Holiday Menus

Well, what do you know? Another post comes again!

When I typed out my title above, the first thought that came to mind is a verse from Proverbs which I have been reviewing with the kids since they were toddlers:

"Better is a dry morsel with quiet than a house full of feasting with strife."

Prov. 17:1

Feasting is a blessing to be sure, but delicious food loses all its delight in the absence of peace. Jesus came to bring peace (but the full manifestation of that peace is yet to come), not good food! 

Today was a lovely day. Rain from yesterday subsided, but coolness of air and overcast skies gave us an excuse to create warmth inside with a fire and cooperative work in the kitchen. My first goal for the day was to run my errands... I know from the past that stores sell out of basics (like potatoes and that particular cheese I want for a recipe), and people get grumpier and ruder in crowded parking lots as the day goes by.  

Once home, the kids and I all had a task:

Olivia made her raspberry sauce for Christmas morning

Michael made an artichoke dip (all it needs now is baking + broiling with Pecorino Romano)

I chopped veggies, planned, helped, and cleaned; decided on THIS as part of tonight's dinner

Jacob and Andrew made mango lemonade (because we have an abundance of Meyer lemons and a couple rip mangos.) (Follow you fav lemonade recipe with Meyer lemons, but use less sugar in the simple syrup, and blend together with chunks of ripe mango.)

Raspberry sauce and lime curd... I added the paper doilies just for a little something special when we reach for them on the 25th!

After dinner tonight, Jon and Michael joined me in prepping our Christmas Eve dinner.

Our holiday menu is not always the same year by year, but we do have some favorites. I've decided that a simpler, make-ahead dinner is best for our Christmas Eve dinner. Since we are typically one of the last to leave our Christmas Eve service, I don't want to be irritated on the inside thinking about still having to make a holiday dinner! I look for ideas that are not your average fare, and are best made a day in advance. This year will be a repeat from the last. After dinner, we are going to watch family videos.

Christmas Eve Dinner

Corn and Lobster Chowder

Salad with Lemon Vinaigrette

Crusty bread with butter

Sparkling cider or mineral water

Chocolates and cookies for dessert

For Christmas, I've been making bread pudding for several years now. It's a combination of a Bon Appétit recipe and Ina Garten's Challah French Toast. Besides the fact the the kids love it, I like that it can be prepared a day in advance. Since it bakes for over an hour, I can pop it in the oven while we open our gifts.

Christmas Breakfast

French toast bread pudding

(with maple syrup and Olivia's raspberry sauce)

Sausage or Bacon

Fresh fruit

Coffee or hot apple cider

We typically don't have turkey again at Christmas (as I think most Canadians do) because it we just had that a few weeks ago. I have make turkey roulade, which was good, but generally I pick some sort of roast. Last year we picked ham, and we chose to do a repeat again this year (it was so good, and the leftovers were so nice). I'm using the lime curd I recently made for our dessert, even though it doesn't seem Christmas-y to me.

Christmas Dinner

Ham with Riesling and Mustard

Mashed Potatoes 

Green beans with shallots

Salad (variation of THIS) 

Homemade dinner rolls

Honey butter

Sparkling cranberry cider or mineral water

Lime tart topped with fresh blueberries

or

Coffee ice cream with gingerbread cookies

Coffee

I never like to think about lunch when there's so much else going on (plus breakfast is heavy and on the later side). I'll set out some veggies, crackers and cheese, and the hot artichoke dip with crusty bread.

Satsuma oranges for snacking

By January, we will drastically limit the sugar and white flour, and load up on greens, but indulging for a while is quite fine! ;) 

We rounded out our day with some football at the school with some neighborhood kids and some pictures in town for Michael's birthday month. We wrapped the last of the gifts. Oh, and Olivia is nearly finished reading "Les Misérables" (all 1400+ pages). And laundry! Holiday or not, there is always laundry to do!

I have these "kissing balls" hung on the banister and set on the widow sills in the stair case. I've got to remember to kiss more!!

May you be blessed with abiding peace this Christmas season!

~Katherine

Simply December

When long periods of time go by between posts, I begin to wonder again if my blogging days are ending! It seems I have less time and fewer things to write about publicly. Days turn into weeks. Just when I've stopped thinking about when I last posted, the desire returns to string together at least another post or two. In the end I don't really want to give up this little space just yet, even if my posts are fewer and father between.

Well, Merry Christmas! December has been sweet with simple festivities here, while life is ramping up to be anything but simple in the new year! Things have been very busy for Jon in recent months, and the new year will bring work that will more than occupy his time and attention. Because of this, we've decided to have a simple family Christmas time this year. Maybe it will be the calm before the storm, I don't know. What is certain is that we are all appreciating this simplicity very much.

