Merry Christmas 2010

This evening we had the family together for our traditional Christmas Eve celebration. We have pizza every Christmas Eve. I'm not sure when this tradition started. We've done it as far back as I can remember.

Then I put together our evening program around the reading of the Christmas story. We took turns reading and then stopped to sing Christmas carols in between the readings. It was probably my favorite part of the night.

After that the mayhem ensued as the munchkins opened up their presents.

However, I want to remember that the best part of the evening was listening to my family sing Silent Night around me, as I was playing the piano.

I wish you and your family a very beautiful Christmas. I leave you with these very poignant words:

Christmas is not a day or a season, but a condition of heart and mind.
If we love our neighbors as ourselves;
if in our riches we are poor in spirit and in our poverty we are rich in grace;
if our charity vaunteth not itself, but suffereth long and is kind;
if when our brother asks for a loaf, we give ourselves instead;if each day dawns in opportunity and sets in achievement, however small—
then every day is Christ’s day and Christmas is always near.

In Charles L. Wallis, ed., Words of Life (1966), 33

Simply Fabulous Chocolate Orange Scones

So I went to Crackers for breakfast with some friends last week.  I ordered their cranberry orange scone and it was absolutely delicious - not too dry, not to sweet, and just the right amount of orange and cranberries.  I figured that I could give recreating the recipe a try.  However, rather than cranberries I thought that I would make it with my favorite pairing for orange...chocolate!

The best chocolate chips in the world are Ghiradelli's "Double Chocolate Bittersweet Chips".  You can get them from Costco.  America's Test Kitchen even rated them the best chips.  Great deep chocolate taste without that weird waxy underpinning that you often get in low-grade chocolate chips.

I pulled a "Simple Scone" recipe from USA WEEKENDcolumnist Pam Anderson on Allrecipes.com.  Pretty basic.  Then I "meganized" it...

Here is the recipe for Simple Scrumptious Orange Chocolate Scones.

I'm happy to report that I'm not the only one that though they were delicious.  I took them into work and they were a HIT!!!  I shared some with my dad and he reported (via text) "that breakfast scone was the absolutely most delicious and heavenly pastry I have ever had. Bravo".  So this recipe is a keeper.