On the fifth day of sock yarn, Simply Socks Yarn gave to me..... two skeins of self striping sock yarn!
To have your chance at your choice of two skeins of self striping sock yarn, answer the following question in the comments below:
Is there are particular food or recipe that you love to eat or make this time of year? Do tell! And leave me a link to the recipe or a similar one if you can. For me, I love holiday cookies, Snickerdoodles are always a fave, though it's been a few years since I've made them.Terry just bought me an aqua colored Kitchen Aid for our anniversary, so I'm betting I'll be putting it to good use during the kids' Christmas break! We also love Texas Chocolate cake at every family gathering. This one's the one I've been using most often over the past few years.
What kind of striping yarn might you want if you win today's contest? We have several hand dyed options like:
sKNITches shown in Sweater Weather
Knitterly Things shown in Twinkle Lights
Turtlepurl Yarn shown in We Aim to Misbehave
Poste Yarn Striping Sock (which we dye in our own studio here at the shop) shown in Frankenmuth (one of our holiday striping colors)
You may have noticed that we haven't added new Poste Yarn in a few months.... this is our own yarn like dyed here in our restored 1940's post office turned yarn shop. We're taking a break from dyeing. It's extremely labor intensive to dye striping yarn (It requires winding skeins the length of our building, then dyeing in measured chunks, then washing/drying those 60 foot skeins, then reskeining them to normal size so you can wind them into cakes on your normal sized swifts at home. Basically it takes 4 to 10 times more time to make striping yarn.), and while I love that we have our own dye studio here and have done this for 7 years now, there are enough dyers predictably making striping yarn now for us that we don't need to focus on it as much. For now I'm going to spend more time increasing our inventory (it increased in size another 20% in 2019!) and offering more dyers. In the past month you may have noticed that we brought back Skein Yarn from Australia and added Vrinda Yarn which is made in Uruguay and dyed in San Diego. I'm also adding more yarn from larger companies like Tenderfoot from EYB and Queensland. So if you really like our Poste Yarn and want to have some on stash, please do add some now, as I'm unsure when we will be back at the dye pots.
I think they are called Peanut Butter Blossoms, they are the cookie with the Hershey kiss in the middle. We had them at the work Christmas party yesterday but I don't think they were the peanut butter ones. I have to find the recipe I used the last time I make them so I can make them over the holiday break from work.
Posted by: Suzanne | December 17, 2019 at 06:07 PM
I usually make a batch of my mom’s Never Fail Fudge.
Posted by: Becky | December 17, 2019 at 06:15 PM
I love to make cookies and I make many kinds and give cookie trays and cookie boxes as gifts. Have tried a few new ones this year, my favorite so far are Gingerbread Crinkles, recipe on Pinterest.
Posted by: Barbara Dunbar | December 17, 2019 at 06:15 PM
I make panettone - it's lighter than traditional Christmas cake which works well with it being summer. I also make rum balls and fruit mince pies using homemade rhubarb and cranberry fruit mince.
I really like Sknitches 80/20 Battleship and Knitterly Things Vesper Misty Mountain Rainbow.
Posted by: SARAH | December 17, 2019 at 06:41 PM
We like to make buckeyes and pecan tarts amongst other things, and I think my favorite striping yarn is anything by Lorna’s Laces! Thanks so much
Posted by: Deb Monnin | December 17, 2019 at 06:46 PM
My kids want copious amounts of dressing, so I make that times over, a meat-potato pie, Death By Chocolate trifle and a strata (usually an egg, sausage and green chili one) for breakfast Christmas morning. Make it a day before and pop in the oven in the morning and with juice and coffee breakfast is done! Use a foil pan and paper plates and so are the dishes!
I really like BMFA's Holiday Inn for stripes!
