A Full Day Of Celebration [Christmas Eve]

I had to start with a photo that really represents our lives right now.  With a two-year-old, we tend to find things in odd places.  This morning, it was the clementines, which have been an item of interest lately.  They were displayed in a line, in the middle of the kitchen floor… because where else WOULD you put them?  Seems logical, right?

We decided to stay home for the holidays this year.  We’ve gotten into a rotation of sorts so we can get around to all the families.  We didn’t travel for Thanksgiving either, though, so it was beginning to feel a little less like the holiday season.

We still needed to make Christmas cookies, so we started the morning with a fun cooking project.  I mixed them up and cut them out while the kids decorated them with sprinkles.  Our shakers were kind of a pain – note to self for next year.  And we found that the red hots should be put on post-oven… the gingerbread men’s eyes started to melt, making them look like little demons.

For dinner, I did my best at making our traditional Wigilia dinner – the meatless Polish dinner and celebration on Christmas Eve.  There many pieces that go to the tradition, but since it was just the four of us, and I had to adapt the recipes for the kids’ allergies, we only made seven dishes (fish, pierogies, sauteed mushrooms, asparagus & carrots, mashed potatoes, pickled beets)

The fish and pierogies are the center piece for us because they’re things we don’t have very often – really we only typically have pierogies this one night of the year.  My Busha makes them from scratch, but being realistic for my situation (toddlers running rampant), I bought the frozen ones (and then forgot to make them and had to cook them up in the minutes before plating up the meal for everyone!)

The Humane Society’s director helped contribute the pickled beets, which I LOVE!  They were left over from a craft fair fundraiser and I happened to stop by and she offered them to me.  SWEET!  I substituted wild rice for our usual rice pudding for the kids.  I did make the potatoes from scratch – again, a true love of mine. And for the vegetable, we decided to pan cook some asparagus and carrots - again, turned out great!  I may have been most impressed with how the fish turned out.

Busha and Dzia Dzia usually cooked the fish they caught that summer.  We didn’t fish this year – haven’t in years.  So, it was grocery bought.  I have this giant fear of cooking fish because I feel like I don’t know how to do it very well, but I baked them in the oven with some olive oil and seasoning, and it tasted great! WHEW! It helped make it feel like Christmas Eve at least a little. And the kids ate most of it! Mission accomplished!

Per tradition, we open some presents on Christmas Eve before bed.  We decided to open our family’s gifts.

The kids got some play food for their kitchen set, playdough sets and each got a movie.  Bill got a shirt and Acer Iconia tablet. Mommy got spoiled with a new camera which daddy tried to trick me again.  He cleaned up and wrapped my Canon Rebel camera bag with the camera in it and gave it to me, basically saying, ‘you wanted a camera and look! I found a camera that doesn’t get used in our closet.’  I laughed. Then I opened the real present – and found a brand new digital Canon Rebel T3i, and a new zoom lens! And it all fits perfectly in my old camera bag. :o)  Time to play!