Christmas 2017...

CHRISTMAS EVE...

A lot of the fun of any holiday is the food. This Christmas we had a new recipe that is definitely a keeper. Andie got it from who knows where and brought the ingredients and put it together. We started on it Christmas Eve. I could have eaten the entire dish by myself. It is a Cranberry dip. Andie prepped the cranberry mixture (which is really a cranberry salsa) the day before so it could create all its juices and marinate and then drain the excess juice off before making the dessert. The bottom is softened whipped cream cheese. Again, this one is Mighty Good!!

Here is the recipe because you will want to try this:

Holiday Cranberry Jalapeño Dip

Tart cranberries, spicy jalapeños and sweet sugar come together to create a delicious holiday appetizer that will have your guests begging for the recipe!

Prep Time: 20 mins; Total Time: 1 d 20 mins; Course: Appetizer

Servings: 32 Servings; Calories: 108 cal. 

Ingredients

12 oz fresh, uncooked cranberries

1/4 cup green onion

1-2 fresh jalapeño peppers

2 Tbsp. cilantro (optional)

1 Cup sugar

1 Tbsp. lemon juce

1/8 tsp. salt

16 oz. cream cheese (whipped)

Ritz Crackers

Instructions (The Day Before)

·       Hand-chop cranberries. (This process is a bit time consuming, but it is best to not use a food processor to chop these as the cranberries liquefy too much.)

·       Chop green onion, jalapeño peppers and cilantro.

·       In a medium-sized bowl, add chopped cranberries, green onion, cilantro and jalapeños.

·       Add sugar, lemon juice and salt on top of cranberry mixture and stir gently until blended.

·       Cover with plastic wrap and place in refrigerator overnight.

Instructions (The Day You Serve)

·       Take cranberry mixture out of the refrigerator and stir all ingredients together. Strain out all liquid using a colander with small holes.

·       Whip softened cream cheese with hand mixer until smooth (about 2 minutes) and spread cream cheese over bottom of a pie plate or 9x9 dish.

·       Pour cranberry mixture atop cream cheese and keep in refrigerator until ready to serve.

·       Use a spoon to spread over Ritz crackers and enjoy!

Claude made his famous smoked brisket for dinner. The Mini's love to dine in front of the television on their beach towel picnic blankets. This time they were watching Rudolph the Red-nosed Reindeer. 

The Mini's painted ornaments for Papa. 

And they took cookies and milk for Santa and carrots for the reindeer outside. We were having a little snow shower and it was very cold. Doesn't Hayden look like Darth Shepherd in his bathrobe using a Christmas paper roll for a cane? Cracks me up!

Presents were set under the tree and we all agreed not to awaken at O'dark 30. The Mini's also agreed not to come upstairs until an adult told them it was okay. And they were obedient to that rule.

CHRISTMAS DAY:

Went outside before everyone was upstairs to take a picture of the house. Claude does such a nice job with our 'exterior illumination'. It even looks nice during the daytime. 

Joseph has cracked us up this year in the Nativity. This is a metal set. There are two metal sticks in the front of each piece that you shove in the ground. On the back of each piece is a squared off U-shaped piece of metal that is to act like an easel. You pull it out and rest it on the ground. If we never had weather on our hill, that might just work. However, we always have weather and, if there is wind, we will feel it strongly at the top of the hill. So Claude takes the extra step to put a tent stake in the center of each of the easel pieces of metal. This keep things from blowing away and they usually stand up. This year the ground was soft and wet making it hard for poor Joseph to stay standing. He kept reminding me of that old hymn "Lean on my Ample Arm" as he would rest on the shoulder of the wise man behind him. The other song we thought of was "Lean on Me".   

Then it was back inside where it was warm to get a picture of the Christmas tree before the Mini's were allowed upstairs. 

One more picture requirement each year before those Mini's are allowed upstairs is the stair picture of everyone who was home on Christmas Day. Top to bottom you have Claude, Hayden by Michael and Andie by Bailey. Lovely family don't ya think? I sure do. I couldn't help but think of the year in Maryland where Claude and I were alone on Christmas Day. I do believe that is the only year it has happened except the first year of marriage in our 47 years. I took a picture of empty stairs that year and sent it to all the kids. Such guilt inflicted on each of them. I am a truly great Mother!

