On the Homefront: Happy Holidays!

I hope everyone is enjoying a wonderful Christmas day, whether you celebrate the holiday or not.  Even though I am spending the day by myself, with only my dogs for company, I still felt the need to get in the holiday spirit by doing a bit of decorating.  I brought the 3-foot tabletop tree in the photo above with me when I arrived here in Santa Fe last year, and bought just a few decorations for it recently since the majority of my holiday décor is still in Georgia (pre-pandemic, I had no idea that the rest of our move would be postponed until 2021!).  The lovely dog ornaments that I purchased from Pottery Barn are well complemented by inexpensive red ornaments and fairy lights from Walmart:

I also set a holiday table, and featured the Holiday Pups plates, mugs, and serving platter I bought from Pier 1 last year.  The company is trying to make a comeback online after they had to close all of their brick and mortar stores earlier this year, but so far they are not offering the delightful dishware they used to carry - I hope this situation will change, as I really miss their unique and fun tableware for every season.  I added the Christmas pudding teapot and the paulownia wood votive tray I purchased this year to my table setting as well:

For Christmas Eve dinner I had store-bought tamales (chicken and green chile-cheese, one of each), with a gingerbread pig for dessert.  I was at a loss as to what to have for a side dish, until I remembered that I had a microwaveable bag of cauliflower florets and a container of hatch chile con queso dip in the fridge.  Warm queso dip served over steamed cauliflower went quite well with salsa-topped tamales (consider this my Foodie Fridays recipe post for the week!):

I bought another wreath from Lynch Creek Farm to replace the autumn wreath I got from them in November.  This one features pinecones and magnolia leaves (a nod to our Georgia home where we have several magnolia trees in the yard), and I added the bow that adorned the autumn wreath to my new one.  Despite the tremendous Christmas rush this year and all of the resultant delivery delays, Lynch Creek Farm came through and got the wreath to me well before Christmas day:

All in all, I can't complain too much about my solitary Christmas.  The dogs and I had a nice long walk this morning with a neighbor and her dogs.  I talked to my husband and sister later in the morning, and received text replies from both of my brothers (who are not the most reliable communicators).  I have spent the day doing leisurely activities, and may even start a new jigsaw puzzle later this evening.  Christmas music is softly playing on the radio in the bedroom, and "A Christmas Story" has been on the living room television all day.  I have a slice of pecan pie (a gift from another neighbor) with a cup of decaffeinated tea to look forward to after dinner.  My horse is blanketed and well fed for the night, and the dogs are sleeping soundly after their short evening walk and dinner.  And now I am warm and comfortable for the night in my new Christmas sweatshirt and favorite old L.L. Bean puffin slippers.  The strings of fairy lights on the tree, mantel, and foyer table are gleaming, as are some fragrant candles scattered about the house.

Could I ask for more?  Of course it would be wonderful if I were with my husband for the holidays, could travel to visit my siblings, and could invite neighbors over for dinner or a party.  And if I must quibble, it would be nice if one of the New Mexico television stations featured a Christmas Yule log video (I love watching the Yule log when I tire of holiday movies), and I wish we subscribed to the Sundance Channel because they are showing "White Christmas", my absolute favorite seasonal movie, all day.  But since when do we ever get everything we want?  When I talked to my husband this morning, we discussed all the things we will do next Christmas, and I realized that one of the best things about the holidays is looking forward to what we will do next time.  That is the way life goes and what keeps it interesting, and I really would not have it any other way!  Enjoy the holiday you are celebrating this year, everyone, and keep dreaming about the holiday celebrations to come!

Season's greetings from Jack o' Claus (a new holiday tradition here at our Santa Fe home)!

