(Kiki's Corner by Kiki Angelos - Photo Illustration - MetroCreativeConnection)

Since mother nature is controlling the weather and was nice enough to let us have nice weather last week at least in our area for all of us and our families to have a safe and special Thanksgiving.

But what a surprise it was last Tuesday waking up with everything covered with a white blanket of snow with a couple or more inches of snow in some places over a layer of ice (Ouch.) A very dangerous situation with school closings all over the Mid-Ohio Valley.

Many of us don’t realize since we live in town and don’t know how bad the country roads are, so they criticize and disapprove the closing of the schools. All students don’t live in town and the country roads are so dangerous for the buses to drive so we want everyone to be safe.

So many cancellations happened last Tuesday, and one of them was the lighting of the Parkersburg High School Christmas tree, but was rescheduled to last Thursday, and it was a beautiful tradition!

I am so proud of my West Virginia Symphony League-Parkersburg committee. We had decided to ring bells last Tuesday for the Salvation Army in front of Sam’s Club and we kept our promise (thank you devoted and wonderful Symphony League members). What a great tradition to continue with a Symphony League.

I love when it snows and we wake up and see the beautiful snow and what I like even more is that by afternoon of the same day this snow had melted off the streets and made transportation much easier for everyone.

I’m not going to mention, but I was in one store very briefly last week and found a homeless person sleeping in the entrance. I have to say it was very disturbing and I was surprised to see it but at the same time I was thinking it had to be a reason why the person didn’t go to a shelter, temporary accommodation for a night or two. I wonder what kept him from not trying to find a job and if he had a family how come he wasn’t with them. I have heard and am not sure how true that is so many choose that type of lifestyle, in other words to be homeless, because if they have an addiction, when you go to places that you can stay for a few days you’re not allowed to bring anything in such as drugs. Enough of that, and really I never thought such a thing would happen in our town.

On a happy side, last Wednesday, I attended the good old girls/craft society luncheon at the country club that was such a fun day with many friends. They auctioned my Greek desserts and they called it “kikiLiscious” as a grand prize. I also donated a set of dessert dishes to go with my desserts, and we had a delicious lunch, music and singing.

On Saturday, come out to welcome and celebrate the Christmas season and either you participate in the two parades, the first one in Vienna at 11 a.m. and the Parkersburg one at 2 p.m. I will be with some of my granddaughters (the others are still away in college) to be part of another family tradition and to support our businesses. My biggest enjoyment in participating in the parade is to see the little ones with their baskets, waiting for candy, and of course, at the end of the parade to see Santa Claus and the excitement in their faces.

Next, what’s out after the parade all the stores get full of holiday shoppers …. the stores open late and gearing up for the big day!

Merchants make sure the stores are full of beautiful gifts to offer for everyone to purchase for their loved ones. If not, gift cards are the perfect gift that your loved ones will enjoy and buy whatever they like and need. It makes life easier for the buyer and the receiver. Of course it’s more fun for someone to open a package. I understand completely but what do you buy for someone that has everything? I love to shop for others, but I have to confess I don’t like to wrap but gift bags are my best friends and whoever came up with that idea I thank them from the bottom of my heart!

I hope that there was enough snow for a while so that people can start and finish their shopping with no problem or it can snow and melt in a few hours.

With less than three weeks from Christmas I need to start thinking about the big day and what to get for those eight grandchildren. The older they get the harder it gets to buy for them and what they want the prices are astronomical. Ahhhh how I wish they were young so I can go and buy them all the toys they want and on Christmas Day see them open all the packages and play with their favorite toys. Those are great memories of mine with my precious eight grandchildren!

Till next week.

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Cranberry Coffee Cake

1 cup of sugar

1 stick margarine

2 eggs

1 teaspoon of vanilla

2 cups of flour

1 teaspoon baking powder

1 teaspoon baking soda

1 cup sour cream

1 can whole cranberry sauce

Cream sugar and margarine, beat in eggs and vanilla. Sift flour with baking powder and soda, add alternately to mixture with sour cream. Grease and flour a 10 inch tube pan. Pour half of the batter, then 2/3 of the cranberry sauce, add remaining batter, then top with remainder of cranberry sauce. Bake in preheated oven at 375 degrees F for 45-55 minutes.

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Rolled Gingerbread People

1 1/4 cups margarine or butter

2/3 cup brown sugar

1 1/2 cups cooking molasses

1 egg

2 teaspoons ginger

4 teaspoons baking soda

1 1/2 tsp cinnamon

1 1/2 tsp allspice

5 cups flour

1/2 tsp salt

1/2 cups boiling water

Cream margarine and sugar together, add molasses and egg. Sift spices and 2 cups flour together and add to creamed mixture. Add boiling water and 1 cup of flour, Let stand 30 minutes in cool place. Now sift remaining 2 cups flour, baking soda, and salt 3 times. This is very important. After 30 minutes, add the sifted mixture to the creamed mixture. put in refrigerator for one hour or overnight. Roll out dough 1/2inch thick, using as little flour as possible. Cut out dough with cookie cutters. Grease cookie sheet lightly or use parchment which is especially good with molasses to prevent burning. Bake 7 to10 minutes at 350 degrees F. Brush while hot with glaze of confectioners sugar, and milk (very thin.)

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Peanut Brittle

2 cups sugar

1 cup light corn syrup

1/2 cup of water

3 cups of peanuts

If roasted peanuts are used add to syrup before removing from heat.

1 teaspoon butter melted

1 teaspoon baking soda

1 teaspoon vanilla

Combine sugar, syrup and water. Cook to soft ball stage 236 degrees F on a candy thermometer. Add peanuts and melted butter and continue cooking until syrup is golden brown at 290 degrees F. Stir during the last few minutes of cooking. Remove from heat and add soda and vanilla. Stir until mixture thickens. Pour into buttered tins and break into pieces when cold.