Retro-active



Greetings Pals and Gals! How is everybody doin’ tonight? 


What’s that you say? Still working on your holiday shopping? And you live in the Twin Cities area?


Well, then I have just the treat for you! Step back a moment in time, turn on an old 45, and dust off your leisure suit. We’re about to step into the time machine…


To Swank Retro (formerly just Retro?? Or am I remembering wrong?)

here she is!

Just like the beads I had hanging on my door as a teen…

Christmas Glam! Furniture, housewares, lovely vintage clothes…

Kitsch, decor, baubles for all…

I want those starburst wall hangings REALLY bad

Lights, camera, action!

Okay, I digress in my little photo montage here a bit. I guess I just got a bit “transported.” The point is, this place is awesome. I drive by so many more times than I actually stop, and then when I do I remember why. I am only allowed to come here when I have a good chunk of time, or I will never want to leave. I get sucked in and all of a sudden it’s 2 hours later and I’m looking at ceramic butter dishes and frosted glass decanters…


I can NEVER get enough of this stuff. Maybe I can’t afford the furniture, but I adore some of the lights, decor, and housewares, and can actually afford them. One day, I might even seriously consider (instead of just drooling over) some of the more unique antiques (say that five times fast. Ha!)

Swank Retro is kind of a partner to some other area shops with similar focus on vintage clothing, furniture, and more. If you’d like to explore beyond Swank Retro to the wider “retro loop,” you can continue your research here.

What about you guys? Are you a sucker for all things vintage and retro? Would you scour a store like Swank Retro, Goodwill, or Steeple People for that perfect find to outfit your home? 

Tell me all about it!

Until next time, hep cats- I’ma be busy dusting off my copy of “Let’s Dance” and enjoying a little Mad Men style Mer-tini. (Okay, more likely the sake in the fridge, but I needed to get one last desperate pun in).

Here’s the details!

Swank Retro
1910 University Ave W St. Paul, MN 55104
651.646.5777
info@SwankRetro.com

Like this post? it’s part of a series! (click to view)
6. Claymation
5. Thrift-a-gift
4. Retro-Active (this post)
3. Turf Club
2. The Bunny Suit
1. Decisions Decisions

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Cabin Fevah (or how I learned to stop worrying and love the snow)

Greetings people: we did NOT make it to the Sound of Music with my fam like I had been planning all month 🙁 Nope, we spent the last two days holed up in our home, with the exception of a walk down the block I took yesterday to “explore the storm.”


Did I sit around feeling sorry for myself? No. In fact, it was probably a blessing in disguise for me, a chance to sit still for 30 seconds and stop distracting myself with trips to the library and grocery store. I tackled my to-do list, and actually had kind of a blast!


-Perused/ consumed library materials that had been sitting for 4-5 weeks in my caddy: Iphoto for dummies? check! People- Kate Middleton the perfect princess? Check! Up in the Air, Hearth and Home, Brainstorm, Making Stuff- An Alternative Craft Book? Done! (Well, started at least. Obviously I didn’t read Brainstorm  in its entirety this weekend… and I mostly blogged while Up in the Air was on)


-COMPLETED (not just started) two mystery craft projects (can’t reveal til after the holidays though…)


-Baked a batch of 60 peppermint meringues (see below)


-Brought DVR into living room, finally, and therefore got to watch the Wild play AND SNL with dreamy Paul Rudd


-Laughed at the metrodome falling apart, and watched the Packers instead


-Stared out the window at the madness outside a LOT (yesterday was more chaos, today was more entertainment)


-Bird watching, takin it easy- red headed woodpecker, blue jay, chickadee… its been a Disney movie up in here.


and more. blah blah blah.


I’m pretty proud that this baking experiment actually turned out. I tried making meringues about a month ago, but accidentally underestimated the spout size on the peppermint extract, and suffocated my “stiff peaks.” Today, I started out with some troubles… cracked two whole eggs into the bowl while trying to separate the dumb eggs. On the bright side, they turned into an incredibly beautiful omelet later! I nearly had it flipped like a pancake! In the end, I actually had kind of a good time baking, despite my utter dislike for baking (I am a cook by nature… not precise enough to bake usually!)


These are a creation I sort of invented by combining a whole bunch of recipes on allrecipes.com. It does seem that meringues are one of the more basic cookies one can make, so I didn’t exactly challenge myself here. 


