Celebrations and Preparations

 

Five years ago, I baked a cake for my husband's birthday - a 5 layer Sampler Cake. It was massive and I never thought I'd ever bake another one. However, a then 6-year-old granddaughter took notice, and for her 11th family birthday celebration, asked Nana to make one. I changed up the layers and flavours and it all turned out well. There are two layers of chocolate and three of vanilla - one with crushed candy canes, one with sprinkles, and one with cherries. The icing is a family recipe using milk and flour cooked together, then beaten with sugar and butter until fluffy. I added chocolate. The marshmallows on top are from a Martha Stewart recipe. The birthday girl was very pleased with her cake. 

I personally don't want to make another cake for a very long time. It's just Too.Much.Cake. 

We had a lovely time together celebrating. The dining room light fixture is adorned with a pearl bead garland, metal stars, and one hand blown glass bauble. Little one-year-old Cora makes a "ffff" sound when she sees it for she is convinced it should whirl around like ceiling fans. 

Joy was definitely present, not only in this cushion cover I made a few years ago, but also in the conversations and interactions. Red velveteen covers other cushions and the living room is looking cozy and festive. 

In the china hutch red and white dishes play nicely with white and a few touches of greenery. 

For dinner tonight I made a roast chicken, roasted sweet potatoes, a vegetable medley of peppers and zucchini from last summer's garden tucked away into the freezer, and a salad of grated cabbage, carrots, diced celery, red pepper, apple, and a sprinkling of blue cheese. Simple, warming food. Winter food. 

Nigel Slater writes in The Christmas Chronicles "This is the winter food I love. Patient food, recipes that wait for us, untroubled by the ticking of the clock or a gardener wanting to do "just one more job." Dishes that are done when they're done and refuse to be hurried. Benign, good-natured recipes whose smells calm us like an extra blanket on a stone-cold night, and warm us slowly, thawing out our frozen souls." 

After dinner I deboned the chicken and put all the scraps into the slow cooker along with onion, carrot, celery, peppercorns, and herbs. It's in the fridge now and tomorrow I'll set the ceramic container into the heating container and fill it up with water to slowly, over the course of the day, fill the house with the fragrance of chicken broth. I've found that making my broth in the slow cooker results in a clearer broth as the liquid never bubbles and boils. After straining it, I'll freeze it for soup. 

Less than two weeks now until Christmas. A few things need to be done, but I'm feeling comfortable about my progress. How about you? Are you able to take time to read or walk, and admire the beauty of this season?