‘Tis the season to family, friends, and gaining more weight in one short week than throughout the entire year! Nonetheless, when your mother so generously cooks you meals, how can you turn them down (even if they aren’t Suzanne Somers-approved)?
So, in the true spirit of Christmas, the family joined to create the perfect ambience for the annual dinner. Luckily for us, our new house boasts a dining room consisting of wood paneling and table conceived in the Black Forest. If that isn’t “Snow White and the Seven Dwarves” enough, a massive iron lamp hangs from the ceiling as a stained glass door and china cabinet stand nearby. Cue in a slew of forest animals, short men and an evil witch…
Keeping the German design in mind, we opted for a more traditional, yet ever-so-kitschy decor plan for our meal.
Our table decorations, in all their gaudy glamor. How can a Christmas-themed table forego the classic red and green color combo? Throw in a burgundy velvet table runner (which happens to be a fashion trend in clothing form, sans glitter), oil lamp surrounded by holly, patterned napkins, and voila – a complete table is born. Oh, and setting a basket of fruit by the wine generates a more “healthy, organic” and natural feel to the otherwise synthetic, polyester infested accessories.
A new perspective – the table felt pretty special.
No blog post about Christmas dinner is complete without a food photo. Feast your eyes on rich brown sugar ham, fibrous yet delicate sweet potatoes, herbed brussels sprouts and a token salad.
To conclude the meal, since we decided not to make dessert, we consumed a variety of Spanish sweets. Whether savoring polvorones (a sandy, melt-in-your-mouth biscuit-like cookie…”polvo” means “dust” in English) or roscillas (hard, sugar-coated donut-shaped cookies made with anise), we each relished the sugar rushes and their jewel-toned foil packages.
I took a close-up of my little mantecado de coco…it’s similar to polvorones in that it crumbles easily, but it’s much sweeter in taste.
Thanks to scrumptious family meals throughout the past few days, I’ve gained more than pounds, but an appreciation for what bonds us together while treating my tastebuds at the same time. Let’s just say, if it weren’t for Jillian Michaels’ workout videos, I’d be in a much more negative mood at the moment.
How have you spent your holiday season so far?
Style Over Stress 
Sounds like you are having a fabulous holiday and so glad to hear it! I had so much fun getting to see friends, that are like my family, over the last week celebrating. I am back at work for two days, but will probably sneak out early today, to then go back to enjoying some time off to ring in the new year! It has been chill, but completely fabulous!
Much love,
B
You should definitely sneak out, might as well with only a few days left in 2012!
Hi Jonathan. Wow, your blog is fabulous! I look forward to reading it more (^_<)
Thank you so much, I look forward to exploring your blog as well!
Great post. Love the food photos and the cultural insight. Thanks!