Twenty-Six Lists - Holiday Movies and Music

Welcome to Twenty-Six Lists! I hope you'll join me in this simple link-up, where I share a writing prompt for some kind of list, and invite you to share what's on your list. Your list can be very simple or include lots of explanation; short or long; a bullet point list or essay style. Interpret the list prompts however you like, depending on how much time you have to spend, and how much background you'd like to share. 

For this final list in the series, please share your favorite moview and music for the holiday season!

Holiday Movies and Music

My must-see holiday movies include:

It's a Wonderful Life - probably my all-time favorite Christmas movie! The story is just so good and it's full of loveable characters and quotable lines. I wrote an article about it for my homeschool blog a few years ago: It's A Wonderful Story

White Christmas - very close second, if we're keeping score. I love the music and dancing, and the scene where Bing Crosby and Danny Kaye do the "Sisters" song is just the best. Again, loveable characters, fun shenanigans, and nothing matches the elegance of performance from this era.

A Christmas Carol - Our favorite version is the one with Alistair Sim as Ebenezer Scrooge. We watch it every year, either on Christmas Eve or Christmas Day. I also enjoy some of the retellings, such as An American Christmas Carol starring Henry Winkler, and Scrooged with Bill Murray. 

The Santa Clause (along with the sequels, and the series) - We love this entertaining take on Santa's magic and how he is still in business after so many generations. It's family oriented and so funny, making it an annual movie night during the holidays.

Elf - This became a favorite for the funny lines and for being just downright silly. 

National Lampoon's Christmas Vacation - The ridiculous characters and antics have made this a comedy classic for the holidays, and we watch it - and quote it! - every year.

How the Grinch Stole Christmas - The Dr Seuss original animated special is the only Grinch movie we need. We've seen the Jim Carrey one but the original animated show is still the superior version. 

All the animated specials from back in the day, and other movies like The Polar Express and Four Christmases make it into our rotation regularly as well.

Now music . . . this is a lot harder to narrow down because I love all the traditional Christmas carols and almost all the "classic" holiday songs; and I find it hard to say which is my favorite version or artist rendition of a song that may have been done by dozens of recording artists. How about I list a few favorite Christmas albums . . .

Favorite Christmas albums:

Trans Siberian Orchestra - The Lost Christmas Eve

Trans Siberian Orchestra - The Christmas Attic

Trans Siberian Orchestra - Ghosts of Christmas Eve

Trans Siberian Orchestra - Christmas Eve and Other Stories

Amy Grant - A Christmas Album

Amy Grant - Home for Christmas

Amy Grant - A Christmas To Remember

David Crowder Band - Oh For Joy

I could keep listing these forever and I truly don't have time! 

What are your favorite holiday movies and songs? Please share.

This final link-up is open for two weeks, and I thank you so much for joining me over the past year! 

You are invited to the Inlinkz link party!

Click here to enter

This concludes the 2024 Edition of Twenty-Six Lists on A Fresh Cup of Coffee! If you're curious, the year started here: Twenty-Six Lists - Accomplishments and Goals. I don't plan to do the Twenty-Six Lists link-up in 2025, but maybe sometime down the road I'll bring it back. Thanks to everyone that has read, commented, and linked up at some point during the year.

 Don't miss a coffee break! Subscribe to A Fresh Cup of Coffee by email. 

 ©2006-2024 HS Coffee Break/Just A Second/A Fresh Cup of Coffee. All rights reserved. All text, photographs, artwork, and other content may not be reproduced or transmitted in any form without the written consent of the author. https://morecoffeebreaks.blogspot.com/ 

This post may contain affiliate links - using affiliate links from A Fresh Cup of Coffee helps continue the coffee breaks and conversation. 

 We are a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for us to earn fees by linking to Amazon.com and affiliated sites.

Twenty-Six Lists - Holiday Ornaments and Memories

Welcome to Twenty-Six Lists! I hope you'll join me in this simple link-up, where I share a writing prompt for some kind of list, and invite you to share what's on your list. Your list can be very simple or include lots of explanation; short or long; a bullet point list or essay style. Interpret the list prompts however you like, depending on how much time you have to spend, and how much background you'd like to share. 

