Christmas Ever After
Page 34
A Christmas Lake Angel.
She carefully picked it up and held it to her heart. “How did you get this? I went to Merry and Bright, and Lisa said they were sold out.”
“They were,” Luke agreed. “But Paul helped me out.”
“Paul?” Riley asked. “How could he help?”
“Paul Harrison, of the Christmas Lake Harrisons, is the great-great-grandson of Thomas Harrison . . .”
“The original artist?! Thomas who made it for Cynthia?!” Riley said, both shocked and excited. “Paul is part of that family? The family that makes these angels?”
Luke chuckled and nodded. “He is. When I told him why I wanted to give you this angel, he had his dad make one more Christmas Angel this year, just for you.”
Still holding the angel to her heart, she looked into Luke’s eyes. “What did you tell him?”
When Riley looked into Luke’s eyes, she could see the love.
He smiled back at her. “I told him that you’re my Christmas ever after and that I want to spend every Christmas and every day with you.”
When Riley kissed him, she felt so much hope in her heart and knew her Christmas wish had come true.
She’d gotten her very own Christmas love story, and this was only the beginning . . .
Acknowledgments
Christmas is the time of year I always look back on the great loves of my life. I am forever grateful for the lessons they’ve taught me about how to love and be loved. I’ve learned to never settle, go all in, be fearless, and follow your heart in love and life. This has guided me on my journey to write Christmas Ever After and to take a leap of faith in starting my own publishing company, HawkTale Publishing, to champion uplifting, heartwarming, and empowering storytelling.
I’m truly thankful to my new creative team, editor Danielle Poiesz of Double Vision Editorial, Kimberly Killion of the Killion Group, Ingram Spark’s Justine Bylo and Leigh Cheak and the entire Ingram family. To my other beloved edit elves, my mom, Lao, and my second mom, Kathy, I couldn’t do this without you. To my dad, who always inspires me, and Margaret for always being there. And to the rest of my family, I’m thankful for you every single day. Finally, to my trusted tribe, Jeryl, Lee, Heather, Clint, Lorianne, Brenda, Denise, Marybeth, Amy, Tim, Hope, Greta, Samuel, Rob, Jim, Wendy, Bob, and Delia, your continued belief in me and unwavering support is everything.
Christmas Ever After Recipes
One of the things I love to do when writing all my Christmas novels is share some of my own Christmas traditions, and that includes some of my favorite family recipes, some recipes I’ve created, and some fun holiday activities that I hope everyone will enjoy.
Merry Christmas!
Christmas Karen
Christmas Lake Blueberry
Cinnamon Rolls
Makes 9 Rolls
Prep Time: 2 ½ hours to let the dough rise twice.
Ingredients:
DOUGH
¾ cup almond milk (can also use regular milk), heated to 110°F
2 ¼ teaspoons quick-rise or active yeast (¼-ounce package)
¼ cup granulated sugar
1 egg, room temperature
¼ cup unsalted butter, softened to room temperature
3 cups bread flour, plus more for dusting
¾ teaspoon sea salt
FILLING
2 cups frozen blueberries (wild blueberries are best)
⅔ cup brown sugar (light or dark)
2 tablespoons ground cinnamon
1 teaspoon nutmeg
6 tablespoons unsalted butter, softened to room temperature
FROSTING
1 16-oz can of cream cheese frosting
Instructions:
DOUGH
1.Warm milk in microwave for 40–45 seconds, until around 110°F. It should feel warm but not hot to the touch.
NOTE: Do not overheat milk, or it will kill the yeast. If milk is too hot, just let it cool down to 110 degrees before adding yeast.
2.Add heated milk to a large mixing bowl and sprinkle yeast on top.
3.Add in melted butter, sugar, salt, and egg. Mix well.
4.Slowly stir in flour with a wooden spoon, a little at a time to get right consistency, until dough begins to form. Don’t add too much flour. Dough should be slightly sticky but not stick to fingers. Form dough into a ball.
5.Use your hands to knead the dough for 8–10 minutes on a well-floured surface. Dough is fully kneaded when you press on it and it springs back and you cannot easily pull it apart.
6.Put dough ball to a well-oiled bowl to prevent sticking, and cover with plastic wrap and a warm towel. Place in warm area. Let dough rise until doubled in size (approx. 1 hour to 1 ½ hours).
FILLING
1.Combine sugar, cinnamon, nutmeg, and butter.
2.Keep blueberries frozen until right before use.
ADDING FILLING TO THE DOUGH
1.After dough has doubled in size, transfer to a well-floured surface and roll out into a 12x16-inch rectangle.
2.Spread cinnamon filling evenly over dough, making sure to hit the corners.
