PecanSpringsJournal

>>goddess of ovens

The Myra Merryweathers love to celebrate special occasions. This week's celebration is on behalf of the Roman goddess Fornax, the goddess of ovens, whose feast day was celebrated on February 17. What? You've never heard of Fornax? That's okay--most of the Merryweathers didn't know about her, either. She's one of those obscure goddesses that never get enough respect.

But the Merryweathers are out to change that. They had a big herbal bake-off this week, in Fornax's honor. Everybody brought a home-made herb bread and a recipe to share. The breads were polished off in record time. (You know the saying: Good bread never loafs around.) And since few of the Merryweathers have a lot of time to spend slaving over a hot oven (sorry, Fornax), the top two prizes went to the fastest bakers. Here are their recipes, guaranteed to please even the pickiest Roman family.

Betsy Blumefield’s Quick and Easy Herb Biscuits

Betsy is a home-schooling mom who likes to cook with her kids. She says they love the part where they get to scoop the dough into two dozen bitsy balls and roll them in the cheese. ("They get to sweep the floor afterward," she adds. "It's part of the lesson.")

2 cups baking mix
1 cup sour cream (low fat is fine)
1/2 cup melted butter or margarine
1 teaspoon dried parsley
1/2 teaspoon dried thyme
1/2 teaspoon dried basil
1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese mixed with 1/4 cup flour

Preheat oven to 400°. Lightly spray a mini-muffin pan. Mix baking mix, herbs, sour cream, and butter. Dough will be sticky. Scoop into 24 balls and roll in cheese/flour mixture. Place in mini-muffin pan and bake for 15-18 minutes, until brown.

Lillian Lippencott’s Saturday Night Special Herb Bread

Lillian works at the dry cleaners in Pecan Springs and doesn’t get home until four on Saturday. She says that if she puts out frozen dough to thaw in the morning, and gets started on it when she gets home, she has hot bread on the table by 6. The Romans would be astonished.

1 1-pound loaf frozen white bread dough (follow package directions for thawing)
2 teaspoons dried basil, or 4 teaspoons fresh, minced
2 teaspoons minced dried rosemary leaves, 3 teaspoons fresh)
1 tablespoon minced chives

Briefly knead thawed dough on lightly floured board,. Knead in minced herbs until evenly mixed. Add flour as needed to prevent sticking. Shape into a smooth ball and place in a loaf pan. Cover, let rise until doubled in size, about 40 minutes. Bake in 375° oven until golden, about 35-40 minutes.

China's Notebook

“Good bread is the most fundamentally satisfying of all foods; and good bread with fresh butter, the greatest of feasts.”--James Beard

"How can a nation be great if its bread tastes like Kleenex?"--Julia Child

>>scratchy throat

It's that time of year when scratchy throats are the rule, rather than the exception. Now, we head for the nearest pharmacy for an over-the counter remedy. But in the old days, Grandma's medicine cabinet was the pharmacy, and her herb garden supplied most of the medicines. Here are a few of her favorite remedies.

• A poultice: The pulp of a roasted apple, mixed with an ounce of tobacco, the whole wet with spirits of wine, or any other high spirits, spread on a linen rag, and bound upon the throat at any period of the disorder.—The American Frugal Housewife, by Mrs. Child, 1833
• A syrup: Take of poplar bark and bethroot [lamb’s quarters, Trillium pendulum], each 1 lb.; water, 9 quarters; boil gently in a covered vessel 15 or 20 minutes; strain through a coarse cloth; add 7 lbs. loaf sugar, and simmer till the scum ceases to rise.—Family Hand Book, c. 1855
• A candy. Horehound lozenges are good for a sore throat. A Dictionary of Every-Day Wants, by A. E. Youman, M.D. 1878
• A bedtime snack: Water-gruel, with three or four onions simmered in it, prepared with a lump of butter, pepper, and salt, eaten just before one goes to bed, is said to be a cure for a hoarse cold.—The American Frugal Housewife, by Mrs. Child, 1833
• A Hot Toddy and a Cuddle: Before retiring soak the feet in mustard water as hot as can be endured . . . . On getting into bed take a hot camphor sling. [A hot toddy made with brandy or rum, honey, and tincture of camphor, Cinnamonum camphora] Rub the bridge of the nose between the eyes with a little oil. Cuddle in bed and sleep it off.—Healthy Living,1850-1870, compiled by Katie F.  Hamilton

If these remedies don't work, here's one that will, according to recent science. Gargle with a strong sage tea (Salvia officinalis). Studies have found that sage has antibacterial, antifungal, and antiviral properties. To make the tea: pour two cups boiling water over 4 teaspoons dried sage. Steep 8-10 minutes. Gargle several times a day. Refrigerate the unused portion and warm before gargling.