This 'n That Thursdays: My List of the Worst Christmas Foods

One thing to be thankful for this Christmas 2020 is that no one has ever tried to serve me candy cane pizza! (from The Sun)

Last week I put together a nice Christmas post featuring cozy YouTube vlogs with a holiday theme.  This week I thought I would focus on something naughty, and chose those Christmas foods that in my opinion have no right to make an appearance at any time of the year!  Without further ado, I present my personal list of the worst Christmas foods I have ever encountered:

From The Wall Street Journal

1) Fruitcake - is it any surprise that this frightful confection tops the list?  And this opinion comes from someone who has a reputation among family and close friends for making the best fruitcake they have ever tasted!  I first started baking this boozy bread disguised as cake for my mother, and now my siblings expect me to continue the tradition for each one of them.  My sister in particular delights in sharing my fruitcake with friends, who then ask for my recipe - she has even shared the recipe, with my permission, with a friend to include in a fund-raising cookbook.  Just imagine how humiliating this reputation is for someone who despises fruitcake!  I will continue to bake them for my siblings every Christmas because they are dear to me, but personally I dislike fruitcake, will never like it, and it will always top my list of worst Christmas foods ever.

From Mental Floss

2) Candy Canes - I have never been fond of peppermint, so the thought of eating a poor excuse for candy that is basically just a peppermint and sugar combination does not appeal to me.  As far as I am concerned, candy canes are strictly for decoration.  I even have a package of all-white candy canes that I have used as Christmas tree decorations for decades (rather scary that they have lasted so long and still look the same as the day I bought them!).  And don't get me started on all of the weird candy cane variations in all of their odd flavors and colors - at least traditional peppermint candy canes come in Christmas colors of red and white.

From SweetServices.com

3) Hard Christmas Candy Mix - this is a tradition from my childhood that I have never understood.  Every year my mother would buy a bag of these bland but sugary tooth destroyers, and every year the only ones that would disappear were the peanut-shaped ones, of which there were only about two or three in the mix.  The rest sat around gathering dust until they would finally end up in the trash come summer (and my mother hated to throw away food).  Amazingly, there are many variations on this hard candy theme (check them out on Amazon here) - who buys these things?

From Taste of the South

4) Sweet Potato Casserole - while this concoction is more likely to show up at the Thanksgiving feast, there are those who love it so much that it makes an appearance at Christmas as well.  My mother only attempted to create this dish once, and it was once too often.  Whoever came up with the idea of combining sweet potatoes (emphasis on the sweet) with brown sugar and then topping the whole mess with marshmallows must have had a diabolical scheme to turn us all into diabetics - this casserole is tooth-achingly sugary.  I like sweet potatoes, but prefer to have them baked with a bit of butter, not with even more sugar added.  I even like to eat the occasional marshmallow, but as a dessert, not in a side dish!  (If you want to see a recipe or, heaven forbid, even try making this casserole, click on the image link above.)

From Livin' the Pie Life

5) Mincemeat Pie - here is another holiday tradition that I could never understand.  Just what exactly is mincemeat?  And why is it in a pie?  One of my aunts used to bring this dessert to our annual family Christmas gatherings when I was young.  I tried it once and was still confused.  I honestly did not think it tasted so bad, but it was very heavy and rather gooey, so one taste was enough for me.  I later found out that in the past mincemeat really was made of meat (or at least suet, which I always thought was bird food), but now it is merely a mix of anonymous fruits cooked into a sticky, spicy mass and plunked into a double-crust pie, presumably to hide its appearance until you have already committed to a slice and cannot backtrack to refuse it.

 🎄⛄🎅🍭🍰🍪🎅⛄🎄🎁🎄⛄🎅🍭🍰🍪🎅⛄🎄

I could include a few other dreadful options, but I stopped at only the ones that I have encountered (fortunately my family does not serve jello molds or steamed puddings for any holiday).  I hope you all have a wonderful Christmas, with all of your best-loved foods and none of your least favorite ones!

Wish List Wednesdays: Non-Slip Silicone Pastry Mat

 

One of the reasons I have never enjoyed making cutout cookies is because they always tend to stick so tightly to the rolling surface that they are impossible to transfer to a baking sheet without completely ruining the shape.  No matter how much flour I used on the surface it never seemed to be enough, and too much flour would make the cookie dough tough, leading to hard cookies.  I got tired of ending up with deformed and/or overly hard cookies every time I tried, so I finally gave up.  After decades of avoiding rolled out cookie dough, I finally gave it a try this year, and one of the main reasons I tried again is because I invested in a non-slip silicone pastry mat (on sale for $22.90) I found on Amazon.

