Wordless Wednesday: Holiday Treats

What Goes Up, Must Come Down

....and in this case, it is the Christmas tree. You know the routine; whereas everyone is excited about putting up the tree and decorating the house no one is as enthused about disassembling and packing everything up once January hits. I'll be honest, the task doesn't excite me much either but much like Christmas itself, it is a tradition that must be abided by. (Unless you are "those" people who leave their outside lights strung across the eaves of their house year around but that is another story.......).

Last year, on the cusp of packing up the entire house and moving, the tree came down the minute the presents had been unwrapped. This year, however, we're just getting around to disassembling our Christmas tree this week. I blame it on a combination of traveling after the holiday, guests from out of town and the fact that because it is an artificial tree that doesn't shed needles, a general lack of urgency. Besides, I love the way it looks and as long as it is up I can justify playing Christmas music. But the time has come.

Yesterday marked the return to our routine. After two plus weeks of having both boys home all day long, they have respectively returned to work and school leaving me alone in the quiet solitude of the house. So slowly, while listening to the afore mentioned holiday music, I'm taking each ornament off of the tree and carefully putting it away for the annual eleven month hibernation. As I wrap each one I try to remember where we bought it or who gifted it to us. From the hand painted glass balls we purchased in Prague and the ornament commemorating our first Christmas together to the tattered but sweet angel my own mother gave me years ago and Sidney's own first ornament, each one carries with it a memory. And it is these memories, and the knowledge that we will only continue to make new ones with each passing year, that makes this disassembling process a little easier.

By the end of the week there will be a void in the living room where the tree once stood. The mantles will (temporarily) be blissfully empty of the clutter that seems to grow on its own. And another holiday season will be behind us. But not to worry, because there are just 353 days until Christmas 2015!

And Another One Goes Down In The Books

Another Christmas season is behind us and frankly, I'm tired. I love Christmas and all the festivities leading up to the big day but pulling it all off is a lot of work. There are cookie boxes to be made, a house to be decorated, dishes to be done, meals to be planned, shopped for and created. And then there are the gifts. Although we eschew the over commercialized nature of Christmas and instead purchase a few small gifts for Sidney on Santa's behalf, they still need to be wrapped and placed in stockings and under the tree. As is the case with most school children Sidney is in the midst of his winter break and because Glenn is attached to a NATO command that openly recognizes not a lot happens over the holidays, his entire office is closed as well. So they are both on vacation and home all day. Amidst all of the holiday preparations they've been playing, reading, watching movies and generally relaxing. Without playing chauffeur I too have had more time on my hands but the groceries still need to be bought, meals cooked and laundry done. And the list goes on.......

And once again it all came together this holiday season with Sidney declaring Santa making this "the best Christmas ever". I love how Santa gets all of the credit while his elves do all the work but in the end it doesn't matter because experiencing Christmas through Sidney's five year old eyes makes it all worth it. But this doesn't negate the fact that I am still tired. Very tired.

We're now in the midst of what has become a family holiday tradition of taking a trip over the holidays. Whether it be exploring Slovenia, Bavaria, Italy or now England, we've decided that creating a family memory is much more important than opening mass produced presents that will soon be forgotten. I truly love our family getaways and like the festivities leading up to Christmas, all of the work ahead of time is worth what we get out of them. Pictures will be taken and memories made and all too soon we will be back to the reality of our home and the never ending chores that go along with it. Mountains of vacation laundry will need to be overcome, more dishes to deal with, the refrigerator restocked, decorations will need to be carefully packed away and the tree, which is so much fun to put up and decorate will need to be dismantled and stowed until next year. And as I go about doing all of this I will once again dream about a holiday season filled with fun, festivities and relaxation.  Perhaps next year will be the year that meals are magically cooked and served, the house decorates itself and clothes don't get dirtied. (I can dream at least, right?). It will be something to look forward too and in will once again be here before we know it. Just think, there are only 333 days until Thanksgiving and the official kickoff of holiday season 2015!

Strasbourg: The Oldest Christmas Market In Europe

Away from the hustle and bustle of the holiday
festivities the city is still beautiful

My favorite part of the past few weeks has been making the rounds of the European Christmas markets. Whether large or small, local or international, these markets are a European tradition and are sure to instill the spirit of the holidays in everyone who visits them. And my favorite adventure to date took me to Strasbourg, France and the oldest Christmas market in Europe.

Located on the Ill River along the German border in eastern France, Strasbourg's location is reflected in everything from its architecture to its food. It is truly a diverse city that feels a lot like Germany while being located in France. The historic city center is essentially an island surrounded by the flowing canal like river making me think of Brugge. In 1988 the entire city center was declared a UNESCO World Heritage site marking the first time an entire city center received such an honor. Strasbourg is capital of the Alsace region, the official seat of the European Union Parliament and home to the Grand Mosque, the largest place of Islamic worship in France. There is also a grand cathedral, broad squares and winding cobblestone streets and alleys where you can get pleasantly lost for hours at a time. And if shopping is your thing you are in luck because here you can find everything from upscale designer boutiques selling "Paris" fashions to gourmet shops filled with local wines, foie gras, cheeses and chocolates. (You will never go hungry here).

Welcome to the markets

And then there is the Christmas Market. Or more correctly the markets because there are eleven of them spread across the historic city center. Strasbourg bills itself as the "Capital of Christmas"for good reason. The markets date back to 1570 when the first Christmas market in Europe took place here. In 1605 the tradition of decorating fir trees was introduced to the advent festivities. The tradition continues with a giant tree being erected in Place Kleber each winter. The city center also boasts several hundred kilometers of Christmas lights and decorations which turns the entire city into a Christmas wonderland.

