I Just Come Here for the Bacon

The shopping days before Christmas and the customary Big Box Home Improvement Store trip.

No, the naked inflatable Santa in the tub is just WRONG. Blitzen is probably thinking of tweeting #Me Too as we speak.

Sorry, Sunny, you drive us nuts with just one puppy-size rawhide treat, but you'll get some nice homemade peanut butter biscuits under the tree.

Then there are the usual traditions - Santa at the PUB? I don't drink, but this place has the best beer-battered fish and chips in the county, and it's within walking distance of the Range, so.. 

But still.  Santa at the PUB?

Santa and the Mrs. are in one room with numerous kiddies, moms, and prams, and the other room is literally wall to wall, standing room only, with drunken football fans or revelers of some sort who apparently came in on the train.  With shouts of "shots and beers," the place was so crowded that the skinny blond "elf" couldn't even make her way through with food orders. Some of the Moms fueled up with Trader Joe's wine before arriving and got into shouting matches with the sports fans, dropping the most F-bombs in front of Junior, who just wanted to ask Santa for an electronic device that costs more than our parents paid for our entire Christmas.

It just shouted out, "Fire code violation," and we left before ordering our lunch and walked back home.

But lunch at home can be as good as lunch in any pub.  A sandwich that anyone would approve of. (serves two)

Chicken Salad with Smoked Bacon and Dates

• 1 cup chicken (cooked *cooled and diced)
• 4 large packaged dates finely chopped (found in the raisin section of the store)
• six - seven  pieces of smoked bacon cooked and roughly chopped
• 1/2 cup mayonnaise
• 1/4 cups pecans 
• a pinch of Chinese Five Spice Powder (a mix of China cassia cinnamon, star anise, anise seed, ginger, and cloves).

*to cook 3-4 chicken breasts for salad or sandwiches that don't dry out - cook whole breasts in an oven casserole dish in about 1/4 cup of water seasoned with a couple pinches of dried vegetable stock seasoning. Cover tightly with foil and cook at 350 degrees F.  for 35-40 minutes until the internal temperature is 165 F. (a food thermometer is always the way to go). Remove breasts from pan and allow to cool on a plate.