Our Christmas holidays were blessedly quiet, with travelling mercies down to a week spent with family. We "took a couple weeks off" from homeschooling, mostly meaning we didn't sit down on my choice to do anything specific. We did finish Dicken's A Christmas Carol on Christmas eve evening, after church, so that was lovely. We have a great unabridged edition with Eric Kincaid's illustrations that captures Greta's imagination (though it does have "chapters" instead of "staves," ah, well).
We spent the week enjoying good food, good drink, and good company. New board games are always part of the mix, and old and new films, and we're even happy moving furniture, setting up new movie rooms, and helping clean basements in exchange for the fun. There's runs to the mall, walks with the dogs, playing by the creek (mostly frozen), and trying out new recipes. And keeping old ones!
In honor of Dicken's, here is a wonderful one we've used the past couple years:
“A merry Christmas, Bob!” said Scrooge, with an earnestness
that could not be mistaken, as he clapped him on the back. “A
merrier Christmas, Bob, my good fellow, than I have given you, for many
a year! I’ll raise your salary, and endeavour to assist your
struggling family, and we will discuss your affairs this very afternoon,
over a Christmas bowl of smoking bishop, Bob! Make up the fires, and buy
another coal-scuttle before you dot another i, Bob Cratchit!”
Smoking Bishop
two oranges
one grapefruit
whole cloves
1/2 C sugar
one bottle (750ml) of dry red wine
1/2 bottle (375ml) of port
Wash fruit well. Cut the grapefruit in half (the other half is not used). Stud the half grapefruit and two oranges with 6 or so cloves in each. Roast this fruit in the oven (350-ish), turning once or twice, until the fruit starts to brown. Place fruit in a warmed large non-reactive (not metal) bowl, pour over the wine, add the sugar, cover, and let sit in a warm place for a day or so.
Squeeze the fruit into the wine, then strain into a saucepan. Add the 1/2 bottle of port, and heat through, but not until boiling, stirring occasionally. The drink will begin to "smoke" when it is ready. Extra can be stored in the refrigerator, then brought back to smoking on the stove for drinking. Take note of how you prefer your drink, you may like less or more sugar, or citrus, or a different wine or port.
Five adults whom enjoy wine (the sixth, not me, is pregnant!) went through a batch this size in a couple days, next year we may have to do the full recipe! It is perfect for a Christmas or New Year's gathering.
