A week away from Christmas and posting is getting sketchy. I’m looking at the last image of Harley on my Harley-Davidson wall calendar for 2008. It’s a FLHX Street Glide, and it’s pretty sweet. All that chrome.
The last tinsel went on the alien tree yesterday. And when I say tinsel, I mean this:
I cannot tell a lie. Lee Valley. Yes, it is. I heart it, Mr. G, honey.
I wrote my first Christmas card after midnight this morning. Just call me a Christmas card slacker. I have done this much baking — 0.
I was watching the first four episodes of Top Chef on video tape — yes, video tape, this week and am rethinking my Christmas menu. Why go traditional, when what I really pine to do is make my own — from scratch — hot dog. And maybe a banana s’more, but oozing in chocolate. This has become my favorite reality TV show. A best ever friend has been taping and sending it to me, so I’m a little behind the season. Don’t tell me!
Have you ever veered from the traditional fare for Christmas? Recognizing that traditional is different in our diverse cultures, what did you prepare that would have been different for you? I confess, I’ve done this more than a little. And, yes, one year we did actually have a hot dog. It was right before tech baby’s 2nd birthday, and we were shattered from all the pre-Christmas work and festivities. We weren’t traveling, and we weren’t hosting, so we stayed in our jammies all day — looking like we’d just been rolled by a lawn roller — played with our kidlet and ate a tasty frank. Scratch another year off my life.
It snowed those beautiful glitter-snowflakes last night, about six inches of them, which made Gracie Allen and I dance with glee. Gracie, because she is a snow dog. Me, because I knew I wasn’t going to be putting a toe outside the patio door this morning.
First morning tracks in the snow.
More early morning snow tracks.
Early morning tracker saying, "Please to come in now."
Did I mention it was early?
Elen Grey 
Ha! The only reason I send old fashioned video tapes is because once, when I was recording a DVD of the PBS documentary Carrier, for my “adopted” sailor, it ended up sticking in the middle and I don’t want to risk you missing those Foo Fighter smores.
We used to do turkey, but it’s so close after Thanksgiving, and there were years I had to be back to work the day after Christmas, so rather than miss playing with Patrick because I was spending so much time in the kitchen, we switched to ham, which is pretty much a no-brainer.
Then for years, we’d go out to champagne brunch at the AZ Biltmore, a fabulous 30s resort where folks like Clark Gable and Claudette Colbert used to hang out. (Before our time, but it was still a gathering place for the Hollywood types when we’d go there.)
More recently I switched to making our once a year roast beast, which I think is what I’m going to do this year when the kids come. I have that fabulous make-ahead gravy I’m going to post on my blog tomorrow that makes it fail-safe. But this year I think I’m also going to bake a blackberry pie to go with the eggnog bread and pumpkin pie. My pie crust, if I do say so myself, lol, is one of my true talents.
The best thing, whatever I serve, is that we’re still using the Christmas table cloth Jay’s mom bought us our first Christmas together. Whenever we have the holiday in D.C., I take it with us and both my daughter in laws have been generous enough to let us stick with tradition.
The one holiday meal that never changes is the duck in orange rum sauce I roast every on New Years Eve.
Loved the snow pics. Funny you should blog them today; I just put one of Jay shoveling mts of the stuff on my blog.
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I think the Foo Fighters was my favorite episode, JoAnn. You’ve really got me hooked now.
How about posting that pie crust along with the gravy recipe? Just sayin’.
The Christmas table cloth is a tradition I can really get behind. We have some antique glass candlesticks that always grace our table for the holidays.
My little brood has requested two of their favorites for Christmas, so I’m doing the pastitsio (Greek lasagna) on Christmas Eve and the baked Tuscan vegetable and bread soup — which is to die for and a little complex, so I’m not being a total slacker — on Christmas day. It has chicken in it. And since it’s not a rich meal, I’m probably going to make your pumpkin crisp recipe, which is. š I need to work that puffed apple pancake in there somewhere. Boxing Day? Yeah. I must say your duck in orange rum sauce sounds divine.
Uh oh. Now I need some lunch.
That’s an awesome shot of the Jay!
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That’s me. . . the satanic evil TV girl who goes out into the world and gets innocents hooked on reality programs. LOL
Though I have to admit, I’ve been watching Top Chef for five years and seldom seen anything I’d want to even try to make.
Was the Foo Fighters the episode where the Italian guy made the olives liquid inside? Last season there was a chemical guy who was constantly bringing out his Frankenstein laboratory tools. I still haven’t unpacked the mini blow torch I bought for browning creme brulee three years ago. Maybe they could combine shows. . . Say, have the Top Chef candidates cook for the Great American dogs.
OMG. Pastitsio is my fave Greek food! I have — and I am not making this up — actually driven 10 hrs to Savannah to eat it because there’s no real Greek restaurant here. There’s one place down the street, but it was a failed Mexican before it turned Greek. Run by the same people who just keep trying new cuisines they think might work. Maybe they oughta try learning to cook on style first. Ya think?
I’ll share the pie crust recipe (which is sort of from the Joy of Cooking, but I change it a bit) if you’ll share that.
I’d forgotten all about the puffed apple pancake. I’ll have to find that recipe. Not that we need anymore holiday food. It’s going to take a LOT of ice skating to work off what I’ve already planned.
merry, merry
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The Foo Fighters episode was where they cooked Thanksgiving dinner on the road with microwaves and toaster ovens. I loved the FF comments. The banana s’mores definitely needed more chocolate. And if I had one of those burnie torch thingies in my house, I’d be minus some hair!
Yes, I’ll get the Pastitsio recipe up tomorrow. Maybe a blog recipe swap is in order. š
holiday cheer
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