The Toffee

My Mom is something else at Christmas time.  She makes about 20 different kinds of cookies and candies.   It is truly amazing to see the boxes of treats she puts together for her family and friends.  When I was in my twenties, I used to emulate her Christmas output and made large boxes of several kinds of goodies for friends.  But it was a lot of work!  Finally, I just asked my friends what their favorite treats were, thinking I would make just one thing for each of them.  Interestingly, they all named the same thing--the toffee.  In my family, we always call it "Filbert Toffee."  Filberts is another name for hazelnuts.  Oregon is famous for it's filberts but didn't start marketing them as hazelnuts until the 1980s when it became the trendy thing to call them.  My Mom found the recipe somewhere but doesn't remember when or where.  All I know is that she's made it for as long as I can remember.  And I've been making it for about 35 years, I think. I've spent the last two days making this year's batches of toffee.  The house smells of butter and sugar and filberts and chocolate. Mmmm....  I package it up and send it to friends in California or take it to friends in Oregon.  I used to send it to Paul all those years we were pen pals.  He says it is definitely his favorite candy and "one of the best things you can eat."  Making toffee is an important part of Christmas for me.  Some folks make fruitcake at Christmas.  I make toffee.

O Chrismas Tree

Suddenly it's December and the holiday season is upon us.  For some reason, it seems early this year.  Perhaps that's because we already have our Christmas tree.  We had to get it this weekend while Peter was here, either that or wait two more weeks and that seemed a bit late.  Because we travel to visit family, we get the tree earlier than we might otherwise.  We like some time to enjoy it before heading out.  We always get our tree from the Boy Scout troop in Potlatch, Idaho, about 8 miles from here.  When I first came here, all trees were $8.  Yes, you are seeing correctly, that's eight dollars!  After a couple years, it went up to $10 and this year they are $12.  But I was told they only raised the price because the Forest Service charges them for each tree they cut and take.  So, the trees are fresh cut and not those manicured, tree farm, Barbie doll trees.  Some years, the pickings have been a bit slim and challenging.  This year, however, we walked up to the tree lot and had one picked out within five minutes.  Our fastest foray ever.  It's a really nice tree, too. 

I love a tree with a bit of character.  Actually, I love a lot of things with character: houses,  people, food. 

 I have my own tradition for decorating the tree.  I put on some Christmas music and pour myself a snifter of Grand Marnier and set to work.  There always seems to be a "good" side and a bare spot and a funky branch or two.  But once you put the lights and ornaments on, it is transformed into Christmas, glowing and shimmering with some kind of magic, or so it seems to me.