The Sweet Smell of Christmas
With yesterday’s cleaning behind us, we set out today with one goal in mind: to transform our household of tutus, My Little Ponies, tiki idol nightstands, Brandon Roy bobbleheads and bottomless Starbucks coffee mugs into a winter wonderland.
The first step in Jesus-ing out our house: a Christmas tree.
I steeped a cup of Fireside Chai in half water/half almond milk to take with me and warm me to my core.
Wasn’t that nice of Phyllis Diller to come by and hold my tea so I could take a picture? Geez, Mama needs to moisturize.
I poured my tea into my Runner Girl mug, which I proudly carried today, having effortlessly ran three miles while rocking out to my new Glee cd this morning.
Lulu wasn’t feeling my rendition of “Bust a Move” in the car though, as she was out like Lindsey Lohan on a Saturday night.
Mark my word, Lulu will never star in a Disney movie.
When we got to the Christmas tree farm, though, the girls were ready to go!
We sniffed out the nobles on the lot. We refuse to have a second rate tree named Douglas in our house.
Gigi made a wish that the Honey Bucket had no visible floaters, in case she needed to use it later.
Daddy and Lulu sized up the trees.
Gigi tried to gauge how large of a tree we needed in comparison to her own height. “Get back to back, you two.”
Finally, Gigi spotted the perfect tree!
Lulu and I agreed.
We are hoping to super impose Daddy into this picture and use it as our Christmas card. If our friend can do it with the Hoff, he can do it with Daddy.
Use your powers for GOOD, Chad.
Daddy murdered the tree and drug it’s sappy carcass to the SUV. Forgive us, Mother Earth.
Meanwhile, the girls got their first candy canes of the season.
Once we got the tree home, Daddy undid the skinny, roped-up tree like he was a groom taking the corset off his bride on their wedding night. “Wow, you really got a lot sucked in there!”
Clearly it didn’t take long for Gigi to get into her tutu upon arriving home.
As for Lulu…well, safety first.
While they got our tree corpse erected again, I set to work getting the rest of the house Christmasfied.
This was the one and only reason why I wanted an entryway staircase with an open railing.
An hour, three broken glass balls and six lost ornament hooks later…
…the tree was finished!
The kids settled in to read The Sweet Smell of Christmas, which was unfortunately ruined by the fact that Lulu had chose that moment when they were scratching and sniffing the Christmas orange to fill her pants.
In the meantime, I started dinner and was starting to smell something rank of my own. I investigated in the dishwasher and was devastated at what I found.
It is with a heavy heart that I announce the demise of Lulu’s favorite daily smoothie Lightening McQueen cup. You don’t want to be here come breakfast…it’s not going to be pretty.
Amidst the smell of toddler poop and melted plastic, I got started making a dish that I have been craving ever since we missed out on it on Thanksgiving: green bean casserole.
Strangely enough, I don’t even really like green bean casserole, but I was determined to make it for dinner.
Meaty Vegan Green Bean Casserole
- 1 lb. green beans, trimmed and cut
- 4 oz. chopped mushrooms
- 1 tofurky sausage, diced
- 1 c. vegetable broth
- 1/2 c. milk of choice (unflavored almond or soy will both work)
- 3 T. flour
- 1 t. soy sauce
- 1 t. vegan Worcestershire sauce
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 8 oz. can water chestnuts, sliced
- salt and pepper to taste
- 1 slice spouted grain bread, torn into chunks
- 1 T. Earth Balance soy margarine
- 1/2 of a 3 oz. can of French fried onions
Preheat oven to 425 degrees.
Bring a pot of water to a boil. Add green beans and a generous amount of salt. Boil for 5 minutes. Remove from heat and drain, rinsing with cold water and ice cubes (i.e. a lazy woman’s ice bath).
In the meantime, sautee mushrooms, garlic and diced tofurky sausage in a medium skillet, until gently browned.
In a small mixing bowl, combine broth, milk, soy sauce, Worcestershire sauce and flour and whisk until well combined. Add mixture to pan and heat until thickened and bubbling. Adjust seasoning to taste.
