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As many of you know, I'm not much of a cook. My husband, who is a chef, does most of the cooking at our house. I have offered, believe me. But he's got some kind of territorial issues with the kitchen and even when I try to cook, he hovers so incessantly that eventually, in his frustration, he takes over and does it himself. (You may remember my post from last year "Making Deviled Eggs", which is a classic example of the scenarios we've had in the kitchen.)
Despite this possessiveness, he makes some fantastic dishes and has lots of great ideas. I've been trying to talk him into keeping his own blog but he hates to write and doesn't like to type much either. So, I told him that I would take pictures of his lovely creations and post them myself. And since I know there are so many fabulous cooks out there, I thought you guys might enjoy this one!
He's been exploring recipes with a cast-iron Dutch Oven. Apparently, the Dutch Oven is known for it's long, slow, even cooking which makes the soup so flavorful. Interestingly enough, this type of cooking pot dates back to the 1600's where it was discovered in Holland. The term "Dutch Oven" has endured for over 300 years! Believe it or not, there is a Dutch Oven Society! (Click here for recipes, events and photos.) It's really like a crock pot... pioneer-style!
My husband's first fabulous creation was a Chicken & Root Vegetable Soup. Oh, my - it was delicious! Here's how:
Ingredients: Carrots, Celery, Onions, Parsnips, Sherry, Potatoes, Chicken, Chicken Broth, Bay Leaves & Pepper, Plum Tomatoes
Sweat (saute) the carrots, celery, onions, parsnips.
Deglaze with sherry.
Add potatoes and chicken.
Fill with chicken broth. Bring to a boil.
Add a ham bone (special secret!)
Season with 4 bay leaves, dash of pepper.
Put the lid on and slide in an oven at 300 degrees for one hour.
Just before serving, add sliced plum tomatoes.
Yea, soup!!
It was fun to take photos of this process as it developed and I realized that I may have a new career on my hands! (See more of these photos on Sunniviews...) As we chatted while the soup boiled, I realized that my husband and I, as most couples, have the most delightful balance. He cooks and I photograph & write (oh - and clean up... I'm not entirely useless!)
Quite a lovely arrangement, if I do say so myself!
I have always loved writing... anything and everything. Stories, poems, the boring chronicles of my teenage angst - whatever comes into my fevered little brain. I just love writing stuff down on paper. Sometimes special paper, sometimes special pens, sometimes special books. I find it so therapeutic in so many ways. The more I write, the better I feel - I have more clarity, my memory improves, I can relax. My favorite thing to do is sit at Barnes & Noble in the cafe, drinking coffee and writing. I've been journaling on and off for about 20 years but it didn't hit me until yesterday that I've been writing for this long. I was in the attic trying to organize a few things and I came across a paper grocery bag filled to the brim with journals. I pulled them out just to take a quick peek. Oh my, how lovely the memories.
I found pictures of me and my high school friends being crazy on a night out many years ago, a story of the day that my baby girl first started dancing in my arms - a sweet little wiggly-twisty dance, the details of a date with a boyfriend who would later become my husband, the fun memories of a visit with my sister on my birthday.
I've always thought that (god forbid) if we ever had a fire, after I made sure my family and pets were safely out of the house, I would grab two things: my journals and our photo albums. How? Not sure exactly - chuck them out the window before the fire could get to them? I think I remember being very anxious about this when I was really young (6th grade?) and they talked about escape routes in your home in the event of a fire. I remember putting all my special things - including letters from my summer camp friends, pictures and journals - into a bag that I set beside my bedroom door just in case.
Sometimes I wonder if I don't love looking back on the memories of all this writing just as much a doing it. Some of my journals are very visual, lots of photographs and very colorful - more like a scrapbook. Some of them are all writing and include poems and stories. Some are a combination, like the ones when my daughter was very little and her baby face was just too sweet to not include. Then there are some that were just an outlet, full of frustration and longing.
I have to stop for a moment and think practically about all this stuff - honestly, if I live to be 100, I'll have a ton of stuff to chuck out a window if there is ever a fire. Perhaps I'll have to organize them by priority. Best memories first - teenage angst last!
