Second Trip to Christmas Town

Everyone in Town is in the Christmas Mood!

That might be an exaggeration, but from the crowd at Busch Gardens it just seemed that way.  I have never seen it that crowded during Christmas Town.  It was unbelievable and somewhat inconvenient, but festive all at the same time.

Of course I wanted to see the Scrooge No More show again.  That seems to be the hot ticket this year and it totally lives up to the hype.  We wanted good seats so we got in line very early.  After standing in the cold for 30 minutes it was a relief to get into the theater 30 minutes before showtime.  It was so cozy in there we were very tempted to take a nap!

I'm still working on my showtime photography skills.  It's hit and miss with me.  I tend to take photos that are perfect except for the main focus being overexposed.  Bummer.  This is such a beautiful show I really hope to take some photos that represent it well.  Maybe a third viewing is in order!

Of course Scrooge No More is my favorite show, but for some reason Hubby loves Miracles.  I think maybe part of the reason might be that he can sip his mug of hot chocolate while enjoying the show.  The show is in an outdoor theater but they have heaters and the outside walls are enclosed in plastic to help keep out the cold.  It works pretty well.

This year Christmas Town has added many photographic opportunities.  You can have your picture taken with one of the Clydesdales decked out in jingle bells.  There is a polar bear in Italy, a penguin in France and this adorable snowman in Holiday Hills.

There are also some spots just perfect for family Christmas photos.  The massive tree in front of the Festhaus comes to mind.  And don't forget Santa's Workshop.

I definitely will not be having my picture taken on Santa's lap!  But I might just get one with the happy snowman!

Sharon

#Buschgardens, #christmastown, #christmastown2014

Sharon's Lightnin' Fast Assembly Line Fudge

 

Who doesn't love fudge?

I have met the odd (emphasis on the odd) person here and there who doesn't like chocolate, but it's definitely a rarity.  Most people love fudge.  Some struggle with making it.  In a normal Christmas season I will make about 15-18 pounds of the stuff.  All flavors and varieties.  So I have my fudge-making down to a streamlined science.   I can make two batches of fudge in 45 minutes or less.  That amounts to 6 pounds!  I hope my tips will help you out this Christmas.

Hints:
Measure out all ingredients for the first batch.
Use fresh chips.  They melt faster.
As the butter melts work it up the sides of the pan.  It helps to keep the sugar from sticking on the sides.
Place your glass of ice water real close so you don't drip candy all over your stove.
Heat the chips for 30 seconds in the microwave so they will melt faster.  Saves on the arm workout!  Same with the marshmallow cream.  Don't overcook or you will scorch your chips and the marshmallow will look like a lava flow!
Spray your pans with PAM unless you really enjoy buttering pans.  You never know.  It takes all kinds.
When you finish the first batch wash the pan with hot water, dry, then start the second batch in the same pan. Saves a lot of time on preparation and clean-up.

Equipment needed:
Pan - any size will do.  I normally use a 9x13 sheet pan
1-cup measuring cup
2-cup glass measuring cup
wooden spoon
2 quart non-stick saucepan
cup of ice water

See how much fudge I'm going to make!

Ingredients:
3 cups granulated sugar
12 Ounces or 2 cups of chocolate chips or Reece's peanut butter chips
1 1/2 sticks butter
2/3 cup evaporated milk (I use the big can for 2 batches of fudge)
1 jar (7oz) marshmallow cream
1 Tsp. vanilla extract (omit for peanut butter fudge)

Directions:
1.  Spray pans with PAM or butter liberally.
2.  Measure 2/3 cup evaporated milk into 1 cup measuring cup.
3.  Measure chips into 2-cup measuring cup.  Place in microwave.
4.  Remove lid and seal from marshmallow cream.  Place in microwave.

Not so deep you can't reach the bottom easily.

5.  Place cup of ice water within easy reach of stove.
6.  Heat butter in saucepan on medium high heat till it starts to melt.

