a white mountain Christmas Page 13 December 2019

(928) 537-7755Mon. - Thurs. 8-6 • Fri. - Sat. 8-7 • Sun. 9-6 • At the “Y” 10.5 Mi. N.E. of Show LowOPEN THANKSGIVING & CHRISTMAS 8-3!!

• Groceries • Deli • Pizza • Snacks • Tobacco • Beverages• Wine & Beer Selection • Gas & Diesel • Laundry • Hardware Barn • Water & Septic Testings

Merry Christmas!from Stanford General Store

• Groceries • Deli • Pizza • Snacks • Tobacco • Beverages

Y-BarHOLIDAY MEETING PLACE!

from Stanford General Storefrom Stanford General Store

HOLIDAY MEETING PLACE!HOLIDAY MEETING PLACE!

OPEN365!

Double Chocolate Chip CookiesMakes about 12 large cookies

5 tablespoons unsalted butter, softened5 tablespoons granulated sugar5 tablespoons light brown sugar, sifted1 large egg, beaten1⁄2 teaspoon pure vanilla essence or chocolate extract (see note)1 cup plus 2 tablespoons self-rising flour3 tablespoons unsweetened cocoa1⁄4 teaspoon salt2⁄3 cup (or more) dark and white (or milk) chocolate chips (or roughly chopped chocolate)

A heavy, nonstick baking sheet

Preheat the oven to 350 F.Using an electric mixer, cream the butter and sugars together until pale and fluffy. Beat in the egg and vanilla essence.Sift the flour with the cocoa and salt in a small bowl. Fold into the egg mixture with the chocolate chips.Place 4 heaping tablespoonsfuls of the mixture on the prepared baking sheet, spacing them well apart. Press down and spread out to about 1⁄4-inch thick with the back of a wet spoon or with dampened fingers (you may like to scatter some more chocolate chips over the top). Bake for 10 to 12 minutes. Let cool on the baking sheet for 1 minute, then transfer to a wire rack. When cool, store in an airtight container. Repeat with the remaining mixture.

Spiced Yogurt Muffins(Yield: 50 servings)

61⁄2 cups Dannon plain fat-free Greek yogurt4 cups water, room temperature1 box (5 lbs) Gold Medal® Muffin Mix, Whole Grain Variety3 tablespoons McCormick pumpkin pie spice2 tablespoons McCormick Chipotle cinnamon

Combine yogurt and water in mixing bowl. Whisk until blended. Set aside.Add spices to dry muffin mix in a large bowl. Add yogurt and water mix-ture to the muffin mixture. Mix until just blended. Don’t overmix.Using a scoop, portion into greased or lined muffin pans. Bake at 350 F for 24 minutes, or 17 to 20 minutes in a convection oven, until the tops are golden brown.

a white mountain ChristmasPage 12 December 2019

Merry Christmas!Merry Christmas!Merry Christmas!

Buddy, the jewelry Dog!

WMJewelers.com1004 E. Deuce of ClubsShow Low • (928) 537-3699

WMJewelers.com1004 E. Deuce of ClubsShow Low • (928) 537-3699“Creating Memories”

Buddy wants to Bring You a

Bring in this ad for20% off

The Mountain’s Finest JewelryNow Through Dec. 21st

Merry Christmas!Merry Christmas!Merry Christmas!Merry Christmas!Open Mon. - Sat. tilʼ Christmas!

SHOW LOW • 5551 S White Mountain Road Ste.4, Show Low, Arizona 85901FirehouseSubs.com • Facebook.com/FirehouseSubs

Call us for your Catering Event!

showlowaz@FirehouseSubs.com928-892-5632

AUTOMOTIVE SERVICE CENTERAUTOMOTIVE SERVICE CENTER

Locally Owned & Operated

www.futuretireaz.comSHOW LOW400 E. Deuce of Clubs

PINETOP1384 E. White Mountain Rd

HOLBROOK2416 E. Navajo Blvd.

LAKESIDE5860 White Mountain Rd.

928-537-TIRE 928-367-4171 928-524-TIRE928-537-2522

Don’t take time out of your holiday festivities for auto care, let us do it!

Automotive Maintenance • Tune-Ups • Oil Changes Brakes • Tires • Batteries • and More!

