Tree in da house!
Matt and I went to pick out our tree (and unsuccessfully pick out a new dining room pendant light – why are all lighting stores closed on the weekends!? Do they expect us to shop for lights on a Tuesday at 10am?).
On the way home, we stopped into the bakery to close, and so I could sample some of our latest items – including the Eggnog Scuffins!! These have butterscotch and are SO eggnoggy!! LOVED them!
This week was pretty slow after the Thanksgiving rush [everyone must be on cut-back] and we had a lot of extra sweets leftover. We give all of our breads to the food banks on Monday, but the sweets aren’t always in as good condition. We had enough left that I decided we were going to find a good place for them tonight. I packaged them up in boxes and we drove around looking for businesses or people who would like them (you’d be surprised how many businesses are NOT open at 6pm on a Saturday night). The best match we found was the Live Arts Theater, and I took 2 huge boxes of sweets for the theater to give out to tonight’s volunteers. Perfect match and so worth the time!
Our tree took us all of 20 minutes to assemble. Love that. Growing up, my family’s tree used to take 20 DAYS to put together. My parents would get a 10 foot tree (so it seemed) and we’d have mandatory ornament hanging time every evening in December!! These days I’m content so long as the tree smells like pine and is an inch taller than me 😉
Matt and I had a good time laughing at our ornaments. We have an eclectic mix of complete wacky, heirloom, 1982 + 1983 baby ornaments and fun ones we’ve collected. See if you can guess which is which. That last one makes me laugh out loud.
The holiday decorating began with the very last of the pumpkin beer. Goodbye fall, hello winter.
For dinner tonight we invited our friends Brian [Albers] and Melanie over. Brian and Matt were fraternity bros at Davidson and he moved here for a new job this year.
Dinner wasn’t anything fancy, but it was delish. No Bull Burgers on Great Harvest buns with avocado
And a greens + beet + blue d’auvergne salad with spiced pecans (a bakery sample) dressed in EVOO, honey and pink Himalayan salt.
With dinner we enjoyed sharing a few more beers, including this Nashville Dos Perros from my friend Hillary! [It was great H!]
We had a leftover Ambrosia Wreath to share for dessert!! A fruity bread – tastes like coffee cake – with cream cheese frosting.
Along with Pumpkin Chocolate Chip!
Taste of each to end the night – [FYI, that plate looks huge but it’s an appetizer plate!]
Sleepy and thankful tomorrow is a low-key Sunday!
Julie H. of Spinach and Sprinkles says
20 minutes on the tree! – LOVE that! 🙂 It looks wonderful—– as does the entire evening!
kelsey @ living the gluten free life says
We got our tree today, too! Although it was rainy and extremely muddy so not as fun of a time :).
Janelle says
Love that ubguys r fast at putting up a tree – it drives me CRAZY. When people take several hours , I wanna ask if they have a second speed haha , and omg the salad looks so good and I want a slab of that cream cheese cake !! Amazing ! I hope you get a nice relaxing Sunday 🙂
Jessica says
That plate doesn’t look huge to me. It does look like a little plate with you saying so IMO 🙂
Jessica says
without**
Tiffany says
Dinner looks great!! Is the pink salt any different than table salt?
KathEats says
Yes. Here’s some more info on it: http://www.mountainroseherbs.com/learn/pinksalt.php
Deva @ Deva by Definition says
We probably are not going to have a tree this year, but we will see. We are currently in the process of moving. I want to have everything up and running by the twentieth in our new place, but I think it depends on how much the packing process goes!
KathEats says
We skipped one last year – it wasn’t a biggie 🙂
Allie@LiveLaughEat says
I’m coming down for the eggnog scuffins…and only because they have butterscotch!
Emily says
the pumpkin chocolate chip bread looks absolutely delicious!
Elisabeth says
Your tree looks great! It looks like maybe some type of fir? (which are my favorite!). I love the eclectic mix of ornaments – that’s how mine always is, with baby ornaments, ornaments made in elementary school and fun Hallmark ornaments collected over the years 🙂 I also have a small dining room tree with a kitchen/candy theme.
KathEats says
I think fraser fir?
Jill says
Cute tree! I’ve found it’s so much better to keep things simple. I used to have so many Christmas decorations I dreaded getting it all out. But a few years ago I got rid of a lot of the decorations and it’s so much easier to get everything out. I enjoy Christmas a lot more now since I don’t have so much to hassle with.
