Oh Deer~

I'm dreaming of a white Christmas..

OMGee this global warming is playing havoc w/ our Québec Christmases..

I need snow..and mistletoe..;)

Yesterday..it was pouring as I took the top pic.. December 5th..that meant we had 19 more days only to have a snowy Christmas Eve..and Christmas day..it can leave Feb 1rst..but please ..for Christmas Santa..a white sparkly cover.
Today..the 6th the sun shone..and well now we have 18 more days..hurry..

So the tourtière..meat pie..above..is from last year..

We make a few extras..so that we can enjoy them during the year..saving one at least for early December.

Everyone has their fave recipe..some add potatoes..like Ricardo..and people are thrilled with it..

I should have paid attention when my mom made hers..:(

I had to learn from Jéhane Benoit..(our Julia Child) when I married at the ripe old age of 20.She has a few recipes..this one with oats is delish too.

I always work my way around the first recipe..
I have the book The Canadiana Cookbook..

AND her huge compendium..of so many individual 3 punch hole booklets my mom collected..I will NEVER part with that huge book that's in an ugly black huge 3 ring binder.!~Over 1050 pages.
1963 was the first published date.Over 1.5 million copies have been sold..
She is an institution here..and for valid reasons.

The size reminds me of Marie's beautiful book..do you know that it weighs almost 5 lbs?
Well it does:)
It is BIGGER than Dorie Greenspan's Baking From My Home To Yours!

Now.. getting back to the tourtières..I make my own variation w/ my daughter..we usually use pork and beef....breadcrumbs....onions..garlic..and my own blend of spices..I have bought them also..but we kept adding..

Jacques is there helping..he loves that day..and Caroline and Jacques taste test.It is not an exact science in our case..

I was brought up w/ a tourtière tasting like cinnamon and a spot of cloves..
Jacques adds sugar on top:)
And he loves it w/ the home made fruit ketchup I shared again this year..

It is beautiful on a Christmas dinner plate w/ turkey and stuffing~
And the scent ..aroma throughout our homes..is so festive and cozy.


The link to all my talk bout the ketchup..leading to another link..is here..
That too is beautiful and spicy on the Christmas table.

I am slowly getting more things out..  I switched up the kitchen window a bit w/ my vintage scale and greenery and little reindeer lights..I could have those everywhere:)That egg basket was bought in Provence this Sept♥

The stockings are ready to be filled..
Still grateful for having been taught step by step..and still grateful to Frances who nimbly turned my needlepoint into stockings that will last forever.

Feel free to type in Christmas on my search bar upper left hand corner as I just did for a few Christmas past posts..:)
Provence shows up once because of the appetizer lol..just keep going:)If you have nothing to do..at the bottom it will be written Next posts..
I don't want to bore some of you who have been with me forever and a day..♥

One of the girls that has been with me from day one..even before blogging was a thing..is so stinkin' talented..and cute..

See that brocante/Provence/crochet bag?♥

Arrived for me for Christmas..hand stitched by her..
..look at every stitch..that's how many times she thought of us ..she and me.Or me and she.
I love it.
I received it in Fl..our manager ,Karen brought me the box..she even thought the box was so cute:)

And then Brenda did too..
and then I opened it and showed Brenda..

and she said:"That is so you".

Imagine that.

This is such a time of the year..

Hohoho and hohoho.

I love that part..

But I am not all hohoho..
that's me.

I like to just be quiet..and think..about everything.

The past..the present and the future.

What Christmas meant in the past..what it means now and what it may mean in the future.

I love listening to the music of Christmas.. I love the lights..the cards..the ornaments..the children..although..because Lucas started high school..his parents decided they had better tell him the truth..


"What? That there is no Santa Claus?" "I knew that.."  LOL...

Came back and said..: "So what about Buddy?"(Their elf).
♥♥

Happy preparations to you..be they humble or over the top..on your own or with many..to each our own♥

Ten days left..and the Littles are excited..

Fast approaching ..December 24th and December 25th..
I do love the preparation..nice..I remember when I worked I would bake and freeze starting October..
one thing I love about not working anymore..is that I can now do it in December..it just feels more in the spirit for me..
We had abeautiful snowfall..the first that takes your breath away..I just feel bad for  Jacques..the snowblowing etc..
Max ..he still has a few more shovelings to do..if you remember I bought a gift cert..for the less fortunate and the benefit was stair shoveling and he has been once..this snowfall our son-in-law came and did the front steps..

..but that's not the story I want to tell..

..this is..

Frédérick  told Caroline he was going to Costco to pick up food..w/ 3 big boys..they need to do groceries..a lot..

anyways..Caroline said she looked in her fridge this morning and it was almost empty..I said:"Fred just went to Costco.."

She said..ah yes..but (she didn't know)..everything he bought..was for the less fortunate..bags of rice ..cereals....canned goods..etc..apparently he told his co -workers that at their Christmas dinner they all had to bring things for the less fortunate and he would deliver it all.
I mean..♥

That's my sweet story.

So as tradition calls for..I made Auntie Bernice's shortbreads again..some in a pan..some shaped like this..I like the round pie shape..last year also I did one..

I made cut-out ones..and burnt a batch..trying to do 3 things at once..;)A different recipe..
That was not the sum of my bloopers this year;)
Thank goodness everyone bakes..:)

Some cards are just too pretty to not use as tree ornaments..case in point this lovely cutwork card♥
Family and friends photo cards..my daughters friends..:)
Those get hung on the tree..my daughters have beautiful cards made at Shutterfly..Noah's is not here yet but the  other boys one arrived 2 days ago..

Some of the Littles are getting a gift and their stocking..but mom knew they would like a gift certificate..
happy I had these little baskets and tags for the 6 of them~

You know how much I love the ocean..fresh snow and a blue sky..gives me the same awesome feeling.Awe.Awe of nature..
Miracles.
Christmas is a short 10 days away..and before we know it 2017 will be around that very corner..
I love having a desktop calendar ..or 2  ..but I like one hanging in my art room..in front of me..

I have this one to look forward to all year long..every month is so adorable..all different..the calendar is a little jewel.
Marie makes them.
It's already on my wall so photo is off a bit..I shot it directly on the wall♥  Cuter than most calendars on the market..I'll show you every page through the year.

La recette..for the shortbread..


1 lb of butter
1 cup of icing sugar
4 cups of flour..here I go crazy and substitute dome for rice flour..flakier.
Bake at 300 ..1 hr.
Cream butter and sugar..add flour..knead..
Pat into 8x8 square molds..or a round one..and prick w/ fork.
There are several shortbread recipes on my blog..Just enter shortbread in the search bar that Linda showed me how to add.:)

BRR it will be in the minuses over night..BRRR