What Mrs. Peasant Learned In 2025

Gustave Courbet. Poor Woman of the Village 1866

If every tiny flower wanted to be a rose, 

spring would lose its loveliness.

-SAINT THERESE OF LISIEUX

Mr. Peasant and I both agree 2025 has been one of the worst years we ever had. We were happy to say goodbye to 2025. Praise the Lord, even in bad years no time is ever wasted. In no particular order, here are a few things I learned in 2025. 

1. FOLGERS IS HORRIBLE COFFEE 

We all want to save money on coffee, but don't waste your money. I am not a coffee snob, but I had to throw the Folgers can out. We can no longer afford Cafe Bustelo.  The hipsters have gotten a hold of the Bustelo, and the price has gotten too high. To save money, we have been drinking Maxwell House and Food Lion brand coffee. I think our new favorite is Chock Full of Nuts when it is on sale. 

Maxwell house coffee newspaper ad 1921

2. NO MORE CANNED TOMATOES

The quality of food at the grocery store keeps plummeting. I have finally had enough of wasting money on canned tomatoes that taste like tin! I am now using a jar of pizza sauce as my vegetable soup base. 

3. NO MORE MICROFIBER 

Microfiber smells bad. Even after washing, the microfiber quickly sours and retains a funky smell. I have replaced our microfiber cleaning rags with 100% cotton wash cloths. I also threw away a stinky microfiber bathmat. Now, I place a cotton towel on top of our polyester bath mat with a rubber bottom. The cotton towel is easy to hang up to dry and wash. The bottom mat keeps us from slipping. 

4.  LINE YOUR AIR FRYER WITH PARCHMENT

I cut a circle of parchment paper the size of my air fryer pan.  I place it in the bottom of my air fryer pan, and it saves me time cleaning. The liner collects any drips and you throw it away when it gets bad.  Amazon sells liners already cut to size.

5. ELDERBERRY AND HAND SANITIZER COMBO

We are very grateful to have not gotten sick this flu season. We take a table spoon of elderberry syrup everyday. We also have been careful not to touch our faces. We carry around travel instant hand sanitizers and use them often. We have limited our trips out to what is truly necessary. We have also decided to refrain from receiving the Blessed Sacrament. We make a spiritual communion at Mass and will return to sacramental communion once the flu season is over.

6. HOMEMADE OATMEAL RAISIN COOKIES

In our opinion, a homemade oatmeal raisin cookie is our favorite cookie in the whole world. We prefer it over a fancy chocolate chip cookie. I know. I know. Please hear us out. We certainly love ALL cookies. But the oatmeal raisin cookie is overlooked nowadays. We want to give it the praise it deserves. Here is the recipe we use. We substitute with flax egg and Country Crock Plant Based olive oil margarine to make it vegan. (Earth Balance browned too much in this recipe. We prefer the Country Crock.) And if you are feeling extra lazy, make them into bars!

Quaker Oats ad, New York Amsterdam News 1977

7. MURDER, SHE WROTE  IS A TREASURE

Jessica Fletcher is my old lady female style icon. I love her clothes, her home in Maine, and her grit. This cozy eighties murder mystery TV show has been my nightly companion.  I recommend it as a perfect way to escape for an hour or two. You can watch all twelve seasons for free on Tubi.

8. CHRISTMAS CARDS ARE NOT DEAD

I am happy to report that Christmas cards are not dead. Although the price of stamps are up, people have not abandoned this thoughtful practice. We received more cards this year than any other year. It fills my heart with so much joy. I love this simple and inexpensive way to say I'm thinking of you. I love the handwriting and the love inside. I also love displaying them throughout the house. 

Child with Christmas Card, Alden Finney Brooks between 1840- 1932

9. LIFE IS SHORT

We have lost many loved ones this year. I have been thinking about time and how fast it goes. I want to slow it down as much as I can. I feel the shine of this world slowly fading. I want to walk closer with the Lord. And I've been thinking more and more about Heaven. Soon enough, our day will come, and we will be called home.

10. MY FIRST ADVENT

This year, I was denied my typical Christmas pleasures. Mr. Peasant didn't have an appetite for food and wasn't able to watch any Christmas movies. These two silly things were what I thought Christmas was about. Christmas was belittled to feelings of nostalgia, foods, and comfort.  Another blow was my Magnificat magazine got lost in the mail. I was so glad I saved a December and Lent magazine just in case. I listened to Sensus Fidelium every night. I learned about every feast day and every passage from this season. I learned that Advent is a penitential season like Lent. I thought about our Lord's humility in coming to save us as a little baby. I decided that this season was about me and God. I started thinking about what gifts I could give to the Lord. I thought of the poverty of the Holy Family in the stable. I was being prepared spiritually. I am grateful for my accidental Advent.

