Please pray for peace in our family. Today, there is so much anger, disappointment, hurt, selfishness and impatience that no one is happy.
Thank you for your prayers.
Sunday, December 31, 2006
Saturday, December 30, 2006
Simple Snack
These easy little pretzel treats look very fun to make and very yummy to eat. If you have a New Year's Eve party to attend and don't know what to make, this might just be the last-minute thing!
A Cheap Profitable Date
Go on a date, get free pizza, and get paid twenty bucks. How cool is that?
I, for one, thought it was pretty cool.
See, every weekend, Bo and I try to decide what we'll do for a date. We generally end up going to a movie and out to dinner where we either share a meal or eat cheap. Then we wander around the Bigger City, which is about 25 miles away, and try to figure out what else we can do with our time together. Then we spend a half-hour trudging through Stuf*Mart discovering things we didn't know we needed.
A couple of weeks ago, I ran into a neighbor while coming out of the library. Don't worry; he was fine. During the course of our very enjoyable conversation, he told me about his part-time job--delivering pizzas. He said that he and his family go out on Saturday nights and deliver pizzas for a local independent pizza shop. He also told me how much they make a night. He said he enjoys it, that he and his wife or one of his kids will take the evening and drive around, spending time together, listening to books on CD (or maybe I'm embellishing here. Maybe I just thought that would be a good idea), and they make their hourly wage, plus mileage, plus tips, plus half-price food.
So I asked him to put in a good word for us, and, soon enough, I got a phone call from the pizza guy.
Tonight, Bo and I went in to the pizza place to get acquainted with the system and we ended up delivering pizzas for the evening. At one point, it started to get a little stressful because of the tip situation. While the Amish may be great at barnraising and baking, they are not good tippers. Some of them aren't tippers at all. So, while we had to search pretty hard to find some of their houses (the addresses weren't posted on their houses and some of them have more than one house on a lane) and several of them had six or more pizzas, totalling over $100, only two of them actually tipped us. For about ten deliveries, we made exactly three dollars and fifty cents in tips. And the Amish make up about 95% of the pizza shop's business.
Still, when we took into account the three pizzas that we got for half-price and how we would have driven the same distance tonight in order to spend money on pizza and a movie, it really started to sound appealing. We were done in three hours, had three pizzas to show for it, and had twenty bucks on top of it. Plus, we got to listen to a book-on-iPod while we drove.
We have plans to deliver a few more weekend-nights. The other employees said it was a slow night because of a couple of basketball games and being the New Year's Eve weekend. But it went pretty quickly for me.
I may even use it for an incentive when we start lessons back up. Do all of your schoolwork and chores, and you get to help deliver pizza.
You might even get to keep the tips. All three dollars and fifty cents of it.
I, for one, thought it was pretty cool.
See, every weekend, Bo and I try to decide what we'll do for a date. We generally end up going to a movie and out to dinner where we either share a meal or eat cheap. Then we wander around the Bigger City, which is about 25 miles away, and try to figure out what else we can do with our time together. Then we spend a half-hour trudging through Stuf*Mart discovering things we didn't know we needed.
A couple of weeks ago, I ran into a neighbor while coming out of the library. Don't worry; he was fine. During the course of our very enjoyable conversation, he told me about his part-time job--delivering pizzas. He said that he and his family go out on Saturday nights and deliver pizzas for a local independent pizza shop. He also told me how much they make a night. He said he enjoys it, that he and his wife or one of his kids will take the evening and drive around, spending time together, listening to books on CD (or maybe I'm embellishing here. Maybe I just thought that would be a good idea), and they make their hourly wage, plus mileage, plus tips, plus half-price food.
So I asked him to put in a good word for us, and, soon enough, I got a phone call from the pizza guy.
Tonight, Bo and I went in to the pizza place to get acquainted with the system and we ended up delivering pizzas for the evening. At one point, it started to get a little stressful because of the tip situation. While the Amish may be great at barnraising and baking, they are not good tippers. Some of them aren't tippers at all. So, while we had to search pretty hard to find some of their houses (the addresses weren't posted on their houses and some of them have more than one house on a lane) and several of them had six or more pizzas, totalling over $100, only two of them actually tipped us. For about ten deliveries, we made exactly three dollars and fifty cents in tips. And the Amish make up about 95% of the pizza shop's business.
Still, when we took into account the three pizzas that we got for half-price and how we would have driven the same distance tonight in order to spend money on pizza and a movie, it really started to sound appealing. We were done in three hours, had three pizzas to show for it, and had twenty bucks on top of it. Plus, we got to listen to a book-on-iPod while we drove.
We have plans to deliver a few more weekend-nights. The other employees said it was a slow night because of a couple of basketball games and being the New Year's Eve weekend. But it went pretty quickly for me.
I may even use it for an incentive when we start lessons back up. Do all of your schoolwork and chores, and you get to help deliver pizza.
You might even get to keep the tips. All three dollars and fifty cents of it.
::: the attack of sweet tooth :::
Every year for Christmas, all of the kind people in our whole neighborhood distribute plates of home-baked goodies to each other. Because the majority of my neighbors are Amish, we have some absolutely amazing baked goods on Christmas day and before, and plenty of them.Beginning a few days before Christmas, they come. They walk up the driveway in their plain clothes, men in black hats or stocking-caps worn way up high on their heads, women in their white bonnets, strings dangling over their shoulders, and they bear plates full of home-baked pies, sugar cookies, thumbprints, Buckeyes, chocolate chip, snack mixes, pretzel clusters, chocolate-dipped Oreos...the list goes on. They bring them early so that folks can serve them on Christmas day.
Though my intentions are always good, I tend to bring up the rear. We pretty consistently deliver our gifts on Christmas Eve or, more often, the days following Christmas. For me, I guess, that extends the season a bit, gives folks something they can savor after all of the other stuff has run out. Sounds like a good marketing strategy, doesn't it? It's not all that intentional. It's actually justification for my being too busy to get it all done. What am I usually busy doing?
Why, baking, of course.
The explanation of where all that baking goes is simple. I have a dishonest, unrelentless sweets addict in my house who will devour anything that is not totally and completely hidden, locked-up or removed from the premises, and, furthermore, will stop at practically nothing find and consume the sweets.
My father, who lives with us, is notorious for eating sweets in large quanitities. The kids tell the story of how they locked their holiday candy into a little locker. He literally ran over it with the car to get it open. They go to great lengths to secure their goodies, but he always finds them somehow, and gets all angry and self-defensive when he's discovered. The kids have actually created a comic strip series where he is the bad guy, Sweet Tooth, and they are doing their best to prevent him from doing his dastardly deeds. When I bake cookies or make candies, buy cookies or candies, they must be completely secured, or they will, definitely, be gone. Ice cream doesn't stand a chance. Since I don't have a freezer with a lock, I must buy ice cream in massive quantities if we expect to have any. Last year, there was a sale on Breyers--$2 a half-gallon--and I bought about twelve half-gallons. Before I knew it, he had eaten over half of it. He'll consume a half-gallon in one night during a series of midnight snacks. It doesn't matter how I threaten or beg. It doesn't matter if I guilt or coerce. It doesn't matter if his blood pressure is up or his cholesterol is high. He'll just take a new medication to fix it. And, since he rides a bicycle ever day for 20-30 miles, his body doesn't look any worse for the wear (though, at a little over 60, all of his teeth literally rotted and fell out and he had to have very expensive dentures made last year). He has a sick addiction. And what's worse, if the goodies are forbidden, that's even better. If I buy him a sack of candy just for himself, he will hardly touch it. He'll give it all away to the children. But if the children get an Easter basket full of goodies, he'll have them gone before you can say Peter Rabbit.
