Christmastide Recap

As expected, the Christmastide journey to the homeland was filled with fantastic food and good cheer. My elders continue to uphold their reputation as awe-inspiring hosts, and their Christmas Eve hors d'oeuvres (which comprise my favorite meal of the year) did not disappoint: a delightful spread of warm Brie topped with French orange marmalade and toasted almonds, a vegetable antipasto bowl (recipe available on request), shrimp cocktail, a hot-and-spicy snack mix, and warm spinach-artichoke dip. My companion and I also enjoyed picking up our custom-made gingerbread people, a 30-year family tradition. I attempted to make my own gingerbread people this year with a moderate amount of success, but I still appreciated the work of a veteran.

Peppermintinis flowed freely on Christmas Day, drinks, I admit, that I enjoy the idea of far more than I enjoy the actual consumption of, the peppermintini mix being a bit too sweet for my liking. However, the experience of drinking a beverage out of a crushed-candy-cane rimmed glass is just far too festive to pass up.