11. CHRISTMAS BEGINS ON THE 25TH

Without the treats and the music, it didn't "feel" like Christmas. Then, on Christmas Eve, we went to Mass at 5pm. It was the family Mass.  We packed into the church like sardines. Our church was covered in incense and screaming babies. The children's choir sang Hark the Harold Angels Sing like the Charlie Brown special.  And it hit me during the Mass that it finally felt like Christmas. I learned that Christmas starts the 25th of December and continues until the Epiphany on January 11th.  Those are the twelve days of Christmas. And if you sent your cards late or still have your tree up like me, you are fine. There is no rush. You can keep celebrating Christmas until the Feast of the Presentation of Our Lord on February 2nd. I intend to keep on learning about Advent. I also intend to really get the most out of Lent this year.

I hope you have a peaceful and happy 2026. Lord willing, we will continue to grow and learn even through our failures. We are praying to remain content and small. Thank you for stopping by. God bless you in the new year. 

The Friendly Beasts of the Nativity

The Nativity (close up view) 1490. Gerard David

Jesus, our brother, kind and good,

was humbly born in a stable rude,

and the friendly beasts around him stood;

Jesus, our brother, kind and good.

 "I," said the donkey, shaggy and brown,

"I carried his mother uphill and down;

I carried his mother to Bethlehem town.

I," said the donkey, shaggy and brown.

 "I," said the cow, all white and red,

"I gave him my manger for his bed,

I gave him my hay to pillow his head.

I," said the, cow all white and red.

 "I," said the sheep with curly horn,

"I gave him my wool for his blanket warm;

he wore my coat on Christmas morn.

I," said the sheep with curly horn.

"I," said the dove from the rafters high,

"I cooed him to sleep that he should not cry;

we cooed him to sleep, my mate and I.

I," said the dove from the rafters high.

Thus every beast by some good spell,

in the stable dark was glad to tell

how they gave their gift to Emmanuel;

the gift they gave Emmanuel.

                                                                                    

                                         -THE FRIENDLY BEASTS, 12th cent. FRENCH CAROL

I hope this finds you well, my friends, as Christmas Day is around the corner. There are so many emotions this year. We have lost two uncles and an aunt who we loved dearly. Our family is filled with broken hearts. We have close friends that have lost spouses and family members. This is a season of both joy and heartache.  And, of course, the constant visuals of amazingly decorated homes, treats, and perfect gifts to show your loved ones how much you care. You can easily feel inadequate. I find gift giving and even gift getting very overwhelming. I always just send Christmas cards. (Enter the disappointing waa waa sound.) It was very hard to write the Christmas cards this year. So many people are mourning. What words can I say to comfort them? It makes you feel so small which is exactly where I meet our Lord, a tiny baby surrounded by barn animals. What gifts could these animals possibly give the Christ child?

I had never heard this song before. It is called the Friendly Beasts, and it is one of the oldest carols still sung today.  It is such a humble and sweet song. The Friendly Beasts by the The Louvin Brothers is my favorite version. 

This version is  by  Burl Ives,  and this one is by a fancy choir.

The following video is a reading of a true story. It is the magical tale of a little girl and her grandfather. The pair rush to see the barn animals on a snowy Christmas night.

Sweet Story Animals Kneel at Christmas in Appalachia

Lastly, here are a handful of images of the friendly beasts kneeling in paintings and pottery. These are the ones I found especially charming. I just love their noses in the crib and heads bowed down.

The Adoration of the Shepherds, 1600. Annibale Carracci

The Nativity, 1433. Zanobi Strozzi

Painted Terracotta Nativity, 5 pieces. 15 cent. Antonio Rossellino

Bernardino Luini: Nativity and Annunciation to the Shepherds 1520

Christ's Nativity, 1825.  Vladimir Borovikovsky

If there is a theme to our blog, it is that I am always reminded not to be ambitious. We were chosen to remain the littlest of flowers. My main motivation in writing this blog is to share imperfect and small things in this over the top world. Trust me, there are better cooks, better homes, better ideas and more elaborate content than mine. I have always wanted to expose the beauty in a little common life like mine. There is still time to offer up your tiny gifts to Jesus. A smile, a prayer, time reading His Word, or an act of charity. Maybe be patient in the grocery line. Maybe you could give Jesus a gift of not saying something cruel. Maybe just tell Him you love Him today. And, if you are hurting this Christmas, Mr. Peasant and I are sending you a prayer. You are not alone. Merry Christmas! We truly thank you for reading. 