For more herbal lore, remedies, recipes, garden ideas, crafts, and just plain fun, read The China Bayles' Book of Days.

>>candle crafting with herbs

Hello, everyone--

Candlemas is coming up this week, and I (Ruby Wilcox here) always enjoy doing a candle ritual to celebrate it. You'll find detailed instructions for making my favorite-- Brighid's Candle--in China's BOOK OF DAYS, in the entry for February 1.

But in case you don't have the book handy (why not?), here's the scoop. Start with a pillar candle--light colors work best--and several votive candles. Melt the votives in an old pan over low heat (careful!). Use a small brush to brush some melted wax on the pillar candle in the place where you want to put a bit of herb or flower. Press the herb into the warm wax and cover with a brushed-on thin layer. When you've finished decorating your candle, brush it all over with another thin layer. If you want to add scent, use a hot ice pick to poke holes in the top of the pillar and drop a couple of drops of essential oil into each hole.

If you're making candles for a special occasion (a hand-fasting, a birth, a birthday, an anniversary), you could include herbs and scents that have special meanings. The Victorian "language of flowers" will help you decide. If it's a gift, make a card to include with your candle.

If you'd like to make your candles from scratch, here's a site that will help.

Candles are wonderful in every room of the house. I love to fill my bathroom with candles and spend the evening in the tub (luscious!). Or I'll put a mirror on the dining room table and set out my favorite candles: they cast a lovely glow over dinner. Candles--especially scented candles--are a delight in the bedroom. Outdoors on the patio, candles have a special magic.

And speaking of magic, remember what a joy your candle-lit birthday cakes were when you were a child? From ancient times, people have been wishing on a candle flame and then blowing it out to get that wish. Choose a candle that has a special meaning, light it with a clear intention, focus on what you want to achieve, and speak it out loud to yourself. To intensify your intention, choose a candle color that signifies what you want and need: white for protection and clarity; gold for achievement and power; pink or red for love and sexual passion; blue for healing.

And here's another candle idea, from a friend of China's. Meghan DeFrancesco makes wonderful soy candles, using her own special recipes and scents. Meghan's soy candles are special because they do not contain any animal fats and because they're so delightfully scented. Visit her website and see what new candles she's come up with!

A word of candle wisdom: At times our own light goes out and is rekindled by a spark from another person. Each of us has cause to think with deep gratitude of those who have lighted the flame within us.--Albert Schweitzer

>>pass the salt

Have you ever been to a meeting of an herb guild? Here in Pecan Springs, the meetings of the Myra Merryweather Guild are always the highpoint of the month. You never know what sort of crazy thing is going to happen--they're as wild and wacky as the local Red Hatters. 

But other herb guilds are fun, too. Susan recently got an email from Carol Kelly, whom she met on book tour in Pennsylvania a while back. Carol, who is president of the Herb Guild of Historic Saltsburg PA, reported on a recent program called "Salts and Peppers" that sounds like a lot of fun. We thought you'd like to hear about it. (Yes, we know that salt is a mineral, not an herb, and that too much of it is bad for you. But that doesn't mean we can't enjoy it in moderation!)

Carol began the meeting with a presentation on the use of salt from historic times. including the importance of the 19th century town of Saltsburg as a commercial supplier of salt--which, she says, also led to the discovery of oil in the area and the commercial use of oil as an tonic and cure-all. Then the group tasted a variety of salts and peppers, both black peppers and capsicum peppers, while they admired the handsome collection of salt and pepper shakers on display.

And then, of course, came the moment everybody was waiting for--refreshments, each using one or more of those delicious salts and peppers. For the salts, the Saltsburg herbalists sampled Salt-rising Bread, Scalloped Pineapple, Sauerkraut Balls, Sea-salted Smoky Almond Bark,and Carmel Sauce with Apple Dippers.

For the black peppers, it was pepper butters and Peppercorn Fruit Compote, Chocolate Pecan  Brownies, Norwegian Pepper Cookies (there's a recipe in A Dilly of a Death), Zippy Chocolate Chip Cookies, and Pffernuesse.