Posted by: Patty McDonald | December 17, 2019 at 06:47 PM
I always make a few kinds of cookies. This browned-butter jam-filled sandwich cookie isn't a family recipe; it came straight out of Gourmet 15 years ago. It's not difficult, but it is a bit of a process. I always send some to my oldest DD, who lives 1000 miles away.
https://www.epicurious.com/recipes/food/views/spoon-cookies-233297
Posted by: Lynne | December 17, 2019 at 06:51 PM
My grandmother's eggnog (made with bourbon) and oyster stuffing are always on the menu at my mother's house in south GA
Posted by: Marianna | December 17, 2019 at 06:55 PM
The kids love deviled eggs and expect a bunch of them when they come home, so we make a lot of those. Then we decorate cut-out cookies together. Gotta love that Fireside Hearth Song yarn for the joyful use of color!!
Posted by: Mintygirl | December 17, 2019 at 07:05 PM
Latkes and shortbread!
Posted by: Robin | December 17, 2019 at 07:07 PM
I love Christmas cookies but I must have variety. Therefore, I always make at least 5 kinds that all hit different notes. Chewy Oatmeal cookies with chocolate chips and dried blueberries (they’re great for breakfast! 😳), chocolate chocolate shortbread (search for World Peace Cookies), peanut butter blossoms, St Nicholas cookies are super thin and crisp spice cookies. And I finally found my mom’s recipe for these yum cookies that have ground oats, ground raisins and pecans. But I just definitely didn’t grind them enough. So, maybe next year I’ll have it right.
Posted by: Candice Hope | December 17, 2019 at 07:11 PM
We call them ‘Swedish heirloom cookies’. They are sort of like Mexican wedding cakes but so much better. Don’t know where we got the recipe from, it’s been handed down. They are delish!
Posted by: Jan C. | December 17, 2019 at 07:20 PM
Fish chowder for Christmas Eve and cranberry scones for Christmas morning!
Posted by: Debbie | December 17, 2019 at 07:28 PM
I love bourbon pecan pie during this time of year. We also bake it up in May for the KY derby.
Posted by: Lorraine Chan | December 17, 2019 at 07:45 PM
As the kids have gotten older and married, we now have lots of dietary allergies and preferences to consider. The only thing that has remained constant is our Christmas morning brunch with Monkey Bread!
Posted by: Tara | December 17, 2019 at 07:48 PM
I always make coffee cake for Christmas morning. The recipe is similar to this one: https://www.kingarthurflour.com/recipes/our-favorite-sour-cream-coffeecake-recipe
Posted by: Kate s | December 17, 2019 at 07:55 PM
We've taken to making orange sugar cookies half dipped in dark chocolate. They make great gifts for teachers and coworkers. I always get effusive thank you notes, especially if my girls hand them to the teachers by the office coffee pot.
Posted by: Litterairy | December 17, 2019 at 08:08 PM
I like to make and eat Pumpkin Roll especially at Thanksgiving. This year I made it gluten free and it was every bit as good as in previous years. https://pin.it/cvgd2p7ey7u5jm
Posted by: Dora Nelson | December 17, 2019 at 08:08 PM
I love Christmas cookies!! I especially love it when I have a variety to choose from. I used to make snowballs, ginger snaps, and rolled sugar cookies, but I haven’t for years bc I can’t stop eating them!!!! I need to make some and immediately give most away!!!! I love the colorful striping yarn. I think it’s twinkle lights.
Posted by: sharon o'donnell | December 17, 2019 at 08:13 PM
Christmas means fudge! Mom made Mamie Eisenhower's Million dollar fudge. https://www.food.com/recipe/mamie-eisenhowers-favorite-million-dollar-fudge-338155
Turtlepurl Yarn, "We Aim to Misbehave" looks like fun knitting and has a great name!
Posted by: Sandra Almgren | December 17, 2019 at 08:22 PM
We make a family cookie recipe that we call German Christmas cookies. It is a thin cut out cookie with anise seeds and decorated with colored sugar. It has fallen to me to make them this year, my mom is sick - so I made the dough with my sister and brought it to my house to roll it out. I’ll do it tomorrow.
Posted by: Larissa | December 17, 2019 at 08:28 PM
I can not cook to save my life. I have a disability that causes balance issues. My family has decided that me falling into the oven is not a good idea. (Haha) I love to eat my sister-in-law's sweet potato casserole. It is absolutely incredible!
