Hi lovely FOFoodies! I’m working on a story about holiday sleep loss — I’m looking for someone who can attest to staying up really late or waking up really early to bake treats or cook holiday meals. The more extreme the story and the more details you can give me, the better. Thanks ladies.
0 Answers
RitaMimi King wrote on :
I stayed up until 2am getting my Christmas cards addressed. Then I baked like crazy within the next few days to get some dessert items done ahead so that I could freeze them. While they were cooling on the back of the stove, my large dog, reached to the back of the stove and swiped several dozen cookies off onto the floor. He consumed them all while I was out of the room. He got so ill that we had to take him the the animal ER late, late at night. Then there was the follow- up at our own vet. All that hard work on my part for nothing, then the sadness and expense of having a very sick dog to care for. That week, I had 3 luncheons to attend, one of them, I had to cook for and there were 40 people in attendance. That same week I received 3 nightime party invitations, 2 of them I declined as I was beyond exhausted. I haven’t gotten much sleep or rest and I am sure I haven’t been good company at any of the events I’ve been to. So much for trying to get ahead during the crazy holidays, I’m not even keeping up. At some point all of this stopped being fun.
DJ Rogers wrote on :
One Christmas in the 80’s, our children were young, and one was sick. I was trying to get everything done on Christmas Eve. My husband, ever the helpful sort, shoved four trays of chocolate chip cookies into the oven – burned every one. In addition to doing other elven chores, I was up late baking more cookies.
Another memorable year, I was in an automobile accident thre days before Christmas, but refused to change any holiday plans despite a broken shoulder, concussion and multiple bruises. My daughter recalls me telling her we didn’t need to buy almonds, because I had brussel sprouts – there is hidden logic there. But, I worked well into the night baking cookies, a “Bouche de Noel” and served a multiple course prime rib dinner with Yorkshire pudding and sides on Christmas Day. The day after, the adrenaline wore off. I crashed hard!
donnarp1 wrote on :
Every year I can’t remember when it started I have been baking about 10 – 12 different types of cookies for my friends and family. I have stayed up till 1 am in the morning for about a week now. The most time consuming cookies are the sugar and gingerbread ones that are decorated with the royal icing. It also takes time to package them and deliver them. I enjoy sharing my holiday joy by baking and I like trying out new recipes. It is hard when you still have to do all your household chores, cooking cleaning, laundry etc.
Ellen Falkenberry wrote on :
My former significant other was a professional chef and caterer. He was always swamped with holiday parties – it was his most lucrative time of year. He seldom slept more than a couple of hours a night during the last 2 weeks before Christmas….then, inevitably, slept all through the holidays and well into the following week!
Sara Wald wrote on :
Thanks so much. I can imagine chefs and caterers must be super busy at this time of year! Do you know any women over 50 who can share a story like this?
Ellen Falkenberry wrote on :
Unfortunately, no….but you may want to ask some female FOF caterers.