Merry Christmas to you and your family too, George!
And of course to all the others here – wherever they live …
Though it doesn’t feel like Christmas at all right now here in Hungary, it’s just around freezing point with a little rain – do you have a White Christmas, George?
Re Christmas presents:
Of course the children get some, friends here too: Some German chocolate which I bought at the Ritter Sport factory outlet …
But for me and my wife:
We buy what we need whenever we feel like it …
Wolf, there’s still some snow on the ground so technically this is a “White Christmas” but the temperatures are in the high 30s. Everything is melting! Happy Holidays to you and your family!
Bob, I had a sexy redhead for my Christmas blog photo, but I was hacked by Katie, Patrick, and Diane. They replaced the redhead with a “family-friendly” photo! I need to change my password!
Deb, Merry Christmas to you and your family! Diane made the switch to larger LED Christmas lights. She wasn’t sure she liked them, but most of the feedback has been positive!
Now I’ve looked more closely, I’m wondering if the blue tree is a trick of light or inadequate receptors in my cell phone. Regardless, the effect is very pretty.
Rick, we’re headed over to my brother’s house for Christmas dinner. For the first time, the main dish is going to Prime Rib. Usually, it’s ham, but everyone is hammed out so we’re going with beef for Christmas. Diane is bringing au=gratin potatoes, an ambrosia salad, and a Caprese salad. Hope your Christmas dinner is just as yummy!
That Christmas dinner sounds wonderful. I hope you all have a wonderful time. We are having ham (we usually have roast beef at Christmas, but decided to change it up this year), along with scolloped potatoes, asparagus, crescent rolls, green salad, and with tiramisu for dessert.
George, off topic, but condolences on the Bills loss yesterday, and I’m crushed by the Seahawks inability to beat Arizona. I think they will be a one-and-out in the playoffs this year.
if the Seahawks fall from #2 to #4 seed, no bye, and they will be hosting the #5 Giants. Otherwise the Giants will be in Green Bay or Detroit or possibly Atlanta.
To answer Wolf: our traditional Christmas dinner is grilled lamb (marinated overnight in a yogurt-lemon-onion-cumin mix, stuffed with chunks of garlic, and grilled for several hours over low/charcoal heat with fresh mint and fresh rosemary in the smoker box), mashed potatoes, creamed spinach, Yorkshire pudding, and gravy. My husband grills the lamb, I take care of the other dishes. It’s been our family’s dinner for over 25 years and it’s always delicious.
We’ve eaten, washed up and are running the dishwasher. Now to settle back for the Chiefs-Broncos game. Dessert later. Wonderful day! I’ll have a Christmas Swag post tomorrow instead of Current Reading.
Wolfe, Last night for Christmas Eve, was spare ribs, scalloped potatoes, mixed greens salad, apricot glazed carrots and Bergers (from Baltimore cookie fame cake) The latter was my contribution.
Today was Ham and Turkey Breast, sweet potato casserole, dilled potato salad, corn, asparagus with Hollandaise sauce, and Kings Hawaiian Rolls and Sister Shuberts yeast rolls. (the latter 2 were my contribution) with crab tartletts and deviled eggs for appetizers. Dessert was German Chocolate cake, and apple and apple berry crumb pies (and a tin of Berger Cookies – also my contribution)
You can probably tell I’m given easy things to provide. At Thanksgiving, I brought many 2 liters of soda.
Sounds great, Maggie, especially the Berger cookie cake.
Jackie might leave the room when the deviled eggs come out.
Of course we don’t celebrate, but we had a “special” dinner of eggplant rollatini, breaded chicken cutlet, whole wheat spaghetti with marinara sauce, and yummy mushrooms, with apple crumb cake for dessert.
Thanks, Deb and Maggie – you almost made me hungry again!
It’s a kind of shame that many young people aren’tr intereted in cooking any more – but on the other hand I found out that some young (and older …) men are into cooking now.