I love Knitterly yarn in Absolute Rainbow and Vesper Misty Mountain Rainbow. Both are beautiful!
Posted by: Sabrina Snyder Snyder | December 17, 2019 at 08:33 PM
I look forward to making and eating Special K bars.
Posted by: Sophie | December 17, 2019 at 08:35 PM
I am always asked for my recipe for my sugar cookies although it is just from the Betty Crocker Cookie cookbook. I think it may have something to do with making them every holiday for the last 40 years. Woukdnt be Christmas without tgem
Posted by: Ellen Bruns | December 17, 2019 at 08:36 PM
Pecan pie. Recipe is from the 1983 edition of The Joy of Cooking. This online recipe for the filling looks close, though not exact: https://cookiesandcups.com/easy-pecan-pie-recipe/
Posted by: Carol | December 17, 2019 at 08:43 PM
I make tons of cookies - sugar cookies, gingerbread people, mocha and lemon spritz cookies, m&m chocolate chip cookies, and biscotti. Most recipes are handed from my grandmother, but I use the King Arthur flour recipes for biscotti - they always come out great.
Posted by: Stacey D | December 17, 2019 at 08:47 PM
I make a lot of food items this time of year. I make a lot of items that include eggnog. But the one item I get asked to make again and again is Sticky Toffee Pudding Bundt cake. It isn't hard it is just a bit time consuming. Other than that I make eggnog cheesecake bars, and eggnog bread and eggnog cookies --the theme is that my husband loves eggnog.
Posted by: Maureen | December 17, 2019 at 08:53 PM
Martha Stewart's "Torie's Cherry Chocolate Chunk" cookies are always a hit at my house. They are a tasty oatmeal cookie with chocolate chunks, dried cherries, and toffee bits. https://www.marthastewart.com/318628/tories-cherry-chocolate-chunk-cookies
As for the striping yarn, I've always wanted to try some Turtlepurl."What Did You Call Me?" looks gorgeous, and also "Rainbow Brite."
Posted by: Marjorie M | December 17, 2019 at 08:58 PM
My grandmother’s lease recipe. It’s never as good as their lease - but - I keep on trying😍
Posted by: Lois Pennick | December 17, 2019 at 08:59 PM
My husband and I always make sugar cookies to take to family gatherings. But I also love to make favorites like Earl Grey shortbread cookies, or a festive holiday pie. In previous years I’ve made a cranberry cheesecake pie, but this year I think I’m going to try a new one: a cranberry lime pie with a ginger snap cookie crust and freshly whipped cream to garnish.🎄
Posted by: Heather A | December 17, 2019 at 09:04 PM
I make caramels from scratch every year for gifts. My co-workers look forward to them!
Posted by: Peggy | December 17, 2019 at 09:14 PM
My all time favorite cookies are butter horns, but I usually only make them this time of year. It’s probably because my grandma only made them at Christmas. This recipe is the closest to my grandma’s: www.cooks.com/recipe/s77hk3n3/hungarian-butter-horns-cookies.html is similar to my grandma’s . The only differences are my grandma added chopped dates to the filling, most importantly, the dough needs to be rolled out on a surface that’s sprinkled with powered sugar. You can’t just sprinkle powered sugar on the cookies afterward. They won’t take right.
Posted by: Julie | December 17, 2019 at 09:42 PM
My mom and I make Spritz cookies at both Thanksgiving (so I can take them home for my Christmas party) and again at Christmas for them to have.
Posted by: sprite | December 17, 2019 at 09:47 PM
My favorite cookies are peanut butter blossoms. This recipe is closest to the one I use: https://cooking.nytimes.com/recipes/1012939-peanut-butter-blossoms
I use 2 T milk instead of 1, and margarine instead of butter. I don’t grease the pan at all. I bake them approx 7.5 minutes. I do NOT put them back in the oven after pressing the kiss into the cookie - that seems crazy! I remove them to a rack to cool. I often will move them to a tray and put in the freezer for about 15 minutes, so that the chocolate hardens again. My recipe makes about 4 dozen cookies. They don’t last long!
