Just being silly; we have nothing against Christmas; we just don't make
a big deal of holidays around here, never really have. But the turkeys
were 99 cents a pound when I went shopping the other day, and I found a
twelve-pounder. Since James likes turkey, I figured we'd just roast it
up and have it for dinner one night and sandwiches for another few days
or something. Stuck it in to thaw, and as it happened, it was thawed
enough to cook on Christmas morning.

While it was cooking, I was making giblet stock. Then what the heck,
might as well make bread dressing out of this almost-stale bread, since
I just baked a fresh loaf for the Gigantic Munchkin....

We ended up having:

Roast turkey
Dressing
Giblet gravy
Roasted carrots
Magic. Surprise. Punkin. Pie! (I didn't realize it earlier, but I just
happened to have the ingredients for a pumpkin pie, minus the ground
cloves, so I went with it.)

It was like Christmas dinner without the Christmas. It was yummy.

Today, I'm making my traditional Boxing Day breakfast: turkey hash (fry
onions and potatoes until they're a bit softened. Add turkey and a
little gravy. Fry until nice and crisp. Serve to people who couldn't
care less, and would be fine eating eggs and toast.

Serene
--
http://www.momfoodproject.com

On Sun, 26 Dec 2010 10:43:59 -0800, Serene Vannoy
wrote:

Just being silly; we have nothing against Christmas; we just don't make
a big deal of holidays around here, never really have. But the turkeys
were 99 cents a pound when I went shopping the other day, and I found a
twelve-pounder. Since James likes turkey, I figured we'd just roast it
up and have it for dinner one night and sandwiches for another few days
or something. Stuck it in to thaw, and as it happened, it was thawed
enough to cook on Christmas morning.

While it was cooking, I was making giblet stock. Then what the heck,
might as well make bread dressing out of this almost-stale bread, since
I just baked a fresh loaf for the Gigantic Munchkin....

We ended up having:

Roast turkey
Dressing
Giblet gravy
Roasted carrots
Magic. Surprise. Punkin. Pie! (I didn't realize it earlier, but I just
happened to have the ingredients for a pumpkin pie, minus the ground
cloves, so I went with it.)

It was like Christmas dinner without the Christmas. It was yummy.

Today, I'm making my traditional Boxing Day breakfast: turkey hash (fry
onions and potatoes until they're a bit softened. Add turkey and a
little gravy. Fry until nice and crisp. Serve to people who couldn't
care less, and would be fine eating eggs and toast.

Serene

Mmmm sounds like you had a wonderful non-Christmas meal. Dang, what a
great deal on the turkey.

koko
--
Food is our common ground, a universal experience
James Beard

www.kokoscornerblog.com
Updated 12/24/10

Natural Watkins Spices
www.apinchofspices.com

On Sun, 26 Dec 2010 10:43:59 -0800, Serene Vannoy
wrote:

Just being silly; we have nothing against Christmas; we just don't make
a big deal of holidays around here, never really have. But the turkeys
were 99 cents a pound when I went shopping the other day, and I found a
twelve-pounder. Since James likes turkey, I figured we'd just roast it
up and have it for dinner one night and sandwiches for another few days
or something. Stuck it in to thaw, and as it happened, it was thawed
enough to cook on Christmas morning.

While it was cooking, I was making giblet stock. Then what the heck,
might as well make bread dressing out of this almost-stale bread, since
I just baked a fresh loaf for the Gigantic Munchkin....

We ended up having:

Roast turkey
Dressing
Giblet gravy
Roasted carrots
Magic. Surprise. Punkin. Pie! (I didn't realize it earlier, but I just
happened to have the ingredients for a pumpkin pie, minus the ground
cloves, so I went with it.)

It was like Christmas dinner without the Christmas. It was yummy.

Today, I'm making my traditional Boxing Day breakfast: turkey hash (fry
onions and potatoes until they're a bit softened. Add turkey and a
little gravy. Fry until nice and crisp. Serve to people who couldn't
care less, and would be fine eating eggs and toast.

Serene

You may not celebrate Christmas, and without guilt. Fine. Yet you, as
we do, have the opportunity to celebrate *something*, that perhaps
goes beyond explanation. Maybe there is some innate need to celebrate
something at this time of year, and season. This may be true for all
of us.

When it's cold, it's nice to give the fig to nature and enjoy roasted
meat. When the cold promises that some will not live to see spring,
maybe its a time to enjoy family. Is this not fundamental? remember,
we *say* we love the snow, but the truth is that we love being safe
from it.

Blessings on you and your house.

Alex

On Dec 26, 10:43*am, Serene Vannoy wrote:


I don't "keep Christmas" in the traditional sense, either. But I love
the foods of the Winter's Season.
So I did a rib roast dinner and had friends in and we enjoyed the
food, the wine, and each other.

