Holidays
Click to viewJust wanted to share one of my favorite christmas songs. It's pleasantly non-religious and it's upbeat. No whining, no tear-jerking, no pretention...ahhhh...we love you Paul.
So, I'm...actually still sorta sick...I rearranged the menu's for the Solstice Celebration and Christmas so that my husband can do the cooking if push comes to shove me over again. :-/ Thankfully, I married a man who is an excellent cook! (And if anything he's gotten even better since we got together, the opposite of the usual male degradation of cooking abilities post-betrothal.) Unfortunately, he does not bake.
So, I'm scrambling to find a really good bakery in the area in the hopes of acquiring some petite fours for saturday(the wintre solstice) and had to ask my mother if she'd make the Yule log(on top of all the other desserts she was already making.) At the least, I can guarantee anything my mother makes will top most bakeries, and more than likely, trump anything I'd do. She used to run a bakery and is an excellent chef in all things. ((I believe I've talked about my mother's dauntingly excellent cooking abilities before.)) And it's her Yule Log recipe I'd be mimicking anyway. I just really feel bad, since I had intended to do it this year and she's already making her famous cheesecake tarts. (There exists no cheesecake that tops my mother's; she ruins everyone, it's fantabulous.) And when I had called her to ask she's like, Okay, I think I'll make a pie too... *headdesk* She's also making two side dishes...her famous string bean casserole and mashed potatoes. My mother is a cooking fiend...thank gods she loves it so much and loves me...haha
I really hope that I'm better in time to atleast do the cooking on christmas.
By the way, for anyone confused, who has read previous entries where I talk about being Buddhist since I was a youngin`...
In the USA, you honestly don't need to be celebrating anything to do with Jesus of Nazareth to celebrate Christmas. Growing up I knew lots of Jewish families who celebrated the Santa Claus, giving, love, and family togetherness aspects of Christmas and ignored the Christian religious aspects. Since entering adulthood I've met even more non-Christians who celebrate "Christmas" in this way. Largely because everyone in the family is off! Hahaha! So, yeah, that aside, the rest of our families are Christian(excepting my one cousin's husband, who's Jewish...so yeah, us non-Christians are a definite minority in the family.) So, thus the dual celebrations.
So, back to holiday preparations crapola, woohoo...I actually can't find most of the decorations, though I will be realy honest and admit I haven't tried too hard as moving boxes and repeatedly bending over is NOT what the doctor ordered for nausea. Though I have done a fair bit of cleaning up around the place and put out the decorations that I have found. (The one box got put in our bedroom, yay for misplaced, but easily found boxes! heh.) So, we'll see what happens there.
So yeah, here's to hoping Umeshu goes with beef stew! lol [The original menu for the Solstice was going to be stuffed(with yellow rice) Cornish Hen, quiche, and whatever else I thought of to make.] Beef stew requires much less of me handling the food! And Jer will be comfortable helping with it, if need be. (For those going, "Umeshu wtf is that?" You may be familiar with Japanese Plum Wine? -Though it's actually a liqueur.)
^^ I need to interject with the fact that my daughter is adorable. *snuggles child* Such an angel!
*sighs happily as she listens to Enya's rendition of Silent Night in Gaelic* This is such a relaxing song...
So, back on subject...What are everyone's favorite holiday traditions? If you don't celebrate christmas, something from another holiday around now?
Ever since I was a little one I loved going and getting the tree on Christmas Eve. (We always waited until then.) The whole family would go pick it out and then trim it together. We'd sing carols, drink eggnog, and generally spend happy familial time. This year my husband and I decided to change the tradition(permanently) by getting the tree on the Solstice. Not only will it give us more time for tree trimming, but it suits the Solstice to have a nearly bare tree here. It will also help add festivity to a day that the world is not celebrating with us. There are no happy songs for us to sing, or any cutesy kids movies we can watch with our daughter. (We purchased Rudolph in Claymation and White Christmas with Bing Crosby and Danny Kay.) Or there may be stuff in existence that I just don't know about? If anybody else does please let me know. I think I might have to remedy this stuff at some point.(heh *wonders how many children's books were born from just such a thought*)
Anyhoozles, I've babbled on long enough now.
Happy Holidays to everybody! Whatever you celebrate!