Today,with over 300 individual stalls spread out over eleven markets, the Christmas market of Strasbourg is collectively one of the largest in Europe. The stalls are divided into themed markets which include a Village of Sharing (a market filled with NGO vendors such as UNICEF) and a Children's Village where the smallest visitors are treated like royalty. There are markets dedicated to selling the speciality items of Alsace (lots of hand crafted wooden items, foie gras and wine sold here). And each year a different country is invited to set up a market dedicated to highlighting their country's products. This year's guest country was Belgium where chocolates and pomme frites were on display. And the food. Whether it be spicy gluwein (of both the red and white varieties), baguettes slathered with cheeses and meat or cookies and baked goodies of every shape, size and flavor are there for the eating and enjoying.

Roasting chestnuts

Sweet treats of the chocolate variety

Build your own nativity 

Traditional Alsace houses

So if you want to get into the holiday spirit, are looking for something special for yourself or someone else or simply want to experience a traditional European Christmas, visit the Christmas markets of Strasbourg. I went this year and plan on returning again.

If you go:

Place Broglie
67000 Strasbourg, France
+33 (0)3 88 52 28 28
www.noel.strasbourg.eu
From 28 November to 31 December 2014 (check dates for future years)

Cook vs Turkey.....

Mr. Butterball before

......and the cook won? Yes.

There are many ways to cook a turkey. Do you start with a fresh or frozen bird? Some people swear by submerging them in vats of hot oil and frying them while other people skewer them before placing them on the grill. Still others opt for the oven roasted method but that begs the question of to brine or not brine. Do you season and baste the bird by squeezing herbs and oils between the skin and meat or cook it au natural. And what about the dressing; is it cooked inside of the bird or out? Everyone has their own idea of what is correct. A couple of years ago a friend introduced me to the idea of cooking the bird in its frozen state. She swore that it  came out juicier this way and saved you the hassle of trying to figure out how to safely defrost it first. I was intrigued but skeptical and each time I went to cook a turkey I contemplated this method then (turkied out) and fell back on the method that I was most comfortable with--roasting an unbrined yet heavily seasoned bird in the oven with its cavity filled with sliced apples and citrus. After all, what would happen if it didn't cook properly and I had a table full of guests expecting turkey.

But then I found myself in Belgium with a single small refrigerator. My only options for a turkey were the frozen ones from the grocery store and with my small refrigerator I simply didn't have a place where I could safely thaw the bird. So I took the plunge, crossed my fingers and stuck my fully frozen bird in the oven six hours before my guests were set to arrive. And I waited (while eliciting reassuring emails from my friend). And I waited because my bird was slightly larger than the bird described in the "recipe" I was following.

But sure enough, shortly before my full fledged panic began to kick in the bird started to thaw and turn brown. By the time I had to wrestle the still partially frozen neck and organs out of the cavity it was actually beginning to smell like a turkey. The afore mentioned removal process, however, was not pretty. Picture two people, one set of oven mitts, tongs and an oven hot roasting pan perched over a small sink. It was hot, messy and slightly work that had me longing to be able to put the turkey in the oven and forget about it. But a cook has to do what a cook has to do, right? And because I am a glutton for punishment, I took this opportunity to fill the now empty cavity with homemade dressing.. Again this wasn't an easy task since I was dealing with a bird that was simultaneously frozen and burning to the touch. Ouch.

A few hours later, however, when I removed the fully cooked turkey from the oven I thought I had success. Due to the afore mentioned wrestling match the fully cooked bird wasn't as pretty as I had hoped but we carved it before it went on the table so no one was the wiser. The result? The meat was cooked, the bird was juicy and our guests raved about its taste. Given my current circumstances I'd use this cooking method again. But give me a larger kitchen with a larger refrigerator, I'd go back to my usual method.

In the end, however, I got my belated Thanksgiving dinner so now it is time to tackle Christmas. There will not be turkey on the menu this time around.

Mr. Butterball, the cooked version

Burning The Midnight Oil

Don't get me wrong; I love the holiday season. But while it can be an incredibly festive and joyous time of year, in order to make all of that happen requires a lot of work. Houses don't get magically decorated and gifts don't buy, wrap (and in our case) ship themselves. Those lovely boxes of cookies that get delivered to the office? Yes, they take time to bake and before I can even turn on the oven I need to tackle the chore of shopping for ingredients. You get the idea.....

Growing up one of my most prevalent holiday memories was that of my own mother coming home from work then staying up into the wee hours of the morning toiling away with holiday preparations. The copious amount of cookies, wrapped gifts and the year all three of us kids received hand knit stockings are images that are burned into my memory. And somewhere buried amongst those memories are those of my mom not being completely happy about all that was required. But each year, thanks entirely to her efforts, it all came together and as an adult I still cherish those Christmas memories. As I was in the midst of my own baking-shopping-wrapping frenzy recently I stopped and realized that in this respect I have now become my mother. (Gasp).

As a family we aren't big gift givers. Glenn and I no longer exchange gifts opting to take a family trip instead. "Santa" visits Sidney leaving a few carefully selected gifts but that is it. As far as extended family goes, some years we give gifts and other years we don't. Living in Albania with limited outgoing mail service we fell out of the habit of sending packages home. This year, with ready access to the U.S. postal system and the wonderful Christmas markets of western Europe, we made the decision that we would send small Christmas packages home. But with Christmas a little over a week away we have yet to purchase any of those gifts. We've been looking at all of the Christmas markets but have yet to find anything that strikes our fancy. After all, we like to give gifts that have special meaning rather than giving for the sake of giving. What does one give to people who are world travelers and have everything they could need? My fallback items of locally made treats really don't fare well when sent through the mail. And now as I make regular pilgrimages to the post office to see if Sidney's big gift has arrived I see long queues of people waiting to send off their own carefully wrapped packages. To date I've only acquired the boxes and customs forms needed to mail of those afore mentioned, hoped for gifts. And Christmas cards accompanying a newsy family letter? Those went by the wayside years ago when keeping track of the addresses of our ever moving friends became too much work. Besides, between Facebook and this blog I figure people are getting their fill of what we are up to.

