Gingerbread Houses at Peddlers Village

Yesterday, my wife and I went to see the Gingerbread House display at Peddlers Village in Lahaska, Bucks County, PA.  Peddlers Village is a collection of some very interesting tourist shops. And every year they sponsor a Gingerbread House competition for all ages and in a variety of categories. A few of the gingerbread houses that were on display are shown below. In my next post I will display a few random shots of the shops we visited in Peddlers Village.

A Visit to Byers' Choice

This morning my wife and I visited the Christmas Gallery and shop at Byers' Choice in historic Bucks County near Chalfont, PA. They are known for their Christmas carolers figurines among other things. It is well worth visiting if you are ever in the area. Below are some photos of our experience. And last but not least I want to wish everyone a blessed Christmas and a joyous New Year. May each of you experience the Christ child in your lives.

Chocolate Chip Pumpkin Oatmeal Raisin Cookie Recipe

I was requested to share the recipe for the Chocolate Chip Pumpkin Oatmeal Raisin Cookies that I show a picture of in an earlier post. The basic recipe comes from Mennonite Country Style Recipes by Esther H. Shank and can be found on page 170 of that cookbook. However, I am sharing our modified version of this recipe.

Cream the following together thoroughly:

1.5 cups butter
1 cup sugar
2 cups brown sugar

Add the following to the above mixture and beat until fluffy:

2 eggs
1 tsp. vanilla

Sift the following dry ingredients together:

2 cups unbleached white flour
2 cups whole wheat flour
2 tsp. baking soda
1 tsp. salt
1.5 tsp. ground cinnamon

Add the sifted dry ingredients alternately with 2 cups quick oatmeal and 1.75 cups canned pumpkin to the butter, sugar, and egg mixture. This will need to be stirred in by hand.

Lastly stir in 1 cup chocolate chips and 1 cup raisins.  Drop by spoon onto greased baking sheet. Bake at 350 degrees Fahrenheit for 8 to 10 minutes.

Apple Orchard Web Design Portfolio Site

I want to invite you to check out my Apple Orchard Web Design Portfolio Site.

Below is the header graphic to the site.

Decorating for Christmas

It's the Christmas season once again. My wife and I enjoy decorating and making preparations for Christmas celebration. The photos below reflect some of our activity towards that goal.

Here's our manger scene that was a gift from my wife's mom.

A view of our Christmas tree

followed by three photos of our display shelving

holding much of our Christmas and winter decor below

from top to bottom

A nativity wall hanging we fell in love with at first sight

And some chocolate chip pumpkin oatmeal raisin cookies

my wife and I made together just yesterday

East Branch of the Perkiomen Creek

This past Saturday afternoon my wife and I went for a walk along part of the East Branch of the Perkiomen Creek near Perkasie, Bucks County, PA. It was a cloudy, cool (my wife would say cold) day. Yet it was still beautiful in its own way reflecting the time of year we are in.

Brightly colored yellow leaves

A section of the East Branch of the Perkiomen Creek

Red leaves against a dreary sky

A truly autumn day

A large growth of fungi on a tree trunk

(and there was much more than I can show)

Dark red leaves against a gray sky

Rapp Creek Area near Upper Black Eddy

Late this morning I went for a hike on Pennsylvania State Game Land #146 which is located along Rapp Creek near Upper Black Eddy, Bucks County, PA. It was a beautiful, bright, sunny autumn day. When one stopped  for a moment, one could hear the leaves falling. Below are a few of the sights of the day.

I haven't place many pictures of the creek and its falls here. But they can be really impressive just after a heavy rain. I took a few pictures of the falls today but due to the time of day there was too much of a contrast between bright and dark areas. It's amazing how our eyes can take that all in but cameras aren't able to handle it. Sometimes one just needs to be a painter.

A leaf on top of a dead trunk

Another leaf floating down Rapp Creek

Some beautiful red berries

A few remaining bright autumn leaves

A rock with patterns - they fascinate me

More rocks

Some bright autumn leaves against the sky

Celebrating Mom's 80th Birthday

This past Sunday, we with my Mom's family celebrated her 80th birthday at her home. My Mom is in the advanced stages of Alzheimer's Disease. But she seemed to be really happy while we were there celebrating her birthday. Earlier in the day, a Sunday School class from her church came and sang some hymns for her. I wasn't there then but I heard that she really enjoyed that singing. Below are some photos from her birthday celebration.

Autumn Leaves - Whites Mill Preservation Area

Today I went hiking at Whites Mill Preservation Area in Salford Township, Montgomery County, PA. Despite being mostly cloudy, it was a beautiful fall day especially when the sun did shine through. Below are a few views of the fall foliage I enjoyed.