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Posts Tagged ‘Christmas in the Northwest’
Getting to Know Arthur & Associates
The family that runs and operates Arthur & Associates truly love what they do. Hillard, the owner and father of three boys, remembers as a small child experiencing the magic of photography and how memories are made. Hillard’s favorite part of the holiday season is watching others receive joy, knowing that they are making lasting memories of happy moments. Other tokens of joy throughout the holiday season for Hillard are the Christmas treats always around and the heartwarming music. Hillard’s favorite tune is “I’ll be Home for Christmas”, a song with lyrics that really state what Christmas means for him.
Now we all know how Hillard will be spending this holiday season; palin’ around with Santa, eating lots of goodies, and taking a moment to reflect every time he hears “I’ll be Home for Christmas”. What are your favorite aspects of the holiday season?
Share pictures and words with us on Twitter and Instagram! Be sure to use the hashtags #MySantaMoment and #PNWClaus.
Mrs. Claus’ Glorious Stuffed Pumpkins Holiday Recipe
This is a beautiful and delicious side dish to add to your holiday feast and it is quite simple to make! Just imagine a few cute little pumpkins running down the center of the table, so festive! Really all there is to it is putting the stuffing into the pumpkins and then in the oven!
Ingredients:
1 sugar pie pumpkin
1 cup rice
¼ lbs ground sausage
2 cloves garlic
¼ cup chives
pinch of saffron
1 cup swiss cheese
1 cup cream
1 cup water
1 tsp nutmeg
Salt & Pepper
Directions:
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees
- Clean pumpkin like you would carve it, save the top. Salt & pepper the inside to your taste.
- Place pumpkin on a cookie sheet and roast for about 30 minutes.
- While the pumpkin is roasting cook the ground sausage in a pan.
- Finely chop garlic and chives and add to the sausage pan just before sausage is cooked through.
- Add the water, cream, rice, nutmeg and pinch of saffron. Bring to a boil, then cover and simmer until the rice is cooked.
- When rice is done, about 20 minutes, add cheese and stir until melted.
- After the pumpkin is done roasting for the first 30 minutes stuff the rice mixture into the pumpkin.
- Roast for another hour or until the pumpkin is tender to a fork’s touch.
- Remove from oven, allow to cool for 10-15 minutes, then enjoy!
Lend A Helping Hand this Holiday in Redmond
Saturday December 6th from 6 AM – 4 PM Redmond Town Center will lend a helping hand, along with King5 News, to make one of the biggest drop-off centers for Northwest Harvest! Come donate any nonperishable food items and help make someone’s holiday season!
Photo Pinned by Jill Nystul
Afterwards, the City of Redmond will be holding their Redmond Lights celebration. This is a progressive light ceremony that will begin at City Hall and end at Redmond Town Center! Along with the lights enjoy music, refreshments and family activities. Don’t forget to get a picture with Santa at Redmond Town Center with professional photography provided by Arthur & Associates!
Story Time with Mrs. Claus at Grand Ridge Plaza
Photo pinned by Santa’s Magical Kingdom
Mrs. Claus is making an extra special visit from the North Pole! She is taking time out of her busy schedule to come and read to the little children at Grand Ridge Plaza. The reading will take place inside Carter’s on December 3rd. She will begin reading from her collection of stories at 11 in the morning!
Once upon a time at Grand Ridge Plaza, Mrs. Claus read stories to all the little children.
Be sure not to miss this event!
12 Days of Christmas with 21 Christmas Trees
As we celebrate Thanksgiving with our families and friends today, we also wanted to share a very remarkable holiday event going on now.
This holiday season 21 designer Christmas Trees with be on display at the Downtown Seattle Fairmont Hotel. Each tree has its own decorative theme and displays a picture and a story of a patient from Seattle Children’s Hospital that the special tree is representing.
November 22 through December 3rd you and your family can view the 21 amazing Christmas Trees and learn about the brave patients they are helping to save! Other holiday events within the Fairmont Hotel include the Teddy Bear Suite. All donations taken at the Teddy Bear Suite and the Festival of Trees benefit Seattle Children’s Hospital.
There are many ways to donate during this event, visit Seattle Festival of Trees and the Teddy Bear Suite to find out.
Peppy Peppermint Bark
This Peppermint Bark will blow any guest away! With the smooth, chocolate combined with the bite of the peppermint, and topped with the pretty candies, how could anyone turn this down? This recipe is simple and is complete with a delicious outcome!
Peppermint Bark
Ingredients:
8 oz Semi-Sweet Chocolate
8 oz White Chocolate
2 tsp Canola Oil
1/2 tsp Peppermint Extract
25 crushed Peppermint candies
Directions:
Prepare a cookie sheet. Grease it and then layer with wax paper.
Using a double boiler, melt semi-sweet chocolate and 1 tsp of canola oil together. Scrapping the sides and folding continuously for an even melt.
Remove from heat and add 1/4 tsp of peppermint extract, stir in.
Pour melted chocolate onto prepared cookie sheet. Spread it thin and evenly.
Put into the refrigerator for 1 hour for it to harden.
Using a double boiler again, melt white chocolate and 1 tsp of canola oil together. Scrapping the sides and folding continuously for an even melt.
Remove from heat and add 1/4 tsp of peppermint extract, stir in.
Pour on top of the hardened semi-sweet chocolate, spreading thin and evenly covering all the dark chocolate below.
Now sprinkle crushed candies on top of the melted white chocolate and press gently into the top.
Put back into the fridge for 1 hour, to harden.
Package up for treat bags to take to school or the office! Or just enjoy with cocoa by the tree!
A Christmas Classic: Decadent Fudge
Christmas always reminds me of rich delicious treats that are passed around at every gathering, but my favorite is deep, rich fudge! Smooth, thick and creamy. Here’s a recipe that only takes a pan and a spoon!
Ingredients:
24 oz of good semi-sweet chocolate
1 (14 oz) can of sweetened condensed milk
1/4 butter
Optional – if you desire any flavorings or nuts you can add them in, I would suggest a teaspoon to a teaspoon and a half of any extract and/or 1 cup of nuts
Photo from Mariah Cooking – Pinned by Kayleigh Supernois
Directions:
Prepare a 8×8 pan, grease and then line with wax paper.
In a double boiler melt the chocolate, sweetened condensed milk, and butter.
Stir constantly, gently folding from the bottom, just until melted through. You do not want to over cook or burn.
Remove from heat.
If you wish to do so, this would be the time to add extract or nuts, mix throughly.
Pour into prepared pan and smooth evenly.
Cover and put into the fridge to chill and set, about 2 hours.
Cut and enjoy!
Holiday Magic and Santa at Pacific Place Shopping Center
Every night Pacific Place puts Seattleites and Northwest shoppers into the holiday spirit! With opportunities to see Santa, weekend musical performances, a nightly snowfall, and opportunities to give back to the community. The holiday festivities will last all through New Years Day! With a nightly snowfall at 6 PM and Santa’s Wonderland, visit here for hours and information. There are a variety of genres in the line-up for the weekend holiday performances, from Caribbean Christmas tunes, to Gospel Choirs, to Jazz Trios!
Pacific Place would not be complete without ways to give back! Pacific Place will give you a sparkling snow wand for a suggested $2 donation; all proceeds benefiting Seattle Children’s Hospital. Also, get your gifts wrapped by the holiday gift wrapping professionals – benefits the Forgotten Children’s Fund!
Come join all the fun! And don’t forget to visit Santa and tag him in all your holiday, festive photos on Instagram and Twitter: @MySanta!
