12th Day of Christmas: The Grinch

Posted on December 25, 2018 by Abbie Lu

DAY 12 of 12
“Every Who down in Who-ville liked Christmas a lot . . .
but the Grinch, who lived just north of Who-ville, did NOT!”

How The Crinch Stole Christmas
by Dr. Seuss

This heartwarming story about the effects of the Christmas spirit will grow even the coldest and smallest of hearts. Like mistletoe, candy canes, and caroling, the Grinch is a mainstay of the holidays.

Rated 4.7 on amazon.com ed6ab3f427c0e107b9dcb69aa9a8aeab-edited

The ultimate Dr. Seuss Christmas classic – no holiday season is complete without the Grinch, Max, Cindy-Lou, and all the residents of Who-ville!

12 Drinks of Christmas:

Book Bean: Merry Berry Matcha Freeze
0111-edited As cold as the Grinch and just as green too!
In a blender add 2 scoops vanilla bean
ice-cream, Matcha powder to taste, one scoop
(or more to taste) of canned cranberry (not jellied, frozen ahead of time if possible.) Blend till desired texture. Garnish with real cranberries and enjoy!

“Then the Grinch thought of something
he hadn’t before!
What if Christmas, he thought,
doesn’t come from a store.
What if Christmas…perhaps…
means a little bit more!”
― Dr. Seuss, How the Grinch Stole Christmas

Ninth Day of Christmas: Chicken Soup for the Soul

Posted on December 22, 2018 by Abbie Lu

The 12 Book-Days of Christmas – Mini Beans to Fill you with Cheer! literary-advent-6-edited-1 Day 9 of 12:

“The dynamics that are required to make any relationship work:
Just keep putting your love out there.”

Everyone loves Christmas and the holiday season. We love reuniting scattered family members, watching the wonder in the eyes of a child, and seeing the joy on the face of a gift giver. The rituals of the holiday season give a rhythm to the years and create a foundation for our family lives. We love the chance to gather with our communities at church, at school, and even at the mall, to share the special spirit of the season, brightening those long winter days.

Christmas is a magical time of year — a time of family, friends, and traditions. Readers will revel in the 101 holiday stories in Chicken Soup for the Soul: Christmas Magic that spread the special joy, wonder, and blessings of the season with its tales of finding the perfect Christmas trees, being with family, seeing the awe in a child’s eyes, and enjoying the magic of the season

Rated 4.6@amazon.com

12 Drinks of Christmas:

Gotta keep it simple on this one of course

Book Bean: Cuppa Chicken Noodle Soup

Here is a recipe for some amazing homemade Chicken soup, make a pot and savor a mug full while enjoying these amazing heartwarming stories.
https://the-ultimate-chicken-noodle-soup

“Don’t worry about failures, worry about the chances you miss when you don’t even try.”

Eighth Day of Christmas: Hiddensee

Posted on December 21, 2018 by Abbie Lu

The 12 Book-Days of Christmas – Mini Beans to Fill you with Cheer!
Day 8 of 12:

“Luck and grace: an unmatching pair of boots with which to address
a long dusty road.”

For number 8 In the spirit of the new movie, I thought I would stray a little and try a new book, a twist on a classic:

Hiddensee
by Gregory Maguire
From the author of the beloved #1 New York Times bestseller Wicked, the magical story of a toymaker, a nutcracker, and a legend remade…

Gregory Maguire returns with an inventive novel inspired by a timeless holiday legend, intertwining the story of the famous Nutcracker with the life of the mysterious toy maker named Drosselmeier who carves him.

Rated: 3.8 on amazon.com

“Those who sit in the house of grief will someday sit in the garden.”
~Gregory Maguire, Hiddensee: A Tale of the Once and Future Nutcracker

12 Drinks of Christmas:

Book Bean: HazelNogin Latte

A yummy frothy latte with spiced eggnog and hazelnut delights! Make a latte as usual but use half eggnog mixed in with milk of choice. stir in hazelnut sauce to taste. Sprinkle with nutmeg! You can make this a hot cocoa or mocha by using hazelnut chocolate tempered instead of or in addition to espresso. Get Crackin!

And here is something a little more simple and classic:

The Nutcracker
by Susan Jeffers
New York Times bestselling artist and Caldecott Honor winner Susan Jeffers has created a Nutcracker as only she can—with lavish illustrations, magnificent detail, and enchanting holiday scenes on every page. This is The Nutcracker as you’ve never seen it before!

Rated 4.6 on amazon.com

Behold the frightful Mouse King, the elegant Sugar Plum fairies, and the entire Land of Sweets in this dazzling, gorgeously illustrated holiday classic.

Fifth Day of Christmas: Velveteen Rabbit

Posted on December 18, 2018 by Abbie Lu

The 12 Book-Days of Christmas – Mini Beans to Fill you with Cheer!

DAY 5 of 12
“Real isn’t how you are made… It’s a thing that happens to you.”

