Well, It Was ALMOST a White Christmas

In true Colorado fashion, Christmas day was sunny and unseasonably warm, which meant that a snowstorm was imminent...it was just a question of when.

Last night. That's when.

Queen B and I had to drive into Hooterville for Not So New Job's holiday party, which meant driving back home in the dark, on snowy roads, with large puffy flakes still coming down. I am not a great driver in the snow. Or, in the dark. I'm even less great in a snowstorm in the dark.

Spoiler: we made it. And, this morning, we awoke to a winter wonderland, just days too late for a white Christmas.

I'm not bitter. Plus, I got a chance to dress the Boomer dog in his new coat and his snow boots from last year. And, he got to ride on the back of the 4-wheeler as Hugh plowed snow, which is one of his favorite things to do.

So, it's not such a bad thing, but, still; come on, Colorado!

What's Up Wednesday, December 2022 Edition

 

I know Sheaffer and Shay aren't hosting the link-up this month, but, I decided to go ahead and answer the prompts, anyway. I hate to leave things undone, and not posting would feel like quitting. I'm no quitter, so here we go.

What I'm Eating 

So.Many. Leftovers! Not only do we have leftover turkey, ham, mashed potatoes, gravy, stuffing, etc., etc., but; we have an entire mini fridge full of leftover Chinese food that we got as takeout so I wouldn't have to cook on Christmas Eve. Don't even get me started on the baked treats.

What I'm Reminiscing About

It's hard to think of Christmas without reminiscing about how we celebrated at the house in Mayberry. It's also crazy to think that it was just last year at this time that Mom sat us all down and told us that she wanted to sell the house and move to Hooterville. A lot can happen in a year.

What I'm Loving

Queen B flew in from Texas on the 19th and I am loving my time with her!

I tried my hand at homemade eggnog for Christmas and it was so good, I will never purchase eggnog from a store, again. Hugh even did a blind taste test between my home brew and a bottle of Jack Daniels Eggnog that he received as a gift from one of his wrestling official buddies and mine won, hands down. Also, I served mine in a silver punch bowl; it doesn't get bougier than that.

What I've Been Up To

Earlier this month, the Man-Cub underwent surgery for an old football injury on his shoulder. He came through like a champ.

Our family hosted our 2nd annual Christmas Cocktail Contest, which was a lot of fun. I didn't win, but I also didn't come in last, so, yay! I made each of the competitors wear Santa jumpsuits, so, we were all winners, really.

We also made time to decorate cut sugar cookies and to make Dad's favorite popcorn balls. Mikey and Shanti joined us this year, and the Rodeo Princess had arrived from Texas just in time to attend; I cherish this time with us all together and I'm so happy that my kids (and my bonus kiddos) all enjoy carrying on these precious traditions.

What I'm Working On

I'm not really working on anything, at the moment. We typically close the office at Not So New Job the week between Christmas and New Year's Day, so I have mostly been hanging out with Queen B. She goes back to Texas on Friday, so I am trying to soak up every minute with her.

What I'm Dreading

I'm not really dreading it, but, January is reporting month at Not So New Job. I don't have as many grants to report on as I used to, so it really isn't that bad, just time consuming. But, hey! If this is the worst thing that I have to deal with, I'll take it.

What I'm Excited About

Dare I say; I am excited about a brand new year? 23 has been my lucky number for years, so I am really hopeful that 2023 will bring us nothing but luck. Fingers crossed! (please don't smite me, Universe)

What I'm Watching

I got super burned out on all the Christmas specials, Hallmark shows, and similar seasonal schmaltz that infiltrated every streaming service to which we subscribe, so I joined Queen B in watching less, ummm.. savory offerings, including Secrets of Playboy on Hulu (takeaway: Hugh Heffner was the devil, incarnate) and I survived a Serial Killer. Then, because I needed something less dark but not quite as saccharine as Hallmark; I watched the latest season of Emily in Paris (Takeaway: I really want to go back to Paris).

What I'm Reading/Listening To

I haven't had time for any reading this month, but I have listened to my entire collection of vintage Christmas music on my record player while wrapping presents and baking.

What I'm Wearing

I busted out my vast collection of holiday pajamas and made it a practice to come home from work and change into a pair. I've also worn a holiday apron quite a bit, because I have several and I like them. So, there. 

