Amazing Christmas…and a Happy Day After

(note my HUGE stocking on the left side leaning up against the couch)

I am EXHAUSTED!! Mom, me, my aunt and 2 of my cousins were at the mall at 6AM this morning!! No worries though, this is like our favorite shopping day EVER!!! I seriously look forward to it almost as much as Christmas itself.

But let's rewind to Christmas Eve...

Traffic was HORRIBLE getting down to my aunts house, and I was really late and at that point just so mentally frustrated from being in the car so long...and I dropped a really nice bottle of champagne vinegar I got for my aunt so that just was the icing on the cake. Luckily I re-grouped and had some great food. Christmas eve is less dinner, more lots of random bites here and there. I had salad, meatballs, crab cakes, chicken wings, cippino (? - Italian seafood stew/soup), and random cheese and veggies...all delicious!!! Sorry no pics. Then there were presents and lots of family fun time...about 45 people (just my moms side). Then home to bed so Santa could come!! But first Santa had to wrap stocking stuffers for mom hehe.

“A Banana Christmas”

I'll explain the “Banana” in a sec, but first Christmas breakfast...aka Pie Making by products haha :)

Rolly=pollies! These are little treats made from leftover pie crust. My mom made two pies this morning then took the extra pie crust scraps, rolled them out, spread some butter, sprinkle brown sugar and cinnamon, then roll up, slice, and bake!! YUMMMMM!

I probably had 3 or 4 over the course of the morning.

One of the pies was Chocolate Cream…you know what that means

A little bowl of extra hot pudding with a spoonful of vanilla ice cream.  There you have it, breakfast of champions…chocolate pudding and little pastries :)

Good thing I couldn’t wait to try out my new HRM!!  But first, PRESENTS!!

Starting with my HUGE stocking…the next three pictures are all my stocking stuffers

I heart my big stocking:)

This is what my mom meant when she said it was a very Banana Christmas for me…

Can you tell I love that store??  I have no problem with lots of clothes hehe…

A nice pair of grey work pants   
Cute green sweater

Black sweater dress, with grey bands on the bottom and the button details at the waist.

And two gorgeous scarves!  The one on the left is wool and so so soft and warm, the one on the right is like a thin linen material and is so colorful!

I also got a really warm long black winter coat..kind of like a down one with a fur rimmed hood.  I told her I wanted a REALLY warm coat. 

I also gave her the Anthopologie hints

Now I have BOTH “B” mugs they make!  Perfect, Brian can use this one :)  And she ALSO got my the same measuring cups Brian got me so I returned them today and got two more of those cute little bowls to go with the two from Brian.

All in all another great Christmas!! 

Good thing I had some “real” breakfast after my run…Chobani, banana, and Kashi U!

Because later there was the dinner celebration at my aunts…I definitely didn’t hold back here…SO MUCH AMAZING FOOD!

Shrimp cocktail, homemade guac, and delicious proscuitto and salamis from the North End in Boston…
Smoked salmon with the trimmings….yum! 
 
CHEESE!!!
 
My aunt’s sister-in-law’s Vinegar peppers…I don’t know how she makes these things but they are out of this world!

Needless to say I made many trips to this area for various appetizers.

Oh but then there was the main courses…

  Turkey, of course

 

 

 

 

Turnips…kind of like scalloped style!

   

 

 

 

Mushrooms and sweet potatoes!

 

 

 

 

The most incredible caramelized baby onions you will EVER have.

 

 

 

Squash :)

 

 

 

Ham!  I was so excited!  I haven't had this kind of ham in what feels like ages.

 

 

 

 

 

And then there was my plate…OVERLOAD ALERT!! 

Why of why do I end up with such a full plate…I was STUFFED!!!!  Like painfully stuffed…I hate when I do that.  Then just when I was starting to feel better…dessert came out.

Pumpkin pie

 
Pecan pie, chocolate cream pie, mince meat pie (no one but my grandfather actually likes that), and various cookies…

I ended up with tiny slivers of pumpkin, pecan, and chocolate cream.

My pastry chef aunt didn’t show up til later, and I did not have any of this but this is the cake she made for my cousin who’s birthday is Christmas!! 

The ribbon is real ribbon but the rest is cake!!

She also brought a Buche noel (Yule log), of which I stole a meringue mushroom…mmm!

Well that was my Christmas day!  I hope yours was filled with as much great family and food as mine!

I think I need a nap haha…I’ll have to post today’s shopping purchases later :)

Was Santa good to you too???