We are having our family Christmas tomorrow morning and I am so excited. We would do it on the traditional day, but instead we will be running around visiting both sides of the family. I totaled it up and we will have a total of SIX Christmas family functions to attend this year. I love our families and I am certainly not complaining, because I know we are fortunate, but with so many holiday functions we have to squeeze our own in.
My solution this year is to do our Christmas the day before Christmas Eve. We shall call it The Eve of Christmas Eve. If you have a similar situation, I am recommending this because I hate cramming in a Christmas and sandwiching it between engagements.
Santa will be visiting and everything on that day because the kids can stay all day in their pajamas and play with their toys. No worries about getting dressed or hurrying off after opening gifts.
If Ethan should ask why Santa is coming so early, I have come up with the perfect excuse. You see, our last name starts with “C” so we are at the beginning of the alphabet. Santa goes in alphabetical order and we are so fortunate to be among the lucky families he visits first. And if your last name starts with “A” and you are waiting until Christmas Day to get your Santa gifts, then I recommend you keep this very quiet because that will foil my entire plan.
I am going to be making up the batter for Gingerbread Waffles tonight, which is a special holiday treat. I started making these last year and they are HEAVENLY. It literally smells like a Christmas cookie in our house. The hot cocoa will be humming in the cocoa maker and it will just smell like…Christmas.
And if my husband asks what Christmas smells like, it is because he has never smelled Christmas, or fresh bread, or dirty diapers (lucky on that one!) Yes, he has no sense of smell. We like to do the circus music when he discloses this to people. Then they usually launch into, “How can you taste? You mean you have never smelled your wife’s amazing food? Do you wish you could smell things like everyone else?”
I, on the other hand, have a nose like a bloodhound. When we lived in our apartment complex, I would sniff the air and proclaim that the lady across the hall was making Beef Stroganoff Hamburger Helper with a tad too much milk because it smelled a little runny. Well, maybe not that clear, but you get the picture. We are an odd pair!
Be thankful you can smell and enjoy these delicious Gingerbread Waffles courtesy of Rachael Ray (who I am really burnt out on) and keep this one in your recipe collection. Enjoy!
Gingerbread Waffles
3 cups all-purpose flour
4 teaspoons baking powder
2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
2 teaspoons ground ginger
1/2 teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg, eyeball it
1/2 teaspoon salt
4 large eggs
2/3 cup packed dark brown sugar
1 cup canned pumpkin puree
1 1/4 cups milk
1/2 cup molasses
1/2 cup (1 stick) melted butter, plus some to butter the iron
Syrup, whipped cream or fresh fruits for topping, to pass at table
Preheat waffles iron. In a large bowl combine flour, baking powder, cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg and salt. In a medium bowl, beat eggs and brown sugar until fluffy, then beat in pumpkin, milk, molasses and melted butter. Stir the wet into dry until just moist. Do not overstir the waffle batter. Brush the iron with a little melted butter and cook 4 waffles, 4 sections each. Serve with toppings of choice.