We've had our Christmas tree and most of our Christmas decorations up since the Thanksgiving weekend and I know there were folks who put their trees and lights up much earlier than that. And there are others who wait until the first Sunday of Advent or later, and many who celebrate a different holiday in December or have different traditions surrounding how - or if! - they decorate. I think that for most of us, we have some memories or traditions associated with our favorite ornaments and holiday decor, and that's what I'm hoping to tap into with this list. Share some of your favorite holiday ornaments and a little about why you love them.

Holiday Ornaments and Memories

I don't know about you, but I seem to have trouble getting a really good photo of my Christmas tree. It's the whole thing with the lights. Anyway. For many years, my Christmas tree has been some version of the photo above. I prefer the white lights, and the majority of my ornaments are red, white, and silver. I have wooden beads for garland, and I absolutely love the quilt pattern tree skirt that my Mom made for me a few years ago.

Other than the dominant color scheme, I don't have just one theme to my tree, but there are collections of ornaments. For instance, quite a few coffee theme ornaments - most of them are Tim Hortons, but Starbucks also makes an appearance. No explanation needed as to why I have these or why there are some of my favorites!

There are also a LOT of Coca-Cola ornaments. Coke bottles, Coke cans, Coca-Cola bears, the Coca-Cola Santas, and lots more. My husband and I started collecting Coke memorabilia very early in our relationship, and one aspect of our collection that we are still attached to is the Christmas collection. 

I also have quite a number of ornaments that are a nod to Canada or have that rustic northern lodge type feel to them. Some of them are sort of souvenirs of Canada, like the bear silhouette; and some just fit that general vibe, like the checked bows and the tin star. In a way, these ornaments are a reminder of where I grew up, and put me in mind of a cozy mountain cabin that I sometimes think of as my dream home.

Y'know, even the collection of sparkly snowflakes that I put all over the tree are favorites of mine. They are cheap dollar store ornaments that I've had for ages, but I honestly haven't seen these on other trees very often, and I love the way they brighten up the tree and give a bit more sparkle to it. 

I've recently been adding more cardinal themed ornaments to the tree. I don't have many, but cardinals are one of my favorite birds, and the red color certainly goes with the theme! What I'd really like, but haven't found yet, is a tree topper that features a cardinal.

Quite a few of our ornaments were acquired on family vacations. Especially when we travelled late in the fall, we liked to pick out an ornament that would remind us of that destination and the family trip. Obviously, we picked up some Disney World ornaments!

I always especially liked this woodcut nativity ornament from St Augustine, Florida.

Another nativity type set of ornaments that is special to me is a set of six ornaments that sort of tell the story of Jesus' life. In addition to the baby and the dove, there's a Bible, a loaf of bread, a hammer, and the cross. 

And this is not a tree ornament, but it is my favorite nativity scene. It's modeled after the wood carvings of Africa (and sorry, I no longer remember what region or which people group!) and it just makes me smile to see the Joseph character holding up the Christ child with so much joy. Even though the carvings don't have facial features, I can just imagine the laughter and I think it's both celebratory and worshipful. (Although I don't think the child is a newborn in this depiction!)

Which of your holiday ornaments are special to you? Please share.

The link-up is open for two weeks, with a new prompt every other Tuesday. 

You are invited to the Inlinkz link party!

Click here to enter

We're almost finished with the 2024 Edition of Twenty-Six Lists on A Fresh Cup of Coffee! If you're curious, the year started here: Twenty-Six Lists - Accomplishments and Goals. I don't plan to do the Twenty-Six Lists link-up in 2025, but maybe sometime down the road I'll bring it back. Thanks to everyone that has read, commented, and linked up at some point during the year. I hope you'll be back for the last couple of Lists!

Just one item left on this bonus list!

December 24 - Holiday Movies and Music

 Don't miss a coffee break! Subscribe to A Fresh Cup of Coffee by email. 

 ©2006-2024 HS Coffee Break/Just A Second/A Fresh Cup of Coffee. All rights reserved. All text, photographs, artwork, and other content may not be reproduced or transmitted in any form without the written consent of the author. https://morecoffeebreaks.blogspot.com/ 

This post may contain affiliate links - using affiliate links from A Fresh Cup of Coffee helps continue the coffee breaks and conversation. 

