Holiday Recipes: Eggnog, White Chocolate Cherry and Gingerbread Cookies, Coconut Macaroons

Need a quick holiday cookie recipe? Make one of these for your parties this season.

  One of the most important holiday questions to ask yourself is: What kind of cookies will you be baking for your get-togethers this season? From sweet to savory, holiday cookies come in all shapes and sizes. And what’s better than to top off a tray of cookies than a glass of homemade eggnog? You can also check out myrecipes.com to learn how to host a successful cookie swap and view more holiday cookie recipes.  Eggnog In a saucepan over low heat combine milk, vanilla extract, cinnamon, cinnamon stick and clove. Bring to a slow boil (this will take between 5-7 mins). Once the milk mixture starts to boil remove from heat and leave cinnamon stick in for a couple of minutes, then remove. Put egg yolks and sugar into a bowl. Using a hand held…

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Make Christmas Candy Wreaths

Have fun with the kids and make your home more festive with this holiday craft.

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Fire Department: Toys For Tots Donation Drive a 'Success'

The Cherokee County Fire and Emergency Services held a collection drive to donate toys to the Atlanta Toys For Tots Program.

  The Cherokee County Fire and Emergency Services' campaign to collect toy donations for children has been labeled a "definite success." About 30 boxes and 50 garbage bags were overflowing with "thousands" of toys collected from Cherokee County fire stations, which they will donate to the Atlanta Toys For Tots Program.  Cherokee County Fire and Emergency Services on Thursday gathered all the toys dropped off by the public at its various fire stations, all of which served as drop-off locations for the program.  The fire department collected so many toys that the donation bags and boxes completely filled the 20-foot long and 9 1/2-foot tall truck. "Words cannot describe the outpouring of love, generosity, teamwork, support and dedication …

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Question of the Week: Will You Use Snail Mail For Your Shipping Needs During The Holidays?

The United States Postal Service is expecting record use of its services.

According to a press release, the United States Postal Service is projecting it will ship about 365 million packages this holiday season. USPS made the announcement earlier this month on their predictions, which is a 20 percent increase from how much business it did during the 2011 holiday season.  The agency believes the increase is due to customers embracing online shopping. USPS also projects about 18 billion cards, letters and packages will be delivered through New Year's Eve. How much will you use USPS for your shipping needs this holiday season? 

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Santa Will Reply to Letters from Children in Holly Springs

Thanks to a very special U.S. Postal Service program, "Santa" will reply to children who mail him their Christmas wish lists this holiday season.

  Every year, millions of children sit down to make a wish list for Santa, hoping he will make all of their Christmas dreams come true. But what if Santa actually wrote back? The United States Postal Service is now accepting "Letters From Santa," a program that allows any person to play Santa by sending a letter signed by Saint Nick to any child. According to a postal service news release, "The 'Letters From Santa' program helps parents fulfill the dreams of their own children." Instructions to send a letter from Santa: In Holly Springs, letters to Santa can be dropped off at the Lebanon Post Office on Holly Springs Parkway. TELL US: Do your children or children in your family plan on writing a letter to Santa this year?

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Fall Recipe: Pumpkin Chili

This recipe for chili is perfect for a busy week, simply through it together in the morning and let it cook in the Crock Pot while you're at work.

  Pumpkin is such a versatile ingredient, and in my opinion you can never have too much of it. When the weather is cold and rainy, I crave chili. So, last weekend, when the weather was terrible, I decided to start searching for a fall flavored chili. I stumbled across this recipe for pumpkin Chili while on Pinterest. The original post is from a blog called Sweet Pea's Kitchen. The great thing about this recipe is that it's different than most chili. The flavor has a hint of cinnamon, and the spices aren't overpowering. The heat in the chili is a slow steady heat that doesn't keep you from enjoying the meal. If you want it spicier, you can add more hot sauce or chili powder. Because I don't like beans or peppers, I only used one can of …

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Cherokee Secret Santa Program Needs Sponsors

Sponsors are needed to help purchase Christmas gifts for children in foster care.

Cherokee Secret Santa Program Needs Sponsors

Sponsors are needed to help purchase Christmas gifts for children in foster care.

A program that provides Christmas presents for some of the county's less fortunate children needs more help this year. The Cherokee County Department of Family and Children Services' Secret Santa Program needs more sponsors to purchase Christmas gifts for children in the county's foster system.  Ann Feczko, the program's coordinator, said she's expecting Secret Santa to serve about 200 foster children this year. That number, she said, has been hovering in that range for the last few years. “We always have teens who need sponsors,” she said. The program involves foster children, who remain anonymous during the entire process, writing down three things they need and three things they want for Christmas. DFCS and Secret Santa personnel then …

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When Do Holiday Shopping Hours Begin?

Wondering when the holiday shopping hours begin at local stores? We've got some answers for you below.

With Halloween behind us, retailers and shoppers are now staring down some of the biggest shopping days of the year - both in stores and online. The National Retail Federation expects sales during November and December to rise 4.1 percent this year, according to a USA Today report. Black Friday, the day after Thanksgiving, has become the accepted if unofficial start time of the Christmas rush. It's a huge day for retailers but only the first of a roughly month-long extravaganza. And thanks to Abe Lincoln, who decreed Thanksgiving a national holiday, Franklin D. Roosevelt, who signed into law that it should fall on the fourth Thursday in November, and Pope Gregory XIII, who blessed the calendar we use by papal bull, 2012 has the longest …

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