Merry Christmas Everyone. I hope Santa brought you everything you wanted. I wish you all the best and hope for a much better 2021 for Everyone.

Merry Christmas and a Happy, Healthy New Year to all.

A Visit from St. Nicholas

BY CLEMENT CLARKE MOORE

‘Twas the night before Christmas, when all through the house
Not a creature was stirring, not even a mouse;
The stockings were hung by the chimney with care,
In hopes that St. Nicholas soon would be there;
The children were nestled all snug in their beds;
While visions of sugar-plums danced in their heads;
And mamma in her ‘kerchief, and I in my cap,
Had just settled our brains for a long winter’s nap,
When out on the lawn there arose such a clatter,
I sprang from my bed to see what was the matter.
Away to the window I flew like a flash,
Tore open the shutters and threw up the sash.
The moon on the breast of the new-fallen snow,
Gave a lustre of midday to objects below,
When what to my wondering eyes did appear,
But a miniature sleigh and eight tiny reindeer,
With a little old driver so lively and quick,
I knew in a moment he must be St. Nick.
More rapid than eagles his coursers they came,
And he whistled, and shouted, and called them by name:
“Now, Dasher! now, Dancer! now Prancer and Vixen!
On, Comet! on, Cupid! on, Donner and Blitzen!
To the top of the porch! to the top of the wall!
Now dash away! dash away! dash away all!”
As leaves that before the wild hurricane fly,
When they meet with an obstacle, mount to the sky;
So up to the housetop the coursers they flew
With the sleigh full of toys, and St. Nicholas too—
And then, in a twinkling, I heard on the roof
The prancing and pawing of each little hoof.
As I drew in my head, and was turning around,
Down the chimney St. Nicholas came with a bound.
He was dressed all in fur, from his head to his foot,
And his clothes were all tarnished with ashes and soot;
A bundle of toys he had flung on his back,
And he looked like a peddler just opening his pack.
His eyes—how they twinkled! his dimples, how merry!
His cheeks were like roses, his nose like a cherry!
His droll little mouth was drawn up like a bow,
And the beard on his chin was as white as the snow;
The stump of a pipe he held tight in his teeth,
And the smoke, it encircled his head like a wreath;
He had a broad face and a little round belly
That shook when he laughed, like a bowl full of jelly.
He was chubby and plump, a right jolly old elf,
And I laughed when I saw him, in spite of myself;
A wink of his eye and a twist of his head
Soon gave me to know I had nothing to dread;
He spoke not a word, but went straight to his work,
And filled all the stockings; then turned with a jerk,
And laying his finger aside of his nose,
And giving a nod, up the chimney he rose;
He sprang to his sleigh, to his team gave a whistle,
And away they all flew like the down of a thistle.
But I heard him exclaim, ere he drove out of sight—
“Happy Christmas to all, and to all a good night!”

Merry Christmas to all and to all a good night.

Larry had the smoker out again and smoked some ribs, a beef roast and some pork. Everything came out so good. He really outdid himself this time. I made a creamy Southwestern yellow tomato sauce to top the pork. It came out so good. I was making it up as I went along, something I do on a regular basis.

I had some delicious yellow heirloom tomatoes that needed to be used. They are too good and too expensive to just let go to waste, and they were getting a bit soft. So I made them saucy. The sauce went so well with the smoked pork.

Creamy Southwestern Yellow Tomato Sauce

2-3 large yellow heirloom tomatoes, stems removed and diced

1-2 roasted Hatch chillies or peppers, diced fine

1 shallot, minced

1 TBSP garlic

salt & pepper to taste

1/2 cup heavy whipping cream

1 tsp sage

1 tsp thyme

2-3 TBSP olive oil

Saute the shallots, peppers and garlic together for about 2-3 minutes in the olive oil.

Add the tomatoes and seasonings and thoroughly combine. Then add the cream. Mix everything together well. Bring to a boil, then reduce the heat to a simmer, and continue to cook for about 10 minutes, stirring frequently.

