Turkeys and Such
Nov. 30th, 2009 01:45 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
lydamorehouseYeah, I wasn't here because I was busy with house guests for turkey day. Our usually quiet, unhurried house filled up with the chaos and the awesome that is our friends the Jacksons. They came from Colorado on Tuesday LATE, as I would say, but really it was only nine or ten o'clock when they arrived. (See previous post about how I am now, officialy, old, and nine o'clock is getting to be way past my bedtime.)
Mason alternately had crushes/deep admiration for Maggie and Jack the two "kids" (who, at some point while I wasn't looking, grew up into teenagers.) Jack introduced Mason to the joys of Pokeman for one of those little handheld replacements for Gameboys all you kids are into, and then, to our great astonishment and gratitude, bought him a used one of his very own at the Mall/Maul. Pretty awesome (or enabling,) don't you think? Seriously, though, it's a nice distraction for Mason. Pokeman Diamond Version is about his speed, too.
The actual eating was fairly spectacular, if I do say so myself. The only thing that I would change, if I could, would be to somehow have two ovens and two stove tops so that everything could hit the table piping hot instead of, in some cases, mostly warm enough. I made a ton of sides, and though some of them could be made ahead of time, like the roasted yams, I found that I still didn't quite have enough burners to finish everything exactly on time, while making the gravy, etc.
But we did the whole traditonal thing. Shawn kicked me out of bed at six and I started making bread (French), which I had baked and out of the oven by 11:30 am when I put in the gigantic bird (20-some pounds). Then I made roasted yams with lime and garlic (a recipie from Martha Stewart called "Cuban Sweet Potato Roast," I believe.) Also, I tried something new with the brussel sprouts, something I found in Cooks Magazine that involved maple syrup and cider vinegar. It was okay. I'm not sure I'll do it again, they end up a bit soupy, IMHO. But maybe I just need to tweak the recipie, I don't know. We also had mashed potatoes, gravy, and Shawn's brother Mark's fresh cranberry sauce that involves a whole orange and a touch of brandy. Yum!
And, of course, the obligatory pumpkin pie.
I ate way too much, and my nephew Jonathan came over rounding out a perfect family get-together. We put together a puzzle with the Jacksons and Jonathan, which, may now officially be a "Tradition." I'm not sure how many times you have to do something before it becomes a tradition, but this is the second year running with the Jacksons, Jon, and a puzzle... so certainly it's in the running for tradition, I should think.
Then, I just hung out. The Jacksons left on Saturday for a long drive home, with stops at various relatives' homes along the way. I got a bit of napping in, some reading, and did nothing of import for days on end.
And damn, but getting back into the groove was hard this morning. I woke up in the pitch dark and though, "No way. No effing way." Then I paved a small path in the direction of hell with my good intentions. I was GOING to work out this morning (didn't); I was GOING to get a jump start on all the writing work I ignored for the past five days (didn't). I did have an awesome conversation with a friend this morning about grief, human nature, and my daughter Ella, who died.
It was a really powerful conversation, but the load lightens the less you carry, you know?
At some point I may post a review of BONESHAKER by Cherie Priest, which I finished twenty minutes ago. But I need to percolate my thoughts before I write them down. Plus, I'm going to feel like a complete bonehead if I don't get ANY writing work done today.
How was your turkey day?
Mason alternately had crushes/deep admiration for Maggie and Jack the two "kids" (who, at some point while I wasn't looking, grew up into teenagers.) Jack introduced Mason to the joys of Pokeman for one of those little handheld replacements for Gameboys all you kids are into, and then, to our great astonishment and gratitude, bought him a used one of his very own at the Mall/Maul. Pretty awesome (or enabling,) don't you think? Seriously, though, it's a nice distraction for Mason. Pokeman Diamond Version is about his speed, too.
The actual eating was fairly spectacular, if I do say so myself. The only thing that I would change, if I could, would be to somehow have two ovens and two stove tops so that everything could hit the table piping hot instead of, in some cases, mostly warm enough. I made a ton of sides, and though some of them could be made ahead of time, like the roasted yams, I found that I still didn't quite have enough burners to finish everything exactly on time, while making the gravy, etc.
But we did the whole traditonal thing. Shawn kicked me out of bed at six and I started making bread (French), which I had baked and out of the oven by 11:30 am when I put in the gigantic bird (20-some pounds). Then I made roasted yams with lime and garlic (a recipie from Martha Stewart called "Cuban Sweet Potato Roast," I believe.) Also, I tried something new with the brussel sprouts, something I found in Cooks Magazine that involved maple syrup and cider vinegar. It was okay. I'm not sure I'll do it again, they end up a bit soupy, IMHO. But maybe I just need to tweak the recipie, I don't know. We also had mashed potatoes, gravy, and Shawn's brother Mark's fresh cranberry sauce that involves a whole orange and a touch of brandy. Yum!
And, of course, the obligatory pumpkin pie.
I ate way too much, and my nephew Jonathan came over rounding out a perfect family get-together. We put together a puzzle with the Jacksons and Jonathan, which, may now officially be a "Tradition." I'm not sure how many times you have to do something before it becomes a tradition, but this is the second year running with the Jacksons, Jon, and a puzzle... so certainly it's in the running for tradition, I should think.
Then, I just hung out. The Jacksons left on Saturday for a long drive home, with stops at various relatives' homes along the way. I got a bit of napping in, some reading, and did nothing of import for days on end.
And damn, but getting back into the groove was hard this morning. I woke up in the pitch dark and though, "No way. No effing way." Then I paved a small path in the direction of hell with my good intentions. I was GOING to work out this morning (didn't); I was GOING to get a jump start on all the writing work I ignored for the past five days (didn't). I did have an awesome conversation with a friend this morning about grief, human nature, and my daughter Ella, who died.
It was a really powerful conversation, but the load lightens the less you carry, you know?
At some point I may post a review of BONESHAKER by Cherie Priest, which I finished twenty minutes ago. But I need to percolate my thoughts before I write them down. Plus, I'm going to feel like a complete bonehead if I don't get ANY writing work done today.
How was your turkey day?