Saturday, December 22, 2007

I started off today running. I got up at 6 am (on a Saturday!!) to shower and take Kate to work. Since I was up, I decided to go shopping and by 7:15 I was in Lowe's (a home improvement store) and 7:45 I was in Home Depot and by 8 I was in Pathmark to do the grocery shopping. I stopped by the liquor store for rum for the egg nog and some beer for Pk and was home by 9:15 A.M. After we unloaded the groceries, I put the perishables away and sat and played on the computer for a bit. I needed a little rest. The house got cleaned and all the presents are now wrapped and the laundry is done. I have decided to give myself a present. I am taking all of Pk's dress shirts to the laundry and letting them iron them. I hate to iron and I don't want to spend any of my precious vacation time ironing shirts. There are about 10 dress shirts to be done so I figure it will be money well spent.


For the first time in years, and I mean Years, I had help wrapping the presents. No, not Calvin, although he helped by holding down the paper and ribbon for me. Peter Kevin wrapped 6, count'em 6 presents! I was just so glad to have some help (because I do all the shopping and wrapping for everyone) that I didn't say anything as he carefully cut each piece of paper as if it were fine, expensive linen- filled paper instead of wood pulp that will be torn and thrown away, and made elaborate bows out of ribbons. I cut and taped and attached tags. I left off the bows because they have a habit of fallling off and I was too tired to tie ribbon around everything. I have been having some trouble with energy levels this year. I just had some blood work done and everything looks normal but I have been so tired. I think it's because of extra stuff at work and I hope this week off will let me rest (once this holiday-thing is done!).
I still have not baked a single cookie. That is on tomorrow's agenda. I have a manicure/pedicure appointment (a well deserved gift to myself!) and then I will spend the next two days baking. I usually bake 6 or 7 different kinds of cookies with one new one each year. I haven't made the egg nogg yet and that is one of my favorite things. It is a recipe for coquina or coquito, I have heard it pronounced both ways. Several years ago, I bowled on a team with three folks from Puerto Rico. They shared some of this amazing drink with me and I have made it ever since. Here is the recipe:
3 cans of evaporated milk
1 can sweetened condensed milk
3 cans cream of coconut
5 egg yolks
vanilla ( to taste)
Rum
Mix the cans of milk and cream of coconut in a blender till well blended. Cream of coconut is thick and very sticky. Unless you have a mondo blender, this will take two or three batches.
Put the mixture into a large pot and whisk in the egg yolks.
Bring to a simmer and cook for only a few minutes or the eggs will curdle.
Let it cool and add vanilla and rum to taste.
This makes about 3 quarts of egg nogg.
Sometimes I thin it down with some half and half but it is so good. If I start drinking it, there will be some very interesting cookies made tomorrow! I am looking forward, finally, to baking cookies and of course the babka we have every year. Babka is a polish raisin bread that we only have for Christmas and Easter. It is Pk's mother's recipe and it is delicious. It's what we eat while we open presents. Usually I have to make two because one disappears so quickly.
There has been no knitting today. I have arthritis in my hands and for some reason, maybe the cold, damp weather, my hands hurt. The ibuprofen is finally kicking in but I am glad we finished the scarf and mittens and puppet for my niece. Now, I can go back to working on my snowflake socks and finish them. I want to use a similar pattern to make a pair of mittens for me. I think the pattern on the socks will translate nicely to a pair of mittens. I plan to spend some quality time this week with the needles.
It's only ten o'clock but I am fading fast. Just think only 3 more days....well, more like 2 days and a little bit. I think I'm getting excited.

9 comments:

Sheepish Annie said...

It's amazing how much of the Christmas spirit you feel once things start to get done! I actually went out and did a little extra shopping today and didn't mind it one little bit!

But, I still haven't wrapped any presents yet. You are waaaaay ahead of the game. Enjoy that mani/pedi!

Bezzie said...

Mmm..I love those productive days!

amy said...

Merry Christmas to you & your family! We had quite a long list today, but we got through almost all of it, including chipping all the ice off the driveway. Tomorrow I start cooking. I, too, am looking forward to the time after the busy-ness. Enjoy! And I hope your hands feel better soon.

Rose Red said...

Mani/pedi - what a great gift to yourself! Doesn't it make a difference when you get up early and do things straight away (instead of getting stuck into bloglines, which is what I often do on weekend mornings!!).
Baking and eggnog sounds like a perfect match!!

Mistrmi said...

Love those days when you've gotten so much done before 10!!

Hope you're even more excited, and rested, now. MERRY, MERRY!!

roxie said...

Everything is bettter with a kitty in it. Calvin is obviously an experienced assistant. And kisses to a man who will actually wrap a present. Hooray for him!! Hooray for you!

(I take the fronts from old christmas cards and glue them onto the packages instead of doing that ribbon and bows thing. It's decorative, and gives you a place to write "To" and "From" And it's flat, so you can stack and pack ever so much easier.)

Donna said...

Just stopping by to wish you and yours a very Happy Christmas and a Blessed New Year. I look forward to our "visits" in the New Year!

P.S. Enjoy your vacation.

TinkingBell said...

Merry Christmas and a Happy, healthy and safe New Year!
Thanks for making this year such fun!
Ceri

Amy Lane said...

I'm getting a little excited too--and I've got to say, that is one humogulous agenda! Good for you, getting all that done! (Mate and I pretty much share 50/50--he is a good Mate and I shall keep him.)

Happy Sunday!  I am sitting here working on my sweater made with the cashmere yarn my husband gave me for my birthday last year. I’m further...