I like the idea of Nutella, but when spread on bread, it's a little much. If you're not sold on regular grocery store peanut butter, I recommend trying the natural stuff. Just store the jar upside down overnight before you open it.
I do like the natural PB. I'd say the same for Nutella though. It's not the best, just the one with name recognition that gets exported to America. There's this one Croatian brand that I can get at a nearby food import store that is amazing ... heavy on the hazelnut and low on the sugar. Delicious
Well, you're preaching to the choir here, though I'll happily part ways with you on Christmas music. Not all of it, by any means, but there's a lot of wonderful stuff (Ella Fitzgerald, some classical pieces, etc.) that I really do love. Well, to me, anyway. But re: your counterbalancing question, you reap what you sow. Especially in the States, I think, what we've sown is an incredibly diverse, evolving and mobile society. Who among us (who are from the US) lives in the place where we were born? The notion of tradition is, by its nature, static; as such it's at odds with the structure of American society. It's awfully difficult to maintain tradition (and there's no more tradition-laden time of year than Christmas) in practice when your immediate family is spread out across a half dozen states; when you live in a country whose religious, linguistic and cultural reality is more diverse than any other place on the planet. Layer over that the tremendous number of divorced families in this country (raises hand), and I really don't see how the ******** we maintain any meaningful holiday traditions whatsoever. Yet the urge to try persists. It's pretty clear that the US's adoration of all things commercial has leeched into and rotted the very core of the holiday experience, as well. But here we have a choice: Just don't buy a lot of shit. But you can't though simply conjure up Rockwellian scenes of Christmas traditions when the country has such a profound history of developing in a manner that shreds that kind of cultural fabric. Oh, and the global warming messes it up for me, as well. This Minnesotan equates Christmas with winter, and we've pretty much lost that season.
My extended family are 1300-plus miles West, so Thanksgiving just isn't what it was when I was a kid. I wouldn't mind seeing them all again some holiday. Xmas with my parents (they generally come out East, spend the actual holiday w/my sister and her family in NJ, then come down to VA to see us) generally kind of sucks, but not much more than their other visits sorta suck. Except that with school being on break and our son taking a break from travel soccer, we have zero excuses to excuse ourselves for other activities. My parents have no concept of personal space, and it never occurs to them that either my wife or myself might want five minutes to ourselves here and there.
What brand is that? A chocolate hazelnut butter sounds good. Nutella is just frosting. I don't get the Internet's love for it.
I can't remember that specific brand ... But you can try La Nouba from Belgium. It's my girlfriend's favorite brand because it's even lower in calories than the Croatian one I like. But the best way to go is making your own at home. I get just the nut puree at the same import store. The brand is Concept Fruits from France. The nut puree itself is less than 1 calorie per gram (50 calories per 1/4 cup). Then there's plenty of recipes online that can get the calories way down.
I'm not saying there isn't Christmas music that I like and think is good, more that the ubiquitous nature of Christmas music in a shopping setting is a bit much for me. I do have fond memories of caroling as a child and such, but now I tend to associate it more with muzak at the mall which has far more negative connotations. Agreed, though I think our circumstances are a bit different. In general I'm less concerned swapping gifts, that's more of a thing for kids, and I no longer participate in any religious ceremony. The season has become about spending quality time with friends and family in my immediate vicinity. I've found that traditions have drifted slightly. In years past I might have bought bigger gifts for my parents and siblings, but now we tend to set a limit and keep it under that, and spend a bit more on the next generation. I've got very little family not within an hours drive or two, so we tend to get together here in the city, either way - the annual events on the 24th - 31st are fairly unchanged even if the people that show up varies a bit over time. If anything, I've come to appreciate this time of year more for the people and good times, and less about the gifts and shopping.
so what you're saying is that for you Christmas has become an excuse to hang around people/family rather than getting presents?? man, you must really like your family! me, I put up with the people/family part for the payoff of the presents!
Put it this way - I like my family a lot more now that I don't live with them. I'm also at the point where I can afford most of the stuff I need/want and would rather spend my time with friends and family than shopping.
I totally get you dude. I was just kidding. although I've learned over the last couple of Christmases that I can't spend more that 4-5 days straight with my folks without getting into an argument with my mom.
I was pleased to learn from the owners of the coffeeshop where I hang out most days have a policy regarding Christmas music. They let the baristas choose the music. No rap or death metal, since those genres tend to make it hard to concentrate or converse, and no more than 1 hour per day of Christmas music. Luckily, that hour is unlikely to take place in the morning, given the baristas.
I'm really lucky - I live like four subway stops from their place - so I sleep in my own bed and we rarely spend more than a day together. I'm far more likely to go stir crazy if I go up to the family cottage for a week in the summer.
yeah, me, I stay at the house - in my old room in fact. and it used to be that I would go and hike for a day with my brother or do some other things to relieve the boredom and the stress of each others' company, but this past Christmas especially I was there with my 4 year old (who does his share to raise everyone's blood pressure level), and my mom just had surgery and dad was working, so I couldn't just leave my kid with her and get out of the house. it became like an insane asylum by day 4.
I'd institute hikes with your four year old for sanity - you get out of the house - and hopefully end up with a tired kid that needs a nap when you get back. I'm actually looking forward to my out-of-town brother's family coming to visit - we usually get a pickup game of shinny going at some point - and I get drunk with both my brothers at least one night.
yeah, I'll definitely start that this year. so far, he's not much of a hiker. he's more of a climber. so if there are some rocks nearby, he's good. but if it's just a hiking path, we're lucky if we make it past the picnic tables at the trail-head.
I spent a week in a condo with my siblings and their various offspring in May and by the time it was over I thought I was going to lose it. I ended up leaving for the airport about three hours earlier than I need to. I love my family, I do. Hell, I even like most of them. But there comes a point where I can't handle the chaos any more, especially when little kids and/or dogs are around. Fortunately, they know that I do not thrive in loud social situations and don't get upset when I go off to be alone for a while.
for me it's the unduly restrictive rules about what can be done, when, and where - especially when it comes to my child. I mean hell, he's on the spectrum, so he doesn't exactly follow instructions very well, and the only way to make sure he doesn't do something he shouldn't is by keeping an eye on him ALL the time. I just am not capable of doing that. and then my mom gets on my ass because my child broke some silly rule with very insignificant consequences.
And besides, he's 4! You can't have a 4yo around and not expect some chaos and destruction. Tell your mom to lighten up. Or stay in a hotel.
yeah, it all starts out well enough, with the best of intentions. but by day 4... there's something about mom's telling their adult children how to raise their kids. grandma always knows best - apparently... it's a process - and as has been stated in this thread previously, we are muddling through it as best we can ... and it's still going to suck
seems like after every Christmas I swear that very thing to myself. then somehow when I buy the airplane tix, I seem to forget. this year though the little guy is going to be with him mom in Texas, so I'm just hanging out here in Denver for the holidays.
I met him in Palo Alto about 15 years ago for a book signing. He is the only person that I ever asked for an autograph. I thought his insight into the human condition and ability to make fun of everyone, but not be offensive to be brillant. When he retired, he mentioned that he wanted to retire before running out of ideas or being a constant re-run of ideas. Bloom County. Calvin and Hobbes. Far Side. Dam, I miss them...