One last post before I sign off for a few days of feasting and merriment with my family.
This is a "clearly-for-the-blog" photo op. I made a cheese ball a week or so ago. Did you know you can freeze them? I love things I can prepare ahead of time. The cheese ball is frozen naked, and I'll roll it in parsley or paprika or nuts when the time comes.
Tim had a taste of chocolate bark with peppermint candy canes on top somewhere, and suggested that he would enjoy some more at home. So I made a pan for him. Easy peasy. The hardest part is peeling and crushing those mini candy canes.
There are snacks a-plenty - monkey mix (aka puppy chow) and a cereal snack mix. The mix recipe calls for pretzels, but I realized one day that I always eat the pretzels first because I enjoy them least. So, with that thought in mind, I didn't add any pretzels to the mix. I used goldfish instead.
I roasted the turkey today. It's carved and sitting in the fridge in a bit of pan juice. It's an experiment. The carcass is stripped and making stock in the crockpot. I always find dealing with the turkey a bit of a hassle on Christmas Day, although Tim is the one who deals with it.
I put my feet up for a bit after lunch (to blog) and when I'm done here, I'll be doing the final cleaning before Christmas. The house is currently awash with dirty dishes, remnants of sewing projects, and wrapping paper detritus all over the living room. The rain pours down outside in spite of the pointed message on the kitchen windowsill.
Thank you for your comments on my last post. They are very much appreciated. Hard times come and go for all of us, don't they?
Wishing you all a most merry and bright Christmas!
Beautifully Done. Merry Christmas Blessings and a Happy New Year~
ReplyDeleteAll looks well at your house. Have a wonderful Christmas together.
ReplyDeleteLorrie, Your Christmas decor is enchanting! I've never made a cheese ball before. Yours looks delicious as does the candy and goldfish mix. I'm not sure if you are teasing about the puppy chow or not? :-)
ReplyDeleteA very Merry Christmas to you. {{HUGS}}
Sounds like you are ready for the big day. Your snacks look delicious - and pretty pictures are so sweet. We had snow/slush in the rain this morning - nothing stuck - I thought you might get the same - since I can almost "see" your house from the top of our hill. LOL Merry Christmas.
ReplyDeleteThat's a great idea for the turkey!
ReplyDeleteBlessings on your rest and festivities!
You sound most organized and ready! Merry Christmas to you and yours!
ReplyDeleteAs you, I have my feet up after a long day of cooking and getting the house ready for company tomorrow. I love your mantle. I always struggle to make ours look festive and pretty. Your tree is very elegant and beautiful, too. Enjoy your celebration. Merry Christmas, Lorri.
ReplyDeleteMerry Christmas! ♥
ReplyDeleteWishing you a Merry Christmas.
ReplyDeleteMerry Christmas x
ReplyDeleteI cook the turkey the day before and it is always good. I think your gifts you cannot buy from the other post are fantastic. Merry Christmas to you and your famiky.
ReplyDeleteEnjoy your holiday weekend and wishes for a wonderful 2016. 🎄
ReplyDeleteMerry Christmas blessings to you and your family, Lorrie!
ReplyDeleteI love this post Lorrie - but mostly I love that you are so ready with the messy bits out of the way so you can truly enjoy 'merriment' and 'feasting' - that's wonderful - and then time to sit back and remember the real meaning of Christmas. Like me, you seem to be a very organized person, but are also able enjoy the untidy bits brought on by doing for others! Boxing Day is always MY day, time to do anything I please which makes me happy - I think we gals deserve a day such as that, especially after Christmas when we work so hard to make it nice for our family and friends.
ReplyDeleteHopefully any snow will bypass you - unless it's just a pretty dusting - a lot makes it hard for travelers. Here it's unbelievably hot - perhaps close to 80F today and staying in the mid-70's for the next few days, BUT lots of rain too which means humid and mushy! We are running the air cond. - unknown in Dec. - and will have to this evening for our Open House - a lot of folk squished into the cottage will certainly be warm so sadly no fire in the hearth as originally planned! Oh well, Santa will be happy as he visits the chimneys around here, hohoho!!!!
Again, hope you Lorrie, and your family, have a lovely Christmas - best ever New Year too.
Thank you for always being such a delightful commenter - you are very special and I so enjoy having you as a friend!
Love, Mary -
I know a few people who cook their turkey a day or two before Christmas and have it sliced ready to go, much less work and tying up of the oven when company is over.
ReplyDeleteDo you have Bulk Barn in your province? I saw this year that they sell crushed candy canes in the bins.
Merry Christmas, see you in blogland after the holiday.
Planning ahead is a good thing. Enjoy the holiday!
ReplyDeleteYou are way ahead of me, Lorrie!
ReplyDeleteHave a wonderful Christmas with your loved ones.
Merry Christmas, Lorrie! I like the idea of cooking the turkey in advance.
ReplyDeleteEverything looks yummy! I make peppermint bark every year...yours look amazing! It won;t be long now... Merry Christmas, one more time :)
ReplyDeleteOoo I love that bark and candy canes, something that I might just have to leave some room for! Have a wonderful Merry Christmas and festive period!! xx
ReplyDeleteMerry Christmas from sunny Thailand, hope you get a bit of a white Chrustmas tomorrow :)
ReplyDeleteMERRY, MERRY CHRISTMAS, dear Lorrie!
ReplyDeleteAll my best wishes for a peaceful end of the year.
Warmest greetings, Karin
Lovely, charming and "delicious" post!
Merry Christmas to you and yours Lorrie!
ReplyDeleteGros bisous,
H
Merry Christmas to you and yours and oh I wish I had a few of those snacks right here, right now :)
ReplyDeleteHope you had a blessed Christmas Lorrie! No snow here either, but the snow level supposedly drops tonight so here's hoping:)
ReplyDeleteBlessings,
Aimee
PS: I had no idea you could freeze those always yummy cheese balls! Mmm.
I hope it was a special day with family and friends. I also love things I can do ahead of time, so feet can be put up and enjoyed on that special day of gathering.
ReplyDeleteI hope you and your family had a very happy and blessed Christmas, Lorrie! We had a wonderful eve and day and I even had a special encounter with a beautiful deer in my backyard--I put video links on my blog post. It was a wonderful gift from nature for me.
ReplyDeleteI'm having round two of eye surgery this week so I'll be offline a week or two. Wishing you a Happy and Healthy New Year!
PS: Send all unwanted pretzels my way--I love them ;)
So lovely............ all of it.
ReplyDelete