This past week, my daughter's clogging class hosted a "parent viewing" night where we are invited into the classroom to take pictures or videos. The woman who owns the dance studio just moved to a larger location, which is really nice - there are more classrooms and they all have viewing windows. It's fun to watch all the classes as they're happening, but there is just something about being inside the room that makes it so much more impressive. Especially with clogging!
I never knew that much about clogging before we signed my daughter up for her class. Originally, I was looking for either Irish Dance or Tap but both classes were full. Clogging is very similar to both of these styles, but the neat thing about clogging are the jingle taps attached to the bottom of the shoes. Because of the extra metal plates, the sounds is much louder with a little extra vibration to it.
Interestingly enough, clogging originated in the Appalachian Mountains and was performed to traditional country and bluegrass songs. (It's the official dance of the state of North Carolina!) My daughter's class is not traditional and they dance to all types of music. Their recital song is Shake Your Body (Down to the Ground) by Michael Jackson and they usually warm up to the songs from the High School Musical soundtrack!
I love watching these little kids pounding out the clogging steps. It sounds so powerful when they're all on the same rhythm - it really is incredible and they are so, so cute!
Here is a little clip of what we got to see... Enjoy! And if you're interested in learning more about clogging, I found a great website that has lots of resources and fun facts. See Double Toe Times.
For Christmas, my husband got a gift that has been his obsession for the past 4 weeks - a little battery-operated racing car. Apparently, this is a pretty big hobby in the lives of many. They have races all over the country, spare parts for sale all over the web and fancy little attachments that can be purchased for a small fortune.
Since my dad picked out this special little gift for him, we decided to hook up with my parents and take the car for a spin. We headed to a mini-track beside the Antique & Hobby Barn on a chilly Sunday afternoon. There were a few funny things about this track (well, I found them funny, maybe the regulars would be pretty serious about them): they had an elevated stand so that you could get an ariel view of the track while operating your car, there was a sidewall all around the track to prevent fly-aways and various sized heavy cable spools used as chairs and tables for spectators.
I had to admit, I loved watching this little car flying around the track, crashing into the sidewalls, speeding over ramps and flipping around like a little mechanical acrobat. My daughter was the official car jockey and would set the it back on the track after its dastardly crashes. My husband also tried to reenact a famous Evil Knievel-like jump with my daughter laying down in front of a mini-ramp, which didn't quite work out so well, as you can see...
After a little while, my mom and I decided to explore the grounds around the barn. There was a lovely pond out back, quite breathtaking actually. The light was just right, so I caught some beautiful pictures. My daughter discovered the hobby house cat that followed us around as we explored and enjoyed the views. He meowed so much, she named him Meowzers.
Once the batteries of the little car were drained, we decided to a little trip to Starbucks to warm up. Perfect way to end a chilly day! (More pics of this excursion on Sunniviews!)
We don't get much snow in these parts of North Carolina. I guess that's why people move to the south, to get away from all the cold weather. (This picture I took last year from our one big "snowstorm" - see Sunniviews for more) We moved here for different reasons, so I guess that is what makes all the difference.
Every winter, I wish for snow. I have a big, cheerful snowman flag that I hang on front of the house with the words proudly announcing "Let It Snow!" The flag is my prayer, my mantra, my plea to the heavens. I long for enough snow to build a snowman just like like the one on my flag.
When I was about 7 years old, growing up in Pennsylvania, we had plenty of snow. One year, the family gathered at my grandparents house just after a fresh snow. We built a snowman so high, my dad had to haul out the 7 foot ladder to put his hat on. It was so astonishing, a reporter came out to take some photos for a special feature in the newspaper!
I have memories of waking up to a White Christmas, crunching through knee-high drifts with my snow boots, building glittering snow tunnels as though we were Eskimos building elaborate igloos. I can clearly remember an old photo of my mom in the 70's, standing beside a wall of snow plowed so high, that even on her tippy-toes, reaching as high as her slender fingers would allow, she still could not touch the top. Even though I don't necessarily need 10-foot drifts, just a foot or so would make life interesting.
