Doityourowndamnselfism

I am personally starting an "ism." I don't care how much money you have - if you got the Lexus in the driveway with the freakin bow on it (hey Cindy!  Who, for the record, I do personally really like!) for Christmas or the JC's delivered your Christmas in a truck because ya'll were "down on yer luck."  This ISM is for you.  It's Do-it-your-own-damn-self-ism!  Don't wait for a hand out.  Don't wait for FEMA to show up.  Don't go to the store to get it if it's possible to make it yourself (which is - as you will soon discover is WAY better than "storebought."  and yes that is one word here.

Damn I get preachy this time of year don't I?  LOL!!!  but really for me Christmas is first about God and Family.  They are similar in that God is worshiped in a special way and family is loved in a special way in this season.  And second - it's about Tradition.  Cookie party for area kids - check.  Tree - check.  Feliz Navidad heard on the radio in a store - check. Christmas soup - check.  Whoppers wrapped and sent to Dad - check.  Stockings - check.  Buying a ton of random shit off the Internet because I was having a blast and a bit too much Merlot and figuring out who the hell to give this stuff to - check and check!

But - for me it's food too.  Not just traditional food though I almost bought a jar of olives just so I could put them on all 8 fingers and wiggle them like we did in the middle of Grandma Andersen's house (why was it never considered Grandpa's house? really he owned it - but it was HER house - lol) Table covered in a fabric my dad got a roll of from somewhere he worked that we cut for every family event that lasted until I graduated college!!!  The table  (tables actually since they were many and not all the same height.) ran the span of their house from kitchen through the living room.  That was a bizarre house and in retrospect I would never have eaten there if I knew then what I know now - but I never ever got sick from anything there and maybe that's why I have a cast iron stomach.  Who knows? 

But the table was set with the GOOD Silverware.  And it was actually.  We didn't have dick on most days but at Christmas we had nice China and nice Silverware to eat on and from.  And on that table were crystal bowls of olives (hello fingers?) and pickels.  The main course was the much maligned CHRISTMAS SOUP that as a child was BARELY food.  It was poison.  BUT it was the precursor to all of the good stuff - so it was tolerated.  AND as the oldest I had it the longest and it sunk the deepest into my soul.  It was the food version of A MIGHTY FORTRESS IS OUR GOD.  Yeah you can't shake that shit. 

Flash to today.  I'm sitting here kid less since we did the marathon halfway to home drive so Tim and his wife Sabrina (who is -  btw an amazing woman who I really really like! not that that changes the price of anything)
can have the kids for Christmas.  Mom is long dead and it's just the man and me and the dogs.  WEIRD.  We are gonna do Sherlock Holmes since we did movieco on our first "alone" Christmas and saw the first one.  A tradition if you can call it that.  I miss my kids - but I get to just be Katie and not Mommy today and actually for the next few days.  Katie likes to cook and experiment and go nuts at the stove and counter top.  I have a beef roast medley in the oven as we speak  and shrimp (hey SARRAH!) going to be an incredible melange of flavors for tonight. 

At the very and I MEAN VERY freakin least - if you do nothing on your own. . . . and I would love to school you in a myriad of doityourowndamnselfism but if you are a newbie to the world outside of big brother I'll be gentle (sort of :D) . . . . Make your own shrimp sauce.  Dear LORD Jesus if you can't make it you are a moron and wouldn't be reading this so this a mute rant.  3 ingredients.  You pick your fire level.  Personally- and there are those who can attest to this - I probably could drink lava and survive so I can't choose for you - BUT it's Ketsup.  Hunts - NO HFCS (high fructose corn syrup) 1 measure - 1/2 measure fresh horseradish.  Grind your own or at the sort of lazy but approved buy it premade but HOT version. and then my personal "yeah that's how I roll" additive - sriracha!!!  I do an equal measure of sriracha that I do ketsup.  That would hurt most mortals.  Pick your level of hot.  You get hot and sweet shrimp mixed.  If you are really nice I may tell you how I make my shrimp.  But you gotta ask nice :D  And then do it yourself.