The Christmas Tour

After the motley Christmas crew left the house on Monday, I got to work catching up.  First on the agenda was make a couple red velvet cakes.  It was a staple at my grandmother's house every Christmas and my brother's favorite so now I make the cake using her recipe.  (I made two this year so my friend Hattie could have one for her Christmas invasion.)  

 

Here's the recipe if you want to give it a try...

Grandma's Red Velvet Cake

Ingredients:      

2 1/3 c self-rising flour

1 ½ c sugar

1 c Wesson oil

1 tsp soda

1 c butter milk

1 tsp vinegar

1 tsp vanilla

2 eggs

2 oz red food coloring

                 

Directions:          Preheat over to 350⁰.  Mix sugar and oil.  Add eggs, liquids and flour.  Mix well.  Bake in 2-3 layer pans, 25-30 minutes.  Test with a toothpick to make sure done.  Let layers cool then frost cake.         

Icing

Ingredients:      

8 oz cream cheese, room temperature

1 stick butter, softened

1 box powdered sugar (since it doesn't come in a box anymore, I use the one pound bag.)

1 tsp vanilla

1 c chopped pecans

                  

Directions:          Cream margarine and cream cheese together.  Add sifted powdered sugar, vanilla and nuts.

So...after that, Shelby and I had to put our feet up or the night.  We needed to be prepared for the craziness to come.

Christmas Eve begins our little family tradition of bacon and eggs while we watch Christmas Vacation.  Then I'm off to cook the green beans and sweet potato casserole for the Christmas Day gathering at my parent's house.  Somewhere in there we wrapped a few more presents, visited with Hattie for a bit and packed a bag for the tour.  We load the car full of presents and head for the hills to have dinner with David's dad and "step-family".  It's a blessing to be included.

 The first time I met the young woman holding Shelby, she was about the age of the little sweetheart beside her.  When I first started coming up for Christmas Eve, there was just the one little girl.  Now there are a baby brother, three cousins by a new marriage, and two new baby sisters who were so very lucky to be adopted by this wonderful clan.

One who was put under Shelby's spell all night.

I was sort of under hers.

So then...we head to my parent's house for the Christmas Day festivities. 

My mom donning her Christmas tiara (which she has earned many times over)

My three nephews getting on their goofy faces (yes, they receive an obscene number of presents)

My dad buried in a present avalanche and kinda happy about it

Okay, so I ran out of boxes and used whatever was on hand which included an empty box of Super Tab folders...which was what the youngest thought he had received as a gift from me...and was over the moon about it.  I mean hopping up and down yelling "Super Tabs".  Y'all he is the funniest kid ever.

And Shelby after attacking a present, then a sock, then having a running fit...she looks a little punch-drunk, don't you think?

It was a great Christmas.  They usually are but they just seem to keep getting better.