Highlights from Christmas 2013

I hope you all had a bitchin holiday and were able to enjoy some time off of work. Eric and I made the wise decision to take the whole week off and not once did we regret it (until Sunday night, that is, when I got back-to-work heartburn).

What we learned this past week: one could easily make a hobby of staying in bed till 11am, while watching The Getaway and/or Income Property and eating Christmas cookies for breakfast.

Since I'm sure our holiday was no different from yours- lots of driving and family visits and drinking alcohol in the closet- I'll save you the stories.

Here are some photo highlights from our Christmas 2013.

The Cherry Jewel Cookies (I think this may be their last year...)

My top secret Christmas Cut-Outs

At the company Christmas party, pretending to model with vintage airplanes

Company holiday luncheon

Three generations preparing the Christmas oysters

The Christmas tradition: eating an oyster before any gifts are opened 

Eric and his mom

Biscuit showing off one of her new gifts

My brother kicking my mom out

My sister found out that one of the local high schools was offering a fundraiser for the school band: private holiday performances IN YOUR OWN HOME. These guys were polite and friendly and really did a great job. Needless to say, my teenage niece was foaming at the mouth as soon as they arrived. Needless to say, so was I. (For HER, obviously.) 

A REAL LIFE nativity scene (these kids and goats are hard core)

Happy Holidays from everyone at the TILTE house!

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Holiday Blogging: Ain't Nobody Got Time for That

If you're anything like me, you're being worn to a pulp by the holiday season. From the late nights at the office, to Christmas shopping, to hosting/attending holiday gatherings, to trying harder than ever to act like a normal human being, it's just a crazy busy time.

Since I've been majorly lagging in the blog department for oh, I don't know, the past 12 months, I figured now would be a good time to get a post out.

Here's what our holidays look like so far...

"Holiday antlers"

The first flocked Christmas tree for both Eric and myself. It's crazy and we love it. When I was a kid, I thought these were so fancy and "real" looking because they had snow. My mom never got one though, probably because they look like a Christmas tree covered in snow worms.  

I was in a pinch for a cookie exchange at work and decided to make these Betty Crocker Hot Cocoa brownies. Which turned out to be a big freaking mistake because they were all mushy and sticky and ended up looking like an archeological dig site when I tried cutting them into servings. Really, they would have been impossible to serve. I even tried making one into a cake pop type of deal, by forming into a ball and rolling in sprinkles. The result was something akin to a litter-box-treat and I immediately raged out. I ended up throwing the whole thing in the trash. 

On the much more impressive side, I learned how to make these perfectly buttery and flakey Danish cookies called Kringlers. 

FROM SCRATCH. So goooood.

Pearl's new nutcracker 

The mantle decorations. Hard to see, but the Jesus and Mary hologram image is in full effect in this one.

I probably won't be blogging again until after the new year, unless a Bethlehem miracle takes place. Until then- pour yourself a glass of something good and say hello to Clark W. Griswold for me. 

Happy holidays!

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Thanksgiving 2013

Highlights from the holiday weekend...

This past weekend, while we were driving in the car, Pearl asked if we have an Elf on the Shelf at our house. She had just seen one at her cousin's house and also has one at her mom's house.

Her question reminded me of a parody version that Eric and I had seen recently at TJ Maxx, called Dwarf in the Drawer. I told Pearl how there are helpers hiding everywhere to catch you when you're bad, including Elf on the Shelf and Dwarf in the Drawer.

By this point, I was all over this "secret helper" thing and couldn't stop myself. I told her that she's always being watched- even when she's in the car...

...by Monk in the Trunk.

I told her how Elf and Dwarf and Monk all work for Santa and God and they report back to them when kids are naughty. She asked what Monk in the Trunk looked like. Eric joined in and described a baldish man with hair around the sides, wearing a brown robe, natch. You know, traditional Monk stylings.

She thought it sounded creepy, but I'm planning my retirement on this cash cow.

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Do you ever watch way too much of a television show marathon that the next day you can't stop thinking about the people on the island show and you find yourself wondering how they're doing and feeling bad for the woman who was told she has endometriosis, but then happy for her when she miraculously finds out she's pregnant, but then immediately feel sorry for yourself because that kind of hocus pocus bullshit magic only happens to other people or in fake ass television show marathons? Is Sun's baby Jin's? -Or is it the English teacher's? Why isn't everyone fighting to live in the hatch? Charlie's teeth are distracting me.

I watched LOST all day yesterday. I didn't get off the couch once, except to install a hair donut and make myself look "presentable." FYI: the inventors of the hair donut need to have a disclaimer on their product that lets all the people know you will have a floppy donut after laying on the couch for seven hours straight.

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Here are some photos from our Thanksgiving.

A pumpkin cheesecake from Trader Joe's

The BEST onion dip that's ever existed (and that I'm now addicted to, thanks to my in-laws)  

This caramel apple upside-down cake is the worth far more than the $6.99 we paid for at Whole Foods. I'd definitely pay at least $9.50. Actually, the outer crust of crispy, buttery caramel is worth the $9.50 just by itself. Really, it's REALLY good. Eric and I polished off the leftovers with coffee for breakfast.

Brownie bites that Pearl basically made on her own.  

My homemade sweet potato casserole (this recipe) was a hit! Growing up, I was never a fan of sweet potatoes. But this recipe turned me, forever. Thanks to my in-laws for this one too.