When the sauce is ready, top it over your favorite meat. You can also use this over pasta too if you like. As I said, I served it over smoked pork, and it was an awesome combination. I served it over wild rice with some green beans and mushrooms on the side, as well as some of my Hungarian potato dill bread and a creamy chardonnay to complete the meal. Hungarian Potato Dill Bread

Merry Christmas, Happy Hanukkah and Happy Holidays. Stay safe and stay well Everyone. ‘Til next time.

Food is always a big part of any Christmas or Holiday celebration. You know I am always going to have quite a spread at any table. Although, you would think I would do all the cooking for the Holidays and Holiday parties, but I actually really like hosting potlucks. I love seeing all the different foods that everyone else makes too.

Holidays and parties are two great things that go great together. This year, there are no parties, but fortunately, I have many happy memories from plenty of parties past. At my house, everyone is always welcome. The more the merrier.

Yesterday, I teased you a bit with my microwave cashew brittle. Cashew Brittle – Part 1 Today, I will actually show you how to make it. It is super easy and only takes a few minutes to make. Now I like mine nice and nutty, but if you want more brittle and less nuts, that’s OK too. Just cut down on the amount of nuts used.

Merry Christmas, Happy Hanukkah and Happy Holidays. Stay safe and stay well Everyone. ‘Til next time.

I love nuts of all kinds and they are very popular around the holidays, in almost every culture around the world. Nuts are very healthy and contain a lot of protein, especially for being packed in such a small package. I handful of nuts is a good pick-me-up at any time of day.

Cashews are tree nuts. Tree nuts include almonds, Brazil nuts, cashews, hazelnuts, pecans, pistachios and walnuts. I love nuts of all kinds, but I have to say, out of all the different kinds of nuts available, cashews are probably some of my favorites, along with pecans.

The cashew was first discovered by Europeans in Brazil around 1558. Because of the irritating shells, they were thought to be inedible at first. Over time it was realized that it was the fruit skin and not the seeds that were irritating. Today, cashews are grown in Brazil, and all throughout South and Central America, as well as Africa, India and Vietnam. They can be grown in the US as well, although their growth is limited to the frost-free tropical regions of the United States, like Florida, Hawaii, and Puerto Rico. There is no commercial production in the US, though cashews are grown in botanical collections and some home landscapes. The “nut” itself grows out of the bottom of the cashew apple that grows on the cashew tree (Anacardium occidentale), which is a tropical evergreen tree. Cashews are expensive nuts to purchase because they are labor intensive to produce. The cashew nut is roasted in the hull to make it possible to crack it. The cashew nut remains, but there is still a skin around it that has to be removed by hand.

I made some cashew brittle for us to munch on through the holidays. This particular recipe is so quick and easy, and only takes about 15 minutes to make. And it is all made in the microwave too. I made it nice and nutty., but if you like it with more brittle and less nuts, just cut down on the amount of nuts used.

Brittle is a popular type of candy that was created by accident. Brittle, is a type of confection, consisting of flat broken pieces of hard sugar candy that is loaded with nuts, similar to toffee. Originally, it was made in the Southern region of the United States and it was made with peanuts. The lady who created it was making taffy and accidentally used baking soda in the mix instead of using cream of tartar and she did not want to throw away all her ingredients, so she decided to continue cooking it to see how it would tun out. The baking soda made the candy into a hard, crunchy candy rather than the softer version known as taffy. And the rest is history. Today, you can use any type of nut you like, or you can mix and match them. Sometimes some of the best creations come from accidents. Believe me, I most definitely have first-hand experience with this notion too. 🙂

Microwave Cashew Brittle

4 cups cashews or nuts of your choice

1/2 cup Karo white syrup

1 cup sugar

1/8-1/4 tsp salt

1-2 TBSP butter

1 tsp vanilla

1 tsp baking soda

Mix the nuts, sugar, salt and Karo syrup together and combine well. Put them in the microwave in a microwaveable dish and cook at a high power for 2 minutes.

Remove the nuts and mix everything together again, stirring well. Place the container back into the microwave and cook at high again for 6 minutes. The container is going to be very hot, so be careful.

Remove the nuts and add the butter and vanilla. Mix thoroughly and microwave at high once more, for an additional 2 minutes.

Spread parchment paper over a baking sheet.

