kayb

I went through four pounds of pecans in holiday baking/candymaking, not counting the nearly 1 pound I burned and had to throw away. I like the pecans with the Chex mix sauce, too, and this year I made a new one: Pickapeppa Pecans, from Garden and Gun magazine. There's also a spicy pecans recipe floating around on here that produces a sweet--hot pecan...don't recall who posted it, but I made some of those last year, and they're wonderful. It was a good pecan crop year here, and I bought shelled pecans for $7 a pound. I bought LOTS.

Daughter got a FOUR-POUND box of Esther Price chocolates. Apparently that's a small factory in Dayton, OH. I believe they must have made those chocolates last week. Freshest boxed candy I ever tasted.

Oooohhh. Never thought of lobster tails in the CSO. And I have a couple in the freezer. That may be Christmas night (as Christmas dinner is tomorrow, instead of The Day).

I would focus on a flavorful braising liquid. Not so much the salt content, but, say, red wine for beef, or apple cider for pork. Lots of herbal elements. I swear by thyme and sage when I braise most anything, along with the typical onion and garlic.

Well. The treat baskets are all distributed, save one that'll go out tomorrow. The house is clean, the presents are wrapped (thanks to my favorite elf, my eldest daughter). The ham is baked and sliced, on a platter with the turkey, which was smoked. Two salads are made. Rolls are par-baked and just need to be browned tomorrow. There's a cake in the oven (caramel apple pound cake, which will get a caramel glaze tomorrow after it cools). Tomorrow I'll cook the sweet potatoes and mac and cheese and asparagus, and toss together the fruit bowl and make some dressing for it, and put together a cheese and charcuterie tray and a veggie tray for snacking until we get ready to eat, because I've learned you need to let the littles open gifts before they eat (and then they may not, anyway!). Oh, and there's a big pitcher of mimosas awaiting mixing and sipping. I have three bottles of Prosecco and lots of orange juice! A very Merry Christmas and healthy, happy New Year to you all!

Ooohhhh. Nice. But my $19.99 Ambiano from Aldi keeps chugging along and does me pretty well.

Newman's Own is a good one, too.

My standard for a fully cooked ham is to reheat 20 minutes per pound at 325. I glaze before I start. I'm usually doing bone-in, but it shouldn't make much ifference. In the CSO, I'd use bake/steam.

After a full day of housecleaning, laundry and treat-basket-packing, my eldest and I decided to treat ourselves to a manicure and pedicure. And when we got through, it was late enough for an early dinner. Beef ravioli in a combo of cheese and marinara sauces, preceded by a salad and some quite good bread. As it's a restaurant without a liquor-by-the-drink license, there was, sadly, no wine. Early to bed tonight, and back up and at 'em tomorrow to finish cleaning and then get Christmas dinner cooked for Sunday.

Rice Krispy treats. With red and green sprinkles. Damn, but I love a Rice Krispy treat.

Yay! A very merry Christmas, indeed!

Done. Now on to Christmas dinner! Two had already been delivered. Several smaller food gifts packaged up as well.

Love the top, and love the way it goes down the side to the floor! Have never seen that before.

I particularly like the quart sized containers for freezing soup or broth, as they have a small footprint for their volume. I ordered some from Amazon, and they're just awfully convenient to have around; I got both pint and quart size.

I wish our Cracker Barrel still produced edible food. I really used to enjoy breakfast there.

It does not come as easily as it used to. That's two days' worth, about eight hours each day in the kitchen. And my kitchen looks like hell.

Treatmaking update: I think I can finish tomorrow. Which would be good, because that gives me two days to clean house and cook Christmas dinner before the fam descends on Sunday. Sour cream banana bread, because I had bananas about to go south on me. More Chex mix. Because we inhale that stuff. Butter pecan cookies, aka pecan meltaways, aka Mexican wedding cookies, aka, by the woman who made them at work for about 100 years, Hebrew cookies. Oatmeal Craisin walnut cookies. Four batches of fudge; clockwise from top, peanut butter, chocolate walnut, white chocolate with cashews and macadamias, and chocolate mint with almonds. Rice Krispy Treats Coconut macaroons Tomorrow -- pralines, toffee, more gingersnaps, more cheese crisps, and maybe one other cookie. Or maybe not. Then basket-packing will commence. Also went to the grocery today to pick up fruit for Sunday's fruit salad. Also grabbed some asparagus ($2.99 a pound, and we all love it); and, against all my good intentions, a small turkey I can stick in the smoker. Need to put the bottom round roast in to SV tomorrow; planning on 130F and then chilling, then searing, then chilling again to slice for sliders. Any recommendations on how long to SV? Moved the ham out of the freezer into the fridge to thaw; will bake him and make sides on Saturday.

Oh, yeah. Had to spring for that one.

I had second thoughts after I ordered an absolutely gorgeous salad with mandarin orange segments, sliced strawberries, toasted pecan halves, and grilled chicken yesterday for lunch. Didn't eat much of the lettuce, and have felt OK today.

Damn. Not as much of a nonconformist as I'd have myself believe...

Thanks. I remember the discussion about these before, and thinking they were similar, but for the base, to what we call chess pie. Believe I'll add chopped pecans instead of raisins, and bake them in mini muffin tins for treats, if I get to them. Banana bread in the oven now, and pecan meltaway dough chilling in the fridge. Oatmeal cookies up next. Adding candied fruit in a change from the usual, and because I had it. Another batch of cheese crisps, and that'll wind up the baking. Then it's on to candy making tomorrow.

Have you previously posted a recipe for said buttertart squares? If not, would you, please?

I want Spock.

Agreed with @mgaretz -- the extra rings and the steamer basket. I'd add the stackable metal pans for pot-in-pot cooking; I love to put rice in one and meat with sauce in the other. I also have a long-legged trivet so I can put somethign in the bottom of the pot and something on the trivet on top of it; good for, say, a piece of meat so the drippings will fall over the veggies below.

It'll be wonderful when it's finished.