This Food Network recipe for cranberry sauce was something I tried on a whim and was very happy with. Again, I'm not usually a fan of the holiday cranberry stuff because it all seems overly sugary and brightly colored in a non-edible way. This recipe was super easy and smelled/tasted like holidays. I plan on making it again next year for sure, but I think I'll use a little less juice so it thickens up quicker. 

The dinner spread, complete with my signature burnt rolls. 

Paper table covers and paper placemats, courtesy of the Christmas section at Target. (Cloth was not budget approved.) The clean up was much easier. 

If this meal were a movie, it would be Gone in 60 Seconds 

This is where the magic happens: the dessert table. Cranberry fluff, pumpkin cheesecake, pumpkin pie, brownie bites, caramel apple upside-down cake, and ice cream.

Mom, lookin' good in the neighborhood! 

Note: I made sure to omit the shots where the exhaustion had arrived and my face was settled into Droopy Dog mode.

Hope you had a great Thanksgiving!

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Recipe: Jam Cookies.

Let me start off by saying I know this recipe should actually be called Jelly Cookies, but that didn't sound very appetizing. So I changed the name.

I was inspired to make these after trying some cookies at Eric's family's Christmas dinner. The host had little shortbread sandwiches with jam in the middle that were SO good. After learning they were Raspberry Galettes from Harry & David and realizing I'd have to wait 5 - 7 business days, I decided to mess around with my holiday cookie recipe for Sugared Cherry Jewels and see what I could come up with on my own. I figured it wouldn't be too far off and at the very least, I'd still get cookies.

JAM COOKIES

INGREDIENTS
1 cup butter, softened
1/2 cup sugar
1/3 cup light corn syrup
2 egg yolks
1/2 tsp almond extract
2.5 cups flour
Additional sugar, for coating
Raspberry jelly

DIRECTIONS
1. In a large bowl, cream sugar and butter until light and fluffy. Beat in corn syrup, egg yolks, and almond extract. Slowly add flour and until completely combined. Wrap dough in cling film and refrigerate for 60 minutes.

2. In a small bowl, use a fork or whisk to vigorously break up the jelly. Mix until it has a runny consistency, similar to egg yolk.

3. Roll dough into 1-inch balls. Roll balls in the additional sugar until coated. Place 2 inches apart on a parchment paper-lined cookie sheet. Make a thumb-size indent on each cookie. Fill each indent with a teaspoon of jelly.

4. Bake at 325 F (162 C) for 14 - 16 minutes. Cookies will stay light colored.

5. Put nine cookies on a plate, eat them, and then pretend it never happened.

NOTE
-I used to make these cookies with a slight variation: Use vanilla extract instead of almond, and use upside down maraschino cherry halves instead of jelly. Both variations are tasty and festive.

-Next time, I think I may try cherry jelly. Almond and cherry are goooood partners in crime.

-These cookies taste like shortbread, but they're not nearly as dry or crunchy. Soft sugar cookie consistency with a shortbread taste. And jelly, which gives it that old-fashioned homemade touch. Just like the cookies Grandma used to make. Not my Grandma though, she didn't make these. I'm just assuming your Grandma did.

Boner'ppetit!

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Christmas Was Already a Week Ago?

This holiday season seemed to zoom by quicker than any of the previous years. Before I knew it, the big day was here and gone. The family get-togethers were over. The gifts were opened and strewn about. And my jeans are now two sizes too small.


Here are some highlights from Christmas 2012.

My friend Kim and I spent a full day baking the hell out of all of the desserts below (and more).

Christmas 'Funfetti' Cupcakes

Eggnog Cookies

Oreo Balls

Candy Cane Pretzel Bark

Peanut Butter - Chocolate Fudge

Eric's family has a tradition in which everyone has to have at least a bite of fried oysters on Christmas Eve. The first year I tried a bite, but the consistency was too chewy and I politely dropped it in the trash can. The second year, I didn't even attempt it. This year, however, I not only had my bite, but I had four whole pieces. It was good! The key is in the coating. Make anything taste like fried chicken and it's hard to lose.

Fried oysters

Fresh loaf of herbed bread my sister made.

Italian platter appetizer

Christmas dinner

And some shots of things other than food.

My nephew, L.

Sister's dog, Charley

The star of the show, Mom

Me and my asparagus

My sister and brother-in-law. I'd like to add that we were going for cheezy with this photo. I think we succeeded.

The best Christmas ornament I've ever seen.

Mom trying out her new heating pad eye-mask.

Holiday paper

My brother-in-law

Our Christmas tree. And the 4 ft. vintage, inflatable reindeer behind it.

I talked Eric into letting me put silver tinsel on the tree this year. He wasn't a big fan and said it looked like the tree had hair. I can't really argue with him on that one. As a child, our trees always had tinsel on them, so it's kind of nostalgic for me. Do you put tinsel on your trees, or am I the only one?? 

Our tree topper

The holiday cards we received this year

My nephews playing with the new bow & arrow set. I look like I'm wearing a diaper.

Biscuit and her Christmas loot

Me and Eric

How did my holiday compare to yours? 

Hopefully, 2013 will bring more great food and family stuff. Oh. And I guess a job, too, although it will totally cut into my Judge Judy time.

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