The Velveteen Rabbit
Margery Williams

This 1922 classic is getting a makeover for the holiday season with a beautiful new festive cover for Christmastime. This edition illustrated by picture book great Don Daily still tells the precious story of the little rabbit stuffed in a stocking as a present and his love for a boy.

Rated 4.5 on amazon.com

the_velveteen_rabbit_shared_piece_1 I adore this book! The quality of storytelling and charming characters captivate and move my spirit. The best part of the books is the parallel meaning in-between the lines. If you’ve read it, really read it, you know and appreciate what it is. This is a book everyone should have a chance to enjoy, both as a child and as an adult.

“You become. It takes a long time. That’s why it doesn’t happen often to people who break easily, or have sharp edges, or who have to be carefully kept…”

Book Bean: Velvety Eggnog Mocha
Your basic mocha but made with 1/3 parts eggnog 2/3 part milk (or to taste if like it extra sweet.) I also only use about half the amount of normal chocolate. Sprinkle with cinnamon.

“…Generally, by the time you are Real, most of your hair has been loved off,
and your eyes drop out and you get loose in your joints and very shabby.
But these things don’t matter at all, because once you are Real you can’t be ugly, except to people who don’t understand.”
~Margery Williams, The Velveteen Rabbit

Second Day of Christmas: Little Women

Posted on December 15, 2018 by Abbie Lu

The 12 Book-Days of Christmas – Mini Beans to Fill you with Cheer!

DAY 2 of 12

“Every few weeks she would shut herself up in her room, put on her scribbling suit, and fall into a vortex, as she expressed it, writing away at her novel with all her heart and soul, for till that was finished she could find no peace.”

Little Women
by Louisa May Alcott

I love reading this Novel at Christmas time. It is warm and filled with meaning and joy. It also helps one to count and appreciate their blessings. The novel follows the lives of four sisters—Meg, Jo, Beth, and Amy March—detailing their passage from childhood to womanhood, and is loosely based on the author and her three sisters.

Rated: 4.3 on amazon.com

“I’d rather take coffee than compliments just now.”

12 drinks of Christmas!

Book Bean: Orange Cocoa
In a saucepan heat 1-1.5 cup milk, .5-1 cup half n’half, a couple strips of orange-rind and 1 full slice of orange over medium heat. When hot add in 1/2 cup of chocolate chips ( like 45% cocoa semi-sweets.) Add 1 tsp cocoa and 2 tsp powdered sugar. Whisk well until melted and smooth. Top with whip, orange rind for garnish,
a sprinkle of orange-sugar, and spice of choice (clove n cinnamon.)
Orange Infused Sugar: Mix 1/4 tsp of orange extract with 1 cup granulated sugar in a bag. Mush around and mix until evenly distributed. Spread sugar on large rimmed baking sheet. Let stand until sugar is dried (30 min.)

“Love is a great beautifier.”
~Louisa May Alcott, Little Women

Holiday Reading Wishlist

Posted on November 21, 2015 by Abbie Lu

With Thanksgiving just around the corner I am beginning to think of what books I would like to read for the Christmas and winter season. Now I am a firm believer in one Holiday at a time. So I will not begin my Christmas reading until after Thanksgiving, at the stroke of midnight. However, I do need to be prepared.

So here are the books on my wishlist.
(Click pictures or links for more info.)

This seems like a typical cheesy but delightful Christmas story, something just right to relax with. I believe it might be a bit romancy, which is not usually my strong cup of tea, but now and then it is nice.
Starry Night: A Christmas Novel Rate 4.5 on amazon.com
Book Bean: Gingerbread Mocha
The bitter sweetness of gingerbread
melts so well with the milk chocolate goodness.

Agatha Christie is such a great author so I have no doubt that I am going to be thrilled with this book.
Hercule Poirot’s Christmas Rate 4.5 on amazon.com
Book Bean: Peppermint Latte or if your daring try a Peppermint Chai, it’s goodness is a mystery 😉

Sometimes I like to mix it up and replace Christmas music with an old fashion Christmas story via audible. This year I think I’d like to try this out.
The Christmas List: A Novel 4.4 on amazon.com
Book Bean: For something easy while on the go brew up some black tea and sprinkle with cinnamon and nutmeg

I’d like to keep the warm and fuzzy Holiday spirit burning beyond Christmas. So, I think I’ll be reading this book for New Years. It seems like just the right kind of quaint story I adore.
Winter Solstice Rate 4.5 on amazon.com
Book Bean: Spiced Eggnog Steamer
Eggnog and milk steamed or heated and frothed. Sprinkle with cocoa and add a cinnamon stick.
Nothing keeps up the Holiday cheer like this sweet treat!

The best I save for last!
I am really excited for this book. I don’t know why I had never heard of it before, but if J.R.R. Tolkien wrote it I’m sure it is a worthy tale.
Letters From Father Christmas Rate 4.5 on amazon.com
Book Bean: Candy Cane Cocoa
Homemade cocoa in mugs with whip cream and candy canes for stir sticks (this is a tradition my family.) Make up a batch and share this experience with some kiddos.