut into squares.
Powdered Sugar Doughnuts
4
servings10
minutes10
minutesIngredients
2 cups flour
½ teaspoon ground nutmeg
½ cup sugar
2 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon salt
½ cup plus 2 tablespoons milk
2 eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla
¼ cup plus 2 tablespoons canola oil
1 cup powdered sugar
Directions
Preheat the oven to 350ºF. Spray a doughnut pan with non-stick cooking spray and coat the entire doughnut well.
In a smaller bowl, combine the flour, nutmeg, sugar, baking powder and salt, mix until combined. Set aside.
In a mixing bowl, combine the milk, egg, vanilla and oil, use a whisk or spatula to beat. Gradually add the flour mixture, mixing by hand with a spatula just until combined.
Transfer the batter to a piping bag, then cut off one corner and pipe the batter into the doughnut wells.
Bake for 10-11 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the centre of a doughnut comes out clean. Turn the doughnut pan upside down and hit the pan again a counter a few times to release the doughnuts.
While the doughnut are still warm, put the powdered sugar in a flat dish. Add one doughnut at a time to dish, turn and shake to coat. Repeat as necessary.
Chocolate Sugar Cookies
24
cookies10
minutes10
minutesIngredients
3/4 cup butter, room temperature
3/4 cup dark brown sugar, packed
1/4 cup sugar
1 egg, room temperature
1 teaspoon vanilla
1 tablespoon molasses
2 cups flour, spooned and leveled
1/2 cup unsweetened cocoa powder, sifted
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/3 cup sugar, for rolling
Directions
Preheat oven to 325°F. Line two large baking sheets with parchment paper. Set aside.
In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, cream together the butter and sugars until light and fluffy, about 2 to 3 minutes. Scrape down the sides of the bowl.
Add the egg and vanilla, mixing to combine.
Add the molasses, mixing on low speed until incorporated. Scrape down the sides of the bowl once more.
In a separate bowl, whisk together the flour, cocoa powder, baking soda and salt.
Add the dry ingredients to the butter and sugar mixture in 3 additions, mixing until well combined. Use a spatula to scrape down the sides of the bowl and make sure that no white streaks of flour remain.
Roll the dough into a ball using your hands and then roll each ball in the remaining 1/3 cup of sugar. Coat generously on all sides. Set the cookie dough balls on a parchment lined baking sheet. Use the flat bottom of a measuring cup to gently press down on the top of each cookie.
Bake in the centre rack of the oven for 10 to 11 minutes. The edges should be set and the tops of the cookies will be cracked. Remove the cookies from the oven and allow to cool on the cookie sheet for 10 minutes.
Gingerbread Muffins
12-18
servings15
minutes20
minutesIngredients
2 & 1/4 cups flour, spooned and levelled
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 & 1/2 teaspoons ginger
2 teaspoon cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon ground cloves
1/2 cup butter, melted and cooled to room temperature
3/4 cup brown sugar
1/2 cup molasses
1/2 cup milk, at room temperature
2 eggs, at room temperature
1 teaspoon vanilla
coarse sugar for sprinkling on top
Directions
Preheat oven to 425 F and line a muffin pan with liners.
In a large bowl whisk flour, baking soda, baking powder, cinnamon, ginger, cloves, and salt together.
In a medium sized bowl whisk molasses, milk, eggs, butter, brown sugar, and vanilla together.
Add the wet ingredients to the dry. Using a rubber spatula mix together just until combined. Do not over mix the batter or muffins will become dense.
Add the batter to the muffin pan, filling each muffin liner just over 3/4 full. Sprinkle the coarse sugar on top of each muffin.
Bake for 5 minutes at 425 F, then lower oven temperature to 350 F. Cook for an additional 15 minutes at 350 F or until a tooth pick inserted into the middle of the muffin comes out clean.
Let muffins cool in the pan for 5 minutes before moving to a wire rack to cool completely.
