Christmas Stuff

[LynnF]

The thread on Bannock Bread got me to thinking of the annual Christmas baking extravaganza at casa del Freeman. So....with 6 more weeks of daytime TV to get through, I better get on it. I have a few "traditional" things I like to make every year, but each year I look for new recipes - like to try family "heirloom" type ones. What were your favourites growing up that your mom made or right now that your significant other makes that you really, really like?

 

Question 2 (and I'm trying to make a case here because I'm at the mercy of certain able bodied persons in this house that are allowed to lift my boxes of decorations out of storage, so try and help me out please...): is your house decorated for Christmas yet? If not, when? I'm sure that none of you guys have much say on when this happens because, when it comes to this stuff, we women o' the house rule the roost in most cases.

 

Question 3 (as I am close to being able to consume alcohol again): when is it socially acceptable to get loaded on rum and egg nog?

 

Question 4: What's on your wish list this year? (and, no, this is not an offer to purchase anything on that list!)

 

Holy crap.....I better get lots of responses to this to keep me busy.....day 4 off work and I'm bored out of my freakin' mind.

[ladystrange]

What were your favourites growing up that your mom made or right now that your significant other makes that you really, really like? home made cranberry sauce with grand marnier, tourtier (sp?), wild rice stuffing or casserol, fresh cinnimon buns with christmas morning eggs benny... i could go on. oh, butter tarts, cant forget the butter tarts

 

Question 2 is your house decorated for Christmas yet? * nope* If not, when? - it's just me so probably won't again this year so i go to the movies. too depressing to be christmassy all by yourself. but previously, dec 1

 

Question 3 when is it socially acceptable to get loaded on rum and egg nog? - is now a good time? or as soon as you are off the conflicting meds

 

Question 4: What's on your wish list this year? nothing really, a new rod would be nice, fly tying books, helicopter trip to fish for golden trout (and, no, this is not an offer to purchase anything on that list!) AWWW

[Taco]

Chuck Norris é um bichano não sabem! :ph34r:

[rusty]

1 - My mom used to make the wickedest mincemeat tarts but now we make a few of our own things - buttermilk cinnamon buns, for example. We go through 8 pounds of butter in two weeks with all the baking. Saturated fat anyone?

 

2 - No way. No Christmas decorations before Dec 1.

 

3 - Exactly 15 minutes after it shows up in stores (ie: two weeks ago).

 

4 - 10 weight reel for an Alaska trip next June, and maybe some toys to go with the new SLR. If the weather's good I'm including a two hour trip down to the river on Christmas Day.

[cheeler]

1 - Haystacks (coconut and chocolate, homer like!), pecan pie, and of course the turkey and stuffing.

 

2 - See 3.

 

3 - You should already be too drunk to do #2.

 

4 - An 8 weight bull trout/pike setup would be nice.

[reevesr1]

Chuck Norris é um bichano não sabem! :ph34r:

 

Taco,

Portuguese? Nice.

 

Lynn:

1. Giblet dressing. If you are not from the south, you wouldn't understand. And my grandma's banana pudding. haven't had it in probably 30 years, but I'll never forget.

 

2. Lights already up (because I am leaving for Paris this week. Don't think I've mentioned that today.) Decorations 1st week of December.

 

3. I think anything before 10 am is just tacky, unless you are a happy drunk. Then, whenever.

 

4. 3 wt rod. I'll get the reel.

[Taco]

Taco,

Portuguese? Nice.

 

Poor impulse control, been a curse I've had to deal with

[SilverDoctor]

Question 1 -I'm in charge of making the Cabbage rolls and perogies (3 roasters of each).

 

Question 2 - No decorations yet unless you count that strip of Xmas lights I forgot to take down last year. My twin sons usually do the decorating with my wife. My input is usually to set up my electric train and drop the odd ridiculous suggestion or tickle them unmercifully. They put up with me for some odd reason unknown to me. Perhaps it has to do with number 1, or some sort of pity for a goofy old bugger.

 

Question 3 - Drop the nogg, add a generous portion of scotch, add exactly two drops of water and a bit of ice. Why two drops of water? When you're my age, you've learned how to hold your liquor. Water, however, is a whole other issue.