So closer to home I'm focusing on the here and now. We put up our tree and decorated the house the weekend after Thanksgiving. It looks lovely if not a bit sparse since our rooms with their soaring ceilings are just so much more cavernous than we are used to. I figure this year we will pick up additional items at the Christmas markets and be all set for a fully decorated abode next year. Having just hosted our belated Thanksgiving dinner for friends this past weekend I'm now giving thought to our own Christmas dinner but as we will be taking off for our next adventure on Boxing Day am unsure what I should make. After trudging to several grocery stores, the local market and making a foray into the Belgian version of a Michael's craft store (my worst nightmare in any country or language) for boxes, I'm ready to put together cookie boxes for Glenn's co-workers. And despite my single, European sized oven and minuscule kitchen with its single sliver of counter space, I was on a baking streak yesterday whipping out batch after batch of cookies. That was, until I ran out of both butter and sugar and it being a Monday and the day of the national strikes in Belgium, and I was unable to get to a store to replenish my supply. But I'll get there today (or tomorrow) and continue baking tonight (or tomorrow) and those coveted boxes of goodies will be delivered this week before the office shuts down for the remainder of the year. Then I can tackle the gift buying and wrapping.......

So I'm warning family back in the states not to hold their breath waiting for a package from us. It may or may not arrive and if it does it will be a New Years gift rather than a Christmas one. The cookies will get done and Sidney's presents will be wrapped and delivered by Santa because...well....they have to. Somehow it really does come together every year and this one won't be any different. And for a brief moment on Christmas Day I will sit back, relax, eat a cookie or two and remind myself that I really do love this time of year. Honestly, I do. Because after all, what would Christmas be without the flurry of activity, the last minute trips to the store and the late night struggles with tape that sticks to everything but what it should. I really wouldn't have it any other way. Honestly.

A Very Thankful Un-Thanksgiving

Thanksgivings come in all shapes and sizes. Growing up they leaned towards the larger size with family, friends and friends of friends who needed a place to eat being invited to the table (or tables). I carried this tradition into my married life and when we were still stateside, Glenn and I would make the trek from Virginia to New York or Maine to join my family for the big meal. After a particularly trying trip by air we took to driving and the time in the car was always worth it. Sidney even made his appearance in the wee hours of Thanksgiving morning. That was the year we had two Thanksgiving dinners and so much to be thankful for.

Living overseas, Thanksgiving is a very different experience indeed. First, it is business as usual for everyone but the Americans. In Albania we always recreated our tradition by inviting friends to join us for dinner. Last year we enjoyed more than one celebration, one year dinner was quite small and then there was the year that the dinner was so large it involved three tables and ended with my lying on the kitchen floor muttering the phrase "never again". Needless to say, each year has been different but the meaning behind the day is the same. It is a time to pause and give thanks for all that we have.

And because we are still overseas, today's Thanksgiving is taking on yet another look. It is business as usual in Belgium with Sidney having school (although an early dismissal for which I can only assume is a gesture to the many Americans who attend the Belgian school) and Glenn having to work. But it isn't just any work for Glenn as this week he is away attending a NATO sponsored training. I honestly love the fact that we are in an international environment where life doesn't come to a standstill simply because there are a lot of Americans in their midst. Hence, a full day of training on American Thanksgiving. But at the same time his absence, and that of my other family, is making me feel a bit out of sorts. Do I cook a big dinner or not? For me the traditional dinner is just as much a part of the day as sharing it with family and friends. Depending upon his mood Sidney may or may not partake in turkey and all of the fixings. But Thanksgiving without the turkey? I just can't do it so I'm roasting up a tiny bird, mashing up some potatoes and making a few other of my favorite items. If Sidney eats them, great. If not, that leaves all the more leftovers for me (and the only thing better than dinner is leftovers the next day).

It will be a quiet day for sure and could easily pass as just another Thursday for us. But all is not lost as we will be holding our full Thanksgiving dinner in a few weeks. Then I will cook all of my favorite dishes and we'll invite our international friends to join us in the most traditional of American holidays. I can't wait. And simply being able to do so is a reminder of what Thanksgiving is all about. It is about being thankful and I am very, very thankful for having our health, being able to experience everything Europe has to offer, and most of all, being able to share it all with those people we care about. And the turkey? I'll get my turkey. There isn't any doubt about that.

Market Season

I'm a sucker for Christmas. There is just something about this time of year that makes it so special.  I love the decorations (tasteful of course), the music, foods, smells and generally everything the holiday season brings. First there is the food; for someone who loves to cook, this season is a bonanza. From sweet and spicy baked goods to homemade candies and don't forget the eggnog and gluhwein, it is all good. Really good. Then there are the decorations. While I am of the mindset that less is more I am a huge fan of fresh greenery and twinkling white lights. (I find the colored ones really distasteful but to each their own). When we lived in Norfolk we decorated the house both inside and out. Each December, the culmination of the holiday season for us was hosting a huge holiday open house for friends, family, neighbors, co-workers and essentially anybody who wanted to stop by. It was simply so much fun.

