Call it what you will, it is a wonderful way with friends to celebrate the Christmas Season. Yesterday I put together the dough for 2 lots of cheese shortbread. One goes to my daughter for her friends and the other one for our party next Saturday. I also made fruit and Nut shortbread and baked those off this morning. In case I hadn’t done enough, I figured, ever so crazily, I should make chocolate chip cookies for my husband. Done!
Now, today, the house is smelling like Christmas and I have some of the things ready for the party. Don has his stuff to do and then I can finish the table. Some of it has been done. It is a gold cloth this year, with 5 little trees all decorated in gold and silver balls and two 24″ candles with gold and silver tassled ribbon tied around the crystal candle holder set down the length of the table..
Don wants everything labelled so people will know exactly what they are eating. The tree is up and, if I say so myself, looks very beautiful. When it is time to do the tree, I grumble and grouse…then when it is all done, we walk around the tree and can tell who, what and when everything was put on the tree. Christmas trees are really your life on display once a year. I really do love it. Honest!
Okay, now…..hmmm I think I shall get a glass of wine and sit down and make yet another list of what has to be done before next Saturday. Make that two and the list will really be complete. haha
Truly, this can all be fun. Take your time, Bake ahead, plan ahead, invite as many as you feel comfortable with at one time and just enjoy it.
A Day In The Week Of….
Well, with company coming Saturday, there is a lot to get done before then. Also, on November 11, we do our Christmas baking for our give-away trays.
So, here it goes….Monday I made my lemon shortbread, pecan shortbread and cheese shortbread. I did this because once you make the dough, it must be refrigerated for one to three hours to get stiff and ready for baking. With the two of us working and baking all day, I thought it would ease the space just a little.
We have two trips to make to Penticton this week (one just to go and pick up the duck we were able to purchase from our friendly Chef Paul), the other to finish our grocery shopping. Then I have the dessert to start, table to set, house to clean and, on the last day, floors to clean.
Don has the duck terrine to make, salmon to prepare, and a potato dish to work out (so far unknown).
Sunday morning we start. Don makes his tourtiere and, hopefully, his antipasta, which is to die for.
Oh, did I tell you before….last week when we were getting our flu shots, he noticed there was a bake sale coming next week at the Seniors Centre and, oh gosh, his wife would be happy to participate. Right…so yesterday I scoured the cookbooks and my site to come up with something new and different. I found about 6 different items to tackle so next Monday I, again, go on another bake-a-thon.
The good thing is….I love it and the bad thing (or good) is neither of us can eat any of it….haha jokes on us. We are trying to lose weight.
Heck, I need a martini just thinking about all this.