What a difference this mat made!  I got the medium-sized 20x28-inch one, and it was more than big enough to get the job done.  I was so pleased with my cookie results that I will be making cutout cookies for Christmas from now on!  In fact, I may just try my hand again at homemade pastry crust as well, rather than buying pre-made ones, since these mats even have various-sized circles drawn on to aid in shaping pie crust.  Homemade yeast bread can also be kneaded on this mat - think how much easier cleanup will be, since you can just lift the mat into your sink and wash the sticky, floury mess off rather than scrubbing your countertop over and over until you think it is clean, only to keep finding dried crusty dough patches everywhere for days. You could even use your silicone mat as a place mat or even a baking sheet if you are so inclined, according to the description (silicone is heat-resistant and food will not stick even when baked on the mat). A non-slip silicone pastry mat is definitely a kitchen necessity, in my opinion!

Foodie Fridays: Gingerbread Pigs (Marranitos)

 

When I first arrived in Santa Fe last year, the local Walmart bakery section sold a delightful cookie I had never seen before, in the shape of a large pig and redolent with the flavors of with molasses and ginger.  These gingerbread pigs, known as marranitos (or puerquitos or cochinitos) are a Mexican specialty.  They are soft on the inside and crispy on the outside, and in my opinion are better than most of the Christmas gingerbread man cookies I have tasted over the years.

The marranitos at Walmart were sold individually, and about once a month I would indulge my sweet tooth and buy one.  Unfortunately, the powers that be at Walmart decided to stop selling my favorite treat, and I have not seen them anywhere else since.  Even though I am terrible at making rolled cookies (my cutouts never seem to keep their intended shape), I was determined to make my own.  I checked out recipes online and discovered that they really are not that difficult to make.  Since the cookies are a type of gingerbread I decided that I would make them for Christmas this year.  I found a lovely large pig cookie cutter on Amazon and ordered it. Then I chose the Marranitos recipe from Isabel Eats, but cut the amounts in half since I did not want to have to eat two dozen or more of these over-sized confections.

Despite my track record, I only had minor problems when making the cookies.  I used half all purpose and half white whole wheat flour, and had to add more all purpose flour to get the dough to a dry enough consistency to roll out.  I should have floured my rolling surface more than I did because the cookies were a bit difficult to lift onto the cookie sheets, but luckily the dough is sturdy enough to retain its shape (with a bit of poking and prodding to repair any deformities created during the transfer).  Also, I lined my cookie sheets with Silpat, and found that it was best to lift the cookies off with a spatula as they still have a tendency to stick even to this supposedly nonstick surface.  Finally, be sure to turn the cookies over to let the bottoms cool as well, or they will keep sticking.

Otherwise, my first attempt at making marranitos was quite successful, if I do say so myself!  This recipe may have to become a Christmas tradition for me, just like my annual fruitcake baking for my siblings, and this is a Christmas treat I would actually enjoy eating.  Best of all, my husband loves gingerbread cookies even more than I do, so I think he will be an easy convert to the idea of having gingerbread pigs instead of gingerbread men!

Gingerbread Pigs (Marranitos)

1/4 C. (1/2 stick) butter, softened
1/2 C. dark brown sugar, packed
1 egg
6 T. molasses
2 T. milk
3/4 tsp. vanilla
2 1/2 C. flour
1 tsp. ginger
3/4 tsp. baking soda
3/4 tsp. cinnamon

Cream together the butter and brown sugar in a large bowl until smooth.  Beat the egg in a small bowl and add half to the butter mixture.  Mix in the molasses, milk, and vanilla until smooth.

Combine the flour, ginger, baking soda, and cinnamon in a medium-sized bowl.  Add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients 1/2 cup at a time and mix until well combined.  The dough should cleanly pull away from the mixing bowl (add more flour, one tablespoonful at a time, if the dough is too wet to get the right consistency).

Transfer the dough onto a lightly floured surface and roll out to 1/4-inch thickness.  Use a large pig-shaped cookie cutter to cut into pigs.  Place the pigs 1 1/2 inches apart on parchment- or Silpat-lined baking sheets.  Brush the remaining egg over the tops of the cookies.

