Friday fun: Keep Your Heart Young

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I heard this song—this artist, actually—for the very first time yesterday. Where have I been?

I really enjoy this song and thought you might, too. Just a little something sweet and simple for Friday.

Keep Your Heart Young — Brandi Carlile

My grandpa gave me a wheat penny and I kept it in my pocket

Had big plans in my backyard to build me a space rocket

Talked to my brother on a fake CB that I made from a tic-tac box

Packed my snowballs nice and tight and in the middle I put rocks


Don't trade in your tic-tac box for a ball on the end of the chain

And don't go spending grandpa's pennies buying into the game

You gotta keep your heart young

Don't go growin' old before your time has come

You can't take back what you have done

You gotta keep your heart young

 

Dad took the wheels off of my bike and he pushed me down a hill

But speed got the best of me and I took my first spill

That was back when alcohol was only used on cuts

Stung like hell so I shook my leg and mama said it would give me guts

 

Don't trade in your tic-tac box for a ball on the end of the chain

And don't go spending grandpa's pennies buying into the game

You gotta keep your heart young

Don't go growing old before your time has come

You can't take back what you have done

You gotta keep your heart young

 

So take a picture of the one you love and put it in a locket

Go dig up your time capsule and the blueprints for your rocket

Keep in touch on a fake CB and that same old tic-tac box

Pack your snowballs a little less tight but in the middle still put rocks

 

And keep your heart young

Don't go growing old before your time has come

You can't take back what you have done

You gotta keep your heart young


You gotta keep your heart young

Sometimes you don't die quick

Just like you wished you'd done

The love is a loaded gun

You've gotta keep your heart young

You can't take back what you have done

You gotta keep your heart young

# # #

Today's question:

What's one of your treasured memories of your grandfather?

Trimming—and tasting—the Christmas tree

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It's Christmas Eve. If you've not yet trimmed your tree, don't fret, as there's still plenty of time. As long as, that is, you follow the lead of Bubby and Mac for trimming the tastiest of holiday trees.

Far more tasty than the typical way of trimming a tree. (And much easier for youngsters this age to decorate than gingerbread houses, too.)

Today's question:

What are your plans for Christmas Eve and Christmas Day? Whatever your plans, may both be merry and bright for you and yours!

Fun at the park

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As much of the country is shivering about now—perhaps even experiencing snow fluttering about to one degree or another—I thought I'd warm you up a bit with some (semi) warm shots of what my grandsons and I did on our last afternoon together in the desert on Tuesday.

Fun at the park with Bubby and Mac:

There was no one there to capture a picture or two of the three of us sliding down the twirly slide together in what we dubbed "the Gramma Train Slide," but you can imagine it was lots of fun for all three of us. You also can imagine Mac saying "gain!" after each time, in hopes we'd board the Gramma train another time or two.

It was a delightful way to end my stay in the desert.

(Note: Because the slide show crops my photos a little funny, you're welcome to view the original pictures—plus a shot of the boys' reaction when a park caretaker arrived on his riding lawnmower—in my Brag Book, if you'd like.)

Today's Christmas-y question:

Which Christmas song's lyrics have you memorized better than any other?

Holiday mish-mash: Santa tracking, food, and fun

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This time of year, my email inbox is jam-packed with all kinds of goodies to share with my readers. I include as many as possible of those I think you'll enjoy in my annual Holiday Guide. Yet, as myriad merry mailings arrive long after I've completed the guide, I always end up with a handful that I never get around to sharing with my readers.

Not this year though! This year I'm passing along the best of all the rest, right here, right now (in, quite honestly, a rather lazy fashion, by using much of the text directly from the mailings in which the goodies were sent).

As I've not tried out all of these, I'd love to hear what you think, which ones you found worth sharing with the kids you know, grand or otherwise. And I really want to know which recipes you try and love...or not...especially those scrumptious-sounding Surprise Package Cookies.

Happy holiday fun!