Candycane Meringues a la Meri-Go-Round


-2 egg whites
-1/8 tsp salt
-1/2 tsp lemon juice (you can use vinegar or 1/8 tsp cream of tartar, but I went for easy peasy lemon juice)
-1/2 cup sugar
-1/2 tsp peppermint extract
-1 or 2 candy canes


1. Preheat oven to 225, line 2 baking sheets with foil
2. Crush candy canes in plastic bag (I used a coffee mug, and it was pretty fun…)


3. Use electric mixer (or I guess a whisk if you’re hardcore…) to get egg whites foamy. After a few minutes, add lemon juice, salt, and peppermint extract. Continue beating until the famous “stiff peaks” form.



4. While mixing, slowly add in sugar about 1-2 tbsp at a time, until it is all combined. Keep mixing for a few minutes until it has grown in size some more.

5. Cut 3/4 inch whole in plastic bag corner (or use pastry bag, or drop by spoonfuls) and dab little meringue kisses onto baking sheet/ foil. I made mine about 1 1/2 inches wide, and it made about 60. You could make bigger ones and make less, etc…

6. Sprinkle peppermint on top of cookies

7. Bake at 225 for an hour and a half. Then turn off the oven and let them sit in the oven for another hour or so.


8. Enjoy, share, and dance around hopped up on sugar and mint!


See? Easy Peasy! If I can bake it, you can bake it.
And how yummy would it be to try these in vanilla, or almond, or orange extract? Or some fancy schmancy liqueur? Has anyone tried variations on mix-ins or toppings? I feel like the world is now my oyster meringue!


Cheers!
Meri

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Well there’s no place like home for the holidays…

In the words of Joey Joseph Lawrence, “woah!”

halfway through the storm?

I cautiously took a little walk…


asked mr. blue jay what he thought of this mess! He screeched in reply, but I don’t speak blue jay.

Today we got deluged in snow. I could barely open the front door, cars were completely covered in snow by dusk, and all around the neighborhood people were trying to cope… skiing, digging…

   

What a mess! Of course I start to think about tomorrow, when I’m supposed to make a trip up north for a family gathering. I sure hope this is a bit cleared up by morning!

Which brings me to today’s topic- navigating holidays with a significant other. 

Of course, there are many variations to this: a boyfriend/girlfriend of 6 months would be a different situation than a married couple with a child, of course. Living in the same city makes things fairly simple I have observed, while others struggle with splitting time between two different coasts, or even countries.  So what’s a gal to do?

I have to admit, it is a big obvious sign to me that I’ve got myself a keeper in man-go-round when I am willing to split a holiday to be with him. I’m pretty close to my family, and I wouldn’t sacrifice time with them for any old guy (granted, his family is awesome, so that helps TREMENDOUSLY). It took me a few years to get to a place where I was willing to split Christmas between our houses (in the same state). I like to spend a lot of time at my parents’ house, especially during holidays. I do a major part of the cooking with my mama, and being the youngest I sort of like to pretend I’m still a kid for the weekend. However, at a certain point we must grow up, and start to think of our S.O.s and their families as our family too. I’m very new to this still, and only have one holiday so far under my belt where this was successfully done. So I’m offering up some common tactics I’ve seen used for splitting this time, and REQUESTING ANY ADVICE that anyone might have on the subject! Here goes:

1. Splitting major holidays on an every-other-year plan. This way you sacrifice time with your own family, but don’t have to worry about travel anxiety, rushing around, etc.

2. Splitting the actual holiday. As stated above, here you might feel a bit more crunched for time with each family, but get to see everybody. This obviously works only if the two families are within a reasonable distance of each other.

3. Combining both families for a holiday (we’ve actually done this pretty successfully with a birthday, a mothers’ day, and some other occasions in my family. It might be overwhelming on Christmas, I suppose, but it would have been nice this Thanksgiving when we had tons of food for a teeny tiny group!)

4. Celebrating early/ late- One of my sisters has early Christmas each year, making their own new tradition. I know a family that celebrates “Christmas in July” for their east coast family, combining with a summer trip.

5. Doing your own thing (i.e. not visiting either family). Hey, it’s an option. ( but don’t worry Mom, I’m pretty sure I could never miss any part of Christmas with you unless it was with my other “family.”)





What do y’all do to keep your sanity and keep feelings intact? Especially those of you with larger families, when things are a bit trickier? And what happens when you add extended relatives, step-families, and others into the mix?


