Happy Solstice! Today is the shortest day and the longest night of the year in the Northern Hemisphere. After today, it starts inching its way brighter. I’m hoping in more ways than one. (Marg and others below the equator, I hope you have a lovely sunny day for your longest day of the year.)

If Rudi and I did not get quite as much accomplished this weekend as I’d hoped we would, the fault lies entirely with me. I’ve just been so tired this fall, and naps have become part of my way of coping. Our tree is trimmed now, though, and Rudi has mostly unpacked. Some of the cards we’ve received are up, and we got to watch the second episode of Dash & Lily on Netflix and The Sound of Music on tv.

I finalized my Christmas mix tracks today (Haim’s take below on The Waitresses’ Christmas Wrapping didn’t make the playlist) and now just need to figure out a title and a cover. I’ll listen to it all the way through one more time today and hope that inspiration strikes.

Also on this week’s to do list are Christmas cards, which I really expected to cross off this weekend, and a lot of baking. I keep putting the butter on the counter in the morning and then putting it back in the fridge unused at night. Sooner or later I’ll interrupt that pattern.

We’re down to our last handful of posts for this year’s Virtual Advent Tour. Behind today’s door, Rudi of Random Duck shares the decorated Christmas windows of ZCMI department store in downtown Salt Lake City, where he grew up.

See you back here tomorrow!

It was so nice just to look across at the chair and see Rudi sitting in it today. And to have dishes to wash that I didn’t dirty. And to smell coffee brewing.

Day 20 of the Virtual Advent Tour and the final Sunday of Advent sees us return to Jo Kay at Beyond Strange New Words, where she shares with us Christmas songs in her native Slovenian.

Welcome to today’s slightly tardy Virtual Advent Tour. But I have a good reason!

Rudi is home! After ten long weeks apart, he has returned from caring for his mom in Salt Lake City. Her situation has improved a lot, and we are confident that after all the work he did out there, the home health care aides will be able to help her stay in her own home for a while longer. And one of those aides is going to work with her to help her learn her iPhone, so maybe she’ll be able to at least answer Facetime calls, if not make them herself.

So now, Christmas can begin in earnest in the Burrow! We have some tidying to do around the apartment, a tree to put ornaments on, and cards to write this weekend. And I feel confident that Rudi won’t object if I want to bake some cookies.

Our host for today is chick from Blue-Footed Musings, who has a post about the new tradition she introduced when her children were small.

Have a great and productive final weekend before Christmas, everyone! See you back here tomorrow!

It’s the last week before Christmas, so I’ll try to give you a song every day to celebrate. I make no promises as to their quality, but I will say I’ve saved the novelty song for another day. Instead, here’s Queen, with “Thank God It’s Christmas”:

I was surprised to discover that over the years I’ve never shared my family’s Holiday Brie en Croute recipe with you. But how nice that I can do it now, right?

This is a standard dish on our Christmas Eve buffet.

Holiday Brie en Croute

1 sheet of puff pastry, thawed
1 egg
1 Tbsp water
1/2 c apricot preserves
1/3 c cranberries
1/4 c toasted sliced almonds (optional — Mum’s allergic, so we always leave them out)
1 1-lb round of brie

Preheat oven to 400°F

Roll thawed pastry sheet into 14″ square. Cut off corners to make a circle.

Spread preserves to within 1″ of the edge

Sprinkle cranberries (and almonds) over preserves.

Top with cheese.

Beat egg and water together. Brush 1/2 of mixture over edges of circle.

Fold two opposite sides over cheese. Then fold the other sides. Trim away excess dough. Press to seal.

Place seam side down on cookie sheet.

Brush with remaining egg mixture.

Bake 20 minutes at 400°F.

Let stand 1 hour.

Serve with crackers or bread.

Thanks for stopping by. See you here tomorrow.

Welcome back to the Virtual Advent Tour! Christmas Eve is a week away, so I hope you’re starting to think about the ways you’re going to make the big days special. I admit that while Rudi and I have talked about preparations for Christmas itself, I haven’t really thought about Christmas Eve, which my family usually spends munching on a buffet of treats while watching Christmas movies. I can definitely do the latter without planning (having watched only a handful so far), but should probably devote some brain power to food today. Maybe my friend Sam will share his family kugel recipe, since my Christmas Eves at his grandparents’ were some of my favorites.

Behind today’s door we’re featuring the return of one of the Virtual Advent Tour’s founders and original hosts, Marg of The Intrepid Reader and Baker! Should you not be familiar with Marg, she hails from Australia, so also has the honor of being our only Southern Hemisphere blogger this year. Welcome back, Marg!

See you all back here tomorrow for the start of our final week of the tour!

The days left until Christmas now number in the single digits. I have today off from work and am planning on running a few errands, doing some baking (I must remember to take the butter out of the fridge when I get up), and wrapping presents so I can get packages heading to their destinations without further delay. I may even hang the ornaments on the tree. There will certainly be some Christmas music playing for part of the day, and there is every likelihood that I’ll put on a Christmas movie or two, particularly since the weather is likely to be dreary. I will absolutely drink hot chocolate (particularly since I kicked the egg nog while finishing my work year-end review last night) with piles of marshmallows, whipped cream, and sprinkles.

Our host for today’s Virtual Advent Tour stop is once again Deb Nance at Readerbuzz. She has a remarkably sweet post for you today.

See you back here tomorrow!