Last week they called for snow. It was supposed to roll in at about midnight. If there is one thing I love, it's beautiful white flurries falling from a midnight sky. I was at choir a few hours before, my mind preoccupied with anticipation. I watched the moon for signs and went to bed giddy. The next morning, I woke to freezing rain and a 2-hour delay at my daughter's school.
But then, 2 days later, they called for another winter storm. This one was much bigger, the snow band descending on us like a great tidal wave. Oh, we were in for it. Four inches, maybe more! The snow would fall for hours, maybe all night. The best thing about this storm was that it was going to hit on the coming Saturday. No worrying about work, schools or traffic - we could enjoy the snow all day long! I dreamed of the snow. I imagined the soft snowflakes falling on my cheeks, landing softly in my hair. I imagined looking at a perfect snowflake perched on the tip of my gloved finger. I imagined a snowball fight with my daughter and snow angels decorating our lawn.
Saturday came. The storm was estimated to hit at noon. I was drawn to the news reports and sky gazing for some sort of sign. I started cleaning to get all the chores out of the way so that we could enjoy it. Noon came and went. The neighborhood kids started asking every 5 minutes when it would start. I looked at the sky and turned to the news. They re-estimated early afternoon, then late afternoon, then early evening. The kids went home. Finally, at dark, the snow began to fall.
Oh, it was lovely. Great big beautiful flakes swirling around the night sky. I enjoyed it for about 5 minutes before we rushed out for dinner at a friend's house. While we were there, I kept peeking over my shoulder out the window as the flurries became slower and slower, finally stopping just before we left. The accumulation was about 1/2 an inch on grassy areas and melted the next morning before the sun even had a chance to peek above the horizon.
I imagine if I lived in a place that got snow all the time, I wouldn't be nearly as fond of it. You know what they say, too much of a good thing... But I look at websites and magazines with photos of winter wonderlands: peaceful, sparkling blankets of snow falling like soft feathers from the sky. Ah, so beautiful - such a hallmark of winter.
Perhaps next year, I'll just accept the fact that the snow is not coming and book an Alaskan Cruise instead!
I've just been tagged (well, not just - it's been about a week...) by my mom at Donna's Art with this fun little "four" game. The rules are I have to list 4 things about me and then tag 4 more people.
4 jobs I've had...
Reservation agent with United Airlines
Waitress at the Hog's Breath, Key West
Administrator for an arts organization
Operations manager for a website
4 movies I watch over and over...
Still Crazy
American Beauty
Pee Wee's Big Adventure
Chronicles of Narnia - Lion, Witch & Wardrobe
4 places I've lived...
Pittsburgh, PA
Sterling, VA
Key West, FL
San Francisco, CA
4 tv shows I watch...
Survivor (it's a shame, isn't it? I'm addicted!)
Amazing Race
Documentaries on public television
Anything on HDTV
4 places I've been...
... and absolutely love:
Grand Canyon
London
Edinburgh, Scotland
Geurande, France
4 people who email me regularly...
my husband
my mom-dad-sister trio
my high school buddies
my boss
4 favorite things to eat...
sushi
filet mignon
brie
big, huge loaded salads
4 places I'd rather be...
Barnes and Noble
the beach
on an airplane to Europe
an art museum
4 things I look forward to this year...
snow (pleeeeeease.....)
going to NY with my daughter
going to Maine with my family (husband's side)
summer festivals & art shows
4 people I will tag...
Julie at Equus Villa
Chocolate Girl at Keeper of the Chocolates (again! - you're probably sick of me, but you're just my favorite person to tag, Shelbi!)
Nan at On my Porch
My dad, Galen, at Manspace!
Have fun!
This morning we decided to have a little family time together and go for a drive with the new camera. We had no real destination and just took off driving, looking for interesting things along the way.
One of the neat things about North Carolina, that is so incredibly different than the area of Pennsylvania where I grew up, are the dilapidated farm shacks along the country roads. There is something so sad and historic about them. It makes me want to go into the restoration business and fix up every one!
