A Merry Christmas it Was

I had meant to get this picture up by Christmas, but I was too involved with spending time with my darling little family that I didn't get to it. So here it is, this picture was taken by Piccadilly Posh in Shepherdstown as I mentioned in an earlier post. I think it turned out pretty darn great!

We Now Like Washington DC Again

I'm back from a little break. I hope you had a great holiday, well spent with family and friends. Our Christmas was nice and relaxing, we spent most of it at home since it was our first with Konrad. The day after Christmas we met my parents in Washington, DC. We stayed at the Lombardy Hotel, which was very nice. (more pictures from our adventures in Washington coming soon!)

Throw Him to the Wolves

I had some business to take care of at the National Conservation Training Center yesterday. Konrad and Brendan went along for the ride and well, had some fun touring the stuffed habitat. Taking your kid places is so entertaining at times.

Konrad Grip

A short film by Brendan.

Hey there's a Tree in the House

We had planned to get a tree to plant for this Christmas, but our neighbors offered to give us this one... we couldn't pass up a free tree!? We immediately put our first gift under it...yeah, we opened that gift up early :) Next Advent Sunday, we decorate!

This and That

You'll have to excuse my long absence, I have been enjoying these past few days tinkering around the house for Christmas and spending every waking moment playing with the Kaiser. 

Today is rainy and cold and a perfect day to be tucked inside. Tomorrow I have volunteered to bring a dish to a Christmas brunch at work. I made the old family favorite, French Toast Casserole, made with egg nog - oh it's sooo good and easy. Mom would make this the night before Christmas so she wouldn't have to cook anything for breakfast when we opened our Christmas gifts.

Here's the recipe:

French Toast Casserole

For each 9x11 pan (4-5 servings)

Cut up a loaf of French bread, I use a baguette

Slice bread into 1/2 -1 inch slices, cut it slanted-like so it looks prettier

Grease the casserole dish with butter

Spread cream cheese on the bread

Sprinkle with nutmeg

Lay the bread in the casserole dish in two layers

Mix 8 eggs with 2 1/2 cups of egg nog

Pour the egg nog mixture over the top of the two layers of bread.

Let sit in the fridge overnight

Take out 20 minutes before heating (at room temperature)

Bake for 30-35 minutes at 325-350 degrees.

Serve with Uncle Deac's maple syrup in a pretty pitcher (but only for yourself, not for a party...I like to keep the real good stuff at home!)

Feelin' Domestic

Having a kid has inspired me to do more around the holidays, so I'm home baking cookies for Christmas. (Yeah, it's my sorry excuse to have more delicious things around the house to munch on) Today I baked Pecan Snowballs. Mom and Dad just sent us a big box of pecans from Georgia so I thought I'd put them to good use. I'm not the best baker, but this recipe is pretty idiot-proof, I found it the other day listed in the Washington Post here. 

Yesterday Afternoon

Happy St. Nicholas Day

Today is St. Nicholas Day... it is a festival for children in many countries in Europe related to surviving legends of the saint, and particularly his reputation as a bringer of gifts. The American Santa Claus is derived from this. He instead comes on December 6 and children leave out their shoes to be filled with candies and toys by him. Christmas Eve and Day are then dedicated to the Christkind, or "Christ child". Gifts to others and also between family are exchanged on Christmas Eve. 

Now that we have our own little family, we thought it would be nicer to celebrate Christmas the traditional way. These days it has become so superficial and un-Christlike, instead an outlet to give and receive gifts with no real meaning behind them, or rather more focusing on Santa Claus. Celebrating St. Nicholas Day instead keeps the celebrations separate, less confusing, and more importantly...special~

just leave it to the Soenneckens to do it differently!

Eating Lot's of Clementines

Yumm!