That's the smell of fried food in your clothes

Tonight is the second night of Hanukkah -

And here's some more Hanukkah songs for you -

The Chanukah Song Part 2 Adam Sandler -




8 Nights of Hanukkah




Applesauce vs. Sour Cream Lee Vees -




I wonder if Lipitor is a sponsor of Hanukkah?


Today’s Christmas video countdown – Random Yuletime

White Christmas Johnny Mathis -




Happy Holidays Bing Crosby -




Christmas Island The Andrew Sisters -




This Time of Year Brook Benton -




6 more days of Hanukkah, 4 more shopping days until Christmas. (1 more shopping days until Festivus. Get your list of family grievences together.)

Hanukkah means "dedication"

Hanukkah starts tonight,



get the loose pants out.


Original Hanukkah Song Adam Sandler -




Hanukkah Harry -




Dreidel Erran Baron Cohen -



And kids, know when a simple game becomes an addiction - please no actual gambling while playing with your dreidels. Gamblers Anonymous (718) 352-1671

Remember, pace yourself - 8 days is a long time


December 20, 1946 -
The Frank Capra film It's A Wonderful Life had a preview showing for charity at New York City's Globe Theatre, a day before its official premiere on this date.



The film is regarded as a classic and is a staple of Christmas television around the world, although, due to its high production costs and stiff competition at the box office, financially, it was considered a flop.



Next time you get a chance to watch the film, notice what a truly strange little film it really is.


Today’s Christmas video countdown – A Hip Hop Christmas (Old School)
Christmas Rappin Kurtis Blow -




Millie Pulled A Pistol On Santa De La Soul -




Christmas In Hollis Run DMC -




Santa Claus Goes Straight To The Ghetto Nate Dogg and Snoop Dogg -





7 more days of Hanukkah, 5 more shopping days until Christmas. (2 more shopping days until Festivus. Remember to get your Festivus pole before they run out of them down at Home Depot.)


And so it goes

Another Holiday Special

... I'm going to have to call you back, I got Dinah Shore on the other line.



While you're getting ready for Hanukkah tomorrow, check out this Holiday Special (before it's pulled off of You Tube.)


Today’s Christmas video countdown – U900 Christmas Songs


Jingle Bells




Happy Xmas (War Is Over)




Sleigh Ride




Silent Night




Ginger and Bread





1 more shopping days until Hanukkah (get your potato graters ready,) 6 more shopping days until Christmas. (3 more shopping days until Festivus). Remember, stores will be packed with late Festivus shoppers.

And so it goes

Once it was lost,

But now it's been found!

December 18, 1989 -
An I Love Lucy Christmas episode, nicknamed "The Lost Episode" because it was not included in the syndication package, was shown for first time in over 30 years on this date.



It was not included in the usual syndication package because of its Christmas theme and because it mostly consists of flashbacks to previous episodes. CBS aired a colorized version (as you may know, I'm not a fan of colorized versions.)


Hey, here's another happy little Hans Christian Anderson fairy tale - The Brave Little Soldier -



How would this have turned out if Han had been on Zoloft?



Today's Christmas countdown - Holiday Cartoons


Toy Tinkers -




The Night Before Christmas -




Gift Wrapped -




Bedtime For Sniffles -




Alias St. Nick -





2 more shopping days until Hanukkah (get to the supermarket before they run out of potatoes,) 7 more shopping days until Christmas. (4 more shopping days until Festivus). If you haven't started shopping yet - think cash (the gift that shows you care.)

Darkness is cheap, and Scrooge liked it.

December 17, 1843 (there is some controversy concerning this actual date) -

Charles Dickens published A Christmas Carol, on this date. Dickens wrote the novel after his first commercial failure. His previous novel, Martin Chuzzlewit had flopped, and he was suddenly strapped for cash. Martin Chuzzlewit had been satirical and pessimistic, and Dickens thought he might be more successful if he wrote a heartwarming tale with a holiday theme.



