Home Alone, Love Actually, Elf…
I have a giant stack of Christmas movies all ready to watch. One of my favorite parts of December is watching as many Christmas movies as I possibly can. (Another is listening to holiday music on the radio. Does anyone else think “I want a Hippopotamus for Christmas” is the funniest song ever?)
And, of course, holiday-themed food.
The last two days have been a whirlwind (which is why I didn’t post yesterday or the day before). My friend Andrea drove in from Colorado, and she brought her adorable—but super-energetic—daughter, Kristin. It’s still hard for me to believe that my friend has a five-year-old child!
Before their arrival, I’d made up a big batch of my favorite gingerbread butter for myself, so I could eat gingerbread cookie dough balls! The girls were hungry when they got in, and so I used some of the gingerbread butter to make Christmas PB&J sandwiches. (After a quick photoshoot, I cut Kristin’s sandwich with a giant gingerbread cookie cutter!)
I’ve posted the gingerbread butter recipe before, when I did my post on cookie dough balls. Here it is again, so you don’t have to click on any links:
Gingerbread Butter
- 6 tbsp peanut butter (or other nut butter)
- 1 1/2 tbsp molasses (I used blackstrap, but regular is fine)
- heaping 1/2 tsp cinnamon
- scant 1/8 tsp each ginger and nutmeg
- Optional: cloves, sugar (I didn’t use either)
Mix together the peanut butter and molasses, using a blender or fork. (I just used a fork to mix.) Add the spices and mix again.
See cookie dough post for Nutrition Facts.
Cookie Dough Balls: If you add enough of the spices to the Gingerbread Butter, the dough is dry enough to roll into cookie balls. However, gingerbread butter is also delicious on a spoon, mixed in oatmeal, or as a sandwich with apple slices or grilled strawberries or banana. Or thin it out with a little almond milk, and make a pancake topping!
What are you looking forward to this holiday season?
Watching holiday movies? Baking cookies? Wearing ugly Christmas sweaters à la Colin Firth?
I look forward to decorating the tree (which my roommates and I did yesterday). I have missed out on it the past 3 years since I’ve been away at school but this year we decided to get one ourselves so we didn’t have to miss our home traditions. After that we had a big potluck dinner party and secret santa. Love actually is one of my all time favorite movies and I definitely plan to watch it soon. Along with the holiday, elf, and miracle of 34th.
Just bought molasses today–perfect way to christen the bottle!
I’m looking forward to Christmas songs, and Christmas trees lighting up the city! I enjoy the festive mood and delicious looking sandwiches you have by the way!
I want a Hippopotamus for Christmas is one of my favorites!!! I actually bought the cutest little stuffed one and put it in my husbands stocking one year as it was the one Christmas song he couldn’t stop singing!! This gingerbread butter sound fantastic. Going to make it right now!!!
Wow that sounds yummy, but I still need to make pumpkin peanut butter. I’ve been behind on my treat making this year, which is why I’m really excited for the holiday season because it means I have no excuse not to bake!
looks yummy! I recently made something similar… except with white chocolate!
Oh yum – this’d be perfect for school luches, seeing as I’m going to taking up vegetarianism next year! But, would it taste nutty at all? I’m not too keen on peanuts.
I’ve never heard “I want a Hippopotamus for Christmas”!
depends on what type of nut butter you use 🙂
I’m looking forward to all the Christmas music and cheer, tons of yummy baking and cookies (especially roll out and frost ones), decorating, and see-shopping at stores!!!
That sounds adorable – a sandwich cut with a giant gingerbread cookie cutter! Such a great idea, especially for kids (though I wouldn’t mind a gingerbread man sandwich myself ;))
I sing that Hippopotamus song all year round… love it!
Cute sammies.