Be careful not to let your butter brown

7.  Add milk and 3 cups sugar.  Stir well to dissolve.
8.  While the fudge is heating up turn on the microwave for 30 seconds at high power.  Don't go over 30 seconds or you'll have a real mess!
9.  Cook on medium high until it comes to a full rolling boil, stirring constantly.

This stuff is HOT!

10.  Boil for 2 minutes then test.  Let a bit drip from the spoon into ice water.  Let it stand for just a few seconds to get cold.  Then reach in and pick it up.  If you can form it into a soft ball it's ready.

A little ball of buttery goodness!

11.  Remove from heat.
10.  Add chocolate chips.  Stir until melted.

Totally melted and smooth

12.  Add marshmallow cream.

Looks yummy, doesn't it?

13.  Add 1 teaspoon vanilla.  Mix well but don't beat air into your fudge.

14.  Pour into prepared pan.
15.  Give spoon to hubby.

Give this warm spoon of fudgy goodness to someone.  They will love you for it!

16.  What's left is all mine.

You could get it all out with a spatula, but why would you?

A spoonful of warm fudge and a glass of ice cold milk!  Yum!

17.  Wash saucepan.
18.  Take spoon from Hubby and wash.
19.  Repeat all steps for another batch of fudge.

Just measure out 3 more cups of sugar.  And then all you have to do is use the remaining stick and a half of butter, the rest of the milk in the can.  Easy peasy.  I made a batch of chocolate and one of peanut butter.  The whole process took 45 minutes and only dirtied one pot, a spoon, and two measuring cups.

I hope you will try this out.  As long as you cook the fudge to the soft ball stage and make sure your chips are totally melted you cannot fail.

Sharon

It's Officially Christmas Time

Christmas Countdown in Holiday Hills

Busch Gardens Christmas Town is open!

This year Busch Gardens opened Christmas Town a week early.  Unfortunately due to my sprained ankle I didn't get to go to opening weekend.  But hubby and I did go on the Sunday after Thanksgiving.  Probably not the most convenient day as it was one of the $12 discount days.  The place was packed.  It took us forever to get in the park.  The traffic was lined up on all roads leading in.  I even heard later that it took someone almost 2 hours to get in.

You could definitely tell there were a lot of newbies in the park.  They had that totally lost look about them.  And for some reason they always want to stop right in the middle of the path and block everything up.  Somewhat trying to my patience.  But since I was nursing my bum ankle I wasn't exactly sprinting through the park anyway.

Dasher's Diner Buffet

We decided to give Dasher's Diner a try.  It's a buffet that's located in the Holiday Hills village.  In all the times we've been to Christmas Town we have never eaten there for some reason.  I kind of think it was due to Hubby's penchant for Festhaus German sausages.  But I persuaded him to step out and try something new.  I will say that Dasher's Diner is my new favorite place.  I started out very modestly with a salad, roll and chicken leg.  Then I moved on to chicken and dumplings, mashed potatoes and gravy and grilled vegetables.  Very yummy.  On my next trip I got Swedish meatballs (on Hubby's recommendation), more mashed potatoes and grilled vegetables.  The vegetables make everything OK don't they?  I definitely think they do.  There was also a dessert bar.  I chose cherry cobbler.  All in all a very yummy and satisfying meal.

The Festhaus all decked out with lights

The park is beautifully decorated.  At night it's really stunning.  If you can stand the height I recommend going up the Nacht Tower.  I did it one time.  Beautiful but scary.  You really can see the whole park from up there though.

Each country has a different theme.  My favorite village is Holiday Hills.  I love that retro American style.  It really screams "Christmas"!  I also like France.  It's so pretty in blue and white.  OK, now that I think of it I love it all!

German village

There is a new show this year called Scrooge No More.  In my opinion this show is worth the admission price all on it's own.  I think this is the best show Busch Gardens has ever had and I have seen them all since the late seventies.