What I'm Doing This Weekend

Saturday night, we are having friends over for a New Year's Eve gathering. We are having appetizers and cheese fondue. I haven't pulled out my fondu pot in years; I hope it still works.

Sunday will probably be Day 1 of a two-day de-Christmasing spree. I have Monday off from Not So New Job and am hoping to get the inside decorations down and stored away for another year.

What I'm Looking Forward to Next Month

January is always a strange month; we have no activities planned, no trips to look forward to, etc. I'm hoping it is a month of reorganization, relaxation, and hibernation, following the craziness of December. Last year, I embraced the hygge philosophy, and I'm thinking I'll do the same this year.

Favorite Amazon Find This Month

I purchased this tablecloth for our Christmas table. It coordinated beautifully with my Pfaltzgraf Winterberry dishes. I wish I had thought to take a picture of the finished table, but I was too busy feeding thirteen people.

Recipes From the Porch: Bourbon Eggnog

Ok, I wouldn't necessarily serve this on the porch, but, I could if it were warm enough outside in December. It's Colorado; you never know!

Anyhoodle, a little back story on the recipe: earlier this month, I took the Seniors to see a play at the community theater in Hooterville, and, afterwards we went to Mom's house for cocktails before dinner.

Mom was playing holiday tunes on the record player, her house was decked out for Christmas, and we were all feeling very cozy and nostalgic. Oscar and I got on the topic of old fashioned holiday things, and, eggnog came up. Oscar challenged me to recreate the eggnog of his youth and I accepted.

The recipe I settled on is from the Cocktail Contessa, and, after the sampling that we did on Christmas day; I can say that it is a keeper.

The ingredients:

12 egg yolks

1 3/4 c sugar (pictured separately because I forgot it in the first photo, because of course I did)

1 tsp nutmeg

1 tbsp vanilla

1 1/2 c bourbon

1/4 to 1/2 c amaretto

3 c heavy whipping cream, whipped*

3 c half and half

Additional bourbon, to taste (optional)

garnish: nutmeg and cinnamon sticks

1. Separate eggs, reserving whites for another recipe, or, tossing down the garbage disposal (that's what I did, which is probably a crime, given how expensive eggs are these days).

2. Beat egg yolks in standing mixer for 5 minutes, or until lightened a bit.

3. Add in the sugar and mix until the batter is a thick, cake batter-like consistency.

3. Add in vanilla and nutmeg.

4. Add bourbon and amaretto a tablespoon at a time, mixing constantly.

5. Transfer to a glass container and refrigerate at least 24 hours. Three days to a week is better (I refrigerated mine for four days).

Remove from fridge and  fold in whipped cream* and half and half. Add additional bourbon now, if desired (I didn't, it was perfect as it was).

Store in fridge until ready to serve. Garnish with grated nutmeg and a cinnamon stick, if desired.

I served my eggnog in a silver punch bowl that I had chilled in the freezer for half an hour.

This recipe makes quite a bit and I stored the leftover in the glass mason jar that it originally fermented in. I plan to serve it again on New Year's Eve, assuming Hugh doesn't drink it all before then.

No guarantees, there.

*Be careful not to over whip: If you do, use a whisk to incorporate into the eggnog. Don't ask me how I know.

Christmas Wrap-Up

This Christmas was typical, yet different in so many ways.

It was Mom's first Christmas away from Mayberry, which was very different, yet, her new house is already so reminiscent of the old house; it looked and felt like Christmas back home.

As with other Christmases, family visited. Queen B arrived on the 19th, which gave us the whole week before Christmas to visit and enjoy one another's company. 

The Rodeo Princess arrived on Wednesday, and the Rebel Without a Pause and his daughter arrived late Thursday night; while they couldn't stay through Christmas day, it was good to see them, and they got to spend a bit of time with my sister Midge, who arrived Friday.

Unfortunately, on Friday, Mom fell in the street while delivering cookies and other treats to neighbors in her new neighborhood. She, the Rodeo Princess, and my great-niece were crossing the street to return home when my great-niece accidentally knocked into Mom's knee, causing her to lose her balance and fall. She ended up in the emergency room, with what would be diagnosed as a broken wrist. 