Khushboo says
Wow never heard of pink salt! Does it have a distinct taste?
KathEats says
It’s not that strong, but definitely less salty and more …savory? than regular salt
Katie says
Hi Kath! I’ve been reading your blog daily for months now, and I love it! I’ve made many of your recipes and am a huge fan of the overnight oats.
I love pumpkin (and chocolate chips) possibly a bit too much. Do you have a recipe for the pumpkin chocolate chip loaf/cake? Thanks!
KathEats says
Hey Katie,
Unfortunately we make the teacakes at the bakery so I cannot disclose the recipe.
Roxanne says
Katie will just have to come and get some, right Kath?
KathEats says
Yep!
Stacy @ Say It With Sprinkles says
Yay, you got your tree! I still don’t have mine yet, so I guess until I do I’m living vicariously through others, haha! =)
Rosy says
You should visit the local hospitals! Nurses ALWAYS appreciate sweet snacks and emergency departments are open 24/7!
KathEats says
Great idea!!! I wonder where the best place to drop them off would be? I don’t know if I’d feel comfortable going onto the floors. Perhaps the information desk?
Katherine says
If you drop them off at the information desk, they might not make it any further! Haha! Nurses can definitely eat!! (speaking from experience 🙂 )
KathEats says
That’s what I was afraid of! I guess I could just walk on the floors!?
Roxanne says
Don’t feel intimidated by going on each floor! The nurses station on each floor would appreciate the goodies once in a while! They work hard and deserve it!
Lynn @ the actor's diet says
Our tree takes a fraction of the time it did when I was a kid – probably bc it’s so much smaller. And uh fake.
Brittnie (A Joy Renewed) says
I love quick (yet fun and festive) Christmas decorations. Our tree sounds just like yours. It is tiny (the same one we had in our first apartment!) and it takes about 20-30 minutes max to decorate. Love that! We are putting ours up today. 🙂
Mom says
Tree is gorgeous, but mandatory ornament hanging time was like one hour total, not every night!
Karen says
Hysterical…funny how we distort our childhood mememories as more dramatic/brutal than they were in reality. I must say, though, Kath’s version makes a more entertaining story 😉
Good for you Kath for making a concerted effort to find a good home for those GH leftover sweets, That’s holiday spirit for you!
KathEats says
No I swear it was multiple nights in a row!
Annabelle says
Now Kath, didn’t anyone ever tell you not to argue with your mother 🙂
Roxanne says
Love family arguments!
KathEats says
🙂
Mom says
Yes, she should not argue with me because I was a perfect mother (Ha ha.) But no, it was not multiple nights. I might have begged for more nights, but I only required one!
Averie @ Love Veggies and Yoga says
The frosting on the ambrosia wreath, the Pumpkin Chocolate Chip bread, the eggnog with butterscotch chips (love b-scotch) scuffin…wow, this is a dessert lovers post…and I love it.
Glad you guys all had a nice time together and enjoyed a fun Sat nite together. And the desserts, too 🙂
Katie @ Peace Love and Oats says
Haha, my family’s tree was always an ordeal too! This year my mother is having the tree delivered one day before I get home for Christmas break so I can help her, she didn’t want to deal with it in her own!
Roxanne says
It’s so much more fun with help, alone it’s a chore….
Jamie @ Don't Forget the Cinnamon says
That’s so awesome that you give away your extra bread (and yesterday the sweets!) It always makes me so sad when food gets thrown away!
Oh, and the tree looks lovely!
Roxanne says
Here in my city, we HAVE to throw away cooked foods, it’s against the law to keep food past the day it is cooked, some person may get sick and sue. What I don’t understand is the Health and Welfare is too strict on determining what is “cooked” food, they seem to think popcorn should be thrown away after the night is over…. What waste! It’s not like it’s a hotdog or hamburger, it’s popcorn for goodness sake! (Which by the way, would anyone like a bag to string over those trees? At least you’re not eating it!)
KathEats says
That’s a ridiculous rule! So long as restaurants are following the food safety rules of chilling and serving, you’d think it would be fine!?
Ashley @ Coffee Cake and Cardio says
Pumpkin Chocolate Chip has got to be one of my favorite breads! LOVE!