We put up our tree earlier this month, which is always the signal to begin creating a warm and festive atmosphere. The very smell of a fresh tree energizes me to think about and implement the things that will contribute to closeness and warm memories.

Andrew and Jacob spent time hidden behind the trees while the rest of us searched for the right tree.

Jon would like you to think he dislikes tree shopping...

...but deep down we all know he enjoys the tradition!

In the spirit of simplicity, I decided to purge a lot of my Christmas decorations this year. Living in various homes over the years has resulted in a hodge-podge of random things, with fewer items suiting my preferences anymore. I've grown tired of the garlands, bobbles, and glitter; I am much more fond of simple and authentic decor.

I cut eucalyptus branches for the dining room and filled a large pitcher, and I used various types of evergreen branches throughout the house. Pinecones and logs do the trick well, as do wooly cushion covers and white candles. Gingerbread men have always been welcomed in our home, ever since we had our first Christmas in the United States.

I've always enjoyed using what is at my disposal, and keeping my pocketbook uninvolved. Although home decor is not my strong point, I do feel that simplicity tends to be more elegant.

The afternoon I began assembling some of the greenery, Jon lit our first fire for the season.

The kids congregated, mesmerized.

Baking. Lots of it.

Late night baking with the boys

We tried to recreate the tiny Anthro houses without having a cookie cutter. The pieces we made didn't fit well, but the fun we had was memorable. Even Jon set aside his studies last Saturday night and joined in the fun. His is the snowy church, below right!

My Fourth of July roses decided to bloom this month, so I added a sprig of pine.

We've found ourselves by the ocean several times this month. Sometimes it's the kids and I out for a walk, once it was a family drive at night (in our PJs) to enjoy a downpour of rain, once it was a night walk for just Jon and I. All those times are sweet because they are spontaneous and carefree, shoulder to shoulder with the ones we love the most.

Simplicity. I think what I want the most is simple devotion to the Lord, and straightforward faith and trust in his enduring love for me. Jesus had a wonderful way of simplifying the truth when others wanted to muddle it up:

 And he answered, “You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength and with all your mind, and your neighbor as yourself.” Luke 10:27

Complete love for God first, and through that, love for others. How much simpler could it be? And yet, I find myself living like I believe life is more complicated at times. Thanks be to God that he rescues us from all that entangles us! He rescues us from ourselves, from the grave, from lies, from sickness and sorrow... He rescues us from our inability to simply love him.

It comforts me to know that because he came, I am not alone. He is Emmanuel, God with us. He is with me leading and enabling me to do that which is not natural, and he clothes me with his righteousness so that my sinfulness is no more in the sight of God.

Now that should lead to simple worship!

~Katherine

11: A Balanced Number

November is well behind us and the spotlight is clearly on December now, but I can't let the story of November end without including this guy. We celebrated another birthday for Andrew, one that pleases him immensely because his number is "balanced" again. Single digits were good, but 10 (a 1 and a 0) was not quite right. The digit 11 is visually balanced and he is happy again. Unfortunately, he will have to wait another 11 years before he reaches the next visually balanced number of 22.

Does this make sense? It does to him, and I totally get it. He's not a complete obsessive compulsive type, he just notices details and appreciates order and symmetry. He is attuned to simple aesthetics and balanced design. Arrangement and precision are important, and he is especially fond of "tiny" things. It will be interesting to see what he ends up doing. With his work ethic and determination, I have no doubt he will carve out an interesting path.

I saw some tiny gingerbread houses at Anthropologie last weekend, and I immediately thought of him. Tiny houses are his thing, and he has the precision and patience it would take to assemble and decorate little Christmas houses.

He is my Andrew: Fun, appreciative, patient/longsuffering, affectionate, kind. He is all boy, but he has a tender spot inside. He loves his one day of school per week, but still prefers the comforts and flexibility of our school days at home. He loves gaga ball at lunch time, and casually tells me how often he won in between describing an experiment in his Weird Science class. He is still not sure he wants to marry someday; today he said it would be good to have a job that could "pay for" (support!) a wife before he was ready for a girl anyway. He is very logical.

His birthday fell on his school day, so I brought him and his buddies some cupcakes at lunch time. He was so pleased. Such a simple thing to do, but it meant so much to him. And since he loves most things Asian, we went out for sushi for dinner. He loved the rice, but wasn't so sure about the sushi! A couple days later, we had his friend over and I made BBQ chicken pizza and the requested spice cake with brown sugar frosting.

Andrew. He is my brownie. Dark chocolate eyes and charming dimples. Delicious!

I am so thankful for this boy, this precious life!

~Katherine