I didn’t plan to write a Christmas blog – so overdone, and I have so many other things in the queue to talk about. But then, a gray December 5th arrived in Maine; you could just feel snow was coming; and truly, is there anywhere else in the world where Christmas is as palpable as Maine when snow is coming? I’ve tried to live my life in a Norman Rockwell painting, and it’s really not as hard as it might look. With a little effort, you can create whatever you want, and in my fairy tale mind, I realized, of course, I needed to pause and write a blog about Christmas in one of the most beautiful spots in the world.
I get so excited when I see all the cars with evergreen trees tied to their roofs. I know everybody in that car feels good today. We headed off to Hanscome’s Christmas Tree Farm in North Yarmouth around 3:00 to cut our tree down a week earlier than planned. The day was too perfect not to. I purposely choose this time of day each year because we cross into the “golden hour” when the sun is setting and it shines a warm glow over the hills and fields we pass, with our tree tied to our roof, the smell of evergreen and pitch permeating the car from our gloves and mittens, thick mud on our boots.
With older brother away at college, cutting down the tree, just like everything else we’ve done this fall, was different this year and yet we made such an effort to create funny photos for him, that the tradition turned out OK, less one very important person in our family.
The day we put up the tree is a favorite day in my whole year, every year. It’s getting dark when we get home, and today, it gently began snowing right on cue. I light the candles in the windows; soft light warms our house; decorations, photo cards, wrapping paper & bows, and presents are usually in various stages of completion all around the first floor. I put on the Christmas CD’s; bring out the ornaments, some as old as 1983; I put a soup or stew on for dinner and after my husband puts the lights on the tree, my son and I add the ornaments. We sing (badly); we laugh; we revel in the slowdown and peace of the season. Now at nearly six feet tall, my son puts the wooden heart made by my nephew at the age of five on the tree top. We know this tradition of putting up the tree is special, and we hang on and enjoy it. Every one of us.
I share with you my favorite drink, meal, and music to "put-up-the-tree." Happy Holidays to you, my friend. Peace on earth, good will to all.
Music
Wintersong, Sarah McLachlan *River - a favorite song*
If On a Winter’s Night, Sting
White Christmas, Martina McBride *O Holy Night - all time favorite*
A Christmas Album, Amy Grant *Tennessee Christmas - a favorite*
These are Special Times, Celine Dion
Favorite warm drink (adapted from Giada de Laurentiis’ Hot Chocolate Bar)
(a café mocha from Starbucks does the job if you’re short on time)
warm a mug of milk, preferably a snowman mug, 1.45 seconds in microwave
add a tsp. of sugar and a TBS of unsweetened cocoa
add a shot of espresso, brewed
top with whipped cream and heath bar minis
New England Clam Chowder
(recipe by Megan Patterson, a former intern of Cooking Light)
4 (6 ½ oz cans) chopped clams, undrained
2 (8-oz) bottles clam juice
4 bacon slices
1 c. chopped onion
1 c. chopped celery
1 garlic clove, minced
3 c. cubed red potato
1 ½ tsp. chopped fresh thyme
¼ tsp. black pepper
3 fresh parsley sprigs
1 bay leaf
2 c. milk
¼ c. flour
½ c. half-and-half
Drain clams through a colander into a bowl, reserving liquid and clams. Combine clam liquid and clam juice.
Cook bacon in a Dutch oven over med-high heat until crisp. Remove bacon from pan, reserve 2 tsp. drippings in pan. Crumble bacon and set aside. Add onion, celery and garlic to pan; sauté 8 minutes or until tender. Add clam juice mixture, potato, and next 4 ingredients; bring to boil.
Cover, reduce heat; simmer 15 minutes or until potatoes are tender.
Combine milk and flour, stirring with a whisk until smooth; add to pan. Stir in clams and half-and-half. Cook 5 minutes. Discard bay leaf. Serve with bacon on top, and on the side, organic rustica bread from Standard Bakery or any crusty fresh bread.
Yield: 8 servings (1 ¼ c. size); 194 calories
2 (8-oz) bottles clam juice
4 bacon slices
1 c. chopped onion
1 c. chopped celery
1 garlic clove, minced
3 c. cubed red potato
1 ½ tsp. chopped fresh thyme
¼ tsp. black pepper
3 fresh parsley sprigs
1 bay leaf
2 c. milk
¼ c. flour
½ c. half-and-half
Drain clams through a colander into a bowl, reserving liquid and clams. Combine clam liquid and clam juice.
Cook bacon in a Dutch oven over med-high heat until crisp. Remove bacon from pan, reserve 2 tsp. drippings in pan. Crumble bacon and set aside. Add onion, celery and garlic to pan; sauté 8 minutes or until tender. Add clam juice mixture, potato, and next 4 ingredients; bring to boil.
Cover, reduce heat; simmer 15 minutes or until potatoes are tender.
Combine milk and flour, stirring with a whisk until smooth; add to pan. Stir in clams and half-and-half. Cook 5 minutes. Discard bay leaf. Serve with bacon on top, and on the side, organic rustica bread from Standard Bakery or any crusty fresh bread.
Yield: 8 servings (1 ¼ c. size); 194 calories
(photo: our backyard at daybreak)