This year, I made dozens and dozens of cookies, several kinds of shortbreads, hand-dipped Buckeyes, and a batch of vanilla caramels that had to be boiled to the right temperature, cooled for several hours, cuts into bite-sized pieces, and wrapped in little hand-cut squares of wax paper. These last little treats were placed in a grocery bag and hidden deep in the confines of my closet. All of the other goodies were consumed almost as quickly as I could make them. If they weren't hidden well enough, they would become part of a midnight snack, which I would not realize had occured until it was time to break them out to make the gift plates. This is a struggle every year, for every holiday, and during every baking session.
One evening, two of my former co-workers from the cheesehouse came by and brought us dinner. It was such a lovely thought and such a delicious dinner, and I was so glad to have them here, that I decided to show my appreciation by breaking out the caramels and giving them each a few. Goodbyes were said. Hugs were given. Greetings of the season were tossed over shoulders as they headed out the door. And I, in the busyness of it all, forgot to confine the caramels.
When it was time to make the goody plates, the entire bag-- several pounds of hand-wrapped caramels--were completely gone.
You would think I would learn. Because this, my friends, is not the first time this has happened.
Several years ago, during the Christmas of 2000, the kids and I made a half-dozen batches of caramels and hand-pulled molasses taffy. We wrapped them each in their little wax paper blankies. Our plan was to make up plates for all of our friends and neighbors (we lived in the city at the time) and go caroling. I never would have dreamed that all of those candies, probably ten to twelve pounds in all, would have disappeared. Yet when I went to take them from the cupboard, they were all gone. Every last one of them. When I asked the sweets thief about them, he confessed (which came as more of an announcement than a confession)to taking them with him to work and distributing them to his co-workers.
He gave our caramels away to people I don't even know. Without asking. All that work and time and hope was gone.
When I reminded him of this after his last caramel-scarfing episode, he didn't remember that at all. Or, more accurately, he pretended not to remember.
Because that's his other maddening trait. He pretends he didn't do it. He pretends to forget he did it. Or, with a terribly annoying smirk on his face, he blames it on The Baby (or whichever child happens to be the baby at the time). Or the dog. Or a burglar. Or the potbellied pig.
I don't know why this gets under my skin so much, but it does. It absolutely infuriates me. I feel my heart begin to race, and I feel my temper flare, and I feel I have no control, and I lose it. I say the most angry things to my dad. I guess, mostly, because I know how much work it took to make those things, or how, when I or the kids get candy as a gift, we savor it, keep it for when we really want it, and he doesn't. It doesn't mean anything to him. The time doesn't mean anything. The effort and care doesn't mean anything. It's just sugar. And there's never enough. He just scarfs it down with no apology and no compassion. Just lame jokes and a stupid smirk.
So, with all of the pre-holiday cookies being devoured as quickly as I could bake them, and all of the caramels and Buckeyes stolen by the despicable candy thief, I arose early on the day after Christmas and baked. And baked. And baked. And baked. And I stood watch over every cookie and every piece of toffee and every little peanut butter cup-- feeling guilty for being a greedy, selfish, ungrateful daughter (his indignant comments certainly never help)-- until the goodies were safely arranged on plates, sealed into baggies and shuttled to our car. Then Bo and I delivered each treat to the kind, thoughtful neighbors who had delivered their treats to us a week before. Only then was I able to relax.
Well, except for the nagging guilt that is mine as the daughter of a manipulator.
Today, I will bake several batches of Tasha Tudor cutout cookies, and I will place them on a big, important-looking plate. I will not stand guard. I will not offer them (because he won't touch them if I do).
I will just leave them sitting unattended and say nothing.
It's my feeble offering to the guilt gods.
Early Morning Sunrises
Winter gives us the most beautiful sunrises here on the hilltop. It's shortly after 7 here, and I had to push back my computer cabinet door to see outside the window. I wish I had a digital camera sho I could show you. From the third floor of our house, I have a view of the treetops, the misty valley, the rolling hills, and little dots of light that glow from miles away. The dark jagged outline of distant trees contrasts with the grey-orange glow of the rising sun, the colors fading from that grey to a bit more orange, then to a most amazing orange that relects off of the contrails which are zig-zagging and expanding and filling the sky with interesting geometric shapes. And there's pink in there, too, and bits of gold. And they all dissolve into the graduating blues of the waking sky. When there's snow on the ground, which there currently isn't (yesterday felt like SPRING here!), everything glows with pinkness, somewhat like my banner above, but much more amazing than a photograph can capture.I was reflecting on my year this morning, thanks to some prodding from Donna over at Quiet Life and I felt like an real pessimist when she asked me to sum up my year in three words. My words? Very Financially Challenging.
Well, I'm sorry. But it has been.
I really wanted to be all happy-happy and find the fabulous things about my year that would show what a grateful and gracious person I am, but I couldn't. It has definitely been a very financially challenging year. Even now, the mortage is late, the taxes are way late, Bard's choir payments are way, way late, and the Christmas spirit is gone, so all of this is very real to me.
That's not to say that I'm NOT grateful for anything. Oh, yes indeedy, I am grateful. Sitting here watching this sunrise reminds me why the financial part is so difficult for me. I really love this house, this community, this hilltop. I feel at home here like I've never felt before. I don't want to lose it. The sunrise, and my view of it, is why all of the financial stuff even matters.
For that reason, our Christmas was a simple one. Yes, we did spend more money than we would during other seasons (except, maybe, the home-improvement season), but it was still very meager compared to others we know who bought large, high-dollar items for their families and purchased for everyone in their extended family (like we used to do, before we had five kids and a house). The majority of what we gave came from the thrift store. Hours of scanning the shelves for the right gift. Three huge bags of blocks for $1 a bag. Beanie Babies with tags for .25 each. Hand-embroidered pillowcases for .35 each. Pink Converse tennies for .75. Yet what did the kids say they liked the most? The new Playmobil toys and the new DVD. The high-ticket items. It's not their fault. They were among my favorite gifts, too. I guess the other things, like the big cotton quilt ($8), and the stacks of books (.25-.50 each), and the sweaters ($1 each) are just as loved, because they're using them every day. Houdin looks so nice in the mossy green sweater I bought him, and he snuggles under his quilt every night. Bard now has a fully-functioning computer in her room, one that works better than mine, thanks to my mother-in-law who scored some that were on their way out of the office. For free. Sweetheart carries that vintage leather purse around the house with everything from oranges to markers tucked inside. And Monet is loving the computer program that was installed on our computer. Those are fabulous gifts. Even though the kids don't list them as favorites, they are. They're quiet favorites. The kind of favorites a person just kind of takes for granted.
So maybe I should change what three words I use to describe my 2006. Maybe I should change it to Early Morning Sunrises. Those beautiful things that you take for granted every day, that keep you alive and warm and awake and moving, that you just know are going to always be there, like a fuzzy sweater or a cozy quilt, but they quietly take the back burner to the Bigger Looking, Noisier, In-Your-Face Things like taxes and mortgages and choir payments.
I see a little orange sphere climbing up above that jagged horizon now and little dashes of contrails lit up white, like a barely-visible thread of spider silk hanging from tree branch to tree branch. What an amazing orange that is. So bright and reliable, washing my whole bedroom in its pinkish-orange glow.
Early Morning Sunrises.
Friday, December 29, 2006
I quit
I keep telling Blogger Beta "Still Seems Like Beta to Me" to remember me, but I must have somehow offended it. No matter how many times I sign in, even if I JUST. SIGNED. IN. two minutes ago, it still doesn't recall who I am. Yet, like some insane person hoping for a different response, I have been clicking that little "Remember Me" box every single time I log in. And every single time, I hope that it will be the last time I have to type in my WHOLE Gmail address in order to post, or upload a photo, or change my settings. I'm no fool, Blogger Beta, I will not fall for this again.
And here's the other thing. What's going on with the photo features? I used to be able to upload photos and then customize my blog sidebar, header, whatever, using the URL of the uploaded photos. But no more. That's why The Baby no longer has her sweet face next to her bio in the sidebar. I tried to put a more recent photo there. BloggerBeta was just like, "Uh. No."