 We are a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for us to earn fees by linking to Amazon.com and affiliated sites.

Twenty-Six Lists - On The Menu For The Holidays

Welcome to Twenty-Six Lists! I hope you'll join me in this simple link-up, where I share a writing prompt for some kind of list, and invite you to share what's on your list. Your list can be very simple or include lots of explanation; short or long; a bullet point list or essay style. Interpret the list prompts however you like, depending on how much time you have to spend, and how much background you'd like to share. 

In the United States, this is Thanksgiving week and it seems like everyone has been planning for Turkey Day and that is what everyone is talking about too. (Along with debating when it's appropriate to begin decorating for Christmas or listening to Christmas music.) It really is the holiday season, and there are several holidays coming up. Holidays usually involve food, so that's what this list is all about. What is on your holiday menu? It can be your Thanksgiving menu, your Christmas season menu, your Hanukkah menu, your Kwanzaa menu, your New Years Eve menu . . . what did I miss? Whatever you're celebrating, share something about what will be on the holiday table. And share recipes too, if you'd like!

Menu For The Holidays

My menu for this Thanksgiving looks a little different from any previous year, mainly because it will just be me and hubby here on Thursday. This is truly a first! Due to scheduling, we are not going to Maryland for Thanksgiving like we did the last couple of years, and the son that lives here is traveling to be with his wife's family. So we are not having our turkey deep fried, which is our tradition. We are going to try smoking the turkey. I hope it turns out well, so we can enjoy it and also enjoy all the inevitable leftovers!

I have potatoes and sweet potatoes, but honestly I'm still deciding how I'll fix them. Just ordinary mashed potatoes with gravy, plus baked sweet potatoes would be the easiest, but I really would like to have sweet potato casserole. Or maybe I'll go to my trusty standby - roasted root vegetables - and mix them together with carrots. Just one dish, which is appealing. I'm planning to make corn pudding (Holiday Creamy Corn Pudding - the recipe is from This Old Gal). We'll have dressing (since we're not stuffing the bird), and of course there will be cranberry sauce. 

There's only two of us, so I'll miss it, but no Pineapple Casserole this year. And I doubt I'll bake bread. I will do some dessert. I've already made the chocolate cheesecake for my hubby's birthday so we'll still have some of that to enjoy on Thursday, I'm sure. I'll bake pumpkin roll and on the weekend I'm planning to bake pumpkin cookies. Post-Thanksgiving, I usually make use of the leftover cranberry sauce in Cranberry Crumble. 

This list - and these recipes - are pretty much a repeat of my list "On My Menu For Autumn" a few weeks ago, which I guess means I didn't think through the list themes very well. All the same, here are a couple of recipes tested for many Thanksgivings at my place. 

Bonus List of Recipes:

Pineapple Casserole

3 (20 oz) cans chunk pineapple

6 tbsp flour

1-1/2 cups sugar

6 tbsp pineapple juice

3 cups sharp cheddar, shredded

1-1/2 tubes ritz crackers, crushed

1/2 cup butter, melted

Drain the pineapple very well, reserving 6 tablespoons of the juice. Put drained pineapple in a 13x9 pan. Combine flour, sugar, and pineapple juice to form a paste; spread over pineapple chunks. Spread shredded cheese over that. Combine crushed crackers and butter to make crumb topping; spread over the cheese. Bake at 350* about 25 minutes.

*********************

Cranberry Crumble

1-1/2 cups rolled oats
1-1/2 cups flour
1 cup brown sugar, packed
1/4 tsp baking soda
3/4 cup butter or margarine, softened

whole cranberry sauce, about 14 oz or so

Mix together the oats, flour, sugar, and soda; mix in the butter until crumbly. Pack just over half of this mixture into a greased 9x9 pan. (Or use an 8x8 if you're short on cranberry sauce) Spread the cranberry sauce on top and sprinkle with remaining crumb mixture. Press the crumb topping down just slightly, using your hand. Back at 350*F for 35-40 minutes. Best eaten while warm, with a bit of vanilla ice cream or cream.

What's on your menu during the holidays? Please share.

The link-up is open for two weeks, with a new prompt every other Tuesday. 

You are invited to the Inlinkz link party!

