The snow was predicted but surprised us nevertheless. So often the forecast says it’s coming and then it just doesn’t. Four inches? Almost. It’s pretty.
Finally settled on a Christmas Eve menu. I waffled a lot. Not like me.
Our dog-sitter canceled last night for our December 30th trip to Denver. Last night! I didn’t panic however and found someone else on the Rover app within the hour. Super nice guy.
We met with him today. Now that Finn is ten and has settled down quite a bit, we describe him very differently than we would have even two years back.
He has his habits. He likes to go in his downstairs crate before we go up to bed. At night, he starts in his upstairs crate near us and then goes from room to room. He loves sleeping in my writing chair. He loves treats (that much hasn’t changed). Here’s how we fling them around the backyard and tell him to Find It!
I’ll end with two things.
One: a night of sleep is an absolute godsend these days.
Two: the creating/blogging energy continues to lie dormant. It’s December, I tell myself. Not a bad time to be still.
Awww…Finney-Boy!! 10 years old! That seems unbelievable, as it seems he was just a ‘naughty’ puppy 😉 We have a fondness for your old boy over here. He sure has gotten gray (but we don’t age, right?!)
Ha ha. I don’t look a day older! He was insanely high energy once upon a time.
Love these classic photos of your snowy Solstice (((Dee)))
anonymous is me Mo Crow
Funny. I knew it was before you said! So nice to see your recent post and see you here too.
Beautiful, Dee! Happy Yuletide!🎄❤️❄️
And to you!
I miss my Dog- Riley so much these long days of being Elderly. We walked twice a day…..sigh..I would not at 78 be able to walk him safely.
I remember when Riley died. How long has it been?
It’s the perfect time to be still … focused on our families.
Yes.
Finn is beautiful. And so is your Christmas tree and the snow. So magical. A time of resting can be a great gift. We’re all exhausted. We’ll be better.
Yeah I hope so. I know my energy will come back. But sanity more generally? Not sure. It’s pretty bleak out there.
Stillness is the word for the season; in particular, this season, where so much awaits us, in the new year, that is beyond our control…so we (I) turn inward, finding the quiet joy that comes with the simple rituals that hold center during these days of winter. Good music, good food, good books, good companions. Yet rituals and traditions can have a change now and then as is the case with our Christmas Eve menu.
For years, it has always been lasagna but not this year. I guess because I have not been able to get about and about very much this year to enjoy all the enchantment that a New Mexican Christmas offers, I will spread New Mexico culinary magic on Christmas Eve with the traditional meal of tamales, not homemade but a very good store bought brand of pork tamales with red chili sauce. I want the heat and spice of that sauce this year. In the past, I have made posole, another New Mexican Christmas dish but this year, black beans laced with Mexican oregano, cumin and garlic will be the accompaniment. From Mexico, Noche de Buena salad. Noche de Buena means Christmas Eve. The salad can be made in many ways but this one will have red leaf lettuce, jicama, oranges, apples, beets, peanuts and pomegranate all tossed with a homemade citrus vinaigrette. Dessert is our state cookie, anise flavored biscochitos but we will also have a marzipan stollen, a nod to my husband’s German heritage.
Dee, may the light of the Winter Solstice wrap around you and yours like a warm hug…safe travels to Denver and safe home.
Damn you Marti! You’ve got me drooling again! I especially love the sound of those pork tamales.
I’m serving pork tenderloin cooked on the grill with a wet rub of marmalade, sage, and garlic. Mashed potatoes will be infused with roasted garlic and thinned with buttermilk. I made a red-wine and orange flavored cranberry sauce this week to go with the pork. Sides: roasted fennel and red onion. Green beans from Ken’s sister. A winter salad with sprouts and watercress and something else.
For dessert: a sticky ginger cake with whipped crème and caramel sauce. I’m intimated by the caramel sauce because I haven’t made it before and I know it can seize. But I’ll give it a go.
Talk about drooling…what a fantastic meal; visually the colors of the food will be so satisfying and stunning. I am all about flavor for sure but also presentation since as I’ve said many times, we eat with our eyes first. I especially like that we both will be having pork for Christmas Eve. Turkey is on the menu for Christmas as Rich was very good about having a vegetarian Thanksgiving. We froze some of our daughter Erika’s cranberry apple chutney from Thanksgiving to serve with the Christmas turkey. .
Cranberry sauce keeps almost forever. I’m gonna make us classic wedge salad on Christmas. That counts as a treat. And I don’t know what else.