As I child I have to say I had some pretty awesome gifts at Christmas, like the bike my Dad stayed up all night putting together. A horse another year, and even a shot gun…yes, a shot gun and I love it and only was allowed to use under supervision!
But as I got older I realized it’s not about the gifts, it’s about spending time with loved ones. And that is a gift in its self.
Close your eyes and try to remember your favorite Christmas. It put a smile on your face? Didn’t it?
It wasn’t about the gifts was it?
And who doesn’t remember the great Christmas Specials on TV and when they came on, did you beg your parents to stay up late and watch them? Of course you did and you would sit and watch them with a BIG GRIN on your face holding a bowl of popcorn...because you won “the stay up late and watch Christmas Special fight”.
You know the good ones, It a Wonderful Life, Santa Clause is coming to town, Charlie Brown Christmas, Rudolph the Red-Noise Reindeer, The Grinch that Stole Christmas, A Christmas Carol, A Christmas Story, Frosty the Snowman…well you get the picture.
Just the other night I watched A Charlie Brown Christmas...of course this time instead of hot chocolate and popcorn, I have a glass of red wine and a cheese plate. If you haven’t watched one in while, check one out…for goodness sake…
Merry Christmas to all
And to all a Good night and to all a good night
The Bermuda Gourmet Goddess
Wait ...I am not done...Christmas is also all about the food...Oh the food, how can we forget the food, after all it is what I am all about!
Why serve Turkey, I mean you just had it at Thanksgiving ….
Here is a super impressive meal and super duper easy and you do not have to spend all day in the kitchen!
Balsamic Cranberry Roast
I found this recipe at my grandmother’s house, and it is so yummy I just had to share it with you.
1 4 to 5 lb tenderloin roast
2 tbsp thyme
1 tbsp fresh cracked pepper
1/3 C Balsamic Vinegar
3 tbsp finely chopped shallots
1 can whole berry cranberry sauce
¼ tsp salt
Preheat oven to 425°F, mix the thyme and pepper; reserve 1 teaspoon to put in the sauce. Rub the mix evenly onto all surfaces of beef. Place the roast on a rack in shallow roasting pan. Roast in 425°F oven 50 to 60 minutes for medium rare; 60 to 70 minutes for medium doneness, 130-135°F for medium rare; 140-145°F for medium. Carefully move roast to a carving board; tent loosely with aluminum foil. Let stand 15 to 20 minutes. Combine vinegar and shallots in small saucepan; bring to a boil. Reduce heat; simmer 3 minutes. Stir in cranberry sauce; bring to a boil. Reduce heat; simmer 6 minutes to blend flavors, stirring occasionally. Remove from heat; stir in reserved seasoning and salt.
Rosemary and Garlic Smashed potatoes
8 baking potatoes, washed and diced
2 tbsp of fresh chopped rosemary
2 cloves of garlic chopped (I usually chop the garlic and rosemary together)
1 tbsp of butter
2 tbsp of Olive oil
1 tsp of salt and cracked pepper mix
½ C warm milk
Wash and dice potatoes and place in pot cover with water and place on stove over med high to high heat. Bring to boil, cover potatoes and turn off and let sit for 20 minutes, potatoes would be very fork tender at this time. Drain and set aside, in the same pot heat the olive oil and butter over med heat. Now add the rosemary and garlic and sauté for about 3 minutes, do not let he garlic burn it will turn bitter. Add potatoes and salt and pepper mixture and mix (smash) well, now add the milk and keep smashing until incorporated.
Serve immediately!
Easy Baked Acorn Squash
3 Acorn Squash, halved (serves 6)
¼ c Olive Oil
1 tbsp of thyme
3 tbsp of crushed garlic
Salt & pepper to taste
Preheat oven to 350; cut each one in half and scoop the seeds out with a spoon. Drizzle each one with oil, sprinkle with thyme and garlic and salt and pepper. Place upright on a greased cookie sheet and roast for about 1 hour or until tender when poked with a fork. You could even cook on the gill if you don’t want to heat up your house.
Pecans Square
1 egg
1 c brown sugar
½ c sifted flour
¼ tsp soda
¼ tsp salt
1 ½ C Chopped pecans
1 tsp vanilla
Stir together the egg, sugar, and vanilla, the sifted flour mixed with soda and salt. Mix in pecans, spread in buttered 8” square pan. Bake at 350 for 18 to 20 minutes. Cookies should be soft when taken from oven.
Christmas Around the World…Very Interesting!
