As 2016 comes to a close, I would have to say it has had its ups and downs but all in all its been a good year and I am grateful for that. I am looking forward to Christmas with my husband and daughter. Then I’m flying back to CT for a few days and then on to Florida to visit with my parents and sisters. I am blessed to have both of my parents healthy and energetic and I…
When I think back to the Christmas of my youth, I marvel at how my parents pulled off a miracle every Christmas Eve. When my sisters and I awoke at a ridiculously early hour on Christmas morning, we would run into my parents room and wake them up so that we could not only open presents, but see the tree for the first time. My dad would go in first and set up the movie camera and the bright light…
I still love Christmas as much as I did as a child. I love the way it smells of cookies and pine needles. I love the taste of eggnog and wassail (and of course the cookies too). I love the sparkle and magic of the decorations. I love the carols and music, which I start playing the day after Thanksgiving. I love our Christmas traditions and starting new ones here in California. But most of all, I love spending time…
What the heck is Wassail or Wassailing you might ask. It’s a version of hot mulled cider. The word “wassail” comes from an Anglo-Saxon phrase which means “good health”. Wassailing was traditionally done on New Year’s Eve and Twelfth Night, but some people drank Wassail on all the twelve days of Christmas! I guess they wanted to be really healthy. Here in my household we start right after Thanksgiving. It’s THAT good.…
I’m not big on sharing recipes because I usually make pretty humble fixings or follow a recipe from one of my many Ina Garten cookbooks. But every Christmas there is one thing I am required to make by my friends and family… Buttercrunch. My mom made it at Christmas time. It’s a pecan covered toffee that is pretty darn addictive. I’ve been making it for as long as I can remember and giving it as gifts or party favors. It’s…