For the capsicum peppers: Spicy Shrimp Pasta Cheese Dip and (of course!) Ruby's Hot Lips Cookie Crisps.

Doesn't that sound like a lot of fun? If you live in the Saltsburg area, I'm sure the Saltsburgian herbies would welcome you as a guest. If you don't, look up your nearest herb group on the Internet and visit one of their programs. And of course, the next time you're in Pecan Springs, you're invited to join the Merryweathers. No telling what they'll be up to, but it'll be fun!

chili time!

Every now and then, it gets cold in Pecan Springs, and I start thinking about cooking up a pot of chili for supper.

Yesterday, I was leafing through Chile Death, one of Susan’s mysteries, looking for the recipe for Pedernales chili (in Texan, that’s pronounced Purd-NAL-is). I found some notes about chile peppers that I thought might interest you. You might like the mystery, too--although I'm not crazy about the part where I nearly got roasted. Anyway, here are Susan's notes, and that recipe. Maybe it's a good day for chili in your neck of the woods.

The recorded history of the genus Capsicum begins with Columbus, who undertook his voyage of discovery in search of (among other things) black pepper, the most valuable of Eastern spices. Columbus did not find what he was looking for, but, he bit into something better. He became the first European to blister his tongue on a hot pepper.

There are about twenty species and hundreds of varieties in the genus Capsicum, indigenous to tropical America. In their native habitat, they are perennial and woody, growing to seven feet tall, though in American gardens they are grown as annuals, reaching a height of three feet. Two highly variable species of genus provide New World peppers--the red peppers. Bell peppers, pimento, paprika, chili, and cayenne peppers all belong to the species Capsicum annuum. The Tabasco peppers come from Capsicum frutescens, grown commercially in the Gulf states and New Mexico.--Steven Foster, Herbal Renaissance

Neuroscientists believe that when a concentrated solution of capsaicin [the chief chemical compound in chiles] is rubbed on the skin, the resulting burning causes pain messengers (Substance P) to notify the brain to start producing endorphins [natural painkillers]. However, on the skin, capsaicin apparently destroys the Substance P that is attracted to the site....Liniments [containing capsaicin] work on this principle, and capsaicin is the active ingredient of creams for painful skin and nerve conditions including shingles and neuralgia.--Carolyn Dille and Susan Belsinger, The Chile Pepper Book

On the origin of chili: "Before going on the trail, cowboys were known to pound dried beef, beef fat, dried chile peppers and salt into a brick-like compound, which they would add to a few cups of boiling water when it came time to eat. With an abundant supply of Texas longhorns on hand, meat chili became the West's most popular dish."--Chili Pepper Magazine, December, 1996

You can always judge a town by the quality of its chili.--Will Rogers

Pedernales Chili

4 lbs ground lean beef
1 large onion, chopped
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 tsp ground oregano
1 tsp ground cumin
3 tblsp chili powder
2 #2 cans tomatoes
2 cups hot water
salt to taste

Brown ground beef in heavy iron skillet. Add onion and garlic and cook 4-5 minutes. Add remaining ingredients and simmer one hour. When cool, skim fat. Better on the second day, when the flavors have mellowed.

This is Lady Bird Johnson's recipe. She used to carry it with her on a card and hand it out whenever anyone asked for her favorite chili recipe.

P.S. Susan says to tell you that in Illinois, where she grew up, beans (preferably red kidney beans) were an essential ingredient of chili. But one of the things she learned when she moved to Texas was that Texans NEVER put beans in their chili. Pity.

P.P.S. There's a different chili recipe on the Chile Death page. It's good, too!

>>bathing beauties

There’s nothing nicer on a cold winter’s night (especially if you’ve been on a stakeout with China Bayles) than a long, luxurious bubble bath. Hi! I'm Ruby Wilcox. Usually, you'll find me at my shop, The Crystal Cave, which is right next door to Thyme & Seasons, in Pecan Springs.

But don't look for me there today. It's National Bubble Bath Day, and I'm celebrating. I'd invite you to join me, but my bathtub is too small for everybody. And besides, maybe we don't want to get quite that personal.