Stir in chopped water chestnuts.
Place green beans in a medium casserole dish and pour sauce over the top.
In a food processor or blender, combine bread, Earth Balance and salt and pepper.
Sprinkle bread crumbs and fried onions over top of casserole and bake for 20 minutes.
While the casserole smelled delicious, I added some steamed broccoli to the potpourri of seasonal scents in our house.
I also had some roasted Delicata squash and a side salad that I topped with some leftover cranberry sauce that I blended with a little water to make a dressing.
The green bean casserole was ridiculously good. I went back for another scoop and Daddy nearly licked his plate. I’m definitely adding this to the Christmas menu and may even beef it up with some more sausage and serve it as our main dish.
As I write this, the girls have begun dismantling the tree.
A certain “wise man” has crept behind me to mention that he’s heard that the aromatic fragrance of dirty diapers, melted plastic and steamed broccoli is an aphrodisiac from days of yore. Oh, Sweet Baby Jesus.
The casserole looks super yum! Green bean casserole is so good. Your house looks beautiful and Christmasy! Jesus would be proud.
Oh and one day I will live in a place where I can cut down my tree. Not drive to the local home depot and buy one imported from a winter wonderland. 
Hahaha what an adventure. Your posts never fail to crack me up!!
Good luck at breakfast tomorrow morning….
L.O.V.E. the family Christmas card!
Hahahaha that Lindsay Lohan pose is priceless.
Hahahahahaha you had me laughing so many times in this post! Love “Jesus-ing” the house and the tree carcas. I know I need to comment here more, but I always look forward your new posts bolded on my Google Reader more than any others – you always make me laugh and your girls are gorgeous!
Love your post, as usual. I feel the same way about the staircase railing – even better if visible from the street through the windows!! I’m a spaz, I know this
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Attention all Scrooges: Walk into Mama Pea’s house, and all of your dislike for the Holiday season will be abolished.
The Christmas card so too funny…Your house looks beautiful!
Oh this is the line of the day: While the casserole smelled delicious, I added some steamed broccoli to the potpourri of seasonal scents in our house.
LOL
The green bean casserole looks great…but I love how you said you dont even really like it. I am kinda of that mentality. But you managed to make it look splendid!
Your house looks beautiful, homey, like my childhood did. We are in a unique situation…mixed religious backgrounds AND gone for most of the month of Dec and some of Jan so what’s the point of decorating. It’s def the later (not the former) that makes me not decorate and get a tree. It looks so pretty in your house, Pea!
I HAD THAT BOOK
it would be awesome even without the bottle of wine in my tummy
OMG that pic of G-squared and the dandelion makes me feel a little ill! And floaters? I’m covering my mouth!
Christmas decorating, tutu costume changes upon arrival, suggestive husbands. Our parallel lives continue.
Hilarious! I have been reading your blog for the past few weeks and I am loving it…you never fail to make me smile. Love the “wise man” comment…too funny:)
I love the fact you get to go and actually cut down your Christmas Tree! We’re typically in our shorts and tank tops around this time of year still! We got an extra fun bonus of the weather hitting the low 70s so we were all excited to where some “warm” clothes!!
That green bean casserole DOES look tasty! I’ll have to make that one soon!
My Little Ponies!!! Used to love them
Oh goodness, Sarah, Lindsay Lohan can’t even begin to compare to Lulu! Lulu could definitely teach her a few things about life… not to mention how to look adorable instead of gross when you sleep
I think I just peed my pants I am laughing so hard. Love the superimposed Hof pic! Your home looks beautiful and your girls are adorable. Thanks for your hilarious posts.
That is the SAME reason I wanted an open entry way and staircase! My mom has always decorated hers, and this year I decorated mine, too. I love it!
I bet Christmas will be so fun this year for you with the kids. They seem to be at the age where they will be so excited!
