15 December 2014

Christmas Open House, Day 3

We're havin' fun now, aren't we?! Everybody in the Christmas spirit? All full of cookies and covered in orts? Good!

We're up to the 2004 ornaments. Here's Mr. Wonderful's:

And here's mine, another one chosen with Shadow in mind. This one looks a lot more like him, and he used to sit and look out the window, just like this:

2005, his:

Mine. This is one of my favorites... I gave myself a big ol' "Atta girl!" when I accomplished the finishing on this one:

Now for today's recipe. We always have something Mexican or Mexican-inspired on Christmas Eve. When we were back home in Texas, it was always tamales. Where we're from, people place orders for their Christmas tamales way in advance or stand in line at their favorite little hole-in-the-wall, family-run Mexican restaurants. It's not uncommon around Christmas to be asked, "Got your tamales?" Unhappily, where we live now, tamales are pretty hard to come by. Since so far I've been too lazy busy to make them myself, I usually make some sort of Mexican casserole for Christmas Eve. But since Mexican + Christmas Eve probably seems weird for y'all, I decided to share a different Christmas recipe that is a tradition in our family. It's Percolator Punch and I was raised on it. I even served it at the reception for our Christmas wedding. And it'll be perfect with all those cookies we've just made.

Percolator Punch

2 c. cranberry juice
4 c. water
2 Tbsp. Red Hots (those little cinnamon candies)
2 Tbsp. lemon juice
3/4 c. orange juice
1/2 c. sugar
1 Bigelow Constant Comment teabag

Put everything in a percolator or a slow cooker and serve it when it's nice and hot.

***

 Ah! All snuggled down with hot punch and cookies... and a new freebie, since I know y'all have already finished the first two I posted. Here's Merry Christmas Deer. This design could be customized in so many ways with different colors and embellishments. Have fun stitching it... don't spill your punch!

Merry Christmas, y'all!

7 comments:

  1. It's like that here in Arizona too. Got to have those tamales! There's a Mexican store down the road some, that's where I'll get mine. Ornaments are beautiful. I like ornaments that have bits of Christmas carols on them.

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  2. Oh how pretty those are!
    Wow! We very rarely stray from Christmas Eve ham or possibly turkey. ;)

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  3. All four are beautiful but I'm quite partial to the black cat. : )

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  4. I am enjoying your traditions and tidbits. Thank you for sharing your ornaments!

    Robin in Virginia

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  5. I have REALLY enjoyed following your blog. I read all 6 posts just now. It is funny because we have a work lunch every year the servers cook for the owner and the kitchen staff we choose what to make. And since no one would come up with a main dish I picked Carnitas, so it is a latin inspired lunch :) I was going to make tamales but to make them for 21 people that would have been alot of work. I miss good Tamales!! South Carolina just does not have the food like in California unless I can crash one of the kitchen staffers house thios Christmas LOL
    Take Care I have enjoyed your posts

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  6. Hi honeybee
    I’m just making the cardinal I stitched into a ornament. And I so love what you did.
    Would you be willing to share how you did the ribbon process. And any tips on how to make a perfect triangle to.
    Kathy

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