{oranges at Christmas-time always strike me as being so elegant. and look at that monkeywood wrap-around wooden bowl I got at a thrift shop on Friday night and filled with candy post-haste}
I had high hopes for today -- it was supposed to be an orgy of Christmas decorating and cookie baking and decorating and jelly-making and gift-wrapping and Target shopping and...
Makes ya tired just reading it, huh?
Me too.
I was fueled by a day-long marathon of Christmas decorating shows playing in the background on hgtv -- not that I ever sat down to watch anything but whenever I heard something particularly tempting, I'd drop what I was doing to run over and feast my eyes -- Christmas in New Orleans! On Mackinac Island! (both places near and dear to my heart) in Durango, Colorado! In Woodstock! Fake snow in Los Angeles! Gingerbread houses!
It's 8 pm now on Sunday evening and I have to go back to work tomorrow (I need a weekend to recover from my weekend) and I was feeling a little disappointed by the day's activities, a bit dismayed by the mess (so, so messy), and I was a might faint from my busy-ness. But then I looked at the photos I snapped today and cheese and grits! I got alot accomplished today.
I stopped to admire the sunshine in the backyard -- the sun is hanging so low in the sky now that it dips behind the house, leaving most of the backyard in shadow.
What a beautiful two days!
I strung a bunch of popcorn and cranberries and wrapped the garlands around the porch railing for the birds to peck away at:
It was so cold outside (about 10 below) that I had to stop three times to come inside and warm up my fingers. A wiser woman would have worn gloves but I needed bare hands to knot all those strings of popcorn together. Then I added a wreath and those skates I told you about yesterday.
I snip-snip-snipped some icicle-y paper trim for the hutch:
Papercrafts are so brilliant. That blue and white cream pitcher and sugar bowl are a new addition to the junk in the hutch -- I got them on Saturday at a thrift shop along with a set of canisters and a woven straw basket made by hand in the USSR in 1992. I should have taken a photo of that.
I polished off the rest of the bread that came in a big gift basket from a friend:
I boxed up a whole lot of presents and got them all ready for mailing and then I cursed the fact that we don't have a 24 hour post office here in the valley the way they do in Anchorage. Because if we had one, I would have sent the husband off to dispatch all those boxes. I told him that and he thanked GOD there was no such post office within an hour's drive.
Oh and I made 17 jars of jelly for gift-giving.
I don't know what came over me. I think I even vacuumed. Ordinarily I'm not nearly this energetic but last year, I didn't get much of anything done as far as Christmas goes. I'd just moved into this house and the moving-in sapped my strength. I've got, like, two year's worth of merry-making to do.
And last but not least, I made these:
They're the peppermint chocolate cookies I told you about yesterday. They're chocolate-y, they're dense (no baking soda or powder for rising), they're festive, they're pretty, they go well alongside a shot of whiskey (but what doesn't?).
You need some of these cookies.
Peppermint Chocolate Cookies
by Racheal Ray
1 1/2 stick (6 ounces) unsalted butter, softened
1 1/2 cups confectioners’ sugar
1 large egg
1 1/2 cups flour
1/2 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
1 pinch salt
Two 3.5 -ounce bars dark chocolate, finely chopped
1/2 teaspoon vegetable oil
2/3 cup finely crushed peppermint candy canes or candies
1. Using an electric mixer, beat the butter until soft. With the mixer on low, gradually add the confectioners’ sugar until creamy, then beat in the egg. In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, cocoa and salt; add to the mixer about one-third at a time, beating at low speed until smooth.
2. Lay a 16-inch sheet of parchment paper on a work surface; turn out the dough onto the paper. Using your hands, shape the dough into a 12-inch-long cylinder; wrap tightly in the parchment and roll into a smooth, even log. Twist the ends to seal and refrigerate for 30 minutes; reshape the cylinder and refrigerate for 30 minutes more.
3. Preheat the oven to 350°; line 2 cookie sheets with parchment paper. Unwrap the dough; using a sharp knife, slice into 1/3-inch-thick rounds. Place about 1 inch apart on the cookie sheets; bake until firm, 18 to 20 minutes. Let cool completely.
4. In a bowl, combine two-thirds of the chopped chocolate with the oil; microwave for 30 seconds, then stir until smooth. (If needed, heat for additional 10-second intervals.) Stir in the remaining chopped chocolate until smooth.
5. Using an offset spatula, spread a scant teaspoon of melted chocolate on top of each cookie. Sprinkle the peppermints on top and let stand until set, 2 to 3 hours.