Happy Day After

Well, you’ve survived the Christmas season here in Pandemic Land. It was just the two of us here, and I’m going to say it was the least Christmassy Christmas in recent memory. We had a relaxing day, and the two of us put together a Christmas feast. Still, I missed the kids terribly, and having a broken arm didn’t help at all.

Smitty took the Christmas morning medicinal cat shift. Sadie did most of the work on Christmas Eve, so it was only fair. Besides...double-time pay for holidays, you know. He wasn’t going to miss out on that. He and Sadie have formed their own purrsonal labor union, and their demands are non-negotiable.

You can see why he had to take over. Sadie was too exhausted to even raise her head off the quilt she was sleeping on.

She did help weigh down my lap while I did some slow-stitching. I’ve finished all the flower motifs on this platter now.

What remains are the edges of the plate...about eight inches worth...and so it shouldn’t take too long to finish.

I’ve been mulling over what to do when this one is finished. For the time being, I’ll probably choose one of the smaller projects...or maybe several smaller projects. The hardest part of slow stitching with a broken arm is moving the hoop, and so it makes sense to do something that won’t require a lot of that. I always roll up the excess edges around the hoop and pin them to keep them out of the way. If I can make a project that doesn’t have a lot of excess fabric around it, I can make it easier on myself.

You might recall when I adapted a Peppermint Pie recipe into a pie for two a while back. The pie for two was fine, but I had an idea to try doing this in ramekins and to make a peppermint “mousse” instead. That worked out really well. I thought we might get four of these 7-ounce ramekins from it, but two is better.

So, I’ll give you the recipe here. 

Peppermint Mousse for Two

Ingredients:

For the crust:

1/4 (9-ounce) package chocolate wafer cookies (about 15 cookies)

1/2 tablespoon granulated sugar

2 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted

For the filling:

1/2 (.25-ounce) package plain gelatin (about 1 1/8 teaspoons)

2 tablespoons cold water

1/4 teaspoon peppermint extract

1 cup heavy whipping cream, divided

1/2 cup crushed soft peppermint candy (about 20 candies), plus extra for garnish

For the garnish:

1/2 cup heavy whipping cream

1/4 cup plus 1-1/2 tablespoons sifted powdered sugar

1/4 teaspoon vanilla or peppermint extract

Crushed peppermint

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Add the chocolate cookies and granulated sugar to a food processor and pulse until crushed to a fine crumb. Add the melted butter and pulse until mixed. Spray two 7-oz. 

ramekins with non-stick cooking spray. Gently press the crumb mixture into the bottom of the ramekins. Bake for 5 minutes. Remove from the oven and cool to room temperature.

In a small bowl sprinkle gelatin over the cold water and set aside to soften. Measure 1/4 cup whipping cream in a small saucepan. Add 1/2 cup of the crushed peppermint candy. Cook over low heat until all the candy is melted. Remove from the heat and add the softened gelatin and peppermint extract. Set aside to cool to room temperature. Don't allow the mixture to cool too long and become set.

Beat 3/4 cups of heavy whipping cream until stiff peaks form. Gently fold the peppermint mixture into the whipped cream until almost blended. Spread the filling into the pie crust and refrigerate until set - about 2 hours.

Garnish with additional sweetened whipped cream and crushed peppermints as desired. The extra crushed peppermint adds a good sweet crunch to this pie without making it overly sweet. Garnish away!

* * * * *

Keeping things simple, we used Redi-whip topping, and it was just fine. If you want even more peppermint, by all means, make the topping from the recipe and sprinkle generously with crushed peppermint candies.

As for our dinner, we had a prime rib in the freezer, which we did the conventional way...in the oven. Going counter-clockwise around the plate, we had garlic mashed potatoes and pan-dripping gravy, Tart Green Beans with Bacon, and Roasted Brussels Sprouts with Warm Honey Glaze.

That was a new recipe for the brussels sprouts. You know I’m always trying to find ways to make them that Mike will eat. He really liked this. It’s made with sherry vinegar. The vinegar kind of fills your nose at the first bite, and that hides the bitterness of the brussels sprouts. I happen to love brussels sprouts, but I can also taste the bitterness that the haters taste. It isn’t objectionable to me, but I can understand how they might be less than palatable to some. 

It was a team effort making dinner. Mike pretty much handled the meat and all the cutting. I was able to make the glaze for the brussels sprouts and the gravy for the meat. Also, I did the eyeballing on things that I don’t ordinarily measure, but then I let him do the mixing and mashing. It all worked out, and it was kind of fun doing it together.

While we ate dinner, the essential healthcare workers took a well-deserved break. They’ll be back on the job today.

So today I’ll probably put all the Christmas quilts and other stuff away. It will give me a chance to enjoy the winter stuff before we take off on our trip. That’s still a few weeks away. I’m hoping to get in a little more slow-stitching. It’s been hit or miss with slow-stitching. Sometimes I can do it, and sometimes not. I’m still sleeping in the recliner downstairs, but last night, I started thinking I couldn’t be any more uncomfortable in the bed. I might give that a try tonight. A good pillow arrangement might make it possible. 

A few people have asked if I’m going to need physical therapy, and honestly, I don’t know. I’ve been doing some exercises at home, and I’m able to use my left arm to assist in raising my broken arm above my head now, which is very encouraging. The pain is much better, and so I’m on the mend. I’m doing my best to avoid PT, especially in these COVID times, and so time will tell.

It's kind of a gloomy day outside, although I think we might get some better weather today or tomorrow. It would be nice to get outside if we can. How did your Christmas festivities go?