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Rarely start threads like this, but mine was especially nice this year. We've lost three towering family figures the past few years, so things have changed considerably, but I think we're finally regaining our footing.
Christmas Eve son/dil hosted, I cooked easy but always popular prime rib/potatoes/cranberry relish/brussel sprouts/green beans/ pumpkin and chocolate pies w/whipped cream, of course, assorted wines.
DIL and I then went to 11 p.m. Christmas Eve Carol Service - always a wonderful tradition. Son sacked out. He and dil had been to church earlier for kids service which she organized. She's Dir. of Christian Education at our church. When we returned home, I watched Christmas Eve Mass from the Vatican. It is either that or the Mass from Holy Name Cathedral in Chicago when it is televised. Do it every year. I am partial to Holy Name, in particular. The musicians are local from Chicago and beyond outstanding, especially the organist. One needs to audition for the choir and orchestra. There is enormous energy in that service. Not televised this year. One year I will spend Christmas Eve in Chicago - just for that reason.
Today son/dil went to her parents. I didn't wake until 1 p.m, ate a light breakfast and for a few hours watched some really nice Christmas shows on NBC, Fox, PBS.
Tonight, sister and I went to dinner at a venerable old German restaurant - holiday tradition often for Thanksgiving and Christmas, depending on who is or is not in town. I had the most spectacular Christmas roast goose, wild rice, red cabbage w/spiced apples (yum) and a huge slice of homemade apple strudel, over two-inches of apples, topped w/whipped cream. The best dinner I've had there, yet, and I've been going there for decades. Every dish was uniquely excellent. We then visited another old historic landmark hotel a few blocks from the restaurant to see what they'd done for the holidays. Gorgeous as always.
A very nice holiday, indeed. Tomorrow, sis and I might do some shopping if the traffic isn't too overwhelming. She's spied a few things here and there she thinks I might want.
Wishing everyone a Merry Christmas, Happy Channukuh, Seasons Greetings. Hope, in spite of the hustle and bustle, you've found the past two days a restorative respite from the world, reconnecting with those you love.
It sounds like you had a lovely holiday, Ariadne. It's just the two of us, DH and me, so we had a quiet Christmas Eve and Day at home watching movies. We also watched part of the Mass from the Vatican though we are not Catholic. My husband is fascinated by the beauty of the architecture of St. Peter's.
I roasted a small turkey breast, made gravy and also served candied yams, brussels sprouts with mushrooms and basil-garlic butter, spicy cranberry chutney and a spring mix salad with dried cranberries, Marcona almonds and pears in a raspberry vinaigrette. Dessert was mince pie.
In addition to watching movies, we also took advantage of every Yule log that was on TV (muting the sound and providing our own Christmas music if we didn't like what the TV station was playing). We have a fireplace but our region is under a "Spare the Air" restriction, which means that you can't light any wood fires.
Does it seem to anyone else that every time you cook a big holiday meal, some little disaster or other will happen? My cousin spilled all her prime rib juice right before serving. The only thing that went wrong at my house on Christmas Day was that as the bird was roasting, I noticed little stubs poking up from the skin. The plucking process had not been thorough, I guess. I ended up pulling out little quill stubs with my tweezers!
Proof positive that this is a "seasoned" citizens forum - quite an amazing number of us prepare brussel sprouts and presumably eat them as well. Not sumpin' youngsters seem to be particularly fond of.
Proof positive that this is a "seasoned" citizens forum - quite an amazing number of us prepare brussel sprouts and presumably eat them as well. Not sumpin' youngsters seem to be particularly fond of.
Which goes to show that in at least one way the young have better taste than the old. Brussel sprouts.
When the elder George Bush entered the White House he said that now that he was president he no longer had to eat Brussel sprouts.
Do the elderly fix them because they'd feel guity if everything tasted good?
Last edited by Happy in Wyoming; 12-26-2011 at 09:14 AM..
LOL - My 44 y/o son LOVES brussel spouts - "all smushy" is the way he likes them. The garlic basil butter I'll have to try sometime. We had to do the green beans for DIL who won't eat them.
As to the matter at hand (sorry about the veering into sprouts), having children in the home decidedly made Christmas veer into a new direction as well. It's always fun to see it through a child's eyes and of course, my wife also has a grown daughter here which was pleasant for her. Both of my sons in Ohio called and we had nice conversations. Not surprisingly, none of the tres hermanas (the three sisters, my daughters) in California called but ya can't be disappointed when ya have no expectations so my Christmas was fine as well. My prime rib roast on the grill turned out perfectly! Who could ask for more?
christmas eve and christmas day were both low-key and rather relaxed. the significant other and i exchanged a few gifts-we don't do major gift giving- on christmas morning. we had music- handel's messiah, king's college choir, vivaldi's gloria- on for most of the day. also the fireplace was going for most of the afternoon, with the cats curled up in front of it. had dinner at home- roast chicken, gravy,stuffing,cranberry relish, asparagus, sweet potato pudding, broccoli salad, and two kinds of pie. even though i don't enjoy cooking, if i do say so, the dinner was one of my better holiday meals.
i always like to ride around a little bit locally to see christmas decorations, and we did this briefly after dinner. we had some neighbors over for dessert and coffee. finally we settled down for masterpiece theatre- repeat of "downton abbey"- love, love, love it. even though i've seen these episodes twice now, i still marvel at the intelligent dialogue, the wonderful sense of time and place, and the flawless acting.
these years, christmases are very different for me than those i was used to most of my adult life; but life is change and i'm grateful for all the many good things in my life and hopeful for the new year.
I wish that I could say Christmas was wonderful but I'm probably ungrateful or too critical. I moved to Tn. 9months ago to a neighborhood that seems very unwelcoming. They are friendly when you see them on the street but that's where it ends. Most are transplants from Michigan and Ohio so you'd think they would have a welcome group. I have 2 adult children who only call on Christmas and hardly share anything nice so I refused to answer the phone this year. The church is 26miles away and I didn't want to drive alone so I didn't go to church. My husband and I don't exchange gifts so there were no surprises. We had a nice steak, watched Dr.Who and went to sleep. Next year, I will try to make it beautiful somehow.
Sorry, grisabel. Sometimes you do move into an area that just isnt friendly.
That happened to me 35 years ago. My family moved from Texas to Taunton, Massachusetts. I thought it was a lovely place and was so excited about buying a nice house on a lake. But, when I went around the block to introduce myself, I got the cold shoulder. The only person who talked to me said "Texas? That's the state that killed our president". It was all downhill from there and, though I did eventually meet a few nice people, I was always made aware that I was a "furrener". We stayed there less than two years and I got back to Texas as soon as I could.
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