A Want, A Need, A Wear and a Read

I love tradition and have found it to be fun to start coming up with our own over the years. Keeping with what we grew up with, and adding our own Brinson Folks spin on some things has proven to spice things up a little. Listening to others' customs around dinner tables, couches, and patio sets has helped to add to creativity around special times of our years. With a baby on the way we've been discussing Christmas traditions and hoping to place emphasis, not on gifts, but on spending time with each other.


We first started out with the idea, borrowed from my cousins Jen and Dave, to give three gifts to each of our children. Of course we would participate in the three gifts as well. More room to focus on food, fireside, and being thankful. David and I both enjoy Thanksgiving a great deal because it seems less stressful, we hope to make Christmas more of a time of togetherness and thanks than a focus on gifts.


So let's skip back to about two weeks ago, I get an email from my friend Meg, who sends me a link to this: { making my lists, checking them twice... }. I love getting emails from Meg, she often send me thoughtful posts that she thinks might be (and always are) of interest to me.

The blog writer writes about categories of gifts that she and her family give each other, they are a:


want
need
wear
read


I was hooked, a riddle! Not only does this help us with our three gifts, it makes guessing fun. You as the buyer know what you're looking for, as well as what clues to listen out for throughout the year, plus all of the categories are useful. David loved it too. So we went ahead and went for it this year, just the two of us plus one in the belly.

My silly husband loves to guess gifts, so this made it even more fun for us, so many laughs produced from our new categories of gift giving. Again I can't stress how much easier this was as the gift giver- it made it so much easier to buy, there were parameters and clue words that set off memories of things that David had mentioned throughout the year.


So last night we pulled out some nice local pork. I added salt, pepper and chives- then seared and baked.


We also had green beans, wasabi apple sauce, and mustard roasted potatoes. Recipes for the latter two are posted below.

Opening my gift from my Brinson Secret Santa- lots of local goods from California. MMM! I won't say where though because I don't want to give it away before everyone else opens theirs.

Max got a new bed and bowls, he fits perfectly in his little wigwam.

Notice the newspaper? I have a hard time wrapping things in anything but Kroger bags and of Flagpoles. We did use some left over green paper this year that I inherited from some place or another.


According to Eco-Chick.com, if every American family wrapped just three presents in reused materials, it would save enough paper to cover 45,000 football fields. The United States alone wastes 4 million tons worth of shopping bags and wrapping paper. This contributes to the extra 5 million tons of extra waste the United States throws away during the holiday season, according to the Clean Air Council.

Elsie Lou was given an indestructible Kong. We'll see how long that lasts.

What is it? This was the scene around our home for the last few days.

A proud papa will bring his first child home from the hospital in this little get up.

Costa Del Mars?! I shouldn't have. I did!

My loot! Complete with overly excessive Anthropologie gift card!

SO pretty.

Mustard-Roasted Potatoes
Adapted from Gourmet, December 2007

Makes 10 servings

Nonstick vegetable oil spray

1/2 cup whole grain Dijon mustard

2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil

2 tablespoons (1/4 stick or 1/2 ounce) butter, melted

2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice

3 garlic cloves, minced

1 tablespoon dried oregano

1 teaspoon finely grated lemon peel

1 teaspoon coarse kosher salt

3 pounds 1- to 1 1/2-inch-diameter mixed unpeeled red-skinned and
white-skinned potatoes, cut into 3/4-inch-wide wedges

Position 1 rack in top third of oven and 1 rack in bottom third of oven and preheat to 425°F. Spray 2 large rimmed baking sheets with nonstick spray. Whisk mustard, olive oil, butter, lemon juice, garlic, oregano, lemon peel, and salt in large bowl to blend. Add potatoes; sprinkle generously with freshly ground black pepper and toss to coat. Divide potatoes between prepared baking sheets, leaving any excess mustard mixture behind in bowl. Spread potatoes in single layer. Roast potatoes 20 minutes. Reverse baking sheets and roast until potatoes are crusty outside and tender inside, turning occasionally, about 25 minutes longer.
Transfer potatoes to serving bowl.

Wasabi and Green Apple Sauce Recipe

Makes 3 servings

3 Granny Smith apples, cored

3 tablespoons sugar

1 tablespoon unsalted butter, cut into 3 pats

1 tablespoon wasabi powder

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Mix wasabi powder with 2 tablespoons water to form a paste. Set aside.

Peel the apples 1 inch around the top. Place in a baking dish with a layer of water 1/2 inch up the sides of the apples. Sprinkle 1 tablespoon of sugar on each apple. Place 1 pat of butter on top of each apple. Cover pan with foil and bake at 350 degrees for 30 minutes to 1 hour, or until apples are cooked through (but not mushy).

Let cool, then peel away skin. Chop apples and pulse in a food processor until it has the consistency of applesauce. Strain to remove any left-over seeds or peel. Mix pulp with wasabi paste. Serve cold.