Posted by: Robin VanderRoest | December 17, 2019 at 09:50 PM
For my husband the ex-New Yorker, I make Black and White cookies, for a taste of the big Apple! Beat recipe ice found to date is at King Arthur Flourks site.
Posted by: Marilyn | December 17, 2019 at 09:56 PM
Oh! That Twinkle Lights is beautiful.
One of my fave recipes is my stuffing. If I have time, I’ll use stale bread, but if not I’ll use a box of Stove Top and add chopped celery, chopped onions, chopped apples and some crumbled sausage. Also, crumbled corn bread.
Posted by: Heather | December 17, 2019 at 10:06 PM
I would love the Knitterly twinkle lights sock. My family has to have boiled custard every year for Christmas. It’s delicious either warm or cold. I like it better than egg. Og.
Posted by: Beverly | December 17, 2019 at 10:11 PM
Homemade chicken pot pie. No link, but I could email you how I make it.
Knitterly Things, Twinkle lights; Knitterly Things, Joyful Noise
Posted by: Sherri | December 17, 2019 at 10:14 PM
Every year since I was a child we made cookie cutter cookies using Everyday Cookie Dough from my grandma's recipe (but I found the same one online - https://www.cooks.com/rec/doc/prt/0,1810,156182-254199,00.html?) w/ Butter Icing. There isn't an exact match online unfortunately. High on my Wish List is Knitterly Things in Joyful Noise. It's been on there a loooong time and I'd REALLY enjoy a skein :)
Posted by: Lisa M Barrett | December 17, 2019 at 10:17 PM
Gingerbread cookies are my must-have!
Posted by: staci | December 17, 2019 at 10:18 PM
I make this every year. Warning it should be called Caramel Crack. So easy to make,too.
https://pin.it/bpdnp2xh2q5pz6
Posted by: Jalinnn | December 17, 2019 at 10:31 PM
Always sugar cookies with red and green M&M’s added in. The Poste Stripes are always the best colors!!
Posted by: Anne | December 17, 2019 at 10:33 PM
I make eggnog bread pudding! Brioche bread, 12 eggs, 3 cups heavy cream, 1 cup whole milk,1/2 cup sugar, freshly grated nutmeg, 1/2 cup brandy- so not for small children. More for the adults!
Posted by: Felicia | December 17, 2019 at 10:39 PM
My step mom makes these small loaf pan size fresh apple cakes only at Christmas. She hasn’t yet shared the recipe but I sure make sure to visit every Christmas to get my stash!
Posted by: Lisa M | December 17, 2019 at 10:39 PM
We have a Cherry Coconut Bar that we only make at this time of year. I have absolutely no idea where mom got the recipe, and we lost all her cookbooks to a fire. Save all your favorites to the cloud!
Posted by: Teresa C | December 17, 2019 at 10:41 PM
We go to the in-laws in Texas, so there’s a lot of Tex-Mex, especially queso. Queso on everything!!
Posted by: Lisa S | December 17, 2019 at 11:07 PM
I make Springerle and Pfeffernuesse cookies, marshmallow fudge for my husband, and rib roast for me!
I need to stop by the shop to see if you have any more of the Buckeye shade of your Poste Yarn.
Posted by: Melissa G | December 17, 2019 at 11:18 PM
I make a few different things to give to neighbors and friends which include: pumpkin bread, peanut butter cookies with a kiss on top, jelly butterballs, chocolate chip as well as a gluten for Chex mix.
Hard to choose my favorite stripe yarn but will drool as I check out your store.
Posted by: Donna | December 17, 2019 at 11:38 PM
You should try Snickerdoodle Blondies from Sally's Baking Addiction. Sooooo good! They've become a staple in my Christmas baking the past few years. https://sallysbakingaddiction.com/white-chocolate-snickerdoodle-blondies/
I also loooooove Texas Sheet Cake, but it's not Christmas-y for us.
Our family tradition is making red and white candy cane cookies each Christmas eve, though everyone makes random stuff (teacups, cats, snowmen, etc) with the dough, rarely candy canes! Merry Christmas!