France
The spread is often quite similar to the traditional British Christmas meal…turkey and cranberry sauce, mince pies and pudding. But in some regions fish such as sole or carp may be the main meal. It's the mouth-watering pastries that help to make a French Christmas unique. The bûche de Noël, a cake rolled and filled with chestnut cream, then coated in home-made marzipan is a fine example. Legend has it that these cakes were created in the late 19th century by Parisian pastry chefs who were inspired by the burning of Yule logs on Christmas Eve.
Germany
The Germans are famous for their festive treats of spiced biscuits and cakes such as gingerbread and stollen. This fruit-laden cake is slow to rise, distinctly dry and dense in texture, aromatic and flavorful…the perfect accompaniment to a cup of coffee after a night of Christmas Eve worship and revelry.
Scandinavia
In Scandinavian countries, baking is traditionally an important part of the preparations for Christmas. Everyone in the family will get together and make traditional gingerbread or 'pepparkakor' in all kinds of shapes…
Greenland
Greenland has one of the most unusual Christmas menus. After coffee, cakes and carols, a delicacy called 'mattak' is passed around. This is whaleskin with a strip of blubber inside. It's supposed to taste like fresh coconut, but is too tough to chew so Greenlanders usually just swallow it. Christmas is the one night of the year in Greenland when the men traditionally look after the women, serving their coffee and stirring it for them.
Portugal and Spain
In many parts of Portugal and Spain, the Christmas menu focuses on seafood. Gathered around a nativity crèche, Portuguese families feast on the national holiday dish of dried codfish, called bacalhau. In Spain, dinner may include white sea bass roasted with breadcrumbs, olive oil, onions and lemons.
In Portugal, a dessert called rabanadas is served at Christmastime, made from slices of white bread soaked in eggs and wine, dredged in sugar, and fried until crisp. Another favourite is bolo rei, a circular cake coated in glazed fruits, crushed nuts and sugar icing. In Spain, almonds and marzipan are used to make many of the traditional sweets. For example, turrón is a sweet similar to nougat, made from honey and almonds, and it originates from pre-Christian Mediterranean cultures.
St. Nicholas' Day
In several countries across Europe the birthday of St Nicholas, 6 December, is an important day of celebration, particularly for children. St Nicholas was a Catholic bishop who is said to have been especially kind to children. In Slovakia, children are given sweets on this day if they have been good, or coal, potatoes and onions if they have been naughty.
In the Netherlands, people celebrate St Nicolas's day with hot punch or milk chocolate and boiled chestnuts eaten with butter and salt. Dutch people often eat 'oliebollen' over the festive season, which are bite-size flour and raisin pastries deep-fried and sprinkled with sugar.
Greece
In Greece, people celebrate 1 January to honour St Basil, the Greek Santa Claus. On this day, children receive gifts and a lucky silver coin is baked into a sponge-like cake called vasilopeta. When serving the dish, the first slice is set aside for St Basil and the second slice for Christ. The following slices go to members of the family in descending order of age.
Ukraine
In the Ukraine, there is an old custom of fasting for 39 days before the Nativity. Families wait until they see the first star in the sky to begin a 12-course supper, one course in honour of each of the 12 apostles.
The courses include fish, borscht (beetroot soup), cabbage stuffed with millet, cooked dried fruit and a special Christmas-Eve delicacy known as kutya, which is made from wholewheat grains soaked for hours, and seasoned with honey and crushed poppy seeds.
Latvia
A special Latvian Christmas meal would usually be cooked brown peas with bacon sauce, small pies, cabbage and sausage. In Latvia, it's traditional for Father Christmas to bring presents on each of the 12 days of Christmas starting on Christmas Eve.
Latin America
In many Latin American countries, Christmas meals are based around turkey, which is native to the Americas. Traditionally the turkey dinner is served on Christmas Eve and will be prepared and spiced differently in different regions of Latin America. For example, in Brazil the turkey is marinated in rum, with onions, garlic, tomatoes, lime juice and other spices, and it may be served with coloured rice and vegetables.
Ethiopia
The Ethiopian Christmas celebration, known as Ganna, takes place on 7 January. Food served at this time usually includes 'injera', a sourdough pancake. The injera acts as both plate and fork. 'Doro wat', a spicy chicken stew, might be the main meal, served in beautifully decorated baskets. A piece of the injera is used to scoop up the stew.
So, wherever you may be in the world over this year's festive season, enjoy your feasting and celebrations. And have a Merry Christmas! Felices Navidades! Joyeux Nöel! Hyvaa joula! God jul! Jutdlime pivdluarit ukiortame pivdluaritlo! Sretan Bozic! Zalig Kerstfeest! Kala Christouyenna! Boas Festas! Srozhdestvom Kristovym! Fröhliche Weinachten
