Thanksgiving was a success -- now on to Christmakkkah!

Does Thanksgiving weekend seem like a distant memory to anyone else, or is it just me?  It was lovely to have a few days with Honey, uninterrupted by family, unstressed by the need to make (and then consume) a ridiculous amount of food.  The weekend actually felt like a retreat and was restful enough that Honey said "I could get used to a four-day weekend."  Thankfully, we don't have long to wait -- we're taking a long weekend around Christmas and going away, as we do every year, to enjoy time together and escape the Crazies.

Honey started reading the collection of
Sherlock Holmes I got him for the holidays.

So how did I do on my list of Thanksgiving craft projects and recipes to make an accomplish?  As I feared, I did not get as much accomplished with crafts as I had wished.  It always takes time to set things up and transition between projects!  But I made a dent and quite a few things as "in progress" (with today's date reminding me that I need to wrap it up), I love my new craft room, and even Honey brought a chair in a few times to sit and read in the cozy room as I worked on various holiday gifts.

The list of recipes was a bit easier.   And yummy!  After all, who doesn't like trying something new -- especially when it comes to holiday foods. The soups were good, Chick-Fil-A knockoffs actually pretty similar to the real thing (now my mouth and thighs can duke it out over who is most important and who my brain should listen to), the granola a bit of a miss (although it made for good chewy banana-oatmeal cookies later in the weekend), and the eggnog cheesecake divine.

Knock-off Chick-Fil-A nuggets & sauce (with some leftover
biscuits & gravy).

Our Thanksgiving Dinner 2011

There's more good food on the way.  A dear friend of mine sent a belated birthday gift that arrived the day before Thanksgiving.  What did this amazing gift (from a beautiful lady) contain?

YUM!!

So that was the break -- and it was a lovely break!   After all, can you really go wrong when you get time to sit and read...or time to look at adorable cuddly pets?

I think eventually  all five furry  babies made it to the couch.

Bunny the Cat with stuffed kitties. Snuggling!

These pastimes never get old.

Plans for the weekend -- crafting and eating

Long weekends are wonderful in the winter.  It's too cold and wet outside to work in the garden (or feel guilty about not working in the garden), and the prospect of trying to complete a house project in the damp and dreary weather is not in the least bit appealing.  Instead, we tend to retreat a bit.  I do big "winter cleaning" projects, seeing what else I can remove from our closets and house and donate.  Honey works on computer projects.  We both read.  I craft.  We eat...and sometimes we wish we were bears and could just hibernate. (Days like today -- cold, wet, windy -- are generally responsible for the hibernation urges.)

Yesterday, knowing that we have a long weekend ahead of us and happy to know that it will just be the two of us for the weekend, I started a list of recipes and craft projects to tackle.  The craft projects are, of course, the priority because the December holidays are nearly here and I need to have Christmas and Hanukkah gifts ready. Thanks to my obsession with Pinterest, it was a bit difficult to decide what, exactly, I would craft for gifts this year -- I've pinned way too many good ideas.  (And if you don't know about Pinterest, watch out -- once you start, you can't stop.)

Craft Project List

• Embroidered family portraits (thanks, Martha Stewart!) -- this idea has inspired a baby quilt idea, too, but that will have to wait until after the holidays.
• Mixed-media family tree -- I haven't found an idea to replicate mine exactly, but I have found some inspiration here, which is close to what I had in mind.
• Circle scarves -- I've made a couple already and received positive feedback, so a few more are in the works.  So easy! 
• Fireside coffee or cappuccino mocha mix 
• Coffee cozies -- I've seen a number of designs, so we'll see what they look like in the end. Perhaps something like this?
• Ornament vase (this may be experimental and not for a gift -- we'll see how it turns out) or perhaps just some painted ornaments.
• Button bracelets and washer necklaces for the kiddos
• Bottle cap magnets
• Felt ornaments and lavender sachets
• Felt Christmas tree bottle covers for gifts of wine
• Fake canvas art
• Bottle cap wine charms (just an idea floating around based on bottle cap magnets...we'll see if this turns out
• Note cards -- I haven't made any for a while, but I've been gathering supplies for the photo note cards I make, so I'll probably make themed sets.

Obviously I'll just make a dent, not be able to finish everything in a weekend.  But at least I have a list!

Of course the holidays are times that we eat. A lot. We definitely have a lot to be thankful for this year and every year, living in a place where we can eat our fill.  Honey and I don't like the traditional Thanksgiving foods very much, and we really don't like the idea of stuffing ourselves until we're uncomfortable, but that always seems to happen when faced with a Thanksgiving table (even on the last two years, where I've limited myself to one plate, period). Since we are on our own this year with no obligations to make a turkey or stuffing or anything like that, we're keeping simpler recipe plans.  And most plans for this weekend involve vegetarian meals, since that is what we prefer.

Recipe List for the Long Weekend
Obviously we won't make all of these for Thanksgiving, but I do want to try my hand at making everything on this list by the end of the weekend.

