Another round of eating

At 4:00 p.m. this afternoon the usual cast of characters will gather at our home for pot luck to celebrate the end of the year.  To prevent a repeat of the great Christmas leftovers, we planned this evenings menu with a bit more care.  I am responsible for the appetizers ( cooked shrimp with homemade seafood sauce,  artichoke dip)  and dessert (profiteroles and a fruit tray with cream cheese fruit dip).   A pot of beans with gravy will round off my contribution.

The neighbours will be toting barbecue ribs, salad, basmati rice and the domino game.

Another rousing night which will wrap up no later than 9:30.  By 10:00 we will all be in our own homes fast asleep.  As in previous years, we trust the New Year will arrive without us being witnesses.   So where ever you are, or what ever way you are celebrating, have a safe and Happy New Year Eve.

Pyjama Day

I am on holidays until next Wednesday.  Yesterday my DH and I drove to Fredericton in a snow storm to take my oldest granddaughter shopping.  That is what good grand parents do! Besides she deserved a shopping day.   Sarah received her marks and has a 3.0 grade point average, not too shabby considering she has always been home schooled, this is her first year at college and is holding down a part time job.  She has not received the marks from her best class so the average may go up.

The snow storm hampered our shopping a bit, but we still had a good visit.  Of course we had to top it off with a visit to our favourite bookstore-coffee shop Reads. Sarah drops into Reads each morning for a cup of coffee on the way to school.  That girl has good taste.

I traded my books for a new stash.  Last evening I started  The Heart is a Lonely Hunter and read until after midnight.

Today is all about me.  I plan to stay in my pyjamas until it is time to take a shower and put on fresh jammies.   As the temperature is minus 14 with a wind chill factor of  20, I slept in rather than going to the gym.   The rest of the day will be dedicated to puttering, quilting, reading and cooking.   Sounds busy but to me it is a perfect holiday.  What is your idea of a perfect stay at home day?

A good time was had by all

How do you top an evening of Mixed Nuts and Chinese food.  Easy! Decide to cook a dish for Christmas dinner that is complicated especially one you have never attempted before.   When I read Retorte Solstice Dinner entry I knew I had to try the spiral cut, sausage-stuffed, bacon latticed pork loin roast.   On Christmas morning as I lay in bed sipping my tea I questioned my own sanity.  The stuffing I prepared on Christmas Eve.  Of course I deviated from her recipe.  I used Cajun spice instead of chipotle, omitted the cheese and used dried cranberries soaked in maple syrup.    Often when I am up for a new adventure my DH becomes the voice of reasoning.  Put me and a sharp knife in the same room and one of us will be rushed to the hospital for  stitches.  As we did not know which doctor was working at the Emergency room Christmas Day, DH suggested he spiral cut the pork.

With a newly sharpened knife the cutting was incredibly easy.  His basket weaving ability shone through and made the bacon lattice seem simple.  Within 30 minutes the roast was cut, stuffed, tied, latticed, in the oven, the entire work surface sterilized and the knives scalded with hot water.

I made two gluten free desserts, Pumpkin Filling (once again thanks to Retorte) which I served as a mousse without the crust and Raspberry Layered Dessert with a cornflake crust.  As we were doing potluck with the neighbours, I cooked mashed turnips with carrots, and a side of steamed Brussels sprouts.   The neighbours arrived with turkey, stuffing, potatoes, chicken biryani, mixed vegetables in a cheese sauce, trays of sweet and a gluten free trifle.

The entire day was peaceful and unhurried.  DH sat the dinner table with our Christmas china immediately after breakfast.   I can handle any cooking disaster as long as the table is set.  Telephone calls from my children, my sister Wanda, my brother, Julia arrival to spend the night and a call to our cousin San were really the highlight of our day.  To me that is what Christmas is all about, being with the ones you love.

Merry Christmas

to you and your family.  May this season bring peace, joy and happiness.

Mixed nuts

This morning I went to the gym at 6:00 a.m. I was a slacker as I have the day off.  It was shortly after 8:00 when I hit the grocery store. And there in the middle of Superstore I had a Thank you Jesus moment. For years I have been looking for a DVD of my favourite Christmas movies Mixed Nuts.  Last week I attempted to find someone who could convert my old VHS copy to DVD without success.  So it was truly a Christmas miracle to find that DVD sitting on the nearly empty DVD rack.  If you are not familiar with this Steve Martin movie, the following excerpt from a  review by Christopher Sullivan  describes it best.

A GUILTY PLEASURE!… (NOT for the easily offended!), November 16, 2001 Let’s face it, setting a comedy at a suicide prevention hotline center smacks of some truly tastless humor. However, black humor/farce doesn’t bow to such societal pressure as “inappropriate subject matter”. Clearly anyone who has felt the tragedy of suicide in their lives won’t take to this one bit. However, that being said… “Mixed Nuts” is a TRULY hysterical film. Once again, the late MADELINE KAHN steals the show (like she did in “What’s Up Doc?”). It stars a name cast including Steve Martin, Juliette Lewis, Anthony Lapaglia, Adam Sandler, Rob Reiner and Garry Shandling. Rita Wilson is an actress I’m not familiar with but who did a great job here and the drag queen played by Liev Schrieber was awesome!