I don't think we're going to get along very well. This customizable blog isn't as customizable as it used to be, if you ask me.
For instance, I can't change my banner now. No new photo banner on my blog because, even though I know the URL is right, a little white box with a red square shows up whenever I try to include a new, nifty banner.
Does anyone have advice on how to get along better with my blog? Pretty please?
And here's the other thing. What's going on with the photo features? I used to be able to upload photos and then customize my blog sidebar, header, whatever, using the URL of the uploaded photos. But no more. That's why The Baby no longer has her sweet face next to her bio in the sidebar. I tried to put a more recent photo there. Blogger
I don't think we're going to get along very well. This customizable blog isn't as customizable as it used to be, if you ask me.
For instance, I can't change my banner now. No new photo banner on my blog because, even though I know the URL is right, a little white box with a red square shows up whenever I try to include a new, nifty banner.
Does anyone have advice on how to get along better with my blog? Pretty please?
Thursday, December 28, 2006
Christmas Morning
I don't know what woke me on Christmas morning, but my eyes popped wide open and I was alert. The only light was from the twinkling of the Christmas tree. All around me lay sleeping children, in chairs, on bean bags on the floor, at my feet. This is our Christmas Eve tradition: Everyone opens two gifts--their Christmas pajamas and a container of Pringles; everyone models their pajamas; everyone eats two or three Pringles, or the whole can; everyone drags their bedding to the room where the Christmas tree glows and we sleep there, beneath the tree. In years past, Bo and I have been awake until 3 a.m. wrapping gifts, but this year, Bo did all of the wrapping, which made me very, very pleased. I'm perfectly content to cook, and I can even force myself to clean, but I absolutely abhor wrapping packages.
So, this Christmas, we were finished with all Christmas preparations. Bo and Houdin both opted out of the sleeping-under-the-tree tradition, but The Baby took it quite seriously, moving all of the gifts that the children had so dutifully transported from my room to the skirt beneath the boughs of the tree, so that she could snuggle directly beneath it. That didn't last long, and soon she was curled up beside Sweetheart and I was reading from an anthology of Christmas stories. By 9 p.m., we were all asleep. Some slept soundly; some slept fitfully, but all slept until Christmas morning.
There I lay, with my eyes wide open. I peered toward the east, but there was not even a hint of a sunrise. Not even a faint glow. My bladder announced that it was time to rise, so I did, first visiting the powder room and then turning on the light in the kitchen. I squinted at the clock. Three in the morning. Shuffling back to the couch, I told my body and brain that they had no business being awake and they were to get back to sleep immediately. Like over-anxious children, they just couldn't do it. I remembered the advice my mother-in-law had once given me about how hormones affect sleep, and how, as she grew older, she would awake at odd hours--be completely and totally awake--and though she tried for a while to force herself back to bed, she finally decided to take advantage of the alertness and use the energy. She found that they were some of the most productive times she had.
I figured that there were things that needed doing before the rest of the family awoke, so I took my mother-in-law's advice and headed back to the kitchen.
Quiche for Christmas morning. That was the plan this year. In years past, we've done Monkey Bread, but it's not as nutritious or filling, so I planned to make my favorite quiche recipe instead, along with some fresh pineapple and orange juice. The pate brise was already in the fridge, so the first step was to brown the bacon, and then deeply saute the onions until they were golden brown. With the bacon sizzling on the stove, I was sure that the aroma would snake its way into someone's dreams and rouse them from sleep.
Sure enough, I heard stirring, heard the squeak of the powder room door, and, before long, there was Monet standing beside me, wrapping his arms around my body and saying, "Merry Christmas" and "Can I help you?"
Let me say that if I produce one real chef, one true culinary-school graduate, I will be satisfied. Out of all of my children so far, Monet and Houdin are the ones most likely to pursue this path. They watch Good Eats on DVD fairly regularly, a gift from Impromptu-Mom that has been one of the most valuable gifts we've ever received.
I welcomed eleven-year-old Monet into my kitchen and invited him to join me in the quiche-making experience. His current favorite pie, he says, is quiche, leaving apple pie and chicken pot pie in the dust. That's really saying something.
I taught him to roll out the pate brise, had him experience the perfection that is golden-brown onions--from the cutting and food-processing (which left him quite teary, but he bore it and plodded on) to the final moments of the forty-minute sauteing process, let him process the Gruyere--an expense that was not spared (there is no quiche cheese like Gruyere), and let him assemble one quiche on his own (though I grated the nutmeg). He was tortured with the smell of the baking quiche, his hunger having already kicked in at 4 a.m., but I encouraged him to eat a banana or some other yummy thing while he waited.
Before long, sixteen-year-old Bard stumbled into the room. Most days, Bard, who is a bohemian like her father, is just snuggling into her bed at this hour. I pray that she gets a night job, truly I do. She poked her head into the kitchen long enough to see what we were doing, realize the unGodly hour in which we were doing it, and crawl back under her covers.
The quiches were beautiful. I explained to Monet how they must be baked until they are just-set in the center, so he was able to remove them from the oven at just the right time, the crust golden and flaky, the eggs still damp and glossy.
It was still too early for the masses to arise, so Monet worked on his Flash cartoons, I cleaned out a few of my cupboards, did a couple of loads of dishes, and then, just in time for children to show their sleepy little faces, I remembered...the stockings hadn't been filled!
A mad rush ensued, the stockings were hung by the, um, er...window casings with care, and that's when, one by one, every member of the family, down to the very last sleepy-headed bohemian, made their appearance in the kitchen, some bouncing, some murmuring, some embracing me and each other with Christmas greetings.
Christmas day had truly begun.
So, this Christmas, we were finished with all Christmas preparations. Bo and Houdin both opted out of the sleeping-under-the-tree tradition, but The Baby took it quite seriously, moving all of the gifts that the children had so dutifully transported from my room to the skirt beneath the boughs of the tree, so that she could snuggle directly beneath it. That didn't last long, and soon she was curled up beside Sweetheart and I was reading from an anthology of Christmas stories. By 9 p.m., we were all asleep. Some slept soundly; some slept fitfully, but all slept until Christmas morning.
There I lay, with my eyes wide open. I peered toward the east, but there was not even a hint of a sunrise. Not even a faint glow. My bladder announced that it was time to rise, so I did, first visiting the powder room and then turning on the light in the kitchen. I squinted at the clock. Three in the morning. Shuffling back to the couch, I told my body and brain that they had no business being awake and they were to get back to sleep immediately. Like over-anxious children, they just couldn't do it. I remembered the advice my mother-in-law had once given me about how hormones affect sleep, and how, as she grew older, she would awake at odd hours--be completely and totally awake--and though she tried for a while to force herself back to bed, she finally decided to take advantage of the alertness and use the energy. She found that they were some of the most productive times she had.
I figured that there were things that needed doing before the rest of the family awoke, so I took my mother-in-law's advice and headed back to the kitchen.
Quiche for Christmas morning. That was the plan this year. In years past, we've done Monkey Bread, but it's not as nutritious or filling, so I planned to make my favorite quiche recipe instead, along with some fresh pineapple and orange juice. The pate brise was already in the fridge, so the first step was to brown the bacon, and then deeply saute the onions until they were golden brown. With the bacon sizzling on the stove, I was sure that the aroma would snake its way into someone's dreams and rouse them from sleep.
Sure enough, I heard stirring, heard the squeak of the powder room door, and, before long, there was Monet standing beside me, wrapping his arms around my body and saying, "Merry Christmas" and "Can I help you?"
Let me say that if I produce one real chef, one true culinary-school graduate, I will be satisfied. Out of all of my children so far, Monet and Houdin are the ones most likely to pursue this path. They watch Good Eats on DVD fairly regularly, a gift from Impromptu-Mom that has been one of the most valuable gifts we've ever received.
