Tuesday, December 16, 2008

I Wonder If We Should See You in 2009?

Guys - I think I speak for all of us when I say -

BLAAAAAAAAAAUUUUUUUGHHHHHHHH

It's that time of year. We'll catch you in January, when our next Wonder Woman will take over posting!

I Wonder If We'll All Have A Merry Christmas??

Thursday, December 4, 2008

bring it.

oh, how i love me some food. isn't that what the holidays are all about? eating and conversing with family and friends? not completely gorging yourself during the holidays is just so un-american.

here's my list of things i love to eat:
1. black olives - they are usually gone long before we actually sit at the table to eat. my mother-in-law even buys me a can of black olives even though no one else in the family likes them. she loves me. and i actually like eating them at her house more because i don't have to wrestle my sister and adorable nieces for them. i can have the whole can to myself!

2. sweet potatoes - my mom makes some DELICIOUS sweet potatoes. she douses on the brown sugar and teeny marshmallows and bakes it until golden. i eat what i can during the dinner and then eat the rest of them for lunch the next day. it's the best lunch ever - sweet potatoes and dr. pepper.

3. some sort of gooey roll with nuts on top - i have no idea what it's called, but my mother-in-law makes them. we eat them on christmas morning at her house and i could seriously eat the entire pan. they are sticky and gooey and just plain awesome.

4. my mom's pies - she usually makes a lot of them - apple, cherry, pumpkin, and sometimes chocolate. the crust she makes is so good. it's not thick and doughy like store bought pie crusts. one of my favorite memories from this past thanksgiving was watching little mama and my mom put together the cherry pie. mom let leah decide whether to make a "regular" top to the pie or a lattice top. little mama chose a lattice top and so she and my mom got to work. it was so fun watching the two of them create it together. it wasn't perfect to look at, but it was made with 110% love and tasted fabulous (except for the pits that my sister kept finding.).

5. carmel apple cider - i don't normally drink starbucks, but i do like to indulge in a tall carmel apple cider during the holidays. it is oh, so delicious and i'm sure sports about the same number of calories as a piece of my mom's pie.

i eat nonstop beginning on halloween and ending sometime after the first of the year. i put on a few extra pounds during this time, no doubt. but what is winter without a little hibernation fat to keep you warm?

Tuesday, December 2, 2008

Is There Any Wonder About Food?

I love the holidays for many reasons. The twinkling lights, the stillness after a snowfall, gifts under the tree, Rudolph, the magic in the air, and THE FOOD. This entry could be about 400 paragraphs long, but I will spare you. So, here is my short list of holiday favorites:
  1. The classic candy cane. Simple and delicious. I love adding canes to my hot chocolate too!
  2. Pizzelles. A lovely woman who used to work for my dad used to make these every Christmas and deliver a stack to our house. Those pizzelles were all mine because I would eat all of them before anyone else even had a chance to grab one out of my greedy little hands.
  3. Chex Mix. I realize Chex Mix can be made year round but I always remember my Mom making it most often during the holidays. Eating it right out of the oven makes it a great snack to warm up with after coming inside from the cold winter air.
  4. Chex Muddy Buddies. Oh my word. This dish alone could cause me to gain twenty pounds during the holiday season. Love it.
  5. Sugar cookies cut into fun shapes with that to-die for frosting. I used to work with a girl who made sugar cookies like I have never had before. They would literally melt in your mouth. I finally figured out that recipe last Christmas and my hips now tell that tale every day. The frosting is that delectable stuff that lingers on your tongue for merely a moment before melting away.
  6. Nuts. Remember the nuts that your grandmother used to keep in a bowl at her house? It had that special cracker? It was always out at holidays? Me too! Delish! I could sit by this bowl and nibble all day long.
  7. Gingerbread cookies. Cute and tasty! A favorite of Superman's and mine!
  8. Christmas Morning Breakfast. This could be any variation of food, but my favorite is my Mom's specialty of pancakes, bacon, blueberry muffins, cinnamon rolls, and coffee cake. The perfect way to spend time with your family while making my muffin top muffin-ier.
  9. Grandma's Noodles. Everyone's grandmother has a special dish she makes that everyone loves. My maternal grandmother's dish is homemade noodles. Made the old-fashioned way, they are perfection in a pan and I lust for them at least once a week.
  10. Champagne. Bubbly and sparkly! A perfect beverage to wash down any of my favorite holiday foods.
Like I said, this list is in no way comprehensive. I could have made a list muuuuuch longer. I mean, mulled wine! Cheese! Advent calendar chocolates! Tree-shaped Reese's! Pizza King on Christmas! Holiday-tinis! Stained Glass cookies! Holiday Margaritas!

Monday, December 1, 2008

I Wonder What Is My Favorite Holiday Food?

Have we done this before? And if we have, who cares? I could talk about food all week, and I know I ain't alone!

So. I have the love for the holiday food. I instantly discard all of those ridiculous articles that give you tips on how not to gain weight over the holidays. Bah! I say to those. Weight, schmeight, we're talking rummed up egg nog here! Roast turkey! Mulled wine! Pies, pies, pies! Who cares about a pesky couple of pounds that will just drop off in the summer when it's too hot to eat anyway? NOT THIS GIRL!

The chocolates can be a bit much. Candy canes, I'm not a huge fan, although if you are what you eat I might be married to a candy cane. They are a major part of my tree decoration and the tree gets pretty bare by mid-month, while Darlin' always has suspiciously pepperminty breath and red red lips.

So, the candy ain't so much my thing, but step back from the baked goods table, lest you be bowled over. Pecan tassies are a sort of mini pecan pie cookie thing that my mom makes only this time of year, and I could pop those all day. I love any kind of pie, the fluffier the better, with tons of whipped cream. I'm also a fan of the savories this time of year - roasted anything sounds good to me (turkey, ham, beef, nuts, pumpkin seeds.) I love a chicken pot pie, or a hearty stew served with hunks of bread, cheese drizzled on top. And I could eat my weight in cheese and crackers. My sister's boyfriend makes a TO DIE FOR cheeseball, I smack my lips just thinking about it.

Last but not least, let's talk holiday drinks. I love cranberry martinis, which (being red and all) always seem to premiere at one party or another. Egg nog with some sort of warming spirit in it - mulled wine - hot toddies - and gallons of wine. Besides all of these "adult" drinks, we also have the family friendly hot chocolate, the hot cider with a cinnamon stick in it, mint tea . . .

Poundage, here I come. Mmmmmmmmmm. I love the holidays.