Our Crabby Christmas

Team Thompson spent another cozy Christmas in California, nestled by the crackling Yule log, compliments of our cable provider, and dazzled by the festive lights adorning the pool/courtyard area in our complex, compliments of the apartment managers.
Justin and I both worked Christmas Eve day, but hurried home after we put in our time to start our Christmas celebration. Growing up, my mom would always make clam chowder and a special spinach salad and a red wine vinaigrette for Christmas Eve dinner, so I've started doing the same. I use a recipe from our friend Eric Hensley, who also grew up in Aberdeen, because Justin had mentioned once that he remembered Eric's mom making a great clam chowder. I asked Eric last year if he could get the recipe from his mom. Eric was conveniently at his parents' house when we asked, so he took a picture of her handwritten recipe, which is now part of our Christmas Eve tradition.

Team Thompson's Christmas Eve Dinner (we should have moved the chair...)

After dinner we each opened one gift before the Christmas Eve church service, and boy am I glad I opened what I did! I got The Pioneer Woman Cooks cookbook from Maggie! I'd planned on making twice baked potatoes Christmas Day, though I hadn't yet decided on a recipe. Lo and behold...the Pioneer Woman has one in her cookbook! I highly, highly recommend her twice baked potato recipe, and I highly, highly recommend you follow her blog & website.

We went to the 11 p.m. candlelight service at church to sing praises in celebrate the birth of Jesus, the true reason for Christmas. We've never done a midnight service before, but I've always loved the candlelight services because the taking of our candles out into the night after the service is a good reminder that we are to always -- not just at Christmastime -- shine our little lights share the love of Christ.

On Christmas morning we had "hockey pucks" -- ooey, gooey bread rolls baked in a sinfully delicious combination of butter, brown sugar, cinnamon and butterscotch pudding powder. We always have hockey pucks for breakfast on a holiday, BUT...this year we switched it up, and here's the tale of how a different type of hockey puck came to be:

"Can you use another type of pudding mix in hockey pucks, like banana?" asked Justin, a newbie to the longstanding Evans family tradition of butterscotch holiday hockey pucks, just after Christine pulled the deliciously gooey and fresh-baked butterscotch hockey pucks out of the oven on Thanksgiving morning.

"How dare you suggest something so absurd!" answered Christine. "Butterscotch is what has been used for centuries, man, centuries! I can't even imagine changing something so sacred!"

Editor's note: Ok, actually I didn't say that. I thought it for a split second, but my real answer definitely does not have the same dramatic impact on this story, and since it's a story, it needs to be dramatic and engaging. The true story continues...now...

"Maybe...humm...we'll have to try it sometime," said Christine, even though she was really thinking at the time there is no way anything but butterscotch could taste as good. Little did she know what the insanely deliciousness the banana hockey pucks had in store.

Listen to me when I say this, peeps. You must try the banana hockey pucks immediately. Just look at this:
I sliced real banana in there, too. I'm not a fan of anything flavored with banana, like popsicles, unless it's a real banana, but these were simply delightful. Stay tuned for the recipe.

During breakfast we opened presents, celebrated my brother's engagement, emptied stockings, gazed into the wonders of the digital Yule log and enjoyed each others company. The rest of the day was spent snacking on too much veggie pizza, cheese ball, fudge and mandarin oranges until it was time for Christmas dinner.

We treated ourselves to new kitchen table chairs this Christmas, so now if you come to visit, you won't have to worry about your chair breaking. Woo!
We also finally got a headboard for our bed! And the bear? His name is Duffel. It's best if you keep your "aren't you too old for a bear, Christine" comments to yourself.
My parents always try to get an ornament for the kids that represents the past year. This year, my parents made us ornaments of wrecked cars to help us remember September. They even painted the "Tribute" to be a tan color like our tribute! Dad worked carefully to crunch the cars in all the right places. We think these are so clever!

