Can We Talk 2

Christmas Cookies

I finally did some Christmas baking! I made two kinds of cookies tonight. I haven't made Christmas cookies in years. But on Christmas Day I will defrost a pecan pie. I'm not cooking desert. And I made cheese balls with fresh herbs last week, but I put those in the freezer, too. So much for freshness.

I didn't make enough cookies to use as gifts. Since I work all day Christmas Eve, I probably won't make more. But I will roast a beef, bake a ham and a turkey breast. I'm serving plain green beans and frozen rolls that rise when I take them out of the cold. (I have done them from scratch, but not this year.)

The sweet potatoes will be fresh baked. Lots of raw veggies, spiked eggnog, apple cider, tea and coffee. I still have to mix up the dressing, using celery, onions, and chopped apples. My brother will make gravy when he gets here, because he thinks no one makes gravy as good as his. Obviously, food is a big part of this family's Christmas.And I keep it so much simpler than my mother did.

For breakfast, we will have our traditional oyster stew, but only for two. Everyone arrives later now. By the time the last ones arrive, the first ones have to leave for somewhere else. I don't know why they have to be everywhere in one day, with such long drives in between. But that means more stew for me, and more time to prepare a late dinner and still be free for an evening nap. Of course, I'll have to have some cookies after the nap.