Remove the nut mixture and quickly stir the baking soda into the mixture. Then quickly spread it over the parchment paper, in an even layer, covering as much of the pan as possible. This sets quickly, so there is no time to waste, or you will have a big lump of sugary, caramelized nuts which will be difficult to break apart.

Let the mixture cool completely, then with your hands, just break it apart into pieces and enjoy. This is so rich and so good, but it is very hard to stop at just one piece. It is a perfect treat to serve at parties any time of year.

Stay well and stay safe Everyone. ‘Til next time.

Today, December 21, is a special day. It is technically the first day of winter and the last day of fall. It is the shortest day and the longest night of the year. In the Northern Hemisphere, it takes place from December 21-December 23. It is the Winter Solstice. These dates are the start of the Summer Solstice in the Southern Hemisphere, since they are the exact opposite of us. The winter solstice is a celebration around the world and has been since the beginning of time. The word solstice is derived from the Latin sol (“sun”) and sistere (“to stand still”), because at the solstices, the Sun’s declination appears to “stand still”; that is, the seasonal movement of the Sun’s daily path (as seen from Earth) pauses at a northern or southern limit before reversing direction.

Ancient Romans held several celebrations around the time of the winter solstice. Saturnalia, a holiday in honor of Saturn, the god of agriculture, was a weeklong celebration in the days leading up to the winter solstice.

Also around the time of the winter solstice, Romans observed Juvenalia, a feast honoring the children of Rome.

In addition, members of the upper classes often celebrated the birthday of Mithra, on December 25. Mithra was an ancient Persian god of light. It was believed that Mithra, an infant god, was born of a rock. For some Romans, Mithra’s birthday was the most sacred day of the year. In the later Roman Empire, Mithra blended with Sol Invictus, god of the “unconquered sun.”

Some theorists believe the early Roman Catholic Church may have chosen the same date for Christmas in order to supplant pagan rituals, though many Christian scholars dispute this.

The Ancient Scandanavians celebrate the Yule, or the return of the sun at this time. The Inca Empire payed homage to the sun god Inti at a winter solstice celebration called Inti Raymi (Quechua for “sun festival”). The Chinese celebration of the winter solstice, Dong Zhi (which means “Winter Arrives”) welcomes the return of longer days and the corresponding increase in positive energy in the year to come. In Japan, the winter solstice is less a festival than a traditional practice centered on starting the new year with health and good luck. It’s a particularly sacred time of the year for farmers, who welcome the return of a sun that will nurture their crops after the long, cold winter. Shab-e Yalda or the Night of Birth, “Yalda night” is an Iranian festival celebrating the longest and darkest night of the year. The celebration springs out of ancient Zoroastrian traditions and customs intended to protect people from evil spirits during the long night. For the Zuni, one of the Native American Pueblo peoples in western New Mexico, the winter solstice signifies the beginning of the year. It’s marked with a ceremonial dance called Shalako. These are but a few of the celebrations from around the world and from different cultures that honor the winter solstice.

What are the holidays without music, right?! There is something very special about holiday music too. As you would expect from me, I have a very eclectic range of music that I love to listen to, and that includes holiday music as well. I love the old classics just as much as I love the new fun stuff, as well as the hard rock versions. I love all kinds of music and listen to everything. It really just kind of depends on my mood at the time. But I have to say, Christmas Eve in Sarajevo, by Trans Siberian Orchestra or TSO, is one of my absolute favorite Christmas songs, although I do have a lot of others that I enjoy tremendously as well. This is a modern version of Carol of the Bells. This song is best enjoyed when played LOUD!

We have seen TSO a few times. They are VERY talented musicians that combine rock with classical music. And their light and pyrotechnic show they put on is outstanding as well. They are truly an experience for ALL the senses and they are at their absolute best when seen and heard live.

I love the snow, and particularly during the holidays. The snow just makes the holidays and Christmas even more magical than they already are.

Here we are “dashing through the snow, on a one-horse open sleigh” …… OK a two-horse open sleigh, up in Breckinridge. These two big beautiful Belgian draft horses took us on sleigh ride through the hills. It was so beautiful.