Saturday, December 26, 2015

Setting Records and Keeping Traditions

We just came inside after having taken advantage of the first bit of sunshine in several days. Thanks to the recent rains, the lettuces and other greens are looking great! I harvested a nice salad's-worth plus several carrots. Still, I have grave concerns about our gardens, which seem to think Winter is over, causing bud-break to occur on the blueberry bushes, the grape vines, the peach trees, and many of the roses, as well as flower buds to pop out along with the Rip van Winkle daffodils, The problem? Let the picture tell this story:



I know! This is plain freaky, isn't it? Predicting a high for Boxing Day of 72° is bad enough. Recording a temperature of 73° at noon is worse...because we know it will go higher in the afternoon. I don't like feeling like I'm celebrating Christmas in Australia…unless I'm actually getting to celebrate Christmas in Australia (where, according to one of our new fave TV shows, Miss Fisher's Murder Mysteries, which is filmed in Melbourne, they celebrate "Christmas in July"…but I digress...;-)

Anyway, that's the way it's been all along the East Coast this year...where many cities have set record high temperatures. Here in HPNC, we are playing along with the crowd, tying the Christmas Day high. We are also maximizing our electric bill...but not because of using the heat. Oh no, we had to turn on our AC on Christmas Eve for the first time since we celebrated the Holidays in Kissimmee. Florida. In 2003. 

Point-of-fact, we haven't turned our central heating units on this year, managing the few cold days (and nights) before this heat wave with the gas fireplace and lots of socks and sweaters (and lovely, warm quilts!). But no fireplace on this Christmas. We settled for the video-on-demand 'fireplace' on TV instead. 

Still, in spite of the weird weather, we were in festive moods to enjoy the traditions of the Season: Christmas Dinner (turkey with the trimmings, sort of like Thanksgiving Redux)...which we had on Christmas Eve for the first time; opening of "one present each" on Christmas Eve (which is the traditional pair of WINTER pajamas...;-); and then stockings first, Monkey Bread second, presents third, and Breakfast Casserole and Ambrosia fourth on Christmas Morning. (It's because we have finally realized, after several years of saying "we're just too full to eat Christmas dinner" on Christmas night after all we eat on Christmas morning that we moved Dinner to Christmas Eve...;-). We did have enough room on Christmas Day to eat generous slices of family fave, coconut cake with pineapple filling. Hey, we can be flexible while keeping the traditions!

Here are some photos of the Season:

Finally got the tree up in the great room...with 4 whole days to spare!

…and here it is Christmas morning after Missy M added her gifts.

The oldest ornament on the tree, circa 1965.


The newest ornament on the tree...a knitted sheep

One of Nana/Momma/Edith's painted ornaments (l); one of Missy M's picture memory ornaments (r).

Missy M's baby pic (r); a handmade ornament (l)

An ornament from 2006...made at the glassworks in Louisville


A pared-down mantle: few Nutcrackers made their way down from the attic; stockings were MIA (never fear...we used the little stocking ornaments instead, per Missy M's suggestion!)


Ner's Coconut Cake with Pineapple Filling


Monkey Bread for Christmas morning...recipe below:

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Monkey Bread:

Please, please, please...don't use a recipe that calls for biscuits. You will sacrifice both flavor AND aroma.
 
Ingredients:

To make bread "ring:"
  • 12-18 frozen dinner rolls (I used 22 Rhodes-brand frozen rolls this year...too many!)
  • 1 stick (1/2 cup) butter, melted (not margarine...or any kind of substitute)
  • 3/4 cup sugar
  • 1-2 tablespoons cinnamon
  • 1/2 cup pecans, rough-chopped
Icing:
  • 1 cup powdered sugar
  • 2 T. butter, melted
  • 2-4 T. milk

Directions:
  1. The night before you wish to serve, micro-melt the stick of butter in one bowl; mix together the sugar and cinnamon in another bowl. Brush a couple of tablespoons of melted butter into the bottom and sides of a Bundt pan, and sprinkle a couple of tablespoons of the cinnamon-sugar mixture and the pecans over the butter. [When you invert the "ring," this will make a nice topping.]
  2. Then dip each frozen roll in the remaining butter, followed by rolling it in the bowl of cinnamon-sugar mixture. Place each prepared roll into the pan, starting with the bottom layer of 6-8 rolls and staggering the placement in any subsequent "stacks". Mix any remaining butter with remaining cinnamon-sugar, then pour over/between the rolls. Cover with plastic wrap, place in a cold oven (do NOT heat!), and let sit overnight. (If you use more than 12 rolls, put a cookie sheet pan underneath to catch any drips, as the rolls WILL rise during the night.) 
  3. In the morning, remove the plastic wrap, and preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Bake for 30-35 minutes. To prevent over-browning, cover top of pan with foil during the last 10 minutes of baking.
  4. When done, remove pan from oven and immediately turn over onto a plate big enough to catch all the syrup that will drip out of the pan. Make sure you get ALL the syrup and nuts from the bottom.
  5. Combine the icing ingredients (powdered sugar, 2 T. melted butter, and enough milk to get the right consistency) and drizzle over the bread. Enjoy warm!






Friday, December 18, 2015

It's That Time of Year


The Christmas Waltz song keeps running through my mind today...