Bake at 350 degrees for 10-12 minutes, until the edges are lightly browned. Remove from the oven and cool on a wire rack.  Makes 12-14 cookies.

This 'n That Thursdays: YouTube Simple Living Christmas Vlogs

 

It should be obvious by now that I have been obsessed with simple lifestyle vlogs on YouTube since the pandemic began.  In previous posts I have already described quite a few that I enjoy which to me exemplify a cottagecore aesthetic.  Lately I have been looking at vlogs that feature a hygge lifestyle.  Hygge is a Scandinavian concept of cozy living, particularly during the long, cold, and dark months of the year.  The winter holiday season is an especially appropriate time of year for celebrating all things cozy, so today I will post Christmas-themed episodes from YouTube vlogs, some of them more hygge and some more cottagecore, but all of them with a simple living theme.  The video above is a great one to use as a background on your computer screen when it is not in use - just a relaxing scene of a crackling fireplace and a plate of Christmas cookies served with a hot beverage, from a vlog called Apronful of Stones.

1) Apronful of Stones - a vlogger from the United Kingdom living a simple, slower, and more traditional lifestyle; here is her recipe for the gingerbread men shown in the video at the top of the page:

2) Ana's Happy Days - a Spanish woman living a slow and cozy life in Norway; here is her favorite Christmas cookie recipe:

3) Tanuko - a young Japanese woman embracing a hygge lifestyle in Sweden; in this vlog post she decorates for Christmas and prepares a saffron cake (recipe included but in Japanese):

4) Hygge Living - a Malaysian couple living their own version of a hygge lifestyle in Denmark; here they prepare for Christmas by making traditional Scandinavian heart ornaments:

5) Withjinnie - a simple happiness silent vlog from a Korean housewife; in this vlog post she sets up a simple tabletop tree and prepares sweet potato latte (I am going to have to try that recipe, which can be found here):

6) Nekoniwa - a Japanese family living in the rural United States and embracing a simple country lifestyle; here we watch their new Christmas puppy get acquainted with the family cats and chickens, and once again see the preparation of a hot beverage and Christmas cookies (I am really sensing a theme here!):

7) Choki - a young single Japanese woman living alone with her two cats and preparing delicious food; in this vlog she attempts to put up a few Christmas decorations out of the reach of her cats, and makes the simplest cookie recipe ever:

8) M Vlogs - a young American couple, who I think are currently in the Middle East, living a healthy, simple, cozy, hygge-inspired lifestyle; once again Christmas preparations include the baking of cookies, a simple recipe which is not included because it is made using a gingerbread cake mix (similar recipe here):

9) Benita Larsson - a Swedish woman who embraces a very minimalist lifestyle; here she shares her minimalist Christmas décor with a focus on Swedish traditions (I aspire to but will probably never be able to fully succeed in achieving such a lifestyle - we have too much stuff and have a hard time deciding what stays and what goes, although we are trying our best during the pandemic as we downsize for retirement life here in New Mexico):

 ☕🍪🎁🎄🎅🏂🎿⛄❄️☕🍪🎁🎄🎅🏂🎿⛄❄️☕🍪🎁🎄🎅🏂🎿⛄

These vlogs are pretty short and I like to watch them when I take brief breaks between chores during the day.  I really enjoy seeing the daily routines of other people who live the same sort of average life I do, as well as finding out how they celebrate the holidays.  Due to COVID-19 I will not be visiting the homes of others in person, so it is nice to be able to do so virtually.  I hope you are enjoying your own preparations for the holidays!

Wish List Wednesdays: Pottery Barn Mercury Glass Dog Ornaments

If you decorate a tabletop tree for Christmas and are a dog lover, then you should definitely get yourself a set or two of the Mercury Glass Dog Ornaments (on sale for $11.50 per set) from Pottery Barn.  The description says that they come as a set of 9, but the ones I ordered last month came as a set of 12 (as the image above shows), which makes more sense as there are four different dog breed designs.  I am not sure how many are actually included, but either way the price is right!  The ornaments are well made and beautiful, but they are small so are best suited for a small tree.  The only tree I am decorating this year is a tabletop one, so these little doggies are perfect (two sets of 12 were just enough for my 3-foot tree, so three sets of 9 would fill it out nicely)!  Even if they arrive too late for Christmas this year, they will be a lovely addition to your small 2021 tree, when we will all hopefully be celebrating a more family-inclusive sort of holiday!