 

Question 4: wish list - Maybe a couple of books or videos. Some time with family and my grandchild. Mind you Changing a baby's diaper is a lot like opening a Christmas present from your grandmother -- You may not know whats inside but your pretty sure your not gonna like it! My wife and kids usually find something interesting for me that I would never buy for myself.

[Taco]

My parents came from Holland, boterletter (almond filled puff pastry) and oliebollen (kind of a raisin filled fritter) meant the holiday season to me.

 

Grandson is spending this weekend here which means the Xmas decorations are going up.

 

any excuse to drink rum

 

6ft Phillipson Registered (may as well dream)

[ladystrange]

Question 4: Mind you Changing a baby's diaper is a lot like opening a Christmas present from your grandmother -- You may not know whats inside but your pretty sure your not gonna like it!

 

 

hey that's a jeff foxworthy quote. lol

[SanJuanWorm]

For christmas I just wish happiness and prosperity to all of ya. That and cold turkey sangwiches after xmas.

[flyangler]

Christmas always brought on the Seefood diet. But one most fond memory is that "Santa" could sneak into my room and put my stocking on the end of my bed on Christmas morning without waking me. Until I was 36! There were bunches of little wrapped gifts inside and the toe was filled with an orange, a tangerine, an apple, some nuts and a box of raisins. We learned that this was all a ploy to give "Santa" a chance to sleep in after a late night without 4 little brats jumping on the bed at the crack of dawn demanding to open presents.

 

Decorations go up maybe in mid December. If the weather is dark and dismal, maybe sooner. We live on a street where outdoor light displays are big. We leave that to our neighbors with more dollars than sense.

 

Eggnog is for making french toast with.

 

I've been asking "Santa" for a chainsaw for years so I can be more help on stream improvement projects. Santa mumbles about liability and health insurance. The Skeena trip emphasized my need for a more waterproof wading jacket. Santa has a hard time finding my size in the catalogs, few of which have a decent women's selection, but he'll probably come up with something when he starts shopping on the 24th.

[Weedy1]

Question 4: What's on your wish list this year?

 

I wish that my wife and father don't beat the crap out of each other when he comes for a visit at Christmas. (They tend to get into it a lot.)

Other than that, a lake within 20km of Edmonton that is open all year, has 5-10lb Rainbows, never freezes and has a constant ambient temperature of 18 degrees celcius.

Plus a house on the Crow.

 

Is this asking too much?

[Hawgstoppah]

What were your favourites growing up that your mom made or right now that your significant other makes that you really, really like?

 

Question 2 is your house decorated for Christmas yet? If not, when? I'm sure that none of you guys have much say on when this happens because, when it comes to this stuff, we women o' the house rule the roost in most cases.

 

Question 3 (as I am close to being able to consume alcohol again): when is it socially acceptable to get loaded on rum and egg nog?

 

Question 4: What's on your wish list this year? (and, no, this is not an offer to purchase anything on that list!)

 

1 - sugar cookies, shortbread cookies.

2 - halfway there. Tree is up lights are on it but it's not fully decorated yet. Lights on outside are up (nice weather, take advantage of it guys, get that ladder out.... come on hop to it.... ok.. ok.. I ADMIT IT!!!!... I left 'em up all year!! LOL )

3 - all dang year Lynn, no excuses needed but if you need one.... after 10AM.... perfectly acceptable

4 - Spey gear. And my wife is getting it ... wow! wooohoo! and a table saw. But I'd rather get the spey gear...

[Hawgstoppah]

when he starts shopping on the 24th.

 

LOL.... good to see I'm not the only guy who shops on the 24th

[Lawrence]

we allready have our tree up! I put my new rod and reel case and box under it allready. But of course the good are allready in my bag and ready to go!

[troutlover]

1.mostly i love the large quantities of food available all week long

2.up week after halloween my wife loves christmas

3.i don't know, not a drinker

4.new ice fishing tent.