I welcomed eleven-year-old Monet into my kitchen and invited him to join me in the quiche-making experience. His current favorite pie, he says, is quiche, leaving apple pie and chicken pot pie in the dust. That's really saying something.
I taught him to roll out the pate brise, had him experience the perfection that is golden-brown onions--from the cutting and food-processing (which left him quite teary, but he bore it and plodded on) to the final moments of the forty-minute sauteing process, let him process the Gruyere--an expense that was not spared (there is no quiche cheese like Gruyere), and let him assemble one quiche on his own (though I grated the nutmeg). He was tortured with the smell of the baking quiche, his hunger having already kicked in at 4 a.m., but I encouraged him to eat a banana or some other yummy thing while he waited.
Before long, sixteen-year-old Bard stumbled into the room. Most days, Bard, who is a bohemian like her father, is just snuggling into her bed at this hour. I pray that she gets a night job, truly I do. She poked her head into the kitchen long enough to see what we were doing, realize the unGodly hour in which we were doing it, and crawl back under her covers.
The quiches were beautiful. I explained to Monet how they must be baked until they are just-set in the center, so he was able to remove them from the oven at just the right time, the crust golden and flaky, the eggs still damp and glossy.
It was still too early for the masses to arise, so Monet worked on his Flash cartoons, I cleaned out a few of my cupboards, did a couple of loads of dishes, and then, just in time for children to show their sleepy little faces, I remembered...the stockings hadn't been filled!
A mad rush ensued, the stockings were hung by the, um, er...window casings with care, and that's when, one by one, every member of the family, down to the very last sleepy-headed bohemian, made their appearance in the kitchen, some bouncing, some murmuring, some embracing me and each other with Christmas greetings.
Christmas day had truly begun.
Tuesday, December 26, 2006
Recovering
Today is a day of recovery. And extended holiday.
I absolutely crashed after the Christmas festivities. We all gathered around the basement television to watch Hitchiker's Guide and I fell soundly, though uncomfortably, asleep on the hard carpeted floor. When I awoke, the movie was almost over, and I shuffled off to bed. I didn't think I'd go back to sleep; it was still early. But I did sleep, and slept soundly until this morning. I think I had too much Christmas.
Today I did a few errands in the morning, then I came home and started some kitchen cleanup and baking. I decided to make some more shortbread, but this time using cornstarch for part of the flour. I haven't baked the dough yet, so I can't tell you how it worked. I'll let you know later.
I also added chocolate chips to one batch of the shortbread, and I made a batch of Millionaire Shortbread, which is cooling as I type. We ate leftover roast beef and turkey carcass soup for lunch and I made a batch of Grandma Jane's potato salad to keep us going through the week. Bo's off work tomorrow and Thursday, and tonight the children and I are going to a bargain movie to see Santa Claus III. I hope I'm not terribly disappointed. :-/
I have the after-Christmas-bad-attitude-blahs today. I just don't feel settled, and my body has had about enough standing, cooking, washing dishes, cleaning, and standing. Enough!
More about Christmas happenings when I return. For now, it's off to the theater.
I absolutely crashed after the Christmas festivities. We all gathered around the basement television to watch Hitchiker's Guide and I fell soundly, though uncomfortably, asleep on the hard carpeted floor. When I awoke, the movie was almost over, and I shuffled off to bed. I didn't think I'd go back to sleep; it was still early. But I did sleep, and slept soundly until this morning. I think I had too much Christmas.
Today I did a few errands in the morning, then I came home and started some kitchen cleanup and baking. I decided to make some more shortbread, but this time using cornstarch for part of the flour. I haven't baked the dough yet, so I can't tell you how it worked. I'll let you know later.
I also added chocolate chips to one batch of the shortbread, and I made a batch of Millionaire Shortbread, which is cooling as I type. We ate leftover roast beef and turkey carcass soup for lunch and I made a batch of Grandma Jane's potato salad to keep us going through the week. Bo's off work tomorrow and Thursday, and tonight the children and I are going to a bargain movie to see Santa Claus III. I hope I'm not terribly disappointed. :-/
I have the after-Christmas-bad-attitude-blahs today. I just don't feel settled, and my body has had about enough standing, cooking, washing dishes, cleaning, and standing. Enough!
More about Christmas happenings when I return. For now, it's off to the theater.
The Christmas Interviews: Part IV: The Houdin Files
Mama: Are you having a good Christmas?
Houdin: What?
Mama: Are you having a good Christmas?
H: Yep
Mama: What's your favorite gift this year?
H: What?
Mama: What's your favorite gift this year?
H: Uh...Air Soft BB Gun.
M: What was the worst part about Christmas?
H: Um...couldn't get to sleep Christmas Eve. I tried to drink grape juice and eat Buckeyes, and it didn't taste too good, because one was sweet and one was sour. It was kinda gross, actually.
M: What's the best gift you gave?
H: I can't tell you. Because I haven't given it yet. Because it got lost by a certain person. She was wrapping presents and she lost one.
M: Was there anything you really, really, really wanted but you didn't get?
H: Um...not really. I didn't really want much. That one Heroscape set with a bunch of heroes that has a dragon it it.
M: That's the one I wanted to get you, but Dad said you wouldn't want that one.
H: Aw, man! Can I trade and you can pretend that's what you got me?
M: Was there anything you didn't ask for that you're really glad you got?
H: Um, an Air Soft BB gun.
M: Was there anything you got that you don't like?
H: No. I really liked everything I got.
M: Do you remember any of the gifts you got last year?
H: Um, Playmobil, Heroscape, uh...a shoulder bag, some books, and I think that was pretty much it.
M: What can you do this year that you couldn't do last Christmas?
H: Shoot people with Air Soft BB guns.
M: What do you hope to be able to do by next Christmas that you can't do this year?
H: Um, be able to make, get together a bunch of people for an Air Soft, uh, Heroscape party. It'd be fun. It would be like a two-day thing, so if I have a Heroscape/Air Soft party, people can come for both. as it is now, we've got about $250 of Heroscape stuff. maybe $300. In our group. And everyone said they wanted to have a Heroscape pot so we can have community Heroscape figures.
M: What does Christmas mean to you?
H: Um, I guess, it's just a time where everybody can relax and uh, it's sad though, because a lot of people during Christmas season don't relax and that's what makes the Christmas season depressing sometimes.
M: So, are you gonna do the shopping and and make meals next year?
H: I can make some meals, but I won't be able to drive to do the shopping. I'd like to.
M: If you did, do you think you could relax?
H: christmas day, yeah. I think I'd relax better knowing I worked the day before. I'd make it last.
M: What's your favorite part of Christmas;
H: Right after everyone opens their presents and everyone's using their presents or playing with them or whatever, and going over to your friend's house and showing them what you got and everyone's happy. No one's mad at each other. Who wants to get mad at anybody when you just got a bunch of free stuff?
The Loot List:
A hat that says, "What would Jesus do" and it looks like the Mt. Dew logo
A handgun BB gun
Two Heroscape Expansion sets
Candy
snake tatoos
camo duct tape
Air Soft goggles
An ice shaver, which I used last night and it worked really well. I took the ice out of the freezer and shaved it, and made some really, really concentrated Gator Ade and then I put it in the icy and mixed it all up, and it was really good.
Monty Python pjs. It's got the Black Knight with his arms and legs chopped off and it says, "It's just a flesh wound"
Pringles
Chocolate orange
Sweater
An Air Force field jacket--it's green.
Houdin: What?
Mama: Are you having a good Christmas?
H: Yep
Mama: What's your favorite gift this year?
H: What?
Mama: What's your favorite gift this year?
H: Uh...Air Soft BB Gun.
M: What was the worst part about Christmas?
H: Um...couldn't get to sleep Christmas Eve. I tried to drink grape juice and eat Buckeyes, and it didn't taste too good, because one was sweet and one was sour. It was kinda gross, actually.
