Christmas Road Trip

December 19th. I am off on a road trip today with the car loaded with special presents for some special people. Plus, I intend to do some shopping on the way. I will be back tomorrow with some pictures of the trip. So for today, enjoy another nativity story. And remember to enter the new Christmas giveaway buy clicking on the button on my sidebar.


Simeon. Simeon was an elderly man living in Jerusalem at the time of Jesus' birth. He was very righteous and devout, and it had been revealed to him by the Holy Spirit that he should not see death until he had seen the Lord's Christ. Now the Christ has arrived, and the prophecy fulfilled. With great joy, Simeon blesses God and says, "Lord, now lettest thou they servant depart in peace, according to thy word, for mine eyes have seen the salvation....."


In the spirit of the holiday, I have stepped aside from my true beliefs to tell this story of the nativity because, as I said earlier, old Catholics die hard. But after typing this I just had to jump in here and say, if someone told me that I wasn't going to die until I saw the Christ child, I think I would take a pass on viewing the babe. I mean really, I once passed up lunch with Princess Grace in her palace in Monaco just because I would have had to wear white gloves. I don't want to see anyone that badly!

A Big Christmas Witchy Giveaway

* The winner of the previous giveaway is: Carapace.

For all of you tired witches out there, I offer you this Christmas basket giveaway. Though I cook everything from scratch, I keep some very high quality mixes on hand for emergencies. I have often been asked to whip up a cake or scones or bread at a moments notice and in case I don't have the ingredients on hand, I will resort to a mix. This almost never happens but as a child of depression parents, I live in fear that I will run short on food.



When I returned from Salem I had an idea to have some custom made witch hats and pot holders to give to some of my friends. I picked out some fun fabrics as you can see above. A hat and two pot holders are included in this giveaway.


So after the holidays when everyone needs to relax, you could open this basket of mixes from King Arthur Flour and make some scones or bread or any of these tasty mixes. I've also included a spatula from Le Creuset and some chocolates from Harbor Sweets. You can enter by joining to follow me and leaving a comment. If you already follow me, just leave a comment. I will draw the winner on Christmas morning!


December 18th...getting short on time here.


Micah. It seemed that everybody was bringing presents to the new baby. Micah did not have any money or toys, but he did have the drum that he and his father had made. At least he could play it for the baby. He had heard that his friend Naomi was going to play her recorder, and he thought she might need him to accompany her on his drum. He would have to be careful not to play too loudly; the last time he had drowned her out and she was not happy.


Ruth. Ruth has a special lace in the nativity scene, for the bible tells us that she was a direct ancestor of David, who in turn was an ancestor of Joseph. The story of her love and devotion to Naomi, her mother-in-law, also connects her to the spirit of Christmas. She is shown coming in from gathering wheat in the fields. It will not be long before Boaz, the wealthy owner of the land, will be attracted by her beauty and humility, and they will be married.


I am not sure if I am done baking or not.


I've made over 600 cookies so far.



I usually make Christmas Kringles but I might pass on them this year.


I made these thumbprints yesterday.


I always toast the nuts lightly in advance to enhance their flavor.

These are also one of my old Christmas staples.


I fill them each with a white confectioners sugar icing.


Please enjoy a few.

Hello and Welcome!

I'd like to extend a special thank-you to Mrs. B for featuring October Farm as her Blog of the Week pick at Confessions of a Pagan Soccer Mom, and I would like to welcome all of her readers!

I created this blog to document my many collections (especially my witch and Halloween ones), showcase my favorite recipes and hobbies, share my gardens, and whatever else strikes my fancy! I have included links to some of my favorite posts so you can get an idea of what goes on around here.

Firstly, make sure to enter this week's giveaway by clicking here. The giveaway officially ends Friday, but a new one will also be starting on that day that will be of much interest to all of you Witchy Wenches out there! All you need to do is sign on as a follower and leave a comment to be entered.

I have a beautiful Chow-Chow puppy named Teddy who is the pip of all pups; you can meet her here.

Teddy spends most of her time in my garden. Here she is in her natural habitat just after waking up. It may be in hibernation now, but allow me to show you what it looks like in the spring, summer and fall.