If you'd like to have your own personal bubble bath, you can find my favorite recipe in the January 8 entry in China's Book of Days. But maybe you'd prefer a different kind of herbal bath. Try one of these ideas:

• Bath tea. For an invigorating bath, brew a strong rosemary tea (4 sprigs fresh rosemary steeped for 15 minutes in a quart of boiling water). Add to your bath water. Eucalpytus leaves, bay leaves, and mint are also waker-uppers.
• Bath salts. For a skin-softening bath, mix 1 1/2 cup sea salt, 1 cup Epsom salts, 1/2 cup baking soda, and 1/2 cup finely ground herbs (lavender, rose petals, and chamomile are nice). Add a few drops of fragrance oil to strengthen the scent. Mix in your blender and store in a lidded jar. Add 2 tablespoons to a warm bath.
• Cinnamon Oatmeal Milk Bath. Mix 1 cup finely ground oatmeal (not instant), 1 cup milk powder, 1/2 cup baking soda, 1/2 cup cornstarch, 2 teaspoons cinnamon, 1 teaspoon cloves, and 1 teaspoon ginger. Whirl in your blender until very well mixed. Store tightly covered. Add 2 tablespoons to a warm bath. (And remember, cinnamon is said to be an aphrodisiac!)

Happy Bubble Bath Day!

>>herbal hangover remedies

It's New Year's Day here in Pecan Springs, and many of our friends are recuperating from a little too much bottled happiness on New Year's Eve. Since this is a problem that's been with us since somebody first discovered the intoxicating power of fermented grain, we've collected a few tips on ways to handle a hangover. If you're suffering, maybe one of these will help.

Homer Mayo swears by the prickly pear cactus remedy that his daddy taught him. He felt pretty good last New Year's Day, especially after he read in the newspaper that scientists say that this really works. He says to drink it before you start on the hard stuff.

Homer's pal, Pete Hitchens, has a different cure. He mixes a cup of sauerkraut juice with a generous shot of Bloody Mary mix, for taste. In a couple of hours, he's feeling fit enough to turn on the TV and watch the bowl games.

Pansy Pride, president of the Myra Merryweather Herb Guild here in Pecan Springs, has a great deal of faith in a ginger-peppermint-feverfew tea, sweetened with 2-3 teaspoons honey. Ginger and peppermint are well-known stomach soothers, and feverfew is a time-tested headache remedy. The potassium in the honey will help to counteract the effects of the alcohol. Pansy's other remedy is just-say-no, but that never gets her very far.

Constance Letterman, who runs the Emporium, next door to Thyme & Seasons, lays in a supply of kudzu extract before the holidays. She read an article that claims that kudzu's isoflavones, diadzin and puerarin, will relieve the pain of over-indulgence. I was glad to hear this. A plant as prolific as kudzu has got to be good for something. (Actually, it's good for a lot of things, besides eating fences, telephone poles, and whole hillsides. You can read about them here. Scroll down the page for an intriguing recipe for kudzu blossom jelly. Now, aren't you glad you read this blog?)

For Ruby, thyme heals all things, including hangovers. She brews up a tea of crushed fresh or dried leaves, let's it steep for six or seven minutes, strains, and drinks.

Personally, I'm a firm believer in the power of milk thistle, or silymarin. It prevents toxins from entering liver cells and helps remove existing toxins. Take two 70 mg capsules before you head for that party.

All your friends in Pecan Springs send you a great big wish for a New Year that is happy and bright. We're praying for peace, too, and some good sense in Washington. We don't know about your town, but a whole lot of us here would be glad to have our military men and women back home with us to celebrate New Year's, 2008. Wouldn't that be a wonderful party?

>>Christmas doings in Pecan Springs

It's holiday time in Pecan Springs, and the whole town is brimming with holiday spirit.

China and Ruby have been unusually busy (it's lucky that there are no mysteries to solve!), and their tea room are decorated floor to ceiling with fresh cedar boughs cut from the local hillsides, pine cones from East Texas, mistletoe from the mesquite and hackberry trees around Pecan Springs, dozens of gingerbread ornaments handmade by the kids the Hobbit House Children's Bookstore, and enough red velvet ribbon to reach all the way to San Antonio. China, Ruby, and Cass have invited all their friends to join them for a Christmas Cinnamon Tea this coming Saturday afternoon. There'll be lots of spicy-laden goodies and a sparkling bowl of cinnamon-cranberry glog circled with a rosemary wreath and red ribbons, and a little take-home herbal gift for everyone: a small bag of Rose Potpourri, which some of China's friends made in a potpourri workshop. You're invited too, of course, so be sure to put it on your calendar!