[dryfly]

Okay .. I officially do not like Christmas. Got that? It is a pain in the ass. Sposed to bring out the good in all and it just seems to end up magnifying the bad. I literally hate it and have for decades. I am so happy when January 2 rolls around. The last two weeks of December simply suck. I am glad I am working on a gig so I can be busy during C'mas this year. Bah!

 

HOWEVER ... I am not a total a$$hole nor Scrooge, so there are faint glimmers of good in it. So acknowledging the utter hypocrisy in it all here goes:

 

1) Food factors large in what's good about C'mas. Rusty..good one. Mince tarts that my mother made were excellent. Butter tarts. Tianna...butter tarts are cosmic but they HAVE to be frozen. Willie does not make them anymore as they are so fattening and have loads of eggs. We don't miss them. Mail me a few and I'll not refuse them. So ... years ago, we'd keep the BTs in the freezer downstairs and when I was commanded to procure said BTs from the b'ment., I'd always sneak a couple before heading back upstairs. You know they were always in little tin foil cups right? When we moved houses in '99 ... our youngest son to this day swears there were 87 empty BT tin cups behind the freezer. Me?

 

My wife (Willie... good dutch name, huh Taco?) makes cheese sticks that are divine. We get this great McLaren's extra old cheddar in the red tubs (yum!) and she whips up these cheese sticks. Heaven! I am practically drooling on the keyboard! I love dark C'mas fruit cakes--it does not like my stomach though. My mother made an English steamed C'mas pudding... Oh god it's been at least over 40 years since I had that.

 

2) Decorations. Not yet, as she is in painting mode for a couple of more days. By the end of November, our house looks like Sears. Stuffed Xmas mooses, quilted poinsettia wall hangings, Santa Clauses ... Oh you name it, we've got three of each and Willie made 'em all. They do look nice.

 

3) Rum question.... Pretty much whenever the fancy strikes you I guess. Has to be after 9 AM.

 

4) Wish? Just some private thoughts on this matter. Lynn ... you know.

 

Cheers!

 

Clive

PS: Dave I posted that well before its time..hit wrong key. Had some good things to say...

[SanJuanWorm]

I hate what xmas has become.

[LynnF]

Okay .. I officially do not like Christmas. Got that? It is a pain in the ass. Sposed to bring out the good in all and it just seems to end up magnifying the bad. I literally hate it and have for decades. I am so happy when January 2 rolls around. The last two weeks of December simply suck. I am glad I am working on a gig so I can be busy during C'mas this year. Bah!

 

HOWEVER ... I am not a total a$$hole nor Scrooge, so there are faint glimmers of good in it. So acknowledging the utter hypocrisy in it all here goes:

 

1) Food factors large in what's good about C'mas. Rusty..good one. Mince tarts that my mother made were excellent. Butter tarts. Tianna...butter tarts are cosmic but they HAVE to be frozen. Willie does not make them anymore as they are so fattening and have loads of eggs. We don't miss them. Mail me a few and I'll not refuse them. So ... years ago, we'd keep the BTs in the freezer downstairs and when I was commanded to procure said BTs from the b'ment., I'd always sneak a couple before heading back upstairs. You know they were always in little tin foil cups right? When we moved houses in '99 ... our youngest son to this day swears there were 87 empty BT tin cups behind the freezer. Me?

 

My wife (Willie... good dutch name, huh Taco?) makes cheese sticks that are divine. We get this great McLaren's extra old cheddar in the red tubs (yum!) and she whips up these cheese sticks. Heaven! I am practically drooling on the keyboard! I love dark C'mas fruit cakes--it does not like my stomach though. My mother made an English steamed C'mas pudding... Oh god it's been at least over 40 years since I had that.

 

2) Decorations. Not yet, as she is in painting mode for a couple of more days. By the end of November, our house looks like Sears. Stuffed Xmas mooses, quilted poinsettia wall hangings, Santa Clauses ... Oh you name it, we've got three of each and Willie made 'em all. They do look nice.

 

3) Rum question.... Pretty much whenever the fancy strikes you I guess. Has to be after 9 AM.

 

4) Wish? Just some private thoughts on this matter. Lynn ... you know.

 

Cheers!

