Hope you all had a wonderful Christmas! I’m popping in with a quick recap of how the Bane family celebrated this year.
We began the festivities on December 23 with our church’s annual Christmas Eve service held at a performing arts center downtown.
My great-uncle and grandparents were scheduled to arrive in Raleigh around noon on Christmas Eve, but heavy rain and tornado warnings delayed them until 11 p.m. We had our traditional lasagna dinner the night before and saved leftovers for their arrival.
Because they arrived so late, we let them sleep in on Christmas morning and didn’t begin opening presents until 11 a.m. That gave me time for a 6-mile run, a quick shower, changing back into my pajamas, making an omelet, eating a cookie, wrapping my final gifts, and writing cards for each family member. Nothing like last-minute preparations!
The roads were nearly empty at 7:30 a.m. during my run—I saw maybe five cars in the entire 45 minutes.
My younger self would have been eager to rip open presents immediately, but I enjoyed the peaceful start to the day (and the cookie). Around 11, it was finally time to open gifts.
The cast of characters: my brother and sister, great-uncle,
Dad, Mom, and my grandparents were all there.
My mom, who loves to go overboard with gifts, outdid herself this year. She filled my stocking so fully she made an “overflow stocking” as well. The first stocking included nail polish, dark chocolate, Larabars, gold hoops, natural mascara, and a cute to-do list notepad. Thanks, Mom! My grandparents gave me a grill pan from Williams-Sonoma, complete with a sweet note on the packing slip calling me “our very professional cook and Internet blogger.”
We opened presents slowly, going around the room, which I love because it stretches out the fun and lets everyone admire each gift.
After stockings and unwrapping, my mom and I prepared my Greek yogurt and avocado chicken salad for a late lunch. I make this often for lunches, so it’s become familiar, but guests always get a kick out of the “green chicken salad.”
Later we took a long neighborhood walk—one of my favorite ways to spend time with family—and then began making Christmas dinner. I handled the green beans, mashed potatoes, and chopped the vegetables while my mom took care of the pot roast. The roast turned out tender and flavorful; a dollop of sour cream on top made it even better.
For dessert we kept things simple: Ghirardelli triple chocolate brownies (from a mix we love) served a la mode with vanilla bean ice cream. They were a crowd-pleaser and felt indulgent without a lot of fuss.
We rented Ant-Man from Redbox and spent the evening on the couch in our pajamas. I first saw Ant-Man this past summer in an incredible theater in Indonesia that had beds—such a fun memory.
The next day, some of us went to Panera for lunch. I usually order the Greek chicken salad—any suggestions for something different to try? Later we saw Creed, part of the Rocky series. I enjoyed it overall, though I had to cover my eyes during one intense boxing scene.
The rest of the weekend was full of family time, games, walks, and relaxing—just what the season is about. I hope you had a lovely holiday as well.
So tell me…
If you celebrate Christmas, does your family open gifts one-by-one or all at once?
Have you seen any good movies recently, new or old?
What do you usually order at Panera?