Holiday Menu

I'm posting this online so that it actually gets done - I'm rather scatter-brained, as I'm not at home in my own little domain, but visiting family for a fortnight in Ohio.

We're celebrating Christmas at my Gramma's house, which, as it has been the way I've always celebrated Christmas (not observing the holiday in my own immediate family), is the only way to do it.  This being so, I've commandeered the reins of the preparations, so that it is "just so."  I like things "just so," you know.

Here are some elements that make Christmas more delightful:

1.  Real live (or rather, dead) fir/pine/spruce tree.  We have a dandy little fir that we bought from A. Brown and Sons Nursery here near Dayton.  It was on sale, as it had probably been cut a little while ago, but it was the kind we wanted, and it was "soft," as evergreens go, and had easy to decorate branches.

2.  Sweet things.  As I'm now pretty much all gluten-free, I can't even bend the rules in that regard.  But I do allow myself sweets, so I've been baking.  Ginger cake made with maple syrup instead of molasses (which is so bitter!).  And on the schedule for today are some Christmas cookines, including gingerbread people and maybe some sugar cookies (which have very little taste but are fun to decorate), and... well, something else small and tasty.  And we will be making fruit cakes for my Gramma, and a funny little "uncandied" version for me - I'm not too fond of candied fruit, so I'll try my hand with a dried fruit cake.

3.  Appropriate television nonsense.  I'm actually surprised that I wasn't able to find in the upcoming television schedule a performance of the Nutcracker Ballet.  How am I supposed to get in the holiday spirit without weird mice and Christmas toys battling it out in dance format?  And of course "White Christmas" is probably my favorite, and then maybe the Grinch, although he is a bit scary for Olivia.

4.  Christmas Eve Church Service.  My high school friend's father is the pastor (minister? I'm not too certain of the right word for a Methodist man of the cloth) of a local church which my grandmother likes to attend when she can, and we will be attending the 7 PM family-friendly (hooray!) service this Christmas Eve.  And eating ham, per my mother's request.  But not at the same time.


5.  Yummy Christmas Dinner.  Here's what I'm thinking:

• Local pasture-raised Beef Roast from Aullwood Audubon Farm
• Mashed Potatoes (of course)
• Something to do with Squash
• Balsamic Roasted Beets
• Spinach Salad
• Garlic Green Beans
• Gluten-free biscuits
• Mince Pie
• Sweet Potato Pie
• Ginger Cake

We will be having dinner around 4 PM on Christmas Day, in hopes that the other portions of my grandmother's family (i.e. my uncle, aunt, and cousins, et. al.) will be able to join us sometime during the day.



6.  Snow.  Although I can't really do much about that.


Now, after listing all of that food, I'm a bit peckish.  And I hear babies - I'm off!  Happy Holidays!!