Cellar Scribblings

[serious crayons]

Merry Christmas Chuck and all! I'm going to my daughter's around lunchtime. Hope all these presents and food will fit in my car. I couldn't decide between mincemeat and pumpkin pie so I made a pie with mincemeat and pumpkin layers! Also a Waldorf salad, bruschetta with spreads and many relishes.

The pie sounds interesting! I can see how that combination could be good. And I love bruschetta. When I'm in restaurants, I often order bruschetta (bru-SKET-uh) and the server corrects me: You mean the bruschetta (bru-SHETT-uh)? I don't correct them back, but my younger son thinks it's snooty of me to even pronounce it correctly in the first place. Which I think is ridiculous -- it's not like I roll the R and go full Italian accent.

I'm making a Manhattan strip roast -- something my local fancy grocery store sells every holiday season -- and Brussels sprouts, which I'm hoping my son will prepare, and what some people call funeral potatoes. (I call them potatoes a la Beth a la Katy, because I originally got the recipe from Beth, but I modify it with Southwestern Simply Potatoes has browns and shredded pepperjack cheese and, instead of topping it with corn flakes, I use crushed jalapeno & cheese potato chips.)

For dessert, I bought a store-bakery red-velvet bundt cake. Not super confident it will be good, but I didn't have time or inclination to make anything myself and even though the store is kind of upscale, its bakery isn't great.

For appetizers we have shrimp and cocktail sauce via my ex-husband and packaged liver pate with crackers.

[Jeff Wrangler]

Merry Christmas Chuck and all! I'm going to my daughter's around lunchtime. Hope all these presents and food will fit in my car. I couldn't decide between mincemeat and pumpkin pie so I made a pie with mincemeat and pumpkin layers! Also a Waldorf salad, bruschetta with spreads and many relishes.

So how was the pie received?

I don't think I would care for the combination, but it's probably been decades since I had mince pie--and I mean "real" mince pie, with mincemeat in it. You can still get real mincemeat in Lancaster County, Pennsylvania.

[Front-Ranger]

We never got around to eating the pie. My son's side of the family didn't come, because they were all suffering from flu and/or pinkeye. So after Christmas dinner and present opening, my daughter and I packed all of son's family presents into her car and drove down to his place and delivered them. They didn't look like they were suffering but we could tell they were under the weather. Then, when we returned to daughter's they were all watching the Muppet's Christmas Carol, so we joined in. It was almost dinner time when I left. I was invited to stay for supper but I had to feed my cat and was completely exhausted. Several people remarked, though, that the pie was very pretty with its lattice crust and were amazed that I had actually made it rather than buy from a bakery.

[Front-Ranger]

I've made mincemeat with beef suet before but in recent years, I've just augmented the jarred mincemeat, which is mostly raisins (golden and regular), apples and citrus zest in a chutney-like sauce. I add more chopped apples, diced dried figs and additional seasonings. You can also add slivered almonds and brandy or rum; I don't.

For the pumpkin layer, I use my own pumpkin pie spice. Most others are too heavy on the cinnamon. I add just enough so that you can barely taste it and thus you are able to taste the other spices.

[CellarDweller]

Hiya BetterMost friends!!!!

I hope everyone has a happy, healthy and prosperous New Year!



I spent New Year's Eve at home, relaxing, which is what I wanted after the hectic Christmas Eve, which also carried over to December 29th.  Those two days were related to a loan closing that took place at work that was not fun!

New Year's Day I had a shopping spree!    I used the gift card that my coworkers gave me, and I got a bunch of stuff:

A new shower curtain (but in the same style that I have now, so Sonja, don't go to my bathroom )
A new shower curtain liner.
A new bathmat for outside the tub.
A new non-slip mat for inside the tub.
A new comforter set for the bed.
3 new sets of sheets and pillowcases
2 new pillows
9 pairs of socks
A 4-pack of the natural sleep aids I use
A 2-pack of elderberry chews to boost immunity
Some shaving cream and toothpaste.



Tomorrow is the 12th day of Christmas, and then it's time to put away the Christmas stuff.  I started today by taking down the holiday hand towels I had in the bathroom and kitchen, and all of the holiday cards I received.  I have some plastic bins in the basement, I'll bring them up today and use them to pack away the other holiday stuff on Tuesday.  I plan to work from the apartment that day, so I'll be able to pack it all away while I work.

[Sason]

A new shower curtain (but in the same style that I have now, so Sonja, don't go to my bathroom )

Oh no!!!!

And here I was, hoping you'd come to your senses this year and finally buy a normal shower curtain!!!

Now all I can do is wait another year...

[Sason]

A new bathmat for outside the tub.
A new non-slip mat for inside the tub.

Very wise. The cheapest insurance possible.

None of us is getting younger, and an accident can happen easier than we think.

[CellarDweller]

Hiya BetterMost friends!!!!

Did everyone have a great weekend??

I decided not to work from mom and dad's today, and stayed at the apartment so that between client requests, I could work on getting Christmas packed away.

Turns out I picked a great day to do this, as it seems most of the customers have been busy with other things, and left me alone.  I started at 9:30, occasionally pausing to deal with emails that came in.  By 12:30 this afternoon, everything was packed away, the carpet was vacuumed, and any furniture that was moved is put back in place.  Original items are back on top of the tables, and everything is as it was before Christmas was here.



While I will miss the tree and lights, it feels good to have everything back where it belongs.

[Front-Ranger]

I know that feeling. By bits and pieces (Brits would say bobs) all my Christmas decor is making its way to my spare room, there to be packed up and shipped to the shed.