Then it was upstairs to open presents. The Mini's took their positions in front of the tree. Please note Bailey's hat. Claude wears his stocking hat each year. In fact, when I decorate the house, I put a Santa hat on my headboard post and a Santa hat on Claude's headboard post. This year Bailey opted for a 2-in-1 hat. She brought the cow print cap that Claude gave her. Then she asked Claude for his Russian furry hat which she placed on the cow print cap. Never a dull moment with this girl.  

Tradition has always been that I disburse the presents so they are given out evenly and we can see who opens what so we can thank the person for their thoughtful gift. Last year was the first year I didn't do that. I turned the duties over to the Mini's with some instructions of how to do the task. They did so well, I asked them to do it again this year. 

Some of the moments I enjoyed and managed to get pictures of were...

Michael opening his 'bacon toothpaste'. Now that is a classy gift I found for my Jewish son-in-law!! I also sent one of these to Jacob. It should be noted that Bailey, who LOVES bacon, found a bacon Christmas tree ornament in her stocking. Everything is better with bacon, even Christmas!

Andie and Michael gave Bailey a Harry Potter recipe book. She loves to cook and it should be fun to see what she makes from this book. I asked her to pause for a picture and she pretended to brandish her wand. Again, never a dull moment with our girl.

Andie loved her table cloth. Took me two years to get it made but it was worth it and it will be something she can enjoy and then pass on to Miss Bailey some day. 

This gift was a stumper for our young man. Hayden received his first razor. It is one of the very, very, very few times I have seen him stunned and speechless. He has grown enough dark hairs on his upper lip that you can see them. They aren't horrible but his parents wanted him to be ready. So, he got a razor and he was totally befuddled. So very sweet to enjoy this moment in his life. 

Nissa and Todd sent gifts for Claude and me. Claude has bacon flavored salts of three different types for all that good cooking he does. I love this picture of him. I even took it and cropped just his face and saved that picture. He does smile but it doesn't show up in pictures all the time. Look at the twinkle in his Santaesque eyes. They gave me a beautiful necklace. It is a heart with a tree made out of amethyst stones. Claude brought a bracelet out of amethyst stones to me when he went to the National KLC Conference in North Carolina. These will be perfect together. The Marx family gave me the pretty scarf. Happy Mother!!

The kids were given a 'Groot' toy. I believe he is a character from the Game of Thrones but, since I haven't watched that, don't take that as truth. This little guy is sensitive to music. When you play a song he just dances along. The kids brought it out and had him dance for Papa to Hayden's Christmas band concert music. Papa was fascinated. Took a little video clip and it has Groot dancing and then Papa peeks around to check out how this character works. It is out of Papa's realm of understanding and he was truly fascinated. I sent the video to our friends the Soressi's. Years ago they gave Claude and me a pink stripped cat that plays and sings "Wild Thing" and moves around. Thought they would enjoy this 2017 version of that toy.

And again I found a Bailey treasure. At some point she quietly went into the dining room, took out the three boxes of dominoes and made this building and wall.  

Then there is the Christmas puzzle. Had a long talk with Claude after last Christmas. I am a jigsaw puzzle addict. Once I put it out, I stay till it is done. It is a tradition from my childhood. Mom always bought a puzzle and we all put it together on Christmas Day. However, last year I found myself alone making a puzzle. I told Claude that is not the purpose of the puzzle. It is to be a family thing. If it is not that, I don't want to do it. So I determined I would not buy a puzzle for this Christmas. Then, the week before Christmas I did purchase a puzzle. I put it in my sewing room and left it there. Didn't say anything to anyone about it. No one asked about it on Christmas Day so I didn't say anything and I didn't bring it out. I enjoyed being in the same room with my family, watching the Mini's make their Lego's, cooking with my hubby, and having time with my family. The Marx family left Tuesday. Wednesday I took out my puzzle and started to work on it. Claude has absolutely no interest in puzzle making. So I spent my evenings getting done what I could each evening and finished it Saturday morning before the next wave of family arrived. It was a good way to do the Christmas puzzle. Please note my feet in the picture. I stand on a chair to get a good picture and seeing my feet after I took the picture gave me a giggle!!

That capsulizes the first phase of Christmas with family. Good times. Mini's are growing up but they are still fun at Christmas. Good food and family times.