When we moved to Albania we tried to take our holiday traditions with us. It was hard. Live Christmas trees were impossible to come by when we first arrived so we substituted a very pretty pre-lit artificial tree instead. While beautiful, it didn't exude that piney smell that I associate with the holiday. And wreaths? Unless they were white or bright blue plastic, they were just as non-existant. We still decorated our house but the decorations, due to the awkward layout of our house, were limited to our representational spaces which we only used when we had official guests. We strung twinkling white icicle lights along out balconies but somehow their festive lights seemed just wrong on the evenings that the rest of the neighborhood was in the midst of a blackout. We still hosted a big party with my favorite foods, or the closest substitutions I could find but it wasn't quite the same. Our guests included a few friends but mostly official work contacts who attended out of obligation rather than the love of the holiday season. I did however, get to share my love of the holiday and our family traditions with a local Albanian lifestyle magazine one year. We took to traveling over the holiday instead and over three years visited friends in Italy, the Christmas markets of what should have been a snowy Bavaria (the temperatures were in the 60s and what little snow there was turned to puddles) and ate Indian food on Christmas day in Slovenia. These trips started a new family tradition for us and as much fun as they were, to me it felt like a little bit of Christmas was missing.

So needless to say I am super excited for our first Christmas in western Europe. Europeans know how to do the holiday right. They have the food, the traditions, the lights and so much more. Although we are still a couple of weeks away from the time I start my own decorating (the weekend after Thanksgiving and never a moment sooner), the city of Mons began hanging their lights this past week. They aren't lit yet but I am already giddy with excitement about the prospect of these lights right on our own street. But the single European holiday tradition I am looking forward to the most is their Christmas markets. Europeans don't shop at Walmart, the dollar store or (shudder) the Christmas Tree Shops for their decorations and gifts. No sireee. They go to their local Christmas markets and between the end of November and Christmas Eve, it seems like every town has one. Big, small or somewhere in between, the premise is the same. Plazas, squares and just about any available outdoor space are converted into festive marketplaces. There is food, drink and vendors selling locally made crafts, decorations and gifts. Many times there are live nativity scenes as well as live entertainment as well. We've visited several markets during earlier travels but this year we're going to make it to many more.

Germany is the gold standard when it comes to Christmas markets and we are planning at least one trip over the border this season. We've already planned a family trip to England to experience a Dickens themed market and I'm heading to Strasbourg, France to visit one of the oldest markets in Europe. There are also markets closer to home in the Netherlands and right here in Belgium so our options are really endless. Even Mons has a market that I am sure we will visit since it will literally be in our backyard. And our NATO community is hosting their share of markets bringing a piece of their home countries right here to Mons. Yesterday we attended ones sponsored by both Norway and Canada and Great Britain and Italy have ones planned as well.

I love the fact that there really isn't a shortage of holiday spirit in the community right now. The hard part is deciding which ones to attend. Can we do them all? Not this year but we have three Christmases in Belgium to give it our best shot. Ready, set, go!

Fireworks & All That American Jazz

A towering cone of cotton candy: the
verdict? Sweet. And sticky

Last night was a first for us; on what was our fourth Independence Day spent overseas, we attended our first "real" 4th of July celebration. And by real I mean all of the food, games, festivities and of course fireworks that I remember from the Independence Days of my childhood. The celebration wasn't huge but it gave us the little piece of home that we didn't quite realize we were missing. And, most importantly and my absolute favorite part of the night, was introducing Sidney to his first All-American celebration. And that was pretty amazing.

Even when we were in the United States, we weren't carnival or fair people but last night's small dose of Americana was pretty darn nice. A portion of the base had been transformed into a fair grounds with super sized tents, music, food vendors and rides. With the exception of a few intermittent showers (which is impressive by Belgium standards) the evening was dry. While DJs played their music, pimply teenagers were on the prowl, toddlers ran around underfoot and crowds milled around the tents drinking American beers and eating all of the foods I associate with fairs. My pulled pork sandwich followed by funnel cake was one of the best things I had eaten in a long time. I contributed this to the fact that I have eaten neither of these items in years if not decades. Sidney's first foray into cotton candy was a sweet and sticky adventure but then again what child doesn't have memories of eating mounds of spun sugar.

Sidney watched the carnival rides with fascination immediately declaring that he wanted to ride on the biggest and scariest ride of them all. We talked him out of it and instead he happily rode the bumper cars with Glenn. I remember riding the bumper cars with my own father at the same age and little seems to have changed. Each bump was met with a peal of laughter and a request for more. Then there was the fun house and the giant slides that Sidney slide down over and over again. He contemplated a tilt-a-whirl which he studied for a long time. Sidney initially wanted to take a ride but after watching it spin for several turns decided to wait "until he is six". But because we are on a military base in Belgium the entertainment went beyond the traditional carnival rides. Period actors dressed was World War II attire stood along side jeeps and weaponry of the time. Kids tried on the helmets and tested the guns as parents snapped pictures. (I'll be honest, I never dreamed I'd be watching my son hop amongst the artillery at a carnival). But he loved it.

Because this was the Fourth, the highlight of the evening was the fireworks that concluded the evening. Now we saw a lot of fireworks while we were in Albania; they regularly lit the sky in bits and spurts throughout the year with New Years bringing about the biggest bang of them all. While their scale was impressive they were noisy, chaotic and tinged with a bit of danger. They lacked the artistic design of well orchestrated shows and most often left me feeling agitated. Sidney was equally impressed and scared by the Albanian fireworks. But last night? That was an entirely different story. As he laid on the grass on the edge of the baseball field looking up at the sky, he provided us with an ongoing commentary about their color, size and shape. His descriptions were punctuated with giggles of laughter and such adjectives as amazing, wonderful and magnificent.

Watching him watch the fireworks filled me with motherly happiness since my little boy was finally experiencing one of the joys from my own childhood. Sometimes I worry about the simple things he is missing out on because of our living overseas. He may have visited most of Europe's capitols but he's never experienced a real American Fourth of July. Until last night that is. And as we drove home close to midnight (after all it stays light really late here in Belgium) he continued to chatter excitedly about his evening. As he said, he had so much fun. I'm sure that many of his memories of his overseas childhood will only be fleeting in later years. I'm hopeful that last night is one of the ones he remembers.

