Day 351: Beginning To Smell A Lot Like Christmas

After a hearty breakfast of scrambled eggs, homemade biscuits, and apple juice we were ready to hit the ground running today. For some reason my husband and I were both early birds this morning and we were up and about by six thirty a.m. I like to lie in bed after I wake up to read emails and check Facebook as I am waking up and suddenly I noticed that my mom (who lives in Texas) was still awake. She had just posted a comment on one of my nephew's pages for his birthday so I thought I'd give her a call. It was a special treat for me to chat with her in the morning because usually by the time I crawl out of bed on weekend mornings all of my friends and family back home are tucked cozily into their beds and fast asleep and I have to wait nearly the whole day before I can call them. I prefer chatting on the phone in the mornings, as I am usually fresh and full of energy as opposed to the afternoons when I am just getting into the thick of things or just arriving home from a long day at work, so it was really nice to get to chat with her so early.

Once my phone visit was over I returned to bed where my husband and I continued our lazy morning ritual, reading on our iPads and seeing what was happening in the world. Not too long afterward my tummy started yelling that it was time to eat. I started making homemade biscuits not too long ago after I came across this fabulous recipe that uses a handful of ingredients and a cast iron skillet and it turns out some of the best drop biscuits you've ever put in your mouth. So, yes, biscuits were to be the star of the breakfast table this morning. We lit our Advent candles, since today marks the third Advent Sunday before Christmas and we had the most luxurious breakfast with candlelight and miniature jars of red raspberry and cherry jam. It doesn't get much better than this.

Breakfast completed, it was on to the more fun Christmas-related activities. Number one on our list was to get a julgran (Christmas tree) and then make vegetarian Christmas meatballs and decorate oranges and clementines with red ribbons and whole cloves. I just love Christmas time and all of the little rituals associated with it that bring people together. Our tree is sitting just outside our apartment door, melting off the layer of snow in accumulated, from standing out in Mariatorget waiting to be selected and taken home. And my husband has started making the meatballs while I complete my blog post for today. With the lingering scent of fresh baked gingerbread cookies still in the air from yesterday and now the lovely smell of onions and spices being sautéed for the meatballs, it truly is beginning to smell a lot like Christmas around here. My nose is calling me to the kitchen!

Happy third Advent and enjoy the rest of your weekend!

A hearty breakfast of homemade drop biscuits and scrambled eggs... yum!

Who's that sexy dude with the tree?

Making our way down the magical Christmas tree path...

Oh look! It's my strong husband carrying that kungsgran (King's tree)... note the beautifully chipped and trimmed trunk and the giant lit Christmas tree in the square, just to the right in the background...