M: What's the best gift you gave?
H: I can't tell you. Because I haven't given it yet. Because it got lost by a certain person. She was wrapping presents and she lost one.
M: Was there anything you really, really, really wanted but you didn't get?
H: Um...not really. I didn't really want much. That one Heroscape set with a bunch of heroes that has a dragon it it.
M: That's the one I wanted to get you, but Dad said you wouldn't want that one.
H: Aw, man! Can I trade and you can pretend that's what you got me?
M: Was there anything you didn't ask for that you're really glad you got?
H: Um, an Air Soft BB gun.
M: Was there anything you got that you don't like?
H: No. I really liked everything I got.
M: Do you remember any of the gifts you got last year?
H: Um, Playmobil, Heroscape, uh...a shoulder bag, some books, and I think that was pretty much it.
M: What can you do this year that you couldn't do last Christmas?
H: Shoot people with Air Soft BB guns.
M: What do you hope to be able to do by next Christmas that you can't do this year?
H: Um, be able to make, get together a bunch of people for an Air Soft, uh, Heroscape party. It'd be fun. It would be like a two-day thing, so if I have a Heroscape/Air Soft party, people can come for both. as it is now, we've got about $250 of Heroscape stuff. maybe $300. In our group. And everyone said they wanted to have a Heroscape pot so we can have community Heroscape figures.
M: What does Christmas mean to you?
H: Um, I guess, it's just a time where everybody can relax and uh, it's sad though, because a lot of people during Christmas season don't relax and that's what makes the Christmas season depressing sometimes.
M: So, are you gonna do the shopping and and make meals next year?
H: I can make some meals, but I won't be able to drive to do the shopping. I'd like to.
M: If you did, do you think you could relax?
H: christmas day, yeah. I think I'd relax better knowing I worked the day before. I'd make it last.
M: What's your favorite part of Christmas;
H: Right after everyone opens their presents and everyone's using their presents or playing with them or whatever, and going over to your friend's house and showing them what you got and everyone's happy. No one's mad at each other. Who wants to get mad at anybody when you just got a bunch of free stuff?
The Loot List:
A hat that says, "What would Jesus do" and it looks like the Mt. Dew logo
A handgun BB gun
Two Heroscape Expansion sets
Candy
snake tatoos
camo duct tape
Air Soft goggles
An ice shaver, which I used last night and it worked really well. I took the ice out of the freezer and shaved it, and made some really, really concentrated Gator Ade and then I put it in the icy and mixed it all up, and it was really good.
Monty Python pjs. It's got the Black Knight with his arms and legs chopped off and it says, "It's just a flesh wound"
Pringles
Chocolate orange
Sweater
An Air Force field jacket--it's green.
The Christmas Interviews: Part III: The Bard Files
Mama: Are you having a good Christmas?
Bard: Yeah.
Mama: What's your favorite gift this year?
B: Pirates of the Carribean II.
M: What was the worst part about Christmas?
B: Not being able to fall asleep the night before.
M: What's the best gift you gave?
B: The ducks. Large resin duck figurines to Mom.
M: Was there anything you really, really, really wanted but you didn't get?
B: There wasn't anything I really, really, really wanted. I kinda wanted that hat with the earphones in it, but I didn't really, really, really want it. And the stuff I did want, I got, so...
M: Was there anything you didn't ask for that you're really glad you got?
B: Uh, yeah. I didn't really ask for anything. I think the only thing I asked for was the Pirates DVD and a t-shirt (says "I love pirates"), so...
M: Was there anything you got that you don't like?
B: Nope.
M: Do you remember any of the gifts you got last year?
B: I think last year, I got the Reliant K CD and I got some jewelry, and Playmobil stuff. It's hard to remember what you got, cuz you know stuff you have that you like, but it's hard to remember exactly what it was you got. Oh! I got, um...all those Richard Haliburton books. I got a lot of books last year. I think I got Hitchhiker's Guide last year.
M: What can you do this year that you couldn't do last Christmas?
B: I don't think anything. I can debate. I guess.
M: What do you hope to be able to do by next Christmas that you can't do this year?
B: Beat my speech nemesis.
M: What does Christmas mean to you?
B: Well, Christmas means the day Jesus was born. So, I mean, it doesn't really...I mean, it MEANS stuff, but it's not like, "Oh, I have to find the meaning of Christmas," because you already know what it is, if you're a Christian.
M: What's your favorite part of Christmas;
B: Probably just relaxing and everyone hanging out after we open presents.
The Loot List:
Pirates of the Carribean II
Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy, the movie
Baby Check Up
Some books
Some Playmobil stuff
Two little Chinese figurines
A desk and computer
Pajamas
My "pirates" shirt
A Dr. Seuss shirt
Beanie Babies
Bard: Yeah.
Mama: What's your favorite gift this year?
B: Pirates of the Carribean II.
M: What was the worst part about Christmas?
B: Not being able to fall asleep the night before.
M: What's the best gift you gave?
B: The ducks. Large resin duck figurines to Mom.
M: Was there anything you really, really, really wanted but you didn't get?
B: There wasn't anything I really, really, really wanted. I kinda wanted that hat with the earphones in it, but I didn't really, really, really want it. And the stuff I did want, I got, so...
M: Was there anything you didn't ask for that you're really glad you got?
B: Uh, yeah. I didn't really ask for anything. I think the only thing I asked for was the Pirates DVD and a t-shirt (says "I love pirates"), so...
M: Was there anything you got that you don't like?
B: Nope.
M: Do you remember any of the gifts you got last year?
B: I think last year, I got the Reliant K CD and I got some jewelry, and Playmobil stuff. It's hard to remember what you got, cuz you know stuff you have that you like, but it's hard to remember exactly what it was you got. Oh! I got, um...all those Richard Haliburton books. I got a lot of books last year. I think I got Hitchhiker's Guide last year.
M: What can you do this year that you couldn't do last Christmas?
B: I don't think anything. I can debate. I guess.
M: What do you hope to be able to do by next Christmas that you can't do this year?
B: Beat my speech nemesis.
M: What does Christmas mean to you?
B: Well, Christmas means the day Jesus was born. So, I mean, it doesn't really...I mean, it MEANS stuff, but it's not like, "Oh, I have to find the meaning of Christmas," because you already know what it is, if you're a Christian.
M: What's your favorite part of Christmas;
B: Probably just relaxing and everyone hanging out after we open presents.
The Loot List:
Pirates of the Carribean II
Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy, the movie
Baby Check Up
Some books
Some Playmobil stuff
Two little Chinese figurines
A desk and computer
Pajamas
My "pirates" shirt
A Dr. Seuss shirt
Beanie Babies
The Christmas Interviews: Part II: The Sweetheart Files
Mama: Are you having a good Christmas?
Sweetheart: Yes. This might be my favorite Christmas.
Mama: What's your favorite gift this year?
S: Probably the Playmobil set with the unicorns. Maybe the leather purse, or the glass things in it.
M: What was the worst part about Christmas?
S: That I didn't get Build-a-Bear clothes.
M: What's the best gift you gave?
S: Probably Sticky Notes to Houdin or the Hot Wheel car I gave to Monet.
M: Was there anything you really, really, really wanted but you didn't get?
S: No.
M: Was there anything you didn't ask for that you're really glad you got?
S: I didn't ask for anything.
M: Was there anything you got that you don't like?
S: No.
M: Do you remember any of the gifts you got last year?
s: All I remember was when Dad had to drive an Amish person and it took really, really long and we had to wait for him forever and when he got home, we started ripping presents open. Oh! And Bard gave me a purple glass doll to put on my Christmas tree.
M: What can you do this year that you couldn't do last Christmas?
S: Play piano.
M: What do you hope to be able to do by next Christmas that you can't do this year?
S: Play guitar or harp.
