christmas dinner

Happy Christmas to all, and to all a good night! 
                                                          - Clement Moore

Every family that celebrates Christmas has some sort of tradition, I'm sure. In my family, that involves going to the candlelight service at church, followed by a Christmas dinner of oyster stew, then the opening of gifts with a hot mug of cranberry tea in hand. This year was no exception. The only thing that's changed over time is who makes the stew - a job that's fallen to my grandpa, brother and I as my grandma is in a nursing home. 


The recipe, like many of my grandparents', is simple and less a matter of exact measurements than taste. I kind of like that approach to cooking; it allows for variations based on what (and who) is in the kitchen. The only constant is good food on the table and a happy family.

holiday brekkie

“Hallo! Whoop! How are you! Merry Christmas!” 
                                                       - Ebenezer Scrooge 

I woke up this morning at a lovely late hour in the mood for a good breakfast. Then I realised it's Christmas Eve, and I especially wanted something nice. Lucky for me, I had on hand half a loaf of thick-sliced honey wheat bread and just enough bacon to feed my brother and me. French toast and bacon it was!

the perfect peanut butter cookie

If you can't control your peanut butter, you can't expect to control your life. - Bill Watterson


Peanut butter is practically the love of my life. It's seriously a magical food: sweet, salty, creamy, crunchy... I've used peanut butter in everything from cookies to soup. An obvious sandwich spread, I love peanut butter paired with jam, Nutella, or bananas (I call that last one a PB² sandwich. Yup, I'm a geek). I stir it into my ramen to add protein and flavour. And I make a killer peanut sauce that's perfect with Vietnamese spring rolls. Then there is, of course, the classic jar-and-spoon approach (talk about a really fast and portable breakfast... I've definitely taken a jar of peanut butter with me to an early class on more than one occasion).  Funny story: my brother and I used to make 'dessert mashed potatoes' by pouring honey over spoonfuls of peanut butter in a bowl. However overly sweet and ridiculous that sounds now, let me tell you... we enjoyed it immensely.

a few of my favourite things

When I'm feeling sad, I simply remember my favourite things, and then I don't feel so bad. - “My Favourite Things”

Long before I knew “Black Friday” existed with its over-hyped deals and rabid shoppers, I looked forward to the day after Thanksgiving with an inordinate amount of excitement for one reason: all things Christmas were officially allowed. House rules declared that nothing Christmas-related could be displayed or indulged until “after Thanksgiving,” and given my penchant for technicalities, I lay in wait for 12 am Friday to strike just so I could listen to Mannheim Steamroller.