Christmas 2012

So our Christmases went pretty well.  My family got together on Sunday the 23rd.  Everyone brought a little something for the food and desserts.  I brought the usual carrot cookies and blueberry fluff. 

Yeah, the cookies.  I made approximately 310 of them.

This is the the majority of them

 

This is the last couple of batches

 

This is now all of them frosted

 

 

HDiTty had a few before they were frosted and a couple more afterward.  I didn't want to try any because my teeth were still hurting with every bite I took.  So it wasn't until we were putting them away into the fridge to keep away from the cats, who had been locked up all day, that I finally broke down and had one.  They were good as usual.

 

I'd fill up one of those circle plates and take it to each house and one to work.  Actually I took two to my mom's knowing the boys would take some home as well.  Also gave a couple dozen to Jim and his girls.  We luckily only had about 25 or so left for ourselves.  I was worried we'd have a lot more but nope.  Although it took me all day to do them, I started around 2ish and didn't finish until almost 1am I believe it was worth it.

 

Anyway.  Christmas at mom's went well this year, no drama as we had last year.  Scott's stepkids (ex I guess I should say) came back so we were all very happy to be able to spend the holiday with them.  I believe all the kids were very happy with all their gifts.  From what I could see they all pretty much got what they asked for.  We adults didn't exchange as we gave that up last year.  But mom had a game that she did that included the kids as well.  We all ended up with 30 bucks.  It was fun and nice.

 

Monday, Christmas Eve, HDT and I were sitting at the kitchen table playing cribbage making a couple jugs of iced tea waiting for an update from his mom on how his youngest sister was doing.  He got a call in the morning that she was doing badly and his mom was taking her to the ER to get checked out.  Around 2pm we got the call that they're back home and both Jess and her daughter are sick, running fevers.  So HDT made calls to his other sister and uncle who both have kids and let them decide not to go over to keep from getting sick.  We decided we're hearty stock and packed up the gifts, the pulled italian beef that had been warming in the two crockpots all day and Poydras and head over.

 

The niece was feeling better by the time we made it over there, no fever but his sister was still feeling down.  But well enough to eat a little bit and play a board game, so that was nice.  In between her turns my MIL was wrapping gifts.  Finally when she was done we went into the front room and opened presents.  The niece got a karaoke machine from grandma so we all had a blast singing songs with it.  Unfortunately for the niece there weren't any songs she new but she still had fun with it.  When we realized it was getting late we called it a night and headed home.

 

Christmas morning we made it up to his other sister's house by 8:15am to see Santa come in for the youngest nephew.  Then he left and grandpa finally made it.  Heh  We opened gifts, ate some more italian beef that we brought with, hung out for a little while then headed out around noon.  HDT had to work from 2 - 6 for overtime. 

 

So on our way home we bought tickets for Monsters, Inc. 3D to go see after he got off work.  We made it up there to meet his dad, stepmom, sister and her two boys.  Her husband ended up not coming.  Very happy to see Monsters, Inc. in the theater again.  Love, love, love that movie.  So much so that I actually have a Boo doll.

 

After the movie we went home and watched a little tv then I went to bed since I had work the next day.

 

Wednesday I had an eye appointment after work and by the time I made it home Jim and his girls were walking in the door to get their Christmas gifts.  We got them a kinect to go with the Xbox they already have.  Since we have the same game that came with it we put it in and had them try it out.  The younger was having a blast, the older who's 15 was a little more shy about it but she still had fun.

 

So yeah, all the Christmases ended up ok, not as planned completely but still ok and fun for the most part.

 

Media quote of the day:

 

Have yourself a Merry little Christmas



Weekend Update 11/26-28/10

So Friday we got out of work at 3:30 and I headed over to the grocery store to start getting some of the ingredients for the cookies. I decided to try out 5 of them but one of the ingredients is cake flour and our grocery store doesn't sell it. I've since learned a substitute for it but I of course didn't look that up before I did the cookies so the one recipe that called for it I just didn't do. Another one needed a pastry bag and since the store didn't sell that either I skipped out on that one as well.

Anyway I got the ingredients for the ones but didn't do any baking on Friday. I read my book for awhile and then watched some tv until HDT got home. We had dinner and watched some shows. I had a headache all day that refused to go away and I don't know if it was the 4th piece of pizza or what but my stomach had started to feel upset as well. He got on the elliptical and tried to make me feel guilty for not exercising too but I just didn't feel good. Pretty much after he was done working out he cleaned up and then went to bed. I stayed up a little while longer reading some more then finally felt tired enough to go to bed around midnight.

HDT went to work and I stayed in bed sleeping for a few more hours. Got up around 9ish and decided to go ahead and workout then rather than wait for HDT to get home, especially since he was working his full 12 hour day and then was going to be turning right back around and going in at 2am for a full 16 hour day. Didn't want to take the chance that he wouldn't be working out in the evening and me not wanting to then. My headache and stomach ache was gone so I was happy about that, so drank a protein drink and got on the elliptical. I did an hour on the treadmill and 35 minutes on the elliptical for over 600 calories burned. Good workout. Finished watching the show that I had started while on the treadmill then went and soaked in the tub finishing my book.

After that I believe I watched one of my recorded shows, maybe two. Then I went up to start in on the cookies. I did some melting moments which are very similar to Mexican wedding cakes but there aren't any nuts in the melting moments. HDT said they were good and everyone liked them but I didn't care for 'em much. I don't know if I cooked them too long or what but instead of melting in the mouth they turned to a paste. Maybe because the ones I tried were still warm, I don't know but at any rate I threw out the recipe, I won't be doing those anymore. Although they were easy to make.

