Solstice

Annual Woolverton / McNeil holiday party. We celebrate winter solstice, the shortest day of the year. It all started with a show our kids watched called Little Bear. They had a Solstice party so we adopted it as our two family's holiday gathering. 

 

I started with a chocolate pound cake, served on one of the cake stands I collected for Sophie and Paul's wedding. 

 

On a chocolate roll, I cranked out perfect Smoky Oats. 

 

Candy sent me a preview of the cast of characters for the meal that she and Mary Grace had shopped for. 

 

They became this. I had never had kohlrabi (that's the little green sprouty guy in the previous pic), it was good. 

 

Greeted by this beautiful table. Loved the red tulips and white sticks. 

 

Cute garland. Turns out it was my gift! Soup spoons that matched my flatware. 

 

My plate. All so good. Traditional winter fare. Corned beef with fresh horseradish sauce , boiled potatoes (in the beef brine!), roasted vegs, Romanian cucumber salad, red cabbage slaw. Oh my. 

Cracker time. 

 

 

Would you believe they contained musical instruments? 

 

As a whole McNeils are a bit musically challenged with a few exceptions. Each person got a little tooter that sounded a different note. Music was included to play songs. 

 

Hilarity ensued. This was Jingle Bells. 

 

Gifts were enjoyed. Chris got a giant snicker bar. I didn't get many pics, including Ryan's Darth Vader toaster that seared the Star Wars logo on the bread 🙄. 

 

Candy got a pillow to hold her iPad while watching in bed. Fun night.