Advent Tea @ Dawn's ~ Animals at Advent 🦌

Hello my friends and Happy Yule! Merry (almost) Christmas! And cheers to the (imminent) New Year! I hope this post finds you all well as we head into the long holiday weekend. I can hardly believe how quickly this month has flown by and here we are sitting down to our very last Advent tea!

So I'd like to begin my post with a little chat about the delicious tea I'm enjoying today - and boy, am I enjoying it! I so wish I could pour you a cup. This brew is a lovely new holiday blend called "Gingerbread Festival" and it's made by Harney & Sons, a company I've mentioned a time or two before.☺️

Here's the description from the website:

Sweet, spicy, and full of holiday flavors, our Gingerbread Festival tea summons up the familiar tastes of old-fashioned gingerbread. We begin with a base of mild yet full-bodied black tea, then swirl in pieces of ginger root, cinnamon, and a touch of molasses flavor. A final layer of sweet vanilla flavor and spiced cloves finishes the brew for an easy-to-drink cup that sparkles with richness.

Ok, full disclosure - it is almost a little too spicy, but that opinion is coming from someone with chronic heartburn, so take it as you will. I enjoyed it all the same - with a little sugar and a generous splash of whole milk it tastes just like a fresh slice of gingerbread. As for the goodie I'm indulging in today - and keeping in theme - this, my friends, is a frosted gingerbread donut ...

I've baked donuts for my family many times over the years, a tradition that began when I was looking to replicate a "Halloween decorated" Dunkin Donut for Earlybird. He so wanted one of those beautiful treats, but couldn't - and still can't - tolerate artificial colors and flavors very well. (They increase challenging behaviors and can trigger neurological tics.) Anyhoo, I actually baked the donuts shown here as gifts for Earlybird's therapists, but I managed to secure a few extras for tea. 😉

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Now, this week our Advent theme focused on the third kingdom of creation - the animals! So we thought about our JOY for the animal friends in our lives - including our pets, our friends' and neighbors' pets, our backyard birds and squirrels, and going even further, the creatures that are local to our area as well as endangered species around the world. Our activities centered around this theme and in our homeschool this week we learned about how animals in our region prepare for the harsh winter ahead. 

And on that note, here are some pictures from Little Bear's Audubon program titled: "Gather, Gorge and Store." The kids (and parents) learned all about hibernation and some facts were rather surprising!

This kid just loves to be outside!

Our Audubon teacher, Miss Lisa, setting up a presentation for the kids. These finger puppets represent local species and each one has a unique way to prepare for and weather the winter season.

And did you know that only three mammals truly hibernate? The jumping mouse, the bat and the groundhog!

During the program the kids looked for signs of animal activity ...

On this log we found a red squirrels cache - spruce cones that had been nibbled on and black walnut shells.

Here the kids and Miss Lisa were looking under logs where insects and invertebrates (and some amphibians) hunker down for the winter. We were hoping to spot a salamander but all we found was a pill bug of some kind.

At the end of our hike we tossed pebbles onto a semi-frozen river.

It was a chilly day, but not uncomfortably cold. A great day to be outside exploring the nuances of a mid-December day!

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But back at home, inside my warm and sunny kitchen, things have been busy this week as both Bookworm and I get out Christmas baking on! I didn't end up making as many cookies as I would have liked - but I say that every year. I mean, can you ever make enough cookies? And then usually friends and family give you cookies too, and so there are always plenty of cookies to go around!

The first ones I made in honor of the Winter Solstice last Thursday were these Yule Crescent Moon cookies ... 

So delicious - a ruch buttery cookie livened up with some lemon zest and glazed with a vanilla icing. I also dusted them with some sparkling sugar.

Other cookies on our Christmas menu include: lemon thumbprints, gingerbread folk, pistachio wreaths, peppermint sugar cookies, eggnog logs and some more of those orange-cranberry shortbread cookies I made last month!

Bookworm will help me with the baking, thank goodness! Other things I'll be making this year include mince tarts, a Christmas cake (easy, store-bought, made with EB) and a no-bake pumpkin cheesecake pie. (Again, very easy! But so darn good.)

You know what else we baked in honor of the week's theme and our beloved pet friends?

Carrot-bone broth biscuits! 

I used a King Arthur Flour package mix and it was so simple. The kids got a kick out of it - and yes, Fenway was our taste-tester! (Unsurprisingly, he approved.)

We bagged up these cookies and gave them to neighbors and friends with beloved dogs - tag signed "from Fenway," natch.

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And in the midst of all this baking, I did squeeze in a little crafting, of course! 

Another Yule craft, honoring the return of the sun at Winter Solstice - these dried orange "suns" are so pretty! I found the craft idea on Pinterest and it was so simple - you stick wooden toothpicks around an orange slice, then bake it in a 200 degree oven for 3-4 hours, flipping every 30 minutes. I think the suns would look pretty in a winter window after the tree comes down!

I also tried making some wooden ornaments using pretty napkins ...

I just coated an unadorned wood slice ornament (found on Amazon) with Mod Podge and pressed a single ply napkin onto it. (I had centered it first, cutting out the desired area with craft scissors.) 

I applied another coat of Mod Podge to the top of the napkin and then let it set.

I trimmed the rough edges ...

... and all that's left to do is drill a hole for a twine loop. I used napkins I've been saving because the designs were so pretty - almost too pretty to use!

I really didn't craft as much this Advent as I usually do. I'm not entirely sure why - I think some years just lend themselves to more "homey" time than others.

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Another fun outing last week was a Solstice hike we did with our homeschooling friends ...

It's been an unusually mild December here in New England - but I was still quite surprised to see skunk cabbage growing in the bog!

And mullein growing in the protection of a great big tree!

The hike provided so many gorgeous views

... and at the very top of the hill there were solstice stones to tell the time by!

What was especially nice about this hike was Bill took the day off from work so he could join us!

More family time - a lovely cup of holiday coffee at a local cafe with Bookworm and Little Bear. (White hot chocolate for LB, Iced Chai Latte for BW and an Eggnog Latte for me!)

And before I wrap up, since this is Animals week, I must share some photos of my favorite animals of all - our pets. 

'Twas the night before Christmas and all through the house not a creature was stirring ... 

Well, my friends, I will let you go now as the sun is setting and there is still much to do before morning! Thank you so much for joining me this Advent and sharing a special cup of tea with me each Friday - or Sunday as the case may be! I have more Teas planned for the future so please stay tuned! I will be back soon to share more ...

And from my little corner of the world to yours, I wish you all the best for a wonderful Christmas - I hope you have a day full of peace, and joy and contentment.

Happy Holidays from the Hanigans! See you all again very soon!

Love,

~ Dawn