Our Christmas Eve is always a Czech meal that my grandmother hosted on the farm and has been the same for as long as any of us remember. Years ago she taught me to make her prune dumplings and I think they were just like hers this year! I have never had the Czech spelling but phonetically it's call pee-yet-ee.
A sweet bread stuffed with plump prunes, cut into hunks and doused with a combination of milk, sugar and poppy seed. The dish is then baked and dumplings are turned quite often so each is moist and soft with milk mixture. Most everyone eats a piece, but my dad and I LOVE it! We share the leftovers and eat them for the rest of the week! (feel free to comment if you'd like the recipe)
Christmas Day was a bit of a challenge this year as John had to take our daughter, Julia, to the ER at 8am. A scratched cornea and eye infection was the diagnosis. Painful and swollen, she made it through gifts & breakfast and still went to work in the afternoon! (Double pay is motivating for sure!) Our Jamie was North Face-d, Ugg-ed and Victoria Secret-d within an hour of gift opening and planning her evening of movie going by 10:30am.
Little Pierre had so much fun with his gifts from Santa and the cat's gifts from Santa....and the cats after their gifts from Santa!
John and I never do too much with gifts for each other. This year we both had gotten a few great things the other had been wanting or needing!
I received a few special gifts this year too. Our daughter, Gina, sent a few of her homemade chutneys and lemon curd. My friend Sandy, gave me a sweet, rooster-topped bottle of homemade amaretto and my artist friend, Pat Cooper, sent a card with a watercolor of Pierre on the front! Homemade is always a great gift!
My folks hosted dinner on Christmas Day and as usual per my Mom, it was fantastic! She really puts out the spread! Per tradition...women in the kitchen, men.....well, you know men.
I wish you a season filled with all of these wonderful things too and a healthy, happy New Year!
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