![\"\"](\"https:\/\/marigoldonline.net\/wp-content\/uploads\/2011\/12\/Santa.jpg\" "\\"Santa\\"")
<\/a><\/p>\nIn a nod to today’s world, I bought our Christmas tree online using Groupon. It was less expensive and a lot less stressful than the usual haggling on street corners and the tree is as advertised–well shaped and fresh, having just arrived from North Carolina. (I’d expected it would have come from more northern climes but hey…)<\/p>\n
<\/a>Trees for sale on the street<\/p><\/div>\n
So far, we’ve sung carols at various sites and I’ve watched the George C. Scott version of Scrooge. Since our living room was recently redone, I’ve held back on my formerly up-to-the top decorating so as not to mar the pristine new paint with sap dripping from pine roping but the stocking are, indeed, ready to roll.<\/p>\n
<\/a>hung by the chimney with care<\/p><\/div>\n
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Several years ago, our family agreed to forgo the swag and give to charity instead (excluding children.) Now we draw names from a hat to each fill a stocking as a “secret Santa” with a thirty-dollar limit and that’s it. It’s so liberating not to be out there amassing stuff that no one needs. We make up for not giving presents by eating and drinking a lot–Prosecco, gravlax, pate, some crudities to satisfy the virtuous, edamame and more. My mother, who adored Christmas and always felt gypped because her birthday came so close that she often got one present for both occasions, was a fool for hard sauce. What’s not to love? I make it most years as I make gravlax to honor my husband’s Norwegian heritage and serve it, (the hard sauce, not the gravlax), with plum or bread pudding or any kind of cake. If you can stir, you can make hard sauce.<\/p>\n Hard Sauce atop a brownie<\/p><\/div>\n Hard Sauce<\/strong><\/p>\n 1\/2 cup butter<\/p>\n 1\/2 cup white sugar<\/p>\n 1 tablespoon brandy<\/p>\n 1 dash almond extract (or not)<\/p>\n In a bowl, cream together the sugar and butter. Then beat in the brandy and, if using, the almond extract.\u00a0 Put it in an attractive bowl with a spoon and stand back. Whatever your holiday, may you enjoy it.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" In a nod to today’s world, I bought our Christmas tree online using Groupon. It was less expensive and a lot less stressful than the usual haggling on street corners and the tree is as advertised–well shaped and fresh, … Continue reading <\/a><\/p>\n<\/a>