I think I keep the Winter's Solstice more like the Pagans of
old !! ;-)

On 12/26/2010 8:43 AM, Serene Vannoy wrote:
Just being silly; we have nothing against Christmas; we just don't make
a big deal of holidays around here, never really have. But the turkeys
were 99 cents a pound when I went shopping the other day, and I found a
twelve-pounder. Since James likes turkey, I figured we'd just roast it
up and have it for dinner one night and sandwiches for another few days
or something. Stuck it in to thaw, and as it happened, it was thawed
enough to cook on Christmas morning.

Oddly enough, I can get a 20 lb turkey for less than $8 at the Safeway.
OTOH, a rib roast will be $7/lb. That's the breaks I guess.


While it was cooking, I was making giblet stock. Then what the heck,
might as well make bread dressing out of this almost-stale bread, since
I just baked a fresh loaf for the Gigantic Munchkin....


I wanted to celebrate Christmas like they do in Japan - too bad the
Kentucky Fried Chicken was closed for the holiday. That was a bummer. :-)

We ended up having:

Roast turkey
Dressing
Giblet gravy
Roasted carrots
Magic. Surprise. Punkin. Pie! (I didn't realize it earlier, but I just
happened to have the ingredients for a pumpkin pie, minus the ground
cloves, so I went with it.)

It was like Christmas dinner without the Christmas. It was yummy.

Today, I'm making my traditional Boxing Day breakfast: turkey hash (fry
onions and potatoes until they're a bit softened. Add turkey and a
little gravy. Fry until nice and crisp. Serve to people who couldn't
care less, and would be fine eating eggs and toast.

Serene

On Sun, 26 Dec 2010 10:43:59 -0800, Serene Vannoy
wrote:

Serve to people who couldn't
care less, and would be fine eating eggs and toast.

Sometimes ya gotta do what ya gotta do and please yourself. Glad you
scratched an itch that only you could reach!

--

Never trust a dog to watch your food.

On 12/26/2010 3:49 PM, ImStillMags wrote:
On Dec 26, 10:43 am, Serene wrote:


I don't "keep Christmas" in the traditional sense, either. But I love
the foods of the Winter's Season.
So I did a rib roast dinner and had friends in and we enjoyed the
food, the wine, and each other.

I think I keep the Winter's Solstice more like the Pagans of
old !! ;-)


We do both :-) We're a "mixed marriage" hehe...he methodist and I pagan.

--
Happy Holidays!!!

On 12/26/2010 12:18 PM, wrote:


Mmmm sounds like you had a wonderful non-Christmas meal. Dang, what a
great deal on the turkey.

My thanksgiving one was the real deal: $10 for a 23-pounder. What's
that? (*calculates*) 43 cents a pound! But this time, I wasn't going to
that store, and the one I was in had a 12-pounder for 11 bucks and
change, so I went for it. It was good.

Today's lunch: James's turkey salad, which is always wonderful.

Today's dinner: turkey pot pie with store-bought crusts. We're taking
it easy.

Serene
--
http://www.momfoodproject.com

On 12/26/2010 12:29 PM, Chemiker wrote:

You may not celebrate Christmas, and without guilt. Fine.

Why would anyone feel guilty for not celebrating Christmas?

Yet you, as
we do, have the opportunity to celebrate *something*, that perhaps
goes beyond explanation. Maybe there is some innate need to celebrate
something at this time of year, and season. This may be true for all
of us.

Maybe, but I doubt it. No matter, though. We're happy to take any excuse
for a day of feasting and gratitude.


When it's cold, it's nice to give the fig to nature and enjoy roasted
meat. When the cold promises that some will not live to see spring,
maybe its a time to enjoy family. Is this not fundamental? remember,
we *say* we love the snow, but the truth is that we love being safe
from it.

Blessings on you and your house.

Backatcha. Thanks.

Serene

--
http://www.momfoodproject.com

On 12/26/2010 12:49 PM, ImStillMags wrote:
On Dec 26, 10:43 am, Serene wrote:


I don't "keep Christmas" in the traditional sense, either. But I love
the foods of the Winter's Season.
So I did a rib roast dinner and had friends in and we enjoyed the
food, the wine, and each other.

I think I keep the Winter's Solstice more like the Pagans of
old !! ;-)


:-) We care more about natural "holidays" like solstice than about the
ones we grew up with, but even those, we don't really pay much attention
to. Not that we have anything against them; it's just not something we
happen to care about. Besides, one of our family members does this every
year, so that keeps us stocked up on Christmas Cheer:

http://www.flickr.com/photos/[email protected]/sets/1710724/

ObFood: I've received a giant load of Super Sekrit ingredient from a
major food producer, along with an invitation to join a cooking-video
contest they're running. I don't want to say what it is unless we end
up liking it, but the first recipe I'm going to make with it is gonna be
a lot of fun. More when I've done the thing.

