As you all know, this is the best time of year!!! For religious and spiritual reasons, but also because we get to spend so much family time together!

I love to start Christmas festivities on Thanksgiving Day. While I am preparing the meal (most of which has been completed in the day or two prior), my daughters are decorating the Christmas tree and the entire house! The tree above is our 2022 Farmhouse Flocked tree (my daughter snow-sprayed everything not moving + her little sister and the dog!) The farmhouse is covered in pumpkins, gourds, pine, holly, pine cones, and lights!!! Simply beautiful ~

Of course, I've been Christmas shopping all year because I just love finding a great deal on a gist that my kids will love. Then, I start developing a menu. My kids want lots of the traditional meal, but I get a new item or two onto the table. Here is a helpful list for planning your holiday with family and friends.

In addition to the delicious food we will share, we also exchange traditional gifts on Christmas Eve while we enjoy our delicious Mexican recipes of  biscochos, champurrado, empanadas, and tamales. We play games, tell jokes, laugh, and simply love every moment. Then, we exchange gifts of books and pajamas ~ one of my favorite things to do is watch my kids open the books I have chosen for them each year. I do my best to find something they love and something that captures their new interests. I have a pretty good track record so far!

On Christmas Day, we wake up early and cannot wait to open gifts! Then, it's time for an:

Irish Breakfast: fried eggs, hash browns, grilled tomatoes and mushrooms, Irish bangers (sausage links), toast and fig marmalade ~ of course, plenty of coffee (maybe a bit too much whiskey in last night's festivities)!

I love to make snacks for the family to enjoy while playing this year's games ~ trivia, bingo, and (what I am most looking forward to) Yellowstone Monopoly! During the day, we all participate in the cooking. As you know, my son will prepare the turkey (no, he still has not shared his secret brine recipe!) while my daughters and I prepare the goose and ham. 

Snacks: Cranberry Pecan Cream Cheese & Crackers, Kimberley Biscuits (this one I buy on Amazon because we live in west Texas), Smoked Salmon & Marie Rose Sauce (I just love this!), and Melon (balls of cantaloupe and honey dew). Tasty!

Spirits: Jamie & Ginger is a traditional drink here (or maybe just in my house, either way...) I prefer Jameson Black Barrel and Canada Dry ginger ale in a highball glass of ice. For a more festive twist, I add a cinnamon stick and a splash of cranberry juice.

Dinner: Roast Goose with Pecan Stuffing & Apricot Chutney, Fried Turkey & Cranberry Salad, Peach Whiskey Glazed Ham, Goose Fat Roasted Potatoes, Green Bean Casserole, Irish Buttered Carrots, & Soda Bread ~ don't forget the Christmas Crackers!

Dessert: Irish Christmas Cake with Brandy Butter, Kimberley Biscuits, Mince Pies,
Irish Sherry Trifle & Irish Coffee

We hope you enjoy these recipes as much and we do, and from our family to yours ~ Merry Christmas~

I wait an entire year to have my son's amazing turkey (maybe this year he will share his secret brine recipe with us!) and to cook some of my favorite vintage and Irish recipes!

I love Thanksgiving ~ the meal is always amazing, but it's the time we get to spend with family that is priceless! The games, the conversations, the memories are all what we are so very grateful for ~ this and every year.

Here are some helpful tips ~ 1) begin purchasing your ingredients in October. If you wait to long, you might have to adjust your menu. 2) Make your deserts on Monday & Tuesday of Thanksgiving week. 3) Make your sides on Tuesday & Wednesday of Thanksgiving week. 4) Make your turkey (or meats) on Thursday morning.

Spreading out the work will allow more time in the kitchen with kids, and more time with family on Thursday. Plus, more time to rest rather than exhausting yourself on Thursday. *I am guilty of being the "momzilla" trying to make everything perfect. Fingers crossed that I will be more relaxed this year.

I hope you enjoy these recipes ~

Champurrado is one of the many delicious Mexican hot chocolate beverages. This is my favorite! Lots of markets sell a pre-made mix, but nothing is a good as homemade (and, your Mexican/Irish mother won't accept pre-made garbage in her house!)

Plus, it's super easy! Enjoy ~

This is not the traditional recipe... because I like this one WAAAAAAY better (mainly because, 1) I don't like rice; and 2) I prefer a more tomato-y soup base. This caldo is my son's favorite ~ he is anxious for Fall and Winter all year for me to finally make it!

