Angels we have heard on high

"Every time a bell rings, an angel gets its wings."

He's making a list

Are you on the naughty or nice list?

Where Did December Go?

I've been meaning to do my holiday baking for weeks now.
Oops!  Suddenly Christmas is only two days away and I haven't even started!

Double oops!

Today my agenda calls for finding a recipe online and collecting three others from the files.  Hitting the grocery store for missing ingredients is next on the list.  I WILL make the dough for the cookies I promised my brother back in December 2009.  (In fact, Dec. 25th, 2009.)


Tomorrow I will bake two cakes and the cookies.

Sunday I will bake a pie before the turkey goes into the oven. (And I have to prepare the veggies, too.)

Why, oh why, didn't I do my baking before this?

Well, Christmas, which seemed so far in the future, suddenly snuck up on me.

Still, we will have cake. We will have cookies.  We will have pie.

I've got that computer-generated calendar going now, so next year I'm scheduling baking a LOT earlier.  Please hold me to it.

What last minute prep is on your list of things to do for the next couple of days?

That tired old wreath

Our Christmas tree is up.  So are the stockings (well, three of them).  Our Christmas cards are hanging in the entryway on the cork wall. (Yeah, 1960s retro, but then that's when our house was built.  I painted it a neutral brown so it kind of disappears, and it's great for hanging the Mariner's Compass quilt wallhanging my Mom made and oh yes!  The Christmas Cards every year.)

The one thing I haven't done is hang the wreath on the front door.

It's a grapevine wreath with a garland of little gold stars and a big red bow.  And I'm sick of it.

I put it together about 12 years ago and like it well enough, but it's the same every year.  I was thinking I should remove the star garland and put something else shiny on it, as well as change the bow, but It's been snowy and I didn't think about it until yesterday and I'm about shopped out.  The idea of going out in the cold and snow one more time is just too much.  And anyway, I was in Micheals the other day and just about everything is GONE.  I waited too long.

Is there some Christmas decoration around your home that's well worn and could use a face lift?

It's all wrapped up!

Next to the music, and the lights, and the decorations, I love wrapping Christmas presents best.  Some years I have a major wrapathon (while watching It's A Wonderful Life).  This year I've been drawing the process out.  The other day, I wrapped just the stocking stuffers.  Then I wrapped the baby's toys.  (Yes, we have a baby in the family this year.  Actually, I should say the world's cutest most mellow baby. Even when she's crabby, she doesn't cry.  How her mom lucked out, I just don't know.)
Yesterday I wrapped a bunch of presents, and I'm not finished yet.

I find it difficult to choose the wrapping paper.  I always reserve the prettiest for my Mom.  Mr. I and I always wrap all our gifts with the same paper.  (That is, all my presents will be wrapped the same, and I'll wrap his with a different paper but they'll all be the same.  Then we number them with Post-It notes.)


I'll have to sneak in some more time and do more wrapping later today.

Are you a wrapper?  Do you like it and how elaborate do you get with wrapping paper, bows, and ribbons?

What Are You Serving This Christmas?

Before the turkey had time to cool on our Thanksgiving table, we were already discussing what to have for Christmas dinner.

Holiday meals are pretty much the same in my family.  We start out with snacks and drinks.  For family affairs, this ritual cannot begin without pink dip and potato chips.  (The dip is very easy:  8 ounces of cream cheese, ketchup, mayo, two tablespoons fresh grated onion, and two tablespoons of milk or cream.  I can't give you the exact amount of ketchup and mayo -- the actual recipe has been lost to time.  I just keep adding unti it feels right.  Mix.  Chill.  Enjoy!)  We also have cheese and crackers.  This year I'm contemplating a hot dip to go along with the goodies . . . then again, if we fill up on junk, will we have room for what will be a far too big dinner?

For dinner, we seem to have the same veggies year after year:  Brussels sprouts, rutabaga, roasted potatoes, creamed onions, and a recent addition, butternut squash.  (My brother makes it and it's fantastic.  Odd fact:  he will not eat it.  Go figure!)

Here's what was discussed for the entree.

Spiral Ham

Usually ham is our Easter staple, and I've never really been a fan of it -- until last year.  We had a spiral ham that was absolutely delicious.  We got the leftovers and ate a ton of sandwiches and at least every couple of days ate the easy-peasy Chicken Cordon Bleu recipe.  Oh, I feel like Pavlov's dog just at the thought of that wonderful spiral sliced ham dinner.

Prime Rib Roast

When I was growing up, we had a prime rib roast most weeks for our Sunday dinner, so I always wondered why so many people think it's such a big deal.  Of course in those days, you could get a prime rib roast every week of the year.  These days, it's been made the favorite of the restaurant trade and the only time we ever see them is at the holidays.

Of course, not prime rib is worth eating if you haven't made Yorkshire pudding.  Oh, I love it, especially if the oven and fat is hot enough ant it puffs up all golden and crispy.  Sometimes it does and sometimes it doesn't.  I'll eat it both ways.

Roasted Turkey

Why were we even CONSIDERING another turkey when we had barely begun to eat the one that had been nicely sliced on the table?  But, there we were debating the merits.  My Dad, Bless his Heart, and my Uncle were not fans of turkey, so in years past we would always have a pork roast and a turkey.  Dad's gone and my Aunt and Uncle now have dinner with their immediate family so here we were discussing the possibilities. 

I voted for the ham.  Mr. I wanted to save the prime rib for my Mother's birthday dinner (in the week after Christmas), and the rest of the table voted for roasted turkey--again.  The logic being that we only really eat the bird twice a year--even if it's a month apart.  Let's go for turkey again.

Okay, this is not a hardship on my part because I get the leftovers (again) and I love to make turkey pie, turkey soup, turkey salad, sliced turkey sandwiches, and even turkey curry. 

So, what will be on YOUR Christmas dinner plate next Sunday?