My sister-in-law’s family arrived loaded with shrimp and pâté and British crackers — those popping party favors? Inside were little toys and slips of paper marked with corny jokes and trivia (Why do Christmas trees make terrible knitters? Because they’re always losing their needles).
Jan took out another mortgage to treat us to a spectacular filet mignon. We served it with au gratin potatoes, salad, and green beans. Restaurant worthy! I might have exclaimed. Truly, it was delicious.
The whole meal turned on cooking that meat to perfection (specifically NOT overcooking it). It was a little nerve-wracking.
Jan researched it. Long and slow for two hours and then a brief stint under the broiler. We fussed and fussed during the final stage. In the oven, out of the oven, checking the thermometer, again and again (why is it taking so long? Is it because we let it come to room temp for an hour or so before broiling?) Finally it was done enough. We wrapped it in foil and let the final couple of degrees happen stovetop. It was perfect.
Dessert: cranberry shortbread bars and Mimi’s Pecan Balls (so named because it’s K’s maternal grandmother’s recipe and she was French Canadian — Ma Mere sliding to “Mimi”). Also, that morning, I made my fourth ever pumpkin cake buttercream roll. Achieved a respectable spiral!
(I use Libby’s Pumpkin recipe — easily found online).
There was one minor mishap. I’d had the brilliant idea of folding up the confectioner sugar-covered dish towel used in making the pecan balls to repurpose it for the cake roll (one of the steps is to pop the hot, thin cake onto a confectioner sugar-covered dish towel, roll it up, and put in fridge for an hour or so before icing and re-rolling). Well, someone picked up the towel — oops! — and scattered the sugar all over the place.
It could have been worse. The dog could have made away with the filet (or tried). Finn is incorrigible that way. Lila? Not so much.
After dinner, Jan’s nephews hopped into the hot tub — the kind of tradition you can have in California.
Sorry I don’t have better pictures. Life was happening.
🌲 Merry Christmas! 🌲
To you too Ginny!
It sounds like a lovely time for you and yours Dee! Blessing all around. Love the pics, especially that roll and that view. 🙂 Enjoy the rest of your visit.
I’m thinking of you Nancy. We just walked down a gully with ravens overhead!
Happy Christmas Dee. Your pics are exactly as they should be, life in action, family fun, swoon worthy pumpkin roll, etc. May the good food and merriment continue for all of you. Family at any holiday, but especially during this season of tidings of comfort and joy, is the greatest gift of all.
We echoed some of your Christmas Eve meal for we too had pate, ours had pieces of black truffles interspersed throughout the pate. We had wild caught shrimp and I made a cocktail sauce of catsup, horseradish and a squeeze of lemon, Rich sauteed wild caught scallops (none for me, I don’t like them.) We also had brie on crusty bread, garlic stuffed olives and Capocollo, a thinly sliced Italian/French meat, kind of like prosciutto only spicier. Dessert was tangerines-. an easy but oh so decadent feast. All of these delights were courtesy of Christmas gifts of food cards from our daughter: the perfect gift for us. One sent us a card to use on Christmas Eve and the other sent us a card to use for New Years Eve.
Tonight’s Christmas dinner will be a garlic, parsley, rosemary and Dijon marinated roasted leg of lamb with the ingredients also stuffed into the lamb via slits…takes me right back to my childhood so in that vein I will also say, Feliz Navidad.
Merry Christmas to you and yours too, Marti. Your menu sounds mouth-watering as usual.
How wonderful!’ 🎄🥰💕🎁
GREAT food .. great FAMILY and fun in the sun!! Woohoo sounds like Christmas spectacular .. really happy you’re having such a great time!!
Thanks Tina. Hope you had a great day too!
Very nice post, stay well and happy New Year!
Thank you so much Anneliese. Happy New Year to you too!
Merry 2nd Day of Christmas … may your days continue to be peaceful and bright