And the breadth of cooking and tastes in the US really used to astound me until I checked that of course every immigrant brought his/her culinary tradition – so for “mixed” families like our host George’s it must be wonderful, just as we combine German and Hungarian specialties …
And now I’m off to do the diahwasher but I’m going to tell you another one of my off-topic stories again:
she had started
When I met my wife 10 years ago and she spent the first night with me I went out after breakfast with the dog. When I came back she had just started to put the dishes in the sink and I went: No, no!
She looked at me kind of hurt so instead of trying to explain (our language skills were rather limited at that time …) I just opened the dishwasher door and put in the stuff …
So since that day the dishwasher has been my responsibility (of course she can do it when I’m not available) and I’m glad to be of help in the kitchen …
Wolfi, we have a dishwasher too – and I’m it! We don’t really need one for two people and we don’t have family around to entertain with big dinners anymore, so it is much easier than the old days, but I never minded doing it. My father always did the dishes and especially the pot and pans after they got a dishwasher, and so have I.
Same to you! And thanks for reminding me that I won’t get what I want yet again!
Seriously, have a good one.
Bob, Merry Christmas to you and your family!
Merry Christmas to you and your family too, George!
And of course to all the others here – wherever they live …
Though it doesn’t feel like Christmas at all right now here in Hungary, it’s just around freezing point with a little rain – do you have a White Christmas, George?
Re Christmas presents:
Of course the children get some, friends here too: Some German chocolate which I bought at the Ritter Sport factory outlet …
But for me and my wife:
We buy what we need whenever we feel like it …
Wolf, there’s still some snow on the ground so technically this is a “White Christmas” but the temperatures are in the high 30s. Everything is melting! Happy Holidays to you and your family!
Hey, where’s the picture of the sexy blonde?
Bob, I had a sexy redhead for my Christmas blog photo, but I was hacked by Katie, Patrick, and Diane. They replaced the redhead with a “family-friendly” photo! I need to change my password!
With a group as good-looking as that, you’re bound to have a Merry Christmas, George. Best holiday wishes to you, Diane, Katie, and Patrick.
Jerry, I hope you were on Santa’s Good List and collected a nice stack of presents!
A wonderful family picture–and I love the “Blue Christmas” tree!
Merry Christmas to everyone!
Deb, Merry Christmas to you and your family! Diane made the switch to larger LED Christmas lights. She wasn’t sure she liked them, but most of the feedback has been positive!
Now I’ve looked more closely, I’m wondering if the blue tree is a trick of light or inadequate receptors in my cell phone. Regardless, the effect is very pretty.
Have a Holly Jolly Christmas!
Dan, I hope Santa brought you a lot of books!
Merry Christmas to the Kelley family!
Bill, Merry Christmas to you and your family. Hope you enjoyed ROGUE ONE!
Merry Christmas to all. Like Deb, I love the blue tree, but also the lovely family portrait.
Maggie, glad you like the new Christmas tree lights! Merry Christmas!
I love the tree too. Merry Christmas to you and Diane and the kids. Great picture.
Jeff, Patrick’s CANON camera has a timer so he can set up shots like this.
Very Merry Christmas to you all, George, may your day and spirits be bright!
Rick, we’re headed over to my brother’s house for Christmas dinner. For the first time, the main dish is going to Prime Rib. Usually, it’s ham, but everyone is hammed out so we’re going with beef for Christmas. Diane is bringing au=gratin potatoes, an ambrosia salad, and a Caprese salad. Hope your Christmas dinner is just as yummy!
That Christmas dinner sounds wonderful. I hope you all have a wonderful time. We are having ham (we usually have roast beef at Christmas, but decided to change it up this year), along with scolloped potatoes, asparagus, crescent rolls, green salad, and with tiramisu for dessert.
Rick, I like the sound of that tiramisu!
Dinner sounds good to me too. We had just a light meal today – I made a typical Schwab thing:
Sausage salad and potato salad
My wife already did most of the work for tomorrow whenwe’re expecting the young ones and will have a typical Hungarian variety of dishes:
Soup with duck meat and quince fruit
Sour cabbage rolls stuffed with minced meat (Sauerkraut is very popular in Hungary)
Pieces of a duck – including the liver
We got the whole duck as a present from one of our neighbours who raised this animal with her hens …
So a question for evrybody:
What are you having for lunch and/or dinner?
