04 December - Imperial Sugar

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(en español)

DECEMBER 2004

Christmas is 15 days away, which means only 14 more days of shopping left!

For most people in today’s busy society, shopping is left until the weekend before Christmas. Or, for most men, shopping is left until Christmas Eve. The same cannot be said for grocery shopping. You must shop early for all the ingredients needed to bake those tasty treats for Christmas. Santa is in definite need of his cookie fix on Christmas Eve!

In the November issue, I talked about memories of cooking with my mom at Thanksgiving and the bond that we share over turkey. Christmas is also a time to reflect, especially since the New Year is almost upon us. I would love to hear about your memories of baking holiday cookies or maybe making Christmas breakfast with your family. My mom and I bake Christmas cookies and make homemade fudge every Christmas Eve. I've now started the tradition with my 3 year old daughter. She stands up on the chair and decorates the cookies with icing and sprinkles. These are memories that she and I will share for a lifetime.

In this month's Christmas edition, I have selected two holiday desserts to make, as well as a great craft idea that is perfect for a classroom activity or for a cold, rainy or snowy day leading up to Christmas.

In the New Year, I will be unveiling our new “Family Bake Night” program on our website. If you have not registered to receive this information, please do so here. I will have more information in the next couple of months on this great program.

From the entire staff at Imperial Sugar and Dixie Crystals, have a wonderful holiday.

Angela Hatfield, Imperial Sugar Company

Special on-package promotion
There is still time to order a "My First Cookbook" for Christmas! Orders must be received by December 15 in order to be delivered by Christmas!

Make two purchases of a 4 pound, 5 pound, 10 pound or carton of Imperial Sugar/Dixie Crystals, you can send in your proof of purchases, along with two dollars and receive a free Imperial Sugar “My First Cookbook”. This cookbook was first published in 1959 and was updated and revised in 1963, 1967, 1991 and the newest edition in early 2004.

This cookbook is a great way to introduce kids to cooking. The recipes selected for the cookbook are easy classics that have been updated with convenience in mind.

It's beginning to look a lot like Christmas and what better way to celebrate Christmas then by baking up some great holiday desserts. We selected two desserts that are synonymous with Christmas - Sugarplum Divinity and the Gingerbread House. Divinity is always a great dessert to bring to a holiday party and the Gingerbread House is something the entire family can do. I would love to hear about your adventure making the Gingerbread House, so please send me your story and photos to sweetalk@imperialsugar.com. Stories and letters may appear in future editions.

Sugarplum Divinity

2-1/2 cups Imperial Sugar Extra Fine Granulated Sugar or Dixie Crystals Extra Fine Granulated Sugar
1/2 cup light corn syrup
1/2 cup water
2 egg whites
1 tsp. vanilla
1/2 cup slivered, multi-colored gum drop candies

Combine Imperial Sugar Extra Fine Granulated Sugar or Dixie Crystals Extra Fine Granulated Sugar, corn syrup and water in a saucepan, stirring over low heat until sugar dissolves. Cook until candy thermometer registers 260°F or until it reaches the very hardball stage. Remove from heat and cool slightly. Beat egg whites until stiff. Pour hot mixture very slowly over egg whites, beating constantly on low speed. Continue beating until mixture becomes very stiff and loses its glossy appearance. Add vanilla and beat a few strokes by hand to improve texture. Drop by large spoonfuls onto buttered waxed paper. Decorate with slivers of gumdrops by pressing cut edges to candy. Makes about 1-1/2 pounds.

Note: Candy gumdrops add a colorful touch to this divinity.

Gingerbread House

For additional recipes, please go to www.imperialsugar.com. We have over 515 recipes on the web and are continuing to add more each month. If you are having trouble finding a recipe, click here and give us as much information as you can and we will try to find the recipe for you.

Paper Plate Wreath

I had been struggling for an easy Christmas arts and crafts idea for the newsletter until I walked into Kindercare Daycare, where my two kids go. I saw the teacher making these cute holiday wreaths and thought it would be perfect for this edition of Sweetalk, so I asked her to write down the instructions and give me a sample so that I could share with all of you.

This is perfect for your kid's classroom or for a project on these cold, rainy or snowy days leading up to Christmas.

Supplies needed:
9 inch paper plate (amount depends on how many you want to make)
White Glue
3-5 sheets of green tissue (again, depends on how many you make)
1 sheet of red tissue (same as above)

Directions:
1. Cut the center out of a 9 inch paper plate to create the wreath base.
2. Cut the red and green tissue into 1 inch squares.
3. Put a square of green tissue over the end of your finger (or a pencil), dip into glue and apply to the plate.
4. Continue adding tissue to the form inserting red squares randomly to represent berries.

A special thanks for Bobbie Banda at Kindercare Daycare in Houston, Texas.

15 Hot Christmas Gifts
Having trouble figuring out what to get that person who has everything? Go to http://www.surprise.com/ and find the hottest gifts this Christmas season.

This list is some of the gifts that you will find on the site:

i-Top Games
One Share of Stock
Trikke Scooter
Binoculars that take pictures
A trip to a Day Spa
Best Selling Books
Cell Phone/MP3 Player
Magic Hair Fairytale Dora
Star Wars Trilogy
Apple iPod
DVD Delivery or Subscription
Hottest CDs
Imagination Desk
Lucky Bamboo Plant
TiVo Personal TV Recorder

Comments
We want to hear from you. Please email us and let us know what you think, as well as topics you would like in an upcoming newsletter. We also welcome photos of your family baking that we can use in the newsletters. Email us at sweetalk@imperialsugar.com.

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