I bid you adieu from this winter wonderland * * *
Meri

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Good Ship, No Lollipops

Forget the Ice Cream Man- it’s winter. I’m the Candy Woman today- Feast your eyes!


Okay mom/ man-go-round… before you stage an intervention over here at the treehouse, let me “disclaim” this post by saying that only some of this has been consumed today, I do not intend to eat it all in one sitting and get a tummy ache, and that this is simply in the name of RESEARCH!

You know that Bow-Wow-Wow song, “I want candy?” Well, I do, most of the time. I have a definite sweet tooth, and when given the choice would always forsake baked goods/ pies/ pastries for a delicious handful of M&Ms or the latest obsession- ginger chews. How I lived for 25 years without Ginger Chews, I do not know. For the sake of candy diversity, I’ve included a few dessert-y energy bars as well. 

So I give you here a no-holds-barred “reaction” t these sweet treats, so you needn’t waste your money during this delicate spending time of year. 


From the top:
Picture 1: Hershey’s Mint Truffle Kisses.
One word- ICK! I ate exactly that much of these, and brought the rest to work. I’m a total mint-a-holic, but this filling tasted like kids toothpaste. 
Verdict: Save your money, even if they are on sale


Picture 2: Luna Bar- Chocolate Peppermint Stick
Again- I was lured in by the promise of peppermint. This one rates “okay” on my scale for energy bars. I think they were on sale at the coop. The frosting part was pretty good/ minty, but overall I felt like I really just wanted a candy cane.
Verdict: Will I ever buy another one? Maybe on sale. Bonus points for having actual nutritional value.


Picture 3: Cub Foods brand rock candy
I saw this on a recent episode of “Unwrapped” on the food network, and watched how they made it. Incredibly intrigued, I bought some the next day to bring to the cookie baking party I was on my way to. I even displayed them, as they have historically been done by little old ladies, in a “candy dish.”
Verdict: Super cute, hell on teeth, low on taste. I WILL buy them again, but only to display until they get dusty!


Pictures 4 and 5: “Ice Cream Parlor” Jelly Belly Jelly Beans
Now, if you know me, you’re saying, “she bought what???” I guess I’ve made my opinion known about how disgusting I believe jelly beans to be. The one exception being maybe the starburst ones. But when I saw a “birthday cake” flavor, I was sold.
Verdict: Birthday cake beans- phenomenal. Mint chocolate chip, apple pie, strawberry, and chocolate? Meh. Buy them again? Probably not. But they were a fun gimmick at least.


Picture 6: The motherlode!
-Coconut M&Ms- obsessed. Try them if you haven’t, trust me
-Ghiradelli squares- everyone has had these. They are chocolate. I’m not a huge chocoholic, so I guess they are filed under “whatever.”
-3 Musketeer dark chocolate/ mint minis- I love these. If you keep them in the freezer they are perfect. Not really “holiday,” but they go because of the mint.
-candy canes- these are the cheapies from Walgreens, and I bought them for work snacks. They are okay, but at the worst, they are still a candy cane! (heads up- candy canes/peppermint will have its own post this month. The culmination of celebration month)
-Hershey’s cookies and cream- I have never had one. Not sure why I bought it, since I don’t really like white chocolate. I guess I just was fantasizing how pretty it would be to melt it and dip pretzel thins in it halfway…
-Hershey’s toffee nugget- I can’t believe I just discovered these now. Delicious melted on an eggo.
-Apple/Raspberry Fruit Snax bar- bought this at the coop. It tastes sort of like the Archer Farms fruit bars. Super yummy, I ate it first thing this morning before I remembered to photograph it, then had a zing in my step the whole walk to work!


So there you have it. The good, the bad, the toothpaste. Don’t say I didn’t warn you!


Now off for some coconut milk wishes and candy cane dreams! I’ll see you all on the other side of “snowmageddon!”


Meri

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turf club

Now don’t let the title fool you, I didn’t go out here tonight…


but I do have another twin cities hotspot to highlight for you today! A few months ago I was driving through NE minneapolis in the hopes of avoiding a hideous 94 closure (arghh!) and I saw a peculiar sight:


Now, I know Minnesotans are known for their “nice,” but a complimenting building?? For the love of all things curious, I did a little googlin, and found out that I Like You is a charming boutique filled with handcrafted treasures and unique gifts that had been sitting in our lovely city of lakes completely unbeknownst to me. As soon as my little engine that could would drive me there, I went to investigate. When I arrived, I discovered a nice little surprise, which brings me full circle to today’s title.

