Christmas eve

Making sugar cookies for Santa.

Kandace and Janelle opening their Christmas pjs that Kandace had already ripped little holes in the wrapping paper about a week prior to because apparently she just couldn't help herself.  I stopped putting presents under the tree after that.  December is always hectic for me even though I start in November, I'm like the tortoise, steady and slow, here a little, there a little, but always doing stuff (shopping, baking, wrapping, etc.)  I always think I'll get it all done early in December and have the rest of the month to enjoy the season but I'm usually working up until the end.  We did mini creamy banana bread loafs to take the friends this year.  It was simple, easy and worked out really well.  One batch ended up making 5 little loaves, so we'd do a batch, deliver, wait a couple days, do another batch, deliver, and so on.  I don't love baking so I try to break it up.

Christmas Eve was nice.  We miss the traditional gnoccies at Grandma Asays and even tried to make them one year (well Michael did) and they were good but it made so much and so we've tried different things.  Last year we did a cafe rio copy cat recipe of sweet pork tacos, this year we did a pork loin roast with a caramelized sauce with seasoned potatoes, spinach salad, garlic bread and sparkling cider.  It was really good and it was a wonderful feeling to spend Christmas Eve with my family.  Michael spent 4 hours between Wed and Thur night putting together a doll house for Janelle in the freezing cold garage.  I sure love that guy.  He is a trooper.