THE GREAT HOLIDAY HUNT PRINTABLE GAME

This game is a fun project for kids to put together and ideal for building early reading skills. The free download includes the game board, pieces and instructions. Click the preview graphic below to download the PDF game from StudyDog for printing on sturdy paper.

 

TRACK SANTA ON CHRISTMAS EVE

Living in Colorado Springs as I do—the home of NORAD—I often forget that many folks may not know about this little treat. I'm happy they sent me a press release reminder that included the following:

The NORAD Tracks Santa website, www.noradsanta.org, includes a Countdown to Track Santa clock as well as a Kid's Countdown Village, holiday games and information about Operation Goodwill, which provides links to organizations that support service members and their families. Starting at 12 a.m. MST (2 a.m. EST) on Dec. 24, website visitors can watch Santa as he makes all the preparations for his flight. See it here:

Then, at 4 a.m. MST (6 a.m. EST), trackers worldwide can talk to a live phone operator to inquire about Santa's whereabouts by dialing the toll-free number 1-877-Hi-NORAD (1-877-446-6723) or by sending an e-mail to noradtrackssanta@outlook.com. NORAD's "Santa cams" will also stream videos as Santa makes his way over various locations worldwide.

Parents and children can also count down the days until Santa's worldwide flight on their smart phones using free apps available in the Apple iTunes Store, Google Play, and Windows Marketplace. Tracking opportunities are also offered on Facebook, Google+, YouTube, and Twitter. Santa followers just need to type "@noradsanta" into each search engine to get started.

 

FUN HOLIDAY APPS

Hungry Santa
Fatten up Santa before Christmas. Tilt the device to move Santa’s mouth under falling treats, but watch out for the healthy broccoli. Santa gets fatter and fatter as he chomps on all the goodies. Give him some fatty bonuses by bouncing the treats off his belly before he eats them, or eating long strings of treats all in a row. Go for the elusive “Crazy Chomp” bonus. You can’t play this one without laughing out loud. Free.

https://itunes.apple.com/us/app/hungry-santa/id476208269?mt=8
https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.tegtap.hungrysanta

Gingerbread Crazy Chef Cookie Maker
The tradition of leaving cookies for Santa has never been as fun and no-fuss as this. Gingerbread Crazy Chef is an innovative app that kids and parents can use together to create the most colorful, playful and crazy holiday cookies to leave for the Jolly Old Elf on Christmas Eve. Choose the shape, mix the ingredients and make “digital cookies” for Santa. Best of all? No mess and no clean-up! Great for kids, families and parents with children. Free.

https://itunes.apple.com/us/app/gingerbread-crazy-chef-cookie/id569863692?mt=8
https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.tabtale.christmasgingerbreadcookiemaker

Cut the Rope: Holiday Gift
From the creators of Cut the Rope, comes the Special Holiday Gift game, which combines all the outstanding physics, devilishly tricky levels, and bright colorful visuals of the original — with a festive winter feel. SHAKE your iPhone for a special surprise! Swipe your finger to cut the ropes and feed Om Nom candy. Don’t forget to collect stars as you play. Think before you cut, and be sure to avoid spiders, spikes and other obstacles … getting that candy to Om Nom won’t be easy! Free.

https://itunes.apple.com/us/app/cut-the-rope-holiday-gift/id406513121?mt=8

Santa’s Village
The perfect game for the whole family. Help Santa by building a bigger and better village, and save Christmas from being ruined by the Grumpkins. Start by building homes for Santa's elves, create a toy factory and make lots of toys, teach reindeer how to fly, and meet magical neighbors like Yobo the Yeti. Unlock special buildings and colorful decorations to make your village even merrier. Free.

https://itunes.apple.com/us/app/santasvillage/id457724319?mt=8
https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.makingfun.santasvillage

