The Barefoot Kitchen Witch

Some Images from Christmas Day

 

I took no pictures while we were opening gifts, but I did take this shot of Julia’s hermit crab (I don’t know it’s name – sometime’s it’s Hermie, sometime’s it’s Shelly…sometimes it has other names, depending on Julia’s whims) playing with one of the new sponges Santa left in his/her stocking.

Lobster Sausage

Yes, that’s right.  Seafood!  In sausage form!  Is there no end to the sausage madness?

Not yet.

We decided to make a batch of Lobster, Shrimp and Leek Sausage (from Charcuterie) to serve as part of the appetizer segments of both Christmas Eve and Christmas.  Not a ton of it, because we didn’t know how it would be.  But enough for everyone to taste.

And so everyone could say “Wow!  I’ve never had lobster sausage before!”

We live for praise.  We live to inspire.

Roast Beef and Yorkshire Pudding

(A glimpse at the Christmas morning chaos.)

This is really the first day I’ve had time to sit and type since before Christmas.  All that other time was spent either in preparation for the holiday (and holiday eve) or cleaning up after it, or working. 

And my camera hasn’t been working, either, so that’s been frustrating.  Bear with the cell phone pictures a bit longer, please.

I’m skipping ahead to our dinner on Christmas Day.  Roast Beef and Yorkshire Pudding.  I believe I’ve said it before, but this meal alone is probably responsible for me never lasting as a vegetarian years ago.  I think I could survive for five days on the aroma alone.

And the best part, especially on a busy holiday, is how easy it is to make.

O Christmas Tree

Next life, I want to come back as a pampered, much-loved, well-fed neutered male cat.  (I included the neutered part in there because he has no stress, no strong passions that drive him crazy, no need to pee on walls.  I don’t want to come back as an ANNOYING pampered, much-loved, well-fed male cat, after all.  And why male?  Because males generally get to lounge around like this (see above) while females, even pampered, much-loved, well-fed, INDOOR females, are nearly always on alert, ready to hunt or pounce.  I just want to lounge around next time out. 

I know – but what about the “O Christmas Tree” post title?  What’s that got to do with the cats?

6:06

At 6:06 this morning Alex and Julia opened our bedroom door.

“Merry Christmas!  Wake up!”  Julia sang out.

Bill sort of grunted a greeting and I tried to sound a bit more enthusiastic. 

“Time to get up!  I think Santa came!”  she urged.

“Go wake your brother up,” I said. 

“I’m right here!” Alex announced.

They accused us of stalling when we said we had to use the bathroom first, and they should, too.

We don’t let them go downstairs without us.

My parents performed the same sort of torture when I was a kid – my sister and I had to wait at the top of the stairs until we were summoned to the living room.  My mom would turn the tree lights on, Dad would get his camera, and one of them probably put the kettle on for tea.

So, now that I’m a parent, I get to torture my kids the same way!  Yay!

~~~

I hope you all – whoever stops by today – has/is having/had/will have a lovely Christmas today.

I wish you all peace and joy and love.

Thank you for reading my blog, this year and however many years you’ve been coming here.  I am so thankful to have you in my life.

~Jayne

House on the Hill Nativity Sale

Just wanted to share this with you all because I love the gorgeous springerle molds at House on the Hill.

I got a notice the other day that they’re having an end-of-the-year sale on Nativity molds, and I thought some of you might be interested.

One of the molds on sale is their Complete 1654 Nativity, which looks like this:

I have this one, and every year I make one huge cookie with it, which we break and share with family and friends at Christmas.  The detail is amazing, right down to the cracks from the original wood mold.

They’re all gorgeous (there are a total of 6 big, beautiful molds on sale), but if I was going to buy a new one this year, their Spectacular Nativity is the one I’d pick:

Look at the detail!  I love the sheep’s wool.

Anyway, I figured I’d pass this sale info along to you.

House on the Hill did not ask me to – I do it because I love their store and their products, and if I were a rich woman, I’d have a whole room full of their springerle molds.

That’s it for now…off to do some last-minute running around!

P.S.  Julia’s all better.  Bill’s sick now.  Hoping all the germs FEAR ME and stay far away!

Cookies in the Mail and Beef in the Marinade

Ho ho ho.

They’ve been shipped!

I’m Done

With the cookie baking.

I just got home from running a couple of errands, and I’d left cookies cooling on the racks in the dining room.

There was one that had broken while I was rolling it in confectioners’ sugar, so I figured I should sample it, you know, to make sure it was okay.

And so I did.

And it’s a really, really good thing, too, because it was the most awful bite of a cookie I’ve ever had.

FFwD: Speculoos

It’s Friday, and I’m finally posting another French Fridays with Dorie recipe again.  I think it’s been a month since the last one, and I’ve got a few of November’s recipes – the images, anyway – hanging around, wanting to be loved by a little girl or boy…no, wait, that’s the misfit toys.

Anyway – I was totally happy to see that one of December’s recipes was a cookie recipe.  I bake a lot of cookies in December, and it’s nice to have a new recipe or two to play with.

Enter the Speculoos!

About the New Banner

I was baking all the lebkuchen yesterday and thought this one looked kind of cool with the light residue of flour across the crackled surface. 

So, as I am wont to do, I took a picture.

Cookie Baking 101: Pay Attention to Your Dough

And I don’t mean make eye contact when they’re telling you their innermost thoughts.

No, I mean this:

If you are rolling out and pressing springerle, DO ONLY take THAT dough out of the fridge to warm up a bit.

Scratchy Claws

We decorated the tree last night.

Well, Bill and the kids did that while I rolled out and cut out springerle.