A Santa Fe Christmas



Christmas in Santa Fe is magical.  As the oldest capital city in the nation, Santa Fe has many unique traditions, especially around the holidays, that stem from its diverse cultural influences.  Christmas in Santa Fe is one that enlivens all the senses: the smell of fresh pinon burning in wood stoves, the sound of carolers on Canyon road, the taste of homemade biscochitos and hot posole, the sight of farolitos lining the traditional adobe buildings, and the feel of fresh mountain air and snowflakes falling on Christmas Eve; all of these make Santa Fe a special place to celebrate Christmas.  
Christmas lights in the Plaza

Canyon Road on Christmas Eve

Farolito Walk
Jaycob and I had the opportunity to host some of our friends and family this year in our new house.  On the day before Christmas Eve we strolled through the plaza gazing up at the Christmas lights, ate dinner at one of our favorite local spots, and visited the famous Christmas Shop on Palace Avenue.  The next day we had a cozy Christmas Eve dinner at the house followed by the farolito walk along Canyon Road, where we admired the galleries and outdoor sculptures and stayed warm with mugs of hot chocolate.  We celebrated Christmas Day with a potluck with friends in Nambe.  What made the weekend even more perfect was that our visitors got the "white Christmas" they were hoping for, and the snow conditions were perfect for showshoeing and skiing.  My mom and I snowshoed at Aspen Vista and Borrego Bear Wallows, while Jaycob and our friends hit up the slopes at Ski Santa Fe.
Aspen Vista

Snow in our front yard

Borrego Bear Wallows
I look forward to many more Christmases to come in this beautiful old city!  There just isn't enough time to do everything each year, but next year I hope to catch Midnight Mass at the Cathedral Basilica of St. Francis and witness a feast day at one of the Pueblos. 

 Here are a few of my recipes from our first Christmas in our new house...

Christmas Appetizers/Dinner recipes:
Lasagna Bolognese
Pot Roast with Chipotle Fruit Sauce
Spinach Salad with Cranberries and Goat Cheese
Chili Spiced Almonds
Warm Dates with Sea Salt and Lime
Tortilla Soup

Desserts and Sweet Treats:
Ricotta Cheese Cookies
Festive Vanilla Fudge
Peanut Butter Kiss Cookies
Soft Molasses Cookies
Cinnamon Rolls
Iron Butterfly Cocktail

Laila approves of my Ricotta Cheese Cookies

Peanut Butter Kiss cookies are my dad's favorite!

Molasses cookies -- a new recipe from a friend

Festive Vanilla Fudge
The Spread

 Stay tuned later this week for an update on my 2015 Reading Challenge!  Happy Holidays!

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