She took it like a champ, and, I knew she would be ok when she was joking about the hot doctors in the ER. We teased the Rodeo Princess about missing her opportunity for a Hallmark Christmas love story; city girl, home for the holidays, meets hot doctor after a Christmas cookie accident, yada, yada. But, hey! It could happen.

Anyhoodle, Mom is doing fine and I get to say that it didn't happen on my watch (whew!). She even made it to the Christmas Cocktail Contest that I wrote about in a previous post, and, she spent Christmas Eve with us. Granted, she slept in a chair, but, she was there (the recliner was the most comfortable option for her).

We had a full house on Christmas Eve. Mom, the Rodeo Princess, Midge, Queen B, the Man-Cub, and Shanti all spent the night. On a typical Christmas Eve, we open new holiday pajamas, but, this year I decided to do something a little different; I bought everyone a fuzzy blanket in a print that I thought matched the personality of each recipient. For example, Mom's blanket had wiener dogs in holiday sweaters, which we all agreed was perfect, given the loss of her wiener dog, Roper earlier this year.

The blankets were a hit, and now I'll have to come up with something new for next year.

Christmas day started bright and early, with mimosas, Mom's homemade cinnamon rolls, and gifts. When the last of the wrapping paper, ribbons, and boxes were cleaned up, I started in the kitchen, cooking a feast for twelve (which ended up being 13, but I'll get to that in a minute), including turkey and stuffing (I roasted the turkey in an electric roasting pan, which was a first for me), glazed ham, mashed potatoes and gravy, broccoli cheddar rice, cranberry sauce, and rolls.

I also made homemade eggnog, which was a first for me. Oscar had challenged me to try it and I found a recipe online. It turned out so good, it definitely deserves it's own post, but suffice it to say; Oscar considered the challenge answered and Hugh thought my home brew was superior to the eggnog he bought at the liquor store.

As I was serving up the first cups of eggnog, Shanti's parents arrived for dinner. I invited them earlier in the month when Shanti mentioned that her older sister and brothers wouldn't be in town for the holiday. We really enjoy their company and I was hopeful that they would accept the invitation, which they did. In addition, Shanti's brother who was supposed to be in the Dominican Republic with his girlfriend's family, joined us for dinner when his flight was delayed for the third time (hence, dinner for thirteen instead of twelve). 

I was so happy to have a full house, and, while I did a shit job of documenting the day in photos, the memories will last for some time to come.

And, that's a wrap for Christmas 2022! I hope your holiday was wonderful, whether typical or full of new experiences; both are to be enjoyed and cherished.

We Bring You Greetings of Yuletide Cheer

This past Friday night, my family held our 2nd Annual Christmas Cocktail Contest. You may remember that we started the tradition last year, so; it's a pretty new addition to our holiday festivities. If this year was any indication, however, it's only going to grow and grow.

Competing this year: Queen B, the Rodeo Princess, myself, and Mia, who is one of Queen B's college friends. In attendance were: Hugh, Trevor (Mia's fiance), Mom, my sister Midge (who made the last minute decision to drive from Arizona for the holiday this year), and my nephew, who you may remember as The Rebel Without a Cause, on this here blog.

The judging was conducted the same as last year, with everyone in attendance rating the drinks from 1-10 in two categories: Presentation and Taste. Each contestant had time in the kitchen to privately prepare their drink, after which they presented it on a tray. Each cocktail had to have a name, of course.

The Rodeo Princess went first, with a Mrs. Santa Claus Mistletoe Margarita. I found her presentation quite pleasing, and I enjoyed the taste of the drink, which is why it was so surprising to me that she came in last in the competition.

I mean, really, I was next, and while my Red Nosed Reindeer was cute and all, the Irish coffee was nowhere near as good as that margarita and I'm not too proud to admit it.

Queen B went third, and her Grandma Got Run Over by a Reindeer was over-the-top in presentation. It featured whipped vodka, champagne, Sprite, and grenadine and it was also quite tasty, which probably explains why she won (second year in a row; you can bet we are all gunning for her next year).

Mia's offering was a Perfectly Peppermint and it was both pretty and tasty. She got second place for it, which was well deserved.

The evening was so much fun! I had purchased the cutest Santa jumpsuits at Marshalls and we all looked adorable (if I do say so, myself). 

