Rhizo_1, What are you and the Sprites doing for Christmas?
9 years ago
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9 years agoRelated Discussions
What do you always serve Christmas and Christmas Eve?
Comments (9)My husband's parents used to celebrate the English way, or what they thought was English (they're from Hong Kong). A full dinner at 6p on Christmas Eve, putting up the tree, opening presents at midnight, and then eating a full meal AGAIN at 2am in the morning Christmas Day! This really wasn't very enjoyable for me, and since my MIL worked it was pretty stressful for her, too, doing all that stuff! They would make roast leg of lamb (Chinese will eat meat in huge quantities if they can afford it!), shepherd's pie, several Macanese (Portugese recipes adapted from Macau cuisine) dishes, and one little lonely package of Green Giant creamed spinach for 8 people. Eventually over the years, they stopped doing these parties, due to ill health and just getting tired of all the work involved. I was secretly relieved, although my husband STILL misses opening presents on Xmas Eve, LOL! My family of third-generation Asian Americans, celebrates Christmas Day. We never have a set menu, as all of us, including my now-grown-up nephew and niece, are dynamite cooks and love to experiment. Although we do a mostly traditional Thanksgiving, Christmas is always different. Sometimes we do "theme" ethnic cooking; sometimes we do more traditional stuff. This year it's slow-roasted salmon and prime rib, because my nephew is anxious to try cooking his first Big Piece of Red Meat :)) I make a smoked salmon sushi appetizer that the family really likes, so I offered to do the hors d'oeuvres this time. My BIL is vegetarian so he'll do a Greek salad and we'll have a couple of desserts -- probably a tiramisu and a fresh strawberry tart with lemon curd filling. My sister is in charge of the starch this year, could be pretty wild as she approaches cooking as a science experiment! New Year's we celebrate individually. My sister and her family do a buffet drop-in. My husband and I usually make ourselves a nice festive brunch -- blueberry French Toast or Chocolate Pancakes, and then maybe rack of lamb or filet mignon for dinner....See MoreChristmas traditions ! What do you do ?
Comments (40)Christmas gift-giving within our family is minimal so our first tradition starts a couple of days before Thanksgiving, when all of our family members go out and buy $20 worth of $1 holiday or winter themed scratch-off lottery tickets. Our gift to ourselves is seeing surprised and then mostly smiling faces when we give them away to a clerk at the supermarket, a woman with a whining child, or whenever the mood strikes us. We usually have refill our pocket as the month progresses and itÂs amazing to see the power that a dollar can still have. On Christmas Eve, we usually have beef or cheese fondue or both and then attend a church service. Most years, DH was singing in the choir. Starting when our children were young, Santa never put presents under the tree. Instead, theyÂd open their Christmas stockings and in the bottom was a clue to find the first gift. TheyÂd bring it into the living room and open it. On the back was another clue to find the next gift. As they got older, the clues got harder, sometimes involving going outside. It slowed down the pace of Christmas morning and seemed to make them stop and appreciate the gifts they received, instead of having a frenzy of unwrapping. This tradition continued when grandchildren came along and what they all remember and talk about most was the scavenger hunts themselves instead of the gifts. I think thatÂs why we just do small or handmade gifts now. Another family tradition is NOT to cook a sit-down Christmas dinner. When I was growing up, my parents always had an extended Open House on Christmas Eve and added a few hot items to the buffet for Christmas Day. Most things were made ahead of time so it was always a relaxing day with people dropping in as their schedules permitted. Soon after we were married, DH and I began hosting a Christmas Day brunch from about 10 to 3 and a buffet of homemade soups, breads and cookies on Christmas evening. Chicken-rice-leek is the one that always has to be on the menu. Both DH and my parents are now deceased, as are all of our aunts and uncles except for the two we visited at Thanksgiving. Our children and GCs are scattered about the country so sometimes even when they were at home, weÂve done different things on Christmas, like serving Christmas dinner trays to hospital patients so more of the food service workers could spend Christmas with their families or shuttling truckers who had to spend the holiday at a truck drop to a Christmas dinner. Last year, we went to FL and spent the holiday at SD & SILÂs, cooking a Dickensonian goose on Christmas Eve and learning salsa dancing at their South American neighborÂs holiday celebration next door. This year, DD will be here for her last Christmas before reporting to the Army and her only requests were no gifts, saving a tree for her to decorate and chicken-rice-leek soup on Christmas Eve or Christmas Day....See MoreRhizo_1
Comments (7)I have lots of beautiful orchids, I love them. You have to be willing to pay attention to them. Mine are almost always in bloom. The flowers will fade and fall off but new buds or as they are called in their beginning stage mittens. They are somewhat sensitive to their location. And they require moisture. I have my individual orchids pots inside a long rectangular planter that has a water tray on the bottom, I fill that with water so there's moisture from that around them. Some people put their orchids pots on a dish of peat gravel with water in the gravel. Watering orchids is important and the best way to learn is to get an orchid that has a clear pot which is set into the decorative pot. Seeing the color of the roots let's you know how healthy it is and if it needs water or not. The best way to water one is to take it to the sink turn the water on to room temperature, they don't like cold, set the plant under the running water for a few minutes let the water flow through the roots. Leave it sitting in the sink for a while it is enjoying the moist environment. I will do that about once a week, a good long soaking. Seeing the roots will help with how often it needs water. If they look all dry that means it needs water, if they are pretty and green and plump it's good. I posted a lot of information about this topic and pictures of mittens and roots here so try a search. There are many types and prices I recommend getting a cheaper one to learn. Jasdip has done fantastic with her freebie!...See MoreRhizo, please tell us about your Christmas with the sprites
Comments (11)LOL, oh show us pictures of the covered windows! I'm so sorry that you're both sick. You'd have been looking forward to the day with the sprites so much. At least you can still do your presents with them, as they won't be from Santa. (((((Rhizo and Robert))))...See More
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rhizo_1 (North AL) zone 7