The comfy Christmas/winter thread, A thread to share your Christmas recipes, experiences, etc Options

[King Of Beasts]

If you've got some Christmas/winter traditions, recipes, styles, etc that you'd like to share, post them here

'Tis the season!

[haute ecole rider]

Oooh, oooh, got one!

Every year for the past 25 years, I've made my grandmother's cheese ravioli for Christmas dinner. Mom's meatballs that literally melt in your mouth and hot Italian sausage in a rich marinara sauce and lots of Parmesan. A good red. What more could anyone want for Christmas?

[TheCheshireKhajiit]

Fond memories, lets see. Most of Khajiit's fond Christmas memories comes from pre-2002 years, before his parents got divorced. We would get together on Christmas Eve at grandma's (Da's side as Ma has no more living family members besides Khajiit and his younger sister) house, eat a nice dinner, and exchange gifts with Da's ma, sister, and nephew, and then Khajiit, his Ma and Da, and little sister would go back home. On Christmas Day we'd wake up early and exchange our gifts after a breakfast of sweet rolls! Later Da's folks would come over and stay till after dinner. Good times, lost to the past. *sad smile*

This post has been edited by TheCheshireKhajiit: Dec 6 2016, 07:24 AM

[mirocu]

One Christmas tradition I have is to watch Mr Bean celebrating it. Love how he slams the door on the children caroling outside when they´re done





This post has been edited by mirocu: Dec 8 2016, 10:42 PM

[mirocu]

This year´s Christmas tree has been selected. Well, actually I have two candidates, both equally good and both growing next to roads so they have to come down eventually anyway.


The supplies for the tree are already out and ready. Have some glitter and stuff from when I was a kid actually. The very same stuff

[mALX]

*

It's getting very cold in Tennessee






Time to go out and select a tree







Bring it in and start decorating






Bringing presents to you







You bringing presents for me







(cause I've been really good, you see...)








A warm hat








Or nuts is all I need









And maybe I'll go Caroling!







I hope ya'all's Christmas is great this year









Filled with love and Holiday Cheer!









Merry Christmas to Chorrol, and Happy New Year!

*

[mirocu]

Wow, that was very, very good, mALX!

[mALX]

Wow, that was very, very good, mALX!

Thanks! Merry Christmas, Mirocu!

[Acadian]

What a thoughtful and beautiful Christmas greeting, mALX! Merry Christmas to you, dear friend.

[Dark Reaper]

My Christmas tradition is donating Toys at Toys"R"Us for Toys for Tots, this year some lucky kids are going to get a bucket of army figures and ponies.

This post has been edited by Dark Reaper: Dec 10 2016, 06:31 AM

[mALX]

What a thoughtful and beautiful Christmas greeting, mALX! Merry Christmas to you, dear friend.

See what happens when you leave here for the day? I am forced to write bad poetry!


Merry Christmas, Acadian !!!!






This post has been edited by mALX: Dec 10 2016, 12:31 AM

[TheCheshireKhajiit]

Yay Christmas squirrel!

[mALX]

Yay Christmas squirrel!

Merry Christmas CheshireKhajiit !!!!

[TheCheshireKhajiit]

Yay Christmas squirrel!

Merry Christmas CheshireKhajiit !!!!

Same to you mALX! Hope yours is holly-jolly (that's like 20x more than just regular jolly!)

[mALX]

My Christmas tradition is donating Toys at Toys"R"Us for Toys for Tots, this year some luck kids are going to get a bucket of army figures and ponies.

That is really nice!

[Jacki Dice]

We'll be making nacatamals (Nicaraguan tamales) this year properly, instead of trying to fuse them with pasteles (Puerto Rican tamales).

Our tradition from my dad's side is to start prepping the meal on the 22nd or 23rd. We spend the day making pasteles and those who like rum have rum and cokes. Then we have the big meal on Christmas Eve and we open presents at midnight.

Then for mom's side is to have another big meal on Christmas Day. It's pretty much Thanksgiving Part II.

My favorite thing to make is coquito. I think I may have mentioned it before in another thread. It's like egg nog, but with coconut and the alcohol in it is run instead of bourbon or whatever goes in egg nog.

[haute ecole rider]

@Jacki Dice: could you please tell me the difference between nacatamals vs. pasteles?

One of my co-workers is Guatemalan and her tamales (I don't remember the proper term now) were delicious!

I think I'd take my eggnog with some of that Laphroaig triple wood . . .

[Dark Reaper]

That is really nice!

Thanks .

[Jacki Dice]

Oh sure!

It seems like every Latin American country makes them differently, so both of them are probably a little different than Guatemalan tamales.

Pasteles are made with a masa (which is the mealy-"dough" mixture) made with yautia root (no idea what it's called in English), large plantains, and potatoes mixed together with achiote oil, for color. It's filled with pork, ham cubes, olives, garbanzo beans, and a pimiento. The masa is laid on a banana leaf, then you add the filler and then fold the banana leaf and boil them for 4 to 5 hours.

Nacatamals are made with corn masa, like Mexican tamales, though the ingredients are slightly different. For example, the achiote is made into a paste, rather than an oil. It's filled with pork as well, and also mint, tomatoes, potatoes, and occasionally raisins. I've never had it with raisins and I don't think I will. Then you wrap them in a banana leaf and steam it for a few hours. They're very good with some cheese on top, but that's not exactly traditional

Another difference is that pasteles are a Christmas tradition. They take way too long to make any old time. But Nacatamals are eaten for Sunday's breakfast in Nicaragua.

[TheCheshireKhajiit]

Nacatamals are made with corn masa, like Mexican tamales, though the ingredients are slightly different. For example, the achiote is made into a paste, rather than an oil. It's filled with pork as well, and also mint, tomatoes, potatoes, and occasionally raisins. I've never had it with raisins and I don't think I will. Then you wrap them in a banana leaf and steam it for a few hours. They're very good with some cheese on top, but that's not exactly traditional

That sounds really good! Like you, Khajiit would not want to try the one with raisins, as he is not a fan of raisins.