I have a lot of fun with my potting table. Here it is decorated for Christmas.

My witch collection is extensive, to say the least. Here are just a few posts of what I have:

The spell books, including the original spell book from Practical Magic with Sandra Bullock and Nicole Kidman.

Ouija boards and Tarot cards.

Antique candy containers, Jack-O-Lanterns and more.

Witch Plates and Pitchers

Cauldrons, as well as my potting shed and waterfalls.

Witch redware and more garden pictures

And did I mention that my garden has eyes?

Finally, here are some recipes:

Clam chowder

And no Halloween is complete without Baked Brain

I am very happy to have you visit, and I hope to have you all back again and again!

A Most Special Christmas Cookie

December 17th....Santa!


Ariel, Lioness of God. Ariel, quiet and sweet, is full of love. She beckons to those around her so she may soothe them with her melodious harp. Caring and devoted as a mother lioness, she is also strong and courageous. Ariel has made a pledge to look over God's chosen and keep them from harm. Ariel is also known as the Great Angel of New Beginnings in life. It is only appropriate that she has arrived on this special night to watch over and witness this blessed event.


Tamar, the Angel. Tamar was one of the angels that appeared to the shepherds and guided them to the manger. Now she is watching over the scene to protect and glorify the Christ Child. Her presence signifies the divine nature of the new baby. She appeared to the wisemen in a dream and warned them not to tell Harod about the baby they found under the star. She knows that Harod is a jealous king who will kill any potential rival. The angels will not always protect Jesus, but they do on this night.


These are the cake stands I made to put my cookies on to give to neighbors.


I found some really nice plates on sale at a gift shop.


I collected different bases at thrift shops. This is my favorite one. I made it with a soup bowl.
Ok....this is the best new cookie recipe I've tried this year.


These are called Empire Biscuits.


They are basically shortbread rounds.


Lots of shortbread rounds.


Sandwiched together with raspberry jam.



Then frosted with a confectioners glaze.


And decorated with glaceed cherries. Aren't they precious? And they are super yummy!


* One more day to enter the giveaway! Click on the button on the sidebar.

Mincemeat Tarts

December 16th...there is still time to enter the giveaway. Click on the button at the top of the sidebar. The winner will be announced on Friday and the last Christmas giveaway will be posted. All of you witchy sisters out there will not want to miss the last one!




Leah. There had been no room at the inn in weeks. It seemed that everyone was traveling, probably as a result of the need to register for the new Roman tax. Leah had felt very badly when she could not provide a room to Mary and Joseph. She had never offered the stable to a traveler before, but Mary obviously needed shelter of some kind. Now Leah has heard about the birth and is hurrying to the stable with a jug of water.


Elihu. He was accustomed to sleeping under the stars on the slopes of the hills of Bethlehem. He had faced many dangers, but he was not prepared for what happened that night.

And lo, the angel of the Lord came upon them,
and the glory of the Lord shown round about them:
and they were sore afraid.

And the angel said unto them, Fear not: for behold, I bring you
good tidings of great joy, which shall be to all people.

For unto you is born this day in the city of David a saviour, which is Christ the Lord.

And this shall be a sign unto you: Ye shall find the babe wrapped in swaddling clothes, lying in a manger.

Elihu is seen approaching the stable in Bethlehem. There is wonder and still a little fear in his expression. He knows that this is a very special night.


My blog buddy, Christer, who lives in Sweden sent me this beautiful mushroom picture he took while out on his daily walk with all of his beloved animals. He had it made into Christmas cards.


The mincemeat I made a few weeks ago finally was ready to be used.


The crust for the tarts is made with ground almonds, cinnamon, sugar, butter and flour.


These took all day to make but are so worth the time.


I used muffin pans.


Crimped and ready for the oven.


Awwww...cute little pies.


Dusted with powdered sugar. I made four batches of these and ended up with about ten dozen of these.


A perfect individual serving.


Mmmmmm....

The Nativity Story Continues and My Favorite Christmas Cookies

December 15th...ten days to go. Don't forget to enter the giveaway. Just click on the button at the top of my sidebar.