M: What does Christmas mean to you?
S: Giving, taking, love and hope.
What is your favorite thing about Christmas?
Her: That you get presents and you get cookies, and you get to spend time with your family. And the wonderful meal you have.
The Loot List:
Glass dolls (ornaments. --Ed)
A ballerina
Gum from my Secret St. Nick
Playmobil unicorn set
Polly Pocket
Chocolate orange and candy
Early pajamas
A leather purse
Clothes
A velvety poster that you color
A thing that goes over my bed (a canopy. --Ed)
A pretty quilt with little girls on it.
Pillowcases that were embroidered with kitty cats and butterflies.
Books
Pink Converse tennis shoes
Coloring books
Markers
A little book of fairies that you color like stained glass windows
Pringles
A wonderful dinner
Sweetheart: Yes. This might be my favorite Christmas.
Mama: What's your favorite gift this year?
S: Probably the Playmobil set with the unicorns. Maybe the leather purse, or the glass things in it.
M: What was the worst part about Christmas?
S: That I didn't get Build-a-Bear clothes.
M: What's the best gift you gave?
S: Probably Sticky Notes to Houdin or the Hot Wheel car I gave to Monet.
M: Was there anything you really, really, really wanted but you didn't get?
S: No.
M: Was there anything you didn't ask for that you're really glad you got?
S: I didn't ask for anything.
M: Was there anything you got that you don't like?
S: No.
M: Do you remember any of the gifts you got last year?
s: All I remember was when Dad had to drive an Amish person and it took really, really long and we had to wait for him forever and when he got home, we started ripping presents open. Oh! And Bard gave me a purple glass doll to put on my Christmas tree.
M: What can you do this year that you couldn't do last Christmas?
S: Play piano.
M: What do you hope to be able to do by next Christmas that you can't do this year?
S: Play guitar or harp.
M: What does Christmas mean to you?
S: Giving, taking, love and hope.
What is your favorite thing about Christmas?
Her: That you get presents and you get cookies, and you get to spend time with your family. And the wonderful meal you have.
The Loot List:
Glass dolls (ornaments. --Ed)
A ballerina
Gum from my Secret St. Nick
Playmobil unicorn set
Polly Pocket
Chocolate orange and candy
Early pajamas
A leather purse
Clothes
A velvety poster that you color
A thing that goes over my bed (a canopy. --Ed)
A pretty quilt with little girls on it.
Pillowcases that were embroidered with kitty cats and butterflies.
Books
Pink Converse tennis shoes
Coloring books
Markers
A little book of fairies that you color like stained glass windows
Pringles
A wonderful dinner
The Christmas Interviews: Part I: The Monet Files
Mama: Are you having a good Christmas?
Monet: Yeah. Really great. We didn't get as much presents, but I still like the presents that I got.
Mama: What's your favorite gift this year?
Him: The Playmobil pirate ship. It only has three guys on it, so it's not a very big crew, but I got more pirates from different sets, so I've got a bigger crew now.
M: What was the worst part about Christmas?
Him: I don't really know. The worst part...that Houdin didn't get very many presents, but he got an Air Soft gun.
M: What's the best gift you gave?
Him: I think...the coolest gift or the best gift?
M: Doesn't matter.
Him: During Christmas?
M: Any Christmas gift.
Him: I think the Hot Wheel car I got for Houdin. I really liked that.
M: Was there anything you really, really, really wanted but you didn't get?
Him: That BIG, HUUUGE red Playmobil castle. It's the Lion's Castle. That's what, like, team they are. The lions. But that's a huge, biggest one. And it's really cool because it has a trap door.
M: Was there anything you didn't ask for that you're really glad you got?
Him: Yeah. A pirate ship. THE pirate ship. The End, the last Series of Unfortunate Events book.
M: Was there anything you got that you don't like?
Him: Not really. I really liked all of them, but the one I didn't like as much would probably be...I don't know. I liked all of them.
M: Do you remember any of the gifts you got last year?
Him: We got a castle...Playmobil. And I think I got a pocketknife and a CD player, which I have a pocketknife, the same one I lost that I thought I'd never see again, I got it back this year.
M: What can you do this year that you couldn't do last Christmas?
Him: I can do Flash cartoons. I even have a logo!
M: What do you hope to be able to do by next Christmas that you can't do this year?
Him: Drive.
M: That's not gonna happen.
Him: Draw really good.
M: What does Christmas mean to you?
Him: Well, it means to me joy and happiness, and you get a lot of presents, but that's not all. Snowing. But it didn't snow this year. Well, it did, but not very much. Not enough to sled on. It means that we get to celebrate the birth of Jesus, and that's the happiest time of the year. That when my birthday comes, everything will be green.
M: What does that have to do with Christmas?
Him: There are no leaves on the trees, but when my birthday comes, there will be leaves on the trees. On my birthday, leaves. On Christmas, no leaves. It really doesn't make any sense.
M: What's your favorite thing about Christmas?
Him: Presents and snowing and good decorating. Caroling, and drinking hot chocolate.
The Loot List:
A couple packets of Runtz
A lot of chocolate, which I didn't eat and I gave to The Baby
A pirate ship
A bunch of sweaters and a coat
Pajama pants that say "Anger Management School Dropout"
A chocolate orange
Some school books (I think)
Hot wheels car
Series of Unfortunate Events book
Polymer clay
I got an early present--Flash
A drawing model
A good Zig pen
A bunch of ball-point pens
My pocketknife back
A pirate sticker book
Monet: Yeah. Really great. We didn't get as much presents, but I still like the presents that I got.
Mama: What's your favorite gift this year?
Him: The Playmobil pirate ship. It only has three guys on it, so it's not a very big crew, but I got more pirates from different sets, so I've got a bigger crew now.
M: What was the worst part about Christmas?
Him: I don't really know. The worst part...that Houdin didn't get very many presents, but he got an Air Soft gun.
M: What's the best gift you gave?
Him: I think...the coolest gift or the best gift?
M: Doesn't matter.
Him: During Christmas?
M: Any Christmas gift.
Him: I think the Hot Wheel car I got for Houdin. I really liked that.
M: Was there anything you really, really, really wanted but you didn't get?
Him: That BIG, HUUUGE red Playmobil castle. It's the Lion's Castle. That's what, like, team they are. The lions. But that's a huge, biggest one. And it's really cool because it has a trap door.
M: Was there anything you didn't ask for that you're really glad you got?
Him: Yeah. A pirate ship. THE pirate ship. The End, the last Series of Unfortunate Events book.
M: Was there anything you got that you don't like?
Him: Not really. I really liked all of them, but the one I didn't like as much would probably be...I don't know. I liked all of them.
M: Do you remember any of the gifts you got last year?
Him: We got a castle...Playmobil. And I think I got a pocketknife and a CD player, which I have a pocketknife, the same one I lost that I thought I'd never see again, I got it back this year.
M: What can you do this year that you couldn't do last Christmas?
Him: I can do Flash cartoons. I even have a logo!
M: What do you hope to be able to do by next Christmas that you can't do this year?
Him: Drive.
M: That's not gonna happen.
Him: Draw really good.
M: What does Christmas mean to you?
Him: Well, it means to me joy and happiness, and you get a lot of presents, but that's not all. Snowing. But it didn't snow this year. Well, it did, but not very much. Not enough to sled on. It means that we get to celebrate the birth of Jesus, and that's the happiest time of the year. That when my birthday comes, everything will be green.
M: What does that have to do with Christmas?
Him: There are no leaves on the trees, but when my birthday comes, there will be leaves on the trees. On my birthday, leaves. On Christmas, no leaves. It really doesn't make any sense.
M: What's your favorite thing about Christmas?
Him: Presents and snowing and good decorating. Caroling, and drinking hot chocolate.