Vegan Fruitcake Cookies

 Christmas morning, signed 'J Clark' 1926

It's like we say in St. Olaf — 

Christmas without fruitcake 

is like St. Sigmund's Day 

without the headless boy.

ROSE NYLUND, The Golden Girls

This recipe was found in my cherished 1983 Christmas with Southern Living book. I had to modify it, of course. Mr. Peasant misses fruitcake terribly, so I want to share this delicious fruitcake replacement. Replacement isn't even the right word because it is way better than those mushy fruitcake logs in the store. This recipe is very easy to make. I used the clearanced candied fruit mix and nuts I bought and froze from last January. Keep your eyes out for sales after Christmas and don't be afraid to freeze them for 11 months. I don't think it would matter if the you used less of the fruit or nuts. Just use what you have. It's very forgiving.

VEGAN FRUITCAKE COOKIES 

Makes 4 dozen cookies

INGREDIENTS:

1/2 cup butter (vegan) , softened

3/4 cups sugar

1 flax egg (1 TB of ground flaxseed mixed with 3 TB of water) or egg replacer of choice

1 1/4 cups all purpose flour, - KEEP A FEW SPOONFULS OFF TO THE SIDE

1/4 tsp salt

1/2 tsp baking soda

1/2 tsp cinnamon

1- 6oz package of dates, chopped and pitted

1 1/2 cup chopped pecans

8 ounces (half a 16oz container) of candied mixed fruit

DIRECTIONS:

1. Cream butter and gradually add sugar, beating until light and fluffy*** 

2. Add flax egg and beat well.

3. Take a few spoonfuls of the flour out and keep to the side. 

4. In a separate medium bowl, combine flour (minus a few spoonfuls) , salt, baking soda, and cinnamon. 

5. Add the remaining flour mixture gradually to the creamed mixture beating well after each addition.

6. Sprinkle the candied fruit and dates with the spoonfuls of flour mixture you put aside. Stir until the flour coats the fruit. This keeps the fruit from sticking together. 

7. Now add the remaining ingredients: candied fruits, dates, pecans and stir. This is a thick mixture.

7. Drop dough by heaping teaspoonfuls onto lightly greased cookie sheets. Bake at 375 for 10- 13 minutes or until lightly browned. Let cookies cool on the sheet for 2 minutes before transfering to plate. 

*** You may need to add a tablespoon or two of water to help cream the butter and sugar if mixing by hand (like I did). I wouldn't worry about the fluffy part. Just be sure it's combined well. 

I bought this marked down 75% off after Christmas last year, it froze well!

I put spoonfuls on parchment and froze half of the dough for later.

To all the vegan fruitcake lovers out there, I hope you give this recipe a try.  I am trying not to be a perfectionist about the blog. I want to share all the Christmas things I can even if they are imperfect. Thank you for reading, and God bless you.

Easy Vegan Nog (Dairy Free Egg Nog Without The Eggs)

Silent night, holy night (1890)  Alexander Zick.

Silent night! Holy night!

Son of God, love’s pure light

radiant beams from Thy holy face

with the dawn of redeeming grace,

Jesus, Lord, at Thy birth!

Jesus, Lord, at Thy birth!

This is such an easy recipe to quickly throw together. It's way cheaper than the store bought, and it's delicious! I hope you enjoy it. 

EASY VEGAN NOG

INGREDIENTS

1  - 3.4 oz package Vanilla Instant Pudding (Jello)

1/3 cup of sugar

1 - 64 oz carton (2 quarts) (8 cups) of unsweetened almond milk (or soymilk)

2 tsp of Vanilla Extract

1/2 to 1 tsp of nutmeg (we use 1 tsp, start with a 1/2 tsp and you can always add more)

DIRECTIONS

1. In a medium bowl, dump the pudding mix, sugar, vanilla and nutmeg. 

2. Take a full carton of almond milk and pour just one cup of the milk into the medium bowl. 

3. Wisk the mixture until it's smooth. A minute or two will do. IT WILL NOT BE ENTIRELY SMOOTH, WILL STILL HAVE A FEW BITS. It's okay. 