As we were passing some of these barns, there was an interesting sign that caught my eye. We pulled over to get a closer look. It said "Cairo" in art-deco letters and appeared to be a movie theater marquee. Since it was sitting beside an abandoned old store, we didn't think too much about it. You know, people leave odd things behind. We poked around a little more.
Then I saw a something around back that looked like a billboard. My husband realized that it was a little bigger than a billboard. It was a drive-in theater screen! Of course - this place used to be a drive-in movie theater!
As it turns out, this was the Cairo Drive-In Movie Theater of Fuquay-Varina, NC. It was open for several years in the 1970's and could hold about 250 cars.
How bizarre it was to discover a drive-in on a random Sunday drive in January. It just brings to mind the amazing history of every crumbling barn that we pass on old country roads. It's too bad they all don't have a little sign to commemorate their interesting past.
I was reading a fascinating article in the January issue of National Geographic about abandoned buildings in the Midwest (see The Emptied Prairie - awesome!). Schoolhouses with books, desks and even faded lessons still scrawled on chalkboards. Homes with doilies still placed neatly on dusty, cracked furniture. Rusty cars found swallowed by wild grasses. It's so fascinating to think of the story behind, or literally, inside the building.
I wish we could have found out more on the Cairo Drive-In theater. But, I imagine it's just about the same to these stories. Check out this great clip (only 3 minutes!) we found on old drive-in theaters. My husband, who is a few years older than I am, remembers more about the drive-ins. How they would see a double feature... The first show was for the kids, the second movie for the adults. He and his brothers would be ordered to go to sleep before the second half. I only have vague memories of falling asleep in the backseat with the aroma of popcorn in the air and flickering lights all around.
When we lived in California, my husband and I went to see a move at the drive-in theater in Oakland. I liked walking to the concessions stand on a warm summer evening and being outside with all the other movie-goers. It was nice to be able to take off my shoes and get comfy in the car. It was fun, even if they got the reels mixed up and we watched the end of the movie before the middle! Oh well - the hazards of the drive-in I suppose!
I've posted more photos of our little adventure on Sunniviews. Anyone else with fond memories of the drive-ins?
I thought I'd share my new monkey coconut that my sweet husband gave me for Christmas. I don't know why the monkey coconut is my new obsession. Perhaps it's because they are just downright silly. But, anything that brings a smile is fine with me.
My former monkey coconut (see Fun at the State Fair and Mystery Solved for the full story of this little guy) has a new home in New York with my sister. She loved him so much that I just had to send him to her for Christmas. His new name is Mr. Jingles!
The coconut that my husband bought was a little bland, so I decided to spruce him up. Actually, I just wanted to figure out a unique way to get the words "HAVE FUN" on him, since he apparently missed out on that little important addition. I got out the paints and things took off from there. I think the addition of the flower and flag is key!
My friend at work and I have also acquired a new monkey coconut. One of our colleagues took a cruise to the Bahamas over the holidays (lucky-duck!) She was telling us how appalled she was on the return home after viewing a receipt that she actually spent $22.00 on a drink. We said, "$22.00 - what kind of drink was it!?!" She said it was a pina colada that came in this ridiculous coconut thing. We looked at each other in excitement and asked "Did it have a monkey face on it?? Did it say HAVE FUN??" She said, yeah - it's even a bank! After we explained our monkey coconut obsession, she passed along the prized coconut with great ceremony. He also needs a little sprucing up, so I'll post more photos later.
What fun the monkey coconuts are! I've named this one Sunni-san - mascot of Sunnispace!
There is this wonderful little magazine I get every month called The Daily Word. It has a little affirmation, a few paragraphs of explanation, and a simple, inspiring bible reference. What amazes me about the Daily Word is how often it just addresses every little concern I have almost every day!
This weekend was one of those... you know, challenges. I had been feeling anxious about things, unsettled and distracted. There are a million plans I have for the year and so many things I want to see be a success. But, Monday morning comes, I get my little book out and what do you know... "Satisfied Soul" is my phrase for the day and what a perfect intervention at a perfect time:
"Instead of continually thinking of what I need or want, I give thanks for what I have already been given."