Snowman Maker Plus
The weather outside is frightful, but the fire is so delightful … and since we’ve no place to go, let it snow, let it snow, let it snow. Yes, you can sit by the fire AND build an adorable, realistic looking snowman when you play Snowman Maker. Free.

https://itunes.apple.com/us/app/snowman-maker-plus/id405388005?mt=8
https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.sunstorm.android.snowman

Holiday Rider
Makes car time for the holidays fun again! Whether you're by yourself or with the whole family, you can test your holiday trivia knowledge with our eyes free, hands free interface that uses your voice! Check our 15 levels of awesome holiday knowledge and see if you can master the 15 questions per round. That's two hours of awesomeness. It's great for those rides to grandma's house, or just for your daily drive. Free.

https://itunes.apple.com/us/app/holiday-rider/id586656791?ls=1&mt=8

 

HOLIDAY RECIPES

Yield: 3-½ dozen
Prep: 25 min. 
Bake: 10 min./batch

Each of these buttery cookies has a chocolate mint candy inside," says Lorraine Meyer of Bend, Oregon. "They're my very favorite cookie and are always part of our Christmas cookie trays.
-- Lorraine Meyer, Bend, Oregon

Ingredients

1 cup butter, softened
1 cup sugar
½ cup packed brown sugar
2 eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
3 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
½ teaspoon salt
65 mint Andes candies

1. In a bowl, cream butter and sugars. Add eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition. Beat in vanilla. Combine the flour, baking powder and salt; gradually add to creamed mixture. Cover and refrigerate for 2 hours or until easy to handle.

2. With floured hands, shape a tablespoonful of dough around 42 candies, forming rectangular cookies. Place 2 in. apart on greased baking sheets.

3. Bake at 375° for 10-12 minutes or until edges are golden brown. Remove to wire racks to cool. In a microwave or saucepan, melt the remaining candies; drizzle over cookies.

• • • •

Yield: 3-1/2 quarts
Prep: 50 min. + chilling

After just one taste, folks will know this holiday treat is homemade, not a store-bought variety.
-- Pat Waymire, Yellow Springs, Ohio, Field Editor

Ingredients

12 eggs
1-½ cups sugar
½ teaspoon salt
2 quarts whole milk, divided
2 tablespoons vanilla extract
1 teaspoon ground nutmeg
2 cups heavy whipping cream
Additional nutmeg, optional

1. In a heavy 4-qt. saucepan, whisk together eggs, sugar and salt. Gradually add 1 qt. of milk. Cook and stir over low heat until a thermometer reads 160°-170°, about 30-35 minutes.

2. Pour into a large heatproof bowl; stir in the vanilla, nutmeg and remaining milk. Place bowl in an ice-water bath, stirring frequently until mixture is cool. If mixture separates, process in a blender until smooth. Cover and refrigerate for at least 3 hours.

3. When ready to serve, beat cream in a large bowl on high until soft peaks form; whisk gently into cooled milk mixture. Pour into a chilled 5-qt. punch bowl. Sprinkle with nutmeg if desired.

Editor's Note: Eggnog may be stored, covered, in the refrigerator for several days. Whisk before serving.

• • • •

Yield: 12 servings
Prep: 65 min. + chilling
Bake: 15 min. + cooling

This eye-catching dessert is guaranteed to delight holiday dinner guests. Chocolate lovers will lick their lips over the yummy cocoa cake, mocha filling and frosting. For a festive touch, I garnish the log with marzipan holly leaves and berries.
-- Jenny Hughson, Mitchell, Nebraska, Former Field Editor

Ingredients

5 eggs, separated
1 cup sugar, divided
½ cup cake flour
¼ cup baking cocoa
¼ teaspoon salt
½ teaspoon cream of tartar

MOCHA CREAM FILLING:
1 cup heavy whipping cream
½ cup confectioners' sugar
1-½ teaspoons instant coffee granules

MOCHA BUTTERCREAM FROSTING:
1/3 cup butter, softened
1/3 cup baking cocoa
2 cups confectioners' sugar
1-½ teaspoons vanilla extract
1 tablespoon brewed coffee
2 to 3 tablespoons 2% milk

1. Line a 15-in. x 10-in. x 1-in. baking pan with parchment paper; grease the paper. Place egg whites in a small bowl; let stand at room temperature for 30 minutes.

