First Christmas Dinner

a touch that shows the cook really cares ...
the silverware wrapped in napkins

My plan this year was to do minimal decorating.

 But someone wanted to borrow my decorations early in December for a display at the university ... and once those decorations come out of their storage, it seems a shame not to use them just one more time.

 There isn't a box that isn't full of decorations I love: the nutcrackers, the red plush stocking to fill, the silver beads, the tea light that plays "'Twas the night before Christmas".

 I love them all.

... red plates for a red hot meal ...

And some of our friends were leaving before Christmas day -- one to a job at the University of New Brunswick and another spending the holidays in Lebanon. 

We  began the season with the First Christmas Dinner.

The season is meant for celebrations and for us it occurs around the table.

Out come the plates, the silverware, the napkins, the bowls we don't usually use, the turkey roaster ... and then that smell in the kitchen of new buns or perhaps of turkey dressing as it steams for hours in the slow cooker.

 ... mushrooms for the vegetable ... 

I was interested in Pouria and Amir who wanted to do a true turkey roast -- none of this having the turkey sit in its own juices and steam.

 So they tied a rack to the top of the roaster, binder twine holding it to the handles and they places the turkey on that rack, all of the juices behind caught below.

 ... the turkey was brined for 24 hours ...
... 1/2 pound of butter was smothered
between the skin and the flesh ...

Did we have fun? 

You bet. 

There is nothing like hearing international students shared stories having to do with food. Some at the table had caught pigeons and eaten them. One woman's job as a child, had been to run through the field and find the pigeon her father had shot and then to crush its head against a rock so that it wouldn't suffer. 

Yes.

 This December -- our First Christmas Dinner -- a time to remember.

 Arta