Christmas Dessert

We are officially ready for Christmas. I am happy to say that we did not over do anything this year.  I did decide not to make my traditional Bûche de Noel (Yule Log cake for you non-Français readers. I have been making it for a bazillion years (that translates into at least 35) and it is delicious. However, it IS a Christmas Eve dinner tradition and since we are having our family dinner on Christmas Day this year due to family time conflicts that was my way of opting out as lame an excuse as that is. This year we will have  something different. Last night Don and I were able to successfully replicate out favorite ice cream from Swensen's. There used to me Swensen's Ice Cream Parlors all over but sadly most have closed that are within easy driving distance. Lately the only one we have been to is the "mother ship" in San Francisco—a tad far for dessert cravings.  I digress. The ice cream flavor in question is none other than Swiss Orange Chip. Simply the best ice cream flavor on planet earth though SOME will tell you that it has to be something from the rival shop called Fenton's. But pay no attention. So, we decided that we NEED some SOC for dessert on Christmas. We went out and bought an ice cream maker and put to the test the recipe that Don found a little while ago online (thank you Nate) and to our surprise and delight it is an excellent replica. Personally I think I would have to have a side-by-side blind test to tell the difference. I'm not one to keep a good thing a secret so give it a go. Here's the Recipe.

Now to keep from eating it all before Sunday.

So… what is YOUR traditional Christmas dessert?

Merry Christmas from San Diego

Just popping my head in here to apologize for the lack of posts. I am blaming the holidays. That said, my faithful followers have probably been too busy to read anything here anyway. I promise to get back here very soon. 

For now, I wish you all a Very Merry Christmas (or however you celebrate this time of year) and a Happy and Healthy New Year. See you back here soon! xx

Rev Episode 4

I am not normally one to be addicted to television. I can usually take it or leave it. I never watched 'Lost' or sat glued to 'American Idol' or any other cultish TV shows. Last night we watched Episode 4 of the long awaited and utterly brilliant 'Rev' series 2. Each week I eagerly await each episode of the program me like a child waiting for Santa. It is almost like a drug addiction and I don't know what I will do when it ends beyond wearing out my series 1 DVDs, waiting for series 2 DVD, hoping for a third series. Silly I know, when there are so many other things to do and think about but the series does touch my soul and keep me sane in a muddled world so it is important to me.

Episode 4 is still stuck in my brain. Adam (played by, you guessed it, Tom Hollander)  told a story at the end that dealt with explaining death to small children and it was so touching I can't stop thinking about it.

I recorded the last little bit and sent it to our daughter and son-in-law which at that very moment were on the road to go to a funeral of a grandparent—their two young children probably sleeping in the back of the car. Perfect timing for that one.

Christmas Music

Today I am listening to Christmas music while I work. That said I would like to share an artist I discovered last year and have been chatting with occasionally on Facebook.  David Tolk kindly signed two CDs for me (long story) which I gave to Tom Hollander last March when we went to London. David is a brilliant musician and a lovely person. This particular track  is a favorite and even more so now that David gave me a little backstory on it. The heavenly voice is that of his 16 year-old daughter recorded 12 times and mixed to sound like a choir. It gives me chills.