We had a turkey dinner on Saturday afternoon around 2:30 pm so that we could be done in time to go see the movie, "The Adventures of Tin Tin" at The Orchard AMC. The dinner was fabulous and began as it usually seems to with one of my daughters spilling their drink. The red plastic goblets are now in the recycyling--too easy to tip over--so maybe we've put a stop to that tradition. Our red tablecloth was quickly removed, but hey, it was good for soaking up the liquid.
I made these spinach artichoke puffs from phyllo dough--my first foray into the phyllo world--and beside the fact that my children didn't find them palatable, they were pretty good. Definitely better warm from the oven.
Growing up, these Christmas Crackers (or poppers) were a family tradition. They "pop" when you pull them apart and are filled with a little treat, a joke, and a tissue paper crown. I also remember from Christmas Eves growing up how fast those little crowns came off our heads if any one happened to knock on the door.
I suppose, almost as exciting as Christmas morning, is the moment when I let my girls bring up all the wrapped presents from the basement. I used to keep them in the game closet until Christmas Eve because little ones couldn't be trusted around them; now I do it because, well, it is tradition. For the weeks up to Christmas, my girls sort through the packages as I wrap, they are sure to tell me if one child has more than another, and they try to guess what might be hidden inside.
This year, I learned that big packages are the best, even if what is inside isn't as big. In years past, I've learned that you have to keep it equal--they keep track, and clothes aren't that exciting.
We pulled a great one over on Amy. I had wrapped a present for her and put on it "From: The best parents in the world". She had an inkling of what might be inside. While Chris was tidying up in the basement, I went down and asked him to wrap the present in a bigger box. As she and her sisters brought the presents upstairs, she kept looking for this present. It was nowhere to be found and she was stumped. Pretty funny to watch.