Always looking for sunshine, figuratively and lite Always looking for sunshine, figuratively and literally. Sometimes we don’t have to look very far and it finds us. ☀️
It didn’t take much to get me to @mikespastasand It didn’t take much to get me to @mikespastasandwichshoppe when a friend texted me a screenshot of their cheese butter. Up until last week I had never even heard of cheese butter but just two days later, I’m driving an hour round trip to get some. 😂 I was never one to succumb to peer pressure (I didn’t have my first drink until I was 21!), but when it comes to food finds, I am very easily intrigued. After all, that’s how I’ve discovered some of my favorite bites over the years … lardo from @butlerandtheboard, a spicy Italian sausage, and my love of chicharron. If you haven’t visited Mike’s in Nutley, it’s worth a visit. While there, I also got a small tray of meatballs (a bargain at $10!) and a delicious mortadella sandwich that is worth a round trip. ✨
The long, dreary and grey months of the Winter nee The long, dreary and grey months of the Winter need a little bit of color, so here you go. 😍 Love this chest of drawers. Discovered it buried in a local shop and bought it specifically for the green color (one of my favorites). Vintage Coke crate was a $10 score from a garage sale place on Facebook some ten years ago. And the assorted markers in Roy G Biv order (natch) that aren’t used anymore because my kids have sadly left that phase. 🙃
Weekend Photos in Review, old school still photo s Weekend Photos in Review, old school still photo style, hope you had a good one! ✨
A friend was taking a trip to Ireland and asked if A friend was taking a trip to Ireland and asked if I wanted her to bring me back anything. Would you believe me if I told you I asked for salt? I love picking up different varieties, whether we’re traveling or I’m just visiting a new shop. Maddie grabbed me a super cute one from her trip to Paris last year, and the Magic Unicorn Salt I get locally is another favorite. What’s yours?
One of us hops like a bunny down the steps, has a One of us hops like a bunny down the steps, has a serious case of FOMO on the daily, gets hiccups more than anyone we know and has perpetual bed head. She’s quite the unique roommate but may be exactly what our home needed. 💛
I haven’t had a bagel in ages, but when I saw th I haven’t had a bagel in ages, but when I saw that @njdotcom had picked six bagel shops at the “best in the state,” and one was reasonably local, all the sudden I needed one. I was never one to fall prey to peer pressure, but I’m very definitely a marketer’s dream. 😂 Alfa Bagels is on Route 10 in Randolph and has a good assortment of bagels, including all the usual suspects, but with a few others like rainbow, Asiago and French Toast throw in for good measure. Their bagels always seem to have a nice chew, which I appreciate and I love their sesame one. My go-to order lately is a double toasted flagel with lox spread and tomato. Their lox spread is a little ho hum, but the bagel is delish. Check them out next time you’ve got a craving (or get motivated by a local news story 😝). What’s your bagel order?
✌🏻 ✌🏻
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Sweetnicks

Food and Life

Christmas Eve 2011

December 26, 2011 · Narrative

Santa Arrival
While I was making dinner, Santa came through on the fire truck with candy stockings for all the kids. Love this tradition.

Santa Arrives

Christmas Eve Menu
Christmas Eve means the Feast of the Seven Fishes (Italian) and thirteen desserts (French). Since Mystic is Jewish, I also added latkes and gelt. First time for making either. Those two recipes, along with the salad, will follow in the coming weeks. I have made the Cioppino (fish stew) for several years now because it takes care of five of the 7 fish. I think this past Christmas Eve will be the last year for that though. My interest in it has waned a bit, and I want it to be more feast-like with seven individual dishes. Although it’s more challenging, especially with the kids underfoot, I think with a little proper planning, it can be done.

Gelt to be Wrapped
Gelt waiting to be wrapped. Pure chocolate. Can’t go wrong with that.

Christmas Tree Pull Apart Bread
Although it looks fussy, this Christmas Tree Pull Apart Bread is crazy simple to make, and perfect to dip into the Cioppino.

Cheesecake Factory Knock-Off
I had to have some greens on the table, and went with a knock-off of Cheesecake Factory‘s French Country Salad, which is delish.

Latkes

Shrimp Chips
When my sister and I were kids, we used to do family activities every Sunday. When it was our turn to choose, we usually went with visiting Chinatown, which is where our love affair with Shrimp Chips began. It’s hard to find authentic ones, but my sister and brother-in-law scored.

Peppermint Pretzel Wreath

Hanukkah Cookies

Wrapped Gelt
The wrapped gelt. After checking with six different stores, I gave up on finding gold foil or wrapping paper and wrapped the gelt in silver foil. Someone clue me in – where do you buy the gold foil?

Lighting the Bayberry
My mom read somewhere years ago that it’s good luck to light a Bayberry-scented candle on Christmas Eve. And so we do. One never messes with the potential for good luck.

Pajama Twins

Christmas Eve Cousins 2011
One of these little munchkins has too much personality to contain. One opted for borrowing her cousin’s Thanksgiving dress, instead of wearing her new Santa Claus footed pjs. But all four in the same shot on Christmas Eve? I’ll take it.

Tracking Santa
Nick and his cousin Sophie keeping careful watch on Santa’s whereabouts.

Santa Watch
Before going to bed, Nick told Maxwell that he was on “Santa watch.” I’m not sure that Maxwell was up to the job.

Cookies for Santa
Santa might even be a little messier than Madeline when it comes to eating cookies. Sheesh.

Will be back tomorrow with Christmas Day photos, and the first recipe for the week. Until then… xoxo

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Posted In: Narrative · Tagged: bayberry candle, Cheesecake Factory, Cioppino, Feast of the Seven Fishes, gelt, latkes, Norad.org

Comments

  1. fittingbackin says

    December 26, 2011 at 6:03 pm

    Wow – all of this food looks amazing! I love the idea of the christmas tree pull apart bread!

