Pre Christmas
1st day of Christmas Chewy Sugar cookies from www.cooksillustrated.com
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So good they were gone in less than 2 days....
Mincemeat mixed up- I shredded the apple this year also added some of the syrup from my homemade candied clementine peels.
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Rich Brioche Ingredients
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My little man the Tony Montana of flour. Seriously the leftover flour after I kneaded the dough he went to town on...sigh
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Made delicious Buttered Pecan Scones from Dessert for Two. Helped my husband get in the mood to wrap some pressies...he really enjoys wrapping presents.
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Some truffle prep (before i covered them in chocolate) for How Sweet It Is's Crispy Chocolate Peanut Butter Cookie Dough Truffles. Soooo good. I used cocoa crispies as well as rice krispies in the dough. They were gone in an hour. Sigh
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We did a lot of crafts and spruced up our living room this month. To reward my family, I made Joy the Baker's Red Velvet Christmas Cupcakes. Really good, so good I only got one!! Thank you family ;)
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Random bath time 'take a picture of me mommy' flick.
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Some of the interesting 'snowmen' from one of our craft night. We are proud anyway and display them...in the main bathroom, but still...people will see them.
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Homemade Potato Thyme Rolls ready for the oven!
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Cranberry anxiously waiting to be turned into cranberry sauce!
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On to the goose aka Bertha Mae!
The toasted star anise, szechuan peppers, cinnamon stick, cloves, and fennel ready to be turned in a powder in the coffee grinder (i don't use it to grind coffee just spices!)
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The goose all massaged with orange, lemon, lime zest, and my 5 spice powder! Inspired by Gordon Ramsey! Must work on my scoring technique, though!
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I then stuffed the bird with a pricked apple, foie gras, rosemary, sage, orange, and of course seasoned with salt.
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Put in the fridge, then sat at room temp about 30 minutes before roasting the next day
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More prep
With my homemade brioche loaves, I made savory bread pudding with brioche, bacon and leeks!
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First time ever making collard greens because they're usually ALWAYS out at the commissary! Not this year and I put my foot in them!
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Oh Christmas tree
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My Santa Man enjoying mince pie and a spiked mug of homemade eggnog!
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Our living room featuring another craft!
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As close to a white Christmas as we were getting this year...
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Faking on Christmas Eve...can't fool santa!
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LOVE my footed pajamas! Bought these from Walmart back in November and they actually fit my tall self!!! Santa likes them a lot ;)
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Hamhocks and Collards....mmmmmmmmm. I put way more collards in, by the way, this is half way through.
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Bertha Mae! If you enjoy the dark meat on an poultry, you will enjoy goose. So damn good and the fat that drips out is amazing. It's a gift that keeps on giving!!! More people need to get on the goose train ;)
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Crunchy on the outside and fluffy on the inside goose fat roasted potatoes! We will make this again with the saved goose. If you don't have goose fat, use crisco. What makes goose awesome is that it has an insanely high smoke point so no disgusting fumes and it gets REALLY hot.
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Dinner!
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Spiced Goose w/ honey
Goose Fat Roasted Potatoes
Collard Greens and Hamhocks
Slow Cooker Sweet Potato Casserole (i had a photo of the process the iphone literally died I had to run to the repair dude's house. Luckily he fixed it for me quickly!)
Savory Bread Pudding with Brioche, Leeks, and Bacon
Orange Cranberry Sauce
Potato Thyme Rolls
I also made A chocolate mousse pie, but we were too full to eat it. Still waiting for us in the fridge! I also took a lot of photos with my camera and a even more video. Look for a video from me after the new year!!
Thank you all for reading! I really hope you all are having a grand holiday!!!!
Love Sommer and Family
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spent most of the day in our jammies! well my daughter in the play dress we got her for Christmas.
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from my own camera- Me and my son. He's with his family again for Christmas :(
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