As I was pondering this delightful phrase... "Satisfied Soul" (I feel like the wind is blowing over a great, misty landscape everytime I say it!), I remembered another thought that got me through a particularly difficult time in my life, when I was so anxious for change I was about to burst:
"I have the patience of 10,000 years."
Our minister said this once, when talking about change. It's along the same lines as "Letting Go" and not trying to force things into place. Whenever I say that phrase in my head, I feel a rush of absolute peace, and interestingly enough, a sense of knowing that everything is going to be okay. I don't need to try to fix it now. When the time comes, I will know exactly what to do.
And so, my Satisfied Soul reaches out to other souls who might need a little peace... a little bit of knowing that everything is going to be okay. If you're a praying person, please offer up a prayer for these two lovely ladies. If you're not a praying person, maybe just an affirmation of positive healing energy for them:
BJ at Sweet Nothings for her surgery and 3 other very ill patients that passed her in the hospital
Kat at Just a Beach Kat who is hoping she won't need surgery on her hand
May blessings, peace and satisfaction surround your heart and settle on your soul! May you have the patience of 10,000 years! May you know that everything, yes - everything, is going to be okay...
(P.S. The above picture was taken on a walk we took this weekend. See more on Sunniviews!)
I just received this fantastic award from equally amazing blogger Donna at Donna's Art! Thanks, Mom! You're great!
The rule is that I must name 7 random or weird things about me. Hmmmm... let me see...
1. I have to be surrounded by lovely things that make me happy. My home is crammed with pictures, paintings, books, little inspirational things and funky doo-dads. I have something on every wall, on every surface. People walk into my house (or into my cube at work) and stop in their tracks to take it all in. (Almost like they've been hit by a truck!) I'm definitely not a minimalist!
2. Speaking books - I love them! Old, new, doesn't matter. I'm a sucker for bookstores, especially those that serve coffee and desserts.
3. I'd love to own a bookstore/gift shop - especially with my mom. We could drink coffee all day and sell books and crafts!
4. Speaking of crafts - I love them, too! I have a craft room that's loaded with all sorts of fun stuff - beads, fabric, paint, felt, paper, glue and much more. (I'm in the process of re-arranging the craft room but as soon as I'm done, I'll share photos.)
5. I meditate in my craft room for 30 minutes every morning.
6. I love the beach. I feel like my soul is restored every time I'm there. I'd like to plop my hypothetical coffee-bookstore-gift shop there.
7. I love to travel. My list of places-I'd-like-to-see include Paris, Rome, the Great Wall of China, somewhere in India, Indonesia and Spain. I'd like to take my daughter to the Grand Canyon and Niagara Falls. But, anywhere is fine, I just love to go! (Also, I'm a sucker for souvenirs - I have a magnet, lapel pin and squished penny collection from almost everywhere we've been since 1997. Once day I'm going to get a big corkboard to display it... just where to put it? - hmmmm. Now that's a good question.)
That's it for me. I'd like to pass this award onto Deb at Posted From Home and Shelbi at Keeper of the Chocolates. Have fun!
Last Sunday morning when I woke up, my daughter was playing her video games and my husband was on the computer. I decided to check out one of the fabulous vintage books that my sister gave to me for Christmas. I chose a little one called "The Christmas Angel" by Abbie Farwell Brown.
This book was published in 1910 and the wonderful thing about the copy that I have is that it was given as a gift to Miss Nellie Johnson for "Perfect attendance, Plymouth Sunday School, Year 1910" in Utica, NY. You can view the actual copy that I have or believe it or not get the newer version that was published in 1999! (It's just astounding to me that books from the early 1900's are so well documented on the web!)
The other wonderful thing about my copy is that it had a green construction paper cutout of a Christmas tree, perhaps made by Nellie. It had been in the book for so long that it stained the pages with the outline of the limbs! I could just imagine their Sunday School class talking about the meaning of Christmas and making the delicate little trees.
Anyway, I got a blanket and a fresh cup of coffee and settled in to read this charming little story. It's reminiscent of the Christmas Carol but much more touching...
We are introduced to Miss Terry, a stern, no-nonsense spinster that sits before a fire on Christmas Eve with a big box of Christmas toys from her childhood that have been collecting dust in her attic for years. She's ready to burn the entire collection but to prove her belief that Christmas is nothing more than commercialism at its best, she decides to conduct a few experiments. She does this by throwing out one toy at a time on her darkened door step and rushing to the window to see what happens. The reactions of passers by strengthens her belief of selfishness and complete disregard for humanity, even at Christmas time.
But then she throws out The Christmas Angel. A delicate little pink paper-mache tree ornament that holds sentimental feelings for her and brings back memories of her youth. A drunken man stumbles by and kicks the pretty little angel. Filled with an unexplainable emotion, she rushes out to rescue him from the snow. She props him on the mantle and proceeds to burn the rest of the toys. After that nasty bit of business is finished, she falls asleep in her chair by the fire.
While she sleeps, the Christmas Angel comes to life and she thinks she is in a dream. He shows her the rest of the story she did not see from behind the heavy curtains of her windowsill. 
From the fighting boys that give their toy to a brother suffering from a serious illness to a crass, pompous man who saves the life of a baby who crawled in the street about to be hit by a car. Overnight, she becomes transformed. Her heart opens to the true spirit of Christmas!
It's such a lovely little story and I finished it all on that Sunday morning. I actually thought it might be cute to start collecting these old copies of Christmas books. I just love them! You can imagine so much history in old books... Previous owners, their lives, their homes. For me, there is something so much more personal about books than an antique or old garment. So, in the coming months, I might be heading out to the used bookstores to see what I can find!
Here is a New Year's wish for you, your family, friends and all those who continually bless your life:
Wonderful, wonderful, fortunate you;
This is the year that your dreams come true!
This is the year that you ship comes in;
This is the year you find joy within.
This is the year you are glad to live;
This is the year you have much to give.
This is the year that brings happiness;
This is the year you will live to bless.
Wonderful, wonderful, fortunate you;
This is the year that your dreams come true!
May you experience the best year ever - a year loaded to the brim with happiness and blessings that fall as softly as the winter snow!
(Photo credits to Hector Casanova as published by the News & Observer Jan. 3, 2008)
I don't know about everyone else, but I always feel a bit relieved when the holidays are over. Sometimes there can be much frantic activity, it can really get out of hand. No matter how hard I try, I cannot completely relax during the month of December. Yes, the holidays are fun but what a relief when they are over. No plans, no thoughts of gifts, no cards, no last minute shopping. Shew!
We did have a wonderful Christmas, though. My daughter asked for a shelf... and a Nintendo DS! (For a minute, we thought we got away easy!) She wanted the shelf to display all of her Littlest Pet Shop pets and other assorted small toys. On Christmas morning, she rushed into the bedroom shrieking "Mommy, Daddy - there's a gift beside the tree that's as big as a door!"
My husband bought the new camera we both wanted and we had fun taking all sorts of unique pictures (some of which I have posted on Sunniviews.) We had our lovely bagels for breakfast, coffee with Irish Creme and a delicious prime rib dinner. My husbands favorite gift was a radio-controlled off-road car (with a top speed of 42 mph, of which he is very excited.) He's been obsessed all week!
Some of my favorite gifts included a beautiful bird-shaped birdhouse made by my parents (see their creations here and shop here), a sterling silver ring printed with the word "DREAM", a stack of books from the early 1900's including Alice in Wonderland, The Lady of the Lake, The Song of the Pilgrim and Black Beauty, and the infamous "Looking Good For Jesus" vanilla lip-balm that claims to return lips to near virgin quality!
Of course, Dasher enjoyed his two gifts - a new bear and a frisbee! We captured his excitement on video:
And now, so quickly it seems, we move onto the New Year! So - Happy New Year to everyone, especially my dear family and new blogger friends. So much to be thankful for, so many blessings!
All of our shopping is done (for the most part!) and we've been busy wrapping gifts this week. My husband and I decided that we would invest the money that we normally use to buy each other gifts and purchase a new camera. Since we still like to open things on Christmas day, I challenged us to buy as much as we can for each other under a budget of $15.00. After his initial shock and objection, I explained that we'd just have to work harder by scouring thrift stores to find fun and useful items!
