Hey! I am so glad you stopped by to check out my recent bakes. My name is Kelsey. I love baking all things but especially pies and pastries.
This month was much more low key than October, which was definitely needed. I love traveling and experiencing new things but staying home and being able to keep a regular routine feels so nice. For me, and a lot of others, November = Thanksgiving! We have two thanksgivings (one with my side of the family and one with my husband’s side of the family). I love the traditions each family has and the dishes they serve. For my side of the family, we always do a charcuterie board until we eat around 2pm. My sister made the cutest turkey charcuterie board, it really belongs on Pinterest (it was also delicious!). We also do a smoked turkey, noodles, stuffing and dressing (there is a heated debate over these dishes every year). On my husband’s side of the family it is much more dessert focused, we have a lot of desserts haha. This year I brought corn pudding, cranberry salad, bourbon pecan pie, mashed potatoes, and a baked mac and cheese. Onto my thoughts from November…
Advent… Moving into December I like to focus myself on Jesus and remember why we even celebrate Christmas! The holiday season can be so overwhelming! You have to coordinate with your families about when to meet, you want the perfect gifts for each person, you also don’t want to blow your budget out of the water so you are trying to take advantage of those sales while you can, you have to cook for your family Christmas meals, and so much more! But the entire reason we do it all is overlooked. Jesus!!! For the past 4-5 years I have done the She Reads Truth Advent Study. I love how they give each year a new look on the Christmas story all while helping you focus on what we should be focused on! This year the theme is “Joy of Every Longing Heart.”
Currently reading… I have found a new Cozy English Mystery Series (surprise surprise lol), it’s about a woman named Verity Kent and is set right after World War 1 in London. I have read the first three books in the series this month – This Side of Murder, Treacherous is the Night, and Penny for Your Secrets. I also read The Christmas Box by Richard Paul Evans, it is a very short read but such a good story! It is about a parents love in relation to God and Jesus and Christmas.
Currently watching… I have a list of movies and TV shows I want to watch in the notes on my phone, I have started going down the list and watching whatever is next! This week I have watched a baby Johnny Depp movie, Chocolat on Netflix and Snack Vs. Chef which is a super cute food competition show.
Christmas plans… We will be meeting for 3 (maybe 4) Christmas parties! Every year we celebrate Christmas Eve with my husband’s family. This year we will meet with my side of the family this weekend! We will have our (just me and Jay) Christmas on Christmas Day. We always make waffles, read the Christmas story and then open our gifts together. It’s a simple, cozy tradition that I love so much. So because our family Christmases are so far apart I am doing 2 different cookie tins lol!
Cookie Tins… This weekend I will need to make 6 cookie tins and Christmas Eve I will need to have 6 more cookie tins. I will have a little overlap but for the most part they will completely different. This weekend I will be making Neapolitan Matcha Cookies, Chai Cookies, Chocolate Hazelnut Slice and Bake Cookies, Butter Pecan Cookies, and Gooey Oatmeal Cookies. The cookie tins will also include homemade vanilla sugar and puppy chow (my favorite).
Wrapping Paper… If I let myself, I could easily spend every penny on wrapping paper. I love it so much and its all so cute! Here are some of my favorites from this year.
Christmas Activities… Jared and I love to drive around and look at Christmas lights, no thats not an activity just for kids! Haha but there are some more adult Christmas activities that we have done in the past years that are so fun. First, Zoolumination at the Nashville Zoo, this one is great for families! If you check your local zoo they will most likely have a lights display that you can buy special tickets for, its always worth it! Something I have done since I was a kid was go see the lights at the Opryland Hotel, they are one of the few places you can see a nativity set up, so special! Some more ideas that you can find anywhere are visiting a Christmas Tree Farm, go ice skating, or find a Christmas market with homemade crafts.
Thoroughbreads Bakery 