• Crab Rangoon dip -- I tried making this last night to see if it would work for a holiday party next month. It turned out rather well, although in the future I would add more Worcestershire sauce, garlic, and maybe a bit of ginger. It's really good with celery!
• Cranberry jam -- I base it on the Williams-Sonoma cranberry relish recipe that Honey loves.
• Asparagus -- my favorite way because it's easy: lay asparagus on the plate, add a pat of butter, a bit of minced garlic and some soy sauce, cover in plastic wrap and microwave until done. Yum!
• Spinach salad -- also my way: spinach, croutons, goat cheese, and cesar salad dressing.
• Cheese & crackers as snack foods
• Pumpkin pie (of course)
• Hubbard squash and potato gratin
• Eggnog cheesecake bars -- I've never tried this before, but the combination of eggnog and cheesecake is just too tempting!
•  Pumpkin spice granola -- I haven't tried this, either, but I'm always looking for ways to incorporate pumpkin.
• Potato-asparagus soup -- I love potato soup and the idea of incorporating asparagus is lovely. I especially like that this recipe claims to take about 30 minutes from start to finish!
• Knock-off Chick-Fil-A sauce (the best in the world so I hope this turns out!) and nuggets (which should be fried in peanut oil but I don't want to contaminate the fryer in case we ever have someone over with a peanut allergy)-- I really, really wish we had a Chick-Fil-A in this state because I am obsessed and only get it when visiting my sister!  Time to figure out if I can feed my own craving.

So there you have it, folks.  Plans for a productive and happy Thanksgiving.

Happy holidays!

Rosh Hashanah -- Happy New Year

Last night at sunset marked the first night of Rosh Hashanah and the beginning of the High Holy Days.  Now we are not a religious family, and truth be told my family grew up with such a blend of traditions that it was nothing short of confusion.  That being said, I like to mark some of the holidays in a special way, even if that special way is just making a particular food.

Obviously I'm not a very observant Jew --
but I did light a candle (of a sort) at sunset.

Most cultures have some sort of special food that they eat at the beginning of the new year to bring luck, fortune, or ward off the Evil Eye.  For Jews, on Rosh Hashanah we eat honey -- or better yet, some combination of honey and apples -- to symbolize hopes for a sweet year.  Most often, this consumption comes in the form of apples dipped in honey or a honey cake.  Now, I am allergic to raw apples, so the first option is out, and many honey cakes are actually really dry and not that appetizing, so I wondered what to do...until I found this recipe at Smitten Kitchen.  It is delicious.  I only modified two things -- all the sugar I used was brown sugar (I like that better than a combination) and I replaced half a cup of the oil with applesauce so that this recipe would contain honey and apples.  I cooked it in a bundt cake and it baked perfectly and was a huge hit with the family.

And so, dear reader, I would encourage you to try this.  After all, tonight's the second night of Rosh Hashanah and everyone wants a sweet new year.

Christmas or Valentine's Day?

I don't believe in Valentine's Day. It always seemed like such a made-up holiday, at least the Valentine's Day that Americans know and love. Instead of seeing hearts and winged Cupids and hearing love songs, the history teacher in me thinks about the religious observance of St. Valentine's Day (even though the Roman Catholic Church removed its observance from the calendar of saints in the 1960s).  Who was St. Valentine? I'm not sure anyone really knows, since it seems that there were several early Christian martyrs who shared the name Valentine and it had nothing whatsoever to do with romantic love.  Who wants to get all lovey-dovey on a holiday based on martyrs?  If that were the case, in my mind's eye Fake Me and Fake Honey would end up with a conversation like this:

My dear, my love for you is as permanent as death.
Oh Honey, I bought you these red roses to symbolize my love...and the blood of martyrs.
May our passion be as spirited as the angry mobs who are responsible for the death of saints!

Not really my thing. And so I avoid Valentine's Day.

"But wait!" the English teacher in me screams. "Celebrating romantic love on Valentine's Day is still somewhat historical. After all, it was Geoffrey Chaucer in the 1300s who first wrote about Valentine's Day in connection to love."  True, English Teacher Me.  Score one point for you. (Even though History Teacher Me will point out that Chaucer was probably referring to Valentine's Day in the liturgical calendar, celebrated on May 2. But we'll just leave that aside for now.)

It is interesting how cultures around the world have adopted certain Valentine's Day traditions over the past few hundred years. But I will stick with my antivalentinism, my refusal to be told when Honey and I must commercialize our undying love and affection for one another.

My addictions to crafts and good deals, however, is unchanging. When in Joann's Fabrics the other day I saw Christmas items on 90% off clearance.  The white silk poinsettias and the red glass balls inspired me: what if I made one teensy-weensy concession to the dreaded St. V-Day  and put up the tiniest of decorations?  I rushed home and threw my idea together. 

The only problem?  Honey walked out and said "It's January. Christmas is over."  So I put it to you: is this Christmas or Valentine's Day?  Be honest...you won't hurt my feelings either way.