Do You Want Fries With That?

I don't know if this is the last Saturday 9 before Christmas or if there will be one next week on Christmas Eve, but this is the last one for me as our family will be getting together and having our Christmas on Christmas Eve Day.  Now if there's a Sunday Stealing on Christmas Day...I'm free for that!

Saturday 9: O, Holy Night (1967) 

Unfamiliar with this week's tune? Hear it here.

1) This beloved carol takes its lyrics from a French poem. What else can we thank the French for?

Fries, berets, snails as food??

2) How well do you know  "O, Holy Night?" Without looking up the lyrics, could you sing along with Ella?

It's one of those songs I could probably sing along with, but I don't know it well enough to sing it on my own.

3) In order to get this record into stores in time for Christmas 1967, Ella had to record this in late July. So let's reverse that. Now that it's Christmastime, what do you miss most about summer? 

As I sit here by the window looking out at yet another dreary gray sky and freezing rain that is covering everything in a thick layer of ice...let's go with sunshine and warmth.

4) Sam is crazy about the open toed pumps she'll be wearing to holiday parties, but that means she needs to get a pedi. Will you be at a salon between now and year-end?

No.  I'm not going to any celebrations that require being fancy.  I wouldn't have time to go to the salon anyway.  I am working till 3:00 on the 23rd and then rushing home to start cooking for our family Christmas the next day.

5) Will you be consuming any egg nog this holiday season? And if you do, will it be spiked?

I will most likely have some egg nog.  It won't be spiked...it will be the base for my hot chocolate.  If you haven't tried that, do!  It is so rich and creamy!

• 4 cups eggnog
• 1/2 cup chocolate syrup
• 1/8 to 1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
• 3 teaspoons vanilla extract
• Whipped cream and additional ground nutmeg
• In a large saucepan, combine the eggnog, chocolate syrup and nutmeg; heat through over low heat, about 15 minutes (do not boil). Remove from the heat; stir in vanilla.
• Pour into mugs. Top with a dollop of whipped cream and sprinkle of nutmeg. Yield: 4 servings.

  
6) Thinking of holiday cuisine, what's your favorite Christmas cookie?

My mom's little bite-sized nut, poppy seed, and fruit-filled rolls.  I'm not getting any this year, though.  She didn't make them and I just don't have the time (they are very time consuming).

7) Sam knows she will get a bottle of red wine from her boss, because that's what he gives his staff every year. Is there a gift you can count on receiving?

A box of really expensive handmade chocolates from the owner of the company I work for.  They are from a local store and absolutely divine.  I don't eat much candy, though, so I usually re-gift it or put it out for the family to enjoy.

8) What one gift would you most like to receive this year? Do you think anyone will get it for you?

I'm not hoping for anything.  My husband and I have decided not to exchange gifts this year.  He took the week from Christmas to New Year's off (that is a gift!) and we are going to take what we would have spent on gifts for each other and put it into the house.  I'm hopeful we will finally finish the bathroom and buy a new freezer to replace the one we have that requires defrosting (why would they even still make those...and why would my mom have bought us one???).  Beyond that, I don't know what the next house project is.

9) This time of year is big for charitable fundraising. Here's your chance to plug a cause or organization that's near and dear to you.

We are big fans of both St. Jude and the Shriners hospitals because they give completely free care to children in need.

I am also a supporter of Compassion International and the support they give needy children.

Another favorite is Heifer International.  They give livestock to sponsored families, teach them how to breed and raise them, how to run a successful business.  They build co-ops and schools and improve the whole community based on the principal of give a man a fish and you feed him for a day, but teach a man to fish and you feed him for a lifetime.

I wish you all a very merry and blessed Christmas!

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