It has been unseasonably warm this December in the Northeast. With the balmy weather and not a snowflake in sight, it’s hard to imagine that Christmas is just one week from today! I am not complaining though.
I find myself looking forward to Christmas this year in a way I haven’t felt in awhile. Our children are coming home soon and it will be the first time since August that we are all together. Our house is sufficiently decorated, although we have left the tree purchasing and decorating to do as a family. Tradition trumps efficiency every time. This Sunday, we’ll attend church as a family and watch the youngsters in our Sunday School perform the Christmas pageant, just as our children did for many years. And we are hosting Christmas dinner for my husband’s family which should be really fun, especially if we have a rematch of the games we played last year that left us all in hysterics.
It’s always a sentimental time of year isn’t it? Some of the decorations in our home used to adorn other mantles, countertops and windowsills. They are mixed in with our new decorations but allow us to hold close the people to whom they previously belonged. One of my favorite possessions is a crystal pedestal dish that was my mother’s. She filled it with our favorite chocolate bells and Santas and I will do the same.
Christmas dinner will be centered around roast lamb served with mint jelly, a nod to my husband’s beloved father. We will break open Christmas crackers and wear colorful crowns on our heads as my husband did in his home. I will make one of my mother’s cake recipes and on Christmas Eve when it’s the four of us enjoying our tradition of beef fondue, we will say the Hayr Mer (the Lord’s Prayer) in Armenian as my father always asked me to do before a holiday meal.
It can be the most wonderful time of the year.
And so, since the next two Fridays are actual holidays, I decided to “wrap it up” and make this my final Kitchen Scout post for 2015. Hooray for year two! As I did last year, I have made a list, checked it twice and included all the links from the past year in categories for your easy reference.
I hope for anyone who is relatively new to the blog, you have some time to click on links you may not have seen along the way. You may discover a new recipe or restaurant to try! I also provided the link to It’s a Wrap, 2014!, that includes the links to all the posts from The Kitchen Scout’s first year.
But most importantly, like me, I hope you take time to relax and enjoy this end of the year with people you love. I have so enjoyed writing to you each week and look forward to keeping the blog going in 2016. Thank you so much for reading. It means the world to me. See you on January 8th.
RECIPES
Appetizers and Snacks
Soups
Tuscan White Bean and Kale Soup
Salads
Broccoli Salad with Peanut Sauce
Shaved Tuscan Kale and Brussels Sprouts Salad
Grilled Asparagus & Beet Salad
Main Dishes
Spicy Thai Shrimp & Baby Bok Choy Stir-Fry
Pasta
Fettuccine with Fresh Corn Pesto & Bacon
Side Dishes
Green Beans with Tomato Sauce (Fassoulia)
Summer Squash, Corn & Tomato Gratin
Sweet Things
Moon Pies & Chocolate Covered Graham Cracker Cookies
Drinks
Do it Yourself
Restaurant Reviews
Highland Kitchen in Somerville, Massachusetts
La Brasa in East Somerville, Massachusetts
Ohana in Gloucester, Massachusetts
The Blue Ox in Lynn, Massachusetts
Doretta Taverna in Boston, Massachusetts
Short & Main in Gloucester, Massachusetts
Red Bird in Waltham, Massachusetts
Zebra’s Bistro & Wine Bar in Medfield, Massachusetts (restaurant has a new chef since my review)
Field Trips
A Passion for Food (visits with Bibi Cafe in Westwood and Pepe Bocca in Somerville)
Copper Kettle Bakery in Westwood
Outstanding in the Field Dinner at Wishing Stone Farm in Little Compton, Rhode Island
Other Musings
Scenes from the Kitchen (a week in my foodie life and some links)
Dinner with Chef Matthew Gaudet (dinner in a private home)
A Time of Transition (reflections on an impending empty nest)
Summer Recipes (links to summer recipes from 2014)
Spotlight on Your Pictures! (the pictures you have shared with me are revealed)
Serena, Joan and The Kitchen (the guilt free kitchen)
Reunion (A conversation about friendships and guest blogger, Anne Richardson)
2014
Until next year…
Thank you all for being so supportive of The Kitchen Scout! xoxo
Merry Christmas Val! What an amazing 2015 you have had! Thanks for sharing it with all of us. It is such a special gift to receive every week.
Thank you for another wonderful year Val! It’s a pleasure to follow you in and out of the kitchen.
Wishing you and your family a very Merry Christmas and a Happy, Healthy New Year!
Val,
Thank you for sharing your heart, mind and ideas with us every week. I love receiving my weekly gift from you. So glad you are giving yourself a few weeks off!
Merry Christmas
Beautiful done Val- congrats on another great year! Your blog has become a much looked forward to part of my week and I love your recipes! Xx
Val, Thank you for giving us all something to look forward to every Friday morning. Whether it is a new recipe, a new restaurant to try or an amusing or sentimental story, each blog post is a treat. xo
Thank you, Val, for your wonderful blog. It is like receiving a little gift from you every Friday morning! Can’t wait to see what you have in store for us in 2016. Merry! Merry!