2. In a large bowl, beat egg yolks on high until light and fluffy. Gradually add ½ cup sugar, beating until thick and lemon-colored. Combine the flour, cocoa and salt; gradually add to egg yolk mixture until blended.

3. Beat egg whites on medium until foamy. Add cream of tartar; beat until soft peaks form. Gradually add remaining sugar, 1 tablespoon at a time, beating on high until stiff peaks form. Stir a fourth into chocolate mixture. Fold in remaining egg whites until no streaks remain.

4. Spread batter evenly in prepared pan. Bake at 350° for 12-15 minutes or until the cake springs back (do not overbake). Cool for 5 minutes; invert onto a linen towel dusted with confectioners' sugar. Peel off parchment paper. Roll up in the towel, starting with a short side. Cool on a wire rack.

5. In a large bowl, beat cream until it begins to thicken. Add confectioners' sugar and coffee granules. Beat until stiff peaks form; chill. Unroll cooled cake; spread filling to within ½ in. of edges. Roll up again. Place on serving platter; chill.

6. In a large bowl, beat frosting ingredients until smooth. Frost cake. Using a fork, make lines resembling tree bark.

• • • •

Yield: 10-12 servings
Prep: 15 min.
Bake: 2 hours + standing

My mom topped beef roast with bacon and onion. Whenever I prepare it, I can't help but reminisce about the wonderful life she gave me and my brothers. 
-- Betty Abel Jellencich, Utica, New York

Ingredients

1 bone-in beef rib roast (4 to 5 pounds)
1 garlic clove, minced
1 teaspoon salt
½ teaspoon pepper
1 small onion, sliced
6 to 8 bacon strips

1. Place the roast, fat side up, on a rack in a shallow roasting pan. Rub with the garlic, salt and pepper; top with onion and bacon.

2. Bake, uncovered, at 325° for 2-3 hours or until meat reaches desired doneness (for medium-rare, a thermometer should read 145°; medium, 160°; well-done, 170°).

3. Transfer to warm serving platter. Let stand for 10-15 minutes before slicing.

• • • •

Yield: about 3-½ quarts
Prep/total time: 25 min. 

Cloves and cinnamon dress up a blend of fruit juices for special occasions. The spicy warm drink is sure to help you forget about any nip in the air.
-- Dorothy Anderson, Ottawa, Kansas

Ingredients

    2 quarts apple cider
    2 cups orange juice
    2 cups pineapple juice
    ½ cup sugar
    ½ cup lemon juice
    12 whole cloves
    4 cinnamon sticks (3 to 4 inches)
    Orange slices and cranberries, optional

1. In a Dutch oven, bring the first seven ingredients to a boil. Reduce heat; simmer, uncovered, for 10-15 minutes.

2. Discard the cinnamon and cloves. Garnish with orange slices and cranberries if desired. Serve warm.  

All recipes above reprinted with permission from Taste of Home. For more information, visit http://www.bestlovedrecipes.com, and follow on Facebook and Twitter

 

HOLIDAY COCKTAILS

Peppermint HINT Martini

2 ounces HINT Peppermint water
1.5 ounces  vodka
1 ounce 100% cranberry juice
Approximately 1 ounce seltzer water
Ice cubes
1 mint leaf for garnish

In a cocktail shaker, combine vodka, Peppermint HINT, cranberry juice, and ice; shake until well combined. Strain into chilled glass and top with seltzer water. Garnish with mint; serve immediately. Serves 1. Nutrition facts: 122 calories, 13.9 grams alcohol, 0 grams fat, 6.8 grams carbohydrate, 6.8 grams sugar, 0 grams fiber, 0 grams protein, 1.5 mg sodium