With both of us working up to and on Christmas Eve, there wasn't much time for planning Christmas day festivities and food. I thought of turkey, I thought of prime rib, but I had a hard time deciding what would be the star of our Christmas Day dinner table. Then, it hit me. It's crab season in California...there are signs for fresh crab on nearly every corner in Palo Alto, so thanks to the pesky advertisers, it was decided we'd have crab for dinner.
We may have found our new Christmas Day dinner tradition...the crab was so good! Plus, I got to use the cute butter warmers my mom gave me when I lived in Seattle because I was much closer to fish market at Pike Place! To accompany dinner, we had twice baked potatoes, corn (for Justin) and an artichoke (for Christine). My oh my...you should probably consider inviting Mr. Crab over for dinner next Christmas.

We're so thankful for the gifts we received, the calls and texts that were made, and the cards that came in the mail from all our friends and loved ones this Christmas. We miss you all, even more so around the holidays, but hearing from you reminds us that no matter the distance, we're blessed to know, love and be loved by all of you.

A few highly, highly recommended Team Thompson favorites:

Hockey Pucks
Originally from Virginia (Nanny) Evans/Kathy Rabe. Note that these must sit out OVERNIGHT.

• 1 pkg. of 12 frozen Rhodes dinner rolls (or other similar frozen roll) {{in CA I can only find Bridgford brand...in a red bag with yellow font}}
  
• 1/2 c. (1 stick) butter
• 1/2 c. brown sugar
• 1/2 tsp. cinnamon
• 1 pkg. instant butterscotch pudding
  
• chopped walnuts and/or raisins (optional) {{I do not use any}}

Variations:
Substitute banana pudding for butterscotch. Slice one (1) medium banana and spread half of the slices on the bottom of the bundt pan and the rest on top of the rolls and pudding mix.

Directions: Melt butter and add brown sugar and cinnamon. Grease an angel food or bundt cake pan. In the bottom of the pan put in chopped nuts or raisins (optional) [[or bananas]]. Place the frozen rolls around the inside of the pan and sprinkle 1/2 pkg. of pudding mix. Pour melted goods over this. Cover with a towel or plastic wrap and set aside overnight on the counter. In the morning, bake in a 350F oven for 20 minutes. Let cool for five minutes then flip over onto a large place and serve.


Ginger Emerson's Curry Chicken Cheeseball
Great for holiday parties

• 2 pkgs (8oz each) cream cheese, softened
• 1 TBL Heintz 57 steak sauce
• 1/4 tsp. curry powder

Beat together, then add:

• 1 1/2 c. minced, cooked chicken (1 can, drained)
• 1/2 c. minced celery

Mix well, shape into a ball. Wrap in plastic and refrigerate 4 hours or over night. Before serving mix together:

• 1/4 c. toasted, sliced almonds, chopped
• 1/4 c. fresh parsley, chopped

Roll cheese ball in mixture above, coating evenly. Cheeseball will be ok for up to 4 hours after being coated...eventually the almonds get a bit chewy. Serve with Wheat Thins, Triscuits or Ritz crackers. Also will work with veggies.


Ginger Emerson's Spinach Salad and Red Wine Vinaigrette
We always serve this alongside clam chowder for Christmas Eve dinner. My mom begged a restaurant in Spokane for the dressing and they finally caved!
Dressing

• 1/3 c. Red wine vinegar
• 2/3 c. powdered sugar
• A shake of dry dill
• A shake of garlic powder

Shake the above together in a dressing bottle then add:

• 1/2 c. vegetable oil

Chill before serving.

Salad

• baby spinach
• hard boiled egg, sliced
• bacon bits
• sliced almonds, toasted
• Parmesan cheese, grated
• sliced mushrooms

Mrs. Hensley's Clam Chowder
Serves 5 for dinner

Brown about 6 slices of bacon. Drain fat. Add 2 stalks celery and 1 onion chopped and simmer on low with bacon in the same pan.

Add 10 peeled and diced potatoes into the same pot. Add water to almost cover the potatoes. Add 1 teaspoon salt and 1 teaspoon basil, and a few shakes of pepper. Add 1-2 cans clams, drained (I use two) and then simmer 25 minutes.

Mash the potatoes a few times to thicken. Add 1 can preheated evaporated milk (open the can and put in a pot with a little water). Salt and pepper to taste.