Fireworks 

Observing one of the rides. After
studying it Sidney informed us that when
he is six he will be big enough to ride it.

Happy Birthday America

Today is Independence Day. Also known as the Fourth of July or America's birthday. This year she is 238 years young. It was back in 1776 that our founding fathers signed the Declaration of Independence declaring the colonies' independence from Great Britain. And the rest they say, is history.

Celebrating an American holiday while living overseas is always a bit different than it is back in the United States. First, since it isn't a local holiday, it is business as usual for the host country. That can make it easier to run out and buy last minute items but it also adds to the sense that the day really isn't a holiday. When we were in Albania, the Fourth of July was always a working holiday for us where Glenn and I would join our Ambassador in the receiving line at the Embassy's annual Independence Day reception. While we were there the reception was never actually held on the holiday itself (which always resulted in a lot of explanations about celebrating the 4th of July on an entirely different day.....), it was the closest we ever came to attending a celebratory party. Last year on the 4th we were actually in the Ionian Islands with a wonderful group of international friends and our eating, drinking and spending time with friends was reminiscent of the 4ths we had spent on the water with friends back in Norfolk.

So what are we doing this year? Last night we hosted a cookout for friends (old Albanian habits of not celebrating on the holiday itself die hard). We fired up the grill and cooked traditional American foods of hot dogs, hamburgers and barbecue chicken with all of the traditional sides. Because we are finally in a community where people understand the concept of bringing a dish to share, the meal was augmented with a wonderful assortment of international dishes. (And I'm realizing that it is so much easier to entertain when I don't have to do all of the cooking!). Today the rest of the SHAPE community is working but Americans have the day off. So this morning we are cleaning up from yesterday's festivities and exploring the Friday market. This afternoon we will head over to SHAPE to join the community in a giant 4th of July celebration. Everyone says this is one of the biggest events of the year with music, food and carnival games. We've promised Sidney that we will stay for the fireworks (at 2300 none the less since the sun sets so late). Whereas in Albania fireworks were a daily occurrence, Sidney hasn't seen any since we've arrived in Belgium so he is excited. The festivities probably won't be the like ones back home but they will be as close as we can get so we will enjoy this little piece of Americana.

So Happy Birthday America, with love from Belgium!

Believing In The Magic

Yesterday, more than ever before, I came to understand the true joy that comes from observing something from a child's perspective.  As a mother, the weeks and days leading up to Christmas are over scheduled, chaotic, and anything but relaxing.  (Note to parents everywhere.....no matter how pretty it may look, buying the glitter covered wrapping paper is never a good idea.  However, it is a very good idea to have an extra stash of tape on hand).  But seeing Sidney's excitement over the prospect of Santa's visit followed by the look on his face when he realized that Santa did indeed come makes every moment of the chaos worth it.

This was a Christmas of firsts for us.  Primarily, this was the first Christmas that we actually celebrated in our own home.  When we were stateside, holidays were split between our own two families meaning we saw more of Interstate 95 than we did our Christmas tree.  Our previous two Albanian Christmases involved hotel rooms in other cities.  While it was wonderful to experience Christmas markets, live nativity scenes and outdoor concerts, these holidays just never truly felt like Christmas.  This year, sitting in front of our own tree in the comfort of our own home, it finally did.

And most importantly, this year, at age four, Sidney was an active participant in so many of the activities leading up to Christmas itself.  Opening each box on his chocolate filled advent calendar became a daily ritual in the days leading up to yesterday.  Sidney helped decorate the tree and hang the lights, squealing with excitement when they finally illuminated the room.  With each decoration that went on the tree I was able to share my own childhood Christmas memories with him.  Christmas Eve found the two of us preparing dinner together then plotting Santa's snack.  When I first suggested to Sidney that he might want to leave a snack for Santa and his reindeer, he got all serious.  Sidney decided that just any plate wouldn't do and instead selected a holiday themed one from the cabinet.  When I asked him what snack Santa would like, he pondered the question for some time before stating "spicy chips" (Sidney's personal favorite at the moment).  Over the course of the evening the snack menu changed until Sidney finally settled on chocolate cookies for Santa and a carrot for his reindeer.  His excitement at selecting each cookie before carefully putting it on the plate was simply contagious.  Bedtime, framed around needing to go to sleep before Santa arrived, complete with a reading of Twas the Night Before Christmas and the spotting of Santa's sleigh in the distance (a.k.a. the light of a passing airplane), only added to the anticipation of what was to come.

And then we had Christmas morning itself.  Sidney's eyes lit up at the sight of his overflowing stocking and the pile of presents under the tree.  He took the task of unwrapping seriously and the meticulous care he took in opening each item item was in complete contrast to the excitement of discovering what was inside.  Books and a new winter jacket were met with the same level of excitement as the make your own sandwich kit and the toy aircraft carrier.  Throughout it all Sidney kept repeating that Santa was so nice for bringing him presents.  Hearing and seeing his excitement and witnessing his unparalleled belief in Santa made all of the chaos leading up to Christmas worth it.  And, it made me a believer in the magic of Mr. Claus.

Last Chance

Tis the season of sales......or so it would seem judging by the traffic in my email in box recently.  Advertising emails have apparently replaced old fashioned paper junk mail but the intent is the same.  It seems as though not a minute or two can go by without a new offer for a must-have, last minute item appearing before me on my computer screen. From sweaters and mass produced jewelry to electronics and snow blowers, it is all on sale "for today only".  Really? I've lost track of the number of final offers that reappear under the headlines of "sale extended" the next day.  And of course everyone is offering free shipping with a guaranteed delivery by Christmas Day. Maybe I am too cynical but it seems as though mass consumerism has taken over the holidays with no celebration being complete without a towering pile of wrapped, but unneeded items sitting under the tree.  Do we really need more stuff?