The hijinks revolve around a suicide prevention hotline (“Lifesavers”!) run by a not particularly stable crew. The center is in danger of bankruptcy and all are in fear of the “seaside strangler”. Following around the Christmas fruitcake throughout the film is a wonderful plot devise. Seeing Madeline Kahn stuck in the elevator trying to rap on an electronic keyboard is one of the funniest moments I’ve ever seen on film. It was to the great discredit of the producers of a recent biography on her that this film wasn’t even mentioned.

There are many, many funny moments here and even the soundtrack is exceptional. The upbeat, funky “White Christmas” at the opening, with views of a sunny beach and a snowman made of sand set the tone for this wacky and delightful film. Eartha Kitt’s “Santa Baby” is great as well. If your looking for an outrageous, truly hysterical comedy and don’t have easily offended friends, then this movie will make you a hit this Christmas season!!!

I like this movie because it shows that Christmas for most people is not a Hallmark moment.  Not everyone is perfect, or completely sane normal.  But somehow we find people much like ourself to spend the holidays with.   As we mature we learn to laugh at ourselves and all of our idiosyncrasies.

This evening my DH and I will enjoy a dinner of homemade Chinese food and the movie Mixed Nuts.   Life does not get much better!

I like being me.

My DH and I are having an evening of culture (watching The Hangover). This time of the year, we need to sit back and reflect, to be a bit easier on ourselves.   Tonight forget about the presents to be wrapped, the shopping to be done.  Christmas will come……….and go, whether you are ready or not! Snuggle with your sweet heart and watch a good comedy.

I would never trade my amazing friends, my wonderful life, my loving family for less gray hair or a flatter belly. As I’ve aged, I’ve become kinder to myself, and less critical of myself. I’ve become my own friend. I don’t chide myself for eating that extra cookie, or for not making my bed, or for buying that silly cement gecko that I didn’t need, but looks so avante garde on my patio. I am entitled to a treat, to be messy, to be extravagant.

I have seen too many dear friends leave this world too soon; before they understood the great freedom that comes with aging.

Whose business is it if I choose to read or play on the computer until 4 AM and sleep until noon? I will dance with myself to those wonderful tunes of the 60 &70′s, and if I, at the same time, wish to weep over a lost love … I will.

I will walk the beach in a swim suit that is stretched over a bulging body, and will dive into the waves with abandon if I choose to, despite the pitying glances from the jet set. They, too, will get old..

I know I am sometimes forgetful. But there again, some of life is just as well forgotten. And I eventually remember the important things.

Sure, over the years my heart has been broken. How can your heart not break when you lose a loved one, or when a child suffers, or even when somebody’s beloved pet gets hit by a car? But broken hearts are what give us strength and understanding and compassion. A heart never broken is pristine and sterile and will never know the joy of being imperfect.

I am so blessed to have lived long enough to have my hair turning gray, and to have my youthful laughs be forever etched into deep grooves on my face.. So many have never laughed, and so many have died before their hair could turn silver.

As you get older, it is easier to be positive. You care less about what other people think. I don’t question myself anymore. I’ve even earned the right to be wrong.

I like being old. It has set me free. I like the person I have become. I am not going to live forever, but while I am still here, I will not waste time lamenting what could have been, or worrying about what will be. And I shall eat dessert every single day(if I feel like it).

Never Trust a Skinny Cook

We have a family recipe blog, Never Trust A Skinny Cook, which my granddaughter Meaghan has been updating regularly.

I have been baking these cookies since 1981 when the recipe appeared in the special edition Canadian Living Christmas cooking magazine. These cookies are equally good when topped with an orange glaze, but they never last long enough for me to frost. For the complete recipe go here.

Weekend highlights

Celebrating Emma`s 9th birthday

Spending time with Julia

Stopping to let a moose cross the road

Stopping to let a deer cross the road

Perfect driving weather to and from Woodstock

Julia wearing her lovely tea cozy hat

The three of us snuggled in the front seat, as the back seat of the truck was too stuff with presents

Dinner with the family

A snap picture of my granddaughter Meaghan with a smile on her face

A picnic lunch at Kilkarny Lake on the way home

Being blessed with children and grandchildren

Happy birthday Emma

Her Royal Highness Princess Emma is 9 years old today! Although some days speaking with her on the telephone,  she speaks as if she was 40.

Tomorrow we will travel for 3 and a half hours to join in the celebration of Emma.  There will be cake, dinner at a restaurant, presents, and movies. But best of all there will be Emma.  Emma is a member of the free hug society. She spreads peace and good will where ever she goes by handing out hugs. She has a special talent for finding people who really need a hug at that very moment.

She is truly the best Christmas gift ever.

Wordless Wednesday