I spent this afternoon decorating for Christmas. The white Christmas tree is up and placed within the large entry way from living room to dining room. I have white lights entwined with silver tinsel up and around the opening, with silver ornaments hanging down.
Also, I finally found a use for two of the beautiful saris Keith sent me from Iraq last year on my birthday. The silver spangled blue one is under the Christmas tree and the gold embroidered red one is being used as a runner for the dining room table.
It looks very nice, but every room is missing window treatments, which are waiting on the sewing machine, which is waiting on fabric, which is waiting on me.
In the meantime, several members of Keith's family are coming down to visit tomorrow. They will arrive in the late afternoon and stay the night, leaving on Sunday morning. This provides proper incentive to finish up all the unpacking.
I plan to cook the same very easy and yet really delicious ham and potato casserole that I made for Keith last week out of left over ham. I also have a roast and some pork loin fillets in case I change my mind and want to cook something else.
After having spent so much time in other people's houses, I am eager to return the favor and be the hostess for a change. I'll be washing all the sheets and leaving towels and soaps out tonight, tomorrow I will start cooking. Maybe I will make some cookies or a cake or banana bread or something, just to keep busy.
It seems as though Keith's side of the family is coming to our house for their Christmas celebration as well, later on this month. I'm looking forward to this as well and have already done some menu choices.
I like roast pork loin, I found one with an easy cranberry glaze that I like. Pepperoni stuffed mushrooms seem like a good starter, along with cheese and crackers or something easy like that. That's as far as I've gotten, I can't decide on what side dishes. I could do something really easy like broccoli with cheese sauce or a butternut squash bake. Or just twice baked potatoes, or green beans.
Or a salad, I could do a pear walnut salad with blue cheese and a vinaigrette dressing. Or, instead of salad, I could do a soup, like pumpkin or creamy spinach soup. I've always wanted to try one of those.
Actually, I think I did try pumpkin soup a long time ago, in my early twenties. I was working as a waitress in a Chinese restaurant and wanted to cook a genuine New England meal for the owner and cooks, in return for the turtle soup and stewed duck's feet and the like that they offered me on the nights I worked. If I recall correctly, the pumpkin soup was impressive only in the amount of mess it left in my kitchen. It was also my first and last attempt at Boiled Dinner.
Anyway, I doubt I'll make either a soup or a salad. When it comes right down to it, I'll be nervous and distracted and so I should prepare in advance and just keep the menu simple stupid and remember that the side dishes must be cooked at either the temp of the roast or on the stove top.
We don't know for sure yet what will happen, but it would be fun to host Christmas.
Keith got his hair cut today. He's so cute when he's up there, draped and sitting patiently. He got his hair cut "high and tight" as they say in the good ol' Army and with his beard shaved, he looks like the soldier he is. He'll head off in ACUs on Monday morning to officially sign in at his new post and the transition will be complete.
Last night he nearly drove me crazy. If there had been a frying pan handy, I'm not sure I could have restrained myself. He insists that he does not snore. He insists this. I don't know why this annoys me as much as it does, but it really does.
"I don't snore, honey," he'll say, ever so sweetly.
"You snore!" I'll snap back at him.
"No, honey, I really don't..."
Or, he'll come at the issue from the angle of being able to stop his own snoring.
"Don't worry, kitty, I won't snore tonight. I promise."
"You can't control your own snoring. You're asleep. It's impossible." Exasperation.
"I can, sweetie. I give you my word, I won't snore..."
The point of all this is to prevent me from wearing my ear plugs and that's just not going to happen.
And anyway, two minutes later he's dead asleep and snoring. And me? I'll be putting in my ear plugs.
