German Christmas Lebkuchen Recipe

Making Smoky Mountain Lebkuchen is a delicious Christmas tradition.

German Christmas Lebkuchen recipe is one of the most beloved and popular Christmas treats in Deutschland. The recipe dates back to the 14th century and was created in the Bavarian city of Nuremburg. Legend has it this flourless gingerbread was named after the daughter of a master gingerbread baker who worked in the city. The soft, round gingerbread cookies are usually baked on top of a thin Oblatan (crisp white wheat wafer) wafer. These cookies are traditionally served either plain,  sugar glazed or with a thin layer of good dark chocolate. Ground nuts or tiny pieces of candied citrus peel often serve as tasty garnishes.

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Great Smoky Mountains Oconaluftee Holiday Homecoming

Great Smoky Mountains Oconaluftee Holiday Homecoming. The annual holiday homecoming at the Oconaluftee Visitors Center is scheduled for Saturday, December 21, 2019 at 10:00 a.m. Everyone is invited to experience traditional Appalachian Christmas activities. Children and adults will enjoy many hands-on crafts as well as an old-time musical jam session with local artists.

“Holiday Homecoming is about getting together, enjoying community, and reflecting on a shared past,” said Park Ranger Michael Smith. “We welcome everyone to join us for this special annual event.”

Oconaluftee Visitors Center will have festive holiday decorations throughout the building. A  holiday exhibit will feature what it was like to spend Christmas in the mountains in days gone by. You can warm your bones by a roaring fire while enjoying free hot cider and homemade cookies.

The Oconaluftee Visitor Center is a must stop for any visit to the Great Smoky Mountains! Entrance to the Center is free and it is open to the public every day except Christmas day. The Visitor Center has plenty of parking for cars, RVs and motor coaches. Public restrooms and vending machines are available to the left of the Center’s main entrance. You will find everything you need to experience the park at your own pace.

The Visitor Center Offers

  • Relief Map – A giant, raised relief map which reveals all of the park trails and roads in great detail. This map provides a sense of the dramatic changes in terrain a park visitor can experience by foot or car.
  • Information Desk – Staffed by park rangers and volunteers who can answer any questions you may have about your visit.
  • Gift Shop – Selling souvenirs of all types, including a great selection of books about flora and fauna, Smoky Mountain history, wildlife, pioneer stories, mountain legends, etc. The shop provides quality topographic maps of the area, basic hiking gear, patches, paintings, traditional mountain food hard goods, and much more.
  • Museum – Hear the voices of Smoky Mountain past! Recordings of early mountain residents relating their experiences and artifacts of mountain life are on display.

The Oconaluftee Visitor Center is located on Newfound Gap Road, two miles north of Cherokee, NC. For more information call the visitor center at 828-497-1904. All activities are free and open to the public. Generous support of this event is provided by the Friends of the Smokies and Great Smoky Mountains Association.

Smoky Mountain Fraser Fir Trees, America’s Favorite Christmas Tree

Smoky Mountain Fraser Fir Trees, America’s Favorite Christmas Tree.  The Fraser fir, which can reach some 55-feet tall in the wild, is the only fir tree native to the Great Smokies, and is found only in Southern Appalachia at elevations above 3,900 feet.

This iconic pyramid-shaped seasonal symbol of the Great Smoky Mountains, noted for its long fragrant needles, can take more than 12 years to reach a height of six feet. The Fraser fir is hands-down the most popular Christmas tree in North America and has been selected 13 times to grace the white house grounds as the Nation’s Christmas tree.

Not only a beautiful evergreen, the Fraser fir also provides a vital habitat for some of the mountains’ rare plants and animals- including the Northern Flying Squirrel, Weller’s Salamander and the Spruce Fir-Moss Spider.

Named for Scottish botanist John Fraser in the 1800’s, the fir is one of the nation’s most endangered trees. Insect blight from the Balsam Wooly Adelgid as well as ongoing problems brought on by climate change are a constant threat to firs in the wild as well as those grown on commercial farms. Fraser firs are an economic staple in the mountains and more than 50 million of these evergreens occupy some 39,000 acres on tree farms in Western North Carolina.

Searching for the perfect Christmas tree is a personal and (more often than not) family tradition. Loading up the kids and heading to the nearest cut-your-own tree farm makes for some special holiday memories. Walking down row after row of a green forest in frosty winter weather before selecting and cutting the absolute perfect tree is a fun way for adults and kids to kick off the holiday season. Most farms feature a rustic stand at the edge of the fir forest where families can enjoy mugs of steaming hot chocolate before visiting with the velvet and fur-clad resident Santa and more than a few elves.

Tree safety tips

Before heading out to buy a tree, think about the room where the tree will be located. Leave at least 6-inches between the tip of the tree and the ceiling. Don’t forget to factor in the height of the tree stand as well.

