BLOGGER TEMPLATES AND TWITTER BACKGROUNDS »

Thursday, December 9, 2010

Let's Talk About the Holidays Shall We?

I promised myself that I would be diligent in my blogging efforts despite the fact I feel like the woman in that movie "Julie and Julia" who had one person who read her blog when she first started out. I have faith that some day I will wake up one morning, log into my blog and find at least 10 people who have decided what I have to say is entertaining enough to be worthy of a following. Then, like the domino effect my followers would grow from that point on.  So although at this point and time I have but two friends(which is more than Julie did when she first started out), I will continue to babble endlessly about whatever seems to be entertaining and informative, even though today's blog isn't a recipe I'm still going to share with you some of my traditions....


Because ladies(and gentlemen), I love to blog.


Today's topic is about holiday menus. What do you serve to your family friends during the holidays? Is it a big to do for you? Or just a simple turkey or ham tossed in the oven and forgotten about until the timer buzzes? Do you carry on any family traditions when it comes to what you cook for Yule and/or Christmas? 


I am planning a fairly simple dinner with a few "elegant" desserts to tease our palettes. First of all our Yule dinner. I'm thinking perhaps a glazed ham, potatoes(perhaps the hash brown casserole recipe I will post when I have more time), corn casserole, green bean casserole, bread/rolls of some sort(I'd like to find a recipe if I have the time to make rolls from scratch). Christmas Eve is just pizza because it's such a crazy day for us around here and when gifts are opened, forget a carefully planned meal, it would be a waste to make. 


I take the kids out to look at decorations and then we search for Santa's sleigh in the darkened sky. Hoping to see a twinkle of red from Rudolph's nose. Their dad will call and tell me "I hear something, I think Santa is here, hurry back home so the kids don't miss him!" Then I relay the message to the children.  I can see their eyes light up and the excitement in their voices as I look into the rear-view mirror. Then when they run in the door the looks on their faces when they see all the (somewhat carefully) wrapped gifts is...well....


Priceless.


Thinking back to my own childhood, I remember running up to my bedroom and we could see the red flashing airplane tower with the blinking red light. Of course it's there all year long, but for some reason we believed that was Rudolph carrying Santa and his sleigh. Then we'd run downstairs and go hide in our guest closet in the hallway peering through the cracks in the folding closet door to get a peek at Santa. We'd hear stomping footsteps and the dog barking and we'd jump off the floor, fling open the doors in the hopes of seeing Santa. A few years he'd come visit us with a Sack full of gifts. We could see his fluffy red suit outside the front room window after the door bell rang. I am so happy to continue this tradition with my children too. 


Yule will be a wonderful time as we will be celebrating again with the Yule log that we had last year(and the year before) as the children help me light the candles and we welcome baby Sun back to life and give thanks for all the things we can do as the days get longer and warmer. We play pin the star on the tree, Bozo Buckets(Yule Style of course), hide and seek(and appropriate game I feel, as the Sun was hidden and now we "found" the Sun again), we do crafts and sing songs and dance to holiday tunes. It's a fun time celebrated by my children and I. It's new traditions that, should my children choose to do so, will carry on to their children as well. 


Desserts will be plenty for both occasions. I will attempt, once again, to bake the Baklava recipe my mother gave me along with some peppermint candy cane brownies and truffles(those are the "extravagant recipes I spoke of earlier, especially the Baklava that is very time consuming and patience is needed for that one no doubt LOL) Nut Cups, Roshky, Chocolate Walnut bars, and I think I am going to try and decorate a tiered Tree Cake. My mother was talking to me this morning about trying a fondant cake. It sounds interesting. This should be fun. I can't wait to begin baking next weekend. And of course photos WILL be posted.


So there's my blog for today. I am grateful I can type fast. I still have to get my daughter and I ready for school as I am helping the teacher today. This time of year, I live there practically every day. LOLLL I love it. Today I get to help a classroom of 29 Kinder kids do a Christmas gift for their parents(I know what it is already as my twins did it last year, so surprise factor is gone at this point LOLL). I'm also helping get crafts for the holiday party ready as well today too. Fun times, fun times ladies (and gentlemen). 


Have a beautiful day. I'll be back tomorrow with more recipes(Including the ones listed in this blog that haven't been posted yet).









0 comments: