We have a lengthy holiday, snugged in at home while the weather turns toward snow for a week at least.
Tomorrow, Christmas Eve, we’ll think of something, probably involving dinner, maybe a fancy breakfast. We don’t do prezzies until Christmas Morning.
We do prezzies on Christmas, but always save one for New Year’s. And we laze about, probably baking (and consuming) Russian Teacakes. We will put together prezzies and do whatever comes natural with whatever we recieve (not so many surprises this year—except perpetually, from our rowdy kittehs. You set something down and it may appear in another room. Shu has climbed the larger tree clear to eye level and we have not used our more fragile and irreplaceable ornaments on that tree this year! Mostly it’s unbreakables like giant snowflakes.
And we’ll be on official holiday, interspersed with a little actual work in the mornings, for all of Christmas week. We’ll skate when the rink is open. We’ll do our best to relax, take deep breaths, and enjoy a few days off. New Year’s Eve we’ll likely spend at home, with another good dinner, and wake up on New Year’s Day to watch the Rose Parade and have a late breakfast.
After which, of course, we make our annual New Year’s resolution to shed whatever we gained during Christmas, and then get back to work. But I am determined on that few days off—we really could use it!
Russian teacakes. I love them, unfortunately, I always have a problem with the powdered sugar coating. I roll the cakes around in the powdered sugar and it seems that the coating gets gooey, maybe I’m putting them in too soon, and because they’re still warm, the butter is oozing into the powdered sugar. I don’t have any cashews, either, and I believe they really do make a difference.
You have to roll them 2x—once while they’re hot, then again, to get the powder on. We use pecans…
Ah, that makes more sense. Thank you. Enjoy!!!!
You roll them the first time right out of the oven to melt the powdered sugar to make them gooey, then again before the goo solidifies.
Here’s a link to my mom’s recipe:
http://www.box.com/shared/uotqv4c32d
Jane and CJ, thanks for the recipe. Gosh, that’s simple, too. I’ll have to try those the next time I’m in the mood to cook.
I may do my grandmother’s stuffing recipe for Christmas. I missed it at Thanksgiving. 🙂
http://www.shinyfiction.com/recipes/index.html and look for the stuffing recipe. It’s very forgiving, you can alter amounts as needed or add things such as apples, nuts, cranberries, whatever else you might like.
Oh! It uses green onions and onions, so you’ll want to substitute something tasty for those.
My Nanu used to make these…..of course she never used a recipe….we never knew what they were called. Thanks!
If you haven’t seen these yet, you gotta watch’em.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uRzhd3eUyO8&feature=related
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8-0WVfj76bo
When we were kids, we used to get to open one present on Christmas Eve to keep us quiet. It was always pajamas to sleep in, and maybe a book or something to keep us occupied in the event that we couldn’t sleep. My mother used to have a strict “no Christmas before 7 AM” rule, until one year when we were older SHE couldn’t wait and woke my sister and I up around 6:00, while we begged to be allowed to sleep a little longer… I said, “Does that mean we’re adults now?”
Nowadays we do Christmas Eve with my family, Christmas morning is for us, and Christmas Day goes to The Boyfriend’s parents. Ahh, the joy of juggling families…
(Btw, I took said boyfriend and another friend ice skating for the first time the other day and thought of you guys… I wish I knew how to do tricks. I hadn’t been skating for years but quickly “re-remembered” the technique. The two first-timers did pretty good, friend spent her time hugging the wall but the boyfriend managed to be out on the ice on his own and didn’t even fall down once!)
Glad you had fun!
I get to work both Christmas Eve and Christmas (and New Years Eve and New Years) but only in the morning, off at noon. But since I work from home, not as bad as it could be. The folks and my BFF since 7th grade are coming Xmas day for dinner. My bro and his wife will be elsewhere. It’s threatening to snow on Saturday — hope it doesn’t or if it does that it doesn’t stick to the sidewalk.
DH is in a bad mood, as well as coming down with something, and the 2 conditions feed off of each other, which makes it uncomfortable to be in the same house. I am at least momentarily content to be at work. I will come home tonight with peace offerings of Cold-Eeze and hot tea, which I hope will be accepted in the spirit in which they are offered. We have a horde coming over for Christmas Eve, and a smaller gathering Christmas Day, which is partly the cause of DH’s malaise. Peace on earth, good will towards men (and kittehs, etc.)!
May you all have a merry one! The ability to breathe improves a mood immensely!
the morning after we decorated our tree we woke up to Christmas balls, formerly on the tree, now on the bedroom floors, deposited there by the black cat who climbed up the stairs with them in his mouth. Must have been at it all night long 🙂
Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays to everyone.
😆 As long as nothing got stepped on……I know the experience.
Lol! I can only imagine!
Our forecast is for clear skies and temperatures in the 50’s on Christmas day. This is amazing for our part of the world, and we are going to enjoy it while it lasts! Merry Christmas to everyone; have a relaxed and peaceful holiday.
Both readyChildren will be home Christmas Eve and I have been cooking and baking partly to warm the house. Arizona should be warmer than this… mid 20s F at night and upper 40s to low 50s during the day. Snow on the mountains is gorgeous. Outside dog water bowl remained frozen all day (it’s shaded all day). Said canine would happily stay inside all day with his people if he wasn’t a triping hazard and underfoot at the worst times. readyDaughter is playing Christmas carols on her cello with some Anime tunes thrown in for good measure. Happy holiday to all!
Since it’s white, I guess it’s technically snow what we got yesterday, but it came down as little white pellets. Not sticking to the sidewalk, though. Hope everyone has a happy (holiday of choice) full of warm fuzzies and all the best goodies!