3.Add frozen blueberries, spreading blueberries out evenly.
4.Tightly roll up dough, starting from the smaller 12-inch side. End with seam down, and pinch dough together to seal.
5.Cut into 1-inch sections with a very sharp knife or unflavored dental floss. You should get nine large pieces.
6.Place six cinnamon rolls in a 9x13-inch baking pan lined with parchment paper, and four rolls in a 9x9-inch pan lined with parchment paper. (You can butter pans if you prefer.)
7.Cover both pans with plastic wrap and warm towels. Let rise until doubled in size (approx. 1 hour).
BAKING
1.Preheat oven to 350°F. Remove plastic wrap and towels. Bake cinnamon rolls for 18–20 minutes until just slightly golden brown on the edges. You want to underbake them a little so they stay deliciously soft and gooey in the middle!
2.Take out of oven and immediately remove from pans.
3.Use half the frosting to frost immediately so it melts into the rolls. Then wait ten minutes to add the rest of the frosting.
4.Serve immediately.
Enjoy!
Christmas Lake Gingerbread
XOXO Cookies
Makes 36 Cookies
Ingredients:
2 ¼ cups all-purpose flour
1 tablespoon ground ginger
1 tablespoon ground cinnamon
½ teaspoon ground cloves
½ teaspoon allspice
¼ teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 tablespoon finely cut candied ginger (optional to add spicy flavor)
¾ cup (1 ½ sticks) unsalted butter, softened
½ cup brown sugar
½ cup granulated white sugar
1 egg
1 tablespoon fresh-squeezed orange juice
¼ cup molasses
36 Hershey’s Kisses of your choice
Instructions:
Note: Mix all ingredients by hand for best results.
1.Preheat oven to 350°F.
2.Sift together the flour, ginger, cinnamon, cloves, allspice, salt, and baking soda. Stir in candied ginger, if desired.
3.In a large mixing bowl, cream butter and brown and white sugar until fluffy.
4.Beat in egg, and then stir in fresh orange juice and molasses.
5.Gradually stir in the flour and spice mixture to the butter and sugar mixture.
6.Mold dough into small walnut-sized balls.
7.Place 2 ½ inches apart on an ungreased cookie sheet.
8.Gently flatten with hand, until dough is about 1-inch thick.
9.Bake for 8–10 mi
nutes.
10.Let cookies cool on cookie sheet while adding one Hershey’s Kiss on top of each cookie.
11.Transfer to wire rack or parchment paper to cool completely.
12.Store in airtight container to keep cookies soft and chewy.
Enjoy!
XOXO
Christmas Ever After Activities
My mom lives in Washington state and loves watching all the birds in her backyard. This gave me the idea to create some special edible outdoor ornaments for them so they could also have a wonderful Christmas. I hope you enjoy making these and sharing them with the feathered friends in your life as much as we do.
Christmas Lake Edible
Birdseed Ornaments
Materials needed:
Cookie cutters (we use stars, trees, hearts, and angels), greased
¾ to 1 cup birdseed (smaller seeds without large sunflower seeds work best)
1 packet (¼ oz) unflavored gelatin
½ cup boiling water
Your favorite Christmas ribbons
Recyclable straw
Parchment paper
Instructions:
1.Prepare cookie sheets by putting down parchment paper. Set aside and cookie cutters.
2.In a large bowl, add ½ cup boiling water to your unflavored gelatin. Stir until completely dissolved.
3.Add 1½ to 2 cups of birdseed to the gelatin, and mix well.
4.Pack birdseed firmly into your cookie cutters.
5.Using a straw, create hole for your ribbon to hang the ornament.
6.Place in cool place or refrigerate for several hours, or overnight, until completely dry.
7.Gently pop your birdseed ornament free from cookie cutter.
8.Thread your favorite Christmas ribbon through the hole and hang outside on a tree, pole, or hook.
9.Watch your feathered friends enjoy their Christmas gift!
Christmas Lake Pine Cone
Bird Ornaments
Materials needed:
Pine cones (opened)
Peanut butter
Birdseed (small seed is best without the large sunflower seeds)
12-inch strips of Christmas ribbon or twine
Small brush
Instructions:
1.First, the fun part: go on your own scavenger hunt for the best pine cones.
2.Gently clean off any debris from your pine cones using a small brush.
3.Cut twelve-inch strips of ribbon or twine, and loop around the top of the pine cone, underneath the first layers of petals, and tie a double knot. Then tie the two pieces of ribbon or twine together with another double knot, creating the hanger. NOTE: Be sure to do this before adding the peanut butter.
4.Using a brush (or butter knife) spread a generous amount of peanut butter over the pine cone, making sure to cover all the tips.