The sets are beautiful.  The special effects were top notch and the talent was way above what you normally find at an amusement park.  You don't want to miss this one.  I hope to go back soon and get better pictures.

Sharon

#ChristmasTown, #WilliamsburgChristmas, #BuschGardens, #Scrooge, #holidayfun,

New Toy Before Christmas

I Love A Great Deal

For the past few months I've been thinking about getting a new camera.  I have a Panasonic DMC-LX5 that I keep in my purse.  It's my emergency camera.  You never know when you'll need to snap a photo of a crazy accident.  I seem to come across those quite often.  You look at the aftermath and wonder how in the world the cars ended up in those positions.  I've even seen an accident  happen right in front of me and still couldn't figure it out.

I also take photos of food sometimes.  I am Filipino after all!  But I don't take a photo of every meal I eat.  I'm usually way to hungry to fool with that.

But anyway I keep a camera in my purse.  I also have my Ipod that I'll use if it's handy, but I'm not too happy with the photo quality.  It's ok for web use but I prefer a real camera for printing.  For most of my photos I use my Nikon D5200.

My Panasonic has been a real nice compact camera.  But a few months ago one of the knobs stopped working.  It's kind of an important knob.  It is the one that adjusts the shutter, exposure and aperture.  So right now the exposure is stuck on +2.  As you can imagine it's difficult to get a photo that's not overexposed.  I did find a workaround but it's a pain.

So I've been casually shopping for a replacement.  I had my eye on a Samsung that has a pretty good zoom.  Gotta have that to get the action shots!  It was about $300 which was more than I wanted to spend for a compact camera.  But last week I was in Sam's Club and the Samsung WB350F was on sale for $149.  I just couldn't pass that up.  This bundle also included a case and Micro SD card.  What a deal!

I've been so busy finishing up custom orders and getting ready for Thanksgiving that I haven't even had time to play with it.  I'll give an update after I take it for a test drive.

My old Panasonic will now be the video camera for my studio.  It actually does pretty good videos.  I'm finishing up some projects and will be posting photos and a video soon.

Sharon

Santa's Whimsical Sleigh

Santa's Sleigh Shoe - Second Model

Here is the sporty version of Santa's Sleigh.  This a sleep beauty, built for speed!  The whimsical paint is reminiscent of swirly snow drifts.  I'm really happy with how these shoes turned out and I'm definitely in the Christmas mood now!

This shoe is now available at sharonstrouddesigns and my Etsy Store.

I just have a few projects to finish up.  I'm hoping have everything wrapped up by Thanksgiving weekend.  Then I'm free and clear to enjoy my Christmas.  Of course I won't totally stop working.  I have a tendency to get lazy if I take time off and then I have a hard time getting back to work.  I'm sure I'm not the only one who has that problem.  So I will spend my time working on some fun projects and thinking up new ideas for the coming year.  If you have any ideas please feel free to share them.

Happy Thanksgiving,
Sharon

Santa is on his way with a new classy ride!

Newest Sleigh Models for 2014

Santa's new ride is fresh off the showroom floor and ready to take a spin.  There are two versions available.  The first one is called Santa's Monogram Sleigh.  Santa takes this one when he wants to make a statement.  It's a luxury model with just a touch of sporty pizazz.  The glittery gold runners provide stability as well as superb handling.

The second model is called Santa's Whimsical Sleigh.  It's has a custom paint job that showcases whimsical swirls.  This model is just perfect for frolicky fun!  I will post photos soon.

The Santa's Monogram Sleigh is now available on my website and Etsy store.

http://www.sharonstrouddesigns.com
https://www.etsy.com/listing/212624526/santas-monogram-sleigh-altered-art-elf?ref=shop_home_active_1

Appalachian German Kriskindlmarkt

Busch Gardens Christmas Town

Let the Christmas festivities begin!

As Busch Gardens is busily preparing Christmas Town for opening day, I can almost taste the peppermint fudge hot chocolate.  Much as I would like it to be 75 degrees, the steam rising from a mug of hot chocolate is heartwarming as well as traditional.

