Christmas 2014

Christmas arrived and left, for me, not soon enough!  I do enjoy Christmas, at least that's what I kept repeating over and over again, until I believed it.  I guess I just got a late start on things, then the rush and panic set in, as my soul wanted to board an airplane for nowhere in particular, just away!   I enjoy the magic, the lights, decorations, baking and reflecting on the true meaning of Christmas.  The presents, shopping for, wrapping them and receiving them is the problem, for me.

In recent years our family and friends did, indeed, get away to the beaches of the Mexican riviera.  I was able to experience a more serene, relaxing, peaceful Christmas.  There is no comparison....  As I swam in the ocean or laid around by the pool, I couldn't help chuckling about how chaotic it probably was back home.  Most years we'd go into town and purchase a small trinket to give to each other.  Nothing over the top or expensive...the vacation was the gift...a special time with family and friends, your "chosen family".

This year we stayed close to home, had family over for our seafood feast on Christmas Eve.  Be careful what you wish for.  My wish was to have a white Christmas, but it could have waited a few hours.  The wind blew in, with mostly cold temperatures and a bit of rain and snowflakes, just enough to screw up the roads with a nice sheet of ice where we live, making driving difficult for some invited guests.  We enjoyed our time with whomever was willing and able to make the drive.  To those who couldn't make it, you were missed!

Christmas day we went to grandma and grandpa's home for a prime rib roast feast!  Delicious.  Did I mention we also had left over tiramisu to bring along?  How does that happen?  We opened gifts and enjoyed each other's company.

We don't know what next year will bring, but I'll start wishing and praying now for another special Christmas.   Enjoy some of the pictures....and Happy New Year!

Butter lettuce with crisp apple, gorgonzola, glazed walnuts drizzled with orange vinaigrette.

Seafood pasta sauce...lobster, crab, shrimp and scallops

Beautiful family opening their gifts

Italian Frangipane Mini Tarts

I know, Christmas has passed, but I wanted to share this recipe I made this year.    For so many reasons I've never been much of a baker.  Too little time when I worked,  too much altitude where I live and too much of a temptation to have all those baked goodies lurking in my home!

A new addition, which will become a tradition, was a recipe for frangipane bites or mini tarts.   These were made using almond paste and cake flour and each mini bite contained a "secret".  You can "switch up" the secret ingredient with maybe a ginger chunk, chocolate chip or dried cranberries.  For this trial I used dried apricots since they compliment the subtle almond flavor nicely.   Try your hand at it!  No need to wait for the holidays to make these.

Italian Frangipane Mini Tarts

1 stick or 8 oz. butter, softened

1/2 cup sugar

2 eggs

1/3 cup almond paste

1/3 cup cake flour

about 15  dried apricots

1/3 cup sliced almonds (for garnish)

sugar or decorator's sugar (for garnish)

You will place paper liners into 2 24 cup mini muffin trays.  Combine all the ingredients from butter through flour in a food processor, blending until smooth.  Fill each mini muffin cup only about 1/3 full.  They will puff up.  Snip the apricots up and press a piece into each cup.  Sprinkle with a few sliced almonds and dust with sugar.  Bake for 14-15 minute in a 350 degree oven.  Cool and pop them in your mouth.

Scratch Christmas!!!

What does that mean?  Scratch, in this case, is an adjective not a verb.  No, it doesn't mean I would like to get rid of Christmas (although, I don't like the "happy holidays and the Xmas greetings").   Do we have to diminish everything important because we must be politically correct ALL the time?  There, I got it out...and I feel better!

This Christmas was a "made from scratch" event in the kitchen.  For Christmas Eve, we had our Feast of the Six Fishes.  Yes. it's seven fishes, but we had too much food and I chose to scale it back.  We started with appetizers like my son's bacon wrapped scallops (the best by far) and baked not fried coconut panko shrimp with a spicy apricot dipping sauce.  The appetizers were eaten in such a frenzy that I neglected to capture them with a picture!  Oh no!  Moving on we gathered around the table for traditional seafood pasta with more shrimp, scallops, clams and cod.  Yum.  A small salad of butter greens sprinkled with pistachios and goat cheese topped with caramelized pears accompanied the seafood bucatini.

And because I didn't want to put up with the crowds and traffic (or out of laziness on my part) I decided to make cannoli shells, previously purchased in the past, from scratch.  I don't recommend doing this on the eve of Christmas Eve!  I was surprised how easy the process went.  I had the cannoli shell forms hidden in the cupboard and I've never used these in well over 15 years.  Shameful...

I kid you not. They're from scratch.

In addition to the meal we arrived at grandma's earlier in the week to do a bit of Christmas cookie baking.   My son made sugar coated rosettes while his bride whipped up molasses spice cookies.  Grandma busied herself by creating a pumpkin pecan pie and I tried my hand at a new recipe.  Mini frangipane tartletts.  I'll make these again, for sure!  (recipe to come).

Rosettes, molasses spice and frangipane bites

I asked myself so many times this year why I went to so much trouble preparing everything from scratch.  Hmmmm....not sure, except that it all comes from my heart...I enjoy it....and This year my mind needed to stay busy.  I hope everyone's Christmas was special and blessed!