Christmas is really for children:
Hell no….. If this was so, why on earth do we angst over the ham, turkey and producing the perfectly cooked Brussel Sprout; Christmas pudding so soaked in brandy that even I cough, Christmas cake and mince pies that bring on an attack of heartburn even thinking about them. No…. if Christmas was for the kids we would have hotdogs with bright pink tomato sauce and mello yello mustard out of squeezey bottles, pizza and hamburgers and chips. We would have ice cream in cones to save on washing up and paper tablecloths instead of white linen and glitzy little table decorations, 5 wine glasses per person and kids sitting at the kiddy table. Be honest, Christmas really is for all of us…. I love getting pressies, I love seeing friends and family and so enjoy all the kisses, hugs and feeling of goodwill. I am convinced we all secretly enjoy Christmas but feel we have to moan and groan and be all grown up about it…. I love doing the “whole Christmas” thing because we have always done it, our parents did it and it is a nice bit of tradition and a really good way to wind down the year.
Hint: It is time to come out the Christmas closet and just give yourself over to this really nice time of the year.
Ditto the above – hell no….. I am astounded at how many people trot out “turkey is dry” and how much they hate it at the mere mention of the T word. Well, a well cooked turkey is really delicious. And besides: have you ever wondered why the supermarkets are chock-a-block stocked with turkeys at Christmastime? It’s because people buy them and eat them and if they were all that bad, people wouldn’t but them…would they?
Hint: Get yourself good directions on how to roast a turkey.
Leftover Day (it used to be called Boxing Day):
My sister-in-law was planning her menu for Christmas day lunch when my brother commented that this seemed like a helluva lot of food. Bren said, “Yes, but we need leftovers to take to Lorna’s Leftover Day on Saturday”. hahahaha.
Hint: Just do it – cook for lots of leftover days.
The Gammon:
Until the other day I had never cooked a gammon and the reason is that I was damn terrified. When we were still going up to Zim for Christmases, my mother was the family member designated to cook the gammon or ham. The process started (with a touch of drama) months prior to December with the ordering and then came the cooking – also with a touch of drama. My Mum had this enormous pot and it seemed like the gammon or ham was boiled for days on end and then on Christmas Eve the pot was wrapped up in what looked like an old grey dog blanket and put on the floor in the pantry – and there it simmered and festered over night and the next day we feasted on this truly delicious and succulent ham/gammon (and turkey) ….. I am positive the deliciousness had something to do with the dog blanket. A hard act to follow but I managed this year sans the dog blanket and days of cooking.
Hint: Never be intimidated by things your mother does/did….
Presents:
Make sure that if you make the rule that presents are for "kids only" that you stick to this. Please don’t give me “just a little something” especially when I have stuck to the rule. But one thing I do go with is drawing up a wish list (and you can use it for your birthday).
Hint: Whilst my list still has the miniature horse, white duck and alpaca on it, it is nice to give your nearest and dearest an idea of what you would really like.
Family fights and feuds:
This is a funny one – but if you really can’t stand someone then don’t invite them to your house and don’t go to theirs - avoid them at all costs. Leave the country, go on holiday…….
Hint: As much as you might like to, this is not the time to try to score brownie points. It’s not the time to “put Susie in her place”, “lord it over” your cousin who has just lost his job, show your “brother whose boss”. As the saying goes…just chill and enjoy yourself.
My Christmas Present:
Lisa gave me some stuff called Crazy Clay – it's for persons 4 years and older* and I can honestly say that like youth, this stuff is wasted on the young. I made this little Christmas critter after our pud and got a bit miffy when others wanted to play with my clay….. but my critter was the best.
*You can find Crazy Clay in any good toy shop
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