The Day Before Christmas

   'Twas the day before Christmas and I wasn't ready.  The house was a mess and nothing was done.  I finally made pinulata  or honey clusters (or strufoli if you want to be technically correct) this afternoon and forgot that the plate I was using had a hole in the center for a handle that was long lost. 

Strufoli

Soon a river of warm honey was dripping on to the table cloth!  I put a small bowl under it and started to collect and redistribute the honey. (Now I know one reason why Mom never used that plate for it!  Two hours later it's still dripping...but the candy sprinkles aren't moving anymore!  I was complaining to myself about how much work it is to make with so little to show when Jeff came in.  He said he thought I had made quite a lot so I just had to show him the plate mom and I used when we made pinulata together.  I think we must have quadrupled the recipe!)  I arranged the cookies from the church bake

Italian Cookies, anyone?

sale on a Christmas plate and added some of the honey clusters I had put in small muffin papers. Then I filled a small Christmas bowl with candy.  Jeff wants to know where I'm going to store these dishes overnight so the mice don't get into them.  Good question.  The bake-sale cookies have been in the hutch so that plate will probably go back in there but I'm not sure where the honey clusters will go. The refrigerator is close to it's limit.   Dinner tomorrow will be at 2pm:  a stuffed beef roast, mashed potatoes and gravy,  fried carrots...if Jeff digs them up, Italian-style spinach or greens, and ravioli and sauce.  Hmm, sound like a feast!  Ed is bringing a cake for dessert, too. I think I'll have to put a leaf in the table because of all the serving dishes!! I think there's enough food for 4 adults, don't you?
   Presents-wise, Ed's and Sherry's gift bags are filled but Jeff's socks never got finished.  The yarn got here Tuesday but it turns out the reason I never bought Paton's Kroy Sock Yarn FX a 2nd time was because there isn't enough yarn to make a sock for Jeff in 1 skein.  There's only 166 yds in a skein and with the size of his foot (a size 12) there isn't enough left to make the leg long enough to suit him. I'm going to have to order another skein and add a couple of inches on to each leg.  I'm glad he's ok with that and can wait for his socks. I hope I remember this the next time I order this yarn because he really likes the way it knits up.
   Jeff got the 2nd woodshed skinned today.  It's pretty weather tight and should hold plenty of
wood in 2 sections.

Skinning the Shed

A look inside

He's about ready to start cutting wood again so I can start stacking it.  Gee, something to look forward to.
.

Ready to fill!