Merry Christmas guys!!
We’ve had a wonderful day filled with scuffins, gifts, exercise + sandwiches. I’m about to add reading to that list!
The husband woke me up at 7:30am sniffing and shifting around in bed wide awake. I wanted to sleep a little more to make 8 hours, but I couldn’t go back to sleep. The rest of the family declared last night that they intended to sleep until 10, so I didn’t really know what to do until then. With an empty stomach and sunny warm weather, I decided there was no better time to go out on a Christmas run! So I set out to circle our small town a few times. I stopped in after about 4 miles to see if anyone was up but the house was silent (‘cept for the husband baking bread and my mom humming carols) so I went back out for another 10-15 minutes. All in all, I think I did about 5.5 miles. I was so glad to start the day with such an unexpected yet wonderful run.
The group finally started rousing around 10 and we set out the breakfast buffet. Originally I was going to make oatmeal, but after the husband brought home the scuffins and babka, I thought it would be a good day to enjoy some sweets for breakfast. Along with fruit salad and coffee.
The buffet:
Those tempting candied nuts!
My fruit bowl – topped with some nuts!
Melted butterscotch scuffin
Coffee laced with some egg nog –
My breakfast:
Bearing Gifts…
Everyone’s gifts were so perfect for the individuals this year. My selection had a three fold theme: gourmet food, good smells (candles, lotions!), and household decor. The husband got lots of alcohol and art supplies 
Larbs + Matt gave us Fig Balsamic Vinegar (glad I didn’t get the Williams Sonoma one last week!) and Lemon infused olive oil from a speciality shop in Boston that Larbs and I visited while I was there and raved about the selection.
My parents gave me a jar of pumpkin butter!
Placemats, napkins, the More With Less book, Frog and Toad notecards!
Gourmet olive oil + vanilla extract from Karen
My mom found that Coconut Chai tea I love –
The husband’s dad got me a Paperwhite bulb kit! Can’t wait to get these started!
Karen loves practical gifts – and we love her Glad wrap!!
My mom also got me some gorgeous jewelry from Bead For Life made by Ugandan women who turn recycled paper into beads that they sell. Here’s a little about the organization:
Since 2004, BeadforLife has provided sustainable income for Ugandan women and their families by selling their beautiful jewelry, handmade from recycled paper. The women are HIV+ mothers, refugees from a brutal civil war, former prostitutes and other impoverished people. Before joining BeadforLife, all of the members struggled to get by on less than $1 a day.
…We Traverse Afar
After exchanging gifts, we all went out for some exercise. Larbs + Matt went running, my dad went walking with a magazine and the Monson’s, my mom and I went on a downtown walk for about 45 minutes. We’ve got one gorgeous Christmas Day!
Now Bring Us Some Figgy Pudding
We pulled out all the sandwich and Christmas Eve party leftovers for lunch around 2. I decided to replicate my awesome sandwich from last night on a slightly smaller piece of bread.
With more pickles –
A bowl of fruit
And a 7 Up
Plus 2 sherry cheese crackers 🙂
Time for a little R&R (one R is for reading) before we get in gear for Christmas Dinner (and cocktail hour!) The table is set…
Marvelous eats, treats, and gifts!!
That butterscotch scuffin…. wowza, deliciousness.
Enjoy your R&R session!!
Merry Christmas, Kath!! Your breakfast breads look deeeelicious! And all of your presents seem to be perfect for you! 🙂
I wish you and your family a fantastic day!
Way to get in a workout first thing. I am soo missing the mild(ish) NC weather!
That breakfast bread spread looks great– and what thoughtful gifts!
Merry Christmas to you and your family. 🙂
You have wonderful family!
Merry Christmas Kath!
the table looks gorgeous!!!
Merry Christmas Kath!!!
What a lovely post- you look like you all enjoyed such a wonderful Christmas 😀
And I can’t say scruffins without giggling! heh
Angela
http://www.ohsheglows.com
Your buffet has got me drooling!! Everything sounds amazing.
Merry Christmas Kath!
AHH I LOVEEEE FROG AND TOAD! haha!
And I have one of those necklaces from the Beads for Life Foundation! It’s an amazing organization!
Chocolate Babka….Damn…’Nuff said.
Being a teacher, I was very excited to see that you received Frog and Toad notecards! Adorable!
Did you and The Husband exchange Christmas presents with each other?
Looks like a great day! Nice family, good food, and the presents are always a plus 🙂 Merry Christmas and have a fun night!
<3 jess
I am salivating at the thought of coconut chai tea.
Happy Holidays!
Merry Christmas!
love the coconut chai tea… can’t believe u have a hard time finding it 🙁 i get it at whole foods and add a splash of soymilk and agave and enjoy… yum!
Hey Kath and Husband. Long time reader, first time commenter. Just wanted to wish you guys a Merry Christmas. Hope to see you guys soon.
Nate (and Kate)
I LOVE that tea! Trail of Crumbs, a food memoir, is about a love affair with the founder of O & Co (and L’Occitane)! It’s really good, I think you’d like it!
Merry Christmas KERF!
I absolutely love my More with Less cookbook. The same people (MCC) that put it out also put out another great cookbook, Simply In Season, with a focus on seasonal eating that is excellent to use in conjunction with a CSA share. Also has little blurbs about food issues, farming, and more. I think you might like it. They have a third cookbook that explores the food of peoples all over the world called Extending the Table. I love all of them! Not affiliated, yada yada.
Hope you enjoy it!
Love all the tasty looking gifts and that wonderful breakfast spread!
The More with Less book is great. I can’t wait to see what your next post will reveal – the table looks beautiful even without the food!
Merry Christmas! Hope you enjoy the rest of your holiday…looks like a good one so far! 🙂
you always have the best looking bread!
merry christmas 🙂
Merry Christmas! Sounds like such a lovely day! Love your gifts!
I love paperwhites too, watching it grow and finally flower. I should go out and buy one… they make a nice desk accessory.
Merry Christmas Kath! Your holiday treats look sooo good. Babka is a personal favorite and those egg nog scuffins look INCREDIBLE! What sweet, personal gifts you got. And I’m very impressed that you got in a Christmas run!
Looks like a wonderful day! Hopefully my Christmas day will be soon!
Merry Christmas!
Fancy,
We just traded small gifts this year – I got him a new pair of jeans for baking since he ripped his a few weeks ago and he got me some candles (Sonoma themed for our honeymoon <3 )
Nate and Kate,
HI GUYS!!! Are you guys free on New Years?? We just found out our plans are probably wide open. Party at our place?
K
Looks like you had a wonderful Christmas!! I LOVE the Frog and Toad notecards!
Where did your mom find the Coconut Chai Tea?!
Aw Kath, your and Matt’s presents sound great! So romantic that he got you candles to remind you of your honeymoon. I love it!
Kath …
Longtime reader, first time commenter … 🙂
I wanted to tell you that your post about an “unexpected run” inspired me to do one of my own this morning! I just posted a new blog on sillytatertot.blogspot.com.
I also followed your oatmeal lead today, and came up with a new batch I call Caramel Apple Oats. I’ll post a picture and the recipe soon, but it was basically just oats, water, SF caramel syrup (it usually goes in my coffee!) and a granny smith apple, all cut up into tiny pieces.
Thanks for all your posts — they really inspire me and I look forward to seeing your name pop up in my google reader!
Katy
sillytatertot.blogspot.com
Olivia ,
World Market!
Katy ,
Great job on the run!! Caramel apple sounds great 🙂
Kath