    Reply
  2. Betsy says

    December 26, 2011 at 7:11 pm

    Never heard of anyone making their own chocolate gelt. We would always get the chocolate coins (often in gold colored mesh bag) at the supermarket so albeit not often not the best quality stuff — but that didn’t stop us. Or at a chocolate/candy store.

    Looks like a great time. Happy Holidays.

    Reply
  3. Joanne says

    December 27, 2011 at 7:46 am

    Looks like you ROCKED Christmas Eve! All of that food sounds AMAZING. I really want that pull-apart bread…stat.

    The picture of all four kids is fantastic. Maybe you guys should do a joint xmas card next year :P

    Reply
  4. Sarah Caron says

    December 27, 2011 at 9:32 am

    Did you try Michael’s or the party store for the gold wrappers? I’ve seen them there. Impressed that you made your own.

    Looks like a great holiday feast!

    Reply
  5. Patsy says

    December 27, 2011 at 11:33 am

    It never occurred to me to make gelt myself before! Will put that on my list for next year! Looks like your latkes were amazing!

    Reply
  6. Diane Smith says

    December 29, 2011 at 9:12 am

    All your food looked awesome!…although I am not Jewish–I do work for a candy company. We sell chocolate coins that are wrapped in gold foil and the chocolate is very high quality. I believe these are commonly used for gelt.

    Reply

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Always looking for sunshine, figuratively and lite Always looking for sunshine, figuratively and literally. Sometimes we don’t have to look very far and it finds us. ☀️
It didn’t take much to get me to @mikespastasand It didn’t take much to get me to @mikespastasandwichshoppe when a friend texted me a screenshot of their cheese butter. Up until last week I had never even heard of cheese butter but just two days later, I’m driving an hour round trip to get some. 😂 I was never one to succumb to peer pressure (I didn’t have my first drink until I was 21!), but when it comes to food finds, I am very easily intrigued. After all, that’s how I’ve discovered some of my favorite bites over the years … lardo from @butlerandtheboard, a spicy Italian sausage, and my love of chicharron. If you haven’t visited Mike’s in Nutley, it’s worth a visit. While there, I also got a small tray of meatballs (a bargain at $10!) and a delicious mortadella sandwich that is worth a round trip. ✨
The long, dreary and grey months of the Winter nee The long, dreary and grey months of the Winter need a little bit of color, so here you go. 😍 Love this chest of drawers. Discovered it buried in a local shop and bought it specifically for the green color (one of my favorites). Vintage Coke crate was a $10 score from a garage sale place on Facebook some ten years ago. And the assorted markers in Roy G Biv order (natch) that aren’t used anymore because my kids have sadly left that phase. 🙃
Weekend Photos in Review, old school still photo s Weekend Photos in Review, old school still photo style, hope you had a good one! ✨

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Always looking for sunshine, figuratively and lite Always looking for sunshine, figuratively and literally. Sometimes we don’t have to look very far and it finds us. ☀️
It didn’t take much to get me to @mikespastasand It didn’t take much to get me to @mikespastasandwichshoppe when a friend texted me a screenshot of their cheese butter. Up until last week I had never even heard of cheese butter but just two days later, I’m driving an hour round trip to get some. 😂 I was never one to succumb to peer pressure (I didn’t have my first drink until I was 21!), but when it comes to food finds, I am very easily intrigued. After all, that’s how I’ve discovered some of my favorite bites over the years … lardo from @butlerandtheboard, a spicy Italian sausage, and my love of chicharron. If you haven’t visited Mike’s in Nutley, it’s worth a visit. While there, I also got a small tray of meatballs (a bargain at $10!) and a delicious mortadella sandwich that is worth a round trip. ✨
The long, dreary and grey months of the Winter nee The long, dreary and grey months of the Winter need a little bit of color, so here you go. 😍 Love this chest of drawers. Discovered it buried in a local shop and bought it specifically for the green color (one of my favorites). Vintage Coke crate was a $10 score from a garage sale place on Facebook some ten years ago. And the assorted markers in Roy G Biv order (natch) that aren’t used anymore because my kids have sadly left that phase. 🙃
Weekend Photos in Review, old school still photo s Weekend Photos in Review, old school still photo style, hope you had a good one! ✨
A friend was taking a trip to Ireland and asked if A friend was taking a trip to Ireland and asked if I wanted her to bring me back anything. Would you believe me if I told you I asked for salt? I love picking up different varieties, whether we’re traveling or I’m just visiting a new shop. Maddie grabbed me a super cute one from her trip to Paris last year, and the Magic Unicorn Salt I get locally is another favorite. What’s yours?
One of us hops like a bunny down the steps, has a One of us hops like a bunny down the steps, has a serious case of FOMO on the daily, gets hiccups more than anyone we know and has perpetual bed head. She’s quite the unique roommate but may be exactly what our home needed. 💛
I haven’t had a bagel in ages, but when I saw th I haven’t had a bagel in ages, but when I saw that @njdotcom had picked six bagel shops at the “best in the state,” and one was reasonably local, all the sudden I needed one. I was never one to fall prey to peer pressure, but I’m very definitely a marketer’s dream. 😂 Alfa Bagels is on Route 10 in Randolph and has a good assortment of bagels, including all the usual suspects, but with a few others like rainbow, Asiago and French Toast throw in for good measure. Their bagels always seem to have a nice chew, which I appreciate and I love their sesame one. My go-to order lately is a double toasted flagel with lox spread and tomato. Their lox spread is a little ho hum, but the bagel is delish. Check them out next time you’ve got a craving (or get motivated by a local news story 😝). What’s your bagel order?
✌🏻 ✌🏻

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