My brother actually got mum to go see Star Wars with him, since I refuse to see it again. I don't think she's been in a movie theatre for quite a few years. She's partly deaf, and has mobility issues and finds the seats very uncomfortable. We'll usually do a Marvel movie or other blockbuster DVD catchup over Christmas. This year, it'll be Ant Man.

We're breaking away from having turkey for Xmas dinner for the very first time. I'm going to try my hand at a Beef Wellington, along with roast potatoes and Yorkshire Pudding. And since my brother doesn't eat beef, going to have crab and a lemon risotto as well. Then cranberry pecan pie with honey cranberry sauce for dessert. I think the urge to mix it up stems from this being the first Christmas since my father died. It's distracting to do different things.

I've been experimenting with sourdough, and made sourdough pizza dough last night. The sauce was crushed tomatoes with homemade meatballs and Parmesan and Asiago cheese. Turned out really nice, though I wasn't entirely happy with the crust. Must tinker a bit. Today, I have sourdough bread dough rising. Since it's yeast free, I've been told it can take many hours to rise. Hopefully before I go to bed though!

And I saw this on Facebook: How Ken Burns would tell the story of 'Star Wars'



https://www.washingtonpost.com/video/editorial/how-ken-burns-would-tell-the-story-of-star-wars/2015/12/18/2ed8ccaa-a5a4-11e5-8318-bd8caed8c588_video.html

Cracked me up.

Nin and I decided to be spontaneous and take a quick weekend trip to Park City. All the time we've lived here, we've never been. We left early Saturday morning and came back yesterday. We had a terrific time, and will definitely go back. We stayed up at the ski area, and being between winter and summer, it was very quiet. It was in the mid 60s, about 30 degrees cooler than here, but it was still warm enough for a dip in the pool amongst the mountain tops and aspens. We had some terrific drinks at the High West Whiskey Distillery and some tasty small plates and bar bites. Thinking it would be a great place to celebrate my birthday in July, seeing as it's supposedly one of those milestone ones. Though I'm still in complete denial over that.

Glenn bought me a bag of Crio Bru a few weeks back, and it's so good!! It's from a local Utah company, so we can buy it in the grocery store locally. It's roasted cocoa beans ground like coffee, so you get a chocolate coffee sort of hot beverage. I'm not much of a coffee drinker, so this is a nice change from my usual tea. And cocoa is full of things good for you, so bonus! It's pricey, so definitely a treat for me, but could see drinking it every day.

Turkey is out of the oven and resting. It's a 20 pounder, + stuffed, that I've been lifting all about. Glenn has a stomach bug, so is AWOL. It was mum who was sicker than a dog last Xmas :( Finished serving the Camarones Rellenos appetizer to hold everyone over till actual dinner. Taking a break before I start on the gravy. Very glad I did the mashed taters yesterday, so only need to reheat. Of course, by the time dinner's ready, I'll have little interest in eating - just tasting and smelling is enough to fill me up on the holidays. But hopefully, everyone else will enjoy it!

After I got the turkey in, I made biegnets. Never made em before, but they were pretty simple. Made the dough last night, let it rise once, then put it in the fridge over night. They were yummy! Nin captured the remains here.

The storm veered more towards the Grand Canyon, and all we're getting is a few showers, plus it warmed up. No snow for me. There is snow on the mesas and mountains around us, so that at least is pretty to see.

We decided to risk putting up a tree inside for the first time since we got the Bengal kitties, as they're teenagers now, and a little less wild, and they're being angels! Though I'm inclined to think they're lulling us into a false sense of security :D

Food for tonight is partway done. The mince pies I made yesterday were a huge hit, so am going to make some more since the dozen I made are nearly gone. Nin wants me to make pumpkin cinnamon rolls for tomorrow morning, so need to find the recipe. At least that'll get me up early enough to get the turkey in at a fairly early hour. I'm doing the one I did last year in BBQ, Michael Symon's Cider Lager turkey. It's the first time that a turkey that was not done in our usual received full approval for a redo.

Looking forward to the guessing post for hlh_shortcuts - it's always amusing to see what story people think I wrote. But there still two days of posting to go, so I'll be patient!

I'm trying a new mince pies recipe. I'm not normally fond of mince in too concentrated a form, but the rest of my family love mince pie. The recipe had fresh tangerines and zest and apples in it, so I'm hoping the extra fruit will dilute the mince a wee bit. I'm also thinking of making a homemade Christmas pudding this year. I've never had a homemade one, only those little ones they import from the UK.

And snow! We may have a white Xmas, or at least Xmas Eve. There's a big Pacific storm heading towards us, and depending on timing and how far the temperature drops, we have a good chance for some more snow. It's been years and years since I've had snow at Christmas, so keeping my fingers crossed! For once, no one in my family is working on Christmas Day itself, and though Nin works on the eve, she works close to home, unlike the rest of us. I also decided to take Christmas Eve and Boxing Day off this year, so the long long weekend will be very nice.

And the best thing? We have a freaking oven this year! No having to try and cook a turkey in the BBQ out in the cold like last year.