4. Using a funnel, pour the bowl liquid back into the carton. Place the cap back on the carton and shake well. 

5. It is ready to drink. I like to sprinkle a dash more nutmeg on top of each cup. I take a Sharpie Marker and write NOG on the top so it can sit in the fridge next to our regular almond milk. I think it tastes even better the next day. 

We wish you and your family a Merry Christmas! And to those who are hurting this Christmas, we pray the Lord hold you tightly. Thank you for reading, and I'll post more soon! God bless you.

I call it the Snoopy's dog house look. Nothing perfect but definately joyful.

50 Thoughtful Christmas Gifts For Under 10 Dollars

I think we have lost our everloving minds with Christmas gift giving. I just read an article on how people are still paying off their debt from Christmas last year! Let's think this through. We are celebrating the birth of our Lord, the Son of God who humbled himself to be born in a dirty barn and slept in a feed trough covered in cattle slobber. So, to honor this profound gift every year we get into massive debt and go full blown magazine cover decadent.  We say it's the thought that counts. Do we really mean that?

Here are the most commonly requested presents from 1913:

1. Candy
2. Nuts
3. Rocking horse
4. Doll
5. Mittens/gloves
6. Toy train
7. Oranges
8. Books
9. Handkerchiefs
10. Skates

Here are fifty simple and thoughtful gifts that I think anyone would love.  At around ten dollars each, it won't break the bank. Let's reign in the over the top Christmas spending and keep it simple. Christmas is not about the things but about the thoughtfulness.

1. A good quality classic pair of socks.  No novelty colors or silly holiday types.

2. A crocheted sock hat.

3. A pair of nice kitchen or bathroom hand towels.

4.  Make a fleece throw with 2 yards of fabric and a pair of scissors.

5. A silicone baking mat and a sugar cookie mix.

6. Plastic mason jar lids.

7. Magnetic Shopping/To Do lists paper pads for the fridge.

8. An Anchor glass pitcher and a box of Raspberry Zinger tea.

9. Silicone oven glove or pot holder. (Most can withstand heats up to 400 degrees.)

10. A garlic press, a pastry mat, pepper mill or some other small kitchen tool that they would use.

11. A magnetic recipe holder for printed out recipe sheets. 

12. Make a sprouting kit: A bag of alfalfa seeds, a wide mouth mason jar, metal jar ring and a plastic needle point sheet or a screen cut to fit. See how here.

13. A kitchen herb potted plant, a jar of bullion, and your favorite soup recipe using the herb.

14. A potted plant.  Propagate a plant from your garden or buy an aloe.

15. A specialty pack of seeds and some jiffy pots to start planting for spring.

16. Bring over a simple flower arrangement. Use a vase/jar and inexpensive flowers from a grocery store. Who doesn't love fresh flowers?

17. A bag of gourmet coffee beans.

18. A jug of apple cider and a bag filled with cinnamon sticks, a clove studded orange (aka a pomander), and this spiced cider recipe.

19. Hot chocolate mix and some firewood.

20. Jar of local honey and a box of nice tea or chai mix.

21. Home-made cinnamon candied nuts, classic Chex mix, or puppy chow.

22. An old school popcorn tin and a five-dollar-bin classic movie.

23. A box of chocolates, a sweet treat from the local bakery, or a tray of homemade cookies.

24. A bottle of wine. There are many that are award winning and inexpensive.

25. Six pack of a holiday beer or hard cider. A single bottle of Delirium beer or raspberry Framboise.

26. A pack of smokes, some lighters, and a scratch off ticket.

27. Make Thank You notes or blank cards with envelopes and add a book of  pretty stamps or nice pen.

28. Reusable straws and a travel mug.

29. An outdoor suction cup window thermometer. To answer that age old question--Is it cold outside?

30. Electric bathroom scrubber brush.

31. A handmade soap or a six pack of Dove bar soaps.

32. Hair ties or scrunchies, microfiber wash clothes, and a face mask packet.

33. A face oil like apricot, sweet almond, or argan.

34. Sugar scrub or a hand lotion.

35. Make a bookmark and place inside a great used book.

36.  A magazine subscription.  We love Mother Earth News (12.00).

37. A classic Moleskine notebook.

38. An audio book for children or adults. What's better than being read a story in the dark under the covers?

39. Elderberry concentrate here to keep them flu free this winter.

40. Smelly things like a car scent and a candle.

41. Pepper spray.

42. A LED hurricane lantern. This light is a life saver when the power goes out.

43. Two cups of gas station coffee/hot cocoa, Christmas music playing on the radio and a drive around the neighborhood to look at Christmas lights.