 

And now it is Christmas Eve and I once again woke to find my inbox filled with more promotions for even more last minute deals.  I suppose with Christmas itself being mere hours away the end is in sight (but I'm also receiving post Christmas sale notices now).  I know I am a planner but how is it that with Christmas sales starting in November and stores opening on Thanksgiving Day, that people are still shopping at the last minute.  Are their gift giving lists that big, do they simply procrastinate, or are they holding out hope for an even bigger and better last minute deal?  Who are these shoppers anyway and more importantly, who are they buying these special gifts for?

 

Perhaps it is physical distance from the American holiday shopping chaos that is allowing me to be so cynical.  I haven't stepped foot in an American shopping mall in years and have only ventured into the Albanian ones a handful of times under complete duress.  Relying on a restrictive mail system that can take any where from two to six weeks to deliver packages from the US to Albania means that any online shopping I planned on doing had to be completed long before the Thanksgiving / Black Friday shopping frenzy.  So attention Target, Gap, Williams Sonoma, Amazon, and everyone else who has been spamming my inbox with deals, these offers are totally lost on me.  While I have yet to wrap the few gifts we exchange, they were purchased and received months ago.  That means that instead of taking part in the feeding frenzy we've been decorating our house, baking holiday goodies, and spending time together as a family.  And that is what this season should be about.

 

Merry Christmas everyone!

I Count Myself Lucky

Yesterday's post was all about excessivism, perceived privilege and the all that is wrong in the world. Today's post is a reminder that there is (a lot) of good out there and a reminder about the importance of each and everyone of us counting our blessings and being grateful for what we have and can share with others.  For me, this is the real meaning of the holiday season.

 

Earlier this week I had the opportunity to accompany some of our Marines stationed here in Tirana on their annual delivery of gifts that had been collected through their Toys for Tots charity drive.  (Regular readers of my blog will know that I absolutely love this program).  This year's recipient organization was a group home and day drop in center for disabled children and young adults located in northern Albania.  Even in the United States, disabled or differently abled, individuals tend to be marginalized by mainstream society but this appears to be an even larger problem here in Albania.  In my experience, Albania and Albanians are all about striving to fit in and to conform with the perceived "norm" so anything or anyone that looks different, acts different, or speaks different is usually shunned, or even worse, initially approached with uncomfortable and inappropriate curiosity before being cast aside.  Additionally, Albania is a difficult country for even the most mobile of people to maneuver through so I can only imagine how virtually impossible it would be for someone with a physical handicap to get around.  Perhaps this is why I rarely see people in wheelchairs or walkers.  Unfortunately, however, I believe that a more likely reason is that disabled people get shuttered away and out of sight.  After all, it happens in the western world so why wouldn't it happen here?  I've asked numerous Albanians on repeated occasions about the care and services that are available to Albania's disabled population.  The responses I've received have ranged from people not knowing anyone who is disabled, to it not being a problem (really?) or it just being too upsetting to think or talk about so they choose not to.  For me, this speaks to the crux of the problem. If out of sight is out of mind, then anything deemed to be different is all too easy to ignore.

 

And all of this is why our trip earlier this week was so special.  This home had close to 100 clients with a wide range of diagnosis ranging from physical to psychological utilizing their services. Approximately half were day clients while the others resided there on a full time basis.  While the center was clean with (what appeared to be) freshly painted walls and was obviously decorated for the visiting Americans, there was a noticeable lack of heat in the building.  Heating units were attached to many of the walls but they obviously were not working and didn't appear like they had for some time.  Unfortunately this isn't uncommon in Albania but with it being December in northern Albania, it was colder inside the concrete building than out.  Some of the activity rooms were heated with small electric heaters (that appeared suspiciously new) but the rest of the building was cold.  Staff and residents alike were bundled up in multiple layers of clothing which included scarves and winter coats.  The staff were cheerful and appeared to be engaged with the few residents we saw, but the overall atmosphere simply made me sad.  As I stood there and observed what was going on around me, I realized just how lucky I am.   Not only do I have my health but I have the resources to take care of myself and my family both on a daily basis but also should a crisis arise. I have ready access to the heat, food, medicine and other necessities that I require.  Clearly not everyone is this fortunate.

 

But just when I was beginning to feel really blue a wonderful thing happened.  Our Santa Claus arrived and started to distribute individually wrapped gifts*** to each of the residents.  Many of the gifts were actually quite simple--puzzles, stuffed animals, hat, scarf, and mitten sets-- but each was received with broad smiles, open arms and so much appreciation that it brought tears to my eyes.  The pure joy expressed on the faces of these children and young adults reminded me that the simplest of gestures can go a long way.  Forget the high priced I-Pads and X-Boxes that so many American children will find under their trees this year; for these Albanian children the small gifts they received courtesy of Toys for Tots are just as, if not more, appreciated than the fancy electronics gifted to more affluent children.  The sight of a young man trying on his first sport coat was unbelievably moving as was the simple hand held bell that caused a girl to get up and dance.  It was in that moment that I was reminded what the holidays are all about and I just wish more people would stop, step back, and remember this.  While Christmas has turned into a commercialized nightmare for too many people, a simple gift and a bit of love is all some people ask for.  For me, Christmas is about caring and giving of oneself to both your loved ones and those who are less fortunate than yourself.  And again, I am reminded about exactly how lucky I am.

 

***Through the generosity of the staff and families at the Embassy, we were also able to donate over 600 pieces of warm clothing, blankets, and linens as well as personal hygiene items to the residents of the center. 

