Christmas Traditions

The Hubby and the Adolescent enjoy Scarlett's house

In the spirit of letting things go that should be gone, I tried getting rid of some Christmas traditions this year. I didn't cajole and threaten the kids into making gingerbread houses. I accepted it like the (fake) mature adult I am and refrained from fondling the gingerbread house kits at every bakery and supermarket I went into. However, when the Adolescent realized what had happened he gave me the evil eye. Apparently he LOVES gingerbread houses!

Sinikka, Brian, and the Daughter

According to the Adolescent I should have kept gingerbread houses and let go of singing Christmas carols around the dining table. I mused about forgoing carol singing on Christmas Eve because it's usually met with trepidation and claims of tone deafness. But when other more musically inclined members of the family caught wind there was protest. Apparently they LOVE the singing!

Me and my Dad

I gave up making Eggs Benedict for Christmas brunch because, although delicious, some people don't like runny yolks, some think Hollandaise sauce is too fattening, etc. But when my Dad realized what was for brunch instead he elegantly let it be known that he LOVES Eggs Benedict!

The Daughter got a gift card for the liquor store in her stocking

I decide to be ok with the kids opening their stockings on Christmas morning in the living room rather than making everyone trek up to our third floor bedroom. This made sense when the kids were small and we could all fit on the bed. But now everyone is huge AND Scarlett and family join in too. But apparently everyone WANTS to trek upstairs and crowd onto one bed.








There's a time for change but apparently there's also a time for everything to stay exactly the way it's always been because that's what we're familiar with and that's comforting in this crazy world.  Finally something that makes sense!

Me with the Beef

For Christmas Eve dinner I make a Herb and Garlic Crusted Beef Tenderloin with Red and Yellow Pepper Relish. It's gorgeous!

Trish, Terry, and Scarlett

A yule log complete with mushrooms!

 For dessert I try my hand at Buche de Noel. A yule log. It's basically like a jelly roll but in this case filled with a luscious coffee cream. It's then cut and artistically manipulated to resemble a log. I ripped the recipe out of a magazine I was reading while on the train to Montreal a few weeks ago.  The cake and filling came out beautifully but the chocolate icing was hard as rock and definitely did not have the capacity to transform my pieces of misshapen cake into a beautiful yule log. I guess this is what one gets from a recipe in a home design magazine! I followed a different recipe for chocolate icing and it all came out very yule log-like!


All the best of the season to you!