I posted this as part of Twelve Days of the Avengers, and thought I'd share it here.

For Day Two of The Twelve Days of the Avengers is a recipe. Two Xmas's back, I wrote a short story called String of Pearls, where Nick Fury plays Santa Clause, and there was Christmas dinner. Even if it never makes the actual story, I always mentally plan the menu - yeah, I'm weird. One of the desserts was a Yule Log, and here's a recipe.



( Recipe below... )

I was on the BBC food website, looking for a recipe from the Great British Bake Off Christmas episode, and came across a recipe called 'Raw Salsa'. The 'raw' bit drew my attention, I've never seen salsa referred to as raw before. Looking at the recipe, it looks similar to what what we'd call Pico de Gallo. I guess I consider all the salsas I make as raw, even the ones where I smoke the vegetables first, like my habanero salsa. Do you guys categorize some salsa as cooked then? I'm always curious about these little differences when I come across them!

Nin's work Xmas party always has one of those round robin gift exchange things. Last year, my offering was a Lodge cast iron skillet - useful, and under the $20 limit. This year, I decided to do some sort of DVD, and while perusing Amazon, I found Highlander: Best of the Best (Ultimate Collection ) for $11! Score! So that's going to be my gift this year. I can share the Highlander love :D I love Amazon's super-dooper sales!

Now comes the hard part: deciding what dish I'm bringing, or two. I found a recipe for a focaccia with caramelized onions, pears and blue cheese that's a possibility. Also thinking of making spanikopita. Or maybe leek and Gruyere tarts....

Still haven't made a decision on the Highlander fic exchange - and today's the deadline. I think I feel very topsy turvy and worry about committing to anything. ARGH!

In other news, during our walk down to the canyon this morning, I got bit by a fire ant on the top of my foot. It's still burning. This seems to be a month of bug and bites!

Greek dip night tonight. I've made tzatziki, skordalia, baba ganoush, and two kinds of hummus. And for some reason the eggplant made my hands itch and burn. Must be slightly allergic.

Still haven't made a decision on the Highlander fic exchange - and today's the deadline. I think I feel very topsy turvy and worry about committing to anything. ARGH!

In other news, during our walk down to the canyon this morning, I got bit by a fire ant on the top of my foot. It's still burning. This seems to be a month of bug and bites!

Greek dip night tonight. I've made tzatziki, skordalia, baba ganoush, and two kinds of hummus. And for some reason the eggplant made my hands itch and burn. Must be slightly allergic.

valiha asked for my Navajo Taco recipe, so here goes!

First off, the meat topping/filling. I've used ground beef, turkey, and this time, pork. You could also just use beans.

1 pound ground meat
Tin of pinto beans undrained (I have also started with dried beans cooked into pot beans to use on occasion.)
Small onion chopped
2 cloves garlic chopped fine
Some sort of pepper chopped fine (this is optional, it and the garlic my own additions to the recipe. I used a dried guajillo chili this time. Soaked it on hot water to soften, removed seeds, chopped super fine.)
Salt, pepper, spices (I use Mexican Oregano, Cumin, Chipotle powder, chile powder)

Brown the onion in cooking oil till brown, add the garlic, cook a little more, add the meat to brown, put in your spices, salt and pepper. Add the beans with the liquid, your chopped chili if you're using one. Simmer till beans are soft, and tinker with it till you like the flavour.

The Fry Bread: here's a link with a bunch of recipes. I like the 'old fashioned' one best, but have also used one with yeast. The Navajo lady I got my recipe from suggests using lard to cook the fry bread for best results. This last time I used half lard, half canola oil in a large cast iron frying pan.

Toppings: shredded lettuce, shredded cheese, sour cream, guacamole, diced tomatoes, and anything else you think would be good. I also used my green chili relish and chipotle aioli this time.

Take the warm meat and bean mixture and put it on top of the fry bread, add desired toppings, eat. You can either eat it flat, or fold it over like a taco.

valiha asked for my Navajo Taco recipe, so here goes!

First off, the meat topping/filling. I've used ground beef, turkey, and this time, pork. You could also just use beans.

1 pound ground meat
Tin of pinto beans undrained (I have also started with dried beans cooked into pot beans to use on occasion.)
Small onion chopped
2 cloves garlic chopped fine
Some sort of pepper chopped fine (this is optional, it and the garlic my own additions to the recipe. I used a dried guajillo chili this time. Soaked it on hot water to soften, removed seeds, chopped super fine.)
Salt, pepper, spices (I use Mexican Oregano, Cumin, Chipotle powder, chile powder)

Brown the onion in cooking oil till brown, add the garlic, cook a little more, add the meat to brown, put in your spices, salt and pepper. Add the beans with the liquid, your chopped chili if you're using one. Simmer till beans are soft, and tinker with it till you like the flavour.

The Fry Bread: here's a link with a bunch of recipes. I like the 'old fashioned' one best, but have also used one with yeast. The Navajo lady I got my recipe from suggests using lard to cook the fry bread for best results. This last time I used half lard, half canola oil in a large cast iron frying pan.