Next weekend is the grand opening.  Busch decided to open a week earlier this year.  Since I sprained my ankle last weekend I hope I'll be ready for it.  Maybe I can get a nice fellow to push me around in a wheelchair?  Nah, never happen.

I came across a new Christmas festival that looks interesting.  It's about 3 hours away but might be worth the trip.  I've already missed the cutoff for dinner reservations so I'd just have to setting for the traditional German festival food.  I will not mention this festival to Hubby until I definitely decide to go.  At the mention of German sausages it will be hard to live with the Sausage Crazed Madman!

They call it Kriskindlmarkt III.  It's going to be held next weekend, Nov. 21-22.  I suppose if I'm not up to walking Busch Gardens Christmas Town I could head up to Clifton Forge for this festival.  It couldn't possibly involve as much walking. And I have until the end of the year to go to Christmas Town.  I'm blessed to live in an area where there are so many choices!

Sharon

 

Christmas Fireplace Box Series

I'm having so much fun making my fireplace boxes.  And I love every one of them.  They all come complete with fireplace logs and handmade stockings that can be personalized.

The White Brick Fireplace is so much prettier than it photographs.  I guess I need to work on my photographic technique.  I really love the white and icy blue color scheme for Christmas.

White Brick Fireplace Box

The Red Brick Fireplace seems to be a favorite with men.  It's very realistic and rustic. And it looks really great when accessorized.  I haven't had time to take those photographs yet.  Hopefully this weekend...

Red Brick Fireplace Box

Brown Stone Fireplace Box

I almost want to say the Brown Stone Fireplace might be my favorite.  But this could simply be because it's the last one I made.  I guess you could say it's the baby!  We'll see if I feel the same when I finish the next one.

These boxes are all sized to fit one of my 5x7 mini scrapbook albums.  The ones I have available right now are the Fa La La and Bright and Merry scrapbooks.

Fa La La Christmas Mini Scrapbook

Merry and Bright Christmas Mini Scrapbook

The boxes would also be a great place to store your Christmas cards and memorabilia.  If you can think of any other uses please leave a comment.  I look forward to hearing your suggestions.

Sharon

#christmasgift, #miniscrapbook, #scrapbookset, #fireplace, #premadescrapbook

Pinnacle Rock State Park

Heaven!

The first morning of our vacation started off with a beautiful view of the fog in the valleys.  Our room at Pipestem State Park was the best seat in the house, so to speak, to watch the show.  It was definitely worth the extra $10 for the gorge view room.  There is a house on the opposite mountain that has this view every morning.  How lucky!

Morning Fog

Fog lifting from the valley

We wanted to fit in as many sights as we could in our short weekend trip so we hit the road early.  First on our list was Pinnacle Rock.

The last time we were here on vacation we attempted to go to Pinnacle Rock.  Unfortunately our GPS led us to the wrong end of the park.  I knew I should have used a map!  We drove quite a ways into the park before I finally did bust out the map.  As far as I could tell there was really no way to get from where we were to where we needed to be except to turn around and leave the park.  Then we would have to continue on the main road to get to the other entrance.  As it was getting late we decided to call it a day and try again some other time.

This time I made sure to get real directions and not depend on the GPS.  It still was a bit confusing to get there but we made it.

You have to climb the hill to find the start of the Falling Rock Trail.  It's a beautiful walk that's not too strenuous.  I have been on flat land so long it was like heaven to me.  There was a notice that said you can't do any climbing without permit.  We had no intention of climbing those rocks anyway.

This looks interesting!

Daring a rock to fall on him

Up to the Overlook

Just had to have a look inside

View from the Overlook

Now that's a view worth the climb

It was a lovely day and definitely worth the trip up to the Rock.  I highly recommend it.  We left Pinnacle Rock and headed out to the New River Gorge.  But that's a story for another day.

Sharon

#westvirginiatravel, #pinnaclerock, #mountain