Turf! The floor, that is. And when this little weirdo-go-round asked if it would be okay to remove my flip flops (ahh, summer), the lovely proprietor didn’t even bat an eye. In fact, she engaged me in some conversation and offered any assistance to look around the treasure trove of a store that this old warehouse building is.  

Ornaments! Greeting Cards! Decorations!

Art! Recycled crafts! Textiles!

Clothing! Earrings! Journals!

Outerwear! Bags! Magnets!

…and so many more unique treasures I wish I would have thought of myself!

I can’t do justice to the lovely gifts crafted by the many many artists contracted/consigned with I like you. I’ve been there a few times now and see something awesome every time. There continues to be a recycled material scarf I ogle each time I visit. I left the store with a lovely beret (pictured here) and ideas for tons of projects in chez-go-round.


“I like” this place. Maybe you will too! If you are still looking for gift ideas this year, you will not want to leave here empty handed. Here are the stats:

501 1st Ave NE Minneapolis MN 55413
612.208.0249

See also:
Patina
Bibelot
Larue’s
etc.

Alright then folks! Until next time we hop on the meri-go-round… wheeeeee! 
Like this post? It’s part of a series! (click to view)
Retro-Active
Turf Club (this post)
The Bunny Suit
Decisions Decisions
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a (holiday) night’s tale

Greetings!


On this cold cold night what better to do than curl up with a good book? I enjoy a good book (from bridget jones’ diary to Iphoto for dummies to Fodors… if it’s got words I’ll read it) year round, but during the holiday season books have a nostalgic feel for me as I think of our annual book reading traditions. There is something about Christmas, in particular, that tends to make people feel all warm and fuzzy (for the most part… I’m not talking about you today, mr. scrooge). So here are some of my own family’s beloved Christmas books, and some classic stories to warm you up this evening! (Or any evening for the rest of the 5 months of winter).


1. Let’s start with the classic:

photo courtesy of the Uptake

We read this book every single year on Christmas Eve or Christmas Day. Most often, it’s in front of the fire before or after we open presents, as we sit sipping Tom and Jerry’s (the Family-Go-Round holiday beverage of choice). We usually take turns reading pages, and by the end are pretty  much ready for a long winter’s nap. When I was little I formed a slight obsession with single jingle bells due to this story. I guess I’m a bit of a weirdo. 

2. The best holiday story in any incarnation:

photo courtesy of the Nutcracker Ballet

Oh, let me counteth the ways that I love this story. It’s trippy, it occasionally is creepy, and to a child (and some adults) it’s incredible exotic and fabulous. I went to the ballet as a child with my best friend and our moms, and the obsession began. My paternal grandparents also gave me a copy of the book that is about 2×3 inches, and I was sold (good story? cute tiny book? what more can you ask for?) This book has spawned an entire media explosion during the holidays, and continues to be incredibly popular. And this is all without even talking about the incredible music. My copy is on request from my local library system, and I can’t WAIT!


3. Twas the Night Before Christmas

Okay, so this is really a poem. But it’s awesome. You can read it however you darn well please. I enjoy a good interpretive reading/poetry slam similar to the performance I gave of “the grinch” lyrics at last year’s birthday fiesta. This year I might even dress in costume.

4. Okay, and guilty pleasure time…

photo courtesy of Tristan Publishing
Yes, Peef. I love this book. Every time I read it I start weeping like Tammy Faye Baker. Minus the mascara. I do not know what it is about this book, but whenever I want to make sure I still have feelings, I just flip to page one and the world is right again. I heart Peef.

5. On Deck- (On interlibrary loan for a few more weeks, so I better get to it…)
Holidays on Ice, essays by David Sedaris. I’ve never read any of the stories from this particular collection, but I’m pretty sure this will be the (hilarious) cure to my puffy Peef cryin eyes. 

What is your favorite holiday tale? Do you read any of these?

The End.

