At times it does seem odd to have all the windows open while looking at the Christmas tree and listening to Christmas music. Coming from northern parts, it took a while for me to get used to celebrating without snow! I miss family and friends up north but we have friends here and they become our family for this season. I celebrate Christmas in July with my children and grandchildren up north!
I am ready this year more than any other year that I can remember. We started decorating the house right after Thanksgiving which created a calming effect for me. I enjoyed writing my cards in front of the tree. I baked with music playing in the background. Most of my gifts are homemade or vintage pieces that I am re-gifting so that there was not last minute panic which saved me and my pocketbook! As I wrapped each one, I took my time. The packages look pretty good for someone who is ribbon-challenged. I think the teddy bears I made years ago helped the process along.
There are some wonderful cooks out there in Blogland and this year two recipes were on my menu. Pam of Pam's Midwest Corner shared a recipe this summer for Italian Sausages Roasted with Grapes. We decided to have this for Christmas Eve and we were not disappointed. I served the sausages with creamy polenta but they are wonderful with mashed potatoes. You can print the recipe here. Thank you Pam. You can visit her here.
We started the meal with an Antipasto. I like to try different meats and cheeses. The composition is fun and a light drizzle of good olive oil and the vinegar of your choice complete the presentation. I usually use red wine vinegar but Balsamic is also a good choice.
Then dessert! I have been intrigued by this since Thanksgiving. Another wonderful cooking blog that I follow is Schnitzel and the Trout. Susan shared this recipe for Orange Ice Cream with Dried Cherries and Toasted Pecans. You can see it here. You can visit her blog here. Thank you Susan.
I served the ice cream with Forgotten Cookies and a small bit of Drambuie. There are hundreds of recipes for these cookies. Google and see which you would like to try.
Merry Christmas, Happy Holidays and a Wonderful New Year to you all.
5 comments:
Merry Christmas, Carol. Your post made my mouth water! :D :D
A silent night,
a star above,
a blessed gift of hope
and love.
A blessed Christmas to you Carol!
Carol, God bless. I am thrilled you enjoyed the ice cream. We so enjoyed it also. My greatest thrill is meeting all the wonderful cooks and friends on in Blogland. If a recipe is noted as being great, I always know it is. We do live in a beautiful world. Merry Christmas and Happy New Year. Susan
Carol, I hope you had a great Christmas! That is great with the vintage gifts and taking your time wrapping the gifts. Everything seems so rushed this time of year and it's great when people do it your way. I'm glad you like the sausage with grapes. It is a surprising dish. Now I have to try that ice cream! Here's wishing you good health and happiness for you and yours throughout 2012! Happy New Year!
How'd your blog float down so far without my catching this one? (Sometimes I feel as if I'm chasing bubbles in Blogdom.) Glad that I found you, via my Site Meter, so that I have time to wish you a Happy New Year. Your Christmas sounds lovely. You are always so adventurous with food and decor. I want to be more like that. I tend toward the routine and familiar.
How fun to know that you'll celebrate a Christmas in July with the grands. That's something fun to look forward to.
A lovely bright New Year to you your beloved!
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