We have been doing many things every day to celebrate advent. A couple of nights ago we had a karaoke show. Autumn and Kesa had the idea to do it, but soon Craig and I joined in too. It was a lot of fun and now we have a show every night.

The days are relaxed and calm. After we wake up in the morning, I do yoga for a while, while Autumn reads and Kesa draws or just sits quietly and listens. We are reading Christ Legends again this year in time for Christmas.

Serafina has been sleeping in until 10:30 am most days, which allows us some time to read in a relaxed manner for a while before she wakes up and gets into mischief.

She is still always at the taps because she loves water. She will climb up onto the counter and get at the taps and as soon as we take her away, tell her, “no” and even put her for a time out, she cries and then just goes right back! We have a safety knob cover on our bathroom door now, but she still always goes to the kitchen tap. Last night we decided that when we don’t need the water, we will just keep it turned off and hopefully she will give up on that obsession and move onto something else that is less messy and wasteful.

It was our 7 year wedding anniversary on the 13th! I even got some beautiful roses. I kept meaning to take a picture of them when I first got them, but forgot, so here is a picture of them, a little late.

I had ordered a 20 x 24 inch canvas wedding print of us as well as an anniversary gift and just something to hang up in our home.

Yesterday, the girls and I cleaned up the house really nice and baked a few batches of cookies for advent as well, to share with family and friends. We made the Candy Cane Sprinkled Sugar Cookies and I came up with a new thumbprint cookie recipe that is gluten-free and Christmasy! The cookies are made with oat flour and rolled in either oats or shredded coconut.

You can make them with either candied cherries or jam of your choice. Either way is delicious!

Gluten-Free Oatmeal Thumbprint Cookies

Makes 26 cookies

Ingredients

• 1 cup Earth Balance (or other dairy-free margarine), softened
• 1 1/2 cups organic icing sugar
• 1/4 cup unsweetened almond milk
• 3 1/4 cups oat flour*
• 2/3 cup gluten-free quick oats or shredded coconut, for rolling the dough into
• 13 candied cherries, cut in half or 2-3 tablespoons of jam of your choice (I like raspberry)

*To make oat flour, just blend up some gluten-free oats in a food processor or blender, until fine, like flour. For this recipe, you will probably need 4 cups of quick oats to blend.

Directions

1. Preheat the oven to 350°F and line two baking sheets with parchment paper.
2. Cream together the softened margarine, icing sugar and almond milk.
3. Add the flour, one cup at a time, until combined.
4. Roll the dough into 1 1/2 inch balls between your hands and then coat each ball in the oats or coconut. (You can even make some with oats and some with coconut, like I did. In that case you will need 1/3 cup oats and 1/3 cup cup shredded coconut.)
5. Place each ball onto a baking sheet lined with parchment paper and press down slightly. Make a little thumbprint in each cookie.
6. Continue step 4 and 5 until you have used up all of your dough.
7. Fill each thumbprint with half a candied cherry, or with a scant 1/4 teaspoon of jam.
8. Bake for 10-12 minutes, or until slightly golden.
9. Allow to cool completely before removing from the pan.

I hope you can find time to make this recipe before Christmas! I know it is cutting it close, but these are fairly simple and very festive. I also have added a Christmas Baking page to my blog that you can find under the header where I have all of our vegan Christmas baking in one place.

Much Love,