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the bunny suit

I’m picturing little Ralphie from the Christmas story, opening up the fuzzy wuzzy pink bunny suit from Aunt whoever, and his look of utter despair…

Everybody has their story… the gift that may have been well thought out, but ultimately bombs at the time of unwrapping:
“oh, um, it’s homemade knit underwear…”
“um… what is this…”
and, the infamous
“a paper shredder????” (hehe, sorry dad)
So what’s a busy gal (or guy) to do come the holidays? Give up? Head to the cash machine for 20 spots? Drive oneself crazy?
Don’t worry- meri has gone round, doing the research for you! Below, see my holiday guide for unique “experience” gifts that just might work for that some niche of gift recipients in your life.
1. Now this first one got me all aflutter when I read about it. Man-go-round hears me whine day in and day out as I watch “What Not to Wear” on TLC that I need a style coach. I complain about not knowing how to dress my age (ahem, when you work with kids and families for a non-profit, its way too easy to get away with jeans and Target long sleeved Ts in every color. But boring much?)


Enter: the answer to my prayers: Sally McGraw, fashion savior!
Imagine my delight when I stumbled upon Already Pretty, formed by local Twin Cities style guru McGraw, who offers a variety of style/clothes outfitting advice and services. Want a simple question answered? Check her comprehensive blog. Want a live session with Sally to dissect your wardrobe and go out shopping “in the real world” to get some hands on help? She’ll do that! (Even my mom has stopped offering to go shopping with me… if this sounds familiar, it might be time to head to a professional!).
Contact info for rates and details as well as FAQs are found on her webpage.
2.Next up at bat- This one is for the treehugger, the penny pincher, the proud homeowner, and basically anyone who cares about the little things you can do to make a difference for our lovely, troubled Earth. (Thanks for the image use, NASA!)

save me!

If, like me, you have trouble sorting through co-op leaflets, Xcel’s money saving schemes and sales, every product marked “green” in the last 2 years or so, and more, you are not alone. It’s a big, green world out there- time to (once again) hire a professional!
This past summer, I was lucky enough to recieve a “Green Home Makeover” at a very reasonable price. My personal Green Irene consultant was Bobbi, and she casually looked through our home with us suggesting easy ways to save water, save money, and decrease icky allergens and chemicals in our lives (who DOESN’T want less of those). It was informative but not overwhelming, and afterward we got a subscription to the catalog for buying items at a reduced price. This is also a service that can be done as a “party,” consolidating others into your home to focus more closely on products instead of parts of one’s specific home.
All in all, it was a great experience. The items that we went for save the Earth’s resources, and are a daily reminder of how the little things add up. As a bonus, the items in the catalog make awesome gifts.
Wanna get connected with my personal eco-warrior, or someone in your area? Meri-go-round doth not disappoint!


(p.s.- the nylon Green Irene grocery tote is amazing. Really, I love it. Buy one)
3. A few final creative or charitable gift ideas (for any time of year):


–Designhergals– They make products out of an avatar (cartoon, mom) that you create to look like you. Then you can create stationary, mugs, to-do lists, and much more with that avatar personalized for yourself or a loved one. A portion of the proceeds go to a foundation for stage IV breast cancer patients.

–Gifts with humanity, or similar fair trade crafts. Even if they don’t love it, it’s unique and handcrafted.

-which brings me to… stay tuned for the rest of the lovely local shops I’ll cover this month! Show the TC some love!

Now, I’m off to relax and enjoy the aftermath of a lovely holiday happy hour at chez-go-round. Shout out to my lovely friends for providing this killer spread:

Fruits, cheeses, chocolates- what more could you ask for? Thanks ladies!

from last b-day party- man-go-round dubbed “nyquil”



Hasta manana,
M

 
Like this post? It’s part of a series! (click to view)
 
The Bunny Suit (this post)
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Not my gumdrop buttons!

(five points if you can name where that quote comes from!)


Greetings All! Meri Cookie Monster here! Comcast denied us our precious internet last night, so alas I had to wait until today for this glorious subject. Now, I might not like pie. I might not like pastries or obsess about chocolate for the most part. But I DO love me some cookies!


gingersnaps, snickerdoodles, graham crackers, animal crackers, you name it- if it’s sugary and a bit crispy on the outside, I probably like it. My personal faves involve a subtle combination of both sugar and spice and/or a hint of lemon or orange. I love cookies all year.


During the holidays, however, we really kick things up a notch in the cookie department, don’t we?
Yesterday, I was invited to my dear college friend Martha Stewart KK’s house for a cookie baking party. I’m not much of a baker, but with cookies, frosting, drinks, the Vikings playing a team they can actually beat, and (most importantly) good company, what fool would refuse this for the simple reason of not being too handy with a rolling pin?