I love that book! Not that I will ever be able to think of it the same way again after this post, but still…
Lucky you got to go to a Christmas tree farm–we had to venture into the arctic mountains to get ours. F-f-f-freezing! It si kind of a Charlie Brown tree, but that’s just fine by me. Makes me feel like I’m doing it a favor! xoxo
Wow, that casserole looks delicious considering the fact that I’m not a fan of green been casserole.
btw, you’re a fabulous mom. your kids are so blessed!
Christmas decorations and green bean casserole?! I have my finger ready to click on ‘Buy Plane Ticket’ right now.
I think I may be the only blogger who doesn’t think that broccoli smells funny. I never notice a stench when I cook it – I must be the weird one I guess!
What fun! I love choosing your own Christmas tree, and your house looks fab. We have a decked out banister too, my mom is obsessed
I like the sound of your green bean casserole. I wonder if a non-vegan version would work just as well? (regular milk, turkey sausage) Maybe I could ease my family away from Campbell’s Cream of Mushroom this year…
I love your Green Bean Casserole, looks delicious! (and happens to be my favorite part of thanksgiving!)
Sorry about Lulu’s lid
That’d bum me out as a kid.
Great looking tree!
“The first step in Jesus-ing out our house: a Christmas tree.” That just cracked my shiz up, lord I’m still laughing. Love all the decorations girl and the stairs are beautiful. And look at you rocking out the GB casserole! Awesome!
AWESOME post! You’ve got everything I need in life: Christmas galore and delicious vegan food! I am in love with all things Christmas, but you can understand that here in Saudi….well, we don’t really get to see or hear much Christmas cheer! When I move back to the states I will be going all out, you can bet on it.
I’ve had a real tree once in my life, during university in the states a few years ago, and I loved it! Can’t wait to do that again.
Thanks for another wonderful post! Merry Christmas!
That green bean casserole looks really yummy! I always end up laughing out loud when I read your posts, and this one was no exception.
Have you tried the Coconut Chai Tea? It’s the same brand and I adore it! SO delish.
I’m so jealous you went tree shopping already! All your decorations look amazing. You did such a fab job
The casserole sounds phenomenal! I’m saving this recipe for sure! My mom just made a non-vegan version and said she didn’t lie it, so maybe I can impress her with this one!
gorgeous decorations, mama pea!!!
This is going to sound lame, but if I see that you’ve put up a new post at night I wait until the next morning to read it. I kid you not, waking up, having tea and reading your blog is one of, if not THE, best parts of my morning. I was grinning like a village idiot from ear to ear over this post.
I so wish we could’ve had your green bean casserole recipe for T-day this year. My MIL made Emeril’s recipe and it was like rinsing my mouth out with salt (no offense to the E-man). I am going to save this recipe and maybe make it for Christmas. Since my parents are British we aren’t big green-bean-casserole eaters but I think this would go over well!
I noticed Gigi had put her tutu back on in that picture before you even mentioned it – then when you wrote about it I started cracking up. Well, I was laughing over that and comparing the un-roping of the Christmas tree to a bride’s corset.
I’m not sure which smells worse – melted plastic or poopy diapers…it might be a toss-up!
Your house looks beautiful!! We’ve just cleaned ours up after sending the relatives on their way and now I’m ready to pull out the Christmas decorations. You’ve put me in a holiday mood!
Have a great Sunday!
Wow, this casserole looks like something my husband will eat! I think you left the water chestnuts off of your recipe (just in case you wanted to know : )
Thanks for another great post! First thing I read in the morning before my daughter wakes up.
hhaha i love it. That pic of lindsay lohan is awesome, lol. Good luck at breakfast!
Your house looks so great! Love the xmas decorations
Your day made me tired just reading about it. lol.
What a fun day! That picture of you and the girls is adorable. Your family is SO cute!
Love the decorations. Great job, mama pea!!
Your house is gorgeous! Your posts make me cant wait to start a family! of course i have to find the man first but thats besides the point
Oh Phyllis – you are killing me!
If we could figure out how to get into the DisneyStore site with our employee discount we’d get Lulu a new cup, but Chris doesn’t work on that part so, naturally, it doesn’t work.