The Loot List:
A couple packets of Runtz
A lot of chocolate, which I didn't eat and I gave to The Baby
A pirate ship
A bunch of sweaters and a coat
Pajama pants that say "Anger Management School Dropout"
A chocolate orange
Some school books (I think)
Hot wheels car
Series of Unfortunate Events book
Polymer clay
I got an early present--Flash
A drawing model
A good Zig pen
A bunch of ball-point pens
My pocketknife back
A pirate sticker book
Sunday, December 24, 2006
Memories of Christmases Past
I hope you enjoy a few photos of our past Christmases. It's a decent substitute for new photos while my camera's out of commission. What a wonderful day we've had, beginning with a Christmas Eve service which included a scrumptious breakfast, lots of singing and many smiling faces. We came home to the aroma of roasting turkey and beef--both had been put on to cook before we left. Everyone pitched in one way or another and around 4:00, we had a feast fit for a family. The turkey was fabulous, the stuffing was amazing (I got the "pattern" for the stuffing from Fine Cooking, a magazine I picked up at the thrift store for a dime! I'll post the stuffing recipe later and explain about the "pattern" thing), the mashed potatoes were light and fluffy, and the gravy was only slightly lumpy. :-) Bard's pickle wraps were delicious, though there are many leftovers of all because there was so much to eat. Even now, the Turkey Carcass Soup broth has been started, so tomorrow's meal will be as yummy as today's! Come on by, if you need some food. ;-)
Now it's time to wash and wrap the Christmas pajamas (I finally found some!) and relax to the sights of candles glimmering and Turkey Carcass Soup simmering.
One more sleep 'til Christmas! Are you as excited as I am?!?
I'd like to post this as my banner...
It's Almost CHRISTMAS!
Today was a Good Day.
Well, it wasn't completely good, but what kind of day is ever completely good? It didn't start out so great, with an argument between my oldest children and me, but it improved from there, so that's something to be thankful for.
Bo and I used the day to wrap up our Christmas shopping. We only shopped for our children this year, as our overall Christmas budget is less than a week's worth of groceries, and most of their gifts came from the thrift store, which is, in my opinion, a way mobie cool way to go. I can't tell you what they got yet (they read the blog, doncha know), but I can tell you that Bo wrapped presents All. Evening. Long. He wrapped until he ran out of tape and has used almost an entire 200 s.f. roll of peppermint-stick-print paper. The little white tree in my room is completely surrounded by gifts, and I even managed to get a couple of small things for Bo.
While on our shopping trip, we had lunch out followed by coffee at this cute little Hungarian pastry shop in the Bigger City; the shop reminded me of the shop in Chocolat, which made me both inspired and slightly jealous. One of my dreams is to open a shop in our little town much like the one in Chocolat. First, I have to become as sexy as Juliette Binoche's character. I'm sure I'll be a success if I achieve that goal.
At Tulipan, the pastry shop, we each filled coffee cups and ogled over the goodies behind the glass. I indulged in some rum balls, linzer cookies, kifli and decorated spice cookies for the kids, who were dutifully cleaning the house while we shopped.
I was so inspired by the pastry shop that I was eager to do some baking when I got home. The house was so clean (thanks, Bard and Houdin!) that all I had to do was go around lighting candles and everything was cozy. With Bard's help, I made two batches of shortbread, one batch of pecan shortbread and one batch of tarts. A lot of the cookies will go to church with us for tomorrow morning's Christmas Eve service and meal. The rest will go to neighbors and be our dessert for Christmas dinner.
I decided to have our Christmas dinner on Christmas Eve this year, so after the cookies were baked, I got the turkey ready for brining. We raised our own turkeys this year, which was a good experience, and we grilled one for Thanksgiving, which was mediocre. I'm hoping that this turkey, a smaller one, will be tastier. I plan to use my electric roaster on this one. Next year, I want to raise a Christmas Goose and maybe our own pigs for ham.
I'm also making two roasts, three kinds of potatoes, an apple-pear pie with a pate brise crust, a Toll House pie, savory stuffing, pickle wraps, cranberry sauce with homemade whipped cream, some assorted veggies, and maybe some rolls, if I get to it in time. Christmas morning, I'll make two quiches and we'll have leftovers, which will probably include Turkey Carcass Soup.
Last night, we joined about twenty-five others and went caroling around the neighborhood of some friends', giving them batches of cookies. My contribution was shortbread cookies and buckeye candies. To see the faces of those we carolled was so rewarding. One elderly woman told us that she had never been carolled before!
While Bo and I were gone today, three of our neighbors sent plates of goodies--cookies and candies and snack mixes. Earlier this week, my dear friend Penny sent Petits Fours to the children, a tradition she has kept up with every year since we've lived here.
My feet are aching, my knees have all but given out, I've almost finished decorating, I filled out but didn't mail my Christmas cards, and I'm coming dangerously close to getting tired of shortbread and Christmas carols, but, finally, I feel like it's Christmas.
I hope you do, too, friend.
Happy Holidays to you and yours, and may you feel peace and joy this Christmas season!
Well, it wasn't completely good, but what kind of day is ever completely good? It didn't start out so great, with an argument between my oldest children and me, but it improved from there, so that's something to be thankful for.
Bo and I used the day to wrap up our Christmas shopping. We only shopped for our children this year, as our overall Christmas budget is less than a week's worth of groceries, and most of their gifts came from the thrift store, which is, in my opinion, a way mobie cool way to go. I can't tell you what they got yet (they read the blog, doncha know), but I can tell you that Bo wrapped presents All. Evening. Long. He wrapped until he ran out of tape and has used almost an entire 200 s.f. roll of peppermint-stick-print paper. The little white tree in my room is completely surrounded by gifts, and I even managed to get a couple of small things for Bo.
While on our shopping trip, we had lunch out followed by coffee at this cute little Hungarian pastry shop in the Bigger City; the shop reminded me of the shop in Chocolat, which made me both inspired and slightly jealous. One of my dreams is to open a shop in our little town much like the one in Chocolat. First, I have to become as sexy as Juliette Binoche's character. I'm sure I'll be a success if I achieve that goal.
At Tulipan, the pastry shop, we each filled coffee cups and ogled over the goodies behind the glass. I indulged in some rum balls, linzer cookies, kifli and decorated spice cookies for the kids, who were dutifully cleaning the house while we shopped.
I was so inspired by the pastry shop that I was eager to do some baking when I got home. The house was so clean (thanks, Bard and Houdin!) that all I had to do was go around lighting candles and everything was cozy. With Bard's help, I made two batches of shortbread, one batch of pecan shortbread and one batch of tarts. A lot of the cookies will go to church with us for tomorrow morning's Christmas Eve service and meal. The rest will go to neighbors and be our dessert for Christmas dinner.
I decided to have our Christmas dinner on Christmas Eve this year, so after the cookies were baked, I got the turkey ready for brining. We raised our own turkeys this year, which was a good experience, and we grilled one for Thanksgiving, which was mediocre. I'm hoping that this turkey, a smaller one, will be tastier. I plan to use my electric roaster on this one. Next year, I want to raise a Christmas Goose and maybe our own pigs for ham.
I'm also making two roasts, three kinds of potatoes, an apple-pear pie with a pate brise crust, a Toll House pie, savory stuffing, pickle wraps, cranberry sauce with homemade whipped cream, some assorted veggies, and maybe some rolls, if I get to it in time. Christmas morning, I'll make two quiches and we'll have leftovers, which will probably include Turkey Carcass Soup.
Last night, we joined about twenty-five others and went caroling around the neighborhood of some friends', giving them batches of cookies. My contribution was shortbread cookies and buckeye candies. To see the faces of those we carolled was so rewarding. One elderly woman told us that she had never been carolled before!
While Bo and I were gone today, three of our neighbors sent plates of goodies--cookies and candies and snack mixes. Earlier this week, my dear friend Penny sent Petits Fours to the children, a tradition she has kept up with every year since we've lived here.
