Wonderful Words to Live by.... A Message from Rob Jost

December 20, 2012, is my parents 65th Wedding Anniversary.
The most important values my parents always stressed to me were my attitude and work ethic. I have always believed that I wasn't the "sharpest knife in the drawer"but I also knew that I had a positive attitude and I liked to work hard.

But this blog is supposed to be about Christmas and include a family recipe. Well here it goes...

I really believe that everyday we walk the earth it is Christmas. We take so much for granted. We are so lucky. Yes, EVERYBODY has issues; family, money, job, and health. But to me that's Life. The old saying goes "Life is what happens to you when you're busy making other plans". My parents had issues, family, money, job, and health. My father lost his dad in 1948 and his mom in 1968. My mother lost her dad in 1951and her mom 30 years next month. Believe everyday is Christmas. Be nice to people EVERYDAY! Smile, EVERYDAY! Laugh, EVERYDAY! I believe Life is 10% what happens to me and 90% how I react to it.

This recipe was on the kitchen wall of my wife's parents home. Since we have been married it has always been on our kitchen wall wherever we lived.

4 cups of love Take love and loyalty, mix it thoroughly with faith,

3 cups of forgiveness blend in tenderness, forgiveness and understanding,

6 cups of understanding friendship and hope - Sprinkle abundantly with laughter

2 cups of tenderness - Take it with sunshine.

1 barrel of laughter

2 cups of loyalty Serve Generous Helpings Daily!

4 cups of friendship

5 spoons of hope

6 cups of faith



Merry Christmas to you and yours!!!! Happy 2013

Rob Jost
Mars Insurance Agency Inc

A Special Gift from Santa - Jim Klocek's Walk Down Memory Lane

When everyone in the agency decided to share a part of Christmas on this blog, it took some time for me to think of what I should share. But as time passed, I had to think of my favorite Christmas present ever, and then it came to me.

When I was 2 years old I received a new rocking horse from Santa, which I still have today. That horse and I spent years watching Roy Rogers, Gene Autry, The Lone Ranger and The Cisco Kid on our 10" Black & White TV. How times have changed, but I still cherish this present.

Now that I have grandkids, they enjoy a ride on my trusty old steed. Not bad for a 63 year old nag!

Hey Cisco; Hey Pancho and a Hi Ho Silver....Now I watch ME TV to see all the reruns I enjoyed as a boy.



Growing up in a Polish family, I have carried out the traditional baking of my family. This bread is made every Christmas and every Easter. I hope you enjoy.

Babka

(Polish Bread)



3 cups scalded milk


1 cup shortening
3 cups sugar         
2 tsp salt

combine the above 3 ingredients and melt by adding the scalded milk while it is still hot


  6 large eggs well beaten

1 ½ cakes of yeast or 4 packages dissolved in 1 cup warm water ( add a little sugar )



12 cups of flour

2-3 cups of raisins



Combine all ingredients after yeast has doubled. Knead the dough well until smooth. Place in 5-6 bread pans (greased) filled about half way and let rise.

Bake in oven about 1 hour at 350 until starts to brown, brush top with egg or butter and let brown the last 5 minutes.


Great plain or toasted, with butter and makes awesome French Toast.

Have a Merry Christmas Jim Klocek

The Little Christmas Cabin - Julie Shoffner

The Little Christmas Cabin


I have always considered myself a creative soul so it’s not surprising that most of my favorite holiday memories revolve around the act of making something either with someone or for someone. Whether I’m preparing a meal, baking cookies or making ornaments I have always enjoyed creating something unique and special for the people I love. Now that I am a parent I especially enjoy making things with my seven year old son. Aside from the usual cookies and candies we make, we have a special project that we work on every year for my husband. Many years ago my husband’s grandfather crafted a small log cabin that he placed under the family Christmas tree. When my husband was a little boy his mother started adding some additional details to the little Christmas cabin. A light was added on the inside as well as some little chairs and a tiny table. She even added a tiny flower painting on the wall. My mother-in-law has since passed on and my husband has inherited the little Christmas cabin. Now every year my son and I add a little something to it to make it more like a cozy little home. One year we added a Christmas tree inside. Last year we added a reindeer and some bears outside. This year my son added six little Christmas carolers. If you look close enough at the photo below you can see two tiny carolers singing by the tree. Maybe next year there will be a turkey dinner on the table too.

Another project my son and I do each year once the weather is below freezing is to make Ice Lanterns. A easy way to make your home look warm and cozy on a cold winter night. This is espcially pretty when there is snow on the ground or when you are hosting a holiday party.

How to Make An Ice Lantern:

You will need a large bucket, a plastic container smaller than the bucket (a coffee can works well), duct tape and a tea light or flamless candle.

1-fill the bucket 3/4 full of water. (if you want to get fancy you can add a bit of food coloring to the water)

2-place the smaller container inside the bucker of water but don't let it fill up with water.

