Best wishes to everyone celebrating Christmas. We are celebrating our four children, extended Turley clan, and, of course, Luna. So far, Christmas has avoided the series of unfortunate events that made last year so … well … memorable.
Yesterday, we went to the Christmas market in the loop and got potato pancakes and other delights. Unlike the arctic weather of last Christmas, it was perfectly balmy this year in the 40s and 50s.
My mom is 96 and going strong.
Last night, I made our traditional Cioppino soup — a tradition started by my late father, Jack Turley. It is a spicy mix of mussels, shrimp, sea bass, clams, crab meat, and other ingredients. I have previously written how I grew up hating the soup but the tradition fell to me when my father became ill. I am now as addicted to the soup as my father was. When I make the soup each year, it continues an indelible connection to my Dad and best friend.
We spent this morning trying to keep Luna out of the stockings given her suicidal fetish for chocolate.
We will have roughly 30 tonight at my Mom’s house off the lakeshore. I will be making the beef, gravy, Yorkshire pudding, and fresh grounded horseradish sauce. We also have a great Bûche de Noël (or yule log cake) and other delights for dessert.
The Turley family wishes everyone a happy and safe holiday. I will be toasting our blog family tonight and giving thanks for the wonderful community we have created at this site.
Best wishes,
Jonathan Turley