Let me just say that from now on, the thrift stores are my top choice for gift shopping. I found the best gifts for so cheap! It was unbelievable. One day I bought nearly everything for my entire family for less than $20.00! Beautiful pottery, unique trivets, books, paintings, stuffed animals, games and clothes - it was astounding! (And really, what a great way to help environment - by purchasing things that would otherwise end up in a landfill!)
Luckily, I have a pretty creative family so we also exchange fun homemade gifts. My husband makes a herb infused olive oil every year (this year is garlic, basil and roasted shallots - yum!) My parents and sister create paintings and wooden crafts and I usually do something different every year: mosaics, jewelery, hand-bound books, eye pillows with homemade sachet potpourris. One year I made decoupaged wooden trays featuring each persons favorite things. Instead of covering it with decoupage glue, I used a thick polyresin that is durable and looks like glass!
Speaking of favorite things, my mom at Donna's Art tagged me with this fun little game: "12 Christmas Things About Me Hoopla." Here are the rules:
1. List 12 random things about yourself that have to do with Christmas.
2. Please refer to it as a 'hoopla' and not the dreaded 'm' - word.
3. You have to tag specific people when you're done. No "if you're reading this consider yourself tagged" stuff is allowed...because nobody actually ends up doing it. The number of people who you tag is really up to you, but the more the merrier to get this 'hoopla' circulating through blogosphere.
4. Please try and do it as quickly as possible. The Christmas season will be over before we know it. Lets involve as many people as possible!
5. Please give Andrea some link-love as the "Hoopla-Creator".
So, here are my 12 things:
1. I love Christmas music so much, I could listen to it for weeks on end. My favorite song (among many) is Christmas Canon by Trans-Siberian Orchestra and choirs singing Christmas music always makes me cry (unless I'm the one singing, of course...)
2. I have to have a live tree every year, would never even dream of getting a fake one, and have a soft spot for poor mis-shapen trees that are left behind.
3. We make reindeer food for Rudolph and sprinkle it on the lawn on Christmas Eve.
4. My mom bakes tons of Christmas cookies to pass out to the family, just like her mom before her. I still remember my Nanny in the kitchen with tupperware stacked to the ceiling filled with cookies. She kept track by counting them all, which was always a mystery to me!
5. My favorite cookies are lemon bars and peanut-butter kisses.
6. When I was a kid, I would sometimes wake up in the middle of the night and sneak out to peek at the tree. I still remember the feeling of surprise and wonder at seeing all the gifts that magically appeared there. Christmas magic still surrounds the holidays for me and I try to create that for my daughter every year.
7. That's probably why I love Christmas lights that sparkle like stars in the dark...
8. And the hushed reverence of a Christmas Eve Candlelight service.
9. I love all Christmas movies I have every seen... Miracle on 34th Street, It's a Wonderful Life, Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer and funny ones like The Christmas Story and The Ref.
10. We always have lox and bagels on Christmas morning with Bailey's in our coffee.
11. My grandparents lived close to us when we were growing up and I loved that we could have three Christmas celebrations - ours, Nanny & Pappys and Grandma & Grandpas - filled with noisy, jolly family and scrumptious Christmas meals.
12. When I was younger, I ripped through every Christmas present I got with anticipation and excitement. Now I like to linger over presents and enjoy watching the reactions of family members as they open their gifts rather than open my own (which is probably why I'm always the last one to open all my gifts.)
And so, it looks like lots of my friends have already been tagged with this game, but I will go ahead and tag Shelbi at Keeper of the Chocolates (although her latest post appears to mention wonderful things in her life about Christmas.) Only 2 more days!
As many of you know, I'm not much of a cook. My husband, who is a chef, does most of the cooking at our house. I have offered, believe me. But he's got some kind of territorial issues with the kitchen and even when I try to cook, he hovers so incessantly that eventually, in his frustration, he takes over and does it himself. (You may remember my post from last year "Making Deviled Eggs", which is a classic example of the scenarios we've had in the kitchen.)
Sweat (saute) the carrots, celery, onions, parsnips.
