Christmas Eve

We been having a nice Christmas Eve!

Emerson volunteered to help us with our cheese fondue.

I got an incredible pile of foam on my cocoa! (Thanks, Gordon!)

Bernie the farmer came to disk the ice on our driveway so it wasn't as slick. We are having a little "heatwave" with freezing rain and rain on top of the snow. What a mess!

Emerson helped me in the kitchen today...

He supervised from the top of two boxes of honey. I sold a lot of jars today and yesterday! People wanted them for Christmas gifts.

Then we took a family portrait. Emerson figured that the only cat who mattered was already there!

I got the stuffing ready for tomorrow...

I won my beautiful apron in a blog giveaway. It was made by my friend Susan over at My Mother's Apron Strings.

Caramelized onion and apple stuffing. I realized halfway through that I had no dried sage, so I went outside and dug through the snow until I found my sage plant. Success!

We were incredibly late decorating the tree this year...

...but this afternoon, we got it done.

It's always fun going through the ornament collection.

This one dates from my childhood in the 60s!

This one...

...is more recent. Exhibitionist Santa!

I also made my coconut chocolate almond tarts, like every year...

I've already eatne three. Oops.

And as per tradition, we had It's a Wonderful Life on while we did the tree.

Have a wonderful evening!

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Here's the tart recipe:

Chocolate-coconut tarts

  1 cup all-purpose flour

  1/3 cup sugar

  1/4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder

  1/2 cup butter

  3 to 4 tablespoons water

  1/2 of an 8-oz package of cream cheese, softened

  1/3 cup sugar

  1 teaspoon vanilla

  1-1/4 cups coconut

  24 whole almonds

  1/3 cup semisweet chocolate pieces

  1 teaspoon shortening (or butter)

  FOR CRUST: Stir together flour, 1/3 cup sugar, and cocoa powder. Cut in

  butter until pieces are the size of small peas. Sprinkle with water, 1

  tablespoon at a time, tossing gently until moistened. Form dough into a

  ball. Cover and chill for 1 hour. Divide dough into 24 balls. Place

  each ball in an ungreased 1-3/4 inch muffin cup. Press dough evenly

  against bottom and sides of cup.

  FOR FILLING: Beat cream cheese, 1/3 cup sugar, and vanilla with an

  electric mixer for 30 seconds. Stir in coconut.

  Fill each muffin cup with about 1 rounded teaspoon of filling. Top each

  with a whole almond. Bake in a 375 F oven for 15 to 18 minutes or until

  filling is set. Cool for 30 minutes in pans. Remove from pans; cool on

  wire racks.

  MELT chocolate pieces and shortening in a small heavy saucepan over low

  heat, stirring frequently. Drizzle over tarts. Makes 24.