By Marilyn Michael
Christmas lights, doesn’t every family have a story? My
folks turned our house into Disneyland, I swear, vying for that silver bowl top
prize in the town decorating contest. The pinnacle was the year Santa kept
pulling Rudolph up the side of the house with a pulley…don’t ask. I remember
being pretty embarrassed as a teenager having the whole town drive by our house.
Looking back, though, I’m proud of my parent’s enthusiasm and willingness to
brighten people’s lives at the holidays.
We’ve lived on a boat
for years in the shadow of Seattle’s
Space Needle. My husband, Hank, wrote a humor/food column for a couple
magazines.
Below is his take on Christmas decorating followed by a couple of tasty
ideas for holiday entertaining and gift giving that he offered his
readers one year.
One of my most
embarrassing memories from childhood was having kids over to play and trying to
explain why our Christmas lights were still up on July 4th. Putting
lights on the boat is a real hassle, with the twist ties, tape, tangled bulbs,
extension cords and all. Last January 10th I was standing on the
dock looking at those colored strings circling my boat wondering if I could
pass them off as running lights.
Every year I swear
this is the year of no lights but I’m compelled by an unknown force to put more
and more lights up. My wife, who’s always right by the way, reminds me that I’m
going to have problems with so many. Well, the big moment came and when I threw
the switch I swear the Space Needle dimmed for a glorious moment that was
punctuated by a popping breaker.
Actually there is a
reason why every December I’ll crawl around the deck with twist ties hanging
out of my mouth like tooth picks dragging stings of lights. One year a cancer
patient I was seeing said to me, “Just think of all those tired people driving
home from work down Interstate 5 who look down on Lake Union and see the boats
all lit up, I bet it lifts their spirits”. So, up go the lights and onward with
plans for having guests on board for the boat parade and other celebrations
during the holiday season.
Not everyone drinks hot toddies in December. If you are
serving drinks with ice, alcoholic or other, why not liven up those ice cubes.
Put a twist of lemon or lime in the water before freezing. Gourmet markets sell
edible flowers. Adding a flower to each cube before freezing can add an
interesting and festive element to drinks you serve. You can add whatever you
like, your only limitation is your imagination olives, pieces of fruit, you
name it.
If you don’t want alcoholic drinks diluted by the ice cubes,
add 2 parts water to 1 part alcohol to keep those drinks lively. Keep those
cubes separate from ones the kids may use and party hardy but don’t drink and
drive (in boat or cars.)
If you are attending a holiday gathering and want to arrive
with a unique and appreciated hostess gift, food is always welcome and home
made food is celebrated. I’m always a hit with jars of Pickled Shrimp and
Pickled Onions.
Hank’s Pickled Shrimp
If you’re serving Bloody Marys for that New Year’s Brunch, hang
a shrimp on the side of each glass.
Ingredients:
Tiger Prawn
8 cups white vinegar
3-4 Tablespoons pickling spice
Red onion
Garlic cloves
Small attractive canning jars with lids
Instructions:
Throw the shrimp (I prefer tiger prawns) in boiling heavily
salted water for 10 to 15 seconds until shells turn pink. (Heavy salt brings
out the shrimps flavor.)
Remove them with a slotted spoon and put cold water over
them immediately to stop the cooking. (Overcooking the shrimp makes them
tough.)
Peel the shrimp.
Place in a pan:
8 cups of white vinegar
3-4 Tablespoons pickling spice (I like it heaver so I use
4-6 Tablespoons)
Bring the brine to a boil then let it cool down.
Pack small, clean, attractive jars, layering each with:
Shrimp
Thin slices of red onion (some jars with and some jars without)
1 clove of raw garlic
If you like it spicy, add crushed red pepper to taste.
Cover with the brine.
Put lids tightly on the jars.
Chill overnight then gift or enjoy.
Make up some jars as above and fill with raw, peeled pearled
onions
one clove of garlic, and crushed red pepper to taste.
