Archive for December, 2006

I was reading through a few of my favorite food blogs today and ran across a fun 20 Questions-type meme at Kate in the Kitchen. Really now, who am I to resist a holiday inspired meme?

1. Egg Nog or Hot Chocolate?
Nog!

2. Does Santa wrap presents or just sit them under the tree?
Wraps; although for many years as a kid, we’d find our presents already “at play” by the tree.

3. Colored lights on tree/house or white?
Red & White on the tree — no lights in my windows, but various colors of other lights around the house.

4. Do you hang mistletoe?
Usually, although I haven’t yet this year.

5. When do you put your decorations up?
First week of December, if all goes well.

6. What is your favorite holiday dish (excluding dessert)?
I don’t know if this is really considered a “holiday” dish, but on Christmas morning my mom always makes “Monkey Bread” for breakfast, which is a gooey cinnamon bubble ring. So traditionally, that would have to be my pick. Although I guess that’s sort of a dessert?

7. Favorite Holiday memory as a child:
Wow … I don’t think I have just one, it’s more of a cumulative nostalgia.

8. When and how did you learn the truth about Santa?
Say what?

9. Do you open a gift on Christmas Eve?
Never — that’s blasphemy!

10. How do you decorate your Christmas Tree?
Seems strange I guess, but I have a patriotic/Americana theme on my tree, complete with flags, stars, Uncle Sam and a patriotic Santa. Of course it may also have something to do with the fact that my birthday is July 4th and I have accumulated a lot of related acoutrements:

11. Snow! Love it or Dread it?
Love it — unless I have to drive in it.

12. Can you ice skate?
Yes, but not very well.

13. Do you remember your favorite gift?
I remember one year I got a gumball machine … I’m not sure it was my favorite gift, but I was really excited about it. I spent that winter holed up in my room — reading books and chewing gum. A lot of gum.

14. What’s the most important thing about the Holidays for you?
Tradition and seeing my family, who I don’t get to see as often as I’d like.

15. What is your favorite Holiday Dessert?
My grandma makes this sugar custard pie with a whipped cream topping that I just love. It’s all white, so she always calls it “snow pie” and it’s my favorite thing.

16. What tops your tree?
A primative, rusty star.

17. Which do you prefer giving or Receiving?
Sounds hokey, but I really do love giving gifts. The whole process of picking a special item for a certain person, wrapping and then seeing them open the gift is really fun.

18. What is your favorite Christmas Song?
Oh Holy Night

19. Candy Canes! Yuck or Yum??
Yum! (In moderation.)

20. What do you serve for Christmas dinner?
We usually have a baked ham, potatoes, bread, noodles, green bean casserole, corn and sweet potatoes.

Of course since this is a meme … you should feel free to catch the fever and answer them yourself!

I’m really trying to keep a festive attitude right now and not become all dramatic about this, but it’s getting pretty difficult to not just FLIP OUT. I’m still waiting to get my car back, although I am going to, eventually, get it back. Which is nice, I suppose. Except the entire ordeal has been such a huge headache that I’m having a hard time finding the bright side. Today I called the insurance company to let them know their estimate did not match up with the actual cost of the repairs by the shop. Which sparked an interesting exchange in which the insurance company tried to explain that really this was all the repair shop’s fault for not really knowing how to work with the insurance. Of course this doesn’t take into account the shop has only had the car for 2 days and it took the insurance company TWO WEEKS to get it there. The whole thing is ridiculous, unfortunately not the sort of ridiculous that makes you laugh and shoot milk out your nose. It’s more of the kind that makes you develop large bulgey veins on your forehead. Or maybe those are pimples … whatever. What’s even better is that after I continued to explain the entire situation to the insurance company manager, detailing every time my calls were never returned, the utter lack of information and communication from the agent assigned to my case and the mismanagement of how things were delayed and generally NOT being handled, the manager let me know that the problem was really that my expectations of how it should have been handled weren’t really taking into account their process. Seriously. She assured me that things sometimes take a bit longer and that she was going to make sure things were taken care of, although she knew that probably didn’t give me the “warm fuzzy” I needed to feel better about the situation. I am not even making this up. No, I don’t even want a warm fuzzy, I just WANT MY DAMN CAR BACK. I could go on, but I won’t. I’ll just say I’ve not been so crymad in quite a long while. No siree.

Anyway, after all this I decided to indulge in some comfort food of chicken and noodles with mashed potatoes. And it was good — almost like grandma used to make. Almost. For me, though, it’s not totally comforting unless you serve the chicken and noodles on top of the mashed potatoes, then mix them all together. Because I sometimes like to mix my food together. My fiance (!) thinks this is a completely crazy way to eat things, since he’s a staunch non-mixer, but that’s just one of those things that we’re going to have to work out before the wedding, I suppose. Tomayto, tomahto!

And then I made some more cookies. I bet you didn’t know I was so domestic, did you?

Basket Case, originally uploaded by caryn74.

So what if I like to be crafty and festive? Maybe I have an unhealthy love for strings of Christmas lights, but they’re so cute and versatile, two very great qualities. I think a strand or two of tiny lights can solve any decorating dilemma … or any dilemma. This is my impromptu centerpiece/moodlighting/air freshener jamboree. Admire it at your leisure.