My daughter was given a book titled the
12 Days of Christmas when she was 4 years old. We had always sung the song to her each year, but that year we were given an old fashioned version of the beloved, holiday classic.
It had been a challenging year, to say the least. Our other daughter had endured a series of surgeries that exhausted us physically, mentally, financially, questioned our beliefs in human kindness, and our own core values. On the morning of December 13th of that year, we opened our door to our home and found a copy of the “12 Days of Christmas.” Next to it was a note that said . …
With excitement and glee, Hannah and Rebecca looked around the yard to see who this secret elf was. We thought maybe it was a relative, our neighbors, or even a close family friend. But as each day went on and the gifts became more unique and heartfelt, we were at a loss of who this secret Kris Kringle was. It built excitement and we truly did not know who it was. Although we knew on the 12th Day it would be revealed who the person was, we secretly did not want it to end. It brought back innocent smiles on our faces which we thought we had lost that year. Uncertainty, fear, discouragement, and even anger had washed over us.
This year, many of us have had those same feelings as a collective whole. That one person sparked joy in our hearts that went far beyond the 12 Days of Christmas. It symbolized a renewed faith in humankind. The gifts were not what really mattered to us each day. It was the creative spirit and genuine sentiment that went behind each gift.
I now know why Rebecca asked us each subsequent night for the next year to sing the 12 Days of Christmas. It reminded her of the smiles and joy we all shared each morning during that holiday season.
We hope the 12 Days of Iler Woods inspires you to find the good in others and spread kindness. Our collective spirit of artisans have the same vision for each one of you. The handcrafted items were made with love, creativity, and an aspiration that goodness really does prevail. Each blog post, recipe, special collection was thought out as a family, listening to the input of children and adults. Take time to enjoy these gifts. We lovingly aim to spark the “12 Days of Christmas” in your hearts that our Kris Kringle brought to us so many years ago.
Welcome to the First Day of Iler Woods family recipes! These are curated from family and friends over the generations. As you know, I am in love with pumpkin! So, this recipe can be used not only for the month of October but throughout the entire holiday season!
Day 1: Pumpkin Bars
1 can (29oz)solid pack pumpkin
1can(12oz)evaporated milk
1 ½ cups of sugar
4 large eggs
2 tsp-ground cinnamon
1 tsp-ground ginger
1pkg.butter recipe golden cake mix (regular size)
1 cup butter melted
1 cup chopped pecans
Whipped topping (optianal)
1.Preheat the oven to 350 degrees fahrenheit.In a large bowl combine the first 7 ingredients;beat on medium speed until smooth. Pour into an ungreased 13 x 9-in pan.Sprinkle with dry cake mix. Drizzle butter over cake mix; sprinkle with pecans.
2.Bake 50-60 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Cool 1 hour on a wire rack.
3. Refrigerate 3 hours or overnight. Remove from the refrigerator 15 minutes before serving.cut into bars. If desired, serve with whipped topping.
Hannah Iler gives it 5 stars!!!!
Family Challenge: Crush up Candy Canes and mix into vanilla ice cream! Coldstone's is now in your home!
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Keep Checking the Calendar for all 12 DAYS OF ILER WOODS, and don't forget to SHOP SHOP SHOP!