Chelsea @ One Healthy Munchkin says
Haha my family takes forever to decorate our tree too. I kind of like the tradition though. And after going through the stress of exams at that point, I’m just happy to be doing something other than studying! 😛
Fran@ Broken Cookies Don't Count says
Dinner looks especially tasty. Wish there was something like No Bull Burgers available in my area. Enjoy your Sunday!
Susan H. @ the food allergy chronicles says
Today is Christmas Tree decorating day! My husband, kids and I are allergic to real trees so it is a fake one for us. We have accumulated quite the array of ornaments over the years. I have a special white tree for the beautiful ornaments of my childhood…the colours are so unique…teal, pink, burnt orange, some are stripy, some are concave and some are teeny tiny…great memories.
Love that you share your goodie excess with others!
Katie @ Talk Less, Say More says
What a gorgeous tree! I have an itty bitty tree that took me about 20 minutes to put together – love that! 🙂
J3nn (Jenn's Menu and Lifestyle Blog) says
All of the sweets look SOOO yummy. So nice of you to find new homes for the extras. Those No Bull burgers always look delish, but they aren’t available in my area. Boo. Maybe one day. 🙂
Amanda says
Looks like a very fun Saturday to me! I think it’s great that you took the extra time to donate the leftover sweets – I’m sure the recipients were thrilled. 🙂
So many delicious desserts in this post!
Lauren @ What Lauren Likes says
Love the tree! What a great day 🙂
Laura H. says
Those eats look delicious! And the tree makes me miss my family’s traditional real Christmas fir. These days, with apartment living, we have to make do with artificial. Decorating is always fun, no matter what kind of tree you have, though. 🙂
Lauren @ Oatmeal after Spinning says
Eggnogg scuffins sound fantastic! I have to say, too- that I think it is REALLY cool of you to deliver extra sweets to local businesses. How thoughtful!
We got our tree yesterday and are tackling the decorating today- I take SO long because I tell Greg the story of all of my old ornaments from the 80s (same story every year…). Love it!!
Meagan says
What a pretty tree! Eggnog scones sound fantastic. I may have to try that 🙂
Sophie says
quick question — what kind of beets do you use? They look yummy!!
KathEats says
I roasted these from scratch a few days ago. They took forever in the oven because I didn’t cut them up or wrap them in foil – I would recommend that next time!
Angel7 says
I love that you and Matt donate leftovers!!! You both are very generous 🙂
I love it when people decorate their Christmas tree with memorabilia from their childhood–like you and Matt!!! That is the way our Christmas tree is each year!
I like trees that have ornaments on it that are the same, and decorated elegantly! However, ornaments from past and present bring back smiles to our faces 🙂
The downside to our artificial Christmas tree is the fact that for about two years it has been half lit. One or many of the bulbs are not working, which in turn makes many of the strands not light–we have a prelit tree. I have wanted to purchase another one, but cannot justify it being that I purchased this tree a few years ago. The tree was a floor model, so maybe that had something to do with the bulbs malfunctioning 🙂 Or maybe the lights do not work well from being brought up and down steps from the basement to the top floor. Who knows??? Whatever the case… At least we have a tree up, even though only part of it is lit (LOL)
http://faithfulsolutions.blogspot.com/
KathEats says
Maybe you can just add more light strands to the tree!?
Angel7 says
I know. But it seems like too many cords everywhere with the many cords already attached to the artificial tree.
http://faithfulsolutions.blogspot.com/
Katryn@RampantCuisine says
How do you cook your burgers? Do you make them on a grill?
KathEats says
These were baked in the oven – and they’re great in a skillet as well
Kelsey says
The ambrosia wreath is my favorite! Or which ever bread GH makes like that at Easter time — I ate an entire one a few years ago!!
Kel@The Kel Show says
That salad combo is a fave!
Your tree is adorable!
Julia H. @ The Petite Spiel says
It’s so weird to me to see you guys outside getting your tree in t-shirts and a light sweater! Guess I’m used to always being freezing when I pick up my trees, haha. Lucky lady!
Milli says
A friend of mine (who currently lives in Cambodia..the amazing things about internet!) pointed me to your blog and I absolutely love it. Funny thing, I went to Georgia with Melanie! Small small world. Thanks for sharing all your creations!
KathEats says
Welcome! And what a small world 🙂