Happy Holidays! What are you doing?

December 24, 2024 5:45 PM

Hi y'all!

With the major holidays reaching their peak this week, how are you spending them this year, what are you up to? Any special travel plans, or particular dishes you’re making this time around? What are you most looking forward to doing?
posted by Brandon Blatcher (staff) to MetaFilter-Related at 5:45 PM (11 comments total)

My day has been lowkey and thankfully warm after some very cold weather here in the southeast USA yesterday. There was a brief family fight about what type of artisanal bread I should bring for dinner tomorrow. An onion herb focaccia was the desire, but the ridiculously long line outside the popular local bakery said I should get the italian herb and sourdough from Whole Foods. I 'll deal with the wrath later.

From there, a brief stop to pick up two pies, one pumpkin and the other bourbon chocolate walnut, then back to Whole Foods to get one Amazon delivery that actually made in under the wire, whoot!

Now I'm just sorting some gifts while settling down to watch Six Triple Eight on Netflix. Christmas dinner will be lamb chops, mashed taters, and bacon wrapped asparagus

Hope y'all have had a good day!
posted by Brandon Blatcher (staff) at 6:16 PM on December 24 [3 favorites]

I don't celebrate Christmas so this is my key fuckaround time of the year. I've been binge watching Great British Sewing Bee ever since this question got posted and I am in so deep that I have tricked myself into believing I could sew my own clothes. So badly that I just bought a sewing machine 🤡

I'm a notorious quitter of hobbies that require attention and practice so I can already anticipate how this will go, but for now the delulu is flowing and spirits are high.

(Worst case I figure I'll hem and mend a few things I've already got and resell the machine.)
posted by phunniemee at 7:31 PM on December 24 [3 favorites]

This has been a really low-key & low-drama holiday. It's so nice just hanging with family. I'm doing my best to appreciate it.
posted by Winnie the Proust at 8:17 PM on December 24 [1 favorite]

Usually a lurker, but man we had the nicest Christmas Eve! It's always been a night for the immediate family, we watch movies and make appetizers for dinner, and it's been that way since the kids were little. Every year has been great, but now the kids are older (older son and gf are sophomores at college and younger son is a junior in high school). I am delightedly surprised to learn how much more fun it is with adultish kids! Feeling pretty grateful tonight.
posted by TheFantasticNumberFour at 9:48 PM on December 24 [1 favorite]

Cooking cooking cooking eating eating eating! Yesterday we did our traditional eat snacks (chips, crackers, Brie, smoked salmon, spinach dip, deviled eggs, veggies) and play Trivial Pursuit. Today we are making pork roll and mashed potatoes, green salad, bread stuffing with sausage and sage, melitzanasalata (eggplant/aubergine salad with red peppers, walnut, feta), cranberry sauce/dressing/condiment, we can't decide what to call it, carrot puffs, blueberry & strawberry trifle, and gingerbread cake. And drinks! Champagne (well, sparkling wine), and I'm going to try the primroses were over's Bees Knees cocktail. And maybe one of my brandy amaretto sours. Right now, espresso! I make it myself with a little lemon twist, right back there ... it's good, you should try it! And likely more Trivial Pursuit and perhaps a holiday movie.

Happy festivities, Everyone!
posted by taz (staff) at 2:29 AM on December 25 [1 favorite]

We were going to have a Christmas lunch at my elderly mom's, but she has shingles. :-(
posted by Too-Ticky at 3:51 AM on December 25 [1 favorite]

My whole damn family had some shit luck this year.

* I got a job in January but they laid me off in May. Then I got another job in August that sucked so bad and the boss was so toxic I quit two weeks ago. (I lost 20 pounds in a month JUST FROM STRESS.) I don't have another job lined up, so that's a BIT nerve-inducing, but I have 3 recruiters lined up ready to get to work come January, so I'm treating this as downtime in which I can get some SERIOUSLY needed rest - especially since my roommate is out of the country until January 2nd. I have been sleeping, binge-watching total crap on TV, and doing the occasional free festive outing.

* My brother's family got clobbered this year - particular in December, with both my niece and sister-in-law facing big health issues. They announced that while they're fine hosting people this year, it is going to be VERY casual and they will be doing takeout pizza for the meal. My parents are in a similar state. I'm flying there today - that's an unexpected GOOD thing, the fact that Cape Cod Air extended its flight schedule from New York (it used to just be a summer thing). Previously I'd have to take a train to Boston and my parents would have to drive an hour to fetch me - but the flight is only an hour long and my parents live ten minutes from the Hyannis airport. And - there's a particlarly good Chinese restaurant nearby. So I'll be joining my parents this afternoon for dim sum on Cape Cod, and then meeting up with my brother's family for pizza in a couple days.
posted by EmpressCallipygos at 4:20 AM on December 25 [1 favorite]

Happy holidays! Due to family matters, my spouse left this morning for a few days. I'll be going over to my dad's in a few hours. We're going to make a ham sheet pan dinner, for which ChatGPT got me the recipe. I have a good chunk of time off. I have been using some of it for classic movies, such as "Gimme Shelter". I'm not much of a cook, but I did make gingerbread cookies from a mix. There was a problem with one of my gift orders, so it will arrive in January after all.
posted by NotLost at 5:18 AM on December 25 [1 favorite]

We spent Christmas Eve drinking manhattans, eating Moose popcorn and watching Less Than Zero on dvd. I had never seen it before. We couldn’t find it on streaming anywhere. It’s been a minute since we have watched anything on dvd. The manhattans were yummy. Happy Holidays, everyone!
posted by gt2 at 5:29 AM on December 25 [1 favorite]

There is no greater pressure in life than a six year kid standing over you as you try to hook up her very first tablet.
posted by Brandon Blatcher (staff) at 5:32 AM on December 25 [2 favorites]

Less Than Zero on dvd

A very early film to feature wind turbines! Can I ask the significance?

I've walked three miles along the cliffs to in some way mitigate the very lardy rest of the day I will be having. Matchmakers are open, turkey is in the oven, pudding is in the pot, champagne is chilling ahead of 3pm, carols are playing. Nigella for starters, Delia for the turkey. Dinner 1 hour away (ish).
posted by biffa at 6:32 AM on December 25