After you leave the Cinnamon Tea, you'll want to head for Pecan Park, where the town fathers have erected a large Christmas tree decorated with hundreds of lights. They'll be lighting the tree as soon as it gets dark on Saturday night. (When they lit the tree last year, all the lights in Pecan Springs went out, so they've taken special care with the wiring this year. Billy Bob Bunch, who is in charge of city utilities, promises that this won't happen again. Pauline Perkins, the Pecan Springs mayor, promises that if it does, Billy Bob's head will be the first to roll.)

When the tree is lit, the town mothers will be ladling out cups of hot mulled cider (the same cider that Ruby always serves for her Halloween party) and handing out dozens of rosemary cookies baked by members of the Myra Merryweather Herb Guild, who always like to lend a hand with the Christmas doings. When everybody has their cider and cookies, Mrs. Reedy will lead the Baptist choir in a selection of carols. You're invited to join in, of course. (If you don't know the words, fake it--nobody will know the difference.) Santa will be there too, with candy for good children and coals for bad--although we know that there are no bad children in Pecan Springs, where all the children are all above average.

After the carols are over and the cider, candy, and cookies have all disappeared, the merchants on the town square hope you will be feeling warm and jolly and inspired to do some Christmas shopping. The courthouse has been draped with lights, a village of elves has taken up residence in the northwest corner of the courthouse lawn (opposite from the Nativity scene on the southwest corner), and the Sophie Briggs Historical Museum is holding an open house so you can admire the famous Sophie Briggs collection of 257 ceramic frogs. The merchants have agreed to keep their shops open until nine, which is quite a change of pace for Pecan Springs, where everyone shuts up shop at five on the dot and goes home to hearth and family. You're invited to shop 'til you drop, or at least until you run out of money.

They hope you do. That way, they'll have a merry Christmas, too!

>>pick a peck of peppercorns

Today's issue of Susan Albert's new weekly eletter, All About Thyme, includes the recipe for pepper cookies that I served to Ruby's' daughter Amy in A Dilly of a Death. Which brings up the subject of pepper, one of those "invisible" spices that we use frequently and never think about.

Almost never, anyway. How often do you reach for the pepper in the same way you reach for salt, almost unconsciously?

But there are people who say that if you can have only one spice in your kitchen (what a horrible thought!) it ought to be pepper, for pepper adds the greatest flavor to the greatest variety of dishes. Maybe they're right. After all, plenty of people have succombed to the power of pepper. Rome was ransomed with with it (Attilla the Hun demanded 3,000 pounds of pepper to raise his siege of the city in 408 CE), men have died for it, and oceans were crossed in its pursuit. So let's pay a little more attention to it, shall we?

Pepper Times Three

Black pepper, green pepper, white pepper? Three kinds of pepper? True, but there is actually only one true pepper (Piper nigrum). It is native to India but now grown widely throughout the tropics. Three different peppercorns are produced from this plant, depending on how they are processed.

• Black peppercorns have been valued for centuries as a medicine: a treatment for impotence, an appetite stimulant and digestive, a cure for nausea and flatulence, and an antidote to poison. They are harvested green and left to dry for a week or more, shriveling and hardening. Black peppercorns have the strongest flavor, and are best when freshly ground. Also used whole in pickling spices and soup stocks.
• Green peppercorns are also picked green, but preserved to keep them from darkening. Historically, they were pickled; today, they’re freeze-dried. They have a fresh, clean flavor, suited to poultry, vegetables, and seafood. You can crush them between your fingers.
• White peppercorns are allowed to ripen on the vine, producing a large berry with a loose outer shell, which is removed. White pepper is regarded as having a richer, more complex flavor; it is used in light-colored dishes, in sauces, and on grilled poultry.

And then there are pink peppercorns, which (just to confuse you) aren't actually peppercorns at all, but berries of the Baies Rose (Schinus Terebinthifolius), which grows in Brazil. You'll find pink peppercorns freeze-dried or packed in brine or water at gourmet stores. Grind them to release their fruity, peppery taste and aroma. They're used in French cuisine.

Here’s an easy recipe that will introduce you to the variety of pepper flavors. Make it with each pepper separately, or all three peppers mixed in equal parts. Super with vegetables, great with fish and poultry.