Posted by: Karen G. | December 17, 2019 at 11:47 PM
Mostly favorite family Christmas cookies - snowballs, pecan tartlets, Incredibles (peanut butter Graham cracker bars topped with melted chocolate)
Posted by: Ludistitcher | December 17, 2019 at 11:58 PM
I’m with you - I like the Christmas cookies. Growing up we always made sugar cookies, peanut butter cookies and the classic Nestle Tollhouse chocolate chip cookies. But I haven’t made them myself in quite a while. I also like the good old traditional dinner foods we had when I was a kid - turkey, mashed potatoes, stuffing, ham and warm rolls.
Posted by: Kat Gatzke | December 18, 2019 at 12:02 AM
I make Nanaimo Bars & butter tarts every Christmas.
Posted by: Geri | December 18, 2019 at 12:17 AM
Always love Poste Yarn! Opal is a close second.
Posted by: Denise | December 18, 2019 at 12:18 AM
I like potato candy pinwheels. Take a SMALL piece of boiled potato (about the size of a cherry tomato). Mash it with a fork and then start mixing/mashing powdered sugar into it (it will take quite a bit; that’s why you start with a small piece of potato). When it gets to a consistency that it is not runny and can be rolled out, roll it into a flat, fairly thin sheet. Spread it with peanut butter and roll it up like a jelly roll. Cut into slices and lay them out to dry out a bit. Enjoy.
I like any type of striping sock yarn; not big on any with large amounts of orange.
Posted by: Lugarda Cappetta | December 18, 2019 at 12:33 AM
Good old Toll House chocolate chips cookies are always the favorite!
Posted by: Barbara | December 18, 2019 at 01:28 AM
New tradition this year: Tapas Party! We went to Spain this summer and loved the casual dining with friends, eating delicious small plates of seafood, veggies, breads, nuts, and more. Can’t wait!!
Posted by: Anna | December 18, 2019 at 01:46 AM
We always make Swedish meatballs for Christmas, and several different Christmas cookies. Our favorite cookies are Chocolate Mints and Cardamom Pinwheels (sorry, no online links).
Posted by: Nancy | December 18, 2019 at 03:31 AM
I love making treats! Each year we have English toffee, homemade chex mix, and sugar cookies with butter cream frosting instead of the traditional royal icing (not as crisp to look at but so much tastier!). Savory roasted nuts are a big hit and make great gifts since they keep so well.
And then I love to try a few new things too. This year I'm trying a new cheese ball, and making one or two types of snowball recipes probably from this list: https://www.crazyforcrust.com/snowball-cookie-recipes-guide/ There's usually a bigger list of experiments by now but I'm off to a late start this season. Oooh, and I wonder if I have time to make fudge...
Posted by: Alexis | December 18, 2019 at 03:32 AM
My Grandma & Mom have passed along a recipe for Escalloped Corn!! It’s in the Betty Crocker cookbook. It’s a staple for holiday dinners!!!
Posted by: Luanne | December 18, 2019 at 05:09 AM
Growing up, my family ate traditional English Christmas treats - mince pies, shortbread, fruitcake; my husband grew up eating traditional German Christmas treats - stollen, pfeffernussen, and gingersnaps. As a couple we've made a new tradition for ourselves - a decadent stuffing for the turkey that's based on gingerbread, with bacon, apples and onions for extra flavour. It's amazing and incredibly tasty!
I just ordered some Poste Yarn - might have to look at getting a few more skeins. Such lovely colours!
Posted by: Amanda | December 18, 2019 at 05:41 AM
We always make Beef fondue on Christmas eve. You can make it easy by buying beef brooth or home make beef stock. We usually make 3 sauces, horseradish with sour cream, bernaise, curry (we use NY Times International cookbook recipe) and filet mignon cut in large chunks. It helps to have a good fondue pot!
Posted by: Andrea Agre | December 18, 2019 at 06:15 AM
I get addicted to sweets and can’t stop. As a result i have been enjoying dark chocolate covered almonds.