Serene

--
http://www.momfoodproject.com

Serene Vannoy wrote in news:8npgn6Fo8cU3
@mid.individual.net:

It was like Christmas dinner without the Christmas.

I do a cold lunch on Christmas Day. We are definitely not religious, so no
mumbo jumbo or "grace" or any of that "grateful" stuff. This year, like
last year, I did a Christmas day cold lunch. We invited only family and
extended family: my wife and I, both step children, boyfriend of step-
daughter, grandchild, my sister and her companion and my ex-wife. My ex-
wife had her first experience with a Skype video call to my daughter who
lives in Vancouver.

On Thursday I bought, on Friday I cooked, on Saturday I was fairly rested
and we sat down and ate:

1 roasted pork loin (bought from the organic butcher)
2 medium stuffed turkey breasts (bought stuffed from the organic butcher)
a large bowl of potato salad (small potatoes, mayo, salt and pepper)
2 types of cranberry sauces (my traditional with lemon juice and finely
chopped ginger, and a cranberry chutney with orange juice and maple syrup)
a dish of sautéed asparagus, served cold with a vinaigrette
beets en papillotte

Afterwards, a nice Tomme de Grosse-Île with white bread. My sister had
brought a large plate of small cakes for dessert.

Links:

http://www.foodnetwork.ca/recipes/Si...ml?dishid=4919

http://www.fromagesileauxgrues.com/tomme-grosse-ile-en/

--

When fascism comes to America, it will be wrapped in the flag
and carrying a cross.

Sinclair Lewis

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tnrYMafCzeE

On 12/26/2010 2:49 PM, ImStillMags wrote:
On Dec 26, 10:43 am, Serene wrote:


I don't "keep Christmas" in the traditional sense, either. But I love
the foods of the Winter's Season.
So I did a rib roast dinner and had friends in and we enjoyed the
food, the wine, and each other.

I think I keep the Winter's Solstice more like the Pagans of
old !! ;-)

Your rib roast dinner sounds wonderful. I also like to acknowledge the
Winter Solstice, but I don't dance around naked at midnight. Not
outdoors, anyway. ;-)

Becca

On 12/26/2010 3:37 PM, Serene Vannoy wrote:

ObFood: I've received a giant load of Super Sekrit ingredient from a
major food producer, along with an invitation to join a cooking-video
contest they're running. I don't want to say what it is unless we end
up liking it, but the first recipe I'm going to make with it is gonna
be a lot of fun. More when I've done the thing.

Serene


Sounds fun! I can't wait to hear more.

Becca

On 12/26/2010 01:24 PM, ravenlynne wrote:
On 12/26/2010 3:49 PM, ImStillMags wrote:
On Dec 26, 10:43 am, Serene wrote:


I don't "keep Christmas" in the traditional sense, either. But I love
the foods of the Winter's Season.
So I did a rib roast dinner and had friends in and we enjoyed the
food, the wine, and each other.

I think I keep the Winter's Solstice more like the Pagans of
old !! ;-)


We do both :-) We're a "mixed marriage" hehe...he methodist and I pagan.


:-) Most of my family are atheists, but Guy and Carin are pagans (of
different stripes). Christmas feels more cultural than religious to me,
for the most part, and I do like it; I just usually don't take much
effort to make a thing out of it.

Serene

--
http://www.momfoodproject.com

On 12/26/2010 12:52 PM, dsi1 wrote:
On 12/26/2010 8:43 AM, Serene Vannoy wrote:
Just being silly; we have nothing against Christmas; we just don't make
a big deal of holidays around here, never really have. But the turkeys
were 99 cents a pound when I went shopping the other day, and I found a
twelve-pounder. Since James likes turkey, I figured we'd just roast it
up and have it for dinner one night and sandwiches for another few days
or something. Stuck it in to thaw, and as it happened, it was thawed
enough to cook on Christmas morning.

Oddly enough, I can get a 20 lb turkey for less than $8 at the Safeway.
OTOH, a rib roast will be $7/lb. That's the breaks I guess.

Yeah, at Thanksgiving they were doing the sub-20-pounders at $8 and the
20-plus ones at $10, or something like that. We would have gotten two if
I'd had the freezer space. I don't like turkey, but James really does.


I wanted to celebrate Christmas like they do in Japan - too bad the
Kentucky Fried Chicken was closed for the holiday. That was a bummer. :-)

Heh. For Thanksgiving, I had done the big holiday ten days early, so I
wanted to have Thai food for dinner on the actual day (and didn't feel
like cooking it). Turns out all our Thai places are closed on
Thanksgiving, so I went to our favorite one the night before and got
enough to have dinner that night, and leftovers all day the next day.
Smartest $100 I ever spent.

Serene
--
http://www.momfoodproject.com