#InternationalGIVEAWAY #HoHoHoHarlequinHolidayExtravaganza Nancy Robards Thompson

Today's author, Nancy Robards Thompson, is a fave and she's sharing a very special holiday tradition starting way back when she and her husband were newlyweds and I'm showcasing her holiday book, A Downhome Savannah Christmas! Nancy is also offering a #Giveaway, details to follow.

Ho Ho Ho!

Giveaway is for one kindle copy of

Slay Bells Ring Open International

to 3 different winners

Please Use Rafflecopter form to enter

Ho Ho Ho

Nancy's Christmas Message:

The Year of the Charlie Brown Christmas Tree

Our first holiday season as newlyweds, my husband and I were so overwhelmed with life and work that purchasing our Christmas tree kept getting moved farther down the to-do list. There had always been a surplus of trees in town over the weeks leading up to Christmas. No worries, right? We had plenty of time and there would be plenty of trees.

One night, when Christmas was staring us in the face, we realized we had to make time to get the tree or the holiday would come and go whether we were ready or not. As we set out to cross the task off our list, we noticed that many of the tree lots that had seemed so abundant were closed up tighter than Scrooge’s wallet. We went to the big box hardware store where my husband swore he’d seen a great selection just the previous weekend. Their lot was bare. The same went for the other places we tried.

We drove all over town searching in vain, not for the perfect tree, but at this point, for ANY tree. Most places were cleaned out. The ones that still had offerings were propping up the spindly, needle-bare runts of the season. The pickings were slim.  Apparently, there had been some sort of tree shortage that year.  Who knew?

At this point, you may be wondering why we didn’t opt for an artificial tree. Well, my husband grew up with fresh Christmas trees. A plastic tree wouldn’t cut it, since fresh trees were one of his family’s traditions. That meant we ended up with a sad little Charlie Brown twig of a tree that bent under the stress of even a few ornaments.

And that, girls and boys, is how traditions are born. From the next Christmas forward (and we’ve been married dozens of years now), we have been getting our tree the Saturday of Thanksgiving weekend. Rain or shine. Even football doesn’t usurp Christmas tree day (if you knew my husband, you’d understand the magnitude of anything over college football).

Over the years, other holiday traditions have found their way into our home: listening to Christmas music and drinking eggnog as we wrap presents; baking sugar cookies and gingerbread men; and setting aside a special day to go out Christmas shopping with my daughter. However, we still look back at our Charlie Brown tree with fond memories because it was the catalyst behind our very first family holiday tradition.   

GIVEAWAY ALERT!!  I’m offering a Kindle copy of my first cozy mystery, SLAY BELLS RING! I’ll give away one copy to THREE different winners. All you have to do is tell me, what’s your favorite holiday treat in the Rafflecopter comment section.

As my gift to you, I’ll share the recipe for my favorite holiday treat below. 

Before I do, I wanted you to know that I love to keep in touch with readers. You can reach me at Nancy@NancyRobardsThompson.com;  or keep in touch with me through my website at NancyRobardsThompson.com; on Facebook at Nancy Robards Thompson Books - www.facebook.com/nancyrobardsthompsonbooks; follow me on Twitter at @NRTWrites ;  and, my favorite, Instagram at https://www.instagram.com/nancyrthompson/  -- @nancyrthompson.

Merry Christmas!

Nancy

Nancy’s Gingerbread Men:

3 cups all-purpose flour

1/4 teaspoons salt

3/4 teaspoon baking soda

2 teaspoons ground ginger

1 teaspoon ground cinnamon

1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg

1/4 teaspoon ground cloves

1/2 cup unsalted butter, room temperature

1/2 cup granulated white sugar

1 large egg

2/3 cup unsulphured molasses

Note:  To prevent the molasses from sticking to the measuring cup, spray the cup with a nonstick vegetable spray.

In a large bowl, sift or whisk together the flour, salt, baking soda, and spices.  Set aside.

In the bowl of your electric mixer, with the paddle attachment, cream the butter and sugar until light and fluffy.  Add the egg and molasses and beat until well combined.  Gradually add the flour mixture beating until incorporated.

Divide the dough in half, and wrap each half in plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least two hours or overnight. 

Preheat oven to 350 degrees and place rack in center of oven.  Line 2 baking sheets with parchment paper or a silicone baking sheet and set aside while you roll out the dough. 

On a lightly floured surface, roll out the dough to a thickness of about 1/8 - 1/4 inch.  Use a gingerbread cutter to cut out the cookies.  With an offset spatula lift the cookies onto the baking sheet, placing them about 1 inch apart.

Bake for about 8 - 12 minutes depending on the size of the cookies.  Small ones will take about 8 minutes, larger cookies will take about 12 minutes.  They are done when they are firm and the edges are just beginning to brown.  Remove the cookies from the oven and cool on the baking sheet for about 1 minutes.  When they are firm enough to move, transfer to a wire rack to cool completely. 

If desired, you can press raisins, currants, or candies into the dough for eyes and buttons while the cookies are still warm.  Otherwise, use royal icing to decorate them.  You can also use the royal icing as glue to attach candies, raisins, and sprinkles.

Makes about 3 dozen cookies depending on the size of cookie cutter used.

Store in an airtight container for several weeks.

A Down-Home Savannah Christmas
by Nancy Robards Thompson
Miniseries: The Savannah Sisters

Synopsis
He chased away her fiancé

And waited for her return

Like snow falling in Savannah, Georgia, the odds of Elle Clark falling for Daniel Quindlin are slim to none. First, she isn’t home to stay. And second, Daniel caused Elle’s fiancé to leave her at the altar. Even if he had her best interests at heart, falling for her arch nemesis just isn’t natural. Well, neither is a white Christmas in Savannah…

Visit Nancy's website

a Rafflecopter giveaway

a Rafflecopter giveaway


Stop by tomorrow for a special message from Melissa Senate
Ho Ho Ho!