The girls liked the idea so much, we agreed that next year, contestants will be requited to wear a costume that represents their drink. We also agreed that the previous year's winner goes first (The Rodeo Princess went first this year and she came in last. I went first last year and I came in last. We were sensing a theme). We also decided that we need more categories for the judging, so we are going to include ratings on the name of the drink and on the relationship between the costume and the drink. It should make the competition even better. 

Plus, after we posted the video of the event on TikTok, we had several friends who reached out to say that they are in for next year's contest.

See? It's just going to grow and grow!

Holiday Home Tour 2022

Happy day after Christmas! I have several Christmas-related posts to write, and figured that I should start with a home tour. At this point in my blogging career (ha!), I am less aspirational when it comes to this particular post and more practical; I'm simply documenting the decor as a reminder to myself of where I displayed things in previous years, so I can either recreate a look or shake things up, depending on my mood.

This year, I went pretty traditional. The five foot Santa that Hugh and I bought decades ago still greets visitors in the foyer, and the tree is in it's usual spot in the living room. You can also see a portion of the village on top of our entertainment center. I don't put the village up every year, more like every other year. Last year, we were in Hawaii in the weeks leading up to Christmas, so the village didn't come out. 2022 was it's year.

And, a choir of blow mold singers greets visitors on the porch. The choir doubled in size this year and I love it. Next year, Hugh has plans to build a set of moving risers that will start on a motion sensor, complete with music, so it will look, and sound,  like the choir is singing for our friends and family. It was my vision, but he'll put it into action.

 

Mr and Mrs Santa are also front and center on the porch. These two are some of my favorite blow molds (I love them all, of course).

One of my angels watches over the Santas and the choir. 

And a North Pole sign welcomes guests.

The porch is draped in cedar garland that I order from a local pre-school fundraiser. Each garland is six feet long and I order six of them each year. They are surprisingly affordable and last for the entire season without browning or dropping needles. I hung the massive popcorn garland that Hugh made for me last year over the garland for a festive touch.

In the interest of full disclosure, the garland yellowed horribly last year. We definitely should have painted each "kernel" before we strung it. Instead, Hugh had to separate each kernel from each "cranberry" with paper plates before spray painting it before we hung it up this year.

In front of the porch, we displayed Santa and Dasher, Dancer, Prancer, Vixen, and Comet. Cupid, Donner, and Blitzen are MIA because everyone and their dog has discovered what I've known for years: blow molds are the bomb-diggity. Now, the vintage reindeer are becomming harder and harder to find and the prices are getting higher and higher. It may take years for me to finish off the team.

As always, I hung a lighted garland around the door and window; this year I used my deco-mesh garlands and matching lighted wreath. I also candy-striped the porch posts, which I do most years.

Last year, I started collecting the large lightbulb lights for the house, including these bulbs on lawn stakes. If they are available on clearance this week, I will try to get a few more sets, to finish off the walkway.

My blow mold nativity is tucked happily into the stable that Hugh build for me two years ago.

And, the house is outlined in the large lightbulb lights. These were unavailable at the Hellmouth this year, so I don't know if I'll ever be able to add to the set, but this does the trick, for now.

Back inside the house, not a lot has changed this year. I used my normal garland and Santa portrait for the fireplace. This year, I added stockings for Shanti and the Rodeo Princess. In the future, I'm going to have to retire our old stockings, if I want matching ones for all our family members.

In the dining room, I displayed the two large Santas that Mom gave me when she downsized the house in Mayberry. My Dad purchased three of these Santas for Mom over three Christmases. Barbie took the third one, and, I would have been content with one, but my sister Midge didn't want one, which is how I ended up with two. No complaints, here.

I displayed the large Santas with my smaller Jim Shore international Santas.

In the foyer, I hung Santa's outfit and boots, next to a table adorned with a garland and my old radio. People always comment on the suit, and, when my Great-Niece came over this past Friday, she was over the moon excited about it. It's a really simple thing, but it brings great joy.

There are several other decorations throughout the house, but, this post is already pretty picture-heavy, so I won't post anymore.

Well, maybe one more. This is the way I displayed my collection of Christmas Vacation  Funko Pop figurines this year.

I printed and framed the picture that we used for this year's Christmas card and it fit into the display, beautifully. The display was definitely a topic of conversation at Christmas dinner.

Anyhoodle, that's the tour for this year. More Christmas posts coming soon.