I also did a chocolate chunk cookie and an M&M cookie. The recipe for both was exactly the same other than no M&M's in the CC cookie and no chocolate chunks in the M&M cookie. But they came out all crispy instead of soft and chewy. I think it's the cookie sheets that HDT bought last year. Because all my carrot cookies I made last year were too done as well. They seem to make them bake much quicker than what the time called for. So when I did the M&M cookies I took them out a full 5 minutes before the shortest time mentioned and they were still over done. But once again, everyone at HDT's work liked them and he said they still were soft in the middle, just crispy along the edges. But then, I did put a hamburger bun in each of the containers to soak up all the air to keep them that way. I kept 3 out for ourselves of the CC cookie, sent all the rest and all the M&M and melting moments with him to work.

I was trying to surprise him with the M&M ones. Last January we had ordered several bags of the do it yourself type M&M's. We got Saints M&M's for the Superbowl. They were brown, white and gold candies and the white and gold ones said either Saints or had a fleur-de-lys on them. The brown ones were just the normal MM candies. They were the only ones that came out, the fleur-de-lys and Saints ones all melted off. The candies themselves stayed intact at least. I guess whatever they use to put your personal saying on isn't the same as what they use for the MM's, very disappointing.

Oh well, live and learn with it all. That's why I decided to start now, I want to know which recipes will work and which ones won't; and what adjustments I'd have to make to make the ones I really want to work, work. And now since I've found out what I can do to substitute for the cake flour I'll be able to do the one recipe that calls for it. Maybe I'll do more this coming weekend. I'm just glad his coworkers liked 'em enough to eat 'em and they didn't go to waste.

Sunday I got up around 9ish again but this time I took my time getting up and doing things. I ate breakfast and after watching a show or two finally decided to get on the elliptical. I didn't work as hard as yesterday though. Between the machines and being on my feet for several hours doing cookies my body was sore. So I did just over 1 1/2 miles on the elliptical (exactly 200 calories burned) and then did just over 2 miles on the treadmill. But on that I at least did a few 1 minute jogs and a few high inclines as well. Watched The Ref while I was working out. Love that movie.

After I finished the movie recovering from the machines for the last 15 minutes of it I went up to soak in the tub and started in on book V of the Dark Tower: Wolves of the Calla. I decided I wasn't going to be baking any more cookies this weekend so after the bath I went and watched more of my dvr'd shows - Private Practice and Hoarders until HDT came home.

Made dinner of garlic dill potatoes, green beans and some prime rib that one of HDT's coworkers gave him. It was already cooked so I just had to reheat it so I put it on the George Foreman grill. HDT had brought home some bread that someone had brought in on Thanksgiving that was just sitting there now. I liked everything but the meat. I'm not a big fan of left over meat unless it's in a stew or spaghetti or something like that. I don't know if it just wasn't heated enough for me or that there wasn't any seasoning on it or what but I just didn't care for it so after just 3 bites I gave the rest to HDT to have. By the time I was done with the rest of my food I was full anyway so it wasn't a big deal not to have it.

We watched the night game (Colts vs Chargers) until 9:00 when The Walking Dead came on. We actually watched it live, besides football and award shows we don't watch much of anything live. But it's such a damn good show that we had to. He was texting with Scott, the cop that came to New Orleans with us, the whole time we were watching the show because Scott watches it as well. Only one more left for this run, not sure when the next "season" will start but I hope it's not too long. One of the best shows on the air right now. Many people have likened it to Lost. I could see that in many of the things that's going on and since I loved Lost I'm not surprised I'm loving this show.

Media quote of the day: The Walking Dead - Show #2: Guts

Nice moves there, Clint Eastwood. You're the new sheriff come riding in to clean up the town? - Glenn
Wasn't my intention. - Rick Grimes
Yeah, whatever. Yeehah. You're still a dumbass. - Glenn

Cookies, I just may make some

So I was tooling around the Internet yesterday and found the Joy of Cooking site and found 14 cookie recipes I want to try out. There're also a few that I found in my Southern Living and Country Living mags and then there's my carrot cookie recipe that's been in my family for years. I've been thinking about doing a lot of baking this Christmas time. Last year would've been better since I wasn't working and had all the time in the world. But no, this is the year that I feel like doing it. Heh

Anyway, some of them seem to be pretty damn easy, others a little more involved. I'm thinking maybe I'll try a couple out this weekend while HDT is working. We shall see.

If we get out of work early today, as our office manager is hoping for, maybe I'll even do one or two of the real easy ones to take to mom's house tomorrow. It's her first Thanksgiving without her husband so we'll spend the whole day there. Well, I will, HDT has to work overtime from 6:00pm - 10:00pm which sucks but it's money at least.

As I'm looking at more and more and printing out more and more of the recipes I'm thinking to myself there's a whole hell of a lot of ingredients in all these. So I opened up excel and went through each recipe and listed the ingredients and as I came across the same ones I'd put how much was needed. Shit loads turns out, 51 in all. And unsalted butter is the most common one. Yeah, these aren't going to be diet friendly one bit. But it's the holidays and when else can you indulge. We'll just have to keep up the work outs and eating as good as possible in between.

Media quote of the day: two from Home for the Holidays (1995) and one from Lost "Hearts and Minds" (2005)

I'm giving thanks that we don't have to go through this for another year. Except we do, because those bastards went and put Christmas right in the middle, just to punish us. - Adele - the late, great Anne Bancroft

Nobody means what they say on Thanksgiving, Mom. You know that. That's what the day's supposed to be all about, right? Torture. - Claudia - the still living but still pretty great Holly Hunter.

Locke? Guy's a freak of nature, highly disturbed. Chances are he probably killed all his mates at the Post Office the day his mum forgot to put a cookie in his lunch tin - Charlie the always great and so damn cute I just wanna pick him up and squish him Dominic Monaghan