Merry Christmas Eve to one and all!

Jess, hope your shovelling was uneventful as far as the stiff joints and muscles are concerned. All our snow vanished in the rain but this morning we had a dusting--just like powdered sugar over a cake.

Lynn, I'm always on the lookout for new recipes. We usually eat the same things over and over at home but I do love to try new recipes especially if we are having company or going to a potluck. Why are you having 7 kinds of fish? Is it a tradition? Tell us about that.

Oh, Bobbi, maybe you'll have a Christmas miracle and you'll get to be with family and friends. If not Christmas is a miracle in itself and so I wish for you a peaceful and happy day with your DH.

Linda, I wish I didn't like to eat the crust on a pie. It's like the best part of the pie to me. But your pumpkin custard sounds delicious and festive.

Zoe, the nerve of those ungrateful DDs of yours. Dry turkey indeed!! I don't have daughters but I have DILs that know me well enough to say things like that. Hahahaha, we love them anyway. When I cooked turkey I always knew if mine had turned out dry or succulent and I'm sure you can tell as well. As always you give me a smile when reading your posts. Enjoy your 11 days off work. Someday you'll be retired like me and have 110000000000....days off.

Rosey, sounds like you're having a blast way over there in Alaska. Christmas is my favorite holiday, too.

Tobybear, welcome to 3FC and especially to the Golden Girls. It's so nice to meet and make new friends at Christmas time.

And to the rest of you Girls have a great day tomorrow.

I've been cooking up a storm all day long. I have dinner ready for tomorrow and just have to roast a tiny, little turkey breast for MIL who will be dining with us tomorrow. She said she'd eat the same as we do but I know she'd miss her turkey. She can have our veggie "turkey" also. So tomorrow I'll have lots of time to relax and spend time with MIL and DH. We're also having a church dinner on Boxing Day and I have everything done for that as well and taken to the church frig as there isn't an inch of space left in mine. I made trifle for dessert for both our Christmas dinner and church dinner. I made ours in martini glasses so we'll have portion control. We also have cookies and Christmas cake to compliment the meal. I've been picking at stuffing and vegetables while I was cooking so I'm eating light the remainder of the day or at least until supper.

Gone to see if the chimney is cleaned out for the old fellow's trip down tonight. Merry Christmas Everyone!

I'm so sorry, that's what I get for posting just once a day!!! Please forgive me will you Bobbi????

I hope your knee doesn't give out too! I'm tak'n mine slow... I have problems with my hips that I need to work through...but in time, I really think with the weight off, my hips will be much better!

Sounds wonderful Karen! From what I hear, Florida can be a TUFF state to be in when the economy is not so strong. I hope you and your son have a wonderful time at Christmas and that he and his family get things worked out soon!

The link worked and it is a wonderful card Jess!
I sent it to all my Facebook Friends on the East Coast! They'll love it too!

ellabella - you just keep be'n you! I L♥V your post! Merry Christmas!

You got a lot more snow than we did Jess!
Ours are mostly DRIFTS because of the wind we had last night

Merry Christmas Eve!

Just finished cleaning up from our Xmas Eve dinner...and my turkey was nice and moist (at least that's what my DH said). Off to sing in midnight mass...my last one here in LeRoy I fear. No snow here, thank goodness...we have a 9 hour drive tomorrow.

Have a Happy Everyone.

Lyn

Have Yourself a Blessed Little Christmas
Christmas future is far away,
Christmas past is past,
Christmas present is here to day bringing joy that will last.

Have yourself a blessed little Christmas,
Christ the King is born,
Let your voices ring upon this happy morn,
Have yourself a blessed little Christmas
Serenade the earth
Tell the world we celebrate the Savior’s birth.
Let us gather to sing to Him and to bring to Him our praise
Son of God and a friend of all
To the end of all our days.

Let us all proclaim the joyous tidings
Voices raised on high
Send this carol soaring up into the sky
This very, merry blessed Christmas lullaby
Son of God and a friend of all
To the end of all our days
Sing hosannas, hymns and hallelujahs
As to Him we bow
Make the music mighty as the heavens allow
An have yourself a blessed little Christmas now.

By Hugh Martin

Merry Christmas, everyone..

Well, Christmas Eve, for me, still. I have no little ones to send to bed early, no reason to stay up and stuff stockings... can't say I miss it too much. Only my youngest son still lives here in town and the other children are far away tonight. We're not a close knit family on any level, sorry to say. My grandmother held things together and after she died in '96, everyone seemed to recede into their own spaces.

I already noted I lost a few pounds, but will not have another official weigh-in until next Tuesday.

Lynn, you asked if the book (A Christmas Carol) is much like the movies. Well, the plot is the same, but I believe the book is an amazing piece of work, full of humor and detailed descriptions. I never realized how skillful Dickens was... I've read three of his other (longer) books years ago. Now I'm much more appreciative of a great writer's work.

Linda, Tobybear, welcome ... like you, I just started here.

I'm another Linda!!

Not to confuse anything, but you're welcome to use LindaT to refer to me.

LindaT

Merry Christmas to All, wish I had time to post personals, but had a very long day, did get to see my DN in the Christmas Play at Church, 5yr olds are so cute.

Well need to drift off to dream land, hope everyone stays warm, I'm so ready for Spring, so tired of this cold stuff.

Merry Christmas,
We had a very nice dinner with family. Lasagna, salad and Fr. bread. I skipped the bread so I could have a small slice of lemon cake, half scoop of Pumpkin and half a scoop of Eggnog ice cream. Was delicious with coffee to end the day. Didn't over stuff....like I normally would have. But oh, I do love pumpkin ice cream!