Toppings: shredded lettuce, shredded cheese, sour cream, guacamole, diced tomatoes, and anything else you think would be good. I also used my green chili relish and chipotle aioli this time.

Take the warm meat and bean mixture and put it on top of the fry bread, add desired toppings, eat. You can either eat it flat, or fold it over like a taco.

Got my hl_chronicles story done - will post here in a bit.

Last night, we watched the DVDs from the last VividCon, and wow, there were a lot of good ones! We started out the day going for a walk, down into the canyon at the end of our street to Confluence Park. Now, until recently 'park' was a bit of an overstatement. Mostly an overgrown, often washed out, path. But I guess the town got a grant and there have been huge improvements. There are trail head markers now, the trails are actual trails, and they've put in toilets (which aren't open yet) in the soon to come picnic area. We just need to wait for it to get a wee bit cooler before we attempt our next walk.

Today, I promised to make Navajo tacos. I love em, but making the fry bread is a lot of work. Going to use the burner on the gas grill outside this time, for less oily smell in the house.

Got my hl_chronicles story done - will post here in a bit.

Last night, we watched the DVDs from the last VividCon, and wow, there were a lot of good ones! We started out the day going for a walk, down into the canyon at the end of our street to Confluence Park. Now, until recently 'park' was a bit of an overstatement. Mostly an overgrown, often washed out, path. But I guess the town got a grant and there have been huge improvements. There are trail head markers now, the trails are actual trails, and they've put in toilets (which aren't open yet) in the soon to come picnic area. We just need to wait for it to get a wee bit cooler before we attempt our next walk.

Today, I promised to make Navajo tacos. I love em, but making the fry bread is a lot of work. Going to use the burner on the gas grill outside this time, for less oily smell in the house.

Got my hl_chronicles story done - will post here in a bit.

Last night, we watched the DVDs from the last VividCon, and wow, there were a lot of good ones! We started out the day going for a walk, down into the canyon at the end of our street to Confluence Park. Now, until recently 'park' was a bit of an overstatement. Mostly an overgrown, often washed out, path. But I guess the town got a grant and there have been huge improvements. There are trail head markers now, the trails are actual trails, and they've put in toilets (which aren't open yet) in the soon to come picnic area. We just need to wait for it to get a wee bit cooler before we attempt our next walk.

Today, I promised to make Navajo tacos. I love em, but making the fry bread is a lot of work. Going to use the burner on the gas grill outside this time, for less oily smell in the house.

ninjababe and I finally went to a Cedar City Wine Club event. and we even talked to people!! Scary and strange, I know. It was held at the Iron Gate B&B, which is a lovely property. I now have a lodging recommendation for visitors in the area. And the occasion this time was the opening of the Iron Gate Winery - only one in the area. You have to go to Moab for the next one. I'd found out about the club via a Twitter followee, Larry the Wine Guy - another former Californian. It was nice putting a real face to the Twitter handle!

It's a nice setup - you bring a bottle of wine, and food to share. I tried something new, as our pears were just ready to be picked, and did a caramelized pear & sage crostini, with my own added touch of a little homemade pear liqueur in the pot whilst cooking. It came out quite nicely, if i do say so myself! And not just me - it got polished off. I'm always nervous bringing food, so I'm glad it turned out well.

This morning, I woke up with a crappy head cold, so am miserable. At least it held off till today.

ninjababe and I finally went to a Cedar City Wine Club event. and we even talked to people!! Scary and strange, I know. It was held at the Iron Gate B&B, which is a lovely property. I now have a lodging recommendation for visitors in the area. And the occasion this time was the opening of the Iron Gate Winery - only one in the area. You have to go to Moab for the next one. I'd found out about the club via a Twitter followee, Larry the Wine Guy - another former Californian. It was nice putting a real face to the Twitter handle!

It's a nice setup - you bring a bottle of wine, and food to share. I tried something new, as our pears were just ready to be picked, and did a caramelized pear & sage crostini, with my own added touch of a little homemade pear liqueur in the pot whilst cooking. It came out quite nicely, if i do say so myself! And not just me - it got polished off. I'm always nervous bringing food, so I'm glad it turned out well.

This morning, I woke up with a crappy head cold, so am miserable. At least it held off till today.

ninjababe and I finally went to a Cedar City Wine Club event. and we even talked to people!! Scary and strange, I know. It was held at the Iron Gate B&B, which is a lovely property. I now have a lodging recommendation for visitors in the area. And the occasion this time was the opening of the Iron Gate Winery - only one in the area. You have to go to Moab for the next one. I'd found out about the club via a Twitter followee, Larry the Wine Guy - another former Californian. It was nice putting a real face to the Twitter handle!

It's a nice setup - you bring a bottle of wine, and food to share. I tried something new, as our pears were just ready to be picked, and did a caramelized pear & sage crostini, with my own added touch of a little homemade pear liqueur in the pot whilst cooking. It came out quite nicely, if i do say so myself! And not just me - it got polished off. I'm always nervous bringing food, so I'm glad it turned out well.

This morning, I woke up with a crappy head cold, so am miserable. At least it held off till today.