Christmastide 2020: The 7th Day of Christmas - New Year's Eve: Joe's Tater Tot Hot Dish

Thursday, December 31, 2020

High Minnesota cuisine for dinner: Tater Tot Hot Dish

Here's the recipe which is an amalgamation of 3 different recipes I found online. For that reason I'll call it Joe's Tater Tot Hot Dish:

1 pound of ground turkey

1 bag tater tots (I could only find a 28 oz. bag of mini tater tots. We used most of it.)

1 standard sized can of cream of mushroom soup

1 standard sized can cream of celery soup

1 small bag of frozen green beans (We used fresh green beans and I just eyeballed it. One of the recipes called for 8 oz.)

1 small bag of frozen corn, thawed (The smallest bag I could find was 10 oz. We used it all.)

1 1/2 cups cheddar cheese.  2 cups is better.

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/2 teaspoon pepper

French fried onions (I bought a 6 oz. can and didn't use more than a third of it.)

Set oven to 350 degrees. Fry off turkey with some Worchestershire sauce. Meanwhile, combine soup, beans, and corn in a large bowl. Then add turkey and mix well. Spray a 9x13 casserole dish with cooking spray and transfer mixture to it. Cover with frozen tater tots (no need to thaw) and cheddar cheese. Bake for 1 hour at 350 degrees. When finished cover with French fried onions. Note: Sweet potato tater tots are another option. 

We watched Star Trek: Discovery during dinner...

and then had Oh Ho cake from Kowalski's for dessert. 

Christmastide 2020: The 7th Day of Christmas - New Year's Eve

Thursday, December 31, 2020

Perfectly perfect day for being lazy. 

For cocktail hour I had a gin martini (Hendrick's).

Dale had red wine. 

And we listened to one of my many holiday playlists. 

Christmastide 2020: The 7th Day of Christmas - New Year's Eve

Thursday, December 31, 2020

Looking forward to the New Year. 

Christmastide 2020: The 6th Day of Christmas - Bad News

Wednesday, December 30, 2020

I had a quiet and relaxing morning and found myself enjoying a sense of peace that this vacation has helped foster along with a renewed sense of energy I hope to bring back to my work life which starts up again next week. 

Early in the afternoon I was saddened to hear that Dawn Wells, Mary Ann from Gilligan's Island, one of my favorite shows from childhood, died from complications from Covid-19. The response in my head to the personification of the year we've just endured  was, "Okay 2020, we get it, you're an asshole. Now just go."

Another reminder that a sense of peace and hope can evaporate rapidly occurred as the evening progressed. Shortly after Dale and I finished up dinner we were dismayed to find out about a police shooting that occurred about a mile from our house and just a few blocks from the school where I work. Videos posted online showed an angry crowd confronting the police. The pain of this past summer which followed the murder of George Floyd by police surfaced quickly. We were triggered further when the sound of helicopters appeared shortly after. Despite being about a mile away it was as if they were directly above our house due to what the cold winter air does to the perception of sound. 

Seriously 2020, it's time for you to go. I know there's only one day to go, but still, just go away. 

Christmastide 2020: The 5th Day of Christmas - The Cinnamon Bear

Tuesday, December 29, 2020

Listened to a few episodes of The Cinnamon Bear which was an old radio serial that was played in the days leading up to Christmas. I hear about this show a number of years ago and have been curious about it as I'm always looking for examples of retro Christmas fun. I found the recordings on Apple Music. 

Had some egg nog which is pictured above with my own version of the Cinnamon Bear. 

The series was designed to be listened to six days a week between Thanksgiving and Christmas. It was originally broadcast between Friday, November 26 and Saturday, December 25, 1937. 

Christmastide 2020: The 4th Day of Christmas - The Flight Attendant and a Bloody Mary

Monday, December 28, 2020

Ok, this doesn't have anything to do with Christmas but Dale and I are really enjoying the series The Flight Attendant over our vacation. Kaley Cuoco plays the titular character, Cassie Bowden, as a really raunchy version of Penny from The Big Bang Theory. Cassie gets wrapped up in a murder mystery and emerges as a fairly decent amateur sleuth. It's somewhat unbelievable yet really engaging so they must be doing something to make it believable enough to hold my attention. That or I just don't care because it's all quite a bit of fun due to the right amount of comedy added and of course Cassie/Penny's likeability. 

Bloody Mary for cocktail hour. 

Christmastide 2020: The 4th Day of Christmas - Martha Stewart Living Christmas Issue

Monday, December 28, 2020

Finally tracked down a copy of the 2020 Christmas edition of Martha Steward Living at Barnes and Noble and paged through it today. Not sure why it was so hard to find this year. Usually I pick up the Christmas issue just before Thanksgiving and then read it on Thanksgiving Day after the turkey’s been put in the oven; my own little tradition. Thirty years of this magazine - wow. I subscribed in the early 90s around the time I met Dale and saved every issue. Magazines aren’t quite what they used to be. In my opinion they’ve just become supplements to their vast online editions. I gave up the subscription to Martha about 10 years ago and pitched all my back issues except the Christmas ones as you can pretty much find all old articles online. Regardless, I’ve continued to pick up the print version of the Christmas issue and still save those so I’ve got at least 27 years worth of the Christmas issue up in the attic. I know, I’m weird. C’mon, you know you were thinking it. However, my grandmother had at least 30 years of EVERY issue of Good Housekeeping stored up at her cabin “Up North” so although I’m not quit as extreme as her I do come by it honestly I guess. Not meant to be a dis of my beloved grandma. Honestly, if I had the extra storage space a cabin would afford I’d probably still have EVERY issue of Martha Stewart Living since I started reading it in the early 90s.  