Tomorrow, dinners up at dh folks. Going to be the usual turkey dinner, I think I'll be ok with choices.

Wishing everyone a wonderful day today!!
Carol

Wishing each and everyone a wonderful Christmas! I actually wrote a rather long post last night, but *poof* - the magic of Christmas, I guess - it disappeared into the ether!
I'll get my ham started in another few minutes, and then have a leisurely bath, wash my hair, and lounge about a bit before heading over to DD's to spend the twin boyo's first Christmas with them.
I'm hoping that all of your Christmases are (Omigawd, not SO white....I've been following the reports on this midwestern storm of ours, and it's so treacherous!! Stay in, stay warm, stay ALIVE forgoodness' sake!) lovely and meaningful to you.
Bobbi, those meatballs sure sound good! Somebody at work (I think it was at work) used to talk about making them with grape jelly and chili sauce. I wasn't sure I'd like them so much, but the cranberry would definitely work for me! I'm sorry that you're snowed in, but glad that you'll be home - and safe.
Karen, you did the right thing - flying that boy of yours home. No matter how old they get, they're still our kiddos, and we help when needed, period. It'll be good to have him with you, and I'm sure he'll be glad to be home with you.
Lynn, What sort of tradition is the 7 kinds of fish? That sounds interesting! I know you'll be having a wonderful time with your DD and SIL - and if you're eating 7 kinds of fish - a little every hour - your metabolism ought to stay revved up enough to burn off the calories in anything else you might eat! Sounds like a plan to me!
Isabella! Is there no end to your culinary prowess???? Trifle in martini glasses! What a supercalifragilistic idea!!!!! I used to make trifle at Christmas, but haven't done so for some time, now. Now, after reading your post, I'm craving some, and will have to make some - hey! I'll make it for New Year's eve!!!!! I DID, however, make three - count 'em - THREE pans of Apples Isabella: two pans for the general populace at Christmas dinner, and one pan with slightly altered ingredients (Brown & white Splenda substituted for the regular sugar, and Olivio instead of butter) for DH & I. I don't think I realized, until reading your latest post, that you are vegetarian - or is it vegan? That's an idea that I've toyed with over the past year. I don't eat any red meat anymore at all, and my dairy is pretty limited as well; I'm allergic to eggs, so they're out, anyway...well, like I said, I've been thinking about it some. The health benefits certainly can't be disputed, can they?
Freda, it looks like you're busy, busy, busy....know that you're in my thoughts, alright? Enjoy your Christmas, friend.
Merry Christmas to you, Rosey! I'm glad to hear that you've got grandkids running all over the place! (I know you are, too!) And just think; once they tire you out completely, you get to send them all home! Talk about the best of both worlds, huh?
Glad you survived the shoveling, Donna - good exercise, of course, but I think I'd rather do a few sit-ups and leg-lifts in the comfort of my nice warm house. (Not that I WILL, you understand...I'd just rather. I hope you get to stay inside today sipping mulled cider or hot (but sugar-free of course) cocoa. No shoveling, right? Not on Christmas....
Kim, I sure hope you're feeling a whole lot better today...AND only a minute or two older!
Merry Christmas, Gayle. Something tells me that you and those grandkids of yours have already started celebrating!
Happy holidays Carol, Sue, Linda, Linda T, Toby <looking around> is that it? Welcome to 3FC everyone!
Nice hearing from you, Lyn. Happy holidays!
Off to decorate my ham, which one can only hope doesn't turn out to be oh, no, not the dreaded DRY!!!!
Much love,

Z

Merry Christmas!

Merry Christmas Everyone.

About the 7 fish Christmas Eve tradition - my SIL's father was from Sicily. Since they married, my DD makes 7 kinds of fish every Christmas Eve. Below is information about this tradition.

Feast of the 7 Fishes

It is tradition that the Sicilians (and Italians) have a 7 fish dinner on Christmas Eve. Some think that it is perhaps one representing each day of the week, but most traditions come from the observance of the Cena della Vigilia, the wait for the miraculous birth of Christ in which early Christians Catholics fasted on Christmas Eve until after receiving communion at Midnight Mass. In later years it became a penitential day, meaning that all foods except meat were allowed. Other theories include are that there would be served three fish dishes representing the three Wise Men or the Holy Trinity while in some there may have been as many as thirteen, one for each of the apostles plus one for Jesus. Each family and each sect of the Italian culture is different, (the fish they say is from a tradition those from Naples brought over), it also depends on what was available in various parts of Italy. In most of the southern coastal regions in Italy and Sicily, seafood was abundant and so the perfect opportunity to work fish into the menu for this festive day. Others have 9 Fish, and yet others 12 types for the representation of the original 12 apostles. In any case, its all fish!!!

Lynn

It is 11°F outside with ZERO visibility due to the BLIZZARD!
Will be heading over to our daughters house today (her turn to cook)!

May you ALL have a wonderful day with your families...and that at the END of the day, you are well satisfied!

MERRY CHRISTMAS Everyone!!

I have good news and bad news. Good news, my foot has finally healed, according to the Dr. Not sure I am willing to take his word, since he was so tottaly wrong last time, but this time I saw the X-rays and there are signs of healing. so I can stop wearing the cast and wear a regular shoe. My Best Christmas present. Bad news, I have the virus that has been going around. Sorry i've been missing, but the last 3 days has been spent in bed. I am up a bit today, but still feeling bad, coughing, headache... the usual.

Welcome to all the newcomes. I look forward to getting to know all of you.

Lynn, we all have our own traditions, but the fish is an interesting one. 7 different kinds? or just baked, broiled, fried, poached, roasted? and that is only 5 and I can't think of any more. OH, pickled. one more.

Everyone enjoy your loved ones today!

Freda