Christmas Eve

We hosted Christmas Even dinner at our house this year. For dinner I wanted to do a yummy, hot appetizer and then big pot of something hot and steamy.

For our appetizer I chose the Warm Piquillo and Crab Dip that Food and Wine listed in their "Best Fast Recipes Ever" issue earlier this year. I had actually clipped this recipe years ago when it was first published in F&W, but I'd never made it because good crab meat (and piquillo peppers for that matter) is so rarely avaliable here in Mississippi. Well, I found some good quality crab meat at the new Kroger and gave this recipe a shot. Unfortunately, I didn't think it was that great. Certainly not good enough to make a "Best Ever" list. It was just bland to me. I might give it one more try and add some salt or more lemon juice.





For our main course I decided to try to make Hoppin' John Martin Taylor's Easy Shrimp Gumbo from his book The New Southern Cook. I know Ina and Martha always say never to try out a new dish on company, but I did it anyway. Hey, my guests were family, and I figured that as long as I got the roux right, it would be pretty hard to screw up shrimp, okra, sausage, and rice. I made a baked roux (as Hoppin' John suggested), and it was really pretty easy. The homemade seafood stock smelled heavenly as it simmered. The only change I made to this recipe was to add a few pounds of turkey sausage. The gumbo turned out fabulous! I highly recommend Hoppin' John's recipe (scroll down about 3/4 to bottom to find it). I'm not sure if I would call it "easy", but then again I'd never made gumbo before. It was certainly time consuming (peeling shrimp, stirring the roux, chopping the veggies, etc) but worth it in the end.

Of course it wouldn't be Christmas Eve without a little bubbly. Somehow we managed to drink three regular bottles and a magnum. Oh! And a bottle of white wine. We were on cloud nine when this photo was taken:
Quite a Merry Christmas!

Welcome to the New Year... 2009

Hard to believe it is 2009! First off, the Cotton Bowl was so much fun! Chip and I met my brother, Brian, and his wife, Jenni, and two of their friends in Dallas on New Years' Day. We went to the New Years' Day parade and then to the Ole Miss pep rally. I was really disappointed with the pep rally. Not a single player or coach gave a pep talk or anything. The band played straight through the pep songs, and that part was exciting, but I think everyone there was hoping for a little bit more.

We went to bed early on Thursday night so we could rest up for the big game. We stayed at the Adolphus Hotel, and I thought it was wonderful. Big, clean rooms, great service, and they had a delicious breakfast buffet on Friday and Saturday morning.

We took a city bus from the Pearl Street station to the Cotton Bowl. The lines were long, but moved quickly and we were at Fair Park by 11:15 AM. Fair Park and the Cotton Bowl stadium have such a traditional football feel. And if you know the Ole Miss Rebels, you know we are all about football traditions. I wish I had gotten a few more photos of the sights: the swan paddle boats, the huge Texas ferris wheel, the sky trams. All of this just added to the hype of the big game.

Jenni took our photo in front of the Cotton Bowl stadium. The Cotton Bowl game is moving to the Dallas Cowboys' big new stadium in Arlington next year. I'm sure it will be nice, but it certainly won't feel like this stadium did.

Our crew: Jenni, Lindsey, Jeremy, and Brian.

The Rebels charge the field in style!

Touchdown!! We could hardly sit down. This game was just too exciting.

Rebels celebrate their Cotton Bowl win! I wish I would have gotten a photo or video of #5 Melvin Harris do his backflip at centerfield. He is a 6' 6" freshman, and after the Egg Bowl he literally did a backflip from standing. We saw it and went wild. I hear he did it at this game too, but I totally missed it. If anyone finds a photo or video of this on youtube, please send it to me!

We got a photo from Cotton Bowl stadium overlooking the downtown Dallas skyline.

Brian and Jenni headed back to Mississippi with Jeremy and Lindsey after the game. Chip and I went to Craft. Craft is Tom Colicchio's restaurant (of Top Chef on Bravo). I wanted to dislike it, because I've never really liked him on the show, but the food was really good. All of the apps, salads, and sides were delicious.

On Saturday night, Chip and I went on a quest for awesome Tex-Mex food. At Monica's Aca y Alla, I'm not sure if we found the best food, but we certainly found the best atmosphere. Don't get me wrong - the food was fantastic. I had chicken enchiladas with sour cream sauce (my favorite). But the very best thing about Monica's was the Latin Jazz band that began playing around 8:00 PM. I got a great photo of this place in action. The guitar player started a conga line, and at the end of the line one of the waiters poured a tequila shot in each participant's mouth. Now, that is a party!

O Christmas Tree

Our Christmas Tree stands in the dining room. I like placing the tree in a front window and incorporating it into the outdoor decorations. I've done this for a few years, and I love the way it looks. I finally got around to taking some photos of the dining room. I love our tree this year! I think it is our best yet. It's a Leyland cypress - not at all a traditional tree. The shape isn't the best, and there are some holes in it. And it is kinda crooked at the top and wide at the bottom. But, the very best thing about this tree is that we cut it at Kazery Tree Farm less than 10 miles from the house! It was a great little tree farm. Mr. Kazery helped us pick out the perfect tree, and his son loaded it on the truck.

I forgot to put gloves on when I wrapped the lights around the tree, so the needles really tore up my arms. But this year, I remembered to put the gold ribbon on! It's got to go on the tree before the ornaments, and I've forgotten it two years in a row. I really wanted this recycled oil drum angel for the top of the tree, but Viva Terra is all sold out now! Boo... Oh well, the ribbon will do. After we were all done with decorating, Chip said, "Wow. Everything is red, white, and gold, and we didn't even plan it like that!" I just had to laugh, because of course I planned for that! I mean don't most of you ladies come up with "tree theme" or at least a color scheme? These things don't just happen.