Pepper Butter

1/2 cup butter, softened
3 teaspoons freshly ground peppercorns, black, green, OR white (if mixing, 1 teaspoon of each)
1 clove garlic, minced
3 tablespoons fresh minced parsley

Grind the peppercorns to a medium coarseness (easy in a mortar and pestle, or in your favorite peppergrinder). Add to softened butter. Add garlic and parsley and mix. Place in a small dish, cover, and refrigerate at least one hour before using. If you like, dust the surface with gound pink peppercorns for color.

And if you're looking for a different holiday gift for that herb-lover on your gift list, drop in at Thyme & Seasons and check out our display of pretty pepper pots, grinders and all three kinds of peppers. (Oh, and Ruby says to tell you that she's having a special on Ouiji boards today.) If you can't make it to Pecan Springs, try this for a pretty gift. Purchase a clear acrylic pepper grinder and fill with a mixture of black, green, and pink peppers. Tie on a pretty bow. Include a card with a bit of pepper history and a copy of the Norwegian cookie recipe, and get ready to accept enthusiastic thanks and a hug! If you hint hard, maybe your recipient will even bake you a batch of those cookies!

More reading: Salt and Pepper, by Sandra Cook
A Dilly of a Death, by Susan Wittig Albert, Book 12 in the China Bayles series

>>gingerbread ornaments

The day after Thanksgiving is always a big day at Thyme & Seasons. It's the day when Molly McGregor brings a gaggle of kids to our tea room and spends the afternoon making holiday ornaments to hang on the Christmas tree that stands in the Hobbit House window.

Molly opened the Hobbit House Children's Bookstore a couple of years ago, right next door in the three-story frame house that used to belong to Vida Plunkett. (You can read Molly's story in An Unthymely Death and Other Garden Mysteries), and is always up to her elbows in one project or another. On Friday, Molly and a dozen kids were up to their elbows in gingerbread and spice dough. Judging from the giggles and shouts of laughter, they were having a wonderful time. Ruby's granddaughter, Baby Grace, was there, too. She's a little too young to be making ornaments, but she had her own bit of cinnamon dough to pound and she loved being part of the fun. Ruby made a couple of cookie ornaments just for Grace, to add to her growing Christmas keepsake collection.

Molly asked us to pass these recipes along to you, for your own holiday fun. So here they are, with holiday wishes from Molly and friends at the Hobbit House, Pecan Springs' only children's bookstore!

Gingerbread Ornaments

1 1/4 cup margarine, room temperature
1 1/4 cup sugar
2 eggs
2 teaspoons vanilla
4 cups sifted flour
1 1/4 teaspoon salt
4 teaspoons cinnamon
1 teaspoon ginger
1 teaspoon cloves
3 teaspoons nutmeg

Combine butter, sugar, eggs, and vanilla extract. Cream well until smooth.
Sift together dry ingredients. Stir into butter mixture until smooth, adding
more flour if necessary to form a firm, slightly sticky dough. Wrap in
plastic and chill until cold. Roll out 3/8" thick and cut into shapes. With
a chopstick, make a hole through each shape for hanging. Bake at 350 degrees
until brown underneath and slightly pale on top. Makes enough for 12-14 small
gingerbread figures. If you want to make more, it's easier to make separate
batches than to double the recipe. Freeze extra dough. Decorate with
frosting and colored candies. (You can also use this recipe to make
gingerbread houses. Just roll it out a little thicker.)

Cinnamon Spice Ornaments

one cup unsweetened applesauce
1 1/4 cup ground cinnamon or a mix of cinnamon and other spices

Mix the applesauce and cinnamon together to form a dough. Roll out the spice dough on a cinnamon-dusted work surface, then cut out the ornament shapes using cookie cutters. Use a chopstick to make a hole for hanging. Bake in a 170-degree oven for one hour. Turn off the heat and let the ornaments cool in the oven for several hours.

At home, you and the kids can make these ornaments one evening and decorate them the next. You can use frosting, candies, and other cookie decorations--or you can glue on bits of paper, greeting card cutouts, lace, ribbon, and beads. These will be family keepsakes, so you'll want to store them for next holiday in a tin box with a lid, carefully packed to keep them from breaking. Next year, when you open the tin, they'll still smell spicy, but if they lose their scent, a few drops of cinnamon oil will do the trick.