Getting Into The Holiday Spirit

Yesterday we decorated our house for Christmas.  This has been a holiday tradition for Glenn and me since our first Christmas together.  In Norfolk, our house would be decorated inside and out with fresh pine boughs, white lights, and special ornaments.  The steep eaves of our house were always draped in white icicle lights lending a festive atmosphere to our entire neighborhood.  We have decorated in the cold, the rain, and even under the cover of night.  There was even the year when Glenn was unexpectedly at sea and the men of our neighborhood all pitched in to make sure the house was decked to our usual standards.  Because we were always visiting family on the holiday itself, the pinnacle of the season for us was our annual holiday open house where friends, neighbors, co-workers, and even family passing through the area would descend for food, music and festivities.  Our party was the single event I looked forward to each year and it was always a good time.  Regardless of where we were on Christmas day, decorating our house has always made it so easy to get into the holiday spirit.

We've carried our holiday traditions with us to Albania but have made the expected modifications.  Our tree is no longer a live pine; rather we have a soaring, perfectly shaped pre-lit tree that I must admit is pretty darn nice.  (As someone who grew up in a family that always cut their own fresh tree, switching to fake was a bit hard).  We've learned that not having to string those pesky lights is actually quite nice! Our eaves are no longer covered in white lights but both of the balconies that run along the front of our house are.  After three years our Albanian neighbors don't stare quite as much at the bright spectacle; the first year they didn't really know what to make of them, last year several neighbors attempted to emulate our efforts with a handful of their own colored light strings, and this year we've received thank yous from the same neighbors who actually get to enjoy the view more than we do.  And since we live in a house with limited electrical outlets, we've finally gotten the hang of which sets of lights we can plug into which outlets without tripping our circuit breakers.  Despite our best efforts, however,  for me, it has never felt quite like Christmas here in Albania.

While we've decorated the house for our past two Albanian Christmases, we've never actually been here on the holiday itself.  Our first year we road tripped to Croatia and Slovenia and last year we sought out snow and Christmas markets in Bavaria.  But this year, we'll be staying put for the big day then heading out of the country after the holiday.  And because we will actually be here, we're making more of an effort to make the house festive.  In years past we've set up our Christmas tree in our representational space, leaving our private living space barren of most Christmas adornment.  With the exception of our party and delayed gift opening in front of the tree, we haven't spent any time in our decked out rooms.  This year is different.  Sidney is older and getting into the holiday spirit so this year we've brought the decorations upstairs.  Sidney helped Glenn hang the lights and together we all decorated the tree.  Despite the cool temperatures we don't have snow at our house but we can see it on the mountains outside of the city.  Sitting in our living room lit with holiday lights it feels like it is Christmas and I love it.  Today's agenda includes more decorating and I'm getting a start on the copious amount of cookies I bake each year.  Yes indeed, the Christmas season is upon us and I'm beginning to feel it.

Happy holidays!

The Calm Before The Storm

I feel like I'm sitting on the cusp of a storm where once I take the next step there will be no going back.  What storm you ask?  The birthday-holiday-moving one.  Sidney's birthday is next week.  Yes, my little baby will turn four two days before Thanksgiving.  He's informed me that at three he is still little but when he turns four he will be a big boy.  And as such, he has some very firm ideas about his cake; chocolate cupcakes with chocolate frosting of course topped with whipped cream and chocolate syrup.  Before that he wants to eat bacon and waffles for breakfast then hot dogs and macaroni and cheese for dinner.  (This is not my idea of a culinary good time but he is the birthday boy after all and I told him he could eat whatever he wants).  More importantly, if the weather holds Glenn and I have a very special surprise for our airplane loving boy this weekend.  Yes, I'm stooping to something I had always told myself I wouldn't do and we are celebrating his birthday two days early because it is just easier.  To some people that might make me a bad mom but I'm just trying to be practical and make sure he gets the birthday he wants and deserves.  So if that means it is celebrated early, so be it.  

 

And that is because right on the heels of his birthday comes the annual American food festival called Thanksgiving.  For me, it is the single biggest cooking and food day of the year and it takes time to prepare.  As usual, we're hosting a dinner for friends.  And although our guest list is small (just 8 compared to the 24 of recent years), in a week that is already filled with other non-negotiable commitments, my cooking and preparation time is limited. Somehow even with fewer guests the number of dishes I have planned has increased.  I'm not sure when it will all be cooked but it will.  Because like Sidney's birthday, it has to be done.

 

Once Thanksgiving is behind us December is upon us with her requisite decorating and rounds of holiday parties and dinners at which we will be both guests and hosts.  Gifts need to be selected, purchased and wrapped and another round (or two) of cooking will ensue.  Oh, and did I mention this little thing called an international move that will be taking place in January?  Yes, we need to prepare for that one too.

 

So today I'm stepping back and taking a deep breath to prepare myself for the storm that is to come.  T.G.I.F.  Because once Saturday hits there will be no turning back.  

Bring On The Most Wonderful Time Of The Year

With October behind us, we can now charge towards Thanksgiving and Christmas at full speed.  Sure some retailers have been flaunting turkeys and Santa alongside Halloween candy but now that the later is relegated to the sale bins, we can focus our energies on what I consider to be the real end of year holidays.  It now feels acceptable to open the holiday editions of my favorite culinary magazines that have been filling my mailbox for months.  My oven is beginning to work overtime as pumpkins that were once destined for jack-o-lanterns can now be turned into pies, breads, and other delectable treats.  Air conditioning has been swapped for heat and skimpy warm weather clothing exchanged for cozy sweaters.  The days are shorter, Daylight Savings Time ended in Europe last week with the States falling back early tomorrow morning, but for me the early darkness just makes me more productive.  (After all it feels as though I have even less time to get more accomplished).  Colorful foliage is giving way to bare trees that have their own special winter beauty and cooler air hints at the real possibility of snowflakes.  People are more generous with their time, energies, and money as charities ask for donations to assist those in need.   How can anyone argue with this?  I'm pouring over my cookbooks and planning my Thanksgiving and Christmas dinner menus, digging out my sweaters, and plotting my holiday gift giving strategy.  In case you can't tell, I love this time of year and the next few weeks promise to be my favorite ones of the entire year.

