My Christmas in review:
I rejuvenated an old tradition.
My mom and I used to make caramel corn every Christmas. We’d bag it up and give it out to family (and make sure we saved an extra-large portion for my dad). My parents moved and the tradition died. Until this year–when I surprised the folks with some sweet and crunchy corn.
I bought a car.
The Mauve-ish Avenger and I are in love. Yup, named him already.
I ate stollen.
Another Christmas tradition is toasted stollen (German bread filled with candied fruit) on Christmas morning. My mom makes the recipe handed down to her from her mom, and someday I’ll take over the baking myself. For now I’ll just enjoy the (candied) fruits of someone else’s labors.
I stuffed and unstuffed stockings.
My parents and I still “believe” in Santa. Stockings are totally the best part of Christmas.
I got presents!
(Food, books and beauty, and clothes.)
And most importantly, I ate.
(Brussels sprouts, sweet potato and turnip hash, ham for the meat-eaters and stuffing. Guess which dish is my featured favorite 🙂 )
Best part of your holiday?
ForgottenBeast 
Oooooh congrats on the car – so fun!
What a cute car!!! I am on the hunt but still holding out hope that my car is going to make it at least another year. We will see!
Spending time with my family has to be the best thing for me 🙂
Yay for the car and awesome gifts! I love the caramel corn tradition you brought back, too, I’m sure your parents loved it! 🙂
They did! Especially my dad–he ate half the batch in one day, haha. But he’s also the major sweet-tooth owner of the family.
Looks like you had a great Christmas!! I love caramel corn, what I great idea for a present! Being with my family was definitely the best part of my Christmas 🙂
we make a Polish babka bread and have it Christmas morning, yearly tradition! Best part was being with family…and the sangria.. haha!
I had to look up babka bread–wow it sounds delicious!
I want your mothers stollen bread recipe.. it looks great! c
I’ll see if she’s willing to share 🙂
Woooo for a new car!
Ohhh nice loot there! 🙂 I’d like all of that!
Nice job on bringing back old traditions! I love it!
The best part of the holiday for me was just getting the spirit for the season. Ralph and I enjoyed our time together and we enjoyed our time with family and friends. I can’t put my finger on the best part,but it was great!
I love when there is no one reason a holiday is great, just the time as a whole!
Getting time and a half at work…
Stuffing is the best part of Christmas dinner. We watched a season and a half of Dollhouse over the past 3 days. Does that count as a Christmas activity? 😉
Dollhouse counts as an ANY TIME activity, such a good show! Had you seen it before? And yes, stuffing is always the best part…
Nice new car, that must be so exciting! Sounds like you had an amazing Christmas filled with lots of fun. Looks like you will have some nice new reads too 🙂
What an awesome holiday! I am jealous of the caramel corn!! The best part of my holiday was sleeping in 🙂
Best part: opening my boysenberry colored Kitchen Aid!
A car?!?! Nice 🙂 Best past was spending time with family! Corny but true!
How exciting about the new car! The shade of red is gorgeous!
Your caramel corn looks Great!!!!! Happy you brought it back. Love the car and all your gifts.
Congrats on the new car!! Cute!
I haven’t had caramel popcorn in sooo long!!
I like your new car! Very cute!
Beautiful color on that car! Ours is black and boring!
I saw that book, Thrive, at the bookstore and was SO tempted to buy it (However I was shopping for gifts.) I did receive a Barnes and Noble card for Christmas… is it good?
I started it yesterday, so am only a little way through. I like it so far, but will definitely post a review of it once I’ve finished!
Looks like you got some good stuff! I love the car–I like the look and size of it. Reminds me of the Honda Fit, which I consistency drop hints to my husband about…although it’s unclear whether I love it as a car, or because it’s named “Fit.” 🙂
The Fit was definitely my #2 choice after the Yaris, looked at a couple of them, but they were a little pricier.
Yay for the car! I’m half surprised it wasn’t some special neon color! Talk about a rad Christmas haul!
Sweet potato and turnip hash sounds bomb!
If I could have found a car in a neon color…I would have bought one. Haha. Maybe I should look into what repainting a car costs…
I love the caramel popcorn tradition! Will you be sharing the recipe? and twisting your mother’s arm for the stollen recipe?? Looks like you enjoyed a very Merry Xmas and a new car to ring in the new year!!
I can definitely share the caramel corn recipe, as I have plans to make it again very soon. The stollen, hmm, I’ll see what family secrets I can talk her into sharing 🙂
Haha, I love the (candied) fruits of someone else’s labour! I did that too, with my mum’s amazing cranberry and pistachio shortbread… so good 🙂
The car’s so cool too, I much prefer little ones like that to big saloons and I love the name 🙂
Glad you had a lovely one; I think the best thing about mine was my brother coming back from teaching in South Korea – only for 10 days but still so good to see him 🙂
Ooo, that shortbread sounds amazing! I should talk my mom into making something like that next time I visit, haha. Glad you got to see your brother! Getting family together for Christmas always makes it extra-special.