TRYING | a new recipe for detox lentil soup. So good. It has lentils, potatoes, butternut squash, and kale and it’s thick and creamy. I love it. Hi, have we met? I am San and I am a soup lover.
HAVING FUN | with all the holiday challenges that my Streakers Group has been putting out. A Secret Santa “workout stack exchange”, an Advent Tracker Challenge (choose from two 10 Min Classes each day) and an upcoming Virtual Snowman Run! Our group admins sure know how to keep us busy and motivated.
KEEPING UP | with yoga. Not quite daily (as I am adding in all these other workouts again), but still regularly. Remember what Kae said about adding and subtracting a habit? I am adding, but not completely subtracting. It’s a new approach (until I get more hours in the day, I guess).
BAKING | all the Christmas treats. I made a second batch of Spritz Cookies and Almond-Vanilla Crescent Cookies and I tried a new recipe for “Potato Cake”, which I got from a dear old family friend. I am assuming this was a “war recipe” and people made do with what they had at the time (adding potatoes to the dough as extra filling, and adding jam). It’s a very tasty, Stollen-like cake which goes well with a cup of coffee or tea and apparently keeps very well. I have two huge loaves, so I’ll report back about that last part.
SNUGGLING UP | under my new Sherpa knit throw for the couch. It’s so warm and cozy.
FINISHING | all my Christmas shopping (a lot of it sadly was online, but what can you do). I am glad I got everything done in time (and it all should be delivered before the weekend). My sister already called yesterday to tell me that the photo books had arrived. I cannot wait to hear about my parents’ reaction when she gives it to them on Christmas Eve!
SENDING OFF | all my holiday cards. I counted around 85. How many cards do you typically send? It’s just one of my favorite things to do around the holiday season. I know, Engie had recently asked about what you do with all the cards after the holidays. Well, I keep them up quite a while (I have a broom closet door where I hang them all up and I left up the cards from last year until Thanksgiving this year – and yes, it made me smile to see cards – and photos – from people I hold dear all year).
ENJOYING | some winter walks/runs along the river. I admitted recently that I hadn’t run in almost three weeks, but I am happy to say that I took a couple of lunch walks along the river (which is close to my office) and I also got out for a run yesterday again. Finally. Yay.
LOVING | my new piano mug. It’s been my go-to mug for afternoon tea these last couple of weeks! Thanks again, Julie.
PICKED UP | my knitting needles again last week for the first time in a while. My MIL requested a loop scarf for Christmas and while the request came a little late (I had to order the yarn and couldn’t get started until last weekend) and I probably won’t be able to finish it in time, it was a nice excuse (not that I needed one) to start knitting again. I really enjoy it during the colder months. Do you knit?
What’s currently going on in your life?
Lisa of LIsa's Yarns
December 21, 2022 at 7:02 amWe ordered 130 cards. I’ve sent out about 125 of them. I got some extras this year in case I missed anyone, plus I like to keep one for the boys’ baby books. I take the easiest route, though. I don’t write on the cards and I have the envelops addressed! But I figured people don’t care all that much that our cards aren’t personalized.
I made the detox lentil soup last year when we hosted our friends for pumpkin carving! It’s really good. I”m making a lentil soup tonight but it has potatoes in it so it’s quite as light – but still delicious! We love soups, too!
I’m currently bracing myself for another snow storm. We will get 6+” today followed by blizzard conditions due to high winds. I’m feeling bad that I won’t be able to help with the snow removal. I have a nasty flare that just won’t quit so shoveling is out of the question, plus I hurt my back last night I shoveled although in that case, it was 7″ of super wet snow. This time it will be light and fluffy. I actually really enjoy shoveling so am bummed I can’t help. We have sooo many sidewalks/steps that can be handled by our snow blower so I like to do that shoveling while Phil snow blows. But he’ll have to do it all this time.
Elisabeth
December 21, 2022 at 7:08 amI wish I knitted. Sigh. I know I could learn now – one of my best friends from university is an avid knitter and only learned in the last decade.
I think I mail about 30-40 cards and then hand-deliver another 20 or so?
I’m so excited for your family to get those photo books; they are a labour of love and just so special. Something to treasure forever.
And those cookies look so delicious!
Sarah
December 22, 2022 at 12:02 pmI am surprised you DON’T knit!!
Beckett @ Birchwood Pie
December 21, 2022 at 12:37 pmMy current status is: counting down the hours to Friday! No more work and I’m going to bake up a storm.
Question since I just stopped by Engie’s before I came here – I knew that you had been blogging for a while but I just noticed 2004 on your side bar, which is when Engie started. So I’d like to tell you what I told her, congratulations on having a blog that’s old enough to vote, and I’d love to know – who started blogging first? You or her?
Engie
December 21, 2022 at 6:12 pmSan started first! She started in April and my first post was in September! She wins!
Suzanne
December 21, 2022 at 1:08 pmOooh this potato bread sounds extremely intriguing!
We ordered 95 cards this year, I think. I have three left to give to neighbors.
So happy to hear your photo books arrived! I bet your family will love them!
J
December 21, 2022 at 7:08 pmI ordered 48 cards, and ended up buying some more at the store. My cards are old school, no photos, and I write in them, so it takes awhile. Thank you for your card, with the handwritten note on the back! Lovely. I am so glad you are enjoying your mug. I am loving mine as well. I’ll post on my blog about it as soon as I have a minute to post on my blog. This time of year is crazy for work, but I’m hoping to have a couple of days to slow down soon.
Oh, lentil soup…I love lentil soup. I made some the other night, had leftovers for lunch today. I use Ina Garten’s recipe and it’s delicious.
Nicole MacPherson
December 22, 2022 at 5:23 amI send out around 50 cards, and when I run out of photo cards – which happens every year, when someone unexpected sends me a card – I have some cute little cards in backup.
I do not knit or do anything crafty – I am very poor at things like that!
Merry Christmas!
Sarah
December 22, 2022 at 12:04 pmWe send about 100 cards, and we leave the ones we get up for quite some time. I always put them on top of my Christmas decorations, too, so I can take them out the next year and flip through them one more time before I recycle them.
Stephany
December 24, 2022 at 11:48 amI don’t send out Christmas cards. I did it for a few years, but would hand-write a personal message to every person, and it got very tedious. And expensive! So now I don’t send cards but I do love to receive cards! Maybe I’ll start sending out cards to my bloggy friends who send them to me. That might be a fun thing to do! We’ll see how I feel next year. :)
Tobia | craftaliciousme
December 29, 2022 at 4:49 amThat potato cake sounds intriguing. Will you share the recipe? I am always amazed. about what people created when in need. I have a few cookbooks from the early 50s I inherited from my grandma. So interesting…
I do not send out that many cards. probably around 20-25 maybe. But then I usually put effort into the crafting.
As for my business though I write around 100 cards for New Years. So its a lot in December…
Kate Kaput
December 31, 2022 at 3:03 pmI’ve always wanted to be into knitting but the couple times I’ve tried, it just didn’t come naturally and felt so difficult that it made my brain hurt. No relaxing! Ha.
anne
January 24, 2023 at 4:53 pmLove these, San. I send about 35 or so cards (um, New Year’s cards) and love adding new people to my list, as you now know. <3