This week, you won’t find new recipes, though some can be found in our recipe index. Instead, it is a photographic account of our merry little Christmas, steeped in tradition, and enjoying more togetherness than we were able to have last year.
Christmas Eve – New Mexican PosoleSophia plays Christmas carols for us Christmas Eve.Christmas morning breakfast: overnight yeast waffles and maple syrup with mangos and bacon. Fun Fact: Williamsport old-timers call bell peppers, for reasons I cannot fathom, mangos. It has led to some confusing neighborhood conversations, but we put the tropical fruit on our waffles.Christmas dinner appetizer: a whole mess of shrimp cocktail. Insider tip – if Ben and I are in the mix, you better move like the wind, because we do. If Caesar Augustus put out a decree that all shrimp in the land were to be counted, we’d have some ‘splainin’ to do.SaladRoasted AsparagusThe world’s best Fettuccini AlfredoThe long-awaited duck breastThe whole ensembleThe other Christmas miracle – Ben rolled a Yahtzee on his very first turn in a single roll.After Christmas, we headed down to Virginia, where Ben helped his cousin, Emma, make the traditional post-Christmas kielke (homemade noodles with ham cream gravy.)We love Mary and Rachid’s new kitchen! (Same talented builder that did our kitchen – my dad!)Traditional ginger ale jello salad, green beans and kielke!Obligatory cousin pose!As usual, we hit the Harrisonburg international grocery store. Hard.Chef Ben takes his act on the road, stirring up spices for za’atar chicken.Ben offers a little moral support to Grandma, as she measures rice.Chef Ben seasons the chicken.Lemon juicing shenanigans while Grandma preps the oregano.Chicken za’atarRoasted asparagusYum!So nice to be with family this year!The Perils of Growing Up Amish: you don’t know what to do when the camera comes out, Exhibit A.Exhibit B. If you think I am being unnecessarily cruel, you ought to see what I didn’t post!
We had a wonderful mix of time together at home and in Virginia, honoring traditions and mixing things up. We had ourselves a merry little Christmas, and we hope you did, too. Let your heart be light. From now on, your troubles will be out of sight.
Thanks for including us. It is good to see that my eyes can move in two directions!
I couldn’t resist posting the last two pictures, Mom. Good thing that your eye dexterity is exceeded only by your sense of humor!