Christmas 2016

We had a wonderful Christmas this year.

Of course it started out with the traditional

Indialantic Santa on the Fire Truck

Kyle said "Wow, that Santa looks like

he's about 23... too young!"

Rod replied with an "ahem!  I was only about

that age when I was Santa on the fire truck

for the first time!"

Hahahahahahahaha

It was a pretty short group this year.

We found them (we drive around town

watching and listening and then pull over

on the next corner to stand and yell)

but they weren't doing their rounds,

they were on a call!

I guess they left a bunch of them there.

Once we found them again later,

it was just the police escort,

a fire truck

and a rescue truck with a trailer

holding Santa, Mrs. Claus and some elves.

BUT

they threw GOOD candy this year!

Rod got a SNICKERS!

Then off to Denny's for the traditional

"The Santa Clause" Christmas Eve dinner.

It wasn't nearly as busy this year.

But the food was still good.

And the company was GREAT!

Christmas morning was SO different than

most years.

We slept in.

We went to church!

We came home and had breakfast.

And then Jim and Sabrina came over

and we opened gifts!

(There were no stockings / Santa gifts under the tree

this year... Mrs. Santa kind of dropped the ball...)

But it was a wonderful day

and everybody was happy.

Rod and Kyle made a candle holder

from a hunk of the oak tree they cut down last year

held up by two horse shoes painted black.

It is gorgeous and goes with my table perfectly!

They also made the napkin holders

out of more horseshoes.

PERFECT!

Then we pushed them out of the way and

spread out Kyle's custom puzzle.

It's a pretty hard puzzle.

But we had a LOT of fun working on it!

This is the picture I used.

Cropped a little more off the left side

so there is only 1 set of pine trees.

He took this picture one morning

while riding his long board.

We got lots done on the first sitting!

And then our eyes went buggy.

(Kyle did the bottom, I did the top)

It was sort of a "food themed" Christmas for me.

Jim got each of us an Air Fryer

and I got each of us (Jim and (I) a pressure cooker!

Between the two of us we are GOING to

learn to eat well!

(Kyle was pretty excited about the elevated choices!)

Mom and Dad sent us a lovely

towel warmer you plug in your bathroom.

It makes your towels warm and moist.

But unfortunately my towels are already

warm and moist.

(We had 83 degrees and 87% humidity on

Christmas Day!)

So, we took it back to the store

and traded it for an electric

ICE CREAM MAKER.

Something we will use daily and think

of them (with FOND, ice cream-ie happy thoughts!)

(And an oil Mister so I don't have to buy

yucky, chemical filled, Pam spray any more!

Here's to delicious, healthy avocado oil spray!)

Spent yesterday morning re-arranging the

kitchen island / shelf unit.

Other than the blender

(which is on the kitchen counter next to

all my canisters that hold my

smoothie ingredients)

THIS is our official cooking station!

We made AWESOME french fries in the

air fryer.  And a terrific roast in the 

pressure cooker.  (Plus beef gravy, green beans, 

Rhodes dough rolls, and Pop's fruit salad...)

Tonight I'm excited to make

roasted brussel sprouts in the air fryer,

BBQ country style pork ribs in the

pressure cooker,

and Moose Track ice cream in the

ice cream maker!

(ALL on plan!)

Sounds YUMMY!

Rod also got me this fabulous (HEAVY)

cast iron / enamel dutch oven and several

nice, new replacement enamel frying pans.

I'm pretty hard on my pans.

I make bacon and eggs or sausage and eggs

or french toast EVERY morning and they get

pretty worn out.

(Ignore the nasty, chemical filled Pam spray! Notice

the lovely avocado oil just waiting to be poured

into my nifty new Misto thingie... lol)

(Also notice my awesome heirloom salt/pepper shakers!)

Jim and Kyle are requesting pineapple upside down cake

in the dutch oven PRONTO!

(not on plan, but they will love it anyway!)

They are predicting "winter" on Friday.

(High of 62)

So I'm predicting a big dutch oven full

of broccoli / cheddar soup for dinner!

YUM!

All - in - all a DELICIOUS Christmas!