He got the idea for the book in late October of 1843, the story of the heartless Ebenezer Scrooge, who has so little Christmas spirit that he wants his assistant Bob Cratchit to work on Christmas Day.



Dickens struggled to finish the book in time for Christmas. He no longer had a publisher so he published the book himself, ordering illustrations, gilt-edged pages and a lavish red bound cover. He priced the book at a mere 5 shillings, in hopes of making it affordable to everyone. It was released within a week of Christmas and was a huge success, selling six thousand copies the first few days, and the demand was so great that it quickly went to second and third editions.



God bless us, everyone!!!


Today’s Christmas video countdown – A Christmas Carol

Mr Magoo's Christmas Carol




Muppets Christmas Carol -




A Christmas Carol Tom Lehrer-




The Night Santa Went Crazy "Weird Al" Yankovic -




And there is no better way to get into the holiday spirit than drinking spirits -

Coquito

Eggnog is usually thought of as a Christmas beverage and to tell the truth I am not a huge fan of Eggnog. So I find it amusing that the recipe that I'm posting is for Eggnog.

Coquito, a Puerto Rican twist on the classic, is a family favorite and my sister asked me for our family recipe – I have become the repository for family recipes. I thought I’d share it with you and perhaps you can try it out on your family.

Please note: these drinks go down quite smoothly and are very potent – they could be administered as a calmative to frayed nerves during the holiday season.

Ingredients:

* 4 large egg yolks
* 1/4 cup of sugar
* 1/2 can of (14-ounces) condensed milk
* 1 14-ounce cans evaporated milk
* 1 1/2 cans of 15-ounce cans cream of coconut
* 1/2 of a Fifth of white rum (or more)
* 1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
* 1/8 teaspoon ground nutmeg
* 1 teaspoon coconut (or vanilla) extract


Tools:

* Drink Blender
* Can opener
* Glass


Directions:
Add the egg yolks, sugar, spices and vanilla into the blender. Mix until well blended.

Add the evaporated & condensed milk to the blender and briefly mix. (Condensed milk is very thick - you may want to open the can up all the way and scrap out all of the milk with a spatula.)

Vigorously shack the can of cream of coconut (it tends to separate.) Pour the cream of coconut into the blender and mix well. Scrap out any remaining coconut stuff from the can.

Add the rum and mix. Taste. If you think you need more rum, add it.

Refrigerate for at least an hour before serving. Serve cold.



3 more shopping days until Hanukkah, 8 more shopping days until Christmas.

The things a girl will do for a mink coat.

This wonderful holiday film, Christmas in Connecticut premiered on August 15, 1945



The character of Elizabeth Lane was loosely based on the then popular Family Circle Magazine columnist Gladys Taber, who lived on Stillmeadow Farm in Connecticut.


Christmas video countdown - Male Rockers


Santa Claus is Coming to Town Bruce Springsteen -




Run Rudolph Run Chuck Berry -




Jingle Bell Rock Hall and Oates -




Please Come Home For Christmas Death Cab for Cutie -




Pretty Paper Roy Orbison -




Little Drummer Boy The Dandy Warhols -




I Won't Be Home for Christmas Blink 182 -




Get Behind Me Santa Sufjan Stevens -




Winter Song Elvis Costello -





4 more shopping days until Hanukkah, 9 more shopping days until Christmas.

Here's a happy little tale

from that cheerful storyteller, Hans Christian Andersen - The Little Match Girl



Happy Holidays!


Christmas video countdown - Female Performers:


Silent night Sinead O'Connor -




Have Yourself A Merry Little Christmas Bette Midler -




Merry Christmas Baby Sheryl Crow -




Peace Norah Jones -




Christmas Wrapping The Waitresses -




Hark the herald angels sing Jewel -




La Marimorena Natalie Merchant -




I Saw Mummy Kissing Santa Claus Amy Winehouse -




5 more shopping days until Hanukkah, 10 more shopping days until Christmas.



And so it goes.