Dec 23, 2013

Christmas Shenanigans 2013

I thought I'd cram some of our fun Christmas memories from last week all into one post. I love the festivities of Christmas--I'm so joyed to be feeling Christ's spirit of love, giving and celebration and wishing the season wouldn't fly by so quickly.

I went to a cookie exchange last week and made these Eggnog Florentines by Smitten Kitchen.  I think they were pretty dang good. My favorite cookie was probably Erin's chocolate toffee cookies. I wish I would've taken a picture of all the beautiful cookies exchanged. My girls don't mess 'round when it comes to baking. 

Friday was the Jones Elementary "Holiday Program." It was so dang cute. We left the house super early so we could get front row seats--I don't like to miss all the funny things happening on stage. Nose picking, eye rolling, lip syncing and big cheesy smiles to parents. 




Erin and I spent Friday afternoon baking cookies for friends and neighbors. Giving cookies is absolutely necessary during the holidays--Baking is a love language after all. It was extra awesome because upon delivery we were dressed in pajamas, with no makeup, crazy hair and frosting all over our clothes and faces. No pretentious cookie deliveries here. Do you know how scary it is to deliver cookies to your friends at nine o'clock at night unannounced? Several of our unsuspecting girlfriends were sans a bra. This made me happy, because I believe a bra after 6:00pm is wrong.






Sunday Church Service was Christmas themed and I loved every minute of it. We sang Christmas hymns (which included either angels or really good singers in the congregation harmonizing to The First Noel), heard wonderfully inspiring speakers and then ended with a Primary Nativity Program. Daysen was Joseph (with his pal Elizabeth as Mary), Brenner was a wise man and Zane was a cow. A naughty cow. It was the cutest. 




Our friends, the Meilsoes, had us over for a traditional Danish Christmas dinner on Sunday. It was pretty epic. These cute woven hearts are a Danish Christmas tradition. Kristian showed me how to bust them out to use in the table setting. 


 Flæskesteg {Danish Christmas pork roast} 
is traditionally served and it was one of the best meats 
I've ever tasted. The top is all crunchy and salty and perfect and the bottom is juicy and flavorful.
 Erin asked me to bring a fresh red cabbage salad. This one had red cabbage, grapes, oranges, pomegranates, green apples, pecans, onion and parsley--with an orange zest & honey vinaigrette. 

Dessert was a vanilla bean rice pudding called Risalamande and it was my very favorite thing--I even came to their house the next day because I needed leftovers for breakfast. They have a tradition to hide one whole blanched almond in the serving bowl and then whoever finds it while eating dessert gets a present. Sean (the slowest eater) found the almond in his very last bite. 


...now to tackle the last minute lists before the big day. 

Merry Christmas!

The End. 

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