• • • •

Peppermint HINT Blueberry Blitzer

3 ounces Peppermint HINT
2 ounces 100% cranberry juice
1 ounce seltzer water
Ice cubes
Approximately 1/4 cup blueberries

Muddle blueberries and add to a chilled glass. In a cocktail shaker, combine Peppermint HINT, cranberry juice, seltzer water and ice; shake until well combined. Strain into chilled glass; serve immediately. Serves 1. Nutrition facts: 46 calories, 0 grams fat, 12.2 grams carbohydrate, 10.5 grams sugar, 1 gram fiber, 0 grams protein, 1.5 mg sodium

Today's Christmas-y question:

Were you ever in a Christmas or holiday program? If so, what part did you play?

Grandma's snafu and some Fun.

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Yesterday I posted the One-Word Wednesday post, with the one word being neighbors. It should have been snafu, for that's what my Wednesday turned out to be: one big snafu.

I typically write my blog posts the day before they're posted. But after spending the majority of Wednesday sitting at the hospital, not having taken a shower nor eaten except for two slurps of oatmeal as I headed out the door in a rush, creative and like writing are words the very furthest from what might describe how I felt after inhaling the last piece of pumpkin pie and finally jumping in the shower at 5 p.m. That's P.M.

Bottom line: I didn't feel like writing this post.

What I felt like, no, what I needed, was a little fun. Fun to counteract the day-long snafu.

Fortunately it's fairly easy to find such things online, and I quickly found the following Fun.—with a capital F and a period at the end:

That's not the Fun. I originally set out to share (I do so enjoy the band), but once I stumbled across that song, the message to carry on fit more perfectly than the other Fun. I had in mind.

A final note: Do know that I'm fine, my family is fine, everyone is fine. Wednesday was just a sucky, snafu of a day.

Also know—especially those who may think once the kids leave home it's all fun of the lower-case sort for parents in an empty nest—you will always be a parent, always be the one called when they're scared, always be the one to help when asked or needed, even when it makes for one heck of a non-fun, non-productive snafu of a day.

Carry on...!

Today's question:

What kind of fun do you prefer after a snafu of a day?

20 Thanksgiving jokes to share with kids

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Kids—and some grown-ups, too—love corny jokes. Here are 20 to share during the Thanksgiving holiday.

Which side of the turkey has the most feathers?

The outside.

Why was the turkey the drummer in the band?

Because he had the drumsticks.

If the Pilgrims were alive today, what would they be most famous for?

Their age.

What’s the best thing to put into pumpkin pie?

Your teeth.

What’s the best dance to do on Thanksgiving?

The turkey trot.

Why did the Pilgrims sail from England to America?

Because they missed their plane.

What kind of music did Pilgrims listen to?

Plymouth Rock.

What smells the best at a Thanksgiving dinner?

Your nose.

Why do turkeys always go, “gobble, gobble”?

Because they never learned good table manners.

Who isn't hungry at Thanksgiving?

The turkey because he’s already stuffed.

Can a turkey jump higher than the Empire State Building?

Yes, because a building can’t jump at all.

When the Pilgrims landed, where did they stand?

On their feet.

How many cranberries grow on a bush?

All of them.

What always comes at the end of Thanksgiving?

The letter “g”.

What’s the key to a great Thanksgiving dinner?

The tur-key.

Where does Christmas come before Thanksgiving?

In the dictionary.

Why did pilgrims’ pants always fall down?

Because they wore their belt buckle on their hat.

What do turkeys and teddy bears have in common?

They both have stuffing.

Knock, knock.

Who’s there?

Harry.

Harry who?

Harry up, I’m hungry!

Knock, knock.

Who’s there?

Gladys.

Gladys who?

Gladys Thanksgiving. Aren’t you?

Today's question:

What corny joke lovers will you dine with this Thanksgiving?

