Happy Christmas

As I sit on the chair in my front window, with the dog snuggled behind me, I finally have a moment of peace this holiday season.

The shopping is (mostly) done, at least for the folks coming for dinner tomorrow, and there are just a few random items to pick-up at the grocery.

I'll be baking some bread, mostly because I've become obsessed with the Zoe Francois book Artisan Bread in 5 Minutes a Day. In fact, this book is so fantastic and revolutionary that I gave it or the newer version, Healthy Bread in 5 Minutes a Day to each member of my staff, along with a batch of dough I whipped up ahead of time for Christmas. BTW - They loved it. I'm going to go with some brioche dough so that I can make the kids cinnamon rolls for breakfast and maybe another version of something else buttery and yeasty for dinner rolls.

Christmas dinner will be the usual holiday fare:

• Shrimp cocktail (my people love it)
• Roasted vegetable puff pastry wrap (a TKS special)
• Beef Tenderloin with an herb crust and Bearnaise
• Ham (because my dad freaks if he doesn't get ham on Christmas)
• Baked, creamy leeks
• Green beans with almond brown butter
• Twice-baked potatoes
• White chocolate-espresso buche de noel
• Key lime pie

It seems like a lot once I've got it written down, but I don't think it will be too much. We eat early and I love to have everything made for both meals of the day, plus my family is casual and I can wear stretchy pants. Besides, with this fancy new bread-baking method, I feel very posh. Freshly baked bread for Christmas? Who's the rockstar now I ask you?

Have a happy Christmas, may all your holiday wishes come true, and here's hoping Santa really does put that new version of the immersion circulator under your tree. :)