Christmastide 2020: The 4th Day of Christmas - The Garden In Winter

Monday, December 28, 2020

Winter greenery always looks nicer with a little snow on it. 

Christmastide 2020: The 3rd Day of Christmas - Odds & Ends

Sunday, December 27, 2020

Although I didn’t get too much done today I had a change to do a bit more decorating (finally got the tree skirt in place), and...

drink some egg nog (splash of rum), and...

eat some gingerbread cookies, and...

listen to more Christmas music (Miss Bette). 

Sometimes not doing much is more than enough. 

Christmastide 2020: The 3rd Day of Christmas - Sometimes Relaxing Isn't Easy

Sunday, December 27, 2020

Dale and I lounged around this morning forEVER! Perfectly lazy day today. That’s not to say that I’d want every vacation day to feel like this one. There’s actually a lot of discomfort involved in this this part of the process of relaxing. After many years of experiencing regular vacations of at least two weeks in length I’ve come to believe that you MUST get to the point of discomfort with unstructured time to say you’re truly starting to relax. It’s the process of going from the extreme of being overextended to the other extreme of having no commitments to remind yourself you actually crave a balance between the two.   It’s a breaking point where clarity can be achieved around what needs to be done to build yourself up again in the ongoing attempt to find equilibrium. 

Christmastide 2020: The 2nd Day of Christmas - The Joe and Noel Post-Holiday Shopping Adventure That Wasn't

Saturday, December 26, 2020

Noel and I had planned on doing our post holiday shopping adventure today but when I got ahold of her this morning it turns out she was sick overnight and still not feeling well. One of the smaller ways it feels like 2020 just keeps on taking. It's like it's flipping us off by messing with traditions. 

Christmastide 2020: The 2nd Day of Christmas - A Walk Through the Cemetery Part 3

Saturday, December 26, 2020

Stopped by to say Merry Christmas to Dad on my cemetery walk. 

Dad, I think of you often but especially so over these past few days. My fondest memories sustain me in your absence but it's just not the same as having you here. I miss you so very much. Rest well and Merry Christmas.

Christmastide 2020: The 2nd Day of Christmas - A Walk Through the Cemetery Part 2

Saturday, December 26, 2020

On my cemetery walk I noticed a path someone had shoveled out of the snow. I followed it. It led to a little opening which had also been shoveled. Two Christmas trees had each been placed at a grave site. They both had male first names names last names were the same. I’m assuming they were father and son as the older was about 30 years the younger one’s elder. The younger died 25 years ago but would have been my about my age now had he lived. The older one died 13 years ago. The same year as my dad. 

I mentioned this to Dale when I got home an he knew just what I was talking about. Yesterday during a cemetery walk he notice a group of people shoveling out the area and setting up the trees. They held a small gathering and looked like they were having a nice time. What a nice way to remember. 

Christmastide 2020: The 2nd Day of Christmas - A Walk Through the Cemetery Part 1

Saturday, December 26, 2020

I took a nice long walk through the cemetery this morning. Peaceful, serene, beautiful. 

Christmastide 2020: Christmas Day - The First Day of Christmas: Sleep Well

Friday, December 25, 2020

It all comes and goes so quickly. Sleep well. 

Christmastide 2020: Christmas Day - The First Day of Christmas: Good Night

Friday, December 25, 2020

Happy Christmas to all and to all a good night!

Christmastide 2020: Christmas Day - The First Day of Christmas: Pumpkin Pie

Friday, December 25, 2020

Mom wasn't up for dessert. Dale and I indulged after she left. Pumpkin. Pie.

Christmastide 2020: Christmas Day - The First Day of Christmas: Dinner with Mom

Friday, December 25, 2020

It's been ages since we've had Mom over for dinner. I think it's been since summer and we probably ate outside. 

We all chatted for a couple of hours, then ate dinner and chatted some more. 

We had planned on watching a movie but then Mom started getting tired. She had brought a gift over for us. 

It turned out to be a beautiful edition of the four Gospels of the Bible. Lots of beautiful artwork throughout. 

Christmastide 2020: Christmas Day - The First Day of Christmas: Getting Dinner Ready

Friday, December 25, 2020

Made a Bloody Mary.

Got the balls on the tree. Decided to go simple and not ornament-pack it this year. It's a lot easier. 

Played sous chef to Dale and helped get the beef bourguingnon going. 

And listened to some Ella. 

Christmastide 2020: Christmas Day - The First Day of Christmas

Friday, December 25, 2020

Merry Christmas! Like yesterday, today is turning out to be a glorious sun-shiny day!

Christmas Eve 2020 - Simple Dinner

Thursday, December 24, 2020

Simple dinner of chili tonight. We watched the most recent episode of Star Trek: Discovery. We're not entertaining tonight so we decided to make it extra easy. The hard work comes tomorrow when we'll be up early to prepare the beef bourguignon. Mom'll be coming for dinner! None of the three of us have interacted closely with anyone outside our immediate households for a while so it should be quite safe.