Our Christmas and Roast Lamb

I don’t often post “this is what I did today” type of posts but this year Christmas felt so special that I can’t help but want to share it and capture it to keep in my memory.  Even if it was two days ago.

There was nothing extraordinary about this particular Christmas.  Maybe it felt special because my grandparents came to visit.  Maybe it was because it had been raining for a week.  Maybe it was because this will be my last Christmas in this house until…we don’t know.  Maybe it was just because I made an effort to slow down and just be.

Christmas Eve Day was spent in the kitchen with Brent.  He making dinner.  I making sweets.  (Those deserve their own post.)  Brent is part Swedish and it’s a family tradition of his to have Swedish meatballs on Christmas Eve.

Meow Cow sits at the table with us and may or may not enjoy Swedish meatballs.

That evening we went to church.

Christmas morning, Brent and I stayed in bed listening to the boys discuss the contents of their stockings.  Much to my amazement they didn’t complain that there was underwear in their stockings.  Now that Santa’s out of the bag, I no longer have to keep up the charade by filling their stocking with junky toys that start collecting dust under the couch a few hours later and answering, “Why does this say made in China.”  My answer was always Santa’s elves no longer sit at tables making toys.  They sit at computers placing orders most likely from Amazon.

A bit later, my grandparents came back over and we had waffles.  My family’s Christmas tradition.

Then presents and building.

Before getting too involved in dinner Brent and I slipped away for a walk.

They white space behind us is a view of the ocean.  I love my town.

After our walk we went to visit our friend, Lucille, at the nursing home.

Up until recently, the boys and I used to deliver groceries to homebound elderly.  We became friends with one of the ladies, Lucille.  A few years ago her health started deteriorating and she ended up in a nursing home.  She doesn’t have any family aside from one brother who lives far away and whose health isn’t much better than hers so we make an effort to visit her regularly.

When we got home and I we finished cooking dinner, roast lamb.  That has become our family tradition.

Roast Lamb with Potatoes
(Adapted from Cooking A to Z: New and Revised Edition (Cole’s Kitchen Arts Series)

1 leg of lamp
4-6 Garlic Cloves
6 Tbs butter
1/4 Tsp Dried Thyme
Multi Colored Potatoes
1 Purple Onion
Salt and Pepper

1. Preheat oven to 450º.

2. Slice two cloves of garlic into thin slices.  Remove as much fat as possible from the lamb and make small slits in the meat.  Insert garlic cloves into the meat.  Season with salt and pepper.

3. Roast the lamb at 450º for 15 minutes.  Then reduce heat to 350º and roast for another 20 minutes basting the lamb with its juices.

4. While the lamb is roasted cut the potatoes and onion into 1/4″ slices.  Mix both with butter, thyme, salt, and pepper.

5.  Remove lamb from oven.  Remove lamb from pan and mix the potatoes and onions with the lamb juices in the pan.  Lay the lamb on the potaotes and continue roasting (until the timer pops out) until the thermometer reads 130º-140º rare, 145º medium, or 160º well done.

6. Test the potatoes and if needed roast them a few additional minutes until tender.

7. Carve lamb and serve on a platter with veggies.

The rest of Christmas dinner included..

Sweet Potato Casserole
Green Bean Casserole
Cranberry Chutney  (Brent adapted this recipe.)
Brussel Spouts with Walnuts and Cranberries
French Bread
Pesto

I forgot dessert.  That’s what happens when you don’t eat it for two years.  It just slips your mind.  Thankfully, I had made plenty of treats from the day before.

If you want you can see more pictures from Christmas on our Like Legos blog.  There is a funny one of Meow Cow and I having a moment.

I hope you had a great weekend whether you celebrated Christmas or not!

The New Year is just around the corner.  I’m excited!  It’s one of my favorite times of the year even when the kitchen in our rental house floods when we are 2000 miles away.

Hugs and High Fives,
Jenn

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About jennincat

I'm so happy you stopped by my little corner of the web where I write about fitness, food, and amazing women I "meet". I live in California with my wonderful husband and two rambunctious boys. I'm a personal trainer and dreamer. I enjoy most things but some of my favorites are reading, acting, camping, cooking, music, writing, traveling, and being in the moment with my favorite people! You can read more about me here! I hope you stop by often!

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