Winter Solstice 2006

Celebrating Winter Solstice is fairly new for us, but we have come to love the romanticism behind this ancient ritual and have found ways to make it ours.

As with all things, it can be so much fun planning something special when you have a clear vision in your head for it. But, when you don't...

This is what I have come up with so far:

I am going to make...
Crostini with Caramelized Onions and Brie garnished with a bit of Thyme(I love making homemade baguettes!)
A simple salad... Maybe just some mixed Baby Greens with a simple Dijon Dressing and...
Beef Bourguignon
and for dessert... Balsamic Glazed Oranges

Winter Solstice is the longest night of the year, so as usual, instead of using "traditional lighting" we we light candles through our home and turn on all those twinkly Christmas lights.

I will bring in some greenery from outdoors as a reminder that the return of the sun and the longer days will bring new life to the world around us. The greenery and an assortment of candles will go on our dinner table... some holly, some ivy, some evergreen... what ever I can scavenge on a morning hike earlier that day.

Dinner will begin at sun down and we will toast the return of the sun, the longer days, and the promise of Summer... when we can once again sink our toes in the warm sand at the beach.

If we had a fire place we would burn a Yule Log, but since we are also going to be celebrating Blue's Birthday, I imagine that with all the candles lit, that his cake may actually burn brighter.

At the end of the evening we will return the "greenery" to nature (our garden) as a reminder that the Winters in life do not last forever...

I am still thinking, but this is all I have for now...