I love pretty xmas cookies with lots of buttery flavor..
I would rather knit socks than bake!
Posted by: Mary | December 18, 2019 at 06:49 AM
Last week I made a Scandinavian Almond Cake to take to a party. We loved it and I will make it again. And Cranberry Nut Bread.
Posted by: JoAnne | December 18, 2019 at 06:59 AM
Usually i make cookies &cream fudge but this year I'm gonna make a derby pie & chocolate & caramel dipped pretzel rods for snacking on at work.it's ina garten's recipe @ food network. Sounds easy.any of the yarns would be lovely,they are all so beautiful!
Posted by: Sharon A. Rocha | December 18, 2019 at 07:08 AM
My new favorite thing to make this time of year is butter rum cake...so moist and delicious...and calorific!
Posted by: Laurie Bowman | December 18, 2019 at 07:10 AM
Growing up we always made fudge and gave it as gifts to teachers and the other people that touched our lives during the year. I still like to make candy this time of year, usually peppermint bark and peanut butter balls. (My Michigan family refuses to refer to them by their other name associated with a certain tree and their rival to the south.)
Posted by: Lara | December 18, 2019 at 07:22 AM
Baked potato soup, I'm all about warm comfort foods in the cold weather!
Posted by: Alyssa | December 18, 2019 at 07:43 AM
For the family tradition, we have caramel pecan rolls on Christmas Morning - no icing and one small pan without pecans for the picky kids.
I am a Christmas cookie fanatic - when I'm baking, I have a great Gingerbread Cookie recipe from Rosies All Butter, Fresh Cream, Sugar Packed cookbook.
It is also not Christmas without Traditional Chex Mix - double the dry ingredients, triple the seasonings. Made in the oven - it's the only way to go.
I love self striping yarns! I have just realized that my sock collection is beginning to show some wear so I better get cracking on more socks!
Posted by: Amy G | December 18, 2019 at 07:48 AM
I make the cookies my grandmother made, pizzelles,chocolate balls and Italian fig cookies, in addition to gingerbread, cutouts etc. Its a cookie extravaganza!
Posted by: Jackielemon | December 18, 2019 at 08:19 AM
Being Jewish and celebrating Chanukah the good I love this time of year is latkes. Latkes are crispy potato pancakes fried in oil and crispy. Served with applesauce they are delish!
Posted by: Debra Cohen | December 18, 2019 at 08:21 AM
We make Christmas Crinkles every year-- an easy and delicious cookie that looks more complicated than it is. It's always a hit at the cookie swap!
Posted by: Tracy | December 18, 2019 at 08:31 AM
We aim to misbehave is awesome. I like to make Pecan Tassie from an old recipe I cut out of a newspaper years ago.
Posted by: Teresa F Ronk | December 18, 2019 at 08:59 AM
Poppy seed roll is a Polish classic. It was my Dad’s favorite but I like the almond roll. You need one of these for it to be Christmas.
Posted by: Marie | December 18, 2019 at 09:56 AM
My goal is to finish a a pair of socks I started two years ago! At least the first sock is done. And knit a hat for my niece's birthday.
Posted by: Jane | December 18, 2019 at 10:07 AM
I love self striping yarns and especially ones that have 12-20 stripes... like Mind the Gap from Trailing clouds on Etsy. This yarn has all the colors of the London Tube lines and if you have ever ridden the subway in the UK you know that the safety announcement urges you to Mind The Gap when entering or exiting the train!!
Posted by: Karla Hartzell | December 18, 2019 at 10:13 AM
I love holiday cookies. My favorites are candy cane cookies. They are labor intensive, but worth it! https://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/sandra-lee/candy-cane-cookies-recipe-1915890
Posted by: Katherine S. | December 18, 2019 at 11:08 AM
Not much of a cook but when CHristmas comes around having Italian cookies is what I like the most. Plus the holiday m&ms. Gotta have my cookies and candy
Posted by: Yvonne | December 18, 2019 at 11:15 AM
Twinkle lights. Love it.
Posted by: Mindy ZW | December 18, 2019 at 11:48 AM