Weekend Wardrobe: 2020 Outift of the Week #45

A bit of holiday décor for my entry foyer table!

Last week was a busy one, but I only went into town one day, to take the dogs to the groomer's for a long overdue bath and especially nail trimming, and to run a few errands while I waited to pick them up.  The day was sunny and chilly but not frigid, so I wore a warm coat but did not need gloves or a hat.  I wore my usual winter uniform of warm sweater, long sleeve tee, and jeans (this is almost always what I wear into town when the weather is cold):

Clockwise from top left: Kim Rogers Women's Cable Knit V-Neck Sweater in Heather Grey (color modified slightly to resemble my similar sweater); Craghoppers Women's Venta Lite Hooded Insulated Jacket in Black (similar to mine); Great American Leatherworks Braid Flap Crossbody Bag in Dark Tan (color no longer available); Bombas Women's Solids Calf Socks in Navy; Dockers Vargas Boat Shoes in Rust; Banana Republic Women's High-Rise Straight Jean in Light Wash; Draper's & Damon's Basic Mock Neck Cotton Poly Long Sleeve Tee in Heather Aubergine (similar to mine - Blackberry Wine color no longer available); Center: Turquoise Graduated Disc Necklace (no longer available - similar to my less expensive version).

 🎅🎄🎅🎄🎅🎄🎅🎄🎅🎄🎅🎄🎅🎄🎅🎄🎅🎄🎅🎄🎅🎄🎅🎄🎅

Most of last week was spent waiting for deliveries (propane, hay) and the farrier, as well as getting organized for Christmas.  My gifts are ordered, my minimal decorating is almost done, and today I will get my Christmas cards finished and the fruitcakes packed up to mail off tomorrow.  I hope to try a new cookie recipe for the holidays this week and get that recipe posted on Friday if they turn out well (I haven't had time to try out any new recipes lately so I have been remiss in posting anything!).  I hope your holiday preparations are progressing smoothly, and that you continue to stay safe and healthy.  Have a great week!

Double duty holiday décor - Jack O' Lantern morphs into Santa Claus!

This 'n That Thursdays: Pantone Colors of the Year for 2021

Pantone has just announced its colors for the year 2021 (yes, they have once again decided that a pair of colors are needed next year rather than just one).   Shown above are Illuminating, a bright, cheerful sunshine yellow, and Ultimate Gray, in my opinion a rather dull, somber neutral shade (but I have never been a big fan of the color gray so I may be biased).  I find this a rather baffling color combination, since yellow is such an optimistic color while gray is pretty much the opposite, but I suppose this confusion of colors accurately sums up how the world is feeling at the moment - weary of the events of 2020, but daring to hope that the new year will be a happier improvement.  And honestly, these two colors do work well together in terms of balancing each other out, so perhaps they are an indication that 2021 will at least be a much more balanced year than 2020.  We can only hope!

In the mean time, let's take a look at a few images combining these two hues:

From Sight Unseen

From Flickr

From Flickr

From Pinterest

From Decoist

From Decoist

From Americheer Inc.

From Sortashion

🌑🌝🌑🌝🌑🌝🌑🌝 🌑🌝🌑🌝🌑🌝🌑🌝🌑🌝🌑🌝🌑🌝🌑🌝

Actually, now that I see this juxtaposition of colors in both nature and fashion, the pairing is starting to appeal to me.  The two colors together seem to be sending the message to "Be realistic, but stay optimistic!", and that is a perfect sentiment for the upcoming year.  We are certainly in for some bleak days ahead at the start of the new year, but there is a definite glimmer of light at the end of the tunnel and we have every reason to hope that the year will end on a bright note.  Stay safe, everyone, and keep looking forward to better days in the new year!