Click here to enter

We're almost finished with the 2024 Edition of Twenty-Six Lists on A Fresh Cup of Coffee! If you're curious, the year started here: Twenty-Six Lists - Accomplishments and Goals. I don't plan to do the Twenty-Six Lists link-up in 2025, but maybe sometime down the road I'll bring it back. Thanks to everyone that has read, commented, and linked up at some point during the year. I hope you'll be back for the last couple of Lists!

Bonus List: The next few list prompts so you can think ahead!

December 10 - Holiday Ornaments and Memories

December 24 - Holiday Movies and Music

 Don't miss a coffee break! Subscribe to A Fresh Cup of Coffee by email. 

 ©2006-2024 HS Coffee Break/Just A Second/A Fresh Cup of Coffee. All rights reserved. All text, photographs, artwork, and other content may not be reproduced or transmitted in any form without the written consent of the author. https://morecoffeebreaks.blogspot.com/ 

This post may contain affiliate links - using affiliate links from A Fresh Cup of Coffee helps continue the coffee breaks and conversation. 

 We are a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for us to earn fees by linking to Amazon.com and affiliated sites.

Twenty-Six Lists - The Blogs I Love To Read

Welcome to Twenty-Six Lists! I hope you'll join me in this simple link-up, where I share a writing prompt for some kind of list, and invite you to share what's on your list. Your list can be very simple or include lots of explanation; short or long; a bullet point list or essay style. Interpret the list prompts however you like, depending on how much time you have to spend, and how much background you'd like to share. 

My original idea for this list was an opportunity to give shout-outs to the bloggers we read and follow, and to incorporate some kind of share challenge as well. I haven't had the time to work out how to do that, but I do want to say a big thank you to those who have stopped by and participated in Twenty Six Lists, and to all my fellow bloggers who write and share and interact with each other in the blogosphere. 

My confession is that I can no longer keep up with a blog feed aggregator (like feedly or that type) for the blogs I like to read. There are just a couple that I subscribe to by email, but most of the blogs I follow are those that I visit regularly through link-ups of one kind or another. I'm curious how others follow and keep up though!

The Blogs I Love To Read

The blogs I visit regularly and enjoy reading are mostly those that host and participate in link parties. So this is not an exhaustive list, but these are the hostesses that I make sure to visit regularly:

Joyce is our hostess for the Wednesday Hodgepodge each week. She shares a hodgepodge of five questions at From This Side of the Pond. 

Jenn at Overflowing With Thankfulness hosts two monthly link-ups that I participate in - "Currently" is on the first Wednesday of each month (though I usually post on Thursday), and Share Four Somethings is on the last Saturday of each month.

I have followed Joanne at Slices of Life for many years, all the way back to when I had a homeschooling blog. She always has beautiful photography to share, and she happens to participate in a lot of the link parties that I do. She also co-hosts a couple, including the Share Our Lives link-up on the second Monday of each month; and Share Your Shelf on the first Thursday of the month.

 Marsha at Always Write hosted a link party called Wednesday Quotes that I really enjoyed - and I enjoy her blog as well! - but when she decided she couldn't host any more, she passed that privilege on to me and fellow participant Sadje at Keep It Alive. I'm still getting to know Sadje's blog, to be honest, but I've learned that she is a talented poet. If you'd like to join us for Wednesday Quotes, it happens every other Wednesday. A new link-up opens tomorrow and the theme is "confidence".

Marsha at Marsha In the Middle is another blogger I met through link parties. She hosts the 10 on the 10th link party, which is a fun monthly conversation starter.

Paula at Grace-Filled Moments hosts one of the most generous link parties I know of - the Sweet Tea & Friends Monthly Link-up Party. I'm often overwhelmed by how many bloggers link up there, and the variety of posts.

Barbara at Stray Thoughts, Michele at Living Our Days, and Joanne at Joanne Viola - Days and Thoughts have been faithfully linking up with Scripture And A Snapshot (which I host every Sunday) and I always appreciate their insights and challenges.

