The Burroughs Christmas is barreling down on us! I’ve spent the last week trying to catch up on non-Christmas things, like finally sweeping the floor, and tonight I took the time to sit down with a snack and the TV in the background to scribble out some ideas about what I want Christmas to be like this year.
Every year is a little different, of course. A few years ago, we were just married; last year, we had just bought a house; this year will be our last as a couple alone. Next year will be our first Christmas as a family! Hopefully our seven-month-old will be too small to eat the ornaments.
On that note, here’s a pregnancy update!
For the most part, I feel pretty good. My relationship with food is somewhat interesting; I’m hungrier than usual (which is saying something), but my stomach is shrinking, so I can’t usually eat much at one time. This means that I spend virtually all of my time at work typing with one hand while holding an apple in the other.
This week I’m annoyed by the number of people telling me not to pick things up or otherwise “exert myself.” Someone at work told me not to reach over my head because it would tangle the umbilical cord (patently false; I checked). Someone at church told me I shouldn’t be lifting my (folding) chair.
Here’s the thing. Labor and delivery are a lot like running a marathon, exertion-wise. People train for marathons for months. You know how other people would have me “train” for birth? By sitting down a lot and “eating for two” (for the record, I only need about 300-400 extra calories per day). Even the American Pregnancy Association guidelines for working out boil down to “Walking is good, you might like swimming, don’t lie on your back, and if it looks heavy make someone else pick it up.” Yeah, I don’t think so.
I’m definitely getting bigger! A stranger congratulated me in passing the other day. Sitting is getting interesting, as well; I have to figure out where to put my legs so they don’t encroach on my midsection and make me feel squashed.
We find out after Christmas if it’s a boy or girl. We haven’t decided how to do the reveal, but we’re excited to get a move on the nursery, picking out all the stuff for the registry, etc.
Easy Christmas Recipes
One of the things I’m rediscovering right now is the power of prioritizing. Not to say that everything has gotten done, but it’s more motivating to create short, reasonable to-do lists than the long crazy ones. I still need a ton of naps, for instance.
One of the things I’m doing is trying to find quick, easy ways to feed us. I could spend more time on cooking…or I could finally put the ornaments on the Christmas tree. (It does have lights. That did take almost two weeks. Ahem.)
To that end, here’s a list of easy, delicious dishes that will be great for bringing to parties or rounding out your holiday meal. These either have only a few ingredients, are very quick, or require very little actual cooking.
Got a favorite that’s not here? Tell us what it is in the comments!
Appetizers
Chocolate Covered Potato Chips
Sides
Spaghetti Squash with Caramelized Onions and Bacon
Spicy Garlic Shrimp with Herbed Butter
Desserts
5-Ingredient Shortbread Cookies
Chocolate Pretzel Sticks (these started as mummies; just leave off the eyeballs)
Simple Double Chocolate Meringues
Chocolate Crinkles (more involved than the rest of these, but I adore them. couldn’t leave them off)
Drinks