It's official: I'm a cool grandparent

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As a teen, I pored over personality quizzes that might better tell me who I was and what I wanted—those ever-so-important things that I simply could not figure out for myself. If I circled the right number of As or Bs or ALL OF THE ABOVEs, the super-scientific methodology would make me feel good about myself while directing me to the places in need of improvement. Or so I hoped.

As a young wife and mother, I continued to want—no, need—validation through personality and relationship quizzes offered in magazines ranging from Redbook to Parents. In between diapering, bathing, feeding and surviving, I took quizzes any time I came across them. I even bought books—one a hardcover, if you can believe it!—of quizzes to help me figure out me, myself, and I.

COOL GRANDMAS LET GRANDSONS LICK THE BOWLApparently I've not outgrown the need for quiz-based validation, not even as a grandma. For when I saw that friend and fellow grandma Susan posted on her Grandparents.About.com website a What's Your Grandparenting Style quiz, I couldn't click my way there quickly enough.

I'm now older and a wee bit wiser than the quiz-taking adolescent or young mother I once was. So I kept my enthusiasm in check, resolved to remain blasé about what I might find and what the quiz may reveal. I skeptically assumed the quiz would be three or four questions followed by a designation along the lines of "You are the best kind of grandma ever, the kind who loves your grandbaby sweetie bugs to death and they love you totally and completely in return."Such a generic result would be not only a cop-out but a disappointment.

I was happy to see—and should have known to begin with—that Susan was better than that. She offered up a fairly in-depth questionaire. Sure, it wasn't a Myers-Brigg type psychological test by any stretch of the imagination. Questions, though, were many and ran the gamut from one's gifting style to what kind of grandma attire she might wear on to how disciplinary action may be taken on a trash-can-toppling grandson.

COOL GRANDMAS MAKE UP TRAMPOLINE GAMESI thoughtfully considered each question, then went with my gut in answering, just as any long-time personality quiz-taker has learned provides the most accurate results. (No more adolescent manipulation of the outcome by guessing which answers provide desired results rather than the reality.) Once I made it through the fourteen questions, each with six possible answers, I braced myself for the outcome, hoping for confirmation that I'm doing the right thing as a grandma while also providing a few unexpected revelations on where I rock and where I need to roll up my sleeves and get to work.

Now, I don't want to incite the crowd, create jealousy where none should be, so I'm a tad reluctant to share my results. In my quest to be a transparent blogger, though, I must honestly and completely reveal the outcome. On one hand, it's what I expected. On the other hand...well... Oh, hell, I cannot lie. It's what I expected. Sort of. After decades of self-test taking, how could I not know how this one might turn out.

Still, it made me smile. For this, my friends, is the official word on my grandparenting style:

What's Your Grandparenting Style?

You're a Cool Grandparent!

You are not the stereotypical grandparent. For one thing, you're totally at ease with technology. You're likely to be young in years, but you are definitely young at heart. You love movies, music, video games and other diversions that you can share with your grandchildren once they get old enough. You're not really into baking, knitting or gardening, and you're not a great fan of family history. You're more interested in living in the here and now, and your grandchildren will appreciate that.

Did they hit it on the head or what?

Sure, they missed on the baking, for I do indeed love to bake. And gardening, well, I'm trying and will get it one of these years, for sure. But I'll just figure gardening—and the need to become a more avid fan of my freaky family history—as the places needing improvement I hoped would be pointed out to me.

Despite those minor misses, confirmation and validation came in spades. Or at least came in the first three sentences of my results. For proof, check out my About page here on my blog. A quick scan of it and you'll see that the Granparent.About.com quiz is no slouch. It turned out to be fairly accurate. At least in my case.

What about in yours? Take the quiz for yourself and see. I hope you'll come back here afterward and report your grandparenting style. I promise not to be jealous.

For I'm cool like that. And I have the quiz results to prove it.

Today's question:

When did you last take a quiz in a magazine or online?