 

Clive

PS: Dave I posted that well before its time..hit wrong key. Had some good things to say...

 

Was wondering when you'd chime in here Grinch. Gosh...how many years have we been having these Christmas conversations huh? I'll pray for your Christmas wish....mine is much in the same as yours.

 

P.S. I'm making gooey, runny BT's on the weekend....I'll mail ya some

[dryfly]

"I'll pray for your Christmas wish....." You're a doll. Thanks. I'll do the same.

 

RE: BT shipping ... Pack them real good in a shoe box with paper towels. Send on Greyhound to the Coaldale station. Have them call when they are in. Phone is 403-345-6457. Send them on about Monday as I'll be away for a couple of days...will be here when I get home. Yum.

 

I should get Blondie on the cheese sticks soon. You know? ... in case the recipe is not quite right and she has to make three or four batches to get them perfect! I'm a cheese stick wh*re. Even if they are not perfect, I still like 'em.

 

... I missed something dear to my stomach. Fresh roasted (high-end) chestnuts. GOOD ones are impossible to get in Canada--they are just not fresh. It's been years since I've been able to buy good ones. If you have never eaten roasted, high-quality chestnuts ... well, they are delicious.

[ladystrange]

1 'N' clive.

 

i would love to make butter tarts, however, 90 % of my kitchen is packed in a box, thanks to the over zealousness of my ex.

 

i went to make rice crsipy sqaures the other day and discovered - no messuring cups, no mixing bowls, no cake pans.

 

i got creative and ended up with a coffee mug, a salad bowl and a corening ware dish. not fun but the messurements dont need to be exact for rice crispy squares.

 

fresh pastry on the other hand...

[albannachxcuileag]

Christmas is a pain in the butt!

 

People overspend on everything and spend the rest of the year paying it off, stuff themselves stupid, get loaded and fall out.

Who wants a pair of hand knitted socks by your granny these days?

 

Apart from that gripe, Santa better get his ass in gear and deliver a new Greys GRXi waist length fishing waistcoat, a pair of sock foot breathables, compound sole wading boots, 2 Greenheart 6 weight reels, 6 Metz saddles and some hooks!

 

Best memories of Christmas were of my daughter making the Christmas day trifle and experimenting with food dyes to 'jazz' it up, the result was something that even Shrek would be put off by with the colour but the taste was fantastic due to the 1/4 bottle of brandy that she tipped into it!

[dryfly]

alban___ ... pretty funny about the dyed pudding.

 

"Apart from that gripe, Santa better get his ass in gear and deliver a new Greys GRXi waist length fishing waistcoat, a pair of sock foot breathables, compound sole wading boots, 2 Greenheart 6 weight reels, 6 Metz saddles and some hooks!" AND "People overspend on everything and spend the rest of the year paying it off..."

 

LS ... when you find the pots and pans..try making rice-crispy squares with craisins (dried cranberries) in the mix. Yummy.

[LynnF]

Christmas is a pain in the butt!

 

People overspend on everything and spend the rest of the year paying it off, stuff themselves stupid, get loaded and fall out.

Who wants a pair of hand knitted socks by your granny these days?

 

Apart from that gripe, Santa better get his ass in gear and deliver a new Greys GRXi waist length fishing waistcoat, a pair of sock foot breathables, compound sole wading boots, 2 Greenheart 6 weight reels, 6 Metz saddles and some hooks!

 

Best memories of Christmas were of my daughter making the Christmas day trifle and experimenting with food dyes to 'jazz' it up, the result was something that even Shrek would be put off by with the colour but the taste was fantastic due to the 1/4 bottle of brandy that she tipped into it!

 

See.......now it's Christmas for me all year long. I spend too much all year, drink too much all year and have already had half a dozen fallings out. So Christmas is just like any other day for me

 

But I couldn't agree more....seriously. We make a conscious effort not to do a whole pile of shopping for a lot of people who don't need anything anyways. A few years ago I started making Christmas craft type stuff and find that our friends and family appreciate the thought and effort that goes into that way more than a gift certificate to the Keg. That's how I try to keep Christmas in Christmas and out of the malls.

 

Well....except for the jewllery stores