STOP IN OR CALL US TODAY - 4 LOCATIONS TO SERVE YOU

There are many different ways to decorate homes and businesses for the holidays. Tall evergreen trees are among the most visible symbols of the holiday season. However, wreaths hung on doors, windows or fences also are ubiquitous this time of year.

Wreaths adorn homes primari-ly during the holidays of Easter and Christmas. Wreaths have also been worn around the head or neck in cer-emonial events around the globe for centuries. It is believed the first wreaths date back to ancient Greece and Rome. Members of the Greco-Roman society were known to hand-make ring-shaped items using fresh tree leaves, small fruits, flowers, and twigs. Oftentimes these headdresses symbolized a person’s social status. Others suggest wreaths evolved to become a Christian symbol of immortality.

Regardless of how wreaths are viewed, many people like to display

wreaths for the holidays. Wreaths can be purchased premade, but making a wreath on your own can make the hol-idays even more fun.

One of the easiest ways to make a wreath is to design it around a circu-lar floral foam form. Gather supplies to make the wreath. For traditional wreaths, supplies will include sprigs of evergreen (real or artificial), ribbon, floral wire, bows, and artificial ber-ries. Working around the foam form, arrange the boughs of evergreen, using the floral wire to wrap or pin into the foam itself. Keep the layers coming until you get the desired coverage. Embellish with a ribbon or place a bow.

The blog A Piece of Rainbow says that creating a wreath jig is an easy way to make a wreath. Cut a dollar-store laundry basket bottom from the top ring to make a template, on which you can place wreath-making materials so they keep their circular form. Use flo-

ral wire or natural jute string to tie the materials together. Experiment with fresh evergreen, twigs, holly branches, or whatever materials you choose.

Thick card stock also can serve as the wreath template. Attach artificial flowers or leaves, spray snow, ornaments, or other items to the card stock ring with a firm adhesive.

Many craft stores sell wreath forms made of natural vines that have been strung in a ring. These can be decorated in their entirety or left a little sparse to let the natural twine show through.

Wreaths may seem like complicated creations. But a little imagination and the right materials is all it takes to create a homemade wreath.

Stock Photo

Wreaths can be purchased premade, but

making a wreath on your own can make the holidays even more fun.

Great last-minute gift ideasTradition is a hallmark of the holiday sea-

son. Religious services, family gatherings and trips to see Santa Claus are just a few of the many traditions people adhere to during the holiday season.

Many holiday shoppers also adhere to the time-honored tradition of last-minute shop-ping. The perfect gift can sometimes prove elusive, especially as the sand in the holiday hour glass keeps dwindling. These last-minute gift ideas may be just what shoppers need to put smiles on the faces of their loved ones this holiday season.

• Books: Books are often overlooked, especially now that so many readers use e-readers. But books can be an ideal gift and especially convenient for last-minute shoppers, who can even gift e-books. For example, Amazon, which has thou-sands of e-books in its online library, makes it easy for shop-pers to gift e-books to Kindle users, who will simply receive an email on Christmas morning informing them that their books are ready to be downloaded to their devices.

• Experiences: A 2017 survey by the global research firm NPD Group found that roughly 40 percent of holiday shop-pers planned to give experiences as gifts last year. Experience

gifts open up a host of possibilities for last-minute shoppers stuck on what to give those loved ones who seemingly have it all.

• Food/beverage: Television channels such as The Food Network have changed the way many people look at food. When gifting the family foodie, last-minute shoppers may not need to look further than the latest hotspot restaurant or spe-cialty grocery store for the perfect gift. Take them out for a night on the town or give a gift card they can use at their con-venience. The craft beer boom has created

a host of devoted and knowledgeable beer drinkers, so a gift card or growler from a local craft brewery is sure to please people who love hoisting frosty pints.

• Streaming service subscriptions: Many people are cut-ting the cord with their cable companies in favor of streaming services such as Netflix and Hulu. Subscriptions to such ser-vices can make ideal and affordable holiday gifts. A six-month or yearlong subscription likely won’t break shoppers’ budgets and will provide months of entertainment to loved ones.

Last-minute holiday shopping is easier than ever, espe-cially for shoppers willing to think outside the box.

How to make holiday wreaths the easy way