Plan to place trees away from heat sources and direct sunlight if possible.

Either cut your own tree or buy a freshly cut tree from a reputable tree farm. Many pre-cut trees were likely cut weeks before arriving for sale.

Cut off at least two inches at the bottom of the trunk. This helps the tree absorb water. REMEMBER trees can take in as much of a gallon of water a day, so WATER DAILY! (One Connecticut tree farm recommends boiling a gallon of water and dissolving one cup of sugar into the water; let cool then add the mixture to your tree stand at first and then follow with fresh plain water daily.)

Frequently falling needles indicate that the tree is becoming a fire hazard.

We love to see your photos of Fraser firs. Got a hiking pic of one? Or maybe one decorated for the holidays? Send it to us via our social media and spread the holiday cheer!

Great Smoky Mountain Annual Festival Of Christmas Past

Great Smoky Mountain Annual Festival Of Christmas Past Saturday, December 14, 2019. The event will be held at Sugarlands Visitor Center beginning at 9:30 a.m. until 3:00 p.m.

This event is family friendly so make plans to bring your entire bunch. Many activities are planned including  mountain skills demonstrations, Christmas caroling, shape note singing, live traditional mountain music, and a fascinating living history walking tour. Park staff and visitors have developed a unique, immersive experience allowing you to make a journey through different holiday traditions from the last century. These traditions will be displayed in exhibits of hand made decorations, Christmas toys and more! Hot apple cider will be available to take the chill off your bones so come thirsty!

“This year we wanted to connect our visitors to Christmas through the decades with the creative vision and talent of our staff, volunteers, and local decorators Barry Phillips and Tracie Story,” said North District Resource Education Supervisor Stephanie Sutton. “The Festival of Christmas Past allows us to pause and remember some of these valuable holiday traditions.”

The ‘Christmas Memories Walk’ will begin at 1:00 p.m. Costumed interpreters will bring the history of the Smokies to life shining light on significant moments leading to the park’s establishment.

Program Schedule:

9:30 a.m. – 10:30 a.m.    Traditional Shape Note Singing

11:00 a.m. – 12:00 noon  Music by Boogertown Gap

12:00 noon – 1:00 p.m.    Music by the Lost Mill String Band

1:00 p.m. – 2:00 p.m.       Smoky Mountain Historical Society

1:00 p.m. – 2:30 p.m.       Christmas Memories Walk

2:00 p.m. – 3:00 p.m.       Music by Mike and Kathy Gwinn

Sugarlands Visitor Center is located on Newfound Gap Road, two miles south of Gatlinburg, TN.  For more information, call the visitor center at 865-436-1291.

Smoky Mountain Online Banking

 

Smoky Mountain Online Banking. Paying attention to a few details can go a long way toward boosting your online banking security.

Online banking can greatly simplify your life, allowing you to make a mortgage payment or check an account balance anywhere with just a few clicks. But ignoring online banking best practices can leave you vulnerable to hacking. Follow these online banking safety tips to help keep your digital financial life simple — and secure.

Get password savvy

One recent study found that over 23 million users had passwords that included “123456” in the string. That’s a hack waiting to happen. Random collections of completely unrelated characters, including uppercase and lowercase letters, numbers and symbols are best. One idea is to choose a phrase or mantra (“Travelmorethisyear19&) or song lyric and add a unique numeric code (“Storyofmylife75!”). Occasionally change your password, especially if your financial institution announces that hackers have stolen credentials from some users, and never use the same password you’ve used somewhere else.

Two-factor is your friend

When you sign up for two-factor authentication (2FA) with your bank, you need both a password and a special code to access your accounts. That may be a text message or a mobile app that gives you an access code every time you try to log in to your account. Password-protect your laptop and smartphone, too.

Do a regular check-in

Make an appointment on your calendar to regularly check your accounts for debits or transfers you don’t recognize. You can also sign up for text or email alerts about suspicious activity, online transactions or purchases above a certain threshold.

Beware the phishing scams

Hackers have gotten more sophisticated, spoofing your bank’s logos and language to send emails that seem to be legitimate. These are commonly called phishing scams, and they typically allude to a problem with an account that needs a fix — immediately. However, once you click on a link, you’re directed to a fake site that asks for your username and password, which is where the hackers are able to nab your digital details. If you receive an email that looks suspicious or asks for personal information, call your bank instead at the phone number you know is correct, not the number in the email — and don’t click on any links.

Take note of public Wi-Fi

If you’re in a public spot such as a coffee shop and log in to that free wireless option, a hacker may be able to more easily access the network. Instead, use your cellular network or your smartphone as a hotspot for your computer. Or, wait until you’ve accessed your secure home network to dig into your bank account.

Keep devices updated

Tech companies are constantly monitoring their software for weak spots or security breaches and often release updates to help fix those issues. Set up your devices for automatic updates.

For more information contact Lee Lofton, State Farm.