And what about the tree skirt and table runner!? Both are from Wisteria. Wool felt and embroidery. I love them! Christmas decorations are so fun.

We're off to one of our family Christmases today. I made Ina Garten's Macaroni and Cheese, and it looks fabulous. Can't wait to dig in. Happy Holidays!

Blogger Book Boost: Christmas Gift Recommendations

Author Sarah Laurence has invited her reads to join a Blogger Book Boost, where bloggers write recommendations for books that would be perfect for holiday reading or holiday gifts. I've decided to join in. Of course, if you don't like my recommendations, you can always head on over to Square Books and read their Holiday Gift Guide.


Fabulous Fiction:

Plague of Doves by Louise Erdrich
I loved this book. I read Love Medicine in college (Honors 201 maybe?), and I thought it was the kind of book I would enjoy if my professor had given me time to enjoy it. I picked up Plague of Doves from the "New" shelf at the library - I thought I'd give Erdrich another try. I'm so glad I did. Oh, and the linked title is to the New York Times Book Review because I'm not an English major and I just don't do book reviews.


Garden Writing:

Passalong Plants by Steve Bender and Felder Rushing
I received this book as a gift a few years ago, and finally read the whole thing cover to cover when it was a selection for the Garden Bloggers' Book Club. This book is a must have for any Southern gardener, and an excellent book for any garden-lover. Steve and Felder really know how to capture the spirit of a old-time passalong garden. The title links to the reviews by the Garden Bloggers' Book Club back in May 2007.



Cookbook:

Macrina Bakery & Cafe Cookbook by Leslie Mackie
I picked this cookbook up after seeing Leslie Mackie on the Food Network. Some of my favorite recipes are in this book: Morning Glory Muffins, Cherry Almond Scones, Butternut Squash and Apple Galette, and Angel Thumbprint Cookies. Chip gets excited when I pull this book down from the shelf because he knows something wonderful will be coming from the oven.

For the Ole Miss fan:

The Blind Side by Michael Lewis
I don't generally read books about football - or any sport - but I liked this book. It tells the story of Micheal Oher, left tackle on the Ole Miss offensive line, and the evolution of the left tackle in the N.F.L. Lewis does a good job balancing football strategy with an excellent story about a lost kid from Memphis.

Winter Veggies

Right before Halloween I planted some veggie seedlings in my garden. This year is the first that I've tried to do any kind of fall and winter gardening. The low temeratures have stayed in the low 30s to upper 20s - not too bad. I've been covering the veggies with a couple of old, flannel bed sheets at night to keep the frost off of them. I probably got these seedlings in the ground a little late (story of my life). Combine that with the limited sun I get in this garden spot, and so far they are growing really slowly. I do have a few baby veggies to be proud of.


tiny Broccoli . . .
quarter-sized Cauliflower . . .

Leeks . . .
Swiss Chard . . .

and (my favorite) Fennel . . .

I think I'm supposed to mound soil at the base of the leeks so that the bottoms turn white. I probably need to do that today. The plants could probably use a dose of (organic) fertilizer. I need to get on that, too.

The weather is supposed to be nice this week - getting up to 70 on Tuesday. So far the cooler weather has been perfect. Just when we've thought it's been too cold for too long, the weather warms up and gives us a break. And we've had rainy days often enough that I haven't had to water much. Wonderful!

Today I am heading to the Mississippi Trade Mart for the Chimeyvillle Crafts Festival. I've been looking forward this for weeks now. Mississippi craftsmen and women have their works for sale, and I plan to get a good bit of my Christmas shopping done. For a few years now, Chip and I have gone to the Mississippi Crafts Center to purchase Christmas gifts for our families and friends. We've been able to find lovely gifts there: mugs and pottery made from Mississippi Delta clay for Chip's mom and stepdad, hand-crafted earrings for my best friend and my aunts. I've got a list of things I'm looking for, but I'm excited about being inspired by these artists' handmade things. And what gift could be better than one made right here in Mississippi by our local craftsmen? If you are in the area this weekend, check it out!

Six Interesting Things

Cool, Allie tagged me! I'm supposed to share six interesting things about myself and tag six other folks to do the same. Here goes nothin':

1. I am a strict recycler. I've been known to go back through the trash and pick out stuff that should have been put in the recycling bin. Somehow, this makes me a happier person.

2. I am a neat freak in the kitchen, but not really anywhere else. Just see what happens when you put a wine glass where the water glasses go. Or even worse, put the potatoes in the same cabinet as the onions. Or even WORSE, put the vegetable peeler in the baking drawer with the spoon and cup measures. Actually, I'm getting a little frustrated just THINKING about the vegetable peeler being in the baking drawer.

3. It is difficult for me to get out of bed in the morning. Especially if it is cold outside of the covers. I might lie there for 30 minutes or more to delay the shock of getting out of bed into the cold. Sometimes I imagine myself as an early riser. Getting up before the sun to do yoga, or pray, or to go for a walk. But that's just not me.

4. I don't really enjoy shopping for clothes and shoes. There are exceptions to this rule for certain clothing stores (Anthropologie, for example). As for shoes, it is always a fight. Stores don't generally carry my size. I'm constantly disappointed when I try on the smallest size of a shoe I really like, and it's too big.

5. I love to read. Right now I'm reading On Beauty by Zadie Smith. It is set in a fictitious college town outside of Boston with a few scenes in London.

6. I think I've run out of interesting things to say about myself. If you guys think of anything else, put it in the comments.

Who will I tag? How about...

Jenny - The Clems
Susan - SM Squared
Corinne - She Do Nothing All Day
Katie - Tall Katie Tells it All
Mara - Focus on Your Craft!
and Ginger - Do you have a blog?