My feet are aching, my knees have all but given out, I've almost finished decorating, I filled out but didn't mail my Christmas cards, and I'm coming dangerously close to getting tired of shortbread and Christmas carols, but, finally, I feel like it's Christmas.
I hope you do, too, friend.
Happy Holidays to you and yours, and may you feel peace and joy this Christmas season!
Saturday, December 23, 2006
::: gone, gone, gone :::
I'm so angry.
I just spent an hour writing an essay on Blogger only to have it disappear when I hit "publish." This is the third time this has happened since I've switched to Beta, and the "recover post" and autosave features didn't work. Very frustrating. For some reason, Blogger Beta won't save my login, so, apparently, if I take longer than 15 minutes or so to write a post, I get logged out and have to sign in again. And it seems that every feature I try to use on Beta makes me log in with my gmail account again, even if I just did so and asked it to remember me.
Boy, am I bummed. That really stinks. I actually wrote a post I liked, and it's been sucked into internetworldland.
Sigh.
I just spent an hour writing an essay on Blogger only to have it disappear when I hit "publish." This is the third time this has happened since I've switched to Beta, and the "recover post" and autosave features didn't work. Very frustrating. For some reason, Blogger Beta won't save my login, so, apparently, if I take longer than 15 minutes or so to write a post, I get logged out and have to sign in again. And it seems that every feature I try to use on Beta makes me log in with my gmail account again, even if I just did so and asked it to remember me.
Boy, am I bummed. That really stinks. I actually wrote a post I liked, and it's been sucked into internetworldland.
Sigh.
Thursday, December 21, 2006
Shortbread Cookies
Every time I make these simple yet fabulous cookies, I wonder why I bother with any other kind. I made a batch today as a gift for Bo's boss's family, acorn-shaped, and I dipped the acorn caps in a mixture of bittersweet chocolate, corn syrup and butter.
The keys are to be gentle with the dough, refrigerating it well before rolling and cutting, making sure to roll them thick (1/4 inch is good), refrigerating again, and baking them just long enough to harden them and slightly brown the edges.
I got this recipe from joyofbaking.com, which gives these tips:
Always use good-quality butter, NEVER margarine; You can make them more flavorful by adding about 1/2 cup of chocolate chips or cut up semisweet chocolate, 1 tablespoon of instant espresso powder for a coffee taste, 1 teaspoon of ground cinnamon, or 1 tablespoon of finely chopped orange or lemon zest. The texture of shortbread can also be changed by replacing 1/4 cup of the flour with rice flour to give them a slightly crunchy texture. For a more delicate tasting shortbread with a melt-in-your-mouth texture, replace 1/2 cup of the flour with cornstarch. Sprinkle the baked cookies with granulated white sugar or dip the ends of the shortbread in melted chocolate.
2 cups (280 grams) all-purpose flour
1/4 teaspoon (2 grams) salt
1 cup (2 sticks) (226 grams) unsalted butter, room temperature
1/2 cup (60 grams) powdered (confectioners or icing) sugar
1 teaspoon (4 grams) pure vanilla extract
The keys are to be gentle with the dough, refrigerating it well before rolling and cutting, making sure to roll them thick (1/4 inch is good), refrigerating again, and baking them just long enough to harden them and slightly brown the edges.
I got this recipe from joyofbaking.com, which gives these tips:
2 cups (280 grams) all-purpose flour
1/4 teaspoon (2 grams) salt
1 cup (2 sticks) (226 grams) unsalted butter, room temperature
1/2 cup (60 grams) powdered (confectioners or icing) sugar
1 teaspoon (4 grams) pure vanilla extract
In a separate bowl whisk the flour with the salt. Set aside.
In the bowl of your electric mixer (or with a hand mixer), cream the butter until smooth (about 1 minute). Add the sugar and beat until smooth (about 2 minutes). Beat in the vanilla extract. Gently stir in the flour mixture just until incorporated. latten the dough into a disk shape, wrap in plastic wrap, and chill the dough for at least an hour.
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (177 degrees C) with the rack in the middle of the oven. Line two baking sheets with parchment paper.
On a lightly floured surface roll out the dough to 1/4 inch (.5 cm) thick. Cut into rounds or whatever shapes you wish using lightly floured cookie cutter. Place the cookies on the prepared baking sheet and place in the refrigerator for about 15 minutes. This will firm up the dough so the cookies will maintain their shape when baked. Bake for 8 - 10 minutes, or until cookies are lightly brown. Cool on rack.
Shortbread with keep in an airtight container for about a week or frozen for several months.
Makes about 20 shortbread cookies.
Tuesday, December 19, 2006
White Trash Recipe
Here's a holiday recipe that's easy to make and looks nice in zip-type baggies; makes a great gift and a quick take-to-the-party treat. I just finished three batches--making them, not eating them. Sheesh!
White Trash
3 cups of Rice Chex
3 cups of Corn Chex
3 cups of Cheerios
(I suppose you could use any neutral-type cereals you want. I used just Chex for this batch)
1 cup of salted peanuts
1 1/2 cup of broken pretzel pieces
1 pound of M&Ms and/or Reese's Pieces (to make a total of one pound)
1 1/2 pounds white confectioner's coating
Mix all of the dry stuff together.
Melt the coating in a double-boiler or very, very carefully on low on a stovetop, stirring constantly until coating is melted and smooth.
When it's completely melted, stir it gently but thoroughly into the dry ingredients until everything is completely covered.
Spread the whole thing on wax paper and cool.
Break into chunks and store in baggies.
YUM!
This has absolutely no calories if you eat it while standing.
Enjoy.
White Trash
3 cups of Rice Chex
3 cups of Corn Chex
3 cups of Cheerios
(I suppose you could use any neutral-type cereals you want. I used just Chex for this batch)
1 cup of salted peanuts
1 1/2 cup of broken pretzel pieces
1 pound of M&Ms and/or Reese's Pieces (to make a total of one pound)
1 1/2 pounds white confectioner's coating
Mix all of the dry stuff together.
Melt the coating in a double-boiler or very, very carefully on low on a stovetop, stirring constantly until coating is melted and smooth.
When it's completely melted, stir it gently but thoroughly into the dry ingredients until everything is completely covered.
Spread the whole thing on wax paper and cool.
Break into chunks and store in baggies.
YUM!
This has absolutely no calories if you eat it while standing.
Enjoy.
Monday, December 18, 2006
The Ice Storm
The photo that you see in my banner and buttons is the detail of a photo taken two years ago at Christmastime, the year of the ice storm. We were without power of the Christmas holiday for about a week, and some people in our community were powerless for longer. I snapped these photos on Christmas morning. Believe me, it was much more amazing in-person. Beautiful, but devastating. Our tireless electric company linemen worked long, long hours in the ice and cold over Christmas until power was restored. Would it be wrong to admit that I actually liked having no power over Christmas. I mean, no, I wouldn't want it to happen again without notice, and I know people lost business and money and had property damage. And it was completely maddening not having a way to shower or do dishes or laundry. BUT it was a good excuse for us to all slow down, to do puzzles by candlelight, to have simple meals and stay off the roads.
I wish it wouldn't take an ice storm for us to choose a simple life.
::: 2006 candlelight concert :::
Guest Post from Bard:I have been told to write about this picture. Okay. If you want to see me, (my head the size of an atom) then look for the really tall kid in the back row. Then look to the left. That is me.
Christmas Candlelight concerts are the best in the whole universe. They're beautiful and fun and confusing, and you get to hold little lights and blind yourself, and spend three days in a row with all your choir buddies. Unless you don't have any choir buddies. In which case it's just too bad to be you, because if you don't have any choir buddies, you don't have anyone to be confused with. This year we did really well. Granted, we didn't do as well as that one concert in Italy, but we still basically rocked. And that is about all I have to say. Oh, I lied. I have one more thing to say: we look like bellhops.
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