As a snow globe of winter flurries floated around outside, we set to work for the next 5 hours or so, stopping only for snacks (my introduction to pepper jelly- muy delicioso!), drinks (helps with the baking) and the occasional scream at the television (&#*%-it, Favre!). This is one holiday tradition I can really enjoy! Here’s a little photo story of the afternoon:

sustenance! (part 1)

first batch- pretty much perfect!

cookies all cut, ready to bake for “some indeterminate time, at some indeterminate temperature (love family recipes)

gingerbread people and sugar people all playing nice together. what a wonderful world

sustanance (part 2) and supplies (where’s the huge pancake spatula?)

6 colors of frosting (including purple for the vikes)…

and a rainbow of sprinkles, silver balls, m&ms, pull and peel, gumdrops, and rock candy…

i love the little red eyed man on the bottom

basking in the sun heat of the oven

gingers! the weird one with green polka dot lining on the bottom is mine… not sure what happened to him…

winter wonderland

oh christmas tree, oh christmas tree…

*editor’s note- not pictured include the lovely baking team, the flour all over our clothes, and the “baking day present/ party favor” with the cute little gingerbread man ornament. See? Martha Stewart she is!



So, all in a day’s work, I had a blast and ended up with cookies! 

In my family, the sugar cookie recipe with powdered sugar glaze/icing and sprinkles are beloved and fought for. They are best just out of the freezer, as this is where they were always kept to keep our grubby little paws off of them until at least the WEEK of Christmas (and not just the freezer, but the big basement freezer. My momma tried hard to keep those cookies for the actual holiday!) We always worked in teams, and worked in stages- making the dough, rolling it, cutting them, and then frosting and decorating. I have years of fond memories of baking with my momma and sisters during the holidays. During recent years, I’ve turned to making gingerbread people and gingerbread cakes (last year’s birthday cake was gingerbread, and I HAVE to find the recipe, it was soo good), as I adore gingerbread.

What kinds of cookies do you people look forward to during the holidays? The special-K wreaths with red hots for holly berries? Russian tea cakes? Spritz cookies? Do tell! I’ll just sit here salivating over cookies until my next baking session.

And stay tuned in the next few days for an awesome post about unique Christmas experiences/gifts that I’m super excited to share.

G’night!
Meri

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here we go a…

wassailing…


Hold up. What on earth is a wassail? Well, I have answers. But first:



Look at this afternoon’s lovely skyset! J’adore!


Okay, back to wassailing. Allow me to consult my “Hearth & Home: Christmas Customs” book from the library, procured in the interest of further holiday crafts to keep me from EVER sleeping in the month of December, but with a surprise bonus of explaining the origins of Christmas traditions! How sneaky!


Ahem.


Wassailing is a custom that originated in the UK, entailing a rowdy bar crawl round of holiday cheer at others’ houses during the holidays. Tis the time to be jolly after all, so traveling minstrels would do this “wassailing,” singing carols and boisterously shouting “waes hael” as they clamored for the hard stuff. (note: waes hael translates to “be whole” or “be healthy.” I’m personally with them- I noted earlier that the only cure for my wretched random migraine was a little dram of “christmas spirit” to thin out the blood a little. A votre sante!) 


So back to my story. As these sots waddled around town shrieking, “waes HAEEEEL” they would hold out their empty bowls and demand hot spiced ales and wines as they entertained the poor unsuspecting homeowners. Hmm… this is sounding a bit like a weekend in Prague…


Is this still how people carol? If so, I want to take up caroling. perhaps professionally. It certainly deviates little from a go-round family christmas. I have, I must admit, had a strange obsession with “hot toddies” and what that entails, for some years now.


So, y’all, in the holiday “spirit” (last time I use that pun today, I promise) I will provide a recipe for one holiday wassail (it evolved into noun form at some point I guess) from said “Hearth & Home” book.