44. Make a copy of a really great old photograph you know they don't have.

45. Make a music compilation CD. It could be holiday themed or maybe Classical, Oldies, etc.

46. Give them something special of yours you want them to have. Include the story behind the item in a card.

47. Buy $10 worth of odd treats from an Asian grocery store.  It's a fun way to try new foods and drinks.

48. A $10 gift card to Taco Bell or some fast food place, a craft store, a coffee shop, or a gas station.

49. Magnetic tool strip. Great for organizing tools in the garage, kitchen or craft room.

Mr. Peasant's Picks:

50. Casio F91W, a classic watch.

51. J5 Tactical Flashlight $15.

52. Opinel #8 Knife with wooden handle. Lovely. $15.

Okay friends, what gift would you like to receive that's under $10? I'd love to hear your ideas of thoughtful affordable Christmas gifts. Thank you reading and Merry Christmas!

'Tis the Season

Do not lay up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy and where thieves break in and steal, but lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust destroys and where thieves do not break in and steal. For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.

MATTHEW 6:19-21 

I can feel the anxiety of the season coming. I love the holiday, and yet every year, I let the consumerism and the fact that I stink at shopping steal my peace. I want to give everyone a very special, thoughtful, beautiful gift that is homemade or from the heart. I want to ship it to them on time to show them how much I love them. I want my godchildren to know I am thinking of them as well as my sisters and brothers and parents and friends. It quickly gets overwhelming to me. I feel evermore convicted that today more than ever, Christmas is to be holy. It must not be stolen and gutted like any other secular holiday. Am I guilty of handing it over to its ruin? Am I participating in their Christmas without Jesus? No, I must not forget our Savior. And so I am going to try to do two things this year: 

1. I am going to keep it small.

2. I am going to keep it sacred.

Ideas of things to keep it small:

1. A beautiful Christmas candle center piece made from garden leaves or buy a cheap poinsettia for the kitchen table.

2. Get the house smelling great with a Christmas scent jar with lights or simmering spices on the stove.

3. Make a pomander.

4. Listen to a good holiday music play list like this one or the classic Charlie Brown Christmas Album.

5. Watch your favorite Christmas movie. Mine is  Ziggy's Gift. Mr. Peasant's is Die Hard. The Happy Prince and The Selfish Giant are two amazingly heartfelt old animation movies (from Oscar Wilde Stories).

6. Drink hot things like mugs of apple cider, hot chocolate, pumpkin lattes or Chai tea.

7. Use your oven. Bake with people you love as much as possible. Share your recipes!

8. Make and send out Christmas cards. Let everyone know how much you love them.

Ideas to make it sacred:

1. Don't shop on Christmas Eve or Christmas Day. Let everyone spend time with their families and with God.

2. Call an old friend or a family member you haven't spoke to in a while.

3. Invite someone over to dinner or bring food to someone.

4. Make peace with someone you are fighting with. Pray for them and forgive.

5. Use the symbols of our faith in decorating. Candles, lights, evergreens, nativity scenes, angels, star, bells, wise men, advent wreaths, the color red (blood he shed) and the color green (life eternal he offers us). Find more symbols here.

6. Fill your house with the singing of religious Christmas Carols. This is the only time of year when we can sing poorly without feeling self conscious. Let's enjoy it!

7. Give gifts of prayer, offering up a lunch fast, saying a novena or a rosary for our loved ones.

8. Go to church. Let the activities of the church fill your calendar this month. From the children's play to the choir performances, spend time in God's house.

9. Dedicate time to reading God's word. Focus on Jesus' birth or on the Song of Mary- Magnificat.

Now no man lighting a candle covereth it with a vessel, or putteth it under a bed; but setteth it upon a candlestick, that they who come in may see the light.  --LUKE 8:16

Let's shine.  Let's light up this dark world. Let's fight for a holy, sacred, peaceful and simple season. Let's show the love of God to everyone we meet and lets spend more hours in prayer than in stores. The Christmas gift has already been picked out, paid for and delivered to us. What we need to do is rejoice! Our Savior has come!