Christmas 2012

Christmas this year was one I'll never forget.  It was such a treat having my parents come and stay with us in South Miami for almost two weeks. Our trip to Key West for a few days right before Christmas really made it an unforgettable visit.

Beautiful Key West.

Christmas Eve Day was spent prepping everything for the next day. We found a Christmas Eve candle and stories service at a nearby church which we attended that night at 6:00pm. It was so beautiful to be able to walk to and from a service on Christmas Eve!  Dinner that night was after the service and consisted of a variety of delicious finger-foods:

Homemade guacamole, sweet potato hummus and fresh veggies, a variety of cheeses (including some smoked Gouda I smuggled back from Canada), a salmon-walnut roll made by my Mom, meatballs, and homemade veggie spring rolls.

My first attempt at brie en croute, made here with red currant jelly.

Christmas Day was really fun. We got up fairly early, opened stockings and presents, and had a nice breakfast. Most of the rest of the afternoon was spent Skyping and phone-talking with folks, and putting the finishing touches on Christmas dinner. Most of the prep had been done the day before so the final assembly steps took very little time.

Skyping with my sister Greta in Victoria.

Christmas dinner consisted of a lot of new recipes. Everything was a hit. I opted not to eat any of the meat and still had more than enough with sides alone. All of the recipes turned out very well and we had left-overs to enjoy for several days after the big feast. Here's a run-down of the menu:

Mashed Potatoes. I can't find the online recipe that I used but I remember these involved a lot of potatoes, a lot of garlic (3 complete heads which were boiled with the potatoes), a lot of butter, and a whack of whole milk. This was my first experience using a potato ricer which was a ton of fun. The potatoes turned out a bit waterier than I would have liked but they were still delicious.  They were actually even more delicious after a day sitting in the fridge.

Turnip and Sweet Potato Gratin. From this recipe. This one was DELICIOUS. It was a huge success. I liked it because I got to try out my new mandolin (kitchen tool, not instrument) to slice the veggies. 

Maple-Ginger-Roasted Vegetables with Pecans. From this recipe. DELICIOUS. The maple and ginger combination was a huge hit. I would definitely make this one again.

Vegetarian Stuffing. From this recipe. And I found the recipe title to be true: this was the best vegetarian stuffing I had ever had. Even the non-vegetarians around the dinner table agreed it was damn good.

Braised Red Cabbage with Apples and Onions. My parents got me this awesome cookbook for Christmas, out of which we made this cabbage recipe.  Mom took the lead with this one and prepared it in the slow cooker. She made it with this awesome apple cider vinegar beverage we found at Whole Foods as opposed to just apple juice which the recipe called for.

Parker House Rolls Topped with Cheddar and Old Bay. From this recipe. I don't make rolls too often but enjoy making them from scratch for special occasions. This was a GREAT recipe and the rolls turned out just fine. I overcooked them just slightly but they were still good. I made one significant change to the recipe: prior to rolling and slicing the dough in to individual rolls, I sprinkled on some cheese, green onions, and fresh parsley. Yum. (This recipe worked a lot better than did the dough-saster one I used for Canadian Thanksgiving.)

Chicken was also on the menu for the meat-eaters. My Mom prepared some adorable little ones:

And to top it all off?
A little greenery from our own garden... picked on Christmas Day!

THE EARTH PROVIDES!

One cherry tomato and a whack of lettuce!

All things together, my Christmas plate was both delicious and beautiful:

After a hearty meal, we played some board games.  We were lucky to have been gifted two awesome games this year: Ticket to Ride and, the classic, Pugopoly.

Playing Pugopoly.

Christmas ended and we still had a few days with my parents visiting.  We did some after-Christmas shopping on the 26th and spent the 27th out on South Beach, enjoying a beautiful day.  We ate Cuban food, did a bit of shopping, and lounged on the beach.  

At Havana 1957.

On South Beach.

It was a wonderful end to a wonderful visit. I feel so grateful to have such wonderful parents. And Bryn, too... he's pretty darn amazing. Even though we couldn't all be together, this Christmas reminded me that I am part of a network of loving and amazing friends and family. Thank you all for being a part of my life! It was great to catch-up with so many of you over the holidays.

(To check out all of my holiday photos, click here.)

Bryn and I have no big plans for New Year's Eve tonight. We have been very lazy these past few days and I expect that tonight will be no different.

Next up for the blog? I GOT A FOOD PROCESSOR FOR CHRISTMAS (thanks, Mom and Dad). And new running shoes. And new goggles. And Bryn got an iPad. OHMYGOODNESS STUFFFFFFFFFFF.

Oh, and I guess we should talk New Year's resolutions at some point, shouldn't we.

Stay tuned...