Ingredients:
-peel of one lemon
-3 slices peeled fresh gingerroot
-1 stick cinnamon
-1 teaspoon whole allspice
-6 cups dry red wine or cranberry juice
-6 cups apple cider
-1/2 cup sugar
– 2 oranges, unpeeled, cut into 6 wedges each
-36 whole cloves


Yields 12 cups (party time)


1. Create sachet (cheesecloth or coffee filter) filled with lemon peel, gingerroot, cinnamon, allspice and tie with string, long enough to hang from pot.
2. In 6 qt. dutch oven, combine wine, apple cider, sugar. Add sachet. Bring to boil over high heat, stirring until sugar dissolves. Cover, and reduce to medium low. Simmer for 15 minutes, and remove sachet. Keep wassail warm over low heat.
3. While wassail simmers, stick 3 whole cloves into peel side of each orange wedge. Place one wedge into each serving cup and pour hot wassail over top.
4. Imbibe, singing to meri-go-round’s health, happiness, and upcoming christmas present bounty. hehe.


Well, I’m off a wassailing, at least to the kitchen…


Cheers!
Meri

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Do you hear what I hear?

Does that song make anyone else think of 3rd grade orchestra? just me? okay…


Snowy Day!





My coworker and I spent the majority of the day listening to Pandora’s “holiday station,” and I have to say… holiday music- It’s good, it’s bad, and sometimes it’s downright hideous.


I heard more cheesetastic (and might I mention, utterly redundant) renditions of holiday songs today than I care to convert to long term memory, much less publish in this pristine blog. However, in the interest of commiseration, here are some of my personal thoughts about holiday music. 


You are cordially invited to the first ever Meri-Go-Round Holiday Music Awards! (Winners have been made bold. Feel free to add your own nominees or argue winners- I can take it).


Best song that has been “edited” by the eccentric Family-Go-Round
-Simply having a wonderful christmastime/Simply drinking all of the christmas wine
-Holly Jolly Christmas/ Holly Jolly Bolly
-Silver bells/ Silver Bay-Grand Marais…


Best song for a holiday party/ decorating in your bathrobe with a gin and tonic:
-Rockin around the Christmas Tree
-Jingle Bell Rock
-All I want for Christmas is you
-Feliz Navidad


Best classic 
-Little Drummer Boy (but only the David Bowie-Bing Crosby version)
-Silent Night
-White Christmas
-Anything from the Nutcracker
–O Christmas Tree (I don’t know why, I just really like this song. It helps that they don’t play it on the radio)


Best sing-a-long (tie)
-Jingle Bells
–Rudolph the red nosed reindeer (like a light bulb!)
–We wish you a merry christmas
-Frosty the snowman


Absolute worst holiday song
–Where are you Christmas- Faith Hill. This song needs to crawl under the horrible tundra earth from whence it came, and just die. It robs me of my holiday spirit, and makes ME feel like the Grinch. 
– Mannheim Steamroller. Ugh. 
-Christmas/ War is over- I know everyone loves John n’ Yoko, but the children put me over the edge.
-The Chipmunk song (Christmas time is here again?)


Most Inappropriate holiday song:
-Baby it’s cold outside (even when being somewhat facetious, this song seems to rub a lot of people the wrong way. I like it because of Elf.)
-Grandma got run over by a reindeer (one of my personal favorites)
-I saw mommy kissing santa claus (I hate the voice in this one, hence it’s vote)


Biggest Earworm
–Walking in a winter wonderland– sometimes I feel like this is in my head for the whole month
-Let it snow let it snow let it snow
-Simply having a wonderful christmastime.


Lost in time/underplayed song
-Hannukah song- Adam Sandler
-Marshmallow World-Brenda Lee (although this song could literally BE “rockin’ around the christmas tree” they are so similar…)
–Up on the housetop– I haven’t heard this one since I was a kid- where did it go?


And it’s counterpart- OVERPLAYED songs I like each year until Dec. 3rd and then am sick of already:
-Little St. Nick- Beach Boys
-Mele Kelikimaka
-All I want for Christmas is you (I blame Love Actually, frankly)
-Chestnuts roasting on an open fire- Well, I don’t like this song to begin with, so I guess the first time I hear it it seems overplayed…)
-Santa Baby –good song- just stop playing it every 6 and a half minutes please.




This is my list so far. I can’t believe I have this much of an opinion about holiday music 3 days into December- needless to say, there might be a “Meri-Go-Round Holiday Music Awards Part 2” in the next few weeks. 


What is your favorite holiday song? If you have somethin to say, I’d love to hear it! Or, if you think I’ve missed something or miscategorized, I am all ears…


as long as you don’t play “where are you christmas,” that is.

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