Frosted window panes, candles gleaming inside
Painted candy canes on the tree
Santa's on his way, he's filled his sleigh with things
Things for you and for me

It's that time of year when the world falls in love
Ev'ry song you hear seems to say
"Merry Christmas, may your New Year dreams come true"
And this song of mine in three-quarter time
Wishes you and yours the same thing, too

Right.  The candles on our window sills just went off on their timers, as did the Christmas tree, and I'm eating a candy cane as I type. Check, check, and check! But, honestly people, the only way our window panes would be "frosty" today is if I went out and soaped them! I think we may have hit the mid 60's again today, after 72 earlier this week. I don't want to sound all Scroogy, but I hate December weather that feels more like May. Bah! Humbug. Still, I hope that Santa will come our way...even if he has to leave the furs in the North Pole and wear a pair of Bermuda shorts!

Maybe we should be singing my favorite song from The Muppets Christmas Carol...makes me laugh every year when I watch it:  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IwahCM3mC9A. Put me in a better mood, just now.

OK! So, we are a week away from Christmas Day. How are things coming along? Well, I've most of my baking done, as you can see in these pictures of Hello Dollies and Delaware Butterballs; Banana-Cranberry muffins; and star-shaped Sugar Cookie cutouts:

 
 

 

Missy M made a batch of Nana's Nuts and Bolts (our name for Chex Mix) after Thanksgiving...which we consumed in record time. Maybe we can get her to make some more, please. Oh, and I pulled out Nana's recipe for Cheese Ball...simple but always tasty...and made both a cheese ball and a cheese log from the same batch. Must have the savories with the sweets!

We'll have M's Breakfast casserole on Christmas Day; and unless we are entirely too full (again this year), we'll roast a turkey breast with all the trimmings for dinner. Just need to make our traditional coconut cake for dessert...oh, and Monkey Bread for Christmas morning! I'll try to remember to take a picture of the finished product this year before we eat it.

I went to a wreath-making workshop a couple of weeks ago, and now my "masterpiece" adorns our front door. I'm really proud of this effort, because Missy M treated me to a similar workshop a few years ago in Louisville...and I was a complete klutz. This time, I had a better idea of what to do...and what I wanted the end product to look like. Plus, I wasn't afraid to use plenty of pins!



2015 Merry Christmas Wreath: I made it myself at Toms Creek Nursery!

We got the yard decorations out, the Sheepie tree up in the dining room window, and the aforementioned candles in the front bedroom windows:




We even got tickets to the NC Symphony's Holiday Pops, presented at High Point University. That always puts us in a festive spirit!



I've also got my annual newsletter typed, printed, and folded; and the cards are ready to be sealed and stamped (Mr. T's job this year) so we can make the mad dash to the P.O. tomorrow to barely meet the deadline. I do believe I have all my shopping done...and even more importantly, my purchased gifts are all wrapped and under the tree. I have one gift to finish knitting (so what else is new?), which should happen tonight. And then...I can sit back, relax, and enjoy the season, right? Well, it's a plan.

Why am I so far ahead of the game, you ask? Well, everything was accelerated because our Lunn Family Christmas get together was earlier than usual this year, meaning most of the shopping, wrapping, etc., had to be done by December 11. T&LaD drove down from KY, Missy M drove up from GA, and Mr. T. and I drove over from NC to meet up in Nashville last weekend. We had a wonderful time together! Breakfasts at the Bistro in the lobby of our Doubletree; dinner at Coco's Italian Market; and dessert and gift exchange at J&J's house. Superb!!

And we even got to attend "How the Grinch Stole Christmas!" at the Opry, with Stewart cousin Scott starring as Old Max (the Grinch's dog...all grown up and doing the narrating for the stage play). He has a fabulous singing voice, which he got to showcase on the song "You're a Mean One, Mr. Grinch." What a great performance! His dad, cousin Mark, even joined us for breakfast, making it an all-around family weekend. Check out the interview and pictures of SS in character here: http://www.broadwayworld.com/nashville/article/BWW-Interview-Bringing-THE-GRINCH-To-Life-At-The-Grand-Ole-Opry-House-20151130

Missy M will be taking some vaca days next week, so she'll head her Mini up I-85 on Sunday to join us for the Holidays. Her dogs, Ella Rae and Dixie, have been with us since she was here for Thanksgiving (they stayed with us due to her travel schedule in early December). Mr. T., who is still catching up on work after being out for 8 weeks, isn't planning on taking any days off, but neither is he planning on leaving town for business either. It should be a joyful and peaceful approach to the Season.

I do need to head to the grocery store for this n' that, but we aren't making ourselves crazy with last minute preparations this year. It has been so hectic for the past few months (all year, really) that we are relishing a more laid-back approach.

Fingers crossed that we achieve it. Toes, too! After all, it IS that time of year. Right?

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Here are a few photos from the past weekend. And don't forget to check out my final post for the year plus pictures, over on our gardening blog. Click here to go there!


Terry joins us for breakfast at the Bistro

Dessert and gift exchange at Jack and Julie's house

Cousins Mark and Scott Stewart with Patricia

Leaving the show...heading to dinner at Coco's Italian Market


Thomas, Julie, and Jack showing off the Christmas Cracker prizes: xylophones and crowns





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