It is with great pains that I write this entry…I AM SO STUFFED! I feel like what I assume a Thanksgiving Turkey feels like when someone has violently shoved random items inside of it. Absolutely stuffed! Ever since I have been working out and watching what I eat again, I have felt vibrant, peppy, and almost giddy. Not tonight. Now, tonight, right this very moment, I am sitting in bed with my computer in my lap, and praying that my tum stops hurting. But, you know what I got out of today? Do you? I got more memories for my arsenal. I spent time with family I haven’t seen in a while, I ate food I truly love, and I received some awesome gifts from my loved ones. I can honestly say I have been blessed with wonderful family, and wouldn’t trade a single one of them (including the in-laws)!
Family is important. But, seriously, when my Mom asks her brother if he wants his Pecan Pie warmed, but doesn’t even bother to ask me (her own daughter) if I want mine warmed…Houston we have a problem. Yeah, I get it that he flew in from Oregon, but sheesh. That’s only from across the country. I’m here! I’m here waving my hand…I want my Pecan Pie warmed. Just kidding…kinda…hehe. I can’t be too upset with the special treatment though. Goodness, I want to give him special treatment too, just for sending me cheese. Yes, he’s my Tillamook Unc! I loaf him and so thrilled he joined us for this Christmas!
Everyone has specific foods they love around the holidays. I can pick at least one out of each meal today. Breakfast lended me sausage gravy, hot sausage, and this sweet, flaky, gooey, buttery, doughy goodness out of a bundt pan. The Maw-Maw rolls are not to be outdone, nor are her biscuits. But, this sweet, flaky, gooey, buttery, doughy goodness (Is your mouth watering yet?) I am talking about kills them all dead in their tracks. That recipe will be on here shortly. Lunch presented Deviled Eggs…or as his momma refers to them as, Angel Eggs. This is one of my favorite finger foods. Love them! I also enjoyed Ham here at this meal that was so moist and flavorful. The recipe that will end up on here out of all of this meals items will be the Million Dollar Pies. I will be the first one to tell you I only like coconut in certain dishes, but these pies take the use of coconut to a whole new level of deliciousness for me. Dinner yielded an amazingly moist pork tenderloin, moist-never-dry turkey, little green peas, Pecan Pie, Brownstone Front Cake, and my favorite dressing ever…Sausage, Apple and Cranberry (sans Apple this time). Look for this recipe shortly. It’s packed with a flavor punch like none other that pleases the most difficult palate.
Being that Christmas isn’t always about gifts, I will touch this very shortly and sum it up in one statement…I never ever ever ever ever ever ever ever ever ever ever (get the point?) ever ever ever thought, in my wildest dreams, that I would be so completely excited about receiving cookbooks, kitchen utensils, and kitchen gadgets as Christmas gifts. Someone needs to check my brain I believe…
So, with that being said, as miserable as I may feel, it was all worth it. After four stops, five meals, a thirty minute nap, lots of snow, wearing the wrong shoes for snow, wet feet, and feeling lethargic in the bed right now, I still have time to look back on the day and smile. I wouldn’t trade a bit of it for anything.
The only thing I would have changed…I wouldn’t have eaten so much dang good southern food. May God bless our wonderful Southern Cooks! (Just to prove the point of the wonderful food…see below.)
The Onyx Plate 