Before you start reading go ahead and click that little button above this sentence and join me in grooving to some Brenda Lee on this snowy Monday morning. Oh and try not to picture Kevin McCallister as you listen. If you are any generation near me, or have kids in any generation near me you’ll appreciate this reference. If not, just enjoy the music gosh darn it.
Can you tell I’ve been drinking the holiday kool-aid punch? I hope you have been too. After all, we can’t let a few Black Friday maulings ruin the holiday season for us now can we?
This weekend I finally got a chance to do a little decorating and celebrating for the upcoming holiday. I say little because I’ve made the practical-yet-saddening decision to not get a real Christmas tree this year.
Finn’s photo above sums up my feelings towards the decision.
But in reality, he’s ultimately behind the decision. All 80 pounds of him.
I may still change my mind on the decision.
Don’t worry this isn’t a Lebron-style special on the decision.
I’m just sad because I love little more than to get myself covered in glitter and sap while decorating a real Christmas tree. But there’s just not enough room this year. So instead I decorated my baby tree and turned my bookshelf into a mantle, complete with DIY stockings.
Did I just throw out the D-I-Y? Don’t break out in hives folks, these are very simple DIY stockings.
Step one. Get a box.
Just kidding. Step one is to buy those cute mini stockings from Target. Stockings are usually way too pricey for what you are getting (a giant sock) but these are only $3.00 so there’s really no excuse not to buy them.
Step two is as simple as cutting out shapes or letters and gluing them onto your $3.00 stocking. If you don’t feel comfortable free-handing your letters, you could use stickers, felt shapes or buy them while you are Target. Of course they have twine-wrapped letters to go with your mini-stocking. It’s Target!
Step three. Now here’s where it gets tricky, hang your stockings up.
But the holidays aren’t just about decorating now are they?
Nope. How can we forget the parties.
On Saturday night, one of my former roommates/life partner and friend hosted a holiday dinner for our other former roommates/friends and their now life partners. Are you confused yet?
We sipped holiday punch, sat around the fire and had a delicious meal. We don’t get together as much as we used to, so it was really nice to share some laughs. Don’t worry I didn’t wear my Christmas leggings to the party, I just needed another photo to fill the collage. But how sweet are my new reindeer leggings? Surely I will get my money’s worth as it’s not like these are specific to the month of December or anything.
note: I realize this is the longest post ever. Feel free to pause here and come back Wednesday if you need a break.
Back to the party. I brought a kale, apple and pomegranate salad, the token cranberry salsa and a batch of sweet potato and rosemary biscuits. We didn’t need them of course, but they turned out pretty well for a first-try.
I knew when I saw these from Two Peas and their Pod that I had to try them out. We had a few leftover so the next night I re-heated them in the oven and they were even tastier the next day.
Sweet Potato and Rosemary Biscuits
- 2 1/4 C flour
- 2 1/2 tsp baking powder
- 2 tsp sugar
- 3/4 tsp baking soda
- 1 tsp salt (I use kosher)
- 2 cloves garlic, finely chopped
- 1-2 TBL fresh rosemary, chopped
- 6 TBL unsalted butter
- 1 C diced roasted sweet potatoes
- 1 C buttermilk
I had a bag of pre-cut sweet potatoes so I just roasted them at 375 degrees for 25 minutes with a little olive oil and rosemary before I made the dough. Once they cooled a bit, I just chopped the potatoes into smaller pieces.
Preheat oven to 450 degrees. Line jelly roll pan with silpat.
Whisk flour, baking powder, soda, salt and sugar in a large bowl. Add fresh garlic and rosemary. Cut butter in with pastry fork or hands. Fold in sweet potato then add buttermilk. You may need a teaspoon more or less depending on how dry your dough is. It should be sticky and not fall apart.
Once dough is combined, flatten into a circle and divide it in two. Cut each half into triangles and place on prepared pan. Brush with buttermilk and sprinkle with kosher salt.
Bake for 15 minutes or until edges are golden.
Now grab your biscuit, pour yourself a glass of holiday punch and jam out to some tunes, ya filthy animal.
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