QOTD #46: It's Christmas Eve; what are you doing today?

Yes. It was bland and mushy, and the clams were still cold even though they had opened.

We left early because my cousin's kids were out of control and it was giving me a headache.

I didn't even get to eat the dessert I made.

 

My cousin basically checks out at family events, presuming she doesn't need to watch her kids closely because we're all doing it for her. Her kids don't treat each other well, which is saddening. Given my profession, I don't want to spend my student-free time off disciplining someone else's rugrats. Plus, Grandma didn't come because of the weather.

Sigh.

 

Paella - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

And the recipe that was used Paella Recipe | Leite's Culinaria

 

I'm nestled all snug in my bed, while visions dance in my head.

 

We had a relaxing day at home. French toast for breakfast. Watched a documentary on geology and packed while Littlegirly napped. Went to a children's Mass at 4pm, which was stuffed to the gills with families - even with 2 overflows in the gym and banquet hall. Went to Walmart to pick up a couple things we forgot that are region-specific to, give to friends in CA. It was also absurdly crowded. Relaxing dinner of vegan fajitas, and cuddled with Tinygirly and Littlegirly to fall asleep as Tt put together some Christmas gifts from the grandparents. Then we set it all up, gave each other a high-5, he went to bed, I finished collecting things and packing for tomorrow. Now listening to fireworks. Texas is odd. Jesus' birthday? Time to blow stuff up!!!

 

Christmas in my family of origin was often mostly an "endurance contest." Christmas Eve dinner at one location. Christmas morning breakfast at Grandma's, with all the brothers, sisters, cousins, spouses, kids, and assorted hangers-on. Sometimes twenty or thirty people. Followed by the younger kids opening presents from "Santa." Then off to Church. Then everyone off to home, or their host's home, to catch a little nap time. Then a late Christmas dinner, usually a pot-luck smorgasbord at three or four o'clock. Not much alcohol, as most of my family were not very big drinkers, but always one or two, just to add a little drama.

This year it was just Sig and I. It snowed big fluffy flakes Friday afternoon, so we had an unexpected white Christmas. We went to Church this morning, and had invited our older neighbor, Janis (pronounced Yahn-ous) who has no family anywhere close, for dinner. We had a combination of Sig's Scandinavian and my Scandinavian/NewMexican traditions. I made albondigas and chipotle mole' and he made kottbullar (Swedish meatballs) with egg noodles, and we collaborated on fusion scalloped potatoes with cheese and mild fire roasted Hatch green chiles. Then sopapillas. Worked out great, as most of the food was prepared in the days before.

Then we played Yahtzee.

 

My husband's uncle forgot the carrots for Christmas dinner, so we had to make them on the fly. As it turns out, it's the perfect illustration of the kind of cook my MIL is--she promptly got down the Betty Crocker cookbook and looked up a recipe for carrots. My husband, meanwhile, began to peel them, and I stepped in to chop them up. Ignoring the cookbook, I asked if she had orange juice. Well, yes, she said. I put a saute pan on the stove, asked her to put two tablespoons of butter in it, and we got cooking. "You know this recipe by heart!"

Basically, I cooked the carrots in about half a cup of OJ--bring to a boil, then down to a simmer, cover, and when the carrots are fork-tender, let the OJ turn into a glaze--ala Alton Brown's glazed carrots Glazed Carrots Recipe : Alton Brown : Food Network

Cooking is about methods, not recipes.