2020s, cooking, family

Merry Christmas, 2020

Cindy Bruchman

This year is a quiet holiday season. The grandchildren in my life are elsewhere and no one is visiting due to Covid. I made pecan sweet rolls and wonder who will eat them all?

Blogging buddy John inspired me with his recent post showing off his meat pies. I have never tried to make them and was up for the challenge. I made steak and mushroom pie for Christmas Eve dinner. While the filling was delicious, the crimping was non-existent. No worries. The crust was flaky and puffy. I’ll keep practicing making it look as good as it tasted.

Last week I was in the hospital. After receiving transfusions, I’m starting to feel a bit stronger. Taking advantage of the peace and quiet, I heal. Here is a toast to you! I pray your holiday is bright.

Love & Friendship,

Cindy

Published by Cindy Bruchman

AZ educator, writer, traveler, movie buff

64 thoughts on “Merry Christmas, 2020”

      1. Food traditions are mostly driven by my English husband! I would be happy to break with tradition and, in the past, have celebrated the festive season with a Christmas Octopus. However, a typical Christmas day meal nowadays has non negotiable items of turkey, bread sauce, cranberry sauce (made by mother-in-law), stuffing balls, roast potatoes, Yorkshire pudding (which, as I now seem to understand, is a bit of a controversial inclusion) and a huge array of vegetables. Christmas pudding gets eaten whether it’s liked or not and this has to be accompanied by brandy cream. It’s been fun to do lots of baking in the past few weeks in preparation for the season – a two month (and counting) lockdown has seen to expanding culinary skills (and waistlines!). We both share the cooking, which is fun (…mostly – my sous chef can be quarrelsome at times). Do hope you had a good day, I know it’s been quiet for a lot of people. Despite it being more solitary than usual it did provide time to speak to family members at the opposite end of the country! How will you spend the next few days?

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        1. Christmas Octopus! Now that is an interesting idea. You sound like you have a great partnership with your husband for which I’m happy to hear. This is the first Christmas I can think of where it’s just Jim and I. Children and grands are away. I still made a full turkey dinner. Not sure why, since I made enough for 10 people instead of 2. I’ll be nibbling and packaging the turkey for future meals. I’ve been watching PBS Victoria for the fun of it. Reading books and writing my third novel. Walks in the morning. Sleeping a lot.
          I have a most uneventful routine, but’s exactly what I feel like doing. I’m a creature of routine. I’m introverted by nature and prefer my own company. I complain there are no good movies to watch anymore. Reading seems to have replaced wasting hours looking at the television.
          Cheers, Sarah, for asking and I hope you have a pleasant New Year.

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          1. Gosh. That was just like reading an excerpt from a page in my diary if I wrote one! It was our first solo Christmas as well funnily enough and cooked enough for about 10 although husband (Gary) is making a valiant effort in getting through it all. He’s quite the martyr to Christmas. Victoria is a fabulous show – do enjoy. I have about 3 more episodes to watch but have been putting off as I don’t know if there are going to be future seasons and I don’t want to complete it just yet. Do hope to hear more about your novel in the weeks and months to come. I’m at the difficult editing stage in two of mine and keep putting it off. This, of course, would be the ideal time to crack on with it. However, I got a kindle for Christmas and so I’m able to sit in front of the fire and read in comfort (currently ‘A Tale of Two Cities’). Do enjoy your walks and reading and very best wishes for the new year too.

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  3. Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year, but above all, get well soon.

    Incidentally, as a man who owes 35% of his body weight to the invention of the meat pie, don’t bother too much about looks. Meat pies are rather like people. The most wonderful ones are not necessarily the ones which look perfect.

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      1. We have been to a restaurant every year for the last four years, Cindy. Before that, I usually cooked a traditional turkey dinner. Julie makes mince pies, and sausage rolls to eat as snacks.
        Best wishes, Pete. x

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  14. Cindy, terrific to hear from you and your meat pies looked incredible…I love the fillings! Also, happy to hear that you are making it through 2020 as healthy as possible, and I wish you a speedy recovery and a healthy and prosperous 2021!

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  16. Merry Christmas. It has been quiet here with no visitors. We are just enjoying the little things. I am sorry you were ill and I hope today finds you feeling much better. When I lived in Maine we always made Tourtiere pies. Haven’t had one in ages!

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  22. Great post Cindy 🙂 Those dishes look fantastic 🙂 I hope you had a very Merry Christmas – I did 🙂 And I hope you have a Happy New Year as well. Also, let us hope that 2021 is much better than 2020 🙂 Anyway, keep up the great work as always 🙂

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  25. What lovely messages. Sorry I’m late. Just catching up on blogs now. What gorgeous flowers and wonderful food. I know it’s not a great start to 2021 but plenty of time left and I wish you well for all it.

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