I have managed to avoid going grocery shopping this week so far but I HAVE to go on Monday for sure. I hate grocery shopping. I need my meat for Christmas, more cookie ingredients and more yarn. Plus I still am mailing cards. I keep getting cards from people I wasn't expecting so I have to send one back to them, right? By the time Christmas arrives I am going to be exhausted. I would love to curl up with the Christmas lights on, and music softly playing and read a good book, while I munch on goodies all ALONE!! I know, bah-humbug...

Sometimes I feel the same way, Chatty!
dancer9

If I am lucky, that´s what I´ll be doing on Christmas Eve..our big day here. Well, not totally alone..my partner will be with me. But I am still not sure..my 2 sons may just decide to spend the day with us..that´ll be ok, too. If I am forewarned so that I can fix some more food..and perhaps more special food. Otherwise, I think that just taking it easy and feeling in Christmas is wonderful after all the years of preparing and stressing to get everything done just right. It was ok then..but relaxing and being on your own is lovely too. O yes, I do agree!

Partner and I have been lazyily looking at our cookbooks..planning for our Christmas dinner...on Dec. 21.

Abit early but we plan to go snowshoeing in the mountains and then rent car to drive down to wineries...buy some wines and have 1-2 nice meals. In British Columbia this is possible in the interior of the province during winter.

So his daughter will join us for meal.

Neither he nor I come from Christmas turkey families. though certain years each of us have tried to have turkey for Christmas meal.

So each year, Christmas meal will be different..usually gourmet and elaborate.

humlan, you seem good at embracing life regardless of what's going on. Love it.

orchid, what ar eyou thinking about cooking? Want some ideas?

Snowshoeing in mountains sounds delightful. When do you plan to do that? I've never snowshoed. About the only thing I do these days with snow is enjoy the beauty of it, walk in it, and shovel it...but not this year with my bad back.
I miss the days of going to the snow hills with the kids. We have a couple neighborhood hills where everyone would congrugate when it snowed. It was a great time to catch up with everyone in the neighborhood and enjoy watching one another's kids.

Yesterday I ran to the post office and mall early. Then I took Dad to get him a new pair of shoes for Christmas. He really needs nothing so I thought it was a good idea to get him some Merrills - nice and comfy for his old feet.

In the afternoon, while my son did his shopping and my husband and daughter raked for the last time, I baked chocolate chip and peanut butter chip cookies. LAst night we went to a Christmas party for about an hour and we were home by 8:30. Yes!

Anyone baking cookies? What kind?

Sure Dotsie, some more ideas. In the past, our meals have included scallops, mussels, bison, etc. I would like him to make his wonderful pumpkin/butternut squash-mango soup.

One thing we don't do is casseroles. Neither he nor I are into dishes that are casserole-like.

For dessert, we're buying an elegant cake from a gourmet cake shop nearby. There's a guy trained in France who does really neat-o cakes --tiramasui chocolate cake, guava-passion fruit, green-tea with lichee, hazelnut chocolate with fine layers of raspberry gelee.... And most cakes aren't overly sweet.

We are having this meal on a day after I finish work. Usually I do help, but this year, because of my own work schedule, he will be doing most of the cooking. I can't get home until 7:00 pm because of my long commute


Since his daughter is going to be at meal,it's like something extra special he'll be doing for her, as well as for me. Seriously, he's become kinda of in this creative cooking mode at this point in life..

I don't understand it entirely, but it works out. I do my thing also. Yesterday I made from scratch, smoked salmon with goat cheese and dill focaccia. We polished off...a huge pan of it.

COOKIES, well so far I have made:

Peanut Butter
Chocolate chips with walnuts
White chocolate chips with cherry chunks
Mexican wedding cake or Snowballs, I call them
Sugar cookies with various sprinkles
Rum balls with pecans
Chocolate coconut clusters
Rasberry bars with powdered sugar

And thats it for this year, before my poor oven explodes...

We will probably have steaks and potatoes again this year with our daughters and their families. Then WE'LL HAVE DESSERTS.
Other than that, we're doing nothing. Too many other things going on at this time.

I know I mentioned this in another thread a couple of months ago but....ever since I came "to be", we've had chicken pie on Christmas made in the same pan that my Abenaki grandmother and great-grandmother made it in. It's the strongest Christmas tradition we have. My Mom always did it and now my sister-in-law has the honors (we go there for dinner). I get fascinated every time as I watch this pie get served up out of that old, old pan. I also make a punchbowl dessert...mmmmmmm

intresting tradition, Lady Jane! I like it! Chicken Pie!
dancer9