George, off topic, but condolences on the Bills loss yesterday, and I’m crushed by the Seahawks inability to beat Arizona. I think they will be a one-and-out in the playoffs this year.
if the Seahawks fall from #2 to #4 seed, no bye, and they will be hosting the #5 Giants. Otherwise the Giants will be in Green Bay or Detroit or possibly Atlanta.
Jeff, I think the Giants could beat any of those teams!
Rick, at least the Seahawks make it to the Playoffs! This will be the 17th year in a row that the inept Bills have missed the post-season!
To answer Wolf: our traditional Christmas dinner is grilled lamb (marinated overnight in a yogurt-lemon-onion-cumin mix, stuffed with chunks of garlic, and grilled for several hours over low/charcoal heat with fresh mint and fresh rosemary in the smoker box), mashed potatoes, creamed spinach, Yorkshire pudding, and gravy. My husband grills the lamb, I take care of the other dishes. It’s been our family’s dinner for over 25 years and it’s always delicious.
Yum. I love lamb. Leg of lamb with roasted potatoes or rice was one of my favorites of my mother’s dishes.
Jeff, I’m a big fan of roasted potatoes and rice.
Deb, sounds delicious!
Merry Christmas, George and family!!
We’ve eaten, washed up and are running the dishwasher. Now to settle back for the Chiefs-Broncos game. Dessert later. Wonderful day! I’ll have a Christmas Swag post tomorrow instead of Current Reading.
Wolfe, Last night for Christmas Eve, was spare ribs, scalloped potatoes, mixed greens salad, apricot glazed carrots and Bergers (from Baltimore cookie fame cake) The latter was my contribution.
Today was Ham and Turkey Breast, sweet potato casserole, dilled potato salad, corn, asparagus with Hollandaise sauce, and Kings Hawaiian Rolls and Sister Shuberts yeast rolls. (the latter 2 were my contribution) with crab tartletts and deviled eggs for appetizers. Dessert was German Chocolate cake, and apple and apple berry crumb pies (and a tin of Berger Cookies – also my contribution)
You can probably tell I’m given easy things to provide. At Thanksgiving, I brought many 2 liters of soda.
Sounds great, Maggie, especially the Berger cookie cake.
Jackie might leave the room when the deviled eggs come out.
Of course we don’t celebrate, but we had a “special” dinner of eggplant rollatini, breaded chicken cutlet, whole wheat spaghetti with marinara sauce, and yummy mushrooms, with apple crumb cake for dessert.
Thanks, Deb and Maggie – you almost made me hungry again!
It’s a kind of shame that many young people aren’tr intereted in cooking any more – but on the other hand I found out that some young (and older …) men are into cooking now.
And the breadth of cooking and tastes in the US really used to astound me until I checked that of course every immigrant brought his/her culinary tradition – so for “mixed” families like our host George’s it must be wonderful, just as we combine German and Hungarian specialties …
And now I’m off to do the diahwasher but I’m going to tell you another one of my off-topic stories again:
she had started
When I met my wife 10 years ago and she spent the first night with me I went out after breakfast with the dog. When I came back she had just started to put the dishes in the sink and I went: No, no!
She looked at me kind of hurt so instead of trying to explain (our language skills were rather limited at that time …) I just opened the dishwasher door and put in the stuff …
So since that day the dishwasher has been my responsibility (of course she can do it when I’m not available) and I’m glad to be of help in the kitchen …
Wolfi, we have a dishwasher too – and I’m it! We don’t really need one for two people and we don’t have family around to entertain with big dinners anymore, so it is much easier than the old days, but I never minded doing it. My father always did the dishes and especially the pot and pans after they got a dishwasher, and so have I.
And yes, I do the laundry too.
Whew! It all went by so fast. Hope yours was as good a Christmas as ours!
Patti, we had a low-key but wonderful Christmas. Having Patrick and Katie home for the Holidays is the best gift of all!