This year (2022), I made it for our Yellowstone premier party ~ better than ever!!!

Try it and let us know what you think.

Chicken and Dumplings has always been one of my favorite dinners, and I am not a fan of hardly any kind of soup. This recipe is also one of the recipes that my gramma never typed or gave me. My kids ate several variations of chicken and dumplings until I finally figured out how to make my gramma's chicken & dumplings ~ enjoy!

I absolutely love this salad and I do not like broccoli (or hardly any green vegetables)! The secret here is the tang of Duke's mayo and apple cider vinegar. Add lots of red grapes, pecans, and crispy bacon ~ and you've got an adorable salad that is great at the cook-out, Bible study, even a Sunday dinner!

It's quick, easy, and super yummy! Enjoy!

These are my signature cookie! (yes, I just said that in a Steel Magnolia's / Julia Robert's voice)! LOL! But, as soon as you taste these cookies for Texas Heaven, you will understand!

Irish Butter + Chocolate Chips + Old Fashioned Oats + Texas PECANS!!! Oh My!!!

Quick ~ Easy ~ Scrumptious! Enjoy!

I think every recipe that we post is a family favorite... and this one is always on our monthly menu ~ because, yes, I plan everything! It drives my oldest daughter crazy but makes life easier while saving money ~ with the bonus of annoying my daughter.

Here is our version of super easy and crazy delicious Chicken Bog. I have always thought it a strange name for such a great dish. We heard a variety of stories about how this fantastic chicken dish came to be named "bog" ~ everything from being soggy rice and chicken to chicken bogged in rice. Whichever is the real story, this dish never disappoints! The secret is to cook the garlic, onions, and rice in chicken broth, then add the vegetables to the simmer. It's just heavenly!

*A more traditional version includes Parmesan cheese rind (boiled in the broth then removed when the rice is soft and crumbles when the dish is done) and for carrots only rather than mixed vegetables. Remember, if you use fresh carrots you will need to cook them a bit longer than frozen carrots. 

Dessert: Buttermilk Pie ~ because of it's lemony twang, buttermilk pie is  great way to finish this meal.

We hope you enjoy it as much as we do!

The best way to celebrate welcoming the New Year is with fun family traditions. Here is how we celebrate ~

• Make sure the house is spic-n-span by New Year's Eve.  We used Spic & Span cleaner when I was little. My gramma loved it, as well as Calgon bubble bath, and Geritol! Yes, she is one of a kind!
• We get delicious Chinese food from a local restaurant on New Year's Eve. The Chinese believe in lucky dishes that bring good luck for the new year, which is good enough for us! Plus, our local restaurant makes super delicious dishes! Here are China Highlights. We also make a fun dessert; this year, it's banana pudding, a family favorite. We also prepare lots of activities and games to keep the evening fun. Then, we toast the New Year with Martinelli's sparkling apple juice and some Jameson and Ginger Ale for the adults (ok, for me)!
  

On New Year's Day, we prepare a traditional Texas meal... which, of course, is deeply rooted in our Irish ways. Here is this year's menu:

• Snacks: Gramma's Deviled Eggs & Smoked Salmon with Marie Rose Sauce
• Corned Beef Brisket with Apricot Chutney, Texas Fried Cabbage ~ corned beef and cabbage made with carrots, potatoes, and onions for luck and abundance in the new year.
  
• Beef or pork is the meat of choice because these animals do not scratch in the dirt for their food, unlike chickens. Cabbage is light green, like paper money.
• Black Eyed Peas with Texas Caviar ~ black-eyed peas symbolize coins or wealth because they swell as they cook, symbolizing a swelling pocketbook.
• GOAT Macaroni & Cheese and Texas Sweet Skillet Cornbread ~ both are the color of gold, wishing for wealth in the new year.
• Doctored Lemon Bundt Cake ~ a cake in the shape of a ring symbolizes coming to a full circle, a reminder that every new beginning comes from some other beginning's end.

New Year Irish Traditions ~

• It's expected that your home will be spotless clean by New Year's Eve because a cleanly home is a prosperous home.
• Irish Christmas Soda Bread is made and then used to "knock" on the walls and doors to chase away bad luck and invite the good spirits in before the start of the new year.
  
