 ‘Twas a cozy COVID Christmas in the Cottage in Carondelet.
Through vaccines and masking the virus was set. The big guy was down on the first of December, 'Twas going to be a holiday we'll always remember. Then a few days 'fore Christmas another test was taken, And sure, enough COVID had, in Dr. B, awakened, There was sneezing, and wheezing, and coughing, oh my! Foggy brains, napping and medicines to try. It could’ve been worse; it truly wasn’t that bad. Together we huddled and a bit of joy was had. For in the Carondelet Kitchen under that bright star above We continue our journey in faith, hope and love. Tis the season of blessings, and we are blessed beyond measure. For as long as we’re together, this Christmas we’ll treasure. Merry Christmas from the super cool old people in the Carondelet Kitchen.
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 Merry Christmas to you and the happiest of New Years from the two #supercoololdpeoople in the Carondelet Kitchen! We will meet again in 2024!  We had a gorgeous T-Bone steak in our freezer for almost too long, so Big Guy decided it was time to pull it out and make a delicious meal. Lucky me!
Once he thawed the steak, he seared it on both sides and then placed it in the oven to complete cooking. While that was going on, he also had potato rounds and vegetables roasting away to give a well-balanced meal. He finished it off with a sprinkle of parmesan cheese. It was so pretty I HAD to take a picture! Perfect!  Big Guy has really gotten into blending and mixes different ingredients with bourbon to create memorable drinks for the holidays. We all agreed, for those lucky enough to try it, this year was a great beginning to a new annual tradition with his blend of orange, cinnamon, clove, and star anise.
We recently found a bottle of bourbon @wineandcheeseplace which included different ingredients which has sparked his idea for the 2024 holidays. Yes, it takes a year for these flavors to meld and become magic. He is repeating his recipe from last year for one jar with the above ingredients but is scaling back on the use of clove and star anise. Based on the store-bought bottle, he is mixing another jar with orange, cinnamon, and nutmeg. The final, and most adventuresome mix is orange, cinnamon, clove, and cranberries. I cannot wait for next Christmas when we get to try all of them. In the meantime, I guess we will have to head back to the antique stores to find fun decanters and bottles to be shared with our friends in 2024!  Big Guy and I tend to think every day is a special day, but he knocked my birthday out of the park by giving me a special homemade gift.
I will start at the beginning of this story by stating we stopped by @pintsizebakery for sweet treats. As we waited to order, we noticed they had an entire wall of rolling pins. It was a striking image to view that encapsulated an aspect of their business. As we left the bakery, Big Guy was inspired to make me a keepsake item to remember our work in the @carondeletkitchen. His first contact was to reach out to Alice @etched.originals to create a paddle with our logo. The next trip was to @refabstl to find an old barn door followed by a stop @getyourpickson66 to find rolling pins. The last stop was to see our friends @nataliejhiggins to get help with trimming the door to the proper size to fit the wall space. I knew about the various “ingredients” leading up to the final production. My reaction was like my niece @abrant1026, as I am still trying to pick my jaw off the floor. It is my favorite new art piece in my cozy cottage!  Big Guy will usually let me do the cooking, but when it comes to breakfast food, he is all in. One of his favorite meals of late is to put together a breakfast casserole.
He starts by lining a baking pan with tater tots and cooking them until they are golden brown. While that is in the oven, he will take sausages and cook them on the stovetop. This time around, we used a specialty brat from @legrandsmarket. It had the perfect flavor to add to our casserole. Once he cut up the brats, the last step was to whisk the eggs and cheese and get ready to assemble the dish over the tater tots. It makes the perfect amount for us “two super cool old people,” and gets us ready for a full day of adventure.  Big Guy and I have been roaming the aisles of various antique stores looking for our next big “find.” I used to hear about retirees going “antiquing,” with the notion they were heading out to rural areas and digging through barns. Blame it on Hallmark!
The truth is the greater Saint Louis area has wonderful stores and malls that are perfect for an afternoon, especially if the weather is foul. I enjoy walking the aisles and reminiscing when I see things from my childhood. Games, trinkets, and, on occasion, real finds like the “sister” to Royal Daulton Orange Lady that I inherited from my parents. I admit, I am suddenly collecting Royal Daulton figurines and Toby cups if I find one that “needs” to come home with me to join my inherited collection. After a fun December afternoon, the best part is coming home to my decorated home, playing Christmas music, looking at my tree, while sipping the perfect martini. Big Guy calls it our pop-up holiday happy hour for two!  Big Guy and I love to have breakfast at any time of day, but our to-go place to have it out is @have_a_cow. We not only fell in love with the place because of the food and the fantastic urban store, but Steve and Lisa St. Pierre, and their entire team, make sure you feel welcome. I have heard Steve and Lisa’s story, but I am still in awe they continue to feel called to give back to the community. The fact they opened this urban café and farm store, and bought a farm with cows, tells you there is a movement afoot here. I appreciate they use a “business model that fosters the notion among its employee and customers to love and serve one another. Even Enemies.” There is a strong lesson and good stuff happening in this special place. Thank you for creating this haven of love and acceptance, along with great food, for Saint Louis!
 I am a huge fan of Christmas and love the various traditions that come with it each year. One year, I was surprised to receive a bright pickle ornament from @nataliejhiggins and her wonderful husband with a story of tradition behind its meaning that was unknown to me.
They explained it was a tradition to hide the pickle ornament in the tree among the other decorations. On Christmas morning, the children encouraged to find the pickle with the promise of an extra gift from Santa Claus. Since we do not have little ones in our house, it has become a party game with bragging rights with our family and friends who drop by during the holidays. Game on family and friends! I went one step further with the game and purchased a second glass pickle from @the henryford which is a darker shade of green. It has become the “real” pickle to find since I tend to use the bright pickle as a decoy. If it is any indication, I hid it well this year since Big Guy still cannot find it!  I have made corny corn bread mix for years before I realized it had become a staple on holiday tables. The first time I encountered it was at my chosen family’s annual celebration. The girls pulled out the stops to make it and made sure I noticed it on the sideboard since my kids call me the “chef” in the family.
Big Guy also loves it, but as a side to chili. The recipe is simple and does not require too much thought. I grab two boxes of Jiffy cornbread and add one egg, a stick of butter, 1/3 cup of milk, and a can of white corn. Mix it together and bake it at four hundred degrees for about 40 minutes. As Ina Garten would say, “how easy is that?” |
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