On the 7th day of Christmas....A Wonderful Warm Delicious Christmas Lunch 2018

We had a wonderful Christmas lunch today!

I invited just three people, 

as I felt I could only do something small this year.

But it was so special!

***

Final Menu was...

~- Camembert Cheese and Cranberry Sauce Fillo Bites (Trader Joes)

~Chocolate (a gift from a friend who was there!)

~Green Tea and Chamomile Citrus tea both by Mighty Leaf

~Pork Roast in Crock Pot

~Ree's Creamy Mashed Potatoes with roasted garlic and shallots

~The last jar of my Husband's parents beans from their garden in Ohio, before they moved

~Homemade Apple Sauce (2015)

~Cranberry Sauce (1 bag cranberries, 1 cup sugar, 1 cup water, boil until cranberries are popping

and it seems done, then cool and it thickens; recipe for this is from Ocean Spray Cranberry bag!)

~Salad made by guest 

Warmed Bread with salted butter on table 

~Cheese Cake from Cheesecake Factory with these toppings:

~Raspberry syrup

~drunken cherries (dried cherries re-hydrated in brandy)

~Chocolate Sauce

~Chocolate and Orange Sauce from PEI

~Dulce de Leche Milk Caramel (Trader Joes)

Wittle Truffel tea + Christmas in Paris tea (Stash tea) 

with cream and sugar optional 

***

It was so very nice!

One of the friends I had over is expecting her third child

and had not been to my home before because it's over an hour drive

from her place + 2 young kids.

We had such a nice time of fellowship, the three ladies

with myself and my Husband.

So that was a blessing.

***

I think the meal was exactly what I hoped it would be,

warm, relaxing (my two friends helped me with the last details,

I was running late due to various things that happened yesterday

and I ran out of steam last night so I did not have the table set

the night before like I usually do).... but it all worked out and was delicious! 

***

I hope to do one more Christmas dinner,

God willing, with my dear friend and her son, our Munchkin,

on Theophany night.

That menu will include...

~Turkey with Egg Noodle Casserole (An Amish recipe) 

~Salad

~Cranberry Sauce

~Stuffing if I can find it (it's frozen!) 

~Broccoli (if it's not in the casserole, I need to look at

the recipe again!)

~Hot Apple Cider 

Dessert will include...

~Turtle Brownies

~Cranberry Pie (if I can find it!)

~Tea and Hot Chocolate 

***

Tomorrow DV is St Basil's Day and the Circumcision of Christ, 

is the Church New Year and happens to be our 

Church Christmas Party also.

***

I had so much fun decorating the house with the 

Christmas towels, Christmas Dishes, playing Christmas music...

It was a really nice day and I am really grateful for it.

And that we are currently not sick like we were a year ago! 

Praying that we do *not* get sick this year...

so many have a terrible flu this winter, 

I am hearing about it in different States and also Provinces of Canada. 

May God have mercy on us and save us all!

***

Christ is born! 

Glorify Him!

Thursday ~ White Wind, White Snow and a New (delicious!) Soup

Above, a blend of 3 black teas from Paris...my morning tea of the day.

I wrote earlier today of these pictures of Cleo:

 Cleo is listening. The wind is high, it always creates noises like a horse running in the distance..... we are not sure what, but something attached to the house moves constantly in high wind. 

Lunch with triscuits, jarred beef (pulled chuck roast with Cuban spices, deliciously spiced,

very savoury!), clementines, salad, bread and butter... I had my blend of decaf chocolate chai tea...

 ***

After lunch I prepared the Roasted Garlic and Onion Soup, with 

my own adaptions, for the first time!

The Soup 

Recipe is from here, adapted a little:

10 - 15 cloves of garlic, unpeeled

1 head of cauliflower

7 8 Tbsp. butter or coconut oil

2 tsp. salt

2 tsp. dried basil

2 1 large onions, coarsely chopped

4 cups chicken stock (made the day before)

My spice addition, inspired by my cousin M:

1/4 tsp cumin

1/4 tsp coriander

1/4 tsp turmeric

with 4 tbsp of butter melted, 

then the 3 spices above mixed in with butter,

then onion added until soft. 

Onions with butter and spices above.

Cauliflower florets and 1 whole bud of garlic, separated into cloves,

about 10 of them, unpeeled, roasted at 400F for 30 minutes + a little more with oven off.

4 cups of chicken stock, with some onion, garlic ginger at bottom...

Sauteed onion with butter and spices, with chicken broth, 

that was brought to a boil before roasted cauliflower and roasted garlic, 

peeled (I did not realize that the paper-thin peels would mainly be

separated from the roasted soft garlic, was really easy!) are added.

I then took the pot off the stove

and used my (new) immersion blender to puree the stock...

it worked pretty well, but was hard to see every floret to get 

it pureed.... (any suggestions, I am all ears, I wonder if a taller 

and not so wide pot would help)

but still, it worked and was a lot easier than getting my blender out, 

transferring the soup and then having to take apart the blender to clean it! 

I added just-then ground sea salt and pepper until it tasted much

more to my liking...

(We did end up adding a bit more to our individual bowls but 

that, I find, is to be expected). 

This is a small tray, metal, that we picked up in Holland.

It is the perfect size for my 3 main (1 salt, 2 pepper) grinders that I use for cooking.

I was so pleased to find this! I had been wanting something for this for some months!

I do have one salt cellar and one small pepper grinder that I use for cooking

but also at the table, depending on what suits the table at the time. 

(the smaller grinder and cellar are seen in the picture below, to the left of and in front of,

the candle centre-piece). 

 We enjoyed the soup very much and I baked up

a baguette that was baked but finished baking in the oven

for 10 minutes at 350F.

Dinner with soup and bread + what we had for lunch + a date bar for dessert,

from my Grandma's Christmas Tin of Baked Goods that she gave us

this past December... 

(I keep the tin and all in the freezer!!)

***

We listened to more of the Tolkien CD (CD #3) and later some of 

Beethoven's 8th symphony... we had an earlier dinner

as the soup was hot and the bread was easy to bake! 

Mr. Husband worked, finally, on a boxed amerilius bulb 

and I moved the Christmas books to make room.

Soon, it will be time to put away the Christmas decorations... but I will enjoy

them for another day or so, yet... 

***

I read more of the book about MFK Fisher and the snow and wind blue for 

much of the day time, quieting down later in the afternoon.

I talked with my Mom (they got good news today),

talked with another friend (who did not have good news about her beloved cat :( )

and today was the best day I've had this week,

a real blessing of a day.

I was overtired and slept till 10 AM this morning! Sleep does help,

as does finally making a soup and having it turn out

to one's Husband's liking (and mine too!).

***

Tomorrow will be a different day, amazing how each day

has it's own work and worry.

Mr Husband will leave early for a doctor in NYC.

I will stay here.... 

I am guessing he will be tired upon his return.

He's slowly been improving this week and had the best

colour I have seen (all week, he was pretty good the night of the house blessing)

at our early dinner of soup, bread, meats and salad.

We will see how he does tomorrow.

***

We both talked about what we hope will be his return to work

and what we are most worried about, 

from our Husband and Wife perspectives.

I think we both found it helpful as we could 

decide on what will be the best way to try to do this.

***

I've never seen him so sick for so long.

But today was a good day and I must just

stay in the present and try also

to remember and be present to God in it.

***

Lord have mercy on us as we try to turn 

towards Him!