And yes, because it is November it is NaBloPoMo, the month where aspiring bloggers are encouraged to write each and every day.  I've dabbled with NaBloPoMo over the course of the past year with some months being more successful than others but this November I'm recommitting to the effort.  So from now until the end of the month, look for a daily update either on this blog or my second blog dedicated to my culinary exploits.  That's thirty entries in thirty days but I can do it.  After all, this is my favorite time of year so I'm sure to have a lot to talk about.

Thanksgiving Cometh Early

Good grief, its Thanksgiving already?

I love Thanksgiving.  From the food and festivities to the friends and family who sit around our dinner table, this day is my single favorite one of the entire year.  Growing up in my family it was the "it" holiday, far surpassing Christmas as a day to enjoy.  As if the day wasn't already special enough, Sidney was born on Thanksgiving Day 2009 adding a whole new meaning to the term "being thankful".  For our first Thanksgiving in Albania we went all out with food and friends. It hindsight it was a bit much so last year we "downsized" to a more reasonable yet still festive gathering.  And because Thanksgiving and its accompanying turkey, fixings, and pies are the quintessential American meal, we've often replicated the typical Thanksgiving feast for representational dinners over the past two years.  This means I've roasted a lot of turkeys during my time in Albania. So because of turkey fatigue, this year I vowed to go very simple and cook a single turkey for a small gathering of our closest friends for Thanksgiving.  That was my plan and I was sticking to it............until things changed.

Last winter I had the opportunity to be profiled in (Albanian) Living magazine, the equivalent of Martha Stewart Living, where I shared our American Christmas traditions.  When the magazine approached me this year to talk about Thanksgiving, I immediately jumped since the offer was just too good to refuse.  This is my favorite holiday after all!  The wheels in my head began to work overtime right away.  But that is when things got interesting since the first matter of business was to procure the centerpiece of any Thanksgiving feast, the turkey.  Having vowed to not over-do it with turkey this year, our usual stash of Butterballs imported from Kosovo via Germany and the United States was depleted.  Turkeys are popular in Albania at New Year but difficult to find during the remaining months of the year.  However, a couple of phone calls later and I found a friend who knew someone who knew the meat buyer at a local grocery chain who would in turn be able to special order a fresh turkey for me and import it from Italy.  (It may sound confusing but the whole process was just so Albanian).  The only question I was asked was "how big" to which I responded "as big as you can get".  The old adage of being careful for what one wishes for certainly applies here since the following week a 30 pound turkey arrived on my doorsteps. Yes, 30 pounds.  Let's just say that birdie was so big that I questioned whether or not it would even fit inside my American-sized oven.  Fortunately it did.  Just barely, but it did.  I stuck it in the freezer and continued with my planning.

After series of phone calls and reschedulings, list making activities and shopping trips we were good to go.  I hauled out all of my Thanksgiving decorations and dishes.  To make it authentic, we invited close friends to join us for a mock holiday dinner that would capture the essence and spirit of the American Thanksgiving tradition.  I picked a menu.  And then revised it a time or two.  Because the beast of a bird was now frozen, we set about defrosting it in the refrigerator days before the big meal.  Much to my surprise I was able to find most of the ingredients I needed in a single store.  Three days before the dinner I started cooking and now I was a bit anxious about how my food would look.  I rarely worry about taste but when the meal is being photographed appearance is what it is all about.  Pie crust, always the bane of my cooking existence, and I fought a battle and this time I won.  The plan was to have the photographer arrive a few hours before dinner to start take pictures of the preparations and to stage the food.  When our guests arrived we would sit at the table and have mock toasts and pretend to eat.  After the photographer departed we would finally be allowed to dig into our food.  All of the logistics worried me and I was particularly concerned about the food growing cold while the pictures were taken.  Glenn assured me that everything would work out yet still I worried.

The day of the dinner came and in typical fashion, things just fell into place.  Thanks to Glenn, the monster bird was stuffed and in the oven at the correct time.  Because it was so big it took longer to roast than I had anticipated but that was actually all right.  Since I didn't need to have all of the food ready to serve at the same time I didn't have the usual pressure of getting my timing just so.  I was actually relaxed in the kitchen (which in itself made me a bit nervous!).  We staged the food and took pictures in a leisurely fashion. I explained the American Thanksgiving tradition and used Google to pull up pictures of traditional Thanksgiving symbols looked like.  By the time our guests arrived we were ready to move onto the toasts.  We briefed them on the plan then we sat down and gave toasts.  Sidney, always a wild card in any planned activity, was a ham, cooperated and smiled nicely for the camera.  Glenn donned my apron and carved the monster bird.  All went well.  When the crew from the magazine packed up and left I reheated a few dishes, Glenn poured more wine and we ate.  Despite the messy kitchen, at the end of the night I felt that the evening was a success.

So I have one Thanksgiving down and (somehow) another one is still to come. I'll be blogging about my actual recipes in my food blog during the month of November so stay tuned.  By the time the magazine article is published we'll still be finishing up the leftovers of this turkey and I'll be planning another Thanksgiving dinner.  I'll be hunting for another (smaller) turkey and searching out my other key ingredients.  And I said I was only hosting one dinner this year?  I foolishly believed it but Glenn knew better!  Maybe next year it will be true.

Monster Bird