Tuesday 27 December 2016

Post-Christmas

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And so this is Christmas, and what have you done? Another year older, and a new one just begun. (Thanks, John Lennon)

I wouldn't mind joining Santa on a beach right now. But I'll need to stop eating chocolate.

We had two Christmases (spelling??) this year. On actual Christmas day, it was the four of us and my MIL who is residing at a senior's home in our area. It was a quiet day, but nice. I made a big spiral cut ham that I'd purchased on sale a while ago and had frozen. I also made potatoes Grand Mere (sounds impressive, but I found it on Pinterest), carrots, peas, and rolls. For dessert was pumpkin pie and for just husband and his mother (who has been known to say about desserts, "you wouldn't want it too sweet") a Christmas pudding with sauce. Personally, I have no issues with something being "too sweet" and I find (sorry to those of you who read this and have a different taste) Christmas pudding to be vile. The same goes for fruit cake. It's like someone said, "Hmmm, what is the worst part of a citrus fruit? Yes, the peel. So we shall honour it and put it into a cake. And not make it too sweet." My daughter and I agree that the only good thing about fruit cake is the marzipan icing.

I degress. Then on Boxing Day, I had my side of the family. We totalled sixteen people. We were neither small nor quiet. There was so much food just for appetizers that I fear maybe we didn't save enough room for the actual dinner. However, that did not stop us. The meal consisted of the turkey (thank you to my brother for carving it -  a job that I don't enjoy), stuffing, mashed potatoes (which sat quietly in their pot on the stove until my other brother said, "Where are the mashed potatoes?" and I answered with "sh!t" and let people know there was a whole pot of them and they should go back and get some), gravy (thank you to my sister for making that while everything else was being drained and put in serving dishes), carrots, Brussel sprouts, green bean casserole, turnip casserole (thank you to SIL for bringing that), rolls, and cranberry sauce. Three types of pie were brought by my SIL for dessert. There was plenty of wine and beer for those who wished it, as well as there being a real run on the Soda stream machine for carbonated water. (Blehhh!! - not a fan).

We've stopped exchanging gifts for a few years now and I enjoy not having to run around and try to buy for the extended family and usually failing miserably in my gift choices. It was a boisterous, enjoyable time yesterday. My sister and SIL stepped right in to help out and both wanted to stay and wash up pots and platters for me, but I honestly don't mind the clean up afterwards. It puts a nice finish to the chaos. I put through three loads of dishes in the dishwasher and did some hand washing and wiped my counters. It feels wonderful to be done.

I have had a glorious day of sleeping in a bit, finishing a couple more kitchen clean up jobs, staying in my pajamas far too long, and sitting by the tree. My husband made me breakfast and I luxuriated with Netflix and watched another episode of Midsomer Murders (I'm a bit obsessed at the moment).

We have more leftovers in the house than necessary but we all love a reheated turkey dinner after the turkey dinner. My son was so very happy to see that there were still home made cookies left over and assembled himself a plate before getting ready to go work a shift at his part time job.

I shall leave you with this image. In his stocking, son received a small green zombie, which when put in water and left for several days, is said to increase in size 600 times. It was originally about 2 or 3 cm in length. It floated about in a small mixing bowl on the kitchen counter while the flurry of activity was going on and I think it was my sister who said, "I have to ask...what the hell is that thing?"


19 comments:

  1. Whatever we celebrate:
    a warm house away from winter cold; the enjoyment of special meals; the pleasure of sharing with people we love; make this a special time of year.
    the Ol'Buzzard

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  2. Love the Zombie! Sounds like you had wonderful holidays all the way around -- good family, minimum of stress and delicious food! And really, isn't that what you should have? Sounds pretty good to me. I must say, that beach looks pretty n ice, though! Santa has the right idea.

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  3. Loving the zombie! I had a big pot full of very dirty fleece on my counter, Haha. Enjoyed a second run at all the traditional Christmas food for an early dinner today. I think I'm finished with turkey for a bit.
    Happy New Year!

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    1. Can't say I've ever had a bag of dirty fleece. We had our second run at the turkey dinner today. It was even better because I could sit and relax.

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  4. Not with you on plum pudding! We all love it with lots of custard. Son took a big slice to fry with his breakfast on Boxing Day. I have a wonderful son-in-law who, every year, stacks the dishwasher with supreme efficiency, much better than I can do. Also make Christmas cake which I give as a going-away gift. Not sure if it gets eaten or fed to the dogs!

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  5. I just had my sweet tooth re-cemented today. I'll have to do a detox or something because sugar is like crack to my brain. Your Christmas did sound like a good one.

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  6. HAHA! I had a laugh with the zombie. I may have asked it that same way "...what the hell is that thing?" :)

    Sounds like a lovely Christmas! Lots of good food and good company. And I wouldn't mind beach vacation right after the new year. For the entire months of January and February!

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  7. Not a Zombie fan! Your Christmas sounds perfect.

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  8. Love your post. You're human!! Wish we could stop buying presents. My choices are always crap. It's not a greek thing. I started it for the kids years ago and now it's come back to bite my bottom. I'd prefer to use all that money to get a maid on Xmas day!! Dishes are the least of the clean up.....I have to start cleaning floors today...one ton of crumbs under the table.

    Thanks for your version!!!! And happy new year

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  9. That zombie made me laugh. I love fruit cake with a piece of cheese, the cheese offsets the richness of the cake. Sounds like you had a lovely (and busy) Christmas.

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  10. Just as Christmas should be including vile pudding. We want to see the zombie when it's grown up, please.

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  11. Sounds & looks like you had a wonderful Christmas. I am very envious of those with family close enough (not just in travel) to celebrate together. Like many Christmas food treats detox starts this week - I'll say no more about that for now :)

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  12. I want to see the zombie 600 times larger :-). Such a fine Christmas.

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  13. What a wonderful Christmas! The zombie makes me laugh, your SIL was maybe afraid it was on the menu!? I too, need to stop with the chocolate before a trip to the tropics, ugh!

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  14. I don't like sugary thing either. I went on a sugar detox 4 months ago and now everything tastes too sweet. Yesterday I made cranberry and apple chutney and used less than 1/4 of the sugar called for and it's still too sweet.

    We always forget at least one dish during the holidays. Usually it's still in the microwave.

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  15. zombies are popular these days

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  16. hi; new to your blog! I like a woman who throws a well placed 'shit!' in the conversation. LOL Happy new year!

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