Christmas Preparations

This is what I'll be looking at off and on for the next few days. It's a tiny shelf that is on the wall in front of the kitchen sink. The plate was a gift from my grand kids. I miss a window over the sink...but the big sliding glass doors are just to the side, so I can watch my little birdies. Speaking of birdies...I switched the bird feeders around the other day. The hanging lantern is in my view as I type this post. The birds don't like it...only two can eat at the same time...actually only one...as they seldom sit that close to each other when they eat. I used to have a hanging shelf feeder there, so many birds could eat at the same time. The lantern was a gift and I want to make the person who gave it feel good, by thinking that we use it all the time. I hate to hurt feelings. Is that dishonest?? The feeders on the back deck were moved very close to the house...to be more convenient and safe for me. We were eating lunch the other day and a dove was on the railing, where the feeder used to hang, giving me, what I thought was, a dirty look. She didn't want to come so close to the house to eat...so she just sat there and stared at me. I am going to move things around again today...the birds win.

I am going to tidy up the house today...to get ready for the coming holiday. Tomorrow I have to start with the food preparations. Breakfast things, appetizers, and then Christmas dinner. We are having prime rib for Christmas dinner. I won't even tell the obscene price we paid for that meat. That will be Joe's contribution to the meal....he knows how to season meat and cook it to perfection. I'm using the Pioneer Woman's recipe for make ahead mashed potatoes and also her mini cheeseburger appetizers for Christmas eve. I watched her two shows this week on the food channel and loved them. You see a little of her life on the ranch as well as the cooking.

Our menu for Christmas dinner is prime rib, mashed potatoes, gravy, green bean casserole, relishes, marinated peppers, Christmas slaw, rolls and for dessert a tray of cookies and ice cream sundaes with hot fudge. I have to get the pans and casseroles out that I want to use and make sure they fit in the micro waves and oven. Nothing like having things to go in the oven and finding that you don't have room at the last minute. I actually have to measure the space I have in the oven to see if my roasting pan and casseroles will fit.

Well, I had better get going...the work is not going to get done this way. Have a great day and relax.

Balisha