Last Christmas of the Decade

WOW!!!  It is so hard to believe 10 years ago we hit 2000, and now ten more years down!!!  I never really thought about getting out the the 90's, amazing how time flies so fast!!!

We had a wonderful Christmas, we spent Christmas Eve at home with no fanfare, usually our older son arrives and a load of friends, kids and dogs, this year it was just the 3 of us.  I have to admit I miss all the activity but it was still lots of fun and great gifts and good food!!!

On Christmas Day we were invited to my cousin John and Kim's for dinner.  They have their family over so it was very nice to include us.  They prepared a fabulous pork loin, mashed potatoes, green beans and a great cherry jello salad, very festive.  Kim made homemade rolls that melted in your mouth. The crowning glory was the Yuletide Log.  We had a wonderful time seeing everyone and meeting new folks, a very enjoyable afternoon.



Now to get back to Stabbin Rags, had a few days off so really need to get back to work.  Enough of this fooling around cooking, reading and lounging.  Oh I did get a new book for Christmas, it's called Skinny Bitch, and what a book.  It's a no frills book on you are what you eat.  It covers the whole farming, food industry and what we have done and not done to make it a huge mess.  Basically eat only organic fruits and veggies, get rid of all dairy and meat, chicken and fish, eat more beans and nuts too!!!  Not sure I can go the whole way I do like my steak etc. but after reading on how these animals are slaughtered it gives one pause!!!!  Not to mention what they feed them and the drugs and hormones.  It's a rather interesting read if you have never thought about all the government involvement and beef and pork producers it's very scarey!!  So I'll make a ham today!!!!

CHRISTMAS DINNER PARTY!!!!

Saturday night we had a Christmas Dinner Party and it was such fun!!!  I love all the cooking and cleaning and prepping, tons of fun.  This dinner we started off with marinated shrimp with lots of lemon served in martini glasses, love that!!!  Dates stuffed with cream cheese, roasted pecans and wrapped in bacon and fried, can't eat too many soooo rich, yum!!!  Then I fixed radishes with a sliver cut out stuffed with butter and dipped in sea salt, very fun and festive,savory basil/pesto crackers topped it off.  And last but not least were mushroom tarts. these are the ones where you cut the cheap white bread into 4 pieces dip in butter and put in a mini muffin tin, then you make a mushroom, onion, garlic and cheese mixture and bake they were the keepers of the appetizer portion!!!!

Then we headed into a creamy turnip and leek soup, topped with turnip greens and a gremolta, (a mixture of orange rind, fresh garlic and flat leaf parsley all chopped up together and sprinkled on the soup,) very good, a keeper!!! 
Salad was organic greens with pear, toasted pecans, onion, black olives and a balsamic vinegar with honey and olive oil, not bad!!!

For the entree I tried something new called a panade, it was rather blah, needs a revamp, it was made with roasted garlic bread, torn in pieces and toasted, layers in a pan with a mixture of onion, garlic, mushroom and spinach, cheese and covered with broth and baked.  It sounded so good, I served it with baked salmon, but it was missing alot, needs much more spice and something???

Dessert was a chocolate truffle cake with candy cane whipped cream, very rich and delish but alot after that heavy meal!!!  All in all it was a successful dinner, that's the fun trying new recipes and figuring out what went well or not.

My youngest son Brandon is flying in tonight from Missouri and we're off to pick him up soon.  We are excited for him to be home for the holidays, our just married son and wife are staying home for Xmas, we hope they change their mind , we'll see!!!???

Only a few more days before Christmas and I have some serious sewing to do, an apron for a 4 year old and a walker bag and cell phone necklace.  My Dad was telling me about the radiation that comes off the cell phone, not sure how much but he thinks I should find some fabric that blocks it, I haven't googled this idea but if anyone has any thoughts please let me know what you know or think!!!

Have a fun week, such a fun time of year enjoy it!~!!!