joys of the week, ep. 3
Christmas crept in and flew past. Seems that’s the case most years now as I get older. I frankly enjoy the “season” of Christmas more so than the actual day, since the actual day always feels like something of a robbery to me, a thing I yearn for that ends abruptly and leaves a bit of a void until the next November/December tumbles in. Anyone else feel this way? Slightly morbid, maybe, or sadder than it sounds. I love Christmas. Eventually, though, the lights have to shut off, and I need to let go.
Masked and distant, the usual suspects convened at my mom’s place to celebrate. We spent maybe 20 minutes on the patio before the anticipated cold front heaved over our heads and sent the rain streaking into our faces. The storm actually lasted longer than I thought it would, blew out my mom’s modem, and caused a 30 minute or so power surge at my place – that I wasn’t remotely awake for and only knew happened because another batch of coffee miraculously appeared in my grinder. For some reason, the thing turns on whenever we have an electrical disruption. Weird. Anyhow, we moved ourselves inside mom’s small but apt living room, spread ourselves as best we could, and enjoyed crudites and songs and caught up on many months of separation. Mom and my sister had their annual dance to “Rockin’ Around the Christmas Tree” and she and her guy challenged J and I to a dance-off to round out the night. I ate a lot of food, including a stupid amount of my cheeseboard. I think I’m okay sans cheese for at least a few days after my two-day charcuterie marathon.
Did you go overboard with any food on Christmas? What was your favorite?
Upcoming on VE
The holidays aren’t over yet! Monday I’ll share my training log and Tuesday an epic graze board (not cheese-based!) for your New Year’s Eve needs. Wednesday is Taco Day and I’ve got a crunchy vegetarian rendition, followed by Thursday’s New Year’s Day brunch to prepare ahead of time for Friday morning’s inevitable slowness. To kickstart 2021, a loaded and cozy soup greets the blog, and of course the week ends with another episode of Joys!
Have you found me on Instagram? Venturing_East on Insta is an active profile and I LOVE speaking to all of you through the platform about everything training, fuel, and life as a whole. Plus, I share my weekly Trader Joe’s hauls and a simple recipe based on something I bought at the store that very day. In other words, exclusive content, because you’re special to me. Come say hi!
Joys of the Week, Episode 3
1. Family
One of the first things I noticed when I saw my sister was how long her hair was. I figure the last time I saw her it was just below shoulder length, or leastwise that’s how I always picture her. I really didn’t need much entertainment or gameplay or anything on Christmas Eve – having her, my mom, and our boyfriends in the same room was a gift enough. We exchanged middle fingers more than once. Just how we are. And it’s been over a year, give me a break, okay?
2. My holiday cheeseboard
I adore making cheeseboards now. I told J I’ll probably try to find any excuse to experiment with pairings: I even half-joked I’d delve into the craft for New Year’s Eve, though on second thought I don’t want to sick of it before I even really hone in on my tastes. I curated the below large one for Christmas Eve and scrounged up a second on Christmas Day – that I ate almost exclusively – out of whatever remained from Thursday. I selected mushroom brie, rosemary asiago, and blueberry chevre as the cheeses du’jour.
3. Playing catch
Our weather is gorgeous right now and for some reason J went on a baseball glove kick, so we suited up on Christmas Day and enjoyed the cooler midday temps in a large swath of field by my mom’s apartment to throw around the baseball. Mom found a big tree branch that we eventually used to “take batting practice.” My sister made some pretty solid contact. The ball had a bit of hang time! Got us outside for fresh air after spending most of the morning by the tree opening presents and snacking.
4. Cake baking
After avoiding a nosedive into the cake baking world, one success had me obsessed. I baked this Pumpkin Cake for Thanksgiving and followed up with my 4 Layer Peppermint Tuxedo Cake that practically vanished on Christmas Eve. Yet another rising culinary obsession to pair alongside my cheeseboard obsession.
5. A new plant friend
J and I have a mini balcony herb colony and for Christmas I received a thyme plant! We named him Tommy. I use thyme quite a lot in my cooking but not enough to finish an entire storebought package, so Tommy will really help reduce waste and provide me with another source of amusement for which we can care. So long as we can keep him thriving, I’m happy to have him in our family.
That’s all for today, friends! Share with me one thing that brought you joy this week. Or multiple, the more the merrier!
