Christmas Goodies

We like to eat goodies on Christmas day. Antipasto is a once a year treat. We used my Mother-in-law's recipe which makes enough for an army. The ingredients called for quarts of vegetables, oil, vinegar, tuna and anchovy. She would give it out as gifts and we looked forward to getting a quart each year. It took a lot of experimenting before we got the right amount to make a much smaller batch. Instead of cooking gallons we had an eight pint batch. The piquant taste lingers on your palate. Thanks for Mothers-in-law who pass on their recipes. We remember ours when we enjoy our antipasto and chilled beer or wine. Merry Christmas. Grandmother

Merry Christmas!!

Our neighbors on either side of us like to exchange home made gifts. Our goal is not to spend a lot of money but to enjoy each others treats. I decided to make peach-orange marmalade. This is a favorite of mine. When I was in grade school my mother made this for a special treat on Christmas day. Sweets were limited due to the war and sugar was rationed. My mother used to trade her meat stamps for my aunt's sugar stamps. She saved the sugar to make jam, marmalade and on some occasions candy. In our stockings were red anise flavored suckers. Mother always sliced her oranges very thin and used canned peaches. The mixture would be simmered slowly all afternoon. The smell would penetrate and we would watch and wait to lick the pan clean. It is the little things that a person remembers more than the material gifts we opened. Merry Christmas!! Grandmother

You Better Watch Out

So there I was sitting in my car at a red light listening to Christmas tunes on the radio. "You better watch out, you better not shout, cause Santa's coming to town! Getting down with the music, I turn and who is sitting in the car next me??? It was Santa. I couldn't believe it. All those times when the kids were little and sitting in the back seat bickering over this and that...why didn't Santa ever show up then? I could have made good use of a situation like this. Nevertheless I made sure I had my blinker light on and I sat up straight in the seat...just in case Santa was watching me. Just a word of warning...you better watch out! Happy Holidays! Mom

Homemade Rolls

Over Thanksgiving, I made my first batch of homemade rolls. They turned out great, but I did have my grandmother on hand to guide me.

Now I'm making these same rolls for Christmas. And while I'm excited, I'm also scared. With homemade bread, there are so many small details to remember from not killing the yeast to remembering to punch the dough down. I just hope I don't screw up because I'm making them for my in-laws and while they are quite forgiving I would be totally embarrassed! Nonetheless I'm excited to spend pretty much all of Christmas Eve in the kitchen making goodies and treats while listening to Christmas music. Because I work so much I rarely have the time or energy to dedicate to cooking. My only hope is that I don't get too stressed that it's not fun anymore! I'll let you know how it all goes once it is done and finished with. Daughter.

Cookie monster!!!!

That's what I am!!! I love Christmas time because every club, organization and friends are busy with cookies. Our quilt guild has a dessert luncheon with fancy desserts but I head for the cookie bar not just once but sometimes twice. The gym I go to has a cookie exchange. You bring a dozen cookies and you take home 12 different kinds of cookies. I struggle to make a batch of somewhat fancy cookies, usually sugar cookies decorated with icing (not too orginal.) The ones I go for are the rich butter cookies, bon bons, peppermint sprinkled, those deep fat fried lacy powdered sugar ones or jelly filled. One of each kind fill my plate. The church has a Christmas Tea. That one is always good, you just pay a small fee and get to fill up on all types of cookies, my idea of heaven. I have never had good luck at making those fancy cookies so I really appreciate my neighbors when they bring a plate of cookies at Christmas time. Grandmother

Take the Time To Give Thanks

You can send a note of thanks to our soldiers who are serving in Iraq through the efforts of Xerox. Just click on the highlighted word and it will take you to the link. I received an email from Craig with this information...thanks Craig! Mom

Yellowstone In The Fall

We made a trip through Yellowstone during Thanksgiving and managed to see a few sights. A bald eagle was checking out the surroundings from a perch in a tall tree. The bison were ever-present. A couple of young bulls were practicing their sparring skills in Mammouth and the springs had an ethereal feeling in the cold. It's like entering another world! Click on the collage to get an up close view. Mom

Yuletide dinner

My son-in-law recently asked us to tell him about our favorite Christmas dinner. It got me thinking about how fortunate we were; how difficult to pick just one. He should have asked about the worst dinner. That one is imprinted deep in my memory. It happened just after my husband and I were married. We were invited to his Mother's for dinner. She roasted a big goose and was about to mash the potatoes and make gravy when the electricity went out. She scrambled for some candles and found one, then proceeded to finish the potatoes and make the gravy. Since she had her hands full my husband's sister and I said we would make the gravy. Both of us had a couple of glasses of wine so we were having a good time. We managed to get the goose on a platter and drained off the fat from the drippings and started with the gravy. The potatoes were mashed and the gravy was lump free. My father-in-law carved the goose and passed the potatoes. In the candle light he remarked that the gravy was a nice brown color. Well we commenced eating when all of a sudden the brown gravy hit our palates. It was brown all right but very sweet. Much to our chagrin we discovered in the darkness we used chocolate milk instead of regular milk. After skimming off the gravy we ate our mashed potatoes with butter. I don't think my in laws were impressed with their daughter and new daughter-in-law. The following Christmases we were not offered wine if we helped in the kitchen. It brings a chuckle when I think about a near disaster and how it made a lasting impression. Grandmother

Now that Thanksgiving

is behind us we are plowing our way through the ads for Christmas. No we didn't get up at 4:00am to go shopping or try to hit the Mall on Friday but decided to wait until Tuesday (which is senior citizen discount day). The Christmas paper, bags, tags, seals, cards and ribbon which we bought on sale after Christmas last year are all spread out on the table awaiting the wrapping of gifts. An inventory of these items made our list shorter and we got right down to business. Since our sons are in the big and tall range, we started there first. Boy to our surprise we found that the big and tall store is going out of business but we found some great buys and saved money!! There were no long lines at the department stores so we moved right along. We got a great start on Christmas this year. Now I just have to get down to writing those Christmas cards. Grandmother

Day Two

What? No! Really?! He was back and scampering around. A check of the board showed it to be tightly in place so he was getting in somewhere else. I was baffled as to what to do next. As the morning went on and I continued to hear the critter, I realized that although he was getting in somewhere else, he couldn't get out through that same hole. His only exit was the one covered.

I figured he had to be getting in somewhere over the garage because I could hear him running circles above it. Dragging out the ladder I assessed the nooks and crannies in the roof line of the garage and plastered anything that I thought might be an opening. Why can't builders make sure all boards and walls and roofs are tight? Men!! Next time I am looking for a builder who is a woman.

My next move was to remove the board and let the squirrel out. I pried it out and then climbed down to watch. I could hear him running around in the eaves, back and forth. I thought he was never going to get back over to the opening and find it open. I heard the pitter patter heading in that direction, and was relieved when I saw him tentatively stick his head out. Come on...get out! After assessing the situation he climbed out and then he saw me. I smacked my hands together and he high-tailed it over the roof top. I clamored back up the ladder and wedged the board into the spot.

Guess I will see if I got the house sealed up. If not the next step just might be squirrel stew! Mom