3-place some rocks inside the smaller container to weigh it down so it sits about half way down into the water in the bucket but not all the way to the bottom.

4-place a strip of duct tape across the top of the large bucket so it holds down the smaller container in the water. Set aside until frozen solid.

5-run warm water over the outside of the large bucket to remove the ice from the bucket. Run some warm water inside the small container to loosen and remove it. This leaves an indentation in the lantern into which you can place the candle.

You can make several of these to line your front stairs, sidewalk or driveway!

Have a wonderful Holiday.

Julie Shoffner

Michelle Welch-Howe's Christmas Treasure

When I was a child growing up, before getting married and having a family of my own, Christmas Day was always celebrated at “moms” house with lots of family and even sailors from the Great Lakes Naval base. The Christmas Day celebration holds many great memories for me. The hustle and bustle of the decorating, the cleaning, the cooking and even the frantic clean up after we opened our presents from Santa on Christmas morning. Back in those days, my mom always prepared a sit down meal for all to enjoy. As the years have progressed, Christmas Day is still celebrated at my parents’ house, a little simpler, but with the same jubilant atmosphere. My mom now makes an easier meal that we all contribute towards and it is served buffet style. I treasure the continued tradition of my Christmas Day festivities, especially enjoying my four children appreciating the day and building it into their holiday excitement.

My mom has already designated me to carry on this wonderful family tradition of our Christmas Day gathering when she feels that it is time to pass it on. Although, I host many parties throughout the year, this one will be different and held with special honor.



Here is one of my favorite things my mom makes on Christmas Day:



SIMPLE CREAM PUFFS:

Pastry:

1 cup Water

½ cup Butter not oleo

1 cup Flour

4 eggs



Heat oven to 400 heat water & butter to heavy boil, stir in flour, stir over heat for 1 minute=should form a ball. Remove from heat, beat in eggs all at once. Drop dough approx. 3" apart on baking sheet bake 35-40 minutes cool completely & cut off tops.



Filling:

1 8oz Cool Whip

2 Instant french vanilla pudding mix

2 cups Milk



Blend milk & pudding until thick & fold in cool whip. Spoon onto puff & replace tops. Refrigerate after making.

Yield:12 cream puffs

Happy Holidays!
Michelle Welch-Howe

A Mary Marsh Christmas

Every Christmas Eve my extended family gets together and celebrates. There is close to 100 of us now and it is growing every year. That being said it is very hard to see everyone who is there. My favorite Christmas tradition is a Polish tradition, sharing of Oplatek.

Every family member gets a piece of this flat bread and we go around breaking it and sharing it with every family member.

We have family that comes from all over the country and I love it because even though we may not get to sit and talk with everyone we do at least get to say hello. The other fun tradition is that we have Santa come visit every year for the little ones….and some of the adults too! We have been doing this tradition for a long time. Here is a picture from 1986. It has now grown to many times the size of this.

The next generation is still enjoying Santa.

My favorite holiday recipe for fast and easy cookies is 1 cup peanut butter, 1 cup sugar, 1 egg and 1 teaspoon baking soda. Roll the dough into 1 inch balls and press a fork down on it and then press the fork on it going the opposite way. Bake at 325 degrees for 6-8 minutes!



Mary K. Marsh

A Frank Zimmerman Christmas

As I look back on our favorite holiday memories, my wife and our 2 daughters have kept the same tradition with their grandparents (my wife's parents) ever since they were very young.  Every Christmas eve we get together for soup and salad - we always have 2 soups - but one has to be chicken broth with meat filled tortellini for Grandpa Love.  Then we all attend evening worship service at our church with the highlight always his rendition of "Silent Night."  Christmas morning is the opening of presents.  This is not just a brief event - but a one at a time opening - starting with stuffed stockings from over the fireplace, and then opening presents.  Grandpa's comments are always the favorite "oh is that ever neat!"  For several years we even video taped the opening of presents until video went out of style.

This year will be bittersweet as grandpa passed away this past September.  Both girls will be home for Christmas eve and Christmas day, so we will continue the tradition with Grandma Love - but it will not be quite the same without Grandpa.  Maybe we will break out one of the videos or listen to a lasting treasure we have - a CD that our daughter recorded a few years ago of Grandpa singing many of his favorite songs, including "Silent Night."  But life goes on, and we will start new traditions as we anxiously await the birth of our first grandchild - a baby girl due in late April!

In closing, below is our favorite holiday recipe from my mother (deceased 10 yrs ago) for a Scotch Short Bread (recipe handed down through her descendants from Scotland.)

1 1/4 lb flour (4 cups)
1 lb butter   
8 oz sugar (1 cup)

Cream the sugar & butter together.  Gradually add the flour.  Press lightly into pan.  Prick with fork as for pie crust.  Bake in low oven = 300 for about 1 1/2 hours.  Cut into pieces while hot.  Cool and remove from pan.

Happy Holidays!
Frank Zimmerman, Agent