Benjamin and goat and donkey. Benjamin is a very happy innkeeper (click to enlarge and see the keys in his right hand). His inn has been full for months, as so many people have had to travel to meet the Roman's registration requirements. Mary and Joseph are lucky there was a decent stable near the inn, and that his wife, Leah, was so compassionate. Now Benjamin is on his way to the stable to see if he can do anything to make his special guests more comfortable. As he approaches the stable, he wonders why there are so many shepherds standing around.


Hannah. Hannah has taken care of the lamb since the day it was born. Her father, a shepherd in the fields near Bethlehem, had asked her to look out for this particular lamb because of its difficult birth. Now she has adopted the lamb as her pet, and she has been coming to the stable every day with special lamb treats. This evening, she is surprised to find a young couple spending the night in the stable. Hannah and her lamb will soon see amazing things.


And now I will show you some amazing cookies. I have been making these cookies for longer than I care to remember. They were my mother's recipe and we had them at Christmas every year in our house. These are the cookies that most remind me of Christmas.


They are called kipples. They are made with a yeast dough and filled with a boiled nut and sugar filling. Just before baking they are dipped in egg whites and rolled in sugar.


The trick is getting them to stay closed when they are baked. You can see that a few opened. My family likes it when this happens because they get to eat the misfit cookies right away.


Cute little bundles of joy.


Though they took the whole day to make.


Yesterday was the day for making the old favorites. I only made two of them this year.


I've had a lot of fun trying new cookie recipes this year.


But some of the old ones have to be made too or it just won't seem like Christmas.


Gingerbread is one of them.


A good chewy gingerbread cookie just screams of Christmas.


When my children were small I made these into boy and girl figures.


Now that they are adults and serious cookie monsters, I roll them in course sugar.


Ok...the blog tech is in trouble and shut off from cookies. Just pretend this picture is not on it's side!


I drizzle the finished cookies with a confectioners sugar glaze. The blog tech isn't getting any of these until he straightens his act out...literally!

A Super Easy Dinner Recipe and Some Christmas Cheer

December 14th * Remember to enter the Christmas Giveaway by clicking on the button on

my sidebar.

This is what the Advent House looks like with some of the doors open. Click for a better view.

Isabel. Isabel, a milk maid, lives in Hebron, just outside of Bethelem. She and her husband, a cloth merchant, have two children and are expecting a third shortly. Isabel has sent her children to Bethlehem to see the new baby who was born in a stable. She will join them after she has finished milking the goat and gathering some grain that will be gifts for the Holy Family. Isabel knows that the baby born in the stable is special because the stars are very bright and there are more of them than usual. On the road to Bethlehem, she passes many other people who are also going to see the baby. When Isabel arrives in Bethlehem with her gifts she sees her children at the stable admiring the Baby Jesus. She hurries to join them so they can experience this blessed event together.

The stable is a busy place.

I am trying to bake one or two cookie recipes each day.

I forgot to take step by step pictures of these.

Mexican wedding cakes aka snowballs.

With so much going on right now I try to find really good recipes that can be prepared quickly. This is one of them which I tried recently and wanted to pass on. Trim 2 pork tenderloins. Season heavily with salt and pepper.

Sear each tenderloin in a heavy pot in 2 tablespoons of olive oil and 2 tablespoons of butter.

Dice 1 onion.

After the pork is seared place it in a 425 degree oven for about 15 minutes or until it registers 155 degrees on a meat thermometer.

Meanwhile, saute' the onions in the pan drippings and add 1/2 cup of red wine and 1 cup of sugar.

Stir in 2 bags of cranberries.

Add the zest and juice of one orange. Bring to a boil and let most of the cranberries pop then remove and allow to cool briefly.

Remove the pork from the oven and let it rest.

After approximately 10 minutes slice the pork reserving all the juice.

Serve it next to mashed potatoes sprinkled with fresh rosemary and top it with the cranberry sauce. The pork will be done in the middle. The pink in the picture is from the sauce. Spoon some of the juice from the meat over both the meat and the potatoes.