Christmas Day, 2007

Well, its 6:30 AM Christmas morning, and it's "up and at 'em, Atom Ant!" Warmed up a cup of coffee from yesterday and sent off blog post.

I'm hungry, but I have a lot of other cooking to do. On the other hand, I still have three biscuits left from yesterday. No time for white sausage gravy, but, as a second choice, I opened and warmed up a jar of beef gravy. Biscuits got split and warmed in microwave, then buttered, then topped with the gravy. Heart Attack on a Plate? Maybe, but it was GOOD!!!

Next, I took a shower and did miscellaneous chores (take out the trash, change the kitty litter, etc.) Now, it's back to Christmas dinner. I saut�ed the goose innards, neck and wing tips. Then I added coarse chopped onion, carrots, celery, smashed garlic and shallots and saut�ed them until they wilted a bit. They went into a small stock pot with 4 cups of my homemade chicken stock. Brought first to a boil, they will simmer for an hour to make the goose stock for the brandy cranberry reduction.

I was just about to duplicate my insane ramblings of yesterday and describe in excruciating detail all the things I did, Jake did and Carla did to bring Christmas dinner to fruition. But, I have unexpected house guests coming from out of state (as you will read later on) and a lot of tidying up to do before tomorrow morning, so let's save time and Website space and just go through the menu:

Secret Appetizer: Phyllo Turnovers with Shrimp and Ricotta Filling - Pain in the ass to make if you followed the recipe. Jake and Carla said they were good, but I will never make them again!

First Course: Potato and Leek soup - Four Stars! Excellent smooth, silky, smoky taste (the smoky taste coming from Jake's use of his stock, made from the smoked turkey at Thanksgiving).

Second Course: Mushroom en Papillote - Another four Stars! Served with lemon wedges, they were a real treat. And, serving them unopened on their own plate worked well, too, because when you opened them, you were immediately hit with the most delicious odor!

Entr�e and Sides:

Roast Goose - I did pick up a larger roasting pan with a "V" shaped rack to accommodate all the expected grease. It's all dark meat, of course, and did have slight gamey taste, but, other than the skin (gummy and gross) it tasted more like roast beef than duck (if that makes any sense at all). I'd give it three stars.

Brandy Cranberry Reduction - hard to say if you are judging the original recipe. Why? Because Carla took over that particular project and decided after numerous taste-tests, it needed something a little more acidic to balance the sweetness. So, she added fresh-squeezed lemon juice and some parsley. But the final reduction was fantastic (I'm not kidding, here) and paired well with the goose! Four stars!

Speaking of pairing well with the goose, Jake and Carla went to a wine shop in Plymouth and asked what wine would go with goose. After several taste tests, they settled on a MacMurray Ranch Pinot Noir (2005) that was perfect!

Mushroom and Sausage Dressing - Big bomb! I admit I overcooked it, but still, all you tasted was pork sausage. Another "never again" dish.

Rutabagas with butter and herbs - Supposed to be "with butter and parsley", but at the last minute it was changed to "butter and chives." Doesn't matter, as I love rutabagas. Carla spent most of the meal trying to decide what "familiar" taste they reminded her of. She finally settled on cabbage. I can sorta see that, but not 100%!

Hasselback Potatoes - Actually, another four stars. A nice crispy exterior and a soft interior. I would have liked to see them get more contorted during roasting, (that's how they looked on the cooking show we watched) but I thinks it's my fault for cutting a flat on their backside so they would sit upright during roasting.

Sweet Cucumber and Radish Salad - Again, four stars! A nice light, palate cleanser. I'll definitely keep that in my "bag of tricks" for any meal!

After Dinner Snack: Gingerbread - Four stars!!! Not too sweet, strong ginger taste and after-bite. I loved it!

Please note: At my request, Jake brought his camera and took photos of most of the above food. I will post them just after posting this.

Just after eating, Jyl and Riese called to wish me a Happy Birthday and Merry Christmas (thanks, guys!) I asked Riese what she was doing, playing with her presents or just finishing a big Christmas dinner and she said with a sigh, "Just cleaning..."

Jake and Carla left at 5:15 PM (they both have to work tomorrow) and I turned the dishwasher on. About 6:30, Luanne called. Her Mom is in the hospital and not expected to live, so she and Sadie are leaving now and driving through the night up to Michigan. Sad news any day, but especially on Christmas!

I was in the backroom, washing the big stock pots in the laundry tub just after that when I heard a huge crash. I ran up into the kitchen and found the one pine wall shelf (nearest the onions) hanging down and all the stuff on it but the metal tea kettle and my hand painted picture smashed on the floor (my china tea pot, my antique English tea cup and saucer, etc.) Weird as hell! Only thing I can think of is maybe Caley jumped up onto it or something. So, I spent some time cleaning that mess up, trying not to have any broken pieces left lying about.

I was busy cleaning the house when Luanne called again and said her Mother had stabilized somewhat, so they wouldn't be driving straight through (and getting here at 7 or 8:00 AM) but would be in sometime tomorrow. I suggested she call my cell phone when she's nearby, so I can get back home (if I'm out, running errands) to let them in.

So, it's just before 10:00 PM, and I quit for the night!

Merry Christmas to all and to all a "Good Night!"