• Just before midnight, open the front door to let the new year in and the back door to let the old year out. Opening the front door at midnight also allows you to greet your neighbors and wish them a Happy New Year!
• Set an extra place at the table for your family no longer with us.
• Your lucky and delicious dishes may make you want to stuff yourself silly; it's essential to be mindful of greed. Food left on your plate symbolizes a full icebox and a stocked pantry in the New Year.

I am having the most fun I can remember at Christmastime this year. I am fully embracing my Irish side ("um, it's just the good half," ~ Henry, Goodfellas).

We are going all out in celebration of our Irish heritage! We have decorated every room in the house and placed red holly berries on everything, for good luck in the next year. We created a traditional menu of meals to celebrate for several days, decorated the table in our family tartan, and of course, we have Irish Christmas Crackers! Honestly, I might be more excited than the kids!

A family celebration like this takes days to plan and requires a great deal of organization; at least for me, it does! Maybe this checklist will help you. Here is how it comes together for us:

The first week of December: 

1. Mail Christmas cards. Yes, it is more traditional ~ but, just think about how nice it makes your friends and family feel when they open an old-fashioned, handwritten note inside of a lovely card wishing them a beautiful holiday season!
2. Order specialty items. If you are preparing a more traditional meal, this is the time to order special items such as your Christmas goose and ham, and the goose fat for the roasted potatoes! Irish Christmas cakes are made in September, so ordering now is a must if you didn't make yours several weeks ago! We order ours because not all items can be found in local grocery stores. By the time you find all of the ingredients online, it really is more economic to just order the cake. Walkers makes a very nice cake (be sure to order the Brandy Butter) and mince pies. Here is a link: https://www.walkersshortbread.com/product/luxury-mince-pies/  And, don't forget the Jameson for the Irish coffee!
3. Seats and Vaccines. It's time to count tables and chairs to make sure everyone is comfy. You may want to express your COVID precautions so everyone can celebrate ongoing good health. If you have guests staying in your home, it's time to count the tables and chairs to ensure everyone is comfy. You might also want to prepare special toiletries for that extra special touch.

 
The second week of December:

1. Decorate your house on the 8th of December, on the day of the Feast of the Immaculate Conception. Widespread Irish suspicion says it's bad luck to decorate before the 8th, but I am always too anxious to wait... We begin decorating the day after Thanksgiving. There are Christmas decorations in every room and on everything standing!
2. Plan your menu. This step takes the longest for me because I love to read about the traditions behind every dish. I make a detailed menu to celebrate for days during the Christmas season.
3. Make your grocery list. Depending on where you live, you might have to visit a few stores or order online to find some of the traditional Irish ingredients, such as goose fat for roasted potatoes. 

The third week of December:

1. Another grocery store run. Double-check your grocery list, purchase any forgotten items and a few extra items you have added since your last menu revision. Remember the beverages!
2. Paper or China. Dishes don't need to match, and napkins don't need to be made of the finest linens. It's the time and the memories you share with loved ones that matter. And of course, great food and spirits!
3. Christmas music. Pandora has a fantastic (and free) "Chill Holiday Radio" that streams with only a few commercials. Because who doesn't love Dean Martin's, "Baby, it's cold outside!"

Christmas week:

1. Cooking. Now is the time to plan your cooking days. Make as many dishes in advance as possible and schedule what goes into the oven, when, and for how long. Remember, you want to serve the main dish as it comes out of the oven! And, you want to make the trifle within 6 hours of serving it. *Guests in-town can bring their sides and desserts. Just because you are hosting doesn't mean you should work so much that you are too tired to enjoy the day.
2. Cleaning. Of course, the house looks excellent, so a little spot dusting and vacuuming is something for the kids to take care of; or even the guests. We're family, right! 
3. Don't forget the ice!

Christmas Eve:

• We have a long-standing Christmas Eve tradition: a great dinner, chocolates, new PJs, personalized Christmas ornaments with their names engraved and the year, and the star of the show, an excellent new book! I have been doing this with my kids since they were born. I wash the pj's in advance so they can wear them right away. Along with their pj's, gift boxes contain their new ornament, chocolates, and new book. We enjoy a wonderful meal and read our books to each other. This year's chocolates are, of course, Cadbury Roses.

Christmas Day:

• Ultimately, the Irish celebrate Christmas much like everyone else ~ spending time with loved ones, gift-giving, and enjoying great food. Here are more Irish Christmas traditions and their histories: Irish Christmas Traditions