I’ll have to go back and reread your GB casserole recipe when I’m not slightly gagging from the notion of kid poop and burning plastic.
I think you should use the Hoff pic of Pea Daddy for the Christmas card! Would anyone question why he was wet and shirtless at the tree farm?
That casserole recipe looks great. I have been wanting to find a good veganized recipe, thanks!
Your house looks gorgeous! We also just got our tree but ours came from Home Depot
I love your Christmas decorations – so pretty!
And your girls are just the cutest
I love green bean casserole and that sounds like a nice healthy version.
ANd your poor murdered tree looks great. I can’t wait to start that tradition with my family. Right now we just use the tree in our church since its just Hunni and me
awesome looking tree!
and my brothers just had that same mishap in their dishwasher. except it wasn’t a sippy cup top, but really, with those boys and their 4 roommates, i wouldn’t be surprised.
that green bean casserole looks to die for. i want to plant my face in it.
We bought our tree today, but I still need to clean the house before decorating. Already smells like Christmas though. LOVE the smell of pine.
Your tree looks perfect, as does that green bean casserole. I would love your entire dinner…as always.
OMG hahahahhahahah Can’t stop laughing at that HOFF pic! It does look real! Poor Gigi!
the pic with the hoff made me die. hilarious
your tree is beautiful!!!
i made a vegetarian green bean casserole for thanksgiving, but i love the looks of yours- such a great idea to add water chestnuts
have a great night <3
Look at you and your bad-casserole-makin’ self! Nothing says family dinner like a good old-fashion casserole!
My mom and I were discussing today how many of our favorite foods, while they taste delicious, smell absolutely RANK when being cooked. (ie- steamed broccoli and brussels sprouts, mashed rutabagas,… you know what I’m talking about.)
Love the Christmas cheer!
Gorgeous tree! And I love the decorations too. Christmas has arrived!!!!!!!
Poor Lulu’s cup, I hope she takes it well!
That green bean casserole looks delicious, I am definitely going to make it sometime this Christmas season. Thanks
I love your decorations! So pretty, I need to be getting in the decorating spirit now that Thanksgiving is past. Never fear, my work radio is tuned to ‘Constant Christmas’.
aw, what a fun family day! I always loved picking out our tree + decorating
Your home looks wonderful! Totally festive. So festive, it’s making me want to buy my tree early.
And great casserole! Do you own any of Nava Atlas’s books? I think you’d love VEGAN EXPRESS.
I almost fell off my chair when I read “sweet baby Jesus.” LOL!!! I love Ricky Bobby
Your home looks so beautiful and Christmasy. (Yeah, I know that’s not a word.) Love it! And that green bean casserole–yum!
LMAO over the picture of the Hoff. Hilarious!
Meaty vegan? Haha, isn’t that an oxymoron. But it sure looks fabulous!
OH NO!!! LULU does NOT look at all like Lindsay Lohan…Lulu is way to pretty and cute!
Love your home decorations…they’re beautiful…and I can’t wait for Christmas to come!
I read all the time but don’t comment as often as I should… You are freaking hilarious and the only blogger whose posts have actually made me laugh. out loud. Also, you’re pretty much the greatest mom ever for comparing her sleeping daughter to a passed out Lindsay Lohan
THANK YOUU for starting my day on such a good note. I literally LOL’ed through this whole post! Gotta love that.
“Mark my word, Lulu will never star in a Disney movie.”…and the HOFF pic (did you know that the daughter who filmed that drunken video of him goes to my school?! hahah) and the dry hands comment-feel ya there, were my fave! Whenever I take hand pictures they never make it on to the blog since I just look sooooo wrinkling and cracky! SO CUTE.
Have a great day mama pea!!!! And the casserole looks sooooooo GOOD.
Good gravy, this casserole is delicious! Yes, I made it in April. And, guess what? It’s so yummy, we would be happy eating it every month of the year.
I’m linking to this recipe from my blog to spread the word!