Dark Chocolate Cranberry Almond Cookies
24
cookies15
minutes2-24
hours12
minutesIngredients
2 cups + 2 tablespoons flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon cornstarch
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon salt
3/4 cup butter, softened to room temperature
3/4 cup brown sugar, packed
1/4 cup sugar
1 egg, at room temperature
1 + 1/2 teaspoons vanilla
6 ounces dark chocolate, coarsely chopped
3/4 cup dried cranberries
1/2 cup sliced, slivered, or chopped almonds
Directions
Whisk the flour, baking soda, cornstarch, cinnamon, and salt together in a medium bowl. Set aside.
In a stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, beat the butter and both sugars together on medium-high speed until smooth and creamy, about 2 minutes. Add the egg and vanilla and beat on high speed until combined, about 1 minute. Scrape down the sides and up the bottom of the bowl and beat again as needed to combine.
Add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients and mix on low until combined. With the mixer running on low speed, beat in the chocolate, dried cranberries, and almonds until combined.
Cover and chill the dough for at least 2 hours in the refrigerator (and up to 4 days). If chilling for longer than a few hours, allow to sit at room temperature for at least 30 minutes before baking.
Preheat oven to 350°F. Line baking sheets with parchment paper. Set aside.
Roll cookie dough into balls, about 1.5 tablespoons of dough per cookie, and place 3 inches apart on the baking sheets. Bake for 11-13 minutes or until lightly browned on the sides.
Remove from the oven and allow cookies to cool on the baking sheet for 5 minutes before transferring to a wire rack to cool completely.
Hot Chocolate Brownies with Marshmallow Frosting
9-12
brownies20
minutes25
minutesIngredients
1/2 cup butter
4 ounces dark chocolate, chopped
1 cup sugar
2 eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla
1/4 cup cocoa powder
1 teaspoon instant coffee granules
1/2 cup flour
- Marshmallow Frosting
1 cup marshmallow fluff
1/2 cup butter, softened
1 teaspoon vanilla
pinch of salt
1 cup powdered sugar
Directions
Preheat the oven to 350°F. Grease and line an 8×8-inch baking pan with parchment paper.
In a microwave-safe bowl, melt the butter and dark chocolate together until smooth. Allow it to cool slightly.
Whisk in the sugar, eggs, and vanilla into the chocolate mixture until well combined.
In a separate bowl, whisk together the cocoa powder, instant coffee granules, flour, and salt. Gradually fold the dry mixture into the wet mixture until just combined.
Pour the batter into the prepared baking pan and smooth the top. Bake in the preheated oven for about 20-25 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out with a few moist crumbs. Allow the brownies to cool completely in the pan.
In a mixing bowl, beat together the marshmallow fluff, softened butter, vanilla, and a pinch of salt until smooth and creamy. Gradually add the powdered sugar and continue to beat until the frosting is light and fluffy.
Once the brownies are completely cool, spread the marshmallow frosting over the top, creating peaks with a spatula.
Dust the top of the frosting with cocoa powder for a finishing touch. Slice the brownies into squares.
Check out How Was Your Week, Honey? Episode #445 Who Can You Believe? This week, we get together to discuss: screw tops, Dan’s Email, the Grey Cup, kid’s birthdays, JH run in, Fern Michaels, book club, SOW, & protest songs.
Ok so here’s the thing, as the Kids have gotten older, they take their own pictures. So on Sunday evening, every week, I ask them to send me their weekly pictures so I can get them off their phones and onto the Google Drive.
This is what they send me!
Most times I just delete them lol but this week I was fighting a cold and didn’t take many pictures of my own. So, this was the week that was 😬😂.
5 thoughts on “December Activity Calendar & Winter Baking”
I love so many of your advent/activity ideas for December! All of your holiday treats look so yummy.
Thank you! Our activity calendar is officially on the fridge and we are excited for all the fun holiday events and fun things to do. See you next week!
Wow that’s a great baking schedule you have!
My hubby makes the whole family fudge for Christmas (we have a very big combined family) so is busy in the Kitchen for weeks. And is the designated Dessert maker for Christmas Day at our adult children’s homes.
So I just enjoy getting spoilt now.
Visiting from Stephanie’s linky today where we’re sitting together.
You’re most welcome to join me in a cuppa at Tea With Jennifer any time 😊
Thank you! You are a lucky lady indeed, fudge is a delicious holiday dessert 🙂 I will definitely come by, thank you so much for stopping in 🙂
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