From WallsHeaven

Wish List Wednesdays: I Just Want to Bake Stuff and Watch Christmas Movies Sweatshirt

  

When I saw the I Just Want to Bake Stuff and Watch Christmas Movies Sweatshirt ($29.95) in the Acorn catalog, I just had to give myself an early Christmas present!  The 50/50 cotton and polyester blend sweatshirt is generously sized even after washing, and is quite comfortable as well.  And the sentiment on the shirt expresses my feelings for this time of the year exactly!  There is also a 100% cotton t-shirt available if you happen to live in a warmer climate.  Since I will be celebrating the season alone this year I can dress as casually as I please, and this top will do nicely for a nice, quiet Christmas at home.  All I have to do now is decide what movies I want to watch and make sure I have all the baking supplies I need!

Weekend Wardrobe: 2020 Outfit of the Week #44

I finally got around to baking fruitcakes for my siblings, an annual tradition that should have happened the weekend after Thanksgiving, so I'm a little late.  Tomorrow when they are completely cool I will soak those fruitcakes in the Grand Marnier, let them sit for a few days until they are well soused, and then mail them off to their various destinations.  If you have a hankering for fruitcake (I am the only one in my family who does not!), you can find my recipe here.

I had a couple of doctor's appointments last week and ran a few errands as well, so I went into town twice.  Because of the doctor's appointments I had to wear tops with loose sleeves so that my arms were accessible.  Luckily I have some favorite sweaters I bought a couple of years ago that have very loose sleeves, so I wore one on each day in different colors.  Here is the first day's outfit:

Clockwise from top left: Acorn Favorite Cotton Sweater in Turquoise (no longer available); Turtle Fur Bang Band Chelonia 150 Classic Fleece Headband in Black (similar to mine); Craghoppers Women's Venta Lite Hooded Insulated Jacket in Black (similar to mine); Great American Leatherworks Braid Flap Crossbody Bag in Dark Tan (color no longer available); MediPEDS Crew Socks in Black; Dockers Vargas Boat Shoes in Rust; Gloria Vanderbilt Amanda Stretch-Fit Jeans in Black (similar to mine); Ultrasofts Mock Turtleneck in Black (similar to mine); Center: Elizabeth Locke 31" 19kt Yellow Gold Turquoise Bead and Small Link Necklace (no longer available, similar to my much less expensive necklace).

And here is the second outfit of the week (you can see that I keep adding warmer layers, because while waiting in line to get into stores it can get very cold!):

Clockwise from top left: Acorn Favorite Cotton Sweater in Azure (no longer available); Chico's Textured Silvertone Single-Strand Necklace (similar to mine); Turtle Fur Bang Band Chelonia 150 Classic Fleece Headband in Black (similar to mine); Calvin Klein Packable Down Hooded Long Puffer Coat in Shine Wine (no longer available, similar to mine); Bombas Women's Solids Calf Socks in Navy; BEARPAW Brady Wide NeverWet Classic Boots in Hickory; Great American Leatherworks Braid Flap Crossbody Bag in Dark Tan (color no longer available); Banana Republic Women's High-Rise Straight Jean in Light Wash; Ultrasofts Mock Turtleneck in Sangria (similar to mine); Center: Southcombe Mabel Warm Lined Leather Gloves in Black (similar to mine);

🎁✉🎄🎁✉🎄🎁✉🎄🎁✉🎄🎁✉🎄🎁✉🎄🎁✉🎄🎁✉🎄

My posts have been rather hit or miss lately as I attempt to get all of my Christmas activities done.  I really need to buckle down and get gifts ordered, cards written and mailed, and the minimal decorating I plan to do finished.  I will try to stay on track, but I may have to skip a few more posts if necessary until after the holidays.  I hope you all are more organized than I am - have a great week!

Wish List Wednesdays: Brown Betty Christmas Pudding Teapot

I have been wanting a Christmas pudding-shaped teapot ever since I first saw one many years ago.  Unfortunately I did not purchase one at the time and the design was discontinued.  You can imagine my excitement when I discovered that the Christmas pudding teapot is back!  The Brown Betty Christmas Pudding Teapot, available from The English Tea Store for $56.99, holds 6 cups and is hand-made in Staffordshire, England.  The traditional Brown Betty design is considered by many to be the best for brewing the perfect cup of tea, and this plum pudding look will give your kitchen a festive touch of Christmas décor.  If you love tea and are a collector of teapots, be sure to add this one to your collection!