Holiday cheer

 This is the reason I insist on getting the Christmas shopping done early as possible - though I still need one stocking stuffer.  There are just other things pertaining to the holidays that I would rather be doing than shopping or wrapping.  

I stopped over at Friend Aina's and caught her on baking day.  Now, Aina is an old world cook, like me, and the holidays mean one thing - you just overdo it. You make and bake and plan on way more food than anyone could possibly eat so there is plenty for the family to take home with them. I'm not even going to list what she is having for dinner on Christmas Eve because I can't remember it all.  

I absolutely love her Latvian gingerbread cookies, and came away with a hunk of dough to bake some of my own.  That was a timely visit!

I found this mold and thought it might work to try to replicate the Violet Crumble bars Jude sent me awhile ago. I've made sea foam (honey comb) before but we liked the shape of the Violet Crumbles and I've been looking for a mold.  

The recipe needed to be halved because you have to work fast but the shapes held and then I dipped them in chocolate and sent them over to Elizabeth to test.  I am waiting for her verdict before proceeding.  Edit:  Elizabeth said the texture was good and to proceed.  Of course she would, I shared a couple of the Violet Crumbles with her and she loved them so it happy to see me try to make some.

THEN we had lunch with our friends at the most outrageous Christmas decorated place in the area.  This place is over the top with kitsch, corny, fun and noise.  You absolutely can't go in here if you are bothered by any of those things.   On the other hand you would be hard pressed to find a place where people walk in the door with smiles on their faces and share everything from tables to ketchup.

Look at that pretzel appetizer!  Every table is lined with stuffed animals that sing and dance and squawk and they are all going at the same time because everyone at all the tables is playing with them.

The seating is communal, reservations for Christmas start in October and go through January.  We walked in at lunch, miraculously got four seats and were warned it would be an hour before one of the two waitresses came for our orders.  We said we didn't care, we were there to visit and had all afternoon. They kept the drinks coming!

Where else can you go and have the waitress say to you (as she said to PH when he tried to order before I was finished)  "It's not your turn, Bucko."  And laugh for the rest of the afternoon and declare PH now had a new nickname.  And left her a big tip for it. Where else???

Grand Rapids was trying something new this year.  They are trying a Christmas market and we were hearing such good things about it we decided this morning because the sky was blue and the temperatures were nice to go see it.  The only thing we missed was seeing it lit up at night. But we also missed the crowds.

This is the first year but I'm sure the success means it will only get bigger from now forward. There were two 'streets' lined with these huts. 

There was a hut selling raclette sandwiches.  We opted out because, well, because the other guy selling sausages looked good, too.

This is the raclette heater, the cheese melts but the rind doesn't.  As it melts they open a large bread baguette, smear the cheese on it and wrap it for eating.  I told PH we would have had to split it between us, it was quite large.

It was interesting to watch

But we opted for Polish sausage sandwiches, potato pancakes and a huge soft pretzel, which after the sandwiches was brought home for tonight's supper.

PH got a beer in the beer hall and I got a hot chocolate.  It was such a good lunch I'm not cooking supper tonight!  We'll eat that pretzel.

We both agreed this Christmas market will only grow from here.  We talked to a couple of vendors and they said they have been overwhelmed with the business they've had and can only say good things.  If nothing else, it puts their business on the map.

So, yes, I'd rather be doing things like this to enjoy the holidays.  But after coming home from a long day advenuring and a nap I am now back in the mood for more baking, planning, list making because for us, it's coming next Friday and Saturday.