Traditionally Speaking...

We are off to Whole Foods early this morning to hunt and gather Christmas dinner. We are opting for little bites for tomorrow. Little skewers of beef, cold garlicky shrimp with a homemade sauce, crab and avocado something, a cheesy dip and baby kale salad.

This is the Five Ingredient Garlic Roasted Shrimp Cocktail from Fine Cooking.


Mmmm...sounds good! A very Christmassy chocolate cake for dessert. I am making that later today. Lucy and I have to stay upstairs while Den wraps his presents...actually my presents...Santa already has Den and Lucy's gifts wrapped and under the tree! My Santa likes to be on top of things...Den's Santa is more last minute plus I have to get all of his wrapping stuff ready for him...sigh! Tomorrow morning we will drive to a lovely old church for early Mass...then come home to bagels and smoked salmon and champagne. We toast our family and dear ones and slowly open presents. If we are at home...and lately we have been...we stay in jammies and try to make the day last as long as we can. We call our brothers and sisters and have a relaxing bittersweet day. I am used to being an orphan now but it's still sometimes sad.

We have a movie of one past Christmas when we surprised my mom and dad and it was just the four of us at home on Christmas morning. We had tons of wrapped stocking stuffers for them...we sat around the tree with Lucy diving for ribbons as they opened them...laughing and talking...I haven't watched that in a while...maybe never...actually...but I think I want to tomorrow...I sort of need to see them as more than just my memories. Sigh!




We either go out to Christmas Eve lunch or dinner. This year it's dinner. If we stay home I like to do a version of my mom's Italian five fishes which usually means clams and linguini. If we go out we have a fishy starter. Our restaurant tonight actually offers a five fish dinner option but I am not in love with every fish so I am sticking with my one fish! One nice safe fish!


Dinner is here...it's a cool local place in an old old building. Getting dressed up, having a big old martini along with my one fish starter and my little filet! Merry Christmas!






Happy Christmas Eve Day! Stay safe...be good...dream of Santa! Have the best day ever tomorrow!