It’s the Friday before Christmas and in the midst of today’s pre-Christmas meltdown, I didn’t realize I was running out to do last minute errands at lunchtime. Oh boy. If I wasn’t heading upstairs to sew one last quick gift, I’d be popping open a bottle of something.
I got some serious Christmas baking on last night, knocking a few items off the to-do list like sugar cookie dough to be baked sometime between now & then in Betty’s kitchen for Santa Claus, Christmas biscotti (cranberry & pistachio) for Pat, chocolate pretzels for Edie and Rachel’s pumpkin granola.
I’m not completely done yet – there still is no menu for Christmas dinner beyond Edie’s requested brussels sprouts and a yule log for dessert this year. Greens and chocolate cake sound pretty complete to me though. Nothing is wrapped, but I don’t like to wrap early anyway. Gives you something to do while you drink Christmas Eve. And just today I finally got the last of the necessary ingredients to make Grandma’s Fruitcake Cookies, which are a holiday standard. I know you’re wrinkling your nose at the idea of them and let me tell you – they are awesome. Graham crackers crumbs, dates, pecans, coconut, maraschino cherries, a can of Eagle brand milk, squish together in mini muffin tins and bake at 350 for 20 minutes. They are the bomb.
Edie still claims to believe in Santa this year, very likely the last year this will happen. The older neighborhood boys have been cornered and told to not ruin this for her, as they will not get any treats from my kitchen ever again. She’s heard kids at school talking and told me she still believed in Santa because she knew there was no way her parents would ever spend that kind of money on her for some of those presents she’s gotten over the years. Who knew my renowned cheapness would keep her belief in Santa alive and well?
Enough procrastinating for the day. I’ve got to go get my proverbial Christmas doo-doo in a pile. There are only 4 more days people! If you still need more things to help you procrastinate, head over to Jen’s Holiday Homes Tour if you haven’t already. Cheers all.
Chicken Wire & Paper Flowers 
Bribery with treats. An honorable age-old decision. Bravo!
I remember when Emma stopped believing –it was only a couple of years ago, and part of me was sorry, while part of me was relieved. It's a lot easier to prep for Christmas when you don't have to hide everything from a savvy tween!
We made chocolate crinkle cookies today, a family favorite. And I need to come up with a filling for some phyllo shells, to take to a solstice party tomorrow evening. I'd prefer savory, but I haven't settled on anything yet.
How sweet to still have a child who believes in Santa.
Every year I think I'll get around to wrapping those presents way before Christmas Eve. You know, like those pictures one sees of artfully wrapped packages piled below a gorgeous tree. Never happens here! Christmas Eve I was at the dining room table, swathed in my nightgown, ribbons and twisted lengths of tape, tossing paper about to fit unusually shaped packages. Lucky that the packages made it under the tree at all! Think our packages might qualify in the “wrapped for the least amount of time” category?