5.Roll your pine cone in a bowl of birdseed until completely covered.
6.Hang outside for your feathered friends to have their own Christmas feast.
Christmas Ever After
Green-Friendly Christmas Tips
I’ve found there are so many easy and affordable ways we can all have a more ecofriendly Christmas and do our part to protect and cherish our natural resources. Here are some of my favorite tips, just small things that can help make a big difference.
Use LED lights.We all love the sparkle, but when picking lights, look for LED lights that use about 80% less energy than regular lights and can last almost ten times longer.
Put lights on a timer.Set all your indoor and outdoor lights, including your Christmas tree lights, on a timer. This way, you can enjoy them when you want but turn them off when you’re not using them, like at night when you’re sleeping.
Green Christmas treeFor the ultimate ecofriendly Christmas tree, use a live tree that’s potted so you can re-plant your tree after Christmas, creating a wonderful memory that will last, as well.
Be mindful about your food.During the holidays, it’s so easy to buy and make more food than you need. Purchase only the quantity you need so there’s less waste. Also, if you can purchase produce that’s grown locally, it’s great to support local farmers and businesses.
Shop online.Let your fingers do the shopping! Shopping online saves you from driving around and using up gas.
Green-wrapping paperUse paper made from recyclable products. Also, save any wrapping paper, bows, and ribbons that you get so you can re-use it next season.
White Elephant re-giftingHaving a white elephant gift exchange is my grandma’s favorite thing to do every Christmas. In my family, everyone brings something they’ve received in the past to “re-gift” during the white elephant exchange. This can also be something you have at home that you no longer have use for, but the idea is to “recycle” a gift.
Merry Christmas!
Meet Karen Schaler
KAREN SCHALER is a three-time Emmy Award–winning storyteller, screenwriter, author, journalist, and national TV host. Karen has written original Christmas movies for Netflix, Hallmark, and Lifetime, including the Netflix sensation A Christmas Prince, Hallmark’s Christmas Camp, and three books, Christmas Camp, Christmas Camp Wedding, and Finding Christmas, earning her the nickname “Christmas Karen” in the press. Karen has also created a real-life Christmas Camp experience for grown-ups, held around the world, where she carefully curates and hosts magical holiday activities from her movies and books. Karen’s exclusive Christmas Camps are inspired by her ongoing Travel Therapy TV segments where she features the most inspiring and life-changing places to visit, which have so far taken her to more than sixty-eight countries. From working as a national TV correspondent covering the wars in Bosnia and Afghanistan, to creating her own trademarked Travel Therapy TV and Christmas Camp brands, to writing movies and novels, Karen says she is first and foremost a storyteller who is passionate about telling stories that are uplifting and empowering, and filled with heart and hope. For more, visit www.karenschaler.com.
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Books by Karen Schaler
Additional Fiction Titles
Christmas Camp Wedding (Novella)
Nonfiction
Travel Therapy: Where Do You Need to Go?
Praise for Karen Schaler
“Schaler’s smart, appealing protagonists will keep readers turning the pages, and the plotting is pitch-perfect, leading to an inevitable but charming happily-ever-after.”
—Publishers Weekly
“In the past two years, Karen Schaler has written four Christmas movies and three Christmas novels, a prolific feat earning her the nickname ‘Christmas Karen.’”
—The TODAY Show on NBC
“How A Christmas Prince screenwriter Karen Schaler became a holiday publishing darling.”
—Entertainment Weekly
“A charming movie-to-book crossover that would be right at home on the Hallmark Channel and a winner for fans looking for a touching holiday read.”
—Library Journal
“For Schaler, creating these fantastical holiday stories comes naturally.”
—Money
Copyright © 2020 by Karen Schaler
All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted, in any form or by any means (electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording, or otherwise), without the prior written permission of the publisher.
Printed in the United States of America
FIRST EDITION
As a work of fiction all names, characters, places, and events are products of the aut
hor’s imagination or are used fictitiously and are not to be interpreted as real. Any resemblance to real events, locales, organizations, or persons, living or dead, is completely coincidental.
Cover design by The Killion Group, Inc
Chapter title and chapter opener © Elena Zlatomrezova/Shutterstock.com
Edited by Double Vision Editorial
Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data has been applied for.
ISBN Trade: 978-1-7347661-3-4
ISBN Hardcover: 978-1-7347661-1-0
ISBN ebook: 978-1-7347661-2-7
PUBLISHER’S NOTE
The recipes in this book are meant to be followed exactly as written. The publisher and author are not responsible for any of your adverse reactions to the recipes found in this book, or for your individual allergies or health issues that may require medical assistance.