As I visit the other participants in the link parties, there are a few I'll make sure to visit because I enjoy their writing style or just feel connected to them in some way. I can't list all of them but I want to mention:

Kirstin at Loving Life

Ellen at The Happy Wonderer

Maria at Three Rineer Kids

Dara at Not In Jersey

Natasha at Here's The Scoop

Leslie at Once Upon a Time & Happily Ever After

. . . and there are many others too, but I'm looking at the time and realizing I must hit publish and then hit the road to work!

Who writes the blogs you love to read? Please share.

The link-up is open for two weeks, with a new prompt every other Tuesday. 

You are invited to the Inlinkz link party!

Click here to enter

If you'd like to think further ahead, you can find the list of all prompts for the 2024 Edition of Twenty-Six Lists on A Fresh Cup of Coffee here: Twenty-Six Lists - Accomplishments and Goals

Bonus List: The next few list prompts so you can think ahead!

November 26 - Holiday Menu

December 10 - Holiday Ornaments and Memories

December 24 - Holiday Movies and Music

 Don't miss a coffee break! Subscribe to A Fresh Cup of Coffee by email. 

 ©2006-2024 HS Coffee Break/Just A Second/A Fresh Cup of Coffee. All rights reserved. All text, photographs, artwork, and other content may not be reproduced or transmitted in any form without the written consent of the author. https://morecoffeebreaks.blogspot.com/ 

This post may contain affiliate links - using affiliate links from A Fresh Cup of Coffee helps continue the coffee breaks and conversation. 

 We are a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for us to earn fees by linking to Amazon.com and affiliated sites.

Twenty-Six Lists: On My Menu for Autumn

Welcome to Twenty-Six Lists! I hope you'll join me in this simple link-up, where I share a writing prompt for some kind of list, and invite you to share what's on your list. Your list can be very simple or include lots of explanation; short or long; a bullet point list or essay style. Interpret the list prompts however you like, depending on how much time you have to spend, and how much background you'd like to share. 

What's on the menu for the autumn season? With some big holidays on the horizon, and with so many fall-themed activities, foods, and flavors all around us, I'm curious about which fall dishes and desserts are your favorites. And although my thoughts are headed in the direction of food, a menu wouldn't necessarily have to be just things to eat, would it? We did an Autumn To-Do List awhile ago, but feel free to come up with an Autumn Menu that includes activities if that's where your thoughts are headed!

Here are some of my favorite fall foods, with a couple recipes linked, and a few included at the end of the list.

On My Menu for Autumn

Although I make it throughout the year, autumn is the perfect season for chili. My recipe is a mix of ground beef and chorizo, with onions, red and yellow peppers, and NO kidney beans. Instead, I like a mix of black, red, and white beans. Chili is best topped with shredded cheese and sour cream, and cornbread is the preferred side. 

Hearty soups are on the menu as well. I like most soups, but I don't very often make my own any more. Tomato bisque is my favorite, followed by beef barley. Following a turkey dinner, I do try to make a turkey stock and then I can make turkey noodle soup. Others that I have made from scratch and am thinking should be on my menu planner this fall are: corn chowder, cheeseburger soup, zuppa toscana, and Creamy Cubano soup. I got that recipe from Ellen at The Happy Wanderer, by the way, and her blog is a great source for good recipes. On the weekend, we ate at a little diner and had their cheesy potato soup and it was SO GOOD, which reminded me that I need to make my own potato soup again.

With soup, I need bread. Freshly baked homemade bread, of course. Challah, sourdough, rye, za'atar flatbread, or whatever. I wish I had more time to bake bread because it's my favorite. I have several favorite recipes, but I've chosen to share one that is my own adaptation. I once wondered what would happen if I replaced the sun-dried tomatos and parmesan filling in a favorite recipe with pesto, and it was a hit, so I kept making it that way!

We celebrate Thanksgiving on both the Canadian and American dates, although this year we did not have turkey on Canadian Thanksgiving. But usually we do, and our favorite way to do turkey is deep fried. The rest of our standard Thanksgiving dinner menu includes: mashed potatoes or roasted root vegetables (potatoes, sweet potatoes, parsnips, carrots), Holiday Creamy Corn Pudding (my recipe is from This Old Gal), green bean casserole (for the others, not for me!), fresh bread, and cranberry sauce. If we have the mashed potatoes, there will also be sweet potato casserole, and one dish that sometimes makes an appearance is pineapple casserole. 

Fall desserts? Yes, please! I love pumpkin pie and pecan pie, but especially for Thanksgiving dinners, we're most likely to have a homemade pumpkin roll. Right after Thanksgiving I always look forward to making Cranberry Crumble, which is a great way to use up the cranberry sauce that might be left over. Cheesecake is great any time of year, but we enjoy it in fall and winter for birthdays and special occasions. 

Bonus List of Recipes:

Pesto Bread

one pound olive oil dough

olive oil

1/2 cup (or more) basil pesto

cornmeal

Shape the dough into a ball, then roll out to about a 1/4-inch thick rectangle. Use flour sparingly when rolling. If your pesto is the creamy kind or is more dry, you might want to brush the dough with olive oil, but I don't find it necessary. Spread the pesto on the dough, not quite to the edges. Starting at the short end, roll up the dough into a log and tuck the ends under. Let it rise on a pizza peel dusted with cornmeal for an hour. Just before baking, brush the top of the loaf with more olive oil and slash parallel cuts across the top. Preheat the oven with a baking stone to 450*, for twenty minutes. Also put a shallow pan in the bottom rack. Slide the loaf directly onto the hot stone, and pour a cup of hot water into the shallow pan. Bake for 30 minutes. Let it cool before slicing.

Olive Oil Dough

2-3/4 cups lukewarm water

1-1/2 tbsp yeast

1-1/2 tbsp salt

1 tbsp sugar

1/4 cup olive oil

6-1/2 cups flour

Mix first five ingredients in a 5-quart bowl or large container. Mix in the flour without kneading (I do it with a bamboo spoon). Cover loosely and allow to rest at room temperature for about 2 hours. Use immediately or refrigerate in the covered container and use within 12 days. This recipe makes enough for four one-pound loaves.

*********************

Pineapple Casserole

3 (20 oz) cans chunk pineapple

6 tbsp flour

1-1/2 cups sugar

6 tbsp pineapple juice

3 cups sharp cheddar, shredded

1-1/2 tubes ritz crackers, crushed

1/2 cup butter, melted

Drain the pineapple very well, reserving 6 tablespoons of the juice. Put drained pineapple in a 13x9 pan. Combine flour, sugar, and pineapple juice to form a paste; spread over pineapple chunks. Spread shredded cheese over that. Combine crushed crackers and butter to make crumb topping; spread over the cheese. Bake at 350* about 25 minutes.

*********************

Cranberry Crumble

1-1/2 cups rolled oats
1-1/2 cups flour
1 cup brown sugar, packed
1/4 tsp baking soda
3/4 cup butter or margarine, softened

whole cranberry sauce, about 14 oz or so

Mix together the oats, flour, sugar, and soda; mix in the butter until crumbly. Pack just over half of this mixture into a greased 9x9 pan. (Or use an 8x8 if you're short on cranberry sauce) Spread the cranberry sauce on top and sprinkle with remaining crumb mixture. Press the crumb topping down just slightly, using your hand. Back at 350*F for 35-40 minutes. Best eaten while warm, with a bit of vanilla ice cream or cream.

What's on your menu this autumn? Please share.

The link-up is open for two weeks, with a new prompt every other Tuesday. 

You are invited to the Inlinkz link party!

Click here to enter

If you'd like to think further ahead, you can find the list of all prompts for the 2024 Edition of Twenty-Six Lists on A Fresh Cup of Coffee here: Twenty-Six Lists - Accomplishments and Goals

Bonus List: The next few list prompts so you can think ahead!

November 12 - Blog Reading List

November 26 - Holiday Menu

December 10 - Holiday Ornaments and Memories

December 24 - Holiday Movies and Music

 Don't miss a coffee break! Subscribe to A Fresh Cup of Coffee by email. 

 ©2006-2024 HS Coffee Break/Just A Second/A Fresh Cup of Coffee. All rights reserved. All text, photographs, artwork, and other content may not be reproduced or transmitted in any form without the written consent of the author. https://morecoffeebreaks.blogspot.com/ 

This post may contain affiliate links - using affiliate links from A